On the presence of branching in polyaniline chains

The synthesis of polyaniline via the oxidation of aniline with ammonium bisulfate in water and formic acid was monitored potentiometrically by following the yield and changes in the electric conductivity of the polymer. Three basic stages of the process were determined, including the buildup of oligomeric quinone imines, chain propagation via aniline addition of quinone imine groups, and postpolymerization. The oligomeric intermediate products, substituted quinone imines, were isolated. On the basis of IR and NMR data, the presence of tri-and tetrasubstituted aromatic groups and phenazine structural units in the polyaniline chain was revealed.     

A Tin(IV) Porphyrin with Two Axial Organometallic NCN‐Pincer Platinum Units

A tin(IV) porphyrin was combined with two axial NCN‐pincer platinum(II) fragments by utilizing the oxophilicity of the apical positions on the tin atom and the acidic nature of the NCN‐pincer platinum derived benzoic acid. The solid‐state structure determined by X‐ray crystallography revealed some close contacts between the pincer complexes and the meso‐p‐tolyl subsitutents of the porphyrin. It was shown by ¹H NMR spectroscopy that these close contacts were not present in solution and that this compound can potentially act as a novel building block for supramolecular architectures.     

Structural-morphological and biological properties of selenium nanoparticles stabilized by bovine serum albumin

Nanostructures formed during the reduction of ionic selenium in the selenite-ascorbate redox system in an aqueous solution of bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied using static and dynamic light scattering and flow birefringence. It was established that this process results in the formation of stable aggregates of selenium nanoparticles that adsorb BSA molecules. It was found that highly-ordered superhigh-molecular-weight spherical nanostructures with high density and unique morphology are formed. Experiments with a cell culture of promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 showed that BSA adsorbed on selenium nanoparticles can inhibit the growth of tumor cells and deactivate free radicals with an efficiency comparable with that of sodium selenite.     

Zinc-Containing Polymers and Their Latexes: Structure and Properties

This work deals with the polymer latexes synthesized using zinc-containing monomers. The effect of the ligand environment of the zinc-containing monomers on the colloidal and rheological properties of the latexes, as well as on mechanical properties of their films is studied. Mixed zinc salts containing the residues of saturated and unsaturated carboxylic acids are shown to be more efficient cross-linking agents than the symmetric salts of this metal.     

Moderate Deviations for Longest Increasing Subsequences: The Lower Tail

We derive a moderate deviation principle for the lower tail probabilities of the length of a longest increasing subsequence in a random permutation. It refers to the regime between the lower tail large deviation regime and the central limit regime. The present article together with the upper tail moderate deviation principle in Ref. 12 yields a complete picture for the whole moderate deviation regime. Other than in Ref. 12, we can directly apply estimates by Baik, Deift, and Johansson, who obtained a (non-standard) Central Limit Theorem for the same quantity.     

A new monitoring system of cultured myocardial cell motion: effect of pilose antler extract and cardioactive agents on spontaneous beating of myocardial cell sheets

Effects of various cardioactive agents and a water extract of the pilose antler of Cervus nippon var. mantchuricus on periodic beating of cultured myocardial cell sheets were examined by using an image analyzing system. Norepinephrine increased the beating rate and the beating amplitude, whereas digoxin and forskolin enlarged only the beating amplitude. Verapamil and propranolol decreased both the beating rate and the beating amplitude. The water extract of the pilose antler showed no remarkable effects in a standard medium (2.1 mM Ca2+). However, it significantly increased the beating amplitude when the beating was suppressed by replacement with a low calcium medium (0.5 mM Ca2+). A similar effect was found for 70% ethanol-soluble and -insoluble fractions of the extract.