Some investigations on the photostabilization of polypropylene

The effect of substituted hydroxybenzophenone, benzotriazole and organic metal complexes on the photooxidation of PP films has been studied. It has been established that NiDBTC added in 1.0 wt. % is the most effective photostabilizer.While in the case of other stabilizers there is a slight increase in the Co content even during the induction period, with the application of NiDBTC practically no oxidation can be observed before the stabilizer completely disappears. This means that NiDBTC inhibits the photooxidation of the polymer even in low concentration.

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Thermal studies of pre-formulates of metronidazole obtained by spray drying technique

Compatibility studies between active drugs and excipients are substantial in the pharmaceutical technology. The objective of the present work was to develop pre-formulated mixtures of metronidazole (MT) obtained by spray drying (SPDR) and their thermoanalytical characterization. Dynamic and isothermal TG, conventional DSC and DSC coupled to a photovisual system were used. DSC experiments with both techniques confirmed the homogeneity of the conventional and pre-formulated mixtures. The TG data made possible the comparison the thermal stability of the different mixtures. Similar thermal stabilities were found of the conventional and pre-formulated mixtures, with slower particles sizes of MT.     

Production of antitumoral retamycin during fed-batch fermentations of Streptomyces olindensis

Fed-batch runs were performed in order to correlate the production of retamycin, an anthracycline antibiotic produced by Streptomyces olindensis in submerged cultures, with the specific growth rate. Maximum retamycin production was achieved with an exponential feed rate, controlling the specific growth rate at a low value (0.03 h-1, about 10% of the maximum specific growth rate). Control of the specific growth rate at higher values (0.10 and 0.17 h-1) caused a decrease in antibiotic production. Morphology, assessed by image analysis, was shown to be highly relevant in this process. Cell growth mainly in the form of clumps (90% clumps and 10% free filaments) led to better results than growth as clumps (75%) and free filaments (25%).     

Full verification of the liquid exclusion-adsorption chromatography theory using monolithic capillary columns

Capillary electrochromatography (CEC) was used to separate alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs) as model diblock copolymers, with monolithic polymers as stationary phases. The order of elution indicate that the two polymer blocks follow distinct chromatographic modes: size-exclusion for the poly(oxyethylene) group and adsorption interaction for the alkyl part. Therefore, our experimental results were compared to the theory describing liquid exclusion-adsorption chromatography (LEAC). They were found in perfect agreement with the theory, which turned to be verified for the first time over the full range of polymer lengths.     

Oral <Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis>-Carnitine Supplementation and Exercise Metabolism

Summary. Oral L-carnitine supplementation is frequently reported to have beneficial effects on exercise capacity in clinical populations and has been considered as a potential ergogenic aid for endurance athletes. However, this latter view is largely unsubstantiated possibly due to many experimental studies being poorly controlled or difficult to compare. The potential for oral L-carnitine supplementation to influence skeletal muscle carnitine content has been questioned and there are several key factors identified that may explain variations between study outcomes. Recent more well controlled research suggests some potential for L-carnitine to act as a key regulator of cellular stress, possibly through an impact on the integration of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and this work should be followed up in future by well controlled studies in both athlete and clinical subject groups.     

Optical Alignment of Organic Dopants in a Solid Gel Matrix: Dispersed and Grafted Rhodamine B Molecules

We study herein the rotational mobility of organic dye molecules and their ability to align on a strong optical electric field when they are encaged in the pores of an inorganic silica xerogel matrix. We compare the case of dye molecules simply dispersed in the pores of the gel—and possibly held by hydrogen bonds—to the case of molecules chemically grafted on the inner surface of these pores through covalent bonds. The study is led on hybrid silicon-zirconium based inorganic matrices doped with organic rhodamine B molecules. The stronger holding of the dopants when these are grafted to the matrix enhances the molecular alignment—and thus the induced anisotropy—as well as the remanence of this alignment. Furthermore, we show that submitting the samples to a supplementary drying at higher temperature tends to increase both the alignment anisotropy and its stability. We explain these results in terms of mobility of the molecules, in relation to their immediate environment.     

