Determination of cobalt in the presence of high concentrations of zinc by differential pulse polarography

Summary Cobalt(II) can be determined in 0.1 mol/l Na₃citrate + 0.1 mol/l NH₄Cl + 0.08% dimethylglyoxime as supporting electrolyte in the presence of a 50 000-fold excess of zinc by differential pulse polarography. The limit of determination is 4.2×10^–5 mol/l Co (2.5 mg/l). Linear calibration curves are obtained within the range of 1×10^–7 to 5×10^–6 mol/l cobalt without zinc and in the presence of 5×10^–3 mol/l Zn. The analytical method developed is suitable for the determination of cobalt in zinc plant solutions.

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Cobaltbestimmung in Gegenwart hoher Zinkkonzentrationen mit Hilfe der Differential-Puls-Polarographie

     

The symmetry aspects of quantum field theory in general relativity 1

Some proposed models for a quantum field theory in general relativity are briefly analyzed. Their main difficulties are a consequence of the initial choice of the group of symmetries of the (quantum) field equations. The necessity of selecting space-time isometries in a general covariant theory and the unphysical character of the Poincaré translations in a tangent plane theory are discussed. Starting from some basic requirements, a model is proposed in which the groups of symmetries are derived from the proper homogeneous groups of isometries of the minimal isometric local embedding spaces of space-times.This essay received an honorable mention (1977) from the Gravity Research Foundation-Ed.     

Mechanism of the pyrolysis of C2HCl5, molecular and radical steps

An analysis of the thermochemistry of the kinetic parameters of the elementary reactions involved in the pyrolysis of pentachloroethane has resolved several disputed, unclarified, or inconsistent aspects of the reaction mechanism. The resulting mechanisms for the inhibited and uninhibited pyrolysis account for all reported experimental findings. On the basis of this interpretation, first experimentally based values have been derived for the following: DH⁰(CCl₃–CHCl₂) = 79.0 ± 1.0 kcal/mol, ΔH${}_{\text{f}}^{\text{0}}$(CHCl₂) = 25.7 ± 1.0 kcal/mol, and E₁ = 59.7 ± 1.0 kcal/mol C₂HCl₅ .     

Probing quantum-vacuum geometrical effects with cold atoms

The lateral Casimir-Polder force between an atom and a corrugated surface should allow one to study experimentally nontrivial geometrical effects in the electromagnetic quantum vacuum. Here, we derive the theoretical expression of this force in the scattering approach. We show that large corrections to the "proximity force approximation" could be measured using present-day technology with a Bose-Einstein condensate used as a vacuum field sensor.     

A real-time,fluorescence-based assay for Rho-associated protein kinase activity

Inhibitors of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) enzymatic activity have been shown to reduce the invasive phenotype observed in metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We describe the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a direct probe for ROCK activity utilizing a phosphorylation-sensitive sulfonamido-oxine fluorophore, termed Sox. The Sox fluorophore undergoes an increase in fluorescence upon phosphorylation of a proximal amino acid via chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF, ex. = 360 nm and em. = 485 nm), allowing for the direct visualization of the rate of phosphate addition to a peptide substrate over time. Our optimal probe design, ROCK-S1, is capable of sensitively reporting ROCK activity with a limit of detection of 10 pM and a high degree of reproducibility (Z’-factor = 0.6 at 100 pM ROCK2). As a proof-of-principle for high-throughput screening (HTS) we demonstrate the ability to rapidly assess the efficacy of a 78 member, small molecule library against ROCK2 using a robotics platform. We identify two previously unreported ROCK2 inhibitor scaffolds, PHA665752 and IKK16, with IC₅₀ values of 3.6 μM and 247 nM respectively. Lastly, we define conditions for selectively monitoring ROCK activity in the presence of potential off-target enzymes (PKCα, PKA, and PAK) with similar substrate specificities.     

