Planning systems and artificial intelligence

Traditional O.R. systems are compared with problem solving in Artificial Intelligence via Expert Systems. The discussion centers on explicit knowledge representation. The general aspects are illustrated by two planning systems:

1. LESP 2: A learning system for inspection plan generation
2. IDA: A system for finding functions and solutions in construction

     

Monotone Chemical Reaction Networks

We analyze certain chemical reaction networks and show that every solution converges to some steady state. The reaction kinetics are assumed to be monotone but otherwise arbitrary. When diffusion effects are taken into account, the conclusions remain unchanged. The main tools used in our analysis come from the theory of monotone dynamical systems. We review some of the features of this theory and provide a self-contained proof of a particular attractivity result which is used in proving our main result.     

CHLORINATION OF ISOLATED CHLOROPHYLLS in vitro

Abstract— It was shown that chlorophyll a and its epimer chlorophyll a' are chlorinated and hydroxyl-ated during thin layer chromatography with silica gel plates. Hydroxylated chlorophyll a could not be chlorinated. Chlorinated and non chlorinated chlorophylls could be separated and determined by high performance liquid chromatography, because chlorophylls do not alter during this procedure. These findings support the assumption that Chi RC I is a preparation artifact. The extent of chlorination depends on chloride availability on the thin layer and on time. Chlorination and hydroyxlation do not take place under nitrogen atmosphere. The mechanism of chlorination during the thin layer chromatography procedure is discussed.     

N,C10-Überbrückte Morphinalkaloide, 5H-10,13-Iminoethano-phenanthro[4,5-bcd]furan, 2. Mitt.

Summary Following our concept of rather new structural variations in the nitrogen region of morphine alkaloids we describe the first synthesis of N/C-10-bridged tertiary bases.

     

Properties of ITO films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were deposited by mid frequency pulsed dual magnetron sputtering using a metallic alloy target with 10 wt.% tin in an atmosphere of argon and oxygen. The aim of the work was to study the interdependence of structural, electrical and optical properties of ITO films deposited in the reactive and transition target mode, respectively. The deposition rate in the transition mode exceeds the deposition rate in the reactive mode by a factor of six, a maximum value of 100 nm·m min⁻¹ could be achieved. This corresponds to a static deposition rate of 200 nm min⁻¹. The lowest electrical resistivity of 1.1·10⁻³ Ω cm was measured at samples deposited in the high oxygen flow range in the transition mode. The samples show a good transparency in the visible range corresponding to extinction coefficients being below 10⁻². X-ray diffraction was used to characterise crystalline structure as well as film stress. ITO films prepared in the transition mode show a slightly preferred orientation in (211) direction, whereas films deposited in the reactive mode are strongly (222) oriented. Compared to undoped In₂O₃ all samples have an enlarged lattice. The lattice strain perpendicular to the surface is about 0.8% and 2.0% for films grown in the transition and the reactive mode, respectively. Deposition in the transition mode introduces a biaxial film stress in the range of −300 MPa, while stress in reactive mode samples is −1500 MPa.     

Synthesis of substituted 5-aminomethyl tetrahydro-isoquinolines and dihydro-isoindoles

The synthesis of ten substituted aminomethylene tetrahydro-isoquinolines is described, proceeding in eight steps from 5-hydroxyisoquinoline via reductive amination of N-Boc tetrahydro-isoquinoline 5-carboxaldehyde. Likewise, reductive amination was used to prepare four substituted dihydro-isoindoles from the corresponding aldehyde. The dihydro-isoindole ring system was conveniently accessed via a 2+2+2 cycloaddition reaction.     

Investigation of gas chromatographic interaction mechanism on permethylated cyclodextrins by molecular modelling

Summary The capillary gas chromatographic retention behavior of -pinene and tricyclene has been investigated on stationary phases of different polarities. On all but one of the columns employed, tricyclene eluted before -pinene; only permethylated -cyclodextrins dissolved in moderately polar polisiloxanes gave a reversed elution order. The intermolecular interactions which caused the unexpected retention behavior were investigated in detail, applying methods of computer simulation. To achieve this, we have developed a calculation algorithm on the basis of molecular mechanical optimizations and programmed it in a macro. This makes it possible to systematically investigate a given configuration space in which all the possible interactions can take place. It was shown that permethylated -cyclodextrin as host molecule for both guest molecules offers an optimum cavity size. As a result the number of energetically favorable contacts between host and guest molecules as well as the strength of the interactions in this stationary phase were larger. As a consequence the elution order, normally only influenced by the vapor pressure of the compounds at a given temperature, was changed. Nonspecific interactions played an especially important role for these kinds of substances.