Radiative lifetimes of the Rb(n 2 F)(n=6, 7, 8) states measured with the stepwise dipole-quadrupole excitation scheme

We report measurements of lifetimes of the Rb(n ² F)(n=6, 7, 8) states performed in a vapour cell. TheF-states were excited in a two-step sequence of an electric-dipole transition followed by an electric-quadrupole transition. Single photon counting was used for detection. The results are: (6² F)=171(4), (7² F)=262(15), (8² F)=387(12) (in ns). These lifetimes, have been compared with theoretical values given by different authors. An estimate of the cross sections for quenching due to collisions with ground-state Rb atoms is also given.This work was supported by the Polish Committee for Scientific Research under grant No. 2 2341 92 03     

Influence of response factors on determining equilibrium association constants of non-covalent complexes by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

A method for determining the equilibrium association constant of a complexation reaction A + B left harpoon over right harpoon AB by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry is described. The method consists in measuring the relative intensities of the peaks corresponding to A and to AB in equimolar A-B solutions at different concentrations C(0). The results are fitted by a non-linear least-squares procedure, with the two variable parameters being the equilibrium association constant K(a) and a factor R, defined by I(AB)/I(A) = R x [AB]/[A]. The factor R is the ratio between the response factors of AB and A, and corrects for the relative electrospray responses of the complex and the free substrate A, mass discrimination of instrumental origin and/or moderate in-source dissociation. The method is illustrated with the following two systems: complexes between a double-stranded 12-base pair oligonucleotide and minor groove binders, and cyclodextrin complexes with alpha,omega-dicarboxylic acids. For the oligonucleotide complexes, it is found that the response of the complex is not dramatically different to the response of the free oligonucleotide duplex, as the double helix conformation is disturbed by the drug only to a minor extent. In the case of cyclodextrin complexes, these complexes were found to have a much higher response than free cyclodextrin. This may be due to the fact that cyclodextrin is neutral in solution, whereas the complex is charged, but it can also stem from the fact that a significant proportion of the complex is in a non-inclusion geometry. The present method requires the exact determination of the concentrations of the reactants and is applicable to 1 : 1 complexes.     

Study of the acidity of H3PW12O40 supported on activated carbon by microcalorimetry and methanol dehydration reaction

H₃PW₁₂O₄₀/activated carbon catalysts have been studied by microcalorimetry and by the dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether. It has been shown that the acidity of the polyacid is greatly reduced upon grafting on activated carbon. The decrease is so high that, at low polyanion loadings, the catalysts are relatively inactive in the dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether.     

Immunoaffinity isolation of CEACAM1 on hydrazide-derivatized cellulose with immobilized monoclonal anti-CEA antibody

Carcinoembryonic cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) is a human membrane glycoprotein belonging to the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) family and to the immunoglobulin superfamily. It is expressed in apical membranes of many epithelial cells in gastrointestinal and urogenital tract and also in granulocytes and lymphocytes, and its biological effect in human tissues has recently been discussed in literature. The purpose of this study was to isolate CEACAM1 glycoprotein from bile and characterize its purity and recovery which has not been described before. Affinity chromatography of CEACAM1 on hydrazide-activated cellulose with immobilized monoclonal anti-CEA F34-187 antibody is described. The immunoglobulin carbohydrate moiety was oxidized by periodate and then bound to hydrazide-activated matrix. Crude protein fraction from bile was applied on the affinity column and after extensive washing of non-bound proteins CEACAM1 was eluted with 6 M guanidine-HCl. A single immunopositive 85 kDa band was detected on Western blots with anti-CEA antibody after SDS-PAGE. We found out that CEACAM1 was not stainable with any common method of protein staining and the only non-specific method which could detect the 85 kDa band was a lectin staining.