Ragnar Frisch and interior-point methods

The distinguished econometrician Ragnar Frisch (1895–1973) also played an important role in optimization theory. In fact, he was a pioneer of interior-point methods. This note reconsiders his contribution, relating it to history and modern developments.     

Synthesis of Quinoline-Based Thieno-Seleno-Phenylquinazolinones

The synthesis of quinoline-substituted phenylquinazolinones containing sulfur and selenium is described. These molecules were isolated from a series of reactions of 2-phenyl-4H-3,1-benzoxazin-4-one with 2-chloro, 2-thieno, and 2-selenoquinoline-3-carbaldehyde hydrazones. The structure of the isolated compounds has been elucidated on the basis of IR, ¹ H NMR, mass spectral, and elemental analysis data.     

The Synthesis and Bioactivity of Dimethyl (2,3- Dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]Dioxin-6-Yl)(Aryl Amino)Methylphosphonates

Abstract

A new series of α-aminophosphonates have been synthesized by a one-pot three-component reaction of 2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxine-6-carbaldehyde, various amines, and dimethyl phosphite by using nano-TiO₂ as a catalyst under solvent-free conditions at 50°C. The major advantages of the present method are high yields, short reaction times, recyclable catalyst, and solvent-free reaction conditions. Among these new structurally diversified set of α-aminophosphonates, dimethyl (2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxin-6-yl)(3-nitrophenylamino) methylphosphonate and dimethyl (2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxin-6-yl)(4-fluoro-3-nitro-phenyl-amino) methylphosphonate have shown higher antioxidant activity in diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, reducing power assay, and lipid peroxidation methods.     

Synthesis and Bioassay of Ethyl-2- (2-((Diethoxyphosphoryl) (Aryl) Methylamino)Thiazol-4-Yl)-2-(Methoxyimino)Acetates

Abstract

A simple, efficient, and environmentally benign methodology has been accomplished for the synthesis of α-aminophosphonates by one-pot three-component reaction of ethyl-2-amino-α-(methoxy-imino)-4-thiazoleacetate, aldehydes, and diethylphosphite by using Amberlyst-15 as catalyst at room temperature under solvent-free conditions. Their chemical structures were characterized by infrared (IR), NMR (¹H, ¹³C & ³¹P), mass spectral, and elemental analysis. All the title compounds were screened for radical-scavenging activity by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitic oxide (NO), and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) methods.

Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements for the following free supplemental files: Additional text and figures.     

Preliminary Study of Cationic Copolymerization of α-Methylstyrene and Isobutyl Vinyl Ether. II

α-Methylstyrene (α-MS) and isobutyl vinyl ether (IBVE) were copolymerized by using the H₂O/EtAlCl₂ initiator system and CH₂Cl₂ and CH₃Cl solvent in the temperature range from -30 to -90°C. As compared to homopolymerization of α-MS, both yields and molecular weights are reduced upon addition of small amounts of IBVE to the feed. The reactivity ratios were calculated by the method of Kelen and Tödös as well as the Fineman and Ross method, and the combined effect of change of solvent and temperature on reactivity ratios was determined. Effects of feed composition and temperature on the copolymer yield, composition, and number-average molecular weight M _n were studied in detail. M _n showed a novel exponential dependence on the IBVE concentration in the feed. The overall activation energies of molecular weight were determined from the Arrhenius plots for both homo-and copolymerization systems. Based on these and the yield data, a speculation is made regarding reaction mechanism for molecular weight control. NMR and DTA data are reported, which establish the random nature of the copolymers.     

Random Copolymers of 1,5-Dioxepan-2-one

ABSTRACT

Copolymers of 1,5-dioxepan-2-one (DXO) and e-caprolactone (?-CL), δ-valerolactone (δ-VL) or L-lactide (LLA) have been synthesized and characterized. High molecular weight copolymers were obtained using stannous-2-ethyl hexanoate as catalyst in bulk. Reactivity ratios for the copolymerization of DXO and δ-VL were determined at 110°C as r_VL=0.5 and r_DXO=2.3. At high conversion, depolymerization of δ-VL occurred, resulting in lower molecular weight and variations in the copolymer composition.

Physical properties, such as crystallinity and melting temperature of the DXO-copolymers proved to be strongly dependent on the choice of comonomer and on the molar composition of the copolymers. DXO appears to be incorporated into the poly-?-caprolactone (PCL) crystals and to some extent into the poly-δ-valerolactone (PVL) crystals, resulting in a more gradual decrease in crystallinity with increasing amount of DXO.     

Synthesis of Diquinolineno[1,3,7,9]Tetraazacyclododecine-7, 15 (14H, 16H)-Dibenzene,and DNA Binding Studies of Macrocyclic Co(II), Cu(II) Complexes: As New Class of Antimicrobial Agent

The synthesis of macrocyclic ligand, diquinolineno[1,3,7,9]tetraazacyclododecine-7, 15 (14H, 16H)-dibenzene(L), is described. The metal complexes of the type [MLX₂], where (M = Co(II) (1), Cu(II) (2) and X = (Cl), have been synthesized by the reaction of ligand(L) with the corresponding metal salts, and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, ¹H-NMR and electronic spectra. The binding property of the complexes with CT-DNA was studied by absorption spectra, viscosity measurements, as well as thermal denaturation studies. The absorption spectral results indicate that the complexes (1) and (2) are binds with base pairs of DNA. The intrinsic binding constant K_b had the value 3.8 × 10⁴M ^?1 for (1 Chappell, L. L., Voss, A. D. and Morrow, J. R. 1998. Inorg. Chem., 37(16): 3989–3998.  [Google Scholar]) and 3.3 × 10⁴ M^?1 for (2), respectively, in 5 mM Tris-HCl/50 mM NaCl buffer at pH 7.2. The viscosity measurement results show the viscosity of sonicated rod-like DNA fragments increased when the complex were added to the solution of calf thymus-DNA. The synthesized ligand and its metal complexes have been screened for antibacterial and antifungal activities.     

U6 is unsuitable for normalization of serum miRNA levels in patients with sepsis or liver fibrosis

MicroRNA (miRNA) levels in serum have recently emerged as potential novel biomarkers for various diseases. miRNAs are routinely measured by standard quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR); however, the high sensitivity of qPCR demands appropriate normalization to correct for nonbiological variation. Presently, RNU6B (U6) is used for data normalization of circulating miRNAs in many studies. However, it was suggested that serum levels of U6 themselves might differ between individuals. Therefore, no consensus has been reached on the best normalization strategy in ‘circulating miRNA''. We analyzed U6 levels as well as levels of spiked-in SV40-RNA in sera of 44 healthy volunteers, 203 intensive care unit patients and 64 patients with liver fibrosis. Levels of U6 demonstrated a high variability in sera of healthy donors, patients with critical illness and liver fibrosis. This high variability could also be confirmed in sera of mice after the cecal ligation and puncture procedure. Most importantly, levels of circulating U6 were significantly upregulated in sera of patients with critical illness and sepsis compared with controls and correlated with established markers of inflammation. In patients with liver fibrosis, U6 levels were significantly downregulated. In contrast, levels of spiked-in SV40 displayed a significantly higher stability both in human cohorts (healthy, critical illness, liver fibrosis) and in mice. Thus, we conclude that U6 levels in the serum are dysregulated in a disease-specific manner. Therefore, U6 should not be used for data normalization of circulating miRNAs in inflammatory diseases and previous studies using this approach should be interpreted with caution. Further studies are warranted to identify specific regulatory processes of U6 levels in sepsis and liver fibrosis.     

Application of thermovision for estimation of the optimal and safe parameters of the whole body cryotherapy

Exposure to the extreme low temperatures, ranging between ?60 and ?140 °C, has many beneficial effects on the human body what is exploited for example in sport medicine, for treatment of locomotory system diseases or even some psychiatric disorders. To insure the safe treatment in a cryochamber, careful planning of the procedure and proper qualification of patients, is required. Cardiovascular system, especially skin vasculature plays the major role of the body response to the extreme cold. The changes in skin blood flow are reflected in changes of the temperature distribution. Therefore, the thermal imaging, which allows to analyze the temperature distribution on the human body, may be successfully exploited to examine the influence of extremely low temperatures on the skin vascular system. The aim of this work was to examine the temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate changes after the whole body cryotherapy in healthy subjects to determine the safety conditions of the treatment. 480 healthy students of the Wroc?aw University School of Physical Education were divided into two groups (each 240 persons). All subjects were exposed for 1–3 min to the extremely low temperatures: ?60, ?100, ?120, and ?140 °C. In one group, the thermograms were recorded before and 5 and 30 min after the cryotherapy by means of ThermoVision A20 M thermal camera. In the other one, heart rate and blood pressure were measured before and 5 min after the cryotherapy. It was demonstrated that 3-min exposure in the cryochamber and the temperature ?120 °C are the optimal and safe cryotherapy parameters.     

Investigation of binuclear metal phthalocyanines as electrocatalysts for Li/SOCl<Subscript>2</Subscript> battery

Three novel series of the binuclear metal phthalocyanines M₂Pc₂, M₂Pc₂Hc, and M₂Nc₂ (M?=?Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II)) were synthesized and characterized. The electrocatalytic performance of the binuclear compounds to lithium–thionyl chloride battery was evaluated by operating these compounds in the electrolyte of the battery. The results indicated that the binuclear metal phthalocyanines improved the capacity of the battery by an increase of approximately 30–58 %. Of all, Cu₂Pc₂Hc and Fe₂Nc₂ displayed the highest increments of 56 