Rheological and diffusion properties of a dextran-con A polymer in the presence of Insulin and Magnesium

Previous work carried out in our laboratories has focused on the formation and investigation of a dextran and concanavalin A (con A) based gel, which has the ability to alter its conformational structure in the presence and absence of free and terminal glucoses such that a gel–sol phase transition occurs. Here we report the diffusion and rheological investigations in to the effects of the addition of insulin and varyingconcentrations of magnesium chloride hexahydrate (Mg₂Cl₂6H₂O) at 20 and 37 °C. Rheological examination of glucose-sensitive (dextran-con A) gels were conducted using a cone and plate viscometer used in continual rotation and oscillatory modes. The results are interpreted in terms of the structure of the gel network and suggest rheological assessment provides an effective method of assessing the properties of gel systems. The subsequent testing of such formulations in in-vitro diffusion experiments revealed a reduction in the rate of diffusivity in the insulin marker, poly R-478 dye. The performance of this self-regulating drug delivery system has been examined and the addition of insulin and magnesium chloride may alter the way in which the gel operates as a drug delivery device and in the delivery of insulin. This may have implications for other ligands.     

Synchronization Analysis of Coupled Noncoherent Oscillators

We present two different approaches to detect and quantify phase synchronization in the case of coupled non-phase coherent oscillators. The first one is based on the general idea of curvature of an arbitrary curve. The second one is based on recurrences of the trajectory in phase space. We illustrate both methods in the paradigmatic example of the R?ssler system in the funnel regime. We show that the second method is applicable even in the case of noisy data. Furthermore, we extend the second approach to the application of chains of coupled systems, which allows us to detect easily clusters of synchronized oscillators. In order to illustrate the applicability of this approach, we show the results of the algorithm applied to experimental data from a population of 64 electrochemical oscillators.     

Architectural issues related to the optical implementation of an EGS network based on embedded control

Free-space optical implementations of switching networks have been proposed to circumvent many of the system-level problems that may be encountered in systems that require many high-density, high-bandwidth connections. The details of a new class of switching network (the EGS network), that is well-suited to free-space implementations, is described. The common control injection problem that plagues most free-space photonic networks, i.e. how can control information from an electronic source be injected into the network for applications that require relatively high network reconfiguration rates, is examined. A new technique for control injection, called embedded control, which permits network operation even with relatively high network reconfiguration rates is also proposed.     

The influence of synthetic conditions on the stability of methotrexate-monoclonal antibody conjugates determined by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography.

Methotrexate (MTX) has been convalently attached to an IgG-type monoclonal antibody (791T/36) directed to tumour-associated antigen gp72. Conjugates were synthesized by the active ester method using MTX N-succinimidyl ester at various pH values (7.5-10.5). Following purification by gel filtration, high performance liquid chromatography was used to assess the free drug or its derivatives in samples of MTX-791T/36 conjugates previously treated (or not) with hydroxylamine. Quantitative analysis, performed on a reversed phase column (pore size 300 A) with isocratic acetonitrile-sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.8) as mobile phase, indicated no detectable amount of free methotrexate in hydroxylamine-treated conjugates even six months after their preparation. Similar observations were made with conjugates, whose synthesis were performed at pH greater than or equal to 10. In contrast, the presence of increasing amounts of drug/metabolite could be demonstrated in samples produced at lower pH values. Based on these findings, the pH-dependent kinetics of MTX release has been determined and used to design conditions under which stable MTX-791T/36 conjugates could be prepared without hydroxylamine reaction.     

A class of multivariate skew-normal models

The existing model for multivariate skew normal data does not cohere with the joint distribution of a random sample from a univariate skew normal distribution. This incoherence causes awkward interpretation for data analysis in practice, especially in the development of the sampling distribution theory. In this paper, we propose a refined model that is coherent with the joint distribution of the univariate skew normal random sample, for multivariate skew normal data. The proposed model extends and strengthens the multivariate skew model described in Azzalini (1985,Scandinavian Journal of Statistics,12, 171–178). We present a stochastic representation for the newly proposed model, and discuss a bivariate setting, which confirms that the newly proposed model is more plausible than the one given by Azzalini and Dalla Valle (1996,Biometrika,83, 715–726).     

Correction to: On Webs of Maximum Rank (Geom. Dedicata 31 (1989), 19–35)

We correct an error in Example (3.4) in Geom. Dedicata 31 (1989), 19–35.     

3,4‐[2,2‐Bis(methoxyethoxymethoxymethyl)propylenedithio]‐3′,4′‐(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene: a spiro‐substituted BEDT–TTF analogue

The crystal structure of the title compound [systematic name: 2‐(1,3‐dithiolo[4,5‐b][1,4]dithiin‐2‐ylidene)‐6,6‐bis(methoxyethoxymethoxymethyl)‐1,3‐dithiolo[4,5‐b][1,4]dithiepine], C₂₁H₃₀O₆S₈, a spiro‐substituted BEDT–TTF analogue [BEDT–TTF is bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene], has a strongly bent heterocyclic framework. The seven‐membered ring adopts a pseudo‐chair conformation with notably widened ring bond angles, especially at the methylene C atoms [119.49 (11) and 117.60 (11)°]. The axial side chain adopts an extended conformation, but the equatorial side chain curls back on itself and the O atom nearest the ring system is involved in three short contacts to H atoms (2.45–2.53 Å). The molecules pack in centrosymmetrically related pairs, which are isolated from each other by columns of the polyether side chains. This study emphasizes the ease of distortion of the neutral bis(propylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene ring structure, and how the need to accommodate side chains can easily override the tendency of these donor systems to form stacks in the crystalline state.