Spectral theory approach for a class of radial indefinite variational problems

Considering the radial nonlinear Schrödinger equation

($P_r$)$?\mathrm{\Delta }u+V(x)u=g(x,u)\text{in}{\mathbb{R}}^N,N\ge 3$

we aim to find a radial nontrivial solution for it, where V changes sign ensuring problem ($P_r$) is indefinite and g is an asymptotically linear nonlinearity. We work with variational methods associating problem ($P_r$) to an indefinite functional in order to apply our Abstract Linking Theorem for Cerami sequences in [8] to get a non-trivial critical point for this functional. Our goal is to make use of spectral properties of operator $A:=\mathrm{\Delta }+V(x)$ restricted to $H_{rad}^1({\mathbb{R}}^N)$, the space of radially symmetric functions in $H^1({\mathbb{R}}^N)$, for obtaining a linking geometry structure to the problem and by means of special properties of radially symmetric functions get the necessary compactness.     

Absolute configuration of a rare dibenzoylmethane derivative from Dahlstedtia glaziovii (Fabaceae)

Dibenzoylmethanes (DBMs) belong to a small group of flavonoids, known as β-hydroxychalcones, rarely found in nature. Despite their biological and chemotaxonomic importance, the absolute configuration of C-8 substituted DBMs has never been reported. Herein, the absolute stereochemistry of 2′-methoxy-8-(α-α-dimethylallyl)-[3′,4′:4″,5″]-furan-dibenzoylmethane is determined using the VCD exciton chirality method, which may be safely applied to other members of this class.     

Rhenium chelate complexes with maltolate or kojate

Novel rhenium complexes containing the maltolate (mal) or kojate (koj) anions as chelating ligands have been synthesized: [ReOCl(mal)₂] (1), [ReOCl₂(mal)(PPh₃)] (2), [ReOBr₂(mal)(PPh₃)] (3), [ReOCl₂(koj)(PPh₃)] (4) and [ReOBr₂(koj)(PPh₃)] (5). The products have been characterized by FTIR, ¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P NMR spectroscopies and elemental analysis. The crystal and molecular structures of all complexes were determined. Complex 1 crystallizes monoclinic, space group C2/c, Z = 8. It contains two O,O′-bidentate maltolate ligands and one chloro ligand at the (ReO)³⁺ unit, so that a distorted octahedral geometry is adopted by the six-coordinated rhenium(V) center. The chloro ligand occupies a cis position to the oxo ligand. Complexes 2 and 3 are isostructural and crystallize orthorhombic, space group Pbca and Z = 8. The isostructural complexes 4 and 5 crystallize monoclinic, space group P2₁/n and Z = 4. In complexes 2–5, the (ReO)³⁺ unit is coordinated by a monoanionic O,O-bidentate unit of the maltolate (2 and 3) or kojate (4 and 5) ligand, one triphenylphosphine and two halogeno ligands (Cl in 2 and 4; Br in 3 and 5), with the rhenium(V) center in a distorted octahedral environment. The halide ligands are in cis positions to each other.     

Cosmetic Formulations with Melaleuca alternifolia Essential Oil for the Improvement of Photoaged Skin: A Double-Blind,Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study

This aim of this study was to evaluate the penetration depth, antioxidant capacity and the clinical efficacy of Melaleuca alternifolia pure essential oil and in a nanoemulsion to prevent skin photoaging. For this, 2% of pure essential oil or 2% of this essential oil in a nanoemulsion were vehiculated in a formulation. The skin penetration was evaluated using confocal Raman microspectroscopy. The radical protection factor was evaluated using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. For a clinical study, 40 male participants, aged 18–28 years, were enrolled, being divided into three groups: vehicle formulation, M. alternifolia pure essential oil and M. alternifolia Nanoemulsion. All the participants also received a sunscreen SPF 50 to use during the day. Before and after 90 days of study, skin hydrolipidics and morphological characteristics were performed by skin imaging and biophysical techniques. The nanoemulsion presented a lower antioxidant capacity and a higher penetration through the stratum corneum, reaching the viable epidermis, improving the stratum granulosum morphology. The groups presented an increase in the papillary depth, improving in the dermis echogenicity and the collagen fibers. Melaleuca alternifolia essential provides the potential to improve photoaged skin, being the application of nanoemulsion able to reach deeper skin layers.