“Locus” and “Trace” in Cabrigéomètre: relationships between geometric and functional aspects in a study of transformations

The present text describes and characterises the tools “Locus” and “Trace” of Cabri-géomètre II, in relations to a study of geometric transformation, more precisely, the passage from the notion of transformation of figures to the notion of applications¹ that map points on the plane onto the plane itself. In particular it discusses how the conception of image of a figure under a transformation can evolve—through interaction in a “milieu” organised around Cabri-géomètre—such that students move from views of figure-images as undecomposible entities to see them as sets of image-points. Moreover, the study allowed the identification that the notion of trajectory (in a dynamic interpretation) has an important role in this conceptually difficult passage and that dynamic geometry environment renovate this notion.     

Presmoothing the transition probabilities in the illness-death model

One major goal in clinical applications of multi-state models is the estimation of transition probabilities. In a recent paper, Meira-Machado et al. (2006) introduce a substitute for the Aalen-Johansen estimator in the case of a non-Markov illness-death model. The idea behind their estimator is to weight the data by the Kaplan-Meier weights pertaining to the distribution of the total survival time of the process. In this paper we propose a modification of Meira-Machado et al. (2006) estimator based on presmoothing. Consistency is established. We investigate the finite sample performance of the new estimator through simulations. Data from a study on colon cancer are used for illustration purposes.     

Tests of ordered hypotheses in linkage in heredity

The asymptotic null distribution of the likelihood ratio test for two cases of ordered hypotheses in a particular genetic model is considered. A simple iterative process is proposed in order to get the restricted estimates. It is shown that both tests have asymptotically a chi-bar squared distribution and the same size. A simulation study is also conducted in order to compare the usual unrestricted test with the corresponding one of ordered hypotheses. Finally, the results are extended to some special cases.     

Superscaling predictions for neutrino-induced charged-current charged pion production at MiniBooNE

Superscaling approximation (SuSA) predictions to neutrino-induced charged-current charged pion production in the Δ-resonance region are explored under MiniBooNE experimental conditions. The results obtained within SuSA for the flux-averaged double-differential cross sections of the π⁺${\pi }^{+}$ production for the _νμ+_CH2${\nu }_{\mu }+{\mathrm{CH}}_2$ reaction as a function of the muon kinetic energy and of the scattering angle, the cross sections averaged over the angle, the total cross section for the π⁺${\pi }^{+}$ production, as well as CC1π⁺$\mathrm{CC}1{\pi }^{+}$ to CCQE cross section ratio are compared with the corresponding MiniBooNE experimental data. The SuSA predictions are in good agreement with data on neutrino flux average cross sections, but a somewhat different dependence on the neutrino energy is predicted than the one resulting from the experimental analysis.     

Versatile, diastereoselective additions of silyl ketene acetals, allyl tributylstannane, and Me(3)SiCN to N-acyl pyrazolines: asymmetric synthesis of densely functionalized pyrazolidines

We report the diastereoselective addition of a wide range of nucleophiles to chiral pyrazolines to provide facile access to a range of useful densely functionalized building blocks for asymmetric synthesis. Coupled with the asymmetric cycloaddition reaction of Me(3)SiCHN(2) to chiral acrylates, access to these chiral heterocycles is considerably expanded.     

Multiwalled carbon nanotube modified screen-printed electrodes for the detection of p-aminophenol: optimisation and application in alkaline phosphatase-based assays

Carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-COOH) were used to modify the working electrode surface of different screen-printed electrodes. The effect of this modification on the electrodic characteristics (double layer capacitance, electroactive area and heterogeneous rate constants for the electron transfer) was evaluated and optimized for the cyclic voltammetric determination of p-aminophenol. The enzymatic hydrolysis of p-aminophenylphosphate was employed for the quantification of alkaline phosphatase, one of the most important label enzymes in immunoassays. Finally, ELISA assays were carried out to quantify pneumolysin using this enzymatic system. Results obtained indicated that low superficial densities of MWCNT-COOH (0.03-0.06 μg mm⁻²) yielded the same electrodic improvements but with better analytical properties.     

A Reevaluation of the Ambident Reactivity of the Guanine Moiety Towards Hydroxyl Radicals

Radically different : Contrary to previous proposals, the main reaction of the HO^. radical with guanosine or 2′‐deoxyguanosine is the hydrogen abstraction from the NH₂ moiety to give a guanyl radical. This radical, characterized by a broad band in the visible region (around 610 nm), undergoes tautomerization to the most stable isomer.