Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation of 2-azaallyl acetates for the synthesis of β-carboxyaspartic acid derivatives

Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation of 2-azaallyl acetate, N-(diphenylmethylene)acetoxyglycine ester with a sodium salt of malonate ester was successfully carried out. High enantioselectivities were achieved using sodium dimethyl methylmalonate (98%ee) or sodium dimethyl malonate (93%ee) as a nucleophile with t-butyl ester of 2-azaallyl acetate in the presence of (S)-BINAP in acetonitrile.     

LC–UV Methodology for Simultaneous Determination of Lamivudine and Zidovudine in Plasma by Liquid–Liquid Extraction

This study describes an accurate, sensitive, and specific chromatographic method for the simultaneous quantitative determination of lamivudine and zidovudine in human blood plasma, using stavudine as an internal standard. The chromatographic separation was performed using a C8 column (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm), and ultraviolet absorbency detection at 270 nm with gradient elution. Two mobile phases were used. Phase A contained 10 mM potassium phosphate and 3% acetonitrile, whereas Phase B contained methanol. A linear gradient was used with a variability of A-B phase proportion from 98–2% to 72–28%, respectively. The drug extraction was performed with two 4 mL aliquots of ethyl acetate.

     

Studies on oxygen determination in organic microanalysis. I. A modified purification method of nitrogen gas

Summary Reduced copper has been used generally for removing the oxygen in the nitrogen gas in the microdetermination of oxygen, but instead of reduced copper the authors have used about 20 g of Raney-nickel in the dry state prepared through the development of Raney-alloy, and have found that the oxygen is removed completely from the nitrogen gas at room temperature; Raney-nickel has also a much greater capacity than the reduced copper.

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Zusammenfassung Zur Reinigung des für die Mikrobestimmung des Sauerstoffs verwendeten Stickstoffs wurde üblicherweise reduziertes Kupfer verwendet. An dessen Stelle verwenden die Verfasser etwa 20 g trockenes Raney-Nickel und konnten feststellen, daß der Stickstoff damit schon bei Zimmertemperatur vollständig von Sauerstoff befreit wird. Außerdem hat Raney-Nickel eine viel höhere Kapazität als reduziertes Kupfer.

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Résumé On emploie en général le cuivre réduit pour l'élimination de l'oxygène contenu dans l'azote lors du microdosage de l'oxygène; au lieu de ce réactif les auteurs ont employé environ 20 g de nickel de Raney, à l'état sec préparé à partir d'alliage de Raney; ils ont trouvé que l'oxygène était éliminé complètement de l'azote à la température ambiante; le nickel de Raney a également une capacité d'absorption beaucoup plus grande que le cuivre réduit.

     

Application of ion-exchange cartridge clean-up in food analysis. VI. Determination of six penicillins in bovine tissues by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A multiresidue analytical method was developed for the quantification of benzylpenicillin (PCG), phenoxymethylpenicillin (PCV), oxacillin (MPIPC), cloxacillin (MCIPC), nafcillin (NFPC) and dicloxacillin (MDIPC) in bovine tissues using liquid chromatography- electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI MS/MS) with a multiple reaction monitoring technique. Using the deuterated PCG and NFPC as internal standard was effective for improvement of repeatability and accuracy. We chose [M-H-141]- as a monitor ion of MRM analysis and [M-H]- as a precursor ion for each penicillin. Combination of an ion-exchange cartridge clean-up and ion-pair LC enable us to determine the residual penicillins using the standard curves made from standard solutions without the influence of sample matrix on the MS. The average recoveries of PCG, PCV, MPIPC, MCIPC, NFPC and MDIPC from bovine liver, kidney and muscle at the same concentrations as the tolerance levels of PCG (50 microg/kg) ranged from 77 to 101% with the coefficients of variation ranging from 0.7 to 4.2% (n = 5). The limits of quantification for the six penicillins were 2-10 microg/kg in bovine muscle, liver and kidney (S/N ratio >10).     

