Porphyrin and phthalocyanine glycodendritic conjugates: synthesis, photophysical and photochemical properties

Synthesis of water soluble porphyrin and phthalocyanine derivatives with, respectively, eight and sixteen galactose units has been carried out. The combined preliminary photophysical and photochemical features of the new products suggest that they might be promising photodynamic therapeutic agents.     

Anacardium occidentale Bark Lectin: Purification, Immobilization as an Affinity Model and Influence in the Uptake of Technetium-99M by Rat Adipocytes

Lectins, proteins that recognize carbohydrates, have been immobilized on inert supports and used in the screening or purification of glycoproteins. Anacardium occidentale bark infusion has been used as a hypoglycemic agent in Brazil. The toxicity of natural products may be evaluated determining their capability to alter the biodistribution of technetium-99M (^99mTc). This work reports the isolation and characterization of a lectin from A. occidentale bark (AnocBL), its evaluation as an affinity support for glycoprotein isolation and lectin effect on the uptake of ^99mTc by rat adipocytes. AnocBL was isolated from 80?% ammonium sulphate supernatant by affinity chromatography on fetuin?Cagarose. SDS?CPAGE showed a single protein band of 47?kDa. The monossacharide l-arabinose and the glycoproteins fetuin, asialofetuin, ovomucoid, casein, thyroglobulin, peroxidase, fetal bovine serum and IgG inhibited the activity. The lectin activity was stable until 70?°C and at a pH range of 3.0?C7.5. AnocBL?CSepharose column bound fetuin indicating that the lectin matrix may be used to obtain glycoconjugates of biotechnological interest. In vitro assay revealed that glucose and insulin increase ^99mTc uptake by rat adipocytes. AnocBL decreases ^99mTc uptake, and this effect was not detected in the presence of glucose. Fetuin inhibited AnocBL effect in all insulin concentrations.     

Synthesis, structural elucidation, and application of a pyrazolylpyridine-molybdenum oxide composite as a heterogeneous catalyst for olefin epoxidation

The reaction of [MoO(2)Cl(2)(pypzEA)] (1) (pypzEA = ethyl[3-(pyridin-2-yl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]acetate) with water in a Teflon-lined stainless steel autoclave (100 °C) or in an open reflux system leads to the isolation of the molybdenum oxide/pyrazolylpyridine composite material [Mo(2)O(6)(HpypzA)] (2; HpypzA = [3-(pyridinium-2-yl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]acetate). The solid state structure of 2 was solved through single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction analyses in conjunction with information derived from FT-IR and (13)C CP MAS NMR spectroscopies and elemental analyses. In the asymmetric unit of 2, two crystallographically distinct Mo(6+) centers are bridged by a syn,syn-carboxylate group of HpypzA. The periodic repetition of these units along the a axis of the unit cell leads to the formation of a one-dimensional composite polymer, (∞)(1)[Mo(2)O(6)(HpypzA)]. The outstretched pyrazolylpyridine groups of adjacent polymers interdigitate to form a zipper-like motif, generating strong onset π-π contacts between adjacent rings of coordinated HpypzA molecules. The composite oxide 2 is a stable heterogeneous catalyst for liquid-phase olefin epoxidation.     

Generalized Linear Systems on Curves and Their Weierstrass Points

Let C be a projective Gorenstein curve over an algebraically closed field of characteristic 0. A generalized linear system on C is a pair (?, ε) consisting of a torsion-free, rank-1 sheaf ? on C, and a map of vector spaces ε: V → Γ(C, ?). If the system is nondegenerate on every irreducible component of C, we associate to it a 0-cycle W, its Weierstrass cycle. Then we show that for each one-parameter family of curves C _t degenerating to C, and each family of linear systems (? _t , ε _t ) along C _t , with ? _t invertible, degenerating to (?, ε), the corresponding Weierstrass divisors degenerate to a subscheme whose associated 0-cycle is W. We show that the limit subscheme contains always an “intrinsic” subscheme, canonically associated to (?, ε), but the limit itself depends on the family ? _t .     

Generalized inverses modulo ℋ in semigroups and rings

The definition of the inverse along an element was very recently introduced, and it contains known generalized inverses such as the group, Drazin and Moore–Penrose inverses. In this article, we first prove a simple existence criterion for this inverse in a semigroup, and then relate the existence of such an inverse in a ring to the ring units.     

Fabric softeners: nearly instantaneous characterization and quality control of cationic surfactants by easy ambient sonic‐spray ionization mass spectrometry

A tiny droplet of typical samples of fabric softeners from different commercial brands placed on a smooth paper surface was subjected to easy ambient sonic‐spray ionization mass spectrometry (EASI‐MS). With no need for sample‐preparation or pre‐separation procedures, EASI‐MS and EASI‐MS/MS identify nearly instantaneously the main surfactants and the homologous series employed in their formulations. Adulterated and low quality samples containing no or less efficient softeners are also easily recognized. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wetting transition of a nematic liquid crystal on a periodic wedge-structured substrate

It is known that the wetting behaviour of a fluid is deeply altered by the presence of rough or structured substrates. We first review some simple considerations about isotropic fluids and rough substrates, and then we generalize Wenzel's law, which assigns an effective contact angle to a droplet on a rough substrate, when the wetting layer has an ordered phase, like a nematic. We estimate the conditions for which the wetting behavior of an ordered fluid can be qualitatively different from that usually found in a simple fluid. To support our general considerations, we use the Landau-de Gennes mean field approach to investigate theoretically and numerically the wetting transition of a nematic phase on a periodic triangular structured substrate.     

Spherical f-Tilings by Two Noncongruent Classes of Isosceles Triangles-Ⅱ

In this work,we give a complete classification of spherical dihedral f-tilings when the prototiles are two noncongruent isosceles triangles with certain adjacency pattern.As it will be shown,this class is composed by two discrete families denoted by Em,m ≥ 2,m ∈ N,Fk,k ≥ 4,k ∈ N and two sporadic tilings denoted by G and H.     

Synthesis of acrylic-modified sol–gel silica

Silica was obtained by sol–gel process through hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) using molar fraction of H₂O/TEOS=9 under alkaline catalysis, at different reaction times (5 min to 24 h). At the end of each time, the reaction medium appeared as a suspended microparticle system. After solvent evaporation, the yield was calculated to be around 100% and practically independent of the time of reaction. The silica had its surface modified through the condensation reaction with acryloyl chloride forming organically modified silica. The unmodified and modified silica were characterized by thermogravimetry and derivative thermogravimetry (TG/DTG), infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), size particle and optical microscopy (OM). The acrylic content was independent of the reaction time. The methodology represents an alternative route to obtain silica with an unsaturated organic group, able to polymerize and stabilize up to 300–400°C. The modified material has a potential application as compatibilizing filler in dental composite.