Sensitive Detection of Capsaicin by Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetry at a Boron‐Doped Diamond Electrode in the Presence of Sodium Dodecylsulfate

In the present paper, a sensitive electroanalytical methodology for the determination of capsaicin using adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) at a boron‐doped diamond (BDD) electrode is presented. The voltammetric results indicate that in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) the BDD electrode remarkably enhances the oxidation of capsaicin which leads to an improvement of the peak current with a shift of the peak potential to less negative values. A linear working range of 0.05 to 6.0 µg mL^?1 (0.16–20 µM) with a detection limit of 0.012 µg mL^?1 (0.034 µM) has been obtained using BDD electrode by AdSV.     

Synthesis, antihistaminic action and theoretical studies of (4-methoxybenzyl)(1,4,5,6-tetrahydropirimidin-2-yl)amine hydroiodide

In this study, (4-methoxybenzyl)(1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-2-yl)amine hydroiodide (2) was synthesized by reaction of 2-methylmercapto-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine hydroiodide (1) and 4-methoxybenzylamine. The synthesized compound was tested for its in vitro H1-antihistaminic activity on guinea pig trachea. A promising bronchorelaxant effect of 2 was observed in histamine-contracted guinea pig tracheal chain via H1 receptor antagonism. In addition, the molecular geometry and gauge including atomic orbital (GIAO) ¹H chemical shift values of the title compound in the ground state were calculated using the density functional method (DFT/UB3LYP) and Hartree–Fock (HF) approach using 6–311G+(d), 6–311G+(d,p), LANL2DZ, DGDZVP, and DGDZVP2 basis sets and compared with the experimental data. According to the experimental and theoretical results, HF/6–311G+(d) showed a better fit to experimental values in evaluating ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shift values. Theoretical studies supported our findings, revealing the N₁₂ atom as the most nucleophilic. In addition, other structures of the compound such as the aromatic ring and OCH₃ group increased this property.     

Mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) + high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) binary blends: Non‐isothermal degradation kinetics of PP + HDPE (80/20) Blends

In this study, the mechanical properties and non‐isothermal degradation kinetics of polypropylene (PP), high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) with dilauroyl peroxide and their blends in different mixture ratios were investigated. The effects of adding dilauroyl peroxide (0–0.20 wt%) on the mechanical and thermal properties of PP + HDPE blends have been studied. On the other hand, the kinetics of the thermal degradation and thermal oxidative degradation of PP + HDPE (80/20 wt%) blends were studied in different atmospheres, to analyze their thermal stability. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters such as the activation energy, E_a, the pre‐exponential factor, A, the reaction order, n, the entropy change, the enthalpy change, and the free energies of activated complex related to PP, HDPE, and blend systems were calculated by means of the several methods on the basis of the single heating rate. A computer program was developed for automatically processing the data to estimate the reaction parameters by using different models. Most appropriate method was determined for each decomposition step according to the least‐squares linear regression. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimal berth allocation and time-invariant quay crane assignment in container terminals

Due to the dramatic increase in the world’s container traffic, the efficient management of operations in seaport container terminals has become a crucial issue. In this work, we focus on the integrated planning of the following problems faced at container terminals: berth allocation, quay crane assignment (number), and quay crane assignment (specific). First, we formulate a new binary integer linear program for the integrated solution of the berth allocation and quay crane assignment (number) problems called BACAP. Then we extend it by incorporating the quay crane assignment (specific) problem as well, which is named BACASP. Computational experiments performed on problem instances of various sizes indicate that the model for BACAP is very efficient and even large instances up to 60 vessels can be solved to optimality. Unfortunately, this is not the case for BACASP. Therefore, to be able to solve large instances, we present a necessary and sufficient condition for generating an optimal solution of BACASP from an optimal solution of BACAP using a post-processing algorithm. In case this condition is not satisfied, we make use of a cutting plane algorithm which solves BACAP repeatedly by adding cuts generated from the optimal solutions until the aforementioned condition holds. This method proves to be viable and enables us to solve large BACASP instances as well. To the best of our knowledge, these are the largest instances that can be solved to optimality for this difficult problem, which makes our work applicable to realistic problems.     