In situ polymerization of molecular macroclusters on a silica surface: poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) nanofilms

We have found that alcohols, carboxylic acids, and amides self-assemble into a unique molecular architecture, a hydrogen-bonded molecular macrocluster, when they are selectively adsorbed onto silica (glass and oxidized silicon) surfaces in nonpolar solvents such as cyclohexane. In our previous study, this phenomenon could be successfully applied to fabricate molecularly flat and defect-free nanofilms of several tens of nanometers thickness. In this study, we prepared a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) [poly(NIPAAm)] film on the basis of in situ polymerization of a monomer macrocluster layer formed on silica surfaces and investigated how the molecular arrangement of the adsorbed NIPAAm monomers affects the efficiency of the polymerization of them. Poly(NIPAAm) films were prepared by the following two methods: (1) the one-solution method, the in situ photopolymerization of an NIPAAm monomer adsorption layer on silica in one solution (chloroform, cyclohexane, and toluene), and (2) the solution exchange method, adsorption of NIPAAm monomers onto a silica surface from NIPAAm (0.1 mol %) in chloroform, exhange of the solution to 0.005 mol % NIPAAm in cyclohexane, and then polymerization by UV irradiation. By the solution exchange method, molecularly flat, defect-free, and thermoresponsive films were obtained and the thickness could be controlled by the irradiation time, while only several nanometers thickness could be attained by the one-solution method. The structure of NIPAAm adsorption layers formed in each solution condition was characterized by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It was revealed that only the solution exchange procedure induced the beta-sheet-like adsorbed structure of NIPAAm in which the double bonds of neighboring NIPAAm monomers were closely located, which should have resulted in effective polymerization.     

Beyond Simpson's paradox: A descriptive approach

In considering the strength of association of particular variables, we cannot ignore the effects of confounding factors that cause Simpson's paradox. Many methods for adjusting these effects have been proposed, and a great deal of effort has been devoted to statistical tests. Apart from the statistical tests, the aim of the present study is to examine the strength of association of two categorical variables without reference to any explicit confounding factors. In other words, our aim is to specify the conditions under which Simpson's paradox does not occur, where the idea of classifying the original universe into groups is adopted. Let us begin by focusing our attention on a 2 × 2 contingency table (cross-classification table) and considering the association of X with Y, where X and Y denote dichotomous variables with classes A and B for X and classes + and − for Y. To examine the strength of association between these variables, the index k = q/p is used, where p denotes the proportion of A + in A and q denotes that of B + in B. Using the maximum and minimum values of the index k obtained by numerical calculation, the strength of association is examined. The results are discussed and examples given. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of Poly(acrylic acid) Nano-films by In-situ Polymerization of Acrylic Acid Macroclusters on Silicon Oxide Surfaces

A new method for preparing poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) films on silicon oxide surfaces with smooth morphology has been developed. Acrylic acid (AA) was preferably adsorbed on silicon oxide surfaces in AA/ chloroform binary liquids and formed a hydrogen-bonded organized structure, which was called molecular macrocluster. AA macroclusters on silicon oxide surfaces were in-situ polymerized to obtain molecularly flat polymer films with thickness up to 10 nm. In-situ polymerizations were conducted by photo-irradiation in the presence of a photo initiator, 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone (DPA). As a reference, the adsorption of PAA polymerized in the bulk solution was examined on silicon oxide surfaces. A series of techniques such as attenuated total reflection–FTIR (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM) was utilized for characterizing two types of films. It was found that flat PAA films with linear hydrogen-bonded COOH could only be obtained by in-situ polymerization, which demonstrated this method was an effective way for preparing molecularly uniform polymer films. The surface morphology and thickness of obtained PAA films were found to be dependent on the monomer concentration, initiator amount and photoirradiation time. Molecularly uniform and flat PAA films were obtained after 5 min irradiation at 0.8 mol% AA in the presence of 5 wt% DPA.     

New Polylactide/Layered Silicate Nanocomposite: Nanoscale Control Over Multiple Properties

The preparation, characterization, materials properties, crystallization behavior and biodegradability of a polylactide (PLA)/organically modified layered silicate nanocomposite is described. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction and high‐resolution TEM analyses confirmed that intercalated stacked and disordered/exfoliated mica layers coexist in the nanocomposite. The nanocomposite showed improved materials properties and crystallization behavior with a simultaneous improvement in biodegradability as compared to neat PLA.

Degree of biodegradation (i.e. CO₂ evolution) of neat PLA and PLACN4 under compost conditions.