Preparation and Characterization of Poly(Lactic Acid)-g-Maleic Anhydride + Starch Blends

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and starch copolymers are obtained by reactive blending - varying the starch compositions from 0 to 60%. PLA is functionalized with maleic anhydride (MA), obtaining PLA-g-MA copolymers using dicumyl peroxide as an initiator of grafting in order to improve the compatibility and interfacial adhesion between the constituents. PLA + starch blends without a compatibilizer do not have sufficient interfacial adhesion. Decomposition temperature of PLA is not affected by grafting. Glass transition temperatures and dynamic mechanical properties are affected since MA has a plasticizing effect. Along with an increasing starch content friction decreases while wear loss volume in pin-on-disk tribometry has a minimum at nominal 15% wt. starch but increases at higher starch concentrations. The residual depth in scratching and sliding wear testing has a maximum at 15% starch; there is a minimum of storage modulus E′ determined in dynamic mechanical testing at the same concentration. Microhardness results also reflect the plasticization by MA.     

First-in-Class Isonipecotamide-Based Thrombin and Cholinesterase Dual Inhibitors with Potential for Alzheimer Disease

Recently, the direct thrombin (thr) inhibitor dabigatran has proven to be beneficial in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Aiming at discovering novel multimodal agents addressing thr and AD-related targets, a selection of previously and newly synthesized potent thr and factor Xa (fXa) inhibitors were virtually screened by the Multi-fingerprint Similarity Searching aLgorithm (MuSSeL) web server. The N-phenyl-1-(pyridin-4-yl)piperidine-4-carboxamide derivative 1, which has already been experimentally shown to inhibit thr with a K_i value of 6 nM, has been flagged by a new, upcoming release of MuSSeL as a binder of cholinesterase (ChE) isoforms (acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase, AChE and BChE), as well as thr, fXa, and other enzymes and receptors. Interestingly, the inhibition potency of 1 was predicted by the MuSSeL platform to fall within the low-to-submicromolar range and this was confirmed by experimental K_i values, which were found equal to 0.058 and 6.95 μM for eeAChE and eqBChE, respectively. Thirty analogs of 1 were then assayed as inhibitors of thr, fXa, AChE, and BChE to increase our knowledge of their structure-activity relationships, while the molecular determinants responsible for the multiple activities towards the target enzymes were rationally investigated by molecular cross-docking screening.     

The effect of surface condition and rotation on film / transition boiling from a sphere

The effects of liquid subcooling and surface condition on transition boiling heat transfer from a rotating surface were investigated in a series of experiments in which Freon 113 was boiled on a spinning sphere. In addition to the usual thermal measurements, the boiling behavior in the transition regime was studied by visual means. It was found that the shape of the system's boiling curve was very dependent on the parameters in question. Hydrodynamic instabilities created in the film boiling regime by the rotation of the sphere were carried on to the transition and nucleate boiling regimes of the boiling curve. Boiling curves exhibiting more than one peak flux were obtained.     

p-Almost tangent structures

Rendiconti del Circolo Matematico di Palermo Series 2 - In this paper, we introduce a new type of geometric structures (calledp-almost tangent structures). They are a natural generalization of...     

Measurement of the enthalpies of vaporization and sublimation of solids aromatic hydrocarbons by differential scanning calorimetry

An experimental procedure is proposed for direct measurement of the heat involved in the vaporization of a solid organic compound above its normal melting temperature. This technique consists on the fusion of a solid aromatic hydrocarbon, which is then vaporized by a sudden decrease of the pressure. The direct register of heat flow as function of time by differential scanning calorimetry allows the quantifying of the enthalpy of vaporization of compounds such as phenanthrene, β-naphthol, pyrene, and anthracene. Enthalpies of vaporization were measured in an isothermal mode over a range of temperatures from 10 to 20 K above the melting temperatures of each compound, while enthalpies of fusion were determined from separate experiments performed in a scanning mode. Enthalpies of sublimation are computed from results of fusion and vaporization, and then compared with results from the literature, which currently are obtained by calorimetric or indirect techniques.     

