On position-space renormalization group approach to percolation

In a position-space renormalization group (PSRG) approach to percolation one calculates the probabilityR(p,b) that a finite lattice of linear sizeb percolates, wherep is the occupation probability of a site or bond. A sequence of percolation thresholdsp _c (b) is then estimated fromR(p _c ,b)=p _c (b) and extrapolated to the limitb to obtainp _c =p _c (). Recently, it was shown that for a certain spanning rule and boundary condition,R(p _c ,)=R _c is universal, and sincep _c is not universal, the validity of PSRG approaches was questioned. We suggest that the equationR(p _c ,b)=, where isany number in (0,1), provides a sequence ofp _c (b)'s thatalways converges top _c asb. Thus, there is anenvelope from any point inside of which one can converge top _c . However, the convergence is optimal if =R _c . By calculating the fractal dimension of the sample-spanning cluster atp _c , we show that the same is true aboutany critical exponent of percolation that is calculated by a PSRG method. Thus PSRG methods are still a useful tool for investigating percolation properties of disordered systems.     

Pathwise rate- stability for input-output processes

An input-output processZ = {Z(t), t 0} is said to be-rate stable ifZ(t) = o((t)) for some non-negative function(t). We prove that the processZ is -rate stable under weak conditions that include the assumption that input satisfies a linear burstiness condition and Z is asymptotically average stable. In many cases of interest, the conditions for-rate-stability can be verified from input data. For example, using input information, we establish-rate stability of the workload for multiserver queues, an ATM multiplexer, and-rate stability of queue-length processes for infinite server queues.     

A photochemical method for patterning the immobilization of ligands and cells to self-assembled monolayers

This work describes a chemically well defined method for patterning ligands to self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiolates on gold. This method begins with monolayers presenting a nitroveratryloxycarbonyl (NVOC)-protected hydroquinone which is photochemically irradiated to reveal a hydroquinone group. The resulting hydroquinone is then oxidized to the corresponding benzoquinone, providing a site for the Diels-Alder mediated immobilization of ligands. The rate constant for the photochemical deprotection is 0.032 s(-1) (with an intensity of approximately 100 mW/cm(2) between 355 and 375 nm), corresponding to a half-life of 21 s. The hydroquinone is oxidized to the benzoquinone using either electrochemical or chemical oxidation and then functionalized by reaction with a cyclopentadiene-tagged ligand. Two methods for patterning the immobilization of ligands are described. In the first, the substrate is illuminated through a mask to generate a pattern of hydroquinone groups, which are elaborated with ligands. In the second method, an optical microscope fit with a programmable translational stage is used to write patterns of deprotection which are then again elaborated with ligands. This technique is characterized by the use of well-defined chemical reactions to control the regions and densities of ligand immobilization and will be important for a range of applications that require patterned ligands for biospecific interactions.     

FT-IR spectroscopic detection of pesticide after sorption onto modified pumice

Organoclays can be prepared by modification of the surface with a cationic surface active compound and used for the immobilisation or separation of non-polar contaminants from polluted waters. In this work pumice is used instead of clay material. Batch system experiments were performed for the modification of pumice surface with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide. Modification of pumice and then the sorption of pesticide, Fenvalerate, from water have been traced by FT-IR spectroscopy.     

9,9-diphenyl-1,9,10,10a-tetrahydro-2H-phenaleno[1,9-bc]pyrans

Reaction between some naphtho[2,1-b]pyrans and 1,1-diphenylethene affords 9,9-diphenyl-1,9,10,10a-tetrahydro-2H-phenaleno[1,9-bc]pyrans.     

Retention, kinetics and thermodynamics profile of cadmium adsorption from iodide medium onto polyurethane foam and its separation from zinc bulk

The sorption behaviour of 2.5 × 10⁻⁵ M solution of Cd(II) on polyurethane foam (PUF) from iodide medium have been investigated. The conditions were optimized from aqueous solutions of different pH (1-10) and of acids of varied concentration (0.01-1.0 M). The maximum concentration of KI was found to be 0.24 M and equilibration time was established to be 20 min. The data successfully followed the Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) isotherms at low metal ion concentration while Langmuir isotherm followed at higher metal ion concentration. The Freundlich parameter 1/n = 0.66 ± 0.02 have been evaluated whereas D-R isotherm yields the sorption free energy E = 10.5 ± 0.1 kJ mol⁻¹ indicating ion exchange type chemisorption. The monolayer coverage (XL) constant of Langmuir isotherm was found to be 23.7 ± 0.4 mg g⁻¹. The numerical values of thermodynamics parameters enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS) and Gibbs free energy (ΔG) indicated the endothermic and spontaneous nature of sorption. The Scatchard plot analysis was tested to evaluate the binding sites of the PUF and stability constants of sorption were determined. On the basis of these parameters, the sorption mechanism was discussed. Among the foreign ions tested, Pb(II), Hg(II), cyanide and nitrite should be absent. The clean separation of Cd(II) from Zn(II) ions in the ratio 1:250, respectively, was achieved by column chromatography.     

