DNA damage induced by organotins on ­trout‐nucleated erythrocytes

The effect of tributyltin‐chloride (TBTC), dibutyltin‐chloride (DBTC) and monobutyltin‐chloride (MBTC) on rainbow trout (Salmo irideus) nuclear DNA, was investigated by means of single cell gel electrophoresis (‘comet’ assay). Our data show that TBTC presents a marked genotoxic effect, whereas the genotoxic effect is less pronounced for DBTC and it is completely absent for MBTC. These results could be important in evaluating the environmental risks deriving from the use of these molecules as a antifouling agents in marine paints and as agricultural biocides. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abbreviations:

TBTC,

tributyltin‐chloride;

DBTC,

dibutyltin‐chloride;

MBTC,

monobutyltin‐chloride;

Hb,

hemoglobin.

     

Iridium Cluster Chemistry: The Synthesis and the Solid State Structures of [HIr5(CO)12]2− and [HIr4(CO)10PPh3]−

The cluster [HIr₅(CO)₁₂]^2- (1) was prepared by condensation of [HIr₄(CO)₁₁]^- and [Ir(CO)₄]^- (molar ratio 1:1) in refluxing THF, with almost quantitative yields. Its solid state structure was determined by X-ray diffraction at low temperature on the salt [PPh₃CH₂Ph]₂[HIr₅(CO)₁₂]. The metal atoms define a trigonal bipyramidal arrangement. The hydride ligand was located indirectly as a bridge between apical and equatorial metal atoms. The phosphine-substituted cluster [HIr₄(CO)₁₀PPh₃]^- (2) was synthetized by CO displacement on [HIr₄(CO)₁₁]^-, in THF at room temperature. This reaction is selective, with no traces of polysubstitution products. In the solid state, the hydride and the triphenylphosphine are axially bound on basal iridium atoms; the terminal hydrogen atom was directly located by X-ray analysis at a Ir–H distance of 1.57(9) Å. On the contrary, two isomers are present in THF solution, and they interconvert rapidly at room temperature, as shown by¹H and ³¹P NMR spectra.     

Relaxation Height in Energy Landscapes: An Application to Multiple Metastable States

The study of systems with multiple (not necessarily degenerate) metastable states presents subtle difficulties from the mathematical point of view related to the variational problem that has to be solved in these cases. We prove sufficient conditions to identify multiple metastable states. Since this analysis typically involves non-trivial technical issues, we give different conditions that can be chosen appropriately depending on the specific model under study. We show how these results can be used to attack the problem of multiple metastable states via the use of the modern approaches to metastability. We finally apply these general results to the Blume–Capel model for a particular choice of the parameters for which the model happens to have two multiple not degenerate in energy metastable states. We estimate in probability the time for the transition from the metastable states to the stable state. Moreover we identify the set of critical configurations that represent the minimal gate for the transition.     

Quasiparticle relaxation mechanisms in superconductor/ferromagnet bilayers

In this paper we review some recent results obtained on superconducting/ferromagnetic (S/F) structures when measuring the dynamic instabilities of the vortex lattice at high driving currents. The role played on the non-equilibrium properties of the hybrids by both the ferromagnetic and the superconducting materials has been analyzed with a special focus on the values and the temperature dependence of the quasiparticle relaxation times, τ(E). Knowledge of the relaxation mechanisms in these systems is extremely important in view of possible applications since it can drive the optimal choice of both materials to realize, in particular, ultrafast superconducting single photon detectors based on S/F hybrid structures.     

Liquid chromatographic/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric study of polyphenolic composition of four cultivars of Fragaria vesca L. berries and their comparative evaluation

High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ion spray mass spectrometry in the tandem mode with both negative and positive ionization was used for investigating a variety of polyphenolic compounds in four genotypes of Fragaria vesca berries. About 60 phenolic compounds belonging to the compound classes of phenolic acids, ellagitannins, ellagic acid derivatives, flavonols, monomeric and oligomeric flavanols, dihydrochalcones and anthocyanins were reported, providing for the first time a quite complete picture of polyphenolic composition of F. vesca berries. Some of the polyphenols herein investigated, such as a tris-galloyl-hexahydroxydiphenoyl-hexose, two castalagin/vescalagin-like isomers and peonidin-malonylglucoside, were described for the first time. Principal component analysis applied on original HPLC-MS/MS data, acquired in multiple reaction monitoring mode, successfully discriminated the four investigated cultivars on the basis of their polyphenolic composition, highlighting the fundamental role of mass spectrometry for food characterization. Copyright ? 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dissipation-Dependent Thermal Escape from a Potential Well