Molecular dynamics study of 2rotaxanes: influence of solvation and cation on co-conformation

The conformational preference of a [2]rotaxane system has been examined by molecular dynamics simulations. The rotaxane wheel consists of two bridged binding components: a cis-dibenzo-18-crown-6 ether and a 1,3-phenyldicarboxamide, and the penetrating axle consists of a central isophthaloyl unit with phenyltrityl capping groups. The influence of solvation on the co-conformation of the [2]rotaxane was evaluated by comparing the conformational flexibility in two solvents: chloroform and dimethyl sulfoxide. Attention was also paid to the effect of cation binding on the dynamical properties of the [2]rotaxane. The conformational stability of the [2]rotaxane was calculated using a MM/PB-SA strategy, and the occurrence of specific motions was examined by essential dynamics analysis. The changes in the co-conformational properties in the two solvents and upon cation binding are discussed in light of the available NMR data. The results indicate that in chloroform solution the [2]rotaxane system exists as a mixture of co-conformational states including some that have hydrogen bonds between axle C=O and wheel NH groups. Analysis of the simulations allow us to hypothesize that the [2]rotaxane's circumrotation motion can occur as the result of a dynamic process that combines a preliminary axle sliding step that breaks these hydrogen bonds and a conformational change in the ester group more distant from the wheel. In contrast, no hydrogen-bonded co-conformation was found in dimethyl sulfoxide, which appears to be due to the preferential formation of hydrogen bonds between the wheel NH groups with solvent molecules. Moreover, the axle experiences notable changes in anisotropic shielding, which would explain why the NMR signals are broadened in this solvent. Insertion of a sodium cation into the crown ether reduces co-conformational flexibility due to an interaction of the axle with the cation. Overall, the results reveal how both solvent and ionic atmosphere can influence the co-conformational preferences of rotaxanes.     

A practical procedure for the determination of electrostatic charges of large molecules

Summary A practical procedure for the precise determination of electrostatic charges, which are evaluated by fitting the rigorous quantum mechanical molecular electrostatic potential to a monopole-monopole expression, is presented. The proposal of this procedure arises from the study of the minimum requirements necessary to obtain reliable electrostatic charges. Such a study is focused on: (i) the dependence of the electrostatic charges on the set of points where the quantum mechanical and the monopole-monopole molecular electrostatic potentials are fitted; thus, both the influence of the number of points and their distribution in layers located out of the van der Waals radii of the atoms are examined, and (ii) the reliability of the use of fractional models for the evaluation of electrostatic charges of large molecules. Results point out that the optimum number of points is defined by a density of points ranging from 0.45 to 0.60 points/Ų when four layers (separated by 0.2 Å) are considered. Nevertheless, the use of only two layers (separated by 0.4 Å) for large molecules is recommended, thus enabling one to obtain reliable charges at a reduced computational cost. Moreover, results justify the use of fractional models for the determination of electrostatic charges of extremely large molecules, even when aromatic structures exist.     

Solvent effects on tautomerism equilibria in heterocycles

. High-level ab initio quantum mechanical methods have been used to analyze the tautomeric preferences in the gas phase and in aqueous solution of three important five-member heterocycles: 4-(5-)methylimidazole, 5-hydroxyisoxazole, and 3-hydroxypyrazole. Solvent effects have been introduced by means of self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) calculations at the ab initio level using our parametrized version of the polarizable continuum model developed by Miertus, Scrocco and Tomasi (MST), including geometry relaxation upon solvation. The extent to which the MST model, and SCRF methods in general, are suitable for the study of processes of this type is discussed.     

Hoogsteen-based parallel-stranded duplexes of DNA. Effect of 8-amino-purine derivatives

The structure of parallel-stranded duplexes of DNA-containing a mixture of guanines (G) and adenines (A) is studied by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, as well as NMR and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Results demonstrate that the structure is based on the Hoogsteen motif rather than on the reverse Watson-Crick one. Molecular dynamics coupled to thermodynamic integration (MD/TI) calculations and melting experiments allowed us to determine the effect of 8-amino derivatives of A and G and of 8-amino-2'-deoxyinosine on the stability of parallel-stranded duplexes. The large stabilization of the parallel-stranded helix upon 8-amino substitution agrees with a Hoogsteen pairing, confirming MD, NMR, and CD data, and suggests new methods to obtain DNA triplexes for antigene and antisense purposes.