The fixed point property in -triples and preduals of -triples

We prove that for every member X in the class of real or complex JB^*-triples or preduals of JBW^*-triples, the following assertions are equivalent:

(1) X has the fixed point property.

(2) X has the super fixed point property.

(3) X has normal structure.

(4) X has uniform normal structure.

(5) The Banach space of X is reflexive.

As a consequence, a real or complex C^*-algebra or the predual of a real or complex W^*-algebra having the fixed point property must be finite-dimensional.

Efficient approach for the reliable quantification and confirmation of antibiotics in water using on-line solid-phase extraction liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

The potential of solid-phase extraction coupled on-line to liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-LC-ESI-MS/MS) has been investigated in this paper for the efficient sensitive quantification and confirmation of 16 antibiotics in water. The list of targeted analytes included 10 quinolones (oxolinic acid (OXO), nalidixic acid (NAL), flumequine (FLU), marbofloxacine (MAR), ofloxacine (OFLO), enrofloxacine (ENR), pefloxacine (PEF), ciprofloxacine (CIP), pipemidic acid (PIPE), norfloxacine (NOR)) and 6 penicillins (penicillin G (PEN), oxacillin (OXA), dicloxacillin (DIC), piperacillin (PIP), cloxacillin (CLO) and ampicillin (AMP)) that were determined in ground and surface water. The procedure is based on the injection of 9.8 mL of sample into the SPE-LC-MS/MS system and the measurement of antibiotics by selected reaction monitoring mode, using a triple quadrupole analyser. The method has been validated at realistic low concentrations that might be present in environmental water, i.e. 10 and 100 ng L(-1), obtaining recoveries between 74% and 123% with relative standard deviation lower than 14%. Matrix effects were not relevant in most of cases, except for ampicillin in surface water, where notable signal suppression was observed. The limits of detection were as low as 0.4-4.3 ng L(-1). The method developed allows the rapid screening and quantification of all the analytes selected by acquiring one MS/MS transition (normally the most sensitive) for each compound. It was applied to a number of actual surface and groundwater samples with several compounds being detected, mainly quinolones, at low ng L(-1) levels. Special attention was given to the confirmation of compounds detected in water due to the difficulties of obtaining confident confirmation at low ng L(-1). This matter has been of growing concern in the last few years as reflected by recent papers and correspondence. The acquisition of several MS/MS transitions for each compound detected in a second independent analysis allowed the unequivocal confirmation of identity, avoiding reporting false-positives. Finally, the potential of QTOF instruments to confirm positive samples has also been evaluated and compared with triple quadrupole analysers.     

Preferential sites for InAsP/InP quantum wire nucleation using molecular dynamics

In this paper, stress fields at the surface of the capping layer of self-assembled InAsP quantum wires grown on an InP (001) substrate have been determined from atomistic models using molecular dynamics and Stillinger-Weber potentials. To carry out these calculations, the quantum wire compositional distribution was extracted from previous works, where the As and P distributions were determined by electron energy loss spectroscopy and high-resolution aberration-corrected Z-contrast imaging. Preferential sites for the nucleation of wires on the surface of the capping layer were studied and compared with (i) previous simulations using finite element analysis to solve anisotropic elastic theory equations and (ii) experimentally measured locations of stacked wires. Preferential nucleation sites of stacked wires were determined by the maximum stress location at the MD model surface in good agreement with experimental results and those derived from finite element analysis. This indicates that MD simulations based on empirical potentials provide a suitable and flexible tool to study strain dependent atom processes.     

Low temperature radio-frequency transverse susceptibility measurements using a CMOS oscillator circuit

A transverse susceptibility (TS) measurement system based on a simple inverter CMOS cell oscillator cross-coupled to a LC tank is presented. The system has been implemented to operate at a Quantum Design Physical Properties Measurement System (PPMS). We introduce several improvements with respect to similar currently operating TS measurement equipments. The electronics have been redesigned to use CMOS transistors as active devices, which simplifies the circuit design and enlarge the tuning range, thus making the proposed electronic block more feasible, predictable, and precise. Additionally, we propose a newly designed sample holder, which facilitates the procedure to change a sample and improves reproducibility of the circuit. Our design minimizes the thermal leak of the measuring probe by one order of magnitude, allowing to measure from 1.8 K in standard PPMS systems, thanks to the use of a low temperature beryllium–copper coaxial cable instead of the conventional RG402 Cu coaxial cable employed in the insert for the PPMS in similar systems. The data acquisition method is also simplified, so that the measuring sequences are implemented directly in the PPMS controller computer by programming them in the Quantum Design MultiVu software that controls the PPMS. We present the test measurements performed on the system without sample to study the background signal and stability of the circuit. Measurements on a Gd₂O₃ calibrating sample yield to the estimation of the system sensitivity, which is found to be on the order of 10⁻⁶ emu. Finally, measurements on a TmCo₂ Laves phase sample with a ferrimagnetic transition temperature around 4 K are described, demonstrating that the developed system is well suited to explore interesting magnetic phenomena at this temperature scale.     