Total synthesis of (+)-xyloketal D, a secondary metabolite from the mangrove fungus Xylaria sp.

(+)-Xyloketal D was prepared in a one-pot multistep domino reaction by heating optically active 5-hydroxy-4-methyl-3-methylenepentan-2-one (R) in toluene with 2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone. The absolute configuration of the natural product was confirmed by preparation of the starting enone from a lactone of established absolute configuration.     

Single-site mutation and secondary structure stability: an isodesmic reaction approach. The case of unnatural amino acid mutagenesis Ala-->Lac

A method is described to evaluate backbone interactions in proteins via computational unnatural amino acid mutagenesis. Several N-acetyl polyalanyl amides (AcA(n)NH(2)) were optimized in the representative helical (3(10)-, 4(13)-, and a "hybrid" kappa-helix, n = 7, 9, 10, 14) and hairpin (two- and three-stranded antiparallel beta-sheets with type I turns betaalphaalphaepsilon, n = 6, 9, 10) conformations, and extended conformers of N-acetyl polyalanyl methylamides (n = 2, 3) were used to derive multistranded beta-sheet fragments. Subsequently, each residue of every model structure was substituted, one at a time, with l-lactic acid. The resulting mutant structures were again optimized, and group-transfer energies DeltaE(GT) were obtained as heats of the isodesmic reactions: AcA(n)NHR + AcOMe --> AcA(x)LacA(y)NHR + AcNHMe (R = H, CH(3)). These group-transfer energies correlate with the degree of charge polarization of the substituted peptide linkages as measured by the difference Deltae in H and O Mulliken populations in HN-C=O and with the H-bond distances in the "wild-type" structures. A good correlation obtains for the HF/3-21G and B3LYP/6-31G* group-transfer energies. The destabilization effects are interpreted in terms of loss of interstrand and intrastrand H-bonds, decrease in Lewis basicity of the C=O group, and O...O repulsion. On the basis of several comparisons of Ala --> Lac DeltaE(GT)'s with heats of the NH --> CH(2) substitutions, the latter contribution is estimated (B3LYP/6-31G*) to range between 1.5 and 2.4 kcal mol(-1), a figure close to the recent experimental DeltaDeltaG(o) value of 2.6 kcal mol(-1) (McComas, C. C.; Crowley, B. M.; Boger, D. L. J. Am.Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 9314). The partitioning yields the following maximum values of the electronic association energy of H-bonds in the examined sample of model structures (B3LYP/6-31G* estimates): 3(10)-helix D(e) = -1.7 kcal mol(-1), alpha-helix D(e) = -3.8 kcal mol(-1), beta-sheet D(e) = -6.1 kcal mol(-1). The premise of experimental evaluations of the backbone-backbone H-bonding that Ala --> Lac substitution in proteins is isosteric (e.g., Koh, J. T.; Cornish, V. W.; Schultz, P. G. Biochemistry 1997, 36, 11314) is often but not always corroborated. Examination of the integrity of H-bonding pattern and phi(i), psi(i) distribution identified several mutants with significant distortions of the "wild-type" structure resulting inter alia from the transitions between i, i + 3 and i, i + 4 H-bonding in helices, observed previously in the crystallographic studies of depsipeptides (Ohyama, T.; Oku, H.; Hiroki, A.; Maekawa, Y.; Yoshida, M.; Katakai, R. Biopolymers 2000, 54, 375; Karle, I. L.; Das, C.; Balaram, P. Biopolymers 2001, 59, 276). Thus, the isodesmic reaction approach provides a simple way to gauge how conformation of the polypeptide chain and dimensions of the H-bonding network affect the strength of backbone-backbone C=O...HN bonds. The results indicate that the stabilization provided by such interactions increases on going from 3(10)-helix to alpha-helix to beta-sheet.     

Facile synthesis and characterization of monocrystalline cubic ZrO2 nanoparticles

Crystalline ZrO₂ nanoparticles were prepared from zirconium isopropoxide by slow hydrolysis and subsequent hydrothermal treatment of solutions containing various amounts of sodium hydroxide at 180 °C. Whereas moderately basic solutions lead to the formation of nanoparticles of monoclinic ZrO₂ with plate-like morphology, and nanoparticles of the cubic ZrO₂ high-temperature polymorph with diameters of approx. 5 nm were obtained from strongly basic solutions. The morphology, structure and properties of as-synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using HRTEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, UV–vis, PL spectroscopy and BET measurements. The formation of both, the monoclinic and the cubic polymorph, was confirmed by electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The crystallinity and morphology of the resulting ZrO₂ nanoparticles can be adjusted by the choice of the reaction conditions. The cubic ZrO₂ nanoparticles have a high surface area (300 m²/g) and exhibit a strong photoluminescence in the UV region.