Studies on simulated ageing of paper by photochemical degradation

The study of the ageing of two paper types was performed on monitoring it during a simulated process by means of the measure of the photocatalytic degradation of the paper cellulose. Such evaluation was possible due to the combined responses of a photosensor based on titanium dioxide in suspension, of an enzymatic biosensor based on superoxide dismutase (SOD), of a specific conductivity sensor and of an enzymatic biosensor based on glucose oxidase.     

Synthesis of Glycosylrifamycins,a new type of semisynthetic rifamycins

Glycosylrifamycins, a new type of semisynthetic rifamycin derivatives, can be easily obtained by reaction of 3-(2-aminoethylthio)rifamycin SV ( 2 ) with a glycosyl compound carrying a coupling group, such as isothicyanate or carboxy. We prepared O-acetylated and free glucopyranosyl and arabinopyranosyl derivatives of rifamycin S and SV (see 3–10 ). Additionally, derivatives with D -saccharo-1,4-lactone and with shikimic acid were obtained (see 11–15 ). Glycosylrifamycins show an interesting inhibitory power on Gram-positive bacteria (Table).     

Unravelling the effect of the E545K mutation on PI3Kα kinase

PI3Kα controls several cellular processes and its aberrant signalling is implicated in tumorigenesis. One of its hotspot mutations, E545K, increases PI3Kα lipid kinase activity, but its mode of action is only partially understood. Here, we perform biased and unbiased molecular dynamics simulations of PI3Kα and uncover, for the first time, the free energy landscape of the E545K PI3Kα mutant. We reveal the mechanism by which E545K leads to PI3Kα activation in atomic-level detail, which is considerably more complex than previously thought.

The mechanism by which the cancer-causing E545K mutation may lead to PI3Kα activation is described in atomic-level detail.     

The Dynamic Behaviour and NMR Solution structures of complexes of the type (Bisphosphine)(cycloocta-1,5-diene)iridium(I) and the X-ray crystal structure of (cycloocta-1,5-diene)((−)-norphos)iridium(I) hexafluorophosphate

A square-planar coordination geometry was found for the complex [Ir(cod){(?)-norphos}][PF₆] ( 1b [PF₆]; cod = cylcoocta-1,5-diene and (?)-norphos = [(2R,3R)-8-9-10-trinorborn-5-ene-2,3-diyl]bis(diphenylphosphine)) in the solid state by X-ray diffraction. Crystal data: monoclinic, space group P2₁, a = 10.751 (6), b = 18.669(14), c = 12.037(8) Å, β = 114.82(5)°, Z = 2. A total structural assignment including the configurational and conformational aspects of this and the related compounds [Ir(bishosphine)(cod)]X (bisphosphine = (?)-chiraphos = (2S,3S)-2,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane and (?)-norphos, X = Cl, CF₃SO₃, or PF₆) was carried out in solution by one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The complexes containing the CF₃SO₃^? and PF₆^? anions are four-coordinate cations with square-planar geometry, whereas the chlorides are five-coordinate neutral compounds showing solvent-dependent dynamic behaviour. In toluene, two diastereoisomers of [IrCl(cod){(?)-norphos}] ( 2b ) exist and interconvert slowly at room temperature. This interchange is fast in CDCl₃ solution, and it is likely to involve Cl dissociation and the formation of the cation [Ir(cod){(?)-norphos}]⁺ as an intermediate.     

Determination of gallium in tumour-affected tissues by means of spectroscopic techniques

A comparative investigation was carried out on the suitability of atomic absorption spectrometry and of emission spectrography with arc and hollow-cathode excitation sources for determination of gallium (μg g^-1) in biological samples. The three methods give reliable results. Hollow-cathode emission spectrography was found to be influenced to a lesser extent by matrix effects and to be more precise than the other two techniques.     

Optically active polymers containing side-chain photochromic moieties: Synthesis and chiroptical properties of copolymers of trans-4-(phenylazo)-1-naphthyl acrylate and trans-4-(1-naphthylazo)-phenyl acrylate with (?)-menthyl acrylate

The synthesis of photochromic optically active copolymers from trans-4-(phenylazo)-1-naphthyl acrylate (PANA), or trans-4-(1-naphthylazo)-phenyl acrylate (NAPA), and (?)-menthyl acrylate (MtA) is described. The copolymers prepared, having different contents of trans-phenylazonaphthalene moieties, have been characterized by IR, ¹H-NMR, UV, and GPC techniques. The chiroptical properties have been investigated by circular dichroism (CD) and the induced optical activity on the side-chain trans-phenylazonaphthalene chromophores discussed in terms of different conformational situations of the macromolecules in both the copolymer series. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Oriented thin films from soluble polythiophenes

The degree of orientation of thin films of eight different polymeric structures, belonging to the class of soluble polyalkylthiophenes (PATs) has been studied. Thin films of the polymers, obtained by spin coating onto glass substrates, were oriented by means of the rubbing technique. The degree of orientation is related to the regioregularity of the system: highly regioregular polymers can be oriented, while regiorandom materials are not oriented. The degree of orientation can be improved by thermal annealing of the oriented films. As a result of annealing, which was performed at different temperatures according to the thermal behavior of the polymers, it was possible to increase the polarization ratio for poly(3-decylthiophene) up to 12–13 as detected from the UV-vis spectra in polarized light. Moreover in the investigated PATs, both the key role of molecular weight and its distribution for achieving a high orientation degree has been assessed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stochastic phase lockings in a relaxation oscillator forced by a periodic input with additive noise: A first-passage-time approach

Noise effects on phase lockings in a system consisting of a piecewise-linear van der Pol relaxation oscillator driven by a periodic input are studied. The problem of finding the period of the oscillator is reduced to the first-passage-time problem of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process with time-varying boundary. The probability density functions of the first-passage time are used to define the operator which governs a transition of an input phase density after one cycle of the oscillator. Phase lockings in a stochastic sense are investigated on the basis of the density evolution by the operator.     

Solutions of logarithmic type for elliptic and hypoelliptic equations

LetK be an algebraically closed field withp:=char (K)>0 andX a bielliptic curve over Spec(K) with genus≥6 and such that the canonical model ofX is ordinary. In this paper we determine all the possible gap sequences of Weierstrass points on such curves.     

Di-2-pyridylketone semicarbazone as ligand in metal complexes: synthesis and X-ray crystal structure

A series of complexes of di-2-pyridylketone semicarbazone (Hdips) and Mn(II), Co(II), Co(III), Ni(II) and Cu(II) nitrates were synthesized and characterized by means of IR spectroscopy and for cobalt and nickel by X-ray crystal structures. The results are in agreement with the formulae: Mn(Hdips)₂(NO₃)₂·2H₂O, [Co(Hdips)₂](NO₃)₂·H₂O (I), [Ni(Hdips)₂](NO₃)₂·H₂O (II), Cu(Hdips)(NO₃)₂·2H₂O, [Co(dips)₂](NO₃)·2H₂O (III). The structure of I and II are monoclinic, space groupP2₁/c, with, I,a=15.980(4),b=11.531(2),c=16.170(2)Å;=104.20(2)°,Z=4,R=0.032; II,a=16.109(5),b=11.480(3),c=16.135(6)Å;=104.15(2)°,Z=4,R=0.069. Compound III is also monoclinic, space groupP2₁/c witha=12.173(5),b=15.619(5),c=15.338(8)Å;=111.40(4)°,Z=4,R=0.059. In these complexes the ligand is tridentate via carbonylic oxygen, semicarbazone and pyridine nitrogens forming each two five membered chelate rings with the metal in a distorted octahedral geometry.