Rigorous Confidence Intervals on Critical Thresholds in 3 Dimensions

We extend the method of Balister, Bollobás and Walters (Phys. Rev. E 76:011110, 2007) for determining rigorous confidence intervals for the critical threshold of two dimensional lattices to three (and higher) dimensional lattices. We describe a method for determining a full confidence interval and apply it to show that the critical threshold for bond percolation on the simple cubic lattice is between \(0.2485\) and \(0.2490\) with \(99.9999\,\%\) confidence, and the critical threshold for site percolation on the same lattice is between \(0.3110\) and \(0.3118\) with \(99.9999\,\%\) confidence.     

Synthesis of Three Phenolic Pent-1-EN-Ynes

Three novel pent-1-en-4-ynes 3, 4 and 5, analogues of the naturally-occurring rooperol 2, have been synthesized. The procedure involves initial protection of the phenolic groups as allyl ethers followed by deprotection with Wilkinson's catalyst.     

The Challenge for High Polymers in Medicine,Surgery, and Artificial Internal Organs

High polymers are used in medicine, surgery, or artificial organs in three ways: 1) to construct complete artificial replacements for human organs, 2) to repair, sustain, or augment function of normal organs, and 3) to provide a biochemical function.

Artificial hearts, heart lung machines, and artificial kidneys are examples of artificial organs that man is designing and building to replace natural organs. Plastics are used widely in their construction. Plastics offer a variety of properties needed for these applications, including ease of fabrication, chemical inertness, and nontoxic properties, and a wide range of physical properties in hardness, flexibility, and permeability.

Externally, as adjuncts or assists to natural organs, there are many applications of plastics in present use from clothing to glasses to dentures. Internally, the applications include vascular prostheses, check valve balls for heart valves, encapsulating resins for pacemakers, meshes and foams for reconstructive surgery, drainage tubes, and cannulae for hemodialysis. The plastics most widely used in surgical implants are polytetrafluoroethylene, polypropylene, saturated aromatic polyesters, and polysiloxanes. Growing use is being made of segmented polyurethanes, acrylics, and epoxy resins. Experimental work is under way on polyelectrolytes and various hydrogels based on polyhydroxyl compounds.

The newest class of applications of high polymers is that wherein the polymer has a definite and specific chemical interaction with the biochemistry of the body, i.e., it plays a pharmaceutical role. Examples of this include: 1) synthetic ion exchange resins for absorbing metabolites from the blood; 2) synthetic polyelectrolytes capable of absorbing specific viruses; 3) synthetic polymers such as (a) polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (a synthetic ribonucleic acid) or (b) a copolymer of vinyl pyran and an undisclosed comonomer which promotes the production of interferon, a chemical substance normally produced by cells as an antiviral agent; and 4) synthetic natural-like polypeptides, enzymes, and chemical modifications of these with enhanced biologic activity.

The future of the use of high polymers in these applications appears to be in the earliest stages. Half a million Americans die each year of heart disease and 60,000 die of kidney disease, hence the potential for artificial versions of these organs is very large. The use of surgical devices is growing steadily. The use of polymers as drugs has not yet been tapped. In 50 years, biochemists will have a battery of synthetic polymer drugs which will cure many diseases, prevent cancer, speed wound healing, and eventually, it is hoped, provide a chemical regime for regeneration of lost limbs and organs.     

A Complete Triad of Zero-Valent 17-Electron Monoradicals of Group 7 Elements Stabilized by m-Terphenyl Isocyanides

The first consistent series of mononuclear 17-electron complexes of three Group 7 elements has been isolated in crystalline form and studied by X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic methods. The paramagnetic compounds have a composition of [M⁰(CO)(CNp-F-Ar^DArF2)₄] (M=Mn, Tc, Re; Ar^DArF2=2,6-(3,5-(CF₃)₂C₆H₃)₂C₆H₂F) and are stabilized by four sterically encumbering isocyanides, which prevent the metalloradicals from dimerization. They have a square pyramidal structure with the carbonyl ligands as apexes. The frozen-solution EPR spectra of the rhenium and technetium compounds are clearly anisotropic with large ⁹⁹Tc and ^185,187Re hyperfine interactions for one component. High-field EPR (Q band and W band) has been applied for the elucidation of the EPR parameters of the manganese(0) complex.     

Investigations of surface of glasses by nematic and cholesteric liquid crystals

The relatively strong interaction between the surface of the glass and the nematic liquid crystals is demonstrated. The same texture of liquid crystals is observed after every renewed cycle of warming and cooling. Defects, which are invisible without an electrical field, become visible by the dynamic scattering effect. The thermografic results, which are received by cholesteric liquid crystals, are able to demonstrate only strong defects.