The regularity of the Stokes operator and the Fujita-Kato approach to the Navier-Stokes initial value problem in Lipschitz domains

We study the regularity of the Navier-Stokes equations in arbitrary Lipschitz domains.     

Singlet oxygen in microporous silica xerogel: quantum yield and oxidation at the gas-solid interface.

The quantum yields of singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) production (Phi(Delta)) and (1)O(2) lifetimes (tau(Delta)) at the gas-solid interface in silica gel material are determined. Different photosensitizers (PS) are encapsulated in parallelepipedic xerogel monoliths (PS-SG). PS were chosen according to their known photooxidation properties: 9,10-dicyanoanthracene (DCA), 9,10-anthraquinone (ANT), and a benzophenone derivative, 4-benzoyl benzoic acid (4BB). These experiments are mainly based on time-resolved (1)O(2) phosphorescence detection, and the obtained Phi(Delta) and tau(Delta) values are compared with those of a reference sensitizer for (1)O(2) production, 1H-phenalen-1-one (PN), included in the same xerogel. The trend between their ability to oxidize organic pollutants in the gas phase and their efficiency for (1)O(2) production is investigated through photooxidation experiments of a test pollutant dimethylsulfide (DMS). The Phi(Delta) value is high for DCA-SG relative to the PN reference, whereas it is slightly lower for 4BB-SG and for ANT-SG. Phi(Delta) is related to the production of sulfoxide and sulfone as the main oxidation products for DMS photosensitized oxidation. Additional mechanisms, leading to C--S bond cleaveage, appear to mainly occur for the less efficient singlet oxygen sensitizers 4BB-SG and ANT-SG.     

Characterization of Composite Networks Made of Type I Collagen,Hyaluronic Acid and Decorin

Summary: To ultimately assess the ability of macromolecular medicines e.g. liposomes, non viral gene delivery systems, to penetrate one of the least studied physiological barriers, the extracellular matrix (ECM), composite networks made of different ECM components i.e. type I collagen, hyaluronic acid and a proteoglycan, decorin, were prepared. These composite networks were characterized by rheology, Confocal Reflection Microscopy, Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching and Transmission Electron Microscopy. While being at the low end of its physiological concentration, collagen appears to be the backbone of the composite networks as it provides the elastic modulus. On the other hand, 15 kDa and 1.1 MDa hyaluronic acid, when present at physiological levels interpenetrate the collagen network. When approaching their overlap concentration, hyaluronic acid chains lead to an increase of the population of collagen fibrils. Finally, while decorin increased the population of fibrils in pure collagen networks, its role in presence of hyaluronic acid remains unclear as it does not alter the diameter of fibrils nor their population.     

Electropolymerization of [Ru(bpy)(CO)2Cl2] (bpy=2,2′-bipyridine: a revisited trans versus cis(Cl) isomeric influence study

The mono-bipyridine bis carbonyl complex [Ru(bpy)(CO)₂Cl₂] exists in two stereoisomeric forms having a trans(Cl)/cis(CO) (1) and cis(Cl)/cis(CO) (2) configuration. In previous work we reported that only the trans(Cl)/cis(CO) isomer 1 leads by a two-electron reduction to the formation of [Ru(bpy)(CO)₂]_n polymeric film on an electrode surface. This initial statement was overstated, as both isomers allowed the build up of polymers. A detailed comparison of the electropolymerization of both isomers is reported here, as well as the reduction into dimers of parent stereoisomer [Ru(bpy)(CO)₂(C(O)OMe)Cl] complexes 3 and 4 obtained as side products during the synthesis of 1 and 2.     

Linear viscoelastic behavior of asphalt and asphalt based mastic

The rheological properties of an asphalt mastic and its matrix are investigated. For the purpose of comparison a sample of thermal aged asphalt matrix is also considered. Dynamic and creep shear measurements are reported. The reduced shear rate concept proposed by Ohl and Gleissle is used to correlate mechanical properties of the three materials at the same temperature. We found that the concept gives only qualitative trends. A similar conclusion is found concerning the applicability of the time-temperature superposition principle for each sample. Our experimental results show also that the increase in viscosity due to thermal treatment or to the inclusion of solid particles is not uniform with temperature. The differences in the increase of the Vogel temperature from the asphalt to the mastic, or to the thermally aged asphalt, relate to the different mechanisms involved. Sedimentation of steel spheres in asphalt and mastic, is studied next. The Newtonian wall correction factor for the Stokes drag law holds for the three samples. Despite the similar behavior observed in conventional shear tests, Stokes' law gives the correct trend for the two asphalts although it overestimates the experimental settling velocity by a factor of approximately two in the case of the mastic. Received: 8 June 1999/Accepted: 19 October 1999     

A three-dimensional framework structure constructed from 2-(2-pyridyl-N-oxide) ethylphosphonic acid and Nd(III)

A multistep synthesis for 2-(2-pyridyl-N-oxide) ethylphosphonic acid 6-H2 is described along with its spectroscopic (IR, NMR) data and a single-crystal X-ray diffraction structure analysis. Combination of the ligand with Nd(OH)3 results in the formation of a complex Nd(6-H)3. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals a three-dimensional crystal network generated by hydrogen-bonded chains along the crystallographic c axis. The hydrogen bonds are formed between phosphonic acid anion (6-H)(-1) protons on one chain and pyridyl N-oxide oxygen atoms in neighboring chains. The asymmetric unit contains 1/3[Nd(6-H)3] and there are two unique Nd(III) atoms, each with point symmetry. As a result, each Nd(III) ion is bound to six (6-H)(-1) ligands and the symmetry about the Nd(III) ion is octahedral with each vertex occupied by a phosphonate oxygen atom. The Nd-O bond lengths are essentially identical: Nd(1)-O(3), 2.336 (1) A; Nd(2)-O(4), 2.340 (1) A. The monoanionic ligand (6-H)(-1), therefore, serves to bridge the unique Nd(III) centers.     

Synthesis of a simplified analogue of eleutherobin via a Claisen rearrangement and ring closing metathesis strategy

The enantioselective synthesis of a simplified eleutherobin analogue by ring closing metathesis (RCM) of the 2,9-divinyl-substituted tetrahydro-oxonin is described; the analogue and an advanced intermediate revealed microtubule stabilising properties in the micromolar range.     

The albonoursin gene Cluster of S noursei biosynthesis of diketopiperazine metabolites independent of nonribosomal peptide synthetases

Albonoursin [cyclo(deltaPhe-DeltaLeu)], an antibacterial peptide produced by Streptomyces noursei, is one of the simplest representatives of the large diketopiperazine (DKP) family. Formation of alpha,beta unsaturations was previously shown to occur on cyclo(L-Phe-L-Leu), catalyzed by the cyclic dipeptide oxidase (CDO). We used CDO peptide sequence information to isolate a 3.8 kb S. noursei DNA fragment that directs albonoursin biosynthesis in Streptomyces lividans. This fragment encompasses four complete genes: albA and albB, necessary for CDO activity; albC, sufficient for cyclic dipeptide precursor formation, although displaying no similarity to non ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) genes; and albD, encoding a putative membrane protein. This first isolated DKP biosynthetic gene cluster should help to elucidate the mechanism of DKP formation, totally independent of NRPS, and to characterize novel DKP biosynthetic pathways that could be engineered to increase the molecular diversity of DKP derivatives.