Polynomial chaos representation of spatio-temporal random fields from experimental measurements

Two numerical techniques are proposed to construct a polynomial chaos (PC) representation of an arbitrary second-order random vector. In the first approach, a PC representation is constructed by matching a target joint probability density function (pdf) based on sequential conditioning (a sequence of conditional probability relations) in conjunction with the Rosenblatt transformation. In the second approach, the PC representation is obtained by having recourse to the Rosenblatt transformation and simultaneously matching a set of target marginal pdfs and target Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (SRCC) matrix. Both techniques are applied to model an experimental spatio-temporal data set, exhibiting strong non-stationary and non-Gaussian features. The data consists of a set of oceanographic temperature records obtained from a shallow-water acoustics transmission experiment [1]. The measurement data, observed over a finite denumerable subset of the indexing set of the random process, is treated as a collection of observed samples of a second-order random vector that can be treated as a finite-dimensional approximation of the original random field. A set of properly ordered conditional pdfs, that uniquely characterizes the target joint pdf, in the first approach and a set of target marginal pdfs and a target SRCC matrix, in the second approach, are estimated from available experimental data. Digital realizations sampled from the constructed PC representations based on both schemes capture the observed statistical characteristics of the experimental data with sufficient accuracy. The relative advantages and disadvantages of the two proposed techniques are also highlighted.     

Sequestration of CO2 using Cu nanoparticles supported on spherical and rod-shape mesoporous silica

The CO₂ sequestration is one of the most promising solutions to tackle global warming. In this study, spherical mesoporous silica particles (MPS-S) and rod-shaped mesoporous silica particles (MPS-R) loaded with Cu nanoparticles were selectively prepared and employed for CO₂ adsorption. For the first time uniform Cu nanoparticles were incorporated into the rod-shaped mesoporous silica particles by post-synthesis modification using both N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine (PEDA) and ethylenediamine (EDA) as coupling agents. The physiochemical properties of the mesoporous and copper grifted silica composites were investigated by CHN elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), surface area analysis, scanning, transmission electron microscopy and gas analysis system (GSD 320, TERMO). The mesoporous silica shows highly ordered mesoporous structures, with the rod-shaped particles having a higher surface area than the spherical ones. Copper nanoparticles with an average diameter of 6.0 nm were uniformly incorporated into the MPS-S and MPS-R. Moreover, Cu-loaded mesoporous silica exhibits up to 40% higher CO₂ adsorption capacity than the bare MPS. The MPS-R modified with Cu nanoparticles showed a maximum CO₂ adsorption capacity of 0.62 mmol/g and the humidity showed a slight negative effect on CO₂ uptake process. The enhancement of CO₂ adsorption onto transition metal/mesoporous substrates provides basis for imminent CO₂ sequestration.     

Effect of pH and α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrin on the spectral properties of etoricoxib: spectroscopic and molecular dynamics study

The spectral properties of etoricoxib (ETR) at pH 2.0, 6.0 and 10.0 in the presence of cyclodextrins (CDs) were investigated. The absorption spectrum of ETR in acidic medium exhibited two bands centered at 236 and 273 nm, while in basic medium it exhibited two bands centered at 236 and 285 nm. No change in the spectrum was observed in the presence of CDs. The fluorescence emission spectra of ETR in acidic and basic media exhibited one band at 380 nm and another one at 484 nm. The emission band at 484 nm was enhanced when ETR was complexed with β-CD and γ-CD at pH 2.0, 6.0 and 10.0, while the band at 380 nm was enhanced selectively when ETR was complexed with α-CD at pH 2.0. Molecular dynamics simulations computations revealed that at pH 2.0, the sulfonyl moiety of H₂ETR²⁺ is preferentially included within the α-CD cavity, which is believed to cause the enhancement of the band at 380 nm. Moreover, at pH 6.0 and 10.0, the enhancement of the band at 484 nm was related to the inclusion of the chloropyridinyl and methylpyridinyl groups of the bipyridine moiety of HETR⁺ and ETR within β-CD and γ-CD cavities. Benesi–Hildebrand analysis showed that the ETR/β-CD complex adopts a 1:1 stoichiometry with association constant of K ₁₁?=?64.8 at pH 2.0, K ₁₁?=?105.4 at pH 6.0 and K ₁₁?=?520.5 at pH 10.0.     

Polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs): bridging the void between microporous and polymeric materials

Novel types of microporous material are required for chemoselective adsorptions, separations and heterogeneous catalysis. This concept article describes recent research directed towards the synthesis of polymeric materials that possess microporosity that is intrinsic to their molecular structures. These polymers (PIMs) can exhibit analogous behaviour to that of conventional microporous materials, but, in addition, may be processed into convenient forms for use as membranes. The excellent performance of these membranes for gas separation and pervaporation illustrates the unique character of PIMs and suggests immediate technological applications.     

Polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs): robust, solution-processable, organic nanoporous materials

Microporous materials can be derived directly from soluble polymers whose randomly contorted shapes prevent an efficient packing of the macromolecules in the solid state.     

Diazo Compounds and Phenyliodonium Ylides in Inter- and Intramolecular Cyclopropanations Catalyzed by Dirhodium(II). Synthesis and Chiral Resolution by GC versus HPLC

Summary. The dirhodium(II)-catalyzed intermolecular cyclopropanation of a set of olefins with either diazo free phenyliodonium ylides or diazo compounds afforded cyclopropanes derived from Meldrum’s acid, dimethyl malonate, (silanoxyvinyl)diazoacetates, 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-diazopropionate, ethyl diazo(triethyl)- and (dimethylphenyl)silylacetate with moderate to high yield in either racemic or enantio-enriched forms. The intramolecular cyclopropanation of triethylsilyl-substituted allyl diazoacetates in the presence of the chiral rhodium(II) catalyst [Rh₂(s-nttl)₄] in toluene afforded the corresponding cyclopropanes with up to 37% ee. An efficient chiral separation method based on enantioselective GC and HPLC was developed. The method provides information about the chemical yields of the cyclopropane products, enantioselectivity, substrate specifity, and catalytic activity of the chiral catalysts used in the inter- and intramolecular cyclopropanation reactions and avoids time-consuming work-up procedures.     

Organotin polymers—II.Copolymerization parameters for tributyltin methacrylate with methyl acrylate,ethyl acrylate,butyl acrylate and acrylonitrile

Copolymerizations of tributyltin methacrylate (M₁) with methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate and acrylonitrile were carried out in solution at 70° using azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. Copolymer compositions were determined by tin analysis; monomer reactivity ratios were calculated by Fineman-Ross and Kelen-Tüdös methods. The reactivities of acrylic esters decrease as the alkyl group becomes bulkier. Azeotropic copolymers could be formed from tributyltin methacrylate with butyl acrylate and with acrylonitrile. The structures of M₁ and its azeotropic copolymers have been investigated by infrared spectroscopy.     

Radiation effects on polymers—XIII. The application of cellulose acetate-g-polyacrylamide membranes in the process of water desalination by reverse osmosis

Using computerized programs, the water flux and salt rejection properties in reverse osmosis of cellulose acetate-g-acrylamide membranes are determined. Comparisons are made with ungrafted commercial cellulose acetate membranes, using 0.1 and 1.0 M sodium chloride, sodium sulphate and ammonium sulphate solutions. The grafted cellulose acetates show improved water flux but reduced NaCl rejection. However, they show promising prospects in bigger ion separation as for Na₂SO₄ and (NH₄)₂SO₄ solutions.     

Improving the spectrophotometric determination of the alkylating activity of anticancer agents: A new insight into the mechanism of the NBP method

In this paper, the mechanism of the nitrobenzylpyridine (NBP) method to measure the alkylating activity of drugs originally described by Epstein et al. [J. Epstein, R.W. Rosenthal, R.J. Ess, Anal. Chem. 27 (1955) 1435-1439] and modified later by others was revisited using melphalan, m-sarcolysin, chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide. Its direct application to determine the activity of these drugs in human serum and aqueous media is described and discussed.This method, based on the formation of a chromophore due to the reaction between the alkylating agent and NBP, was significantly improved by extracting as quickly as possible the reaction product(s) into chloroform before adding alkali to develop the color. This significantly limited the degradation by hydrolysis of the products and enhanced the yield of the end chromophore in the organic phase. The reaction time was optimized by monitoring each compound color development.The best reaction time for each compound was selected and a higher stability of the extracted color over at least 1 h was obtained (compared to a couple of minutes in previous studies). Most interestingly, water evaporation due to heating had little or no effect on the linearity of standard curves evaluated in the micromolar concentration range. Both the sensitivity and reproducibility of the method were therefore significantly improved.There appears to be a direct correlation between compound hydrolysis and alkylation activity; the relative reactivity is different among the compounds owing to the rate of (i) production, (ii) the relative proportions and (iii) the hydrolysis of the intermediates. A general mechanism for the nucleophilic competitive substitution is proposed.     

Random anisotropy studies in amorphous FeTmB

We have studied the magnetization of melt spun amorphous Fe_{80 −x}Tm_xB₂₀ alloys with 0 x 15 under magnetic fields up to 18 kOe, and have analyzed the results at different temperatures based on the random magnetic anisotropy model. Exchange interactions J_FeFe and J_FeTm evaluated by the fitting of M-T curves are discussed. The local random anisotropy K_L and the exchange constant A are found to decrease with increasing temperature. Experimental data show that the ferromagnetic correlation length R_f decreases with increasing Tm content.