Selective generation and reactivity of 5'-adenosinyl and 2'-adenosinyl radicals

The reaction of hydrated electrons (e(-)(aq) with 8-bromoadenosine 7 has been investigated by radiolytic methods coupled with product studies. Pulse radiolysis revealed that one-electron reductive cleavage of the C-Br bond gives the C8 radical 8 followed by a fast radical translocation to the sugar moiety. The reaction is partitioned between C5' and C2' positions in a 60:40 ratio leading to 5'-adenosinyl radical 9 and 2'-adenosinyl radical 11. This radical translocation from C8 to different sites of the sugar moiety has also been addressed computationally by means of DFT B3LYP calculations. In addition, ketone 21 was prepared and photolyzed providing an independent generation of C2' radical 11. Both C5' and C2' radicals undergo unimolecular reactions. Radical 9 attacks adenine with a rate constant of 1.0 x 10(4) s(-1) and gives the aromatic aminyl radical 10, whereas C2' radical 11 liberates adenine with a rate constant of 1.1 x 10(5) s(-1).     

Computer applications in food flavour research

Computer-assisted methods for improving research and production in a food-flavour company are described. Methods of experimental design are used in planning experiments. Special programs are used for identification of components through correlation of mass spectra and gas chromatographic retention indices, and for the design of new synthetic routes. In flavour creation, a data base containing qualitative and quantitative information on flavours, relevant legislation and organoleptic properties of components, can be searched selectively in attempts to improve flavours and to identify better combinations of substances. A computer-assisted production system is described which ensures complete qualitative and quantitative control.     

Characterization of Silica-Containing Aluminum Hydroxide and Oxide Aerogels

Pure and silica-containing Al hydroxide aerogels were prepared by the supercritical drying method. The samples were later calcined, giving rise to alumina and Si–Al mixed oxides. The materials were characterized from the points of view of their bulk and surface structures. The Si-free material before calcination is well-crystallized boehmite that converts to γ-alumina by calcination. The silica-containing hydroxides are composed of boehmite layers with silicates in the interlayer region. The resulting mixed oxides present silica essentially in the bulk. The surface structure of alumina seems poorly sensitive to silica addition. Surface silanol groups appear only for SiO₂more than 4%. No Brønsted acidity appears. Silica addition allows mixed oxides with higher surface areas to be obtained.     

New heterocyclic structures. [1,2,5]Thiadiazolo[3′,4′:4,5]pyrimido-[2,1-b][1,3]thiazine and thiazolo[3,2a][1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine

Derivatives of two new molecular structures, namely, 7,8-dihydro-6H,10H-[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3′,4′:4,5]pyrimido[2,1-b][1,3]thiazin-10-one and 6,7-dihydro-9H-thiazolo[3,2-a][1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-d][pyrimidin-9-one, and derivatives of N-substituted sulfamic acid, namely, (8-amino-3,4-dihydro-2H,6H-pyrimido[2,1-b][1,3]thiazin-6-on-7-yl)sulfamic acid and (7-amino-2,3-dihydro-5H-thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-5-on-6-yl)sulfamic acid, were separated out as by-products in the reduction reaction of 8-amino-3,4-dihydro-7-nitroso-2H,6H-pyrimido[2,1- b][1,3]thiazin-6-one and 7-amino-2,3-dihydro-6-nitroso-5H-thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-5-one derivatives, respectively, with sodium hydrosulfite. A mechanism of reaction, which hypothesizes the action of sodium hydrosulfite in an asymmetic form, is proposed. The results of single-crystal X-ray investigation on 7,8-dihydro-6H,10H-[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3′,4′:4,5]pyrimido[2,1-b][1,3]thiazin-10-one (R = 0.032 for 863 reflections) and (8-amino-3,4-dihydro-2H,6H-pyrimido[2,1-b]- [1,3]thiazin-6-on-7-yl)sulfamic acid, sodium salt (R = 0.028 for 3507 reflections) are reported.     

Nonconventional synthesis and characterization of ultrahigh-molar-mass polyacrylamides

In spite of the significant progresses in the field of replaceable sieving matrices for separating DNA in capillary electrophoresis (CE), an intense research activity is still going on to improve the separation of large size DNA sequencing fragments. There are evidences, both from experimental and theoretical sides that the resolution of these fragments, at the single base, requires the use of sieving matrices comprised of long chain linear polymers. In the separation of DNA fragments by CE are of upmost importance: (i) the complete solubility of the polymer, (ii) the linearity of the chain, (iii) the achievement of ultrahigh viscosity in dilute solutions. The aim of this work is the synthesis of ultrahigh-molecular-weight polymers which possess the three requirements mentioned above by employing a nonconventional method. We demonstrate that the sieving performance of polyacrylamide is directly correlated to its intrinsic viscosity.     

Thermodynamics of coupled reactions by the amplitudes of chemical relaxation

The amplitudes of the relaxation curves, as obtained by the Temperature-jump method have been used to measure simultaneously equilibrium constant and enthalpy for the reaction of complex formation of Ni²⁺ ion by 2,6-dihydroxobenzoic acid in the presence of a buffer. The experiments have been performed by changing the concentration of metal ion at constant ligand concentration andpH as in a complexometric titration. The points of such ‘dynamic titrations’ have been analysed by means of the concept of ‘normal reactions’ which enabled us to transform a set of coupled individual steps into a set of kinetically independent reactions. The potentialities of the dynamic titrations are discussed.     

A comparison of two-particle rapidity correlations in antiproton-proton and proton-proton interactions at 31 GeV centre-of-mass energy

We investigated correlations between pairs of charged secondaries produced in antiproton-proton and proton-proton interactions at a centre-of-mass energy of 31 GeV using the pseudorapidity variable η=?ln (tanθ/2). Positive, short-range correlations were observed in both reactions. In the antiproton-proton case, however, there is a stronger correlation at very short range when both particles are produced in the central region and when the charged multiplicity of the event is about 30% higher than the mean. A simple Monte Carlo calculation indicates that quark-antiquark annihilation into two hadronic jets could account for the observed effect.     

Spatiotemporal dynamics of damped propagation in excitable cardiac tissue

Compared to steadily propagating waves (SPW), damped waves (DW), another solution to the nonlinear wave equation, are seldom studied. In cardiac tissue after electrical stimulation in an SPW wake, we observe DW with diminished amplitude and velocity that either gradually decrease as the DW dies, or exhibit a sharp amplitude increase after a delay to become an SPW. The cardiac DW-SPW transition is a key link in understanding defibrillation and stimulation close to the refractory period, and is ideal for a general study of DW dynamics.