Calorimetric study of the alpha-tocopherol solubility in reversed AOT micelles

The experimental data of heat of mixing (Q) for heterogeneous system alpha-tocopherol/AOT/n-heptane with and without water at 25 degrees C are presented. The Q dependence on AOT (sodium bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate) concentration, and R parameter defined as R=[H2O]/[AOT] with flow calorimetric method were investigated. Using the D'Aprano model (which is formally identical to that used earlier by Magid et al.) the binding constant (K), the distribution constant of alpha-tocopherol (K distr) between hydrocarbon and the micellar phase, and the standard enthalpy of transfer (DeltaH tr 0) of alpha-tocopherol from the hydrocarbon to AOT reversed micelles were calculated. The solubility of alpha-tocopherol in AOT reversed micelles explored with the calorimetric technique was compared to the literature data obtained respectively with UV spectrophotometry for reversed micelles and by other techniques for the phospholipid bilayer.     

Collodial cluster arrays by electrohydrodynamic printing

A "stable" electrohydrodynamic jet is used to print arrays of colloidal suspensions on hydrophobic surfaces. Printed lines break up into sessile drops, and capillary forces guide the self-assembly of colloidal particles during the evaporation of the liquid, resulting in arrays of colloidal single particles or particle clusters depending on the concentration of the suspensions. The clusters differ from those formed in the absence of a substrate when the number of particles is larger than three. Multiple structures are found for the same number of particles.     

Spectral, analytical, thermal, and antimicrobial studies of novel sodium 2-[4(2-hydroxy-3-izopropylaminopropoxy)phenyl]acetamide (atenolol) dithiocarbamate and its divalent transition metal complexes

Atenolol dithiocarbamate (ADTC) and its complexes with Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) have been synthesized. These newly synthesized products have been characterized by elemental analyses (C, H, N, and S), thermal (thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermal analyses (DTA)) as well as by spectral (UV, IR, and NMR (¹H)) studies. The stability constants (β) of metal complexes of ADTC have been determined by UV-Vis data in solutions in DMSO. The antimicrobial activities of the metal complexes have been screened in vitro against ten bacteria. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Heavy atom free singlet oxygen generation: doubly substituted configurations dominate S1 states of bis-BODIPYs

S(0), S(1), and T(1) states of various orthogonal 8,8' and 8,2'-bis-boradiaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) dyes, recently (Angew. Chem., Int. Ed.2011, 50, 11937) proposed as heavy atom free photosensitizers for O(2)((1)Δ(g)) generation, were studied by multireference quantum chemical approaches. S(0)→S(1) excitation characteristics of certain bis-BODIPYs are shown to be drastically different than the parent BODIPY chromophore. Whereas a simple HOMO→LUMO-type single substitution perfectly accounts for the BODIPY core, S(1) states of certain orthogonal bis-BODIPYs are described as linear combinations of doubly substituted (DS) configurations which overall yield four electrons in four singly occupied orbitals. Computed DS character of S(1), strongly correlated with facile (1)O(2) production, was presumed to occur via S(1)→T(1) intersystem crossing (ISC) of the sensitizer. Further confirmation of this relation was provided by newly synthesized BODIPY derivatives and comparison of spectroscopic properties of their dimers and monomers. Near-IR absorption, desired for potential photodynamic therapy applications, was not pursuable for bis-chromophores by the standard strategy of π-extension, as DS singlet states are destabilized. Decreased exchange coupling in π-extended cases appears to be responsible for this destabilization. Comparisons with iodine incorporated bis-BODIPYs suggest that the dynamics of (1)O(2) generation via DS S(1) states are qualitatively different from that via ISC originating from heavy atom spin-orbit coupling. Although red-shifting the absorption wavelength to enter the therapeutic window does not seem attainable for orthogonal bis-BODIPYs with DS S(1) states, modifications in the chromophore cores are shown to be promising in fine-tuning the excitation characteristics.     

Synthesis and spectral studies of macrocyclic Pb(Ⅱ), Zn(Ⅱ), Cd(II)and La(Ⅲ) complexes derived from 1,4-bis(3-aminopropoxy)butane with metal nitrate and salicylaldehyde derivatives

Eight new macrocyclic complexes were synthesized by template reaction of 1,4-bis(3-aminopropoxy)butane with metal nitrate and 1,3-bis(2-forrnylphenyl)propane or 1,4-bis(2-formylphenyl)butane and their structures were proposed on the basis of elemental analysis, FTIR, UV-vis, molar conductivity measurements, 1H NMR and mass spectra. The metals to ligand molar ratios of the complexes were found to be 1:1. The complexes are 1:2 electrolytes for Pb(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes and 1:3 electrolytes for La(lIl) as shown by their molar conductivities (Am) in DMSO at 10-3 tool L-l. Due to the existence of free ions in these complexes,such complexes are electrically conductive. The configurations of La(Ⅲ) and Pb(U) were proposed to probably octahedral and Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes were proposed to probably tetrahedral.