A study of the solubility of yttrium,praseodymium, neodymium,and gadolinium sulfates in the presence of sodium and potassium in sulfuric-phosphoric acid solutions at 20°C

Solubility of yttrium, praseodymium, neodymium, and gadolinium sulfates in the presence of sodium and potassium ions and the composition of solid phases were studied at 20°C in relation to the concentration of acids in sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and sulfuric-phosphoric acid solutions containing up to 36 wt % H₂SO₄ and 33.12 g 1^?1 H₃PO₄.     

Convenient synthesis of nucleoside and isonucleoside analogues

[reaction: see text]. A very simple methodology to stereoselectively achieve tricyclic isonucleosides (nucleobase = thymine, uracil, and 5-fluoruracil) and 3'-C-branched nucleosides (nucleobase = theophylline) was performed by means of a DBU-mediated addition process using a readily available 2-bromo sugar. The mechanism for these transformations implies the loss of both substituents at C-2 and C-3 on the sugar moiety, and although it seems that DBU is probably involved, its involvement has not yet been ascertained. Cytosine did not react under these conditions.     

Rhodopsin exhibits a preference for solvation by polyunsaturated docosohexaenoic acid

An all-atom molecular dynamics simulation of rhodopsin in a membrane environment has been carried out with lipid composition similar to that of the retinal membrane. The initial conformation of the protein was taken from the X-ray crystallographic structure (1F88), while those of the lipids came from a previous molecular dynamics simulation. During the course of the 12.5 ns simulation, the initially randomly placed lipids adopt an anisotropic solvation structure around the protein. The lipids, having one saturated stearic acid chain and one polyunsaturated docosohexaenoic acid chain with a zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine headgroup, arrange themselves to maximize contact between the polyunsaturated chain and the protein surface. This organization is driven by energetically favorable interactions between the transmembrance helices and the docosohexaenoyl chains that are largely of the van der Waals type. These observations are consistent with various experimental studies on rhodopsin and other G-protein coupled receptors and with the picture of extreme flexibility in polyunsaturated fatty acid chains that has arisen from recent NMR and computational work.     

Photobioreactor culture of photosynthetic soybean cells

Photosynthetic suspension cultures of higher plants offer an alternative approach to biomass production, potentially yielding cellulosic material and protein on a continuous year-round basis. A bench-top hybrid photobioreactor was developed to study photomixotrophic and photoautotrophic growth of Glycine max as a model system. Maximum biomass doubling times for photomixotrophic and photoautotrophic growth were 1.87 and 3.92 d, respectively. The presence of exogenous sugars resulted in photomixotrophic growth, reduced chlorophyll levels, and a reduction in photosynthetically-evolved oxygen. Depletion of carbohydrates from the medium coincided with the beginning of stationary phase and an increase in oxygen evolution by the cells. A second growth phase, prolonging cell viability, could be initiated by increasing the carbon dioxide from 2 to 5%, just before the onset of stationary phase. Biomass from bioreactor cultured cells proved resistant to enzymatic attack without pretreatment. Composition of the biomass was 7.8% lignin, 20.7% α-cellulose, 23% hemicellulose, 5.5% starch, 14.5% protein and 6.5% nucleic acids.     

Flow injection-spectrophotometric determination of cresol compounds in water by reaction withp-aminophenol

A spectrophotometric method has been developed for the simultaneous determination ofo-cresol andm-cresol in water by reaction withp-aminophenol (PAP). Three different methodologies have been assayed; (i) batch analysis, after reaction in an alkaline medium in the presence of dissolved molecular oxygen as oxidizing agent, (ii) a stopped-flow procedure, carried out in the presence of KIO₄ and (iii) a flow injection method based on the same approach. The batch procedure requires 22 min for the full development of colour witho-cresol and 12 min form-cresol. In the stopped-flow mode, using KIO₄ and a reaction time of 12 min, better sensitivity can be obtained for both compounds and limits of detection of 10 g 1^–1 foro-cresol and 30 g 1^–1 form-cresol were found. The flow injection method has a lower sensitivity but permits more than 80 injections per hour. Based on the different maximum absorbance wavelengths obtained for the reaction products of PAP witho-cresol (614 nm) andm-cresol (632 nm), both compounds can be simultaneously determined in water samples and recoveries of 90 to 115% were found in spiked water samples of different types.     

Selective adhesion of endothelial cells to artificial membranes with a synthetic RGD-lipopeptide

A constrained cyclic ArgGly-Asp-D-Phe-Lys, abbreviated as cyclo(-RGDfK-), lipopeptide has been synthesized and incorporated into artificial membranes such as giant vesicles with DOPC and solid-supported lipid bilayers. The selective adhesion and spreading of endothelial cells of the human umbilical cord on solids functionalized by membranes with this RGD-lipopeptide have been observed. Furthermore, we have demonstrated strong selective adhesion of giant vesicles to endothelial cells through local adhesion domains by combined application of hydrodynamic flow field and reflection interference contrast microscopy (RICM). The adhesion can be inhibited by competition with a water-soluble RGD peptide. We suggest that this strategy could improve the efficiency of liposomes targeting used as vectors or as drug carriers to cells.     

Bestimmung des Oxydationszustandes in Vanadiumkomplexen mit Hilfe von V—K-Röntgenabsorptionsspektren

Determination of the Oxydation State in Vanadium Complexes using V—K-Absorption Spectra The compounds resulting from the reaction of oxovanadium(IV) sulfate with 8-quinolinols in air were characterized by magnetic moments and V—K-absorption spectra. 8-quinolinol and its Mannich derivates (“CMAB-oxine”, “CMAP-oxine”) form vanadium(V) complexes. The oxovanadium(IV) compound of 7-methyl-8-quinolinol initially formed is not very stable in solution and tends to oxydation. Only the oxovanadium(IV) complex of 2-methyl-8-quinolinol has a good stability corresponding to that of β-diketone compounds.     

Thermal analysis study of the dynamic decomposition of polymers during rapid heating; limiting temperatures of thermolysis

A new technique is presented for study of the thermal behaviour of materials. Experimental and theoretical bases are established for the limiting temperatures of thermal decomposition of different polymers.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird ein neues Verfahren zur Untersuchung des thermischen Verhaltens von Stoffen. vorgestellt. Es wurden experimentelle und theoretische Grundlagen zur Bestimmung von thermischen Zersetzungstemperaturen verschiedener Polymere erstellt.

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Mass spectral study of 2-aryl-4-arylhydrazono-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-2H-benzo-1,2,3-triazoles

The mass spectra upon electron impact at 70 eV of the title compounds are examined. The fragmentation pattern of the tetrahydro-benzotriazoles with unsymmetrically substituted the aryl groups in 2-position and in hydrazone group cannot support the aspect for a mononuclear heterocyclic rearrangement.