The thermal susceptibility of poly(chloroethyl methacrylates)

The non-oxidative thermal degradation kinetics and mechanism of poly(2-monochloro, 2, 2-dichloro and 2, 2, 2, -trichloroethyl methacrylates) were studied. The influence of the antioxidant IRGA-NOX 1010 on the thermal degradation of the monochloroethyl derivative was also investigated. Initial hydrolysis data on the major degradation products, the corresponding monomers, were obtained.     

Biological Activity of Essential Oils of Four Juniper Species and Their Potential as Biopesticides

The objective of this study was to assess the biological activity of essential oils (EOs) of four Juniperus species obtained via two different distillation methods and their potential as biopesticides. The studied factors were juniper species (Juniperus communis L., J. oxycedrus L., J. pygmaea C. Koch., and J. sibirica Burgsd), plant sex (male (M) and female (F)), and distillation method (hydrodistillation via a standard Clevenger apparatus (ClevA) and semi-commercial (SCom) steam distillation). The hypothesis was that the EO will have differential antioxidant, antimicrobial, and insecticidal activities as a function of plant species, plant sex, and distillation method. The two distillation methods resulted in similar EO composition within a given species. However, there were differences in the EO content (yield) due to the sex of the plant, and also differences in the proportions of some EO components. The concentration of α-pinene, β-caryophyllene, δ-cadinene and δ-cadinol was dissimilar between the EO of M and F plants within all four species. Additionally, M and F plants of J. pygmaea, and J. sibirica had significantly different concentrations of sabinene within the respective species. The EOs obtained via ClevA extraction showed higher antioxidant capacity within a species compared with those from SCom extraction. All of the tested EOs had significant repellent and insecticidal activity against the two aphid species Rhopalosiphum padi (bird cherry-oat aphid) and Sitobion avenae (English grain aphid) at concentrations of the EO in the solution of 1%, 2.5%, and 5%. The tested EOs demonstrated moderate activity against selected pathogens Fusarium spp., Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum spp., Rhizoctonia solani and Cylindrocarpon pauciseptatum. The results demonstrate that the standard ClevA would provide comparable EO content and composition in comparison with SCom steam distillation; however, even slight differences in the EO composition may translate into differential bioactivity.     

Fractional Dynamical Systems: Recent Trends in Theory and Applications

In this EPJ Special Topics issue selected contributions on some recent developments in the theory and applications of fractional dynamical systems are presented. Results on topics involving fundamental theory, qualitative theory, iterative methods and numerous applications of fractional-order equations are reported.     

Chemical Structure and In Vitro Antitumor Activity of Rhamnolipids from Pseudomonas aeruginosa BN10

A newly isolated indigenous strain BN10 identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to produce glycolipid (i.e., rhamnolipid-type) biosurfactants. Two representative rhamnolipidic fractions, RL-1 and RL-2, were separated on silica gel columns and their chemical structure was elucidated by a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy. Subsequently, their cytotoxic effect on cancer cell lines HL-60, BV-173, SKW-3, and JMSU-1 was investigated. RL-1 was superior in terms of potency, causing 50 % inhibition of cellular viability at lower concentrations, as compared to RL-2. Furthermore, the results from fluorescent staining analysis demonstrated that RL-1 inhibited proliferation of BV-173 pre-B human leukemia cells by induction of apoptotic cell death. These findings suggest that RL-1 could be of potential for application in biomedicine as a new and promising therapeutic agent.     

Synthesis and application of vinylpyridine containing ion‐imprinted copolymer gel microbeads for Cu(II) solid‐phase extraction

The influence of polymer matrix on the extraction efficiency for Cu(II) and selectivity against metal ions such as Ni(II), Cd(II), Pb(II) of Cu(II) imprinted copolymer gels was described. The functional monomers investigated include the weakly basic 4‐vinylpyridine (4‐VP) and its mixure with the acidic and hydrogen binding methacrylic acid. Copolymer gels were prepared by dispersion cross‐linking copolymerization using Cu(II)–4‐(2‐pyridylazo)resorcinol complex, Cu(II), or 4‐(2‐pyridylazo)resorcinol as templates. The chemical structure and morphology of the Cu(II)‐imprinted microbeads are defined using elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Extraction efficiencies of newly synthesized sorbents were studied by batch procedure. The prepared copolymer gel with 4‐VP as monomer and Cu(II)–4‐(2‐pyridylazo)resorcinol complex has higher capacity and selectivity toward Cu(II) than the copolymer gels prepared using the mixture of methacrylic acid and 4‐VP. This new sorbent can be used as an effective SPE material for the highly selective preconcentration and separation of Cu(II) in sea water samples. It shows high mechanical and chemical stability.     

Stability analysis of differential equations with maximum

In this paper, we investigate stability of the zero solution of differential equations with maximum by using Lyapunov functions and Razumikhin techniques. Sufficient conditions for stability, uniform stability and asymptotic stability of the zero solution of such equations are found.     

Interactions of salicylic acid derivatives with calcite crystals

Investigation of basic interactions between the active pharmaceutical compounds and calcium carbonates is of great importance because of the possibility to use the carbonates as a mineral carrier in drug delivery systems. In this study the mode and extent of interactions of salicylic acid and its amino acid derivates, chosen as pharmaceutically relevant model compounds, with calcite crystals are described. Therefore, the crystal growth kinetics of well defined rhombohedral calcite seed crystals in the systems containing salicylic acid (SA), 5-amino salicylic acid (5-ASA), N-salicyloil-l-aspartic acid (N-Sal-Asp) or N-salicyloil-l-glutamic acid (N-Sal-Glu), were investigated. The precipitation systems were of relatively low initial supersaturation and of apparently neutral pH. The data on the crystal growth rate reductions in the presence of the applied salicylate molecules were analyzed by means of Cabrera & Vermileya's, and Kubota & Mullin's models of interactions of the dissolved additives and crystal surfaces. The crystal growth kinetic experiments were additionally supported with the appropriate electrokinetic, spectroscopic and adsorption measurements. The Langmuir adsorption constants were determined and they were found to be in a good correlation with values obtained from crystal growth kinetic analyses. The results indicated that salicylate molecules preferentially adsorb along the steps on the growing calcite surfaces. The values of average spacing between the adjacent salicylate adsorption active sites and the average distance between the neighboring adsorbed salicylate molecules were also estimated.     

Reactions of Alkenediazonium Salts. Part 2. Methanolysis of 2,2(2′,2″-biphenylylene)ethene-1-diazonium hexachloroantimonate. A rearrangement to 9-methoxyphenanthrene

The title compound ( 1 ) reacts with excess methanol forming a rearranged product, 9-methoxyphenanthrene ( 2 ). 9-(Methoxymethylidene)fluorene ( 4 ) does not rearrange to give 2 under the same conditions. In deuterated methanol no labelled product is obtained, showing that the possible mechanism involves either the formation of a primary vinyl cation 5 rearranging to an aryl cation 6 or the formation of a β-alkoxycarbene ( 12 ), which rearranges to an arene. The results obtained are compared with previously reported reactions, which were postulated to proceed via a 2,2(2′,2″-biphenylylene)ethene-1-diazonium ion ( 23 ).     

Untersuchungen zur gleichzeitigen Bestimmung von Molybd?n und Wolfram in Proben mit schwierigen Matrices mit induktiv gekoppeltem Plasma

Summary Inaccurate values are often obtained in the determination of molybdenum and tungsten in difficult complex matrices — ores, processing and metallurgical products. The main reason for this effect is due to spectral interferences. Background equivalent concentrations caused by changes of background nearby the measured spectral line are calculated for the established interferent matrix elements. It is possible with the applied sample treatment to perform successful analyses of samples with very variable matrix composition.