PHASE EQUILIBRIA OF TETRAMETHYLDIOCTYL-DISILOXANE,WATER AND ORGANIC SOLVENTS

The phase diagrams for tetramethyldioctyldisiloxane (TDDS), water and several organic components were determined using refractive index, polarizing microscopy and low angle x-ray diffraction. The solubility limits of the alcohols were established by quantitative analysis and compared to the refractive index of known single phase mixtures. The non-ionic surfactants systems contained isotropic liquids of varying concentrations. Two lyotropic liquid crystal regions were discovered, one of lamellar structure and one consisting of a hexagonal array of closed packed cylinders. The character of the amphiphiles components to solubilize the TDDS is reflected in Ihe phase equilibria.     

Crude Oil Model Emulsion Characterised by means of Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Multivariate Techniques

Water-in-oil emulsions are investigated by means of multivariate analysis of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopic profiles in the range 1100 — 2250 nm. The oil phase is a paraffin-diluted crude oil from the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The influence of water absorption and light scattering of the water droplets are shown to be strong. Despite the strong influence of the water phase, the NIR technique is still capable of predicting the composition of the investigated oil phase.     

Evaporation Path in a Liquid Crystal/Hydrocarbon Emulsion in the System Toluene, 5‐Phenylvalerate, 4‐Pentylphenol and Water

The evaporation path in emulsions of a water/5‐phenylvalerate/4‐pentylphenol lamellar liquid crystal in toluene was calculated using an algebraic method to extract information from a partial phase diagram. The equations for the tie lines between the emulsion phases and the evaporation path were established and used to evaluate the variation in the composition of the liquid crystal during the evaporation. The evaporation led to significant changes in the composition of the liquid crystal, and the limits of the original emulsion composition were estimated to retain the liquid crystal in equilibrium with toluene during the process. In addition, the results provided information about the influence by the relative humidity on the evaporation path.     

Dielectric spectroscopy on W/O emulsions under influence of shear forces

The dielectric properties of concentrated w/o-emulsions have been investigated, both at rest and during shear. The volume fraction water ranged from 0.50 to 0.95. The time domain dielectric spectroscopy techniques (TDS) was used to record the dielectric spectra, which covered the frequency region from 25 MHz to 2 GHz. In order to simultaneously record rheological and dielectric data a modified viscometer of the coaxial cylinder type was applied.A close connection between the viscosity and the dielectric properties of w/o emulsions is demonstrated. The very large effects of shear both on the static permittivity and the dielectric relaxation time for the emulsion can partially be ascribed to the degree of flocculation in the system. At high shear rates, at which the emulsions are expected to have a low degree of flocculation, the observed dielectric properties differ from those expected from a theoretical model for spherical emulsion droplets.     

Preparation and Characterization of Binder for Inorganic Composites Made from Amorphous Mineral Raw Material

The preparation and characterization of a composite binder made through a sol-gel route from an amorphous mineral raw material has been studied. The amorphous mineral raw material is alumino-silicate based but contains also alkaline earth and some transition metal oxides. A stable sol can be prepared by dissolving the raw materials in formic acid. The drying and heat treatment of the subsequent gel has been studied by thermogravimetry, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy as well as X-ray diffraction studies. The different constituents of the raw material have shown to play a major role during the drying and heat treatment of the gels. The binding effect of the binder was evaluated to be good by studying paper-binder composites as well as wetting properties.     

Molecular and Functional Imaging Studies of Psychedelic Drug Action in Animals and Humans

Hallucinogens are a loosely defined group of compounds including LSD, N,N-dimethyltryptamines, mescaline, psilocybin/psilocin, and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methamphetamine (DOM), which can evoke intense visual and emotional experiences. We are witnessing a renaissance of research interest in hallucinogens, driven by increasing awareness of their psychotherapeutic potential. As such, we now present a narrative review of the literature on hallucinogen binding in vitro and ex vivo, and the various molecular imaging studies with positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT). In general, molecular imaging can depict the uptake and binding distribution of labelled hallucinogenic compounds or their congeners in the brain, as was shown in an early PET study with N¹-([¹¹C]-methyl)-2-bromo-LSD ([¹¹C]-MBL); displacement with the non-radioactive competitor ketanserin confirmed that the majority of [¹¹C]-MBL specific binding was to serotonin 5-HT_2A receptors. However, interactions at serotonin 5HT_1A and other classes of receptors and pleotropic effects on second messenger pathways may contribute to the particular experiential phenomenologies of LSD and other hallucinogenic compounds. Other salient aspects of hallucinogen action include permeability to the blood–brain barrier, the rates of metabolism and elimination, and the formation of active metabolites. Despite the maturation of radiochemistry and molecular imaging in recent years, there has been only a handful of PET or SPECT studies of radiolabeled hallucinogens, most recently using the 5-HT_2A/2C agonist N-(2[¹¹CH₃O]-methoxybenzyl)-2,5-dimethoxy- 4-bromophenethylamine ([¹¹C]Cimbi-36). In addition to PET studies of target engagement at neuroreceptors and transporters, there is a small number of studies on the effects of hallucinogenic compounds on cerebral perfusion ([¹⁵O]-water) or metabolism ([¹⁸F]-fluorodeoxyglucose/FDG). There remains considerable scope for basic imaging research on the sites of interaction of hallucinogens and their cerebrometabolic effects; we expect that hybrid imaging with PET in conjunction with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) should provide especially useful for the next phase of this research.     

Determination of protein-ligand affinity constants from direct migration time in capillary electrophoresis

A simple method to calculate dissociation constants for protein-ligand interactions by partial-filling capillary electrophoresis is demonstrated. The method uses raw migration time data for the ligand and needs only additional information about capillary inner radius and the absolute amount of protein loaded. A theoretical study supported by experimental data also demonstrates that the retention of analyte in affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE) using the partial-filling technique depends linearly on the absolute amount of selector added but is independent of both selector zone length and selector mobility. Factors such as field strength and electroosmotic flow are also cancelled out if they are kept constant. The theory is confirmed and the usefulness of the method is demonstrated by enantioseparations using alpha-acid glycoprotein (AGP) and cellulase (Cel 7A) as chiral selectors.     

Conformational effects on glycoside reactivity: study of the high reactive conformer of glucose

The effect of conformation on glycoside reactivity was investigated by studying the hydrolysis of a selection of 3,6-anhydroglucosides as models for glucose in the highly reactive (1)C(4) conformation. Methyl 3,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucopyranoside was found to hydrolyze 200-400 times faster than methyl glucosides in the (4)C(1) conformation, while methyl 3,6-anhydro-beta-D-galactopyranoside, which is in the B(1,4) conformation, was less reactive than methyl beta-D-galactopyranoside. Methyl (3,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1 --> 6)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside, methyl (3,6-anhydro-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1 --> 6)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 --> 6)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside, and methyl (3,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1 --> 6)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 --> 6)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside were prepared and found to react selectively at the anhydro residue. The finding that (1)C(4) conformers of glucosides are highly reactive species is in accordance with and supports previous results showing that axial OH groups are less electron withdrawing than equatorial OH groups.     

Tyrosine Side-Chain Functionalities at Distinct Positions Determine the Chirooptical Properties and Supramolecular Structures of Pentameric Oligothiophenes

Control over the photophysical properties and molecular organization of π-conjugated oligothiophenes is essential to their use in organic electronics. Herein we synthesized and characterized a variety of anionic pentameric oligothiophenes with different substitution patterns of L- or D-tyrosine at distinct positions along the thiophene backbone. Spectroscopic, microscopic, and theoretical studies of L- or D-tyrosine substituted pentameric oligothiophene conjugates revealed the formation of optically active π-stacked self-assembled aggregates under acid conditions. The distinct photophysical characteristics, as well as the supramolecular structures of the assemblies, were highly influenced by the positioning of the L- or D-tyrosine moieties along the thiophene backbone. Overall, the obtained results clearly demonstrate how fundamental changes in the position of the enantiomeric side-chain functionalities greatly affect the optical properties as well as the architecture of the self-assembled supramolecular structures.