Manufacturing of pH sensitive PVA/PVP/MWCNT and PVA/PEG/MWCNT nanocomposites: an approach for significant drug release

The purpose of this paper is studying the effect of incorporation of Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) into two different nanocomposites in poly vinyl alcohol (PVA)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and PVA/Polyethylene glycol (PEG). MWCNT were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method using acetylene and Fe/Co/Al₂O₃ as carbon precursor and catalyst, respectively. Nitric acid and sulfuric acid were used for purification and functionalization of MWCNT. Afterward, highly pure and functionalized MWCNT (0, 0.02, and 0.05% w/w) were incorporated in PVA/PVP and PVA/PEG to synthesize PVA/PVP/MWCNT and PVA/PEG/MWCNT nanocomposites hydrogel membranes that cross-linked by freezing–thawing. PEG and PVP were selected in these nanocomposites as dispersion matrix for MWCNT as well as for increasing the elasticity of the nanocomposites membranes. The morphology of the hydrogels was characterized by SEM, FTIR, XRD, TGA, and the mechanical properties of the hydrogel membranes were investigated. The swelling behavior in different pH-buffer solutions was studied as well as studying weight loss percentage and swelling kinetic. The drug releasing process of the hydrogel membranes was investigated using salicylic acid as a model drug. It was found that MWCNT are dispersed well into the polymers and crystallinity, mechanical properties and thermal stability of the hydrogels contain MWCNT are better than that without MWCNT. Maximum degree of swelling was observed at pH 7 and swelling degree increases with increasing the ratio of MWCNT in the hydrogels from 0.02 to 0.05%. All hydrogel membranes followed non-Fickian mechanism and drug releasing were controlled by varying the pH and amount of MWCNT.     

R7-binding protein targets the G protein β5/R7-regulator of G protein signaling complex to lipid rafts in neuronal cells and brain

Background  

Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins (G proteins), composed of Gα, Gβ, and Gγ subunits, are positioned at the inner face of the plasma membrane and relay signals from activated G protein-coupled cell surface receptors to various signaling pathways. Gβ5 is the most structurally divergent Gβ isoform and forms tight heterodimers with regulator of G protein signalling (RGS) proteins of the R7 subfamily (R7-RGS). The subcellular localization of Gβ 5/R7-RGS protein complexes is regulated by the palmitoylation status of the associated R7-binding protein (R7BP), a recently discovered SNARE-like protein. We investigate here whether R7BP controls the targeting of Gβ5/R7-RGS complexes to lipid rafts, cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains where conventional heterotrimeric G proteins and some effector proteins are concentrated in neurons and brain.     

N‐(Ferrocenecarbonyl)‐N′‐(quinolin‐8‐yl)thio­urea

In the title compound, [Fe(C₅H₅)(C₁₆H₁₂N₃OS)], the 8‐am­inoquinoline and acyl­thio­urea moieties are almost planar. There are two perpendicular arrangements of the mol­ecules in the crystal with slightly different conformations. The two cyclo­penta­dienyl rings in each mol­ecule are parallel and eclipsed.     

One-pot Three-component Condensation Reactions in Water. An Efficient and Improved Procedure for the Synthesis of Furan Annulated Heterocycles

Summary. The environment-friendly one-pot three-component condensation reactions of 4-hydroxycoumarin or 4-hydroxy-6-methylpyrone, p-substituted benzaldehyde, and alkyl or aryl isocyanides to afford furocoumarines or furopyranones in water in good yields after about one hour at 75°C are reported.     

Convex hull of powers of a complex number,trinomial equations and the Farey sequence

The color of a complex number is defined as the number of vertices of the convex hull of powers of that number. This induces a coloring of the unit disk. The structure of the set of points where the color changes is investigated here. It is observed that there is a connection between this fractal set and some family of trinomial equations. Three algorithms for coloring the unit disk are described, the last one (related to the Farey sequence) arising out of a conjecture. This conjecture is formulated and proved in this presentation.     

Sol-gel approach to in situ creation of high pH-resistant surface-bonded organic-inorganic hybrid zirconia coating for capillary microextraction (in-tube SPME)

A novel zirconia-based hybrid organic-inorganic sol-gel coating was developed for capillary microextraction (CME) (in-tube SPME). High degree of chemical inertness inherent in zirconia makes it very difficult to covalently bind a suitable organic ligand to its surface. In the present work, this problem was addressed from a sol-gel chemistry point of view. Principles of sol-gel chemistry were employed to chemically bind a hydroxy-terminated silicone polymer (polydimethyldiphenylsiloxane, PDMDPS) to a sol-gel zirconia network in the course of its evolution from a highly reactive alkoxide precursor undergoing controlled hydrolytic polycondensation reactions. A fused silica capillary was filled with a properly designed sol solution to allow for the sol-gel reactions to take place within the capillary for a predetermined period of time (typically 15-30 min). In the course of this process, a layer of the evolving hybrid organic-inorganic sol-gel polymer got chemically anchored to the silanol groups on the capillary inner walls via condensation reaction. At the end of this in-capillary residence time, the unbonded part of the sol solution was expelled from the capillary under helium pressure, leaving behind a chemically bonded sol-gel zirconia-PDMDPS coating on the inner walls. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, and aldehydes were efficiently extracted and preconcentrated from dilute aqueous samples using sol-gel zirconia-PDMDPS coated capillaries followed by thermal desorption and GC analysis of the extracted solutes. The newly developed sol-gel hybrid zirconia coatings demonstrated excellent pH stability, and retained the extraction characteristics intact even after continuous rinsing with a 0.1 M NaOH solution for 24 h. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the use of a sol-gel zirconia-based hybrid organic-inorganic coating as an extraction medium in solid phase microextraction (SPME).     

Highly oxygenated triterpenes from the roots of Atropa acuminata

Two new oleanane triterpenes; 2alpha,3alpha,24-trihydroxyolean-12-ene-28,30-dioic acid ([structure: see text]) and 2alpha,3alpha,24,28-tetrahydroxyolean-12-ene ([structure: see text]) have been isolated from the roots of Atropa acuminata. Anti-oxidant p-hydroxyphenethyl trans-ferulate ([structure: see text]), beta-sitosterol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside ([structure: see text]) and oleanolic acid ([structure: see text]) have also been reported for the first time from this species. The structures were determined by spectroscopic studies including 2D-NMR.     

Solid State Regeneration of Carbonyl Compounds from Oximes and Semicarbazones with Poly [N‐Bromo‐Benzene‐1,3‐Disulfonylamide]

Poly [N‐bromo‐benzene‐1,3‐disulfonylamide] [ PBBS ] is a novel and efficient reagent for the conversion of oximes and semicarbazones under solid state to their corresponding carbonyl compounds in high yields.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and an ab initio Study of a Manganese(II) Macrocyclic Schiff-Base Complex with Two 2-Aminoethyl Pendant Arms

The cyclocondensation of 2,6-diformylpyridine with N,N,N,N-tetrakis(2-aminoethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine (pentene) in the presence of Mn^II forms the [1 + 1] pendant arm Schiff-base macrocyclic complex, [MnL³]²⁺. The ligand is a 15-membered pentaaza macrocycle having two 2-aminoethyl pendant arms {L³= 6,9-bis(aminoethyl)-3,6,9,12,18-pentaazabicyclo[12.3.1]octadeca-1(18),2,12,14,16-pentene}. The complex, investigated by analytical, spectroscopic and magnetic techniques, supports the formation of a highly symmetrical pentagonal bipyramid complex with the Mn^II ion located within a pentaaza macrocycle and two pendant amines coordinating on opposite sides of a plane defined by the macrocycle and the metal ion. The structure of the complex was also verified by ab initio HF-MO calculations using a standard 3-21G basis set.