Langevin simulations are conducted to investigate the Josephson escape statistics over a large set of parameter values for damping and temperature. The results are compared to both Kramers and Büttiker–Harris–Landauer (BHL) models, and good agreement is found with the Kramers model for high to moderate damping, while the BHL model provides further good agreement down to lower damping values. However, for extremely low damping, even the BHL model fails to reproduce the progression of the escape statistics. In order to explain this discrepancy, we develop a new model which shows that the bias sweep effectively cools the system below the thermodynamic value as the potential well broadens due to the increasing bias. A simple expression for the temperature is derived, and the model is validated against direct Langevin simulations for extremely low damping values.     

Carbon Nanotubes Hybrid Hydrogels for Environmental Remediation: Evaluation of Adsorption Efficiency under Electric Field

The performance of Carbon Nanotubes hybrid hydrogels for environmental remediation was investigated using Methylene Blue (MB), Rhodamine B (RD), and Bengal Rose (BR) as model contaminating dyes. An acrylate hydrogel network with incorporated CNT was synthesized by photo-polymerization without any preliminary derivatization of CNT surface. Thermodynamics, isothermal and kinetic studies showed favorable sorption processes with the application of an external 12 V electric field found to be able to influence the amount of adsorbed dyes: stronger interactions with cationic MB molecules (qexp and qexp12 of 19.72 and 33.45 mg g⁻¹, respectively) and reduced affinity for anionic RD (qexp and qexp12 of 28.93 and 13.06 mg g⁻¹, respectively) and neutral BR (qexp and qexp12 of 36.75 and 15.85 mg g⁻¹, respectively) molecules were recorded. The influence of pH variation on dyes adsorption was finally highlighted by reusability studies, with the negligible variation of adsorption capacity after five repeated sorption cycles claiming for the suitability of the proposed systems as effective sorbent for wastewater treatment.     

Chiral Fibers Formation Upon Assembly of Tetraphenylalanine Peptide Conjugated to a PNA Dimer

Self-assembly of biomolecules such as peptides, nucleic acids or their analogues affords supramolecular objects, exhibiting structures and physical properties dependent on the amino-acid or nucleobase composition. Conjugation of the peptide diphenylalanine (FF) to peptide nucleic acids triggers formation of self-assembled structures, mainly stabilized by interactions between FF. In this work we report formation of homogeneous chiral fibers upon self-assembly of the hybrid composed of the tetraphenylalanine peptide (4F) conjugated to the PNA dimer adenine-thymine (at). In this case nucleobases seem to play a key role in determining the morphology and chirality of the fibers. When the PNA “at” is replaced by guanine-cytosine dimer “gc”, disordered structures are observed. Spectroscopic characterization of the self-assembled hybrids, along with AFM and SEM studies is reported. Finally, a structural model consistent with the experimental evidence has also been obtained, showing how the building blocks of 4Fat arrange to give helical fibers.     

Cycloaddition reactions of 1,3-diazabuta-1,3-dienes with alkynyl ketenes

The cycloaddition reactions of ‘all-carbon’ 1,3-diazabuta-1,3-dienes with a few conjugated and unconjugated alkynyl ketenes are described. The reactions provide some interesting azetidinones and dihydropyrimidinones bearing an alkynyl moiety. The regiochemistry of cycloadduct is related with the degree of conjugation of the alkynyl ketene. Moreover, two alternative approaches to ‘all-carbon’ 1,3-diazabuta-1,3-dienes are reported.     

1-(2-Pyridyl)-2-propen-1-ol: a multipurpose reagent in organic synthesis

A peculiar thermal behaviour of hydroxyallylpyridyl derivatives, likely associated to the weak acidity of the ‘picoline-type’ hydrogen atom and responsible for the formation of allyl inversion products, has been reported. The ‘mobility’ of the same hydrogen atom allowed the unprotected title compound to behave regioselectively as C-1, C-2 or C-3 carbon nucleophile depending on the thermal or base-promoted experimental conditions and on the kind of electrophile; moreover, the corresponding Hantzsch-type pyridine tautomer displayed a biomimetic ability to transfer hydrogen to aromatic and heteroaromatic nitro derivatives.