Energetics and structural properties, in the gas phase, of trans-hydroxycinnamic acids

We have studied the energetics and structural properties of trans-cinnamic acid (CA), o-, m-, and p-coumaric acids (2-, 3-, and 4-hydroxycinnamic acids), caffeic acid (3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid), ferulic acid (4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid), iso-ferulic acid (3-hydroxy-4-methoxycinnamic acid), and sinapic acid (3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxycinnamic acid). The experimental values of Δ(f)H(m)°(g), determined (in kJ·mol(-1)) for CA (-229.8 ± 1.9), p-coumaric acid (-408.0 ± 4.4), caffeic acid (-580.0 ± 5.9), and ferulic acid (-566.4 ± 5.7), allowed us to derive Δ(f)H(m)°(g) of o-coumaric acid (-405.6 ± 4.4), m-coumaric acid (-406.4 ± 4.4), iso-ferulic acid (-565.2 ± 5.7), and sinapic acid (-698.8 ± 4.1). From these values and by use of isodesmic/homodesmotic reactions, we studied the energetic effects of π-donor substituents (-OH and -OCH(3)) in cinnamic acid derivatives and in the respective benzene analogues. Our results indicate that the interaction between -OCH(3) and/or -OH groups in hydroxycinnamic acids takes place without significant influence of the propenoic fragment.     

Synthesis of arotinoid acid and temarotene using mixed (Z)-1,2-bis(organylchalcogene)-1-alkene as precursor

An efficient and novel total synthesis of the two bioactive retinoids temarotene and arotinoid acid (TTNPB) is described. The key steps in this process include the regio and stereoselective hydrotelluration of thioacetylene 9 and Te/Li transmetalation of mixed (Z)-1,2-bis(organylchalcogene)-1-alkene (Z)-3. The subsequent reaction involving the β-phenylthio vinyl lithiated intermediate 10 with dimethyl sulfate gave the (E)-vinyl sulfide 11. The Ni⁺² cross-coupling of 11 with the corresponding phenylzinc bromide and p-oxazoline phenylzinc bromide 12 afforded the respective temarotene 2 and retinoid-oxazoline substituted 13. Finally, compound 13 was deprotected with HCl to furnish arotinoid acid (TTNPB) 1.     

Super impact strength of blends prepared from regular HIPS and poly(butyl acrylate)‐block‐poly(styrene) obtained by RAFT polymerization

S‐allyl‐4‐methyldithiobenzoate was synthesized and used as a chain transfer agent for the RAFT polymerization of butyl acrylate to produce a functionalized acrylic rubber. A solution of 8 wt% of this functionalized rubber was prepared in styrene and polymerized to generate a material called acrylic rubber‐modified polystyrene (AMP) constituted by well‐dispersed particles of poly(butyl acrylate)‐block‐poly(styrene) into a polystyrene matrix. Impact strength of injection‐molded samples of AMP was measured and compared with the general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and the high impact polystyrene (HIPS). AMP itself showed an impact strength value similar to GPPS; however, when AMP was blended with conventional HIPS, the resulting material exhibited an improvement of 76–91% as compared to HIPS by itself, without affecting negatively tensile properties. Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed both kinds of dispersed phases, i.e. the typical salami particles of polybutadiene coming from HIPS (size: 0.5–2 µ) and small particles from poly(butyl acrylate)‐block‐poly(styrene) (size: ～50 nm). We clearly showed that such a bimodality of the particle size distribution caused the positive synergistic effect on impact strength. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Information-Theoretic-Based Spreading Measures of Orthogonal Polynomials

The macroscopic properties of a quantum system strongly depend on the spreading of the physical eigenfunctions (wavefunctions) of its Hamiltonian operador over its confined domain. The wavefunctions are often controlled by classical or hypergeometric-type orthogonal polynomials (Hermite, Laguerre and Jacobi). Here we discuss the spreading of these polynomials over its orthogonality interval by means of various information-theoretic quantities which grasp some facets of the polynomial distribution not yet analyzed. We consider the information-theoretic lengths closely related to the Fisher information and Rényi and Shannon entropies, which quantify the polynomial spreading far beyond the celebrated standard deviation.     

19F NMR analyses of some cyclopropane derivatives

Structural assignments of all possible diastereoisomers of 1-chloro- 2-ethoxy-1-fluoro-alkylcyclopropanes have been achieved through their ¹⁹F NMR spectra. The previously unreported effect of an ethoxyl group on the fluorine signal has been studied and found to promote in most cases a shielding effect in the vicinal $\text{cis}$-fluorine and a deshielding effect when $\text{trans}$ to this halogen.