Thermodynamic properties of 1-butyl-3-methylpyridinium tetrafluoroborate

Pressure, density, temperature (p, ρ, T) data of 1-butyl-3-methylpyridinium tetrafluoroborate [C4mpyr][BF₄] at T = (283.15 to 393.15) K and pressures up to p = 100 MPa are reported with an estimated experimental relative combined standard uncertainty of Δρ/ρ = ±(0.01 to 0.08)% in density. The measurements were carried out with a newly constructed Anton-Paar DMA HPM vibration-tube densimeter. The system was calibrated using double-distilled water, methanol, toluene and aqueous NaCl solutions. An empirical equation of state for fitting of the (p, ρ, T) data of [C4mpyr][BF₄] has been developed as a function of pressure and temperature to calculate the thermal properties of the ionic liquid (IL), such as isothermal compressibility, isobaric thermal expansibility, differences in isobaric and isochoric heat capacities, thermal pressure coefficient and internal pressure. Internal pressure and the temperature coefficient of internal pressure data were used to make conclusions on the molecular characteristics of the IL.     

Nepetanal and nepetanoate: a new diterpene aldehyde and a benzene derivative ester from Nepeta juncea

One new tricyclic clerodane type diterpene aldehyde nepetanal (1) and one new benzene derivative nepetanoate (2) have been isolated from a plant Nepeta juncea together with two known compounds oleanolic acid (3) and ursolic acid (4). The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by means of modern spectroscopic techniques and comparison with literature data. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modulational instability of dust-ion-acoustic waves in pair-ion plasma having non-thermal non-extensive electrons

The modulational instability (MI) criteria of dust-ion-acoustic (DIA) waves (DIAWs) have been investigated in a four-component pair-ion plasma having inertial pair ions, inertialess non-thermal non-extensive electrons, and immobile negatively charged massive dust grains. A nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) is derived by using reductive perturbation method. The nonlinear and dispersive coefficients of the NLSE can predict the modulationally stable and unstable parametric regimes of DIAWs and associated first and second-order DIA rogue waves (DIARWs). The MI growth rate and the configuration of the DIARWs are examined, and it is found that the MI growth rate increases (decreases) with increasing the number density of the negatively charged dust grains in the presence (absence) of the negative ions. It is also observed that the amplitude and width of the DIARWs increase (decrease) with the negative (positive) ion mass. The implications of the results to laboratory and space plasmas are briefly discussed.     

Rational design of novel neurotensin mimetics: Discovery of a pharmacologically unprecedented agent exhibiting concentration-dependent dual effects as antagonist and full agonist

Summary We report the rational design of novel neurotensin mimetics through use of the Multiple Template Approach. This approach is based on our notion that a flexible peptide can be replaced by a partially flexible molecule, identified through testing a comparatively small number of molecules possessing a different intrinsic availability of conformations of the native peptide. The Multiple Template Approach has culminated in the discovery of a pharmacologically unprecedented agent, which behaves as a neurotensin antagonist at low concentration and as a full neurotensin agonist at high concentration.     

Synthesis of corrected multi-wavelength spectrometers for atmospheric trace gases

The method for synthesis of corrected three-wavelengths spectrometers for trace gas components of atmo- sphere on the basis of development of mathematical model has been suggested. The classification table for possible structures of corrected spectrometers is considered. The synthesis allows to reveal some new variants for development of three-wavelength spectrometers for trace gas components of atmosphere. For experimental checkup of achieved theoretical results, a laboratory pattern of three-wavelength spectrome- ter is developed and tested.     

Comparison between the performance of an immobilized impinging jet stream reactor and a slurry impinging jet stream reactor for photocatalytic phenol degradation

A new immobilized photocatalytic impinging jet stream reactor was designed, and the influences of the effective parameters like jet flow rate, TiO₂ coating disc diameter, nozzle-to-disc distance, and initial concentration on phenol removal were investigated. The reactor was also used as a slurry reactor, and degradation efficiencies in both reactors were compared based on their catalyst loading. The results indicated that the slurry reactor has a higher degradation efficiency than the immobilized reactor at the same TiO₂ loading and other operational conditions. The slurry reactor needs to separate and recover the TiO₂ nanoparticles from the reaction medium which increases the overall process complexity and cost, while the immobilized reactor could be reused at least 4times without any significant decrease in removal efficiency. RTD result indicates that the tank in series model (N?=?5) could properly predict the reactors hydrodynamic behavior.     

Two new diterpenoids from Ballota limbata

Two new clerodane-type diterpenoids trivially named as ballotenic acid (1) and ballodiolic acid (2) have been isolated from Ballota limbata along with three the known compounds; beta-amyrin, oleanolic acid, and beta-sitosterol. The structure elucidation of the new compounds was based primarily on two-dimensional (2D)-NMR techniques including correlation spectroscopy (COSY), heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (HMQC), heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC), and nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) experiments. Compounds 1 and 2 displayed inhibitory potential against lipoxygenase enzyme in a concentration-dependent fashion with IC(50) values of 99.6 microM and 38.3 microM, respectively.     

Protein-protein interactions in complex cosolvent solutions.

The effects of various kosmotropic and chaotropic cosolvents and salts on the intermolecular interaction potential of positively charged lysozyme is evaluated at varying protein concentrations by using synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering in combination with liquid-state theoretical approaches. The experimentally derived static structure factors S(Q) obtained without and with added cosolvents and salts are analysed with a statistical mechanical model based on the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) potential, which accounts for repulsive and attractive interactions between the protein molecules. Different cosolvents and salts influence the interactions between protein molecules differently as a result of changes in the hydration level or solvation, in charge screening, specific adsorption of the additives at the protein surface, or increased hydrophobic interactions. Intermolecular interaction effects are significant above protein concentrations of 1 wt %, and with increasing protein concentration, the repulsive nature of the intermolecular pair potential V(r) increases markedly. Kosmotropic cosolvents like glycerol and sucrose exhibit strong concentration-dependent effects on the interaction potential, leading to an increase of repulsive forces between the protein molecules at low to medium high osmolyte concentrations. Addition of trifluoroethanol exhibits a multiphasic effect on V(r) when changing its concentration. Salts like sodium chloride and potassium sulfate exhibit strong concentration-dependent changes of the interaction potential due to charge screening of the positively charged protein molecules. Guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) at low concentrations exhibits a similar charge-screening effect, resulting in increased attractive interactions between the protein molecules. At higher GdmCl concentrations, V(r) becomes more repulsive in nature due to the presence of high concentrations of Gdm(+) ions binding to the protein molecules. Our findings also imply that in calculations of thermodynamic properties of proteins in solution and cosolvent mixtures, activity coefficients may not generally be neglected in the concentration range above 1 wt % protein.