Argon sorption and partial molar volume in poly(ethyl methacrylate) above and below the glass transition temperature

Sorption and dilation isotherms for argon in poly(ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) are reported for pressures up to 50 atm over the temperature range 5–85°C. At temperatures below the glass transition (T_g=61°C), sorption isotherms are well described by the dual-mode sorption model; and isotherms above T_g follow Henry's law. However, isotherms for dilation due to sorption are linear in pressure at all temperatures over the range investigated. Partial molar volumes of Ar in PEMA are obtained from these isotherms. The volumes are approximately constant above T_g (about 40 cm³/mol), whereas the volumes below T_g are smaller and dependent on both temperature and concentration (19–26 cm³/mol). By analyzing the experimental data according to the dual-mode sorption and dilation model, the volume occupied by a dissolved Ar molecule and the mean size of microvoid in the glass are estimated to be 67 129 ų, respectively. The cohesive energy density of the polymer is also estimated as 61 cal/cm³ from the temperature dependence of the dual-mode parameters.     

A Chemical Study of Burley Tobacco Flavour (Nicotiana tabacum L.). I. Volatile to medium-volatile constituents (b.p. ≦ 84°/0.001 Torr

The fraction b.p. ≦ 84° (0.001 Torr) from Burley tobacco condensate was carefully investigated using fractional distillation and preparative column and gas liquid chromatography aided by GLC/MS coupling. Among the 193 compounds thus separated and characterized by their spectral data, 81 were newly identified tobacco constituents. Most of the compounds isolated in the course of this work display flavouring properties which make them highly suitable for improving the flavour and aroma of tobacco and tobacco smoke.     

Effective interactions in the colloidal suspensions from hypernetted-chain theory

The hypernetted-chain (HNC) Ornstein-Zernike integral equations are used to determine the properties of simple models of colloidal solutions where the colloids and ions are immersed in a solvent considered as a dielectric continuum and have a size ratio equal to 80 and a charge ratio varying between 1 and 4000. At an infinite dilution of colloids, the effective interactions between colloids and ions are determined for ionic concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 0.1 mol/l and compared to those derived from the Poisson-Boltzmann theory. At finite concentrations, we discuss on the basis of the HNC results the possibility of an unambiguous definition of the effective interactions between the colloidal molecules.     

Ultrasound-assisted microencapsulation of jackfruit extract in eco-friendly powder particles: characterization and antiproliferative activity

The aim of the article was to develop stable and safe eco-friendly microcapsules and evaluate their physicochemical properties and their efficiency to protect a jackfruit extract. Eco-friendly microcapsules were produced by ultrasound and spray drying using only three safe ingredients: sucrose ester (SE), miglyol and maltodextrin (DE = 10). Some physicochemical properties, particle morphology, FT-IR, differential scanning calorimetry and antiproliferative activity were determined for microcapsules loaded or not with the jackfuit extract. The results revealed that the encapsulation process by spray drying produced stable microcapsules, with adequate physicochemical and fluid properties for a powder product. The cell viability on the proliferation of M12.C3.F6 cell line was not affected by powder microcapsules without jackfruit extract, indicating that capsules are not toxic for these cells. However, microcapsules with jackfruit extract (100 μg/ml) were able to inhibit significantly the proliferation of M12.C3.F6 cells. These microcapsules can be used for the protection of different compounds sensitive to light, oxygen and/or heat and displaying a very low aqueous solubility.     

Synthesis of Protein Conjugates of 2-Carboxy-L-Arabinitol 5-Phosphate and 2-Carboxy-L-Ribitol 5-Phosphate

Abstract

The synthesis of 5-O-[5-(pentanoic acid)]-phosphono-L-erythro-pent-2-ulose 2 was successfully achieved by coupling benzyl 5-hydroxypentanoate 9b and 1-O-benzyl-L-erythro-pent-2-ulose ethane- 1,2-diyl dithioacetal 13 with the enediol pyrophosphate 18. Compound 2 was coupled to carrier proteins, porcine thyroglobuline and bovine serum albumin and the conjugates were treated with KCN to give conjugates of the hapten 1, designed to raise catalytic antibodies.     

Polysaccharide Based Vaccines for The Prevention of Pneumococcal Infections

1. INTRODUCTION

Streptococcus pneumoniae remains an important cause of infections in this end of the 20th century and is responsible for invasive diseases - pneumonia, meningitis, bacteremia, septicemia - as well as for noninvasive diseases such as pharyngitis, conjunctivitis, otitis media.^1,2     

On Bayes and unbiased estimators of loss

We consider estimation of loss for generalized Bayes or pseudo-Bayes estimators of a multivariate normal mean vector, θ. In 3 and higher dimensions, the MLEX is UMVUE and minimax but is inadmissible. It is dominated by the James-Stein estimator and by many others. Johnstone (1988, On inadmissibility of some unbiased estimates of loss,Statistical Decision Theory and Related Topics, IV (eds. S. S. Gupta and J. O. Berger), Vol. 1, 361–379, Springer, New York) considered the estimation of loss for the usual estimatorX and the James-Stein estimator. He found improvements over the Stein unbiased estimator of risk. In this paper, for a generalized Bayes point estimator of θ, we compare generalized Bayes estimators to unbiased estimators of loss. We find, somewhat surprisingly, that the unbiased estimator often dominates the corresponding generalized Bayes estimator of loss for priors which give minimax estimators in the original point estimation problem. In particular, we give a class of priors for which the generalized Bayes estimator of θ is admissible and minimax but for which the unbiased estimator of loss dominates the generalized Bayes estimator of loss. We also give a general inadmissibility result for a generalized Bayes estimator of loss. Research supported by NSF Grant DMS-97-04524.     

L'intégration graphique des équations différentielles ordinaires

In the period which precedes the appearance of computers, needs in calculation of the scientists and engineers led to an important development of graphic methods of integration. To contribute to the study of this little known phenomenon, the article presents techniques and instruments used for the graphic integration of ordinary differential equations, and looks for their historic origins by going back to the beginning of calculus: processes of geometric calculation by the polygonal method or the method of radius of curvature, use of tractional motion for the conception of integraphs, reduction to graphic quadratures in finite or infinite number.     

Variations on the Theorem of Birkhoff – von Neumann and Extensions

 The theorem of Birkhoff – von Neumann concerns bistochastic matrices (i.e., matrices with nonnegative real entries such that all row sums and all column sums are equal to one). We consider here real matrices with entries unrestricted in sign and we extend the notion of permutation matrices (integral bistochastic matrices); some generalizations of the theorem are derived by using elementary properties of graph theory. Received: October 10, 2000 Final version received: April 11, 2002