Comparison between the conventional method of extraction of essential oil of Laurus nobilis L. and a novel method which uses microwaves applied in situ, without resorting to an oven

A novel microwave method has been applied to the hydrothermal extraction of essential oil from plants. An insulated microwave coaxial antenna was introduced inside a 1000 ml glass flask containing dry Laurus nobilis L. leaves and tap water. Microwave power up to 800 W at 2450 MHz was emitted in continuous wave regime (CW) or in pulsed regime (PR) at 8 kW peak power. Stirring with a magnetic bar and a Clevenger refrigerator connected to the flask enabled to complete the extraction in 1 h. The results of the in situ microwave extraction were compared with those obtained by heating the same reactor with a conventional electric mantle by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Differences were observed both in the composition of the essential oil and from the energetic point of view. The essential oil obtained with microwave (MW) methods contained substantially higher amounts of oxygenated compounds and lower amounts of monoterpenes than conventional method. The in situ microwave heating is safe and versatile; it presents time and energy saving advantages, and therefore it can be considered useful also for industrial applications.     

Asymptotic and Spectral Analysis of the Spatially Nonhomogeneous Timoshenko Beam Model

We develop spectral and asymptotic analysis for a class of nonselfadjoint operators which are the dynamics generators for the systems governed by the equations of the spatially nonhomogeneous Timoshenko beam model with a 2–parameter family of dissipative boundary conditions. Our results split into two groups. We prove asymptotic formulas for the spectra of the aforementioned operators (the spectrum of each operator consists of two branches of discrete complex eigenvalues and each branch has only two points of accumulation: +∞ and —∞), and for their generalized eigenvectors. Our second main result is the fact that these operators are Riesz spectral. To obtain this result, we prove that the systems of generalized eigenvectors form Riesz bases in the corresponding energy spaces. We also obtain the asymptotics of the spectra and the eigenfunctions for the nonselfadjoint polynomial operator pencils associated with these operators. The pencil asymptotics are essential for the proofs of the spectral results for the aforementioned dynamics generators.     

Determination of enantiomeric composition of samples by multivariate regression modeling of spectral data obtained with cyclodextrin guest-host complexes-Effect of an achiral surfactant and use of mixed cyclodextrins

The determination of the enantiomeric composition of samples by chemometric modeling of spectral data was investigated for samples of N,N′-bis-(-methylbenzyl) sulfamide and tryptophan methyl ester hydrochloride. Multivariate regression models (PLS-1) were developed from spectral data obtained on solutions containing N,N′-bis-(-methylbenzyl)sulfamide or tryptophan methyl ester hydrochloride in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and mixed cyclodextrin host molecules. The regression models were subsequently used to predict the enantiomeric composition of laboratory-prepared test samples of N,N′-bis(-methylbenzyl)sulfamide or tryptophan methyl ester hydrochloride. The capability of the models to accurately predict the enantiomeric composition was evaluated in terms of the root-mean-square percent relative error (RMS %R.E.) as calculated from the results obtained with independently prepared validation sets of samples. It was found that the presence of SDS in most cases either had little effect on the predictive ability of the model or it actually reduced the predictive ability of the model. Moreover, it was found that the use of mixed CDs, either in the presence or absence of SDS, reduced the predictive ability of the regression model when compared with results obtained with individual CDs.     

The Use of Poly(Sodium N-Undecanoyl-l-Leucylvalinate), Poly(Sodium N-Undecanoyl-l-Leucinate) and Poly(Sodium N-Undecanoyl-l-Valinate) Surfactants as Chiral Selectors for Determination of Enantiomeric Composition of Samples by Multivariate Regression Modeling of Fluorescence Spectral Data

Steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy was employed to investigate the use of chiral polymeric surfactants as chiral selectors in chiral analysis by multivariate regression modeling of spectral data. Partial-least-squares regression modeling (PLS-1) was used to correlate changes in the fluorescence spectral data of 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol (BOH), 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine (BNA), or 2,2,2-trifluoroanthrylethanol (TFA) in the presence of poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-leucylvalinate), poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-leucinate) or poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-valinate) as the enantiomeric composition of the chiral analytes was varied. The regression models produced from the spectral data were validated by determining the enantiomeric composition of independently prepared test solutions. The ability of the model to correctly predict the enantiomeric composition of future samples was evaluated using the root-mean-square percent-relative error (RMS%RE) of prediction. In terms of RMS%RE, the ability of the model to accurately predict the enantiomeric composition of future samples was dependent on the chiral analyte, the polymeric surfactant used, and the surfactant medium, and ranged between 1.57 and 6.10%. Chiral analyte concentrations as low as 5 x 10(-6) M were found to give regression models with good predictability.     

PEO‐Covered Nanoparticles by Emulsion Inversion Point (EIP) Method

This study reports the first PEO‐coated polymer nanoparticles synthesis by miniemulsion polymerization of nano‐emulsions prepared by the low‐energy emulsification method called EIP. The surfactant used was Brij 98, a PEO based non ionic commercial surfactant. The partial phase diagram of the system water/Brij 98/styrene was first determined. The Emulsion Inversion Point technique was then used on the water/Brij 98/styrene system to the formation of styrene‐in‐water nano‐emulsions. After miniemulsion polymerization, particle sizes as low as 36 nm were obtained. To the best of our knowledge, this method had not been used for polymerizable system up to now.

     

RNA and DNA association to zwitterionic and charged monolayers at the air-liquid interface

The objective of this work is to establish under which conditions short RNA molecules (similar to miRNA) associate with zwitterionic phospholipids and how this differs from the association with cationic surfactants. We study how the base pairing (i.e., single stranded versus double stranded nucleic acids) and the length of the nucleic acid and the charge of the lipid/surfactant monolayer affect the association behavior. For this purpose, we study the adsorption of nucleic acids to monolayers composed of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) or dioctadecyl-dimethyl-ammoniumbromide (DODAB) using the surface film balance, neutron reflectometry, and fluorescence microscopy. The monolayer studies with the surface film balance suggested that short single-stranded ssRNA associates with liquid expanded zwitterionic phospholipid monolayers, whereas less or no association is detected for double-stranded dsRNA and dsDNA. In order to quantify the interaction and to determine the location of the nucleic acid in the lipid/surfactant monolayer we performed neutron reflectometry measurements. It was shown that ssRNA adsorbs to and penetrates the liquid expanded monolayers, whereas there is no penetration of nucleic acids into the liquid condensed monolayer. No adsorption was detected for dsDNA to zwitterionic monolayers. On the basis of these results, we propose that the association is driven by the hydrophobic interactions between the exposed hydrophobic bases of the ssRNA and the hydrocarbon chains of the phospholipids. The addition of ssRNA also influences domain formation in the DPPC monolayer, leading to fractal-like interconnected domains. The experimental results are discussed in terms of the implication for biological processes and new leads for applications in medicine and biotechnology.     

Rossinone-related meroterpenes from the Antarctic ascidian Aplidium fuegiense

The chemical analysis of the ascidian Aplidium fuegiense resulted in the isolation of three novel meroterpenoids 2–4, structurally related to the main co-occurring known rossinone B (1). The structures of the new compounds were determined by interpretation of spectroscopic data. Compounds 1–4 were found to be selectively localized in the viscera of the ascidian.     

On the completeness of root vectors generated by systems of coupled hyperbolic equations

The paper is the second in a set of two papers, which are devoted to a unified approach to the problem of completeness of the generalized eigenvectors (the root vectors) for a specific class of linear non‐selfadjoint unbounded matrix differential operators. The list of the problems for which such operators are the dynamics generators includes the following: (a) initial boundary‐value problem (IBVP) for a non‐homogeneous string with both distributed and boundary damping; (b) IBVP for small vibrations of an ideal filament with a one‐parameter family of dissipative boundary conditions at one end and with a heavy load at the other end; this filament problem is treated for two cases of the boundary parameter: non‐singular and singular; (c) IBVP for a three‐dimensional damped wave equation with spherically symmetric coefficients and both distributed and boundary damping; (d) IBVP for a system of two coupled hyperbolic equations constituting a Timoshenko beam model with variable coefficients and boundary damping; (e) IBVP for a coupled Euler‐Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam model with boundary energy dissipation (the model known in engineering literature as bending‐torsion vibration model); (f) IBVP for two coupled Timoshenko beams model, which is currently accepted as an appropriate model describing vibrational behavior of a longer double‐walled carbon nanotube. Problems have been discussed in the first paper of the aforementioned set. Problems are discussed in the present paper.     

Synthesis of Novel Lipophilic Polyamines via Ugi Reaction and Evaluation of Their Anticancer Activity

Natural polyamines (PAs) are involved in the processes of proliferation and differentiation of cancer cells. Lipophilic synthetic polyamines (LPAs) induce the cell death of various cancer cell lines. In the current paper, we have demonstrated a new method for synthesis of LPAs via the multicomponent Ugi reaction and subsequent reduction of amide groups by PhSiH₃. The anticancer activity of the obtained compounds was evaluated in the A-549, MCF7, and HCT116 cancer cell lines. For the first time, it was shown that the anticancer activity of LPAs with piperazine fragments is comparable with that of aliphatic LPAs. The presence of a diglyceride fragment in the structure of LPAs appears to be a key factor for the manifestation of high anticancer activity. The findings of the study strongly support further research in the field of LPAs and their derivatives.     

Spectral operators generated by damped hyperbolic equations

We announce a series of results on the spectral analysis for a class of nonselfadjoint opeators, which are the dynamics generators for the systems governed by hyperbolic equations containing dissipative terms. Two such equations are considered: the equation of nonhomogeneous damped string and the 3-dimensional damped wave equation with spacially nonhomogeneous spherically symmetric coefficients. Nonselfadjoint boundary conditions are imposed at the ends of a finite interval or on a sphere centered at the origin respectively. Our main result is the fact the aforementioned operators are spectral in the sense of N. Dunford. The result follows from the fact that the systems of root vectors of the above operators form Riesz bases in the corresponding energy spaces. We also give asymptotics of the spectra and state the Riesz basis property results for the nonselfadjoint operator pencils associated with these operators.