Collision‐induced dissociation study of poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) using survival yields and breakdown curves

Poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline), a synthetic polymer was analysed by mass spectrometry using different ion sources. Two distributions could be identified in the mass spectra which related to two different polymer series (one with hydrogen and hydroxyl end‐groups and the other with methyl and hydroxyl end‐groups). The fragmentation behaviour of the protonated oligomers was studied in a quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (MS) with electrospray, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and direct analysis in real time soft ionization techniques. Three product ion series were identified in the MS/MS spectra independently of the ion source used. Based on the results, a mechanism was proposed for the dissociation by means of the accurate mass of the product ions, pseudo MS³ experiments and the energy dependence of the product ion intensity, i.e. breakdown curves. The survival yield method was used to highlight the correlation between the size of the oligomers and the laboratory frame collision energy. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bilocal *-automorphisms of B(H)

In this note we show that the bilocal *-automorphisms of the C*-algebra B(H) of all bounded linear operators acting on a complex infinite dimensional separable Hilbert space H are precisely the unital algebra *-endomorphisms of B(H).     

Generalized isometries of the special unitary group

In this paper we determine the structure of all so-called generalized isometries of the special unitary group which are transformations that respect any member of a large collection of generalized distance measures.     

Alon’s Nullstellensatz for multisets

Alon’s combinatorial Nullstellensatz (Theorem 1.1 from [2]) is one of the most powerful algebraic tools in combinatorics, with a diverse array of applications. Let $\mathbb{F}$ be a field, S ₁, S ₂,..., S _n be finite nonempty subsets of $\mathbb{F}$ . Alon’s theorem is a specialized, precise version of the Hilbertsche Nullstellensatz for the ideal of all polynomial functions vanishing on the set $S = S_1 \times S_2 \times \ldots \times S_n \subseteq \mathbb{F}^n$ . From this Alon deduces a simple and amazingly widely applicable nonvanishing criterion (Theorem 1.2 in [2]). It provides a sufficient condition for a polynomial f(x ₁,..., x _n) which guarantees that f is not identically zero on the set S. In this paper we extend these two results from sets of points to multisets. We give two different proofs of the generalized nonvanishing theorem.We extend some of the known applications of the original nonvanishing theorem to a setting allowing multiplicities, including the theorem of Alon and Füredi on the hyperplane coverings of discrete cubes.     

Cyclodextrin assisted nanophase determination of alkaloid salts

The poor water solubility of the free base and the high dissociation constant (K_a) hinder mainly the assay of alkaloid salts. We have elaborated an enviroment friendly method that can be carried out in aqueous media. The stability difference of the cyclodextrin (CD) complexes of free and protonated bases were used for this purpose. The base is included into the hydrophobic cavity of the CD (which serves as an apolar solvent phase on molecular level) and its solubility in water is increased. Since the base forms more stable inclusion complex than its protonated species, the pK_a is decreased and the potentiometric titration is promoted by this way, too. Six different hydrohalide alkaloid salts have been investigated and the most appropriate CDs were chosen (depending on the size of the molecules and/or substituents). The results of the assays agree well with those obtained by the direct nonaqueous titrations. The stability constants of the inclusion complexes have been also computed.     

PUVA treatment of the nasal cavity improves the clinical symptoms of allergic rhinitis and inhibits the immediate-type hypersensitivity reaction in the skin

We earlier reported that intranasal irradiation with the 308 nm xenon chloride (XeCl) ultraviolet-B laser and irradiation with a combination of ultraviolet-B (UVB), ultraviolet-A (UVA) and visible light (VIS) is highly effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and inhibit the immediate-type hypersensitivity reaction in the skin. Since photochemotherapy with 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) plus UVA light (PUVA) is widely used in the treatment of different inflammatory skin disorders due to its immunosuppressive effect, in the present study we investigated the efficacy of intranasal PUVA treatment in allergic rhinitis and the effect of PUVA treatment on the skin prick test (SPT) reaction. An open study was performed in 17 patients with hay fever. Intranasal PUVA therapy was given four times weekly for 3 weeks. The treatment was started with a fluence of 0.5x of the individual minimal phototoxic dose (MPD) and the dosages were gradually increased. Evaluation was based on the symptom scores. The effect of PUVA treatment on the allergen-induced wheal formation was also studied in the SPT. PUVA treatment of the nasal cavity significantly decreased the nasal symptoms of the patients with allergic rhinitis. Treatment of the skin with PUVA also significantly suppressed the allergen-induced wheal formation in the SPT reaction. These data suggest that intranasal PUVA phototherapy is also an effective modality in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.     

The effect of surface modification of layer silicates on the thermoanalytical properties of poly(NIPAAm-co-AAm) based composite hydrogels

Thermal analysis of 2-allyl-4-((4-(4-methylbenzyloxy)phenyl)diazenyl)phenol dye was performed in air flow. The compound thermal behavior was investigated using TG, DTG and DSC techniques, under non-isothermal linear regime. Kinetic parameters of the two decomposition steps were obtained by means of multi-heating rates methods. Isoconversioanl methods (KAS and FWO), Invariant Kinetic Parameters method and Perez-Maqueda et al. criterion (by means of CR and FW equations) were used.     

From Peptide Nucleic Acids to Supramolecular Structures of Nucleic Acid Derivatives

Nucleic acids play a pivotal role in life processes. The endeavours to shed light on the essential properties of these intriguing building blocks led us to the synthesis of different analogues and the investigation of their properties. First various peptide nucleic acid monomers and oligomers have been synthesized, using an Fmoc/acyl protecting group strategy, and their properties studied. The serendipitous discovery of a side reaction of coupling agents led us to the elaboration of a peptide sequencing method. The capricious behaviour of guanine derivatives spurred the determination of their substitution pattern using ¹³C, ¹⁵N NMR, and mass spectrometric methods. The properties of guanines initiated the logical transition to the study of supramolecular systems composed of purine analogues. Thus, xanthine and uracil derivatives have been obtained and their supramolecular self-assembly properties scrutinized in gas, solid, and liquid states and at solid-liquid interfaces.