Study of Segregation Effects and Fusion Between Lipid Vesicles by Combined Scanning Dilatometric and Calorimetric Measurements

Abstract

Scanning dilatometric and calorimetric measurements were performed in order to obtain information on correlations between various phenomena involving a lipid vesicle. Scanning dilatometry has been shown to be a fast and reliable tool which gives complementary information to that obtained using differential scanning calorimetry and also, provides a means with which to follow dynamic processes without the introduction of perturbing probes into the lipid matrix. The systems examined were vesicles built up from mixtures of neutral and charged lipids in the presence of mono- and divalent inorganic cations. The studied processes were the gel-liquid crystal transition, lateral phase separation in mixed lipid vesicles and fusion between vesicles.     

The structure of glibenclamide in the solid state

The structure of glibenclamide, 5‐chloro‐N‐(2‐{4‐[(cyclohexylamino)carbonyl] aminosulfonyl}phenyl) ethyl)‐2‐methoxybenzamide, an important antidiabetic drug, has been studied both in solution and in the solid state by a combination of NMR spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. The possibility that glibenclamide suffers a tautomerization under melting to afford a desmotrope was rejected. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of aspect ratio and anisotropy distribution in ordered CoNi nanowire arrays

The size effects on magnetic properties of nanowires arrays were studied varying the nanowires diameter and maintaining the same periodicity among them, for two different nominal compositions of Co and Ni in the alloy form. The competition among magnetocrystalline and shape anisotropies changes drastically from smallest to biggest diameters altering the easy axis direction. In the case of 75% of Co in alloy, experimental values of the effective anisotropy constant (K_eff) vary from positive to negative depending on the diameter, which means a reversal of the easy axis direction. For 50% of Co the shape anisotropy dominates over the magnetocrystalline for all studied diameters.     

An Investigation of Complexation of Cadmium(II) with Arginine

Among amino acids, arginine is important in human physiology because it plays an important role in cardiovascular and depression problems. In this paper the behavior of arginine as a ligand toward cadmium(II) [Cd(II)] in two different ionic media: 1.00 mol·dm^?3 NaCl and NaClO₄, is studied. Knowledge of the species formed between Cd(II) and arginine in a wide concentration range is useful also in biology. This system was investigated using two different methods in two ranges of hydrogen ion concentration. In acidic solutions, electromotive force measurements are performed using glass and Cd amalgam electrodes. In basic solutions, polarography was used and the shift of the half wave potential was measured as a function of the ligand concentration. The experimental data obtained in NaCl solutions are explained by assuming the formation of the species [CdL], [CdHL], [CdL₂], [CdHL₂] and [CdH₂L₂]. The data obtained in NaClO₄ solutions are explained by assuming the formation of the species [CdL], [CdHL], and [CdH₂L₂]. In both cases the stability constants are reported.     

Crystallization of the mesomorphic form and control of the molecular structure for tailoring the mechanical properties of isotactic polypropylene

The combination of the control of the concentration of stereodefects in isotactic polypropylene using metallocene catalysts and the crystallization via the mesophase is a strategy to tailor the mechanical properties. Stiff materials, flexible materials, and thermoplastic elastomers can be produced depending only on the concentration of rr stereodefects. Modulus, ductility, and strength can be modulated through the crystallization of α and γ forms or of the mesophase. Different morphologies are observed depending on the stereoregularity and conditions of crystallization. Crystals of the mesomorphic form always exhibit a nodular morphology, accounting for the similar good deformability of all quenched samples, whatever the concentration of stereodefects. The mesophase transforms by thermal treatments into the α form preserving the nodular morphology, with increase of strength while maintaining the ductility typical of the mesophase. Annealing of the mesophase permits a precise adjustment of crystallinity and size of nodular crystals offering additional options to modify the mechanical properties. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 677–699