Symmetry nonintegrability for extended K(m, n, p) equation

Journal of Mathematical Chemistry - In the present paper we study symmetries of extended K(m, n, p) equations and prove that the equations from this class have no generalized...     

Dimension Reduction in Extended Quermass-Interaction Process

Many objects studied in biology, medicine or material sciences create spatial formations of random shape in which we can observe mutual interactions among those objects. In order to analyse the data composed of such patterns, we use the methods of spatial statistics. Recently, extended random-disc Quermass-interaction process was studied, simulated and consequently statistically analysed using MCMC maximum likelihood method (MCMC MLE). However, this analysis brought some problems. First, it was quite time-consuming, secondly, in some special cases, the parameter estimates may undervalue the real parameter values. In this paper, we describe how we can solve these problems by dimension reduction.     

Preparation of poly(ethylene oxide)‐block‐poly(isoprene) by nitroxide‐mediated free radical polymerization from PEO macroinitiators

Amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide)‐block‐poly(isoprene) (PEO‐b‐PI) diblock copolymers were prepared by nitroxide‐mediated polymerization of isoprene from alkoxyamine‐terminal poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). PEO monomethyl ether (M_n ≈ 5200 g/mol) was functionalized by esterification with 2‐bromopropionyl bromide with subsequent copper‐mediated replacement of the terminal bromine with 2,2,5‐trimethyl‐4‐phenyl‐3‐azahexane‐3‐nitroxide. The resulting PEO‐alkoxyamine macroinitiator was used to initiate polymerization of isoprene in bulk and in solution at 125 °C to yield PEO‐b‐PI block copolymers with narrow molecular weight distributions (M_w/M_n ≤ 1.1). Polymerizations were first order in isoprene through 35% conversion. Micellar aggregates of PEO‐b‐PI in aqueous solution were crosslinked by treatment with a water‐soluble redox initiating system, and persistent micellar structures were observed in the dry state by AFM. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 2977–2984, 2005     

Molecular mechanisms of signalling specificity via phosphorelay pathways in Arabidopsis

Multistep phosphorelay (MSP) pathways mediate a wide spectrum of adaptive responses in plants, including hormonal and abiotic stress regulations. Recent genetic evidence suggests both partial redundancy and possible functional cross-talk on the one hand and a certain level of specificity on the other. Here, we discuss recent achievements improving our understanding of possible molecular mechanisms of specificity in MSP. We consider a certain evolutionary conservation of ancestral two-component signalling systems from bacteria in a process of molecular recognition that, as we have recently shown, could be applied also to a certain extent in the case of plant MSP. Furthermore, we discuss possible roles of kinase and phosphatase activities, kinetics of both these enzymatic reactions, and phosphorylation lifetime. We include also recent findings on the expression specificity of individual members of MSP pathways and, finally, based on our recent findings, we speculate about a possible role of magnesium in regulation of MSP pathways in plants. All these mechanisms could significantly influence specificity and signalling output of the MSP pathways.     

Development and Validation of the LC–MS/MS Method for Determination of 130 Natural and Synthetic Cannabinoids in Cannabis Oil

Dietary supplements are widely available products used by millions of people around the world. Unfortunately, the procedure of adding pharmaceutical and psychoactive substances has recently been observed, in order to increase the effectiveness of supplements in the form of hemp oils. For this reason, it is extremely important to develop analytical methods for the detection of substances prohibited in dietary supplements and food products. In the present study, using the LC–MS/MS technique, an innovative method for the detection and quantification of 117 synthetic cannabinoids and 13 natural cannabinoids in dietary supplements and food products in the form of oils during one 13-min chromatographic run was developed. Each method was fully validated by characterization of the following parameters: The limit of detection was set to 0.1 ng/mL (100 µg/g, 0.01%). The limit of quantification ranged from 0.05 ng/mL to 50 ng/mL. The criteria assumed for systematic error caused by methodological bias (±20%) resulting from the recovery of analytes after the extraction process, as well as the coefficient of variation (CV) (≤20%), were met for all 130 tested compounds. The positive results of the validation confirmed that the developed methods met the requirements related to the adequacy of their application in a given scope. Additionally, methods developed using the LC–MS/MS technique were verified via proficiency tests. The developed analytical procedure was successfully used in the analysis of hemp oils and capsules containing them in the studied dietary supplements.     

Light absorption properties of the rabbit cornea repeatedly irradiated with UVB rays

Under normal conditions, the cornea absorbs the majority of UVB (ultraviolet B, 280-320 nm) rays, which is very important for the protection of the inner eye against their damaging effect. Our previous studies have shown that repeated irradiation of the rabbit cornea with UVB rays for 5 days (daily dose of 1.01 J cm(- 2)) caused photokeratitis accompanied by swelling (hydration) of the corneal stroma, thinning of the corneal epithelium and decrease in antioxidants. The purpose of this study was to examine the light absorption properties of such damaged rabbit cornea. Results of both spectrophotometry of the whole corneal buttons and corneal tissue dissolved in sodium hydroxide show that because of above mentioned disturbances, UVB-irradiated cornea absorbs more light throughout the whole measurable UV-VIS spectral range than the normal cornea. Increased corneal thickness (result of hydration), changes of corneal transparency (the cornea becomes grayish) and some increase in protein content all contribute to the increased light absorption of UVB irradiated corneas. We suggest that the UVB-irradiated cornea, although damaged and nearly without antioxidants, might actually through its higher UV absorbance protect the inner eye against further damage from UVB rays.     

Nanometer metallic copper particle synthesis in reverse micelles

We describe the synthesis in situ of copper nanoparticles in reverse micelles. It is possible to form metallic particles either surrounded or not surrounded by an oxide layer.     

Gas chromatographic determination of the interconversion energy barrier for dimethyl-2,3-pentadienedioate enantiomers

The enantiomers of dimethyl-2,3-pentadienedioate undergo interconversion during gas chromatographic separation on 2,6-di-O-methyl-3-O-pentyl-beta-, 2,6-di-O-methyl-3-O-pentyl-gamma-, and 2,3-di-O-methyl-6-O-tert butyldimethylsilyl-beta-CD chiral stationary phases. The combination of a deconvolution method with an internal standard was used to determine individual enantiomer peak areas and retention times needed for the calculation of the interconversion rate constants and the energy barrier for dimethyl-2,3-pentadienedioate enantiomers. The kinetic and thermodynamic data obtained for the interconversion data (rate constants, energy barriers, enthalpies, and entropies) were in good agreement with the published data (Trapp, O., Schurig, V., Chirality 2002, 14, 465-470) using permethylated-beta-CD (Chirasil-beta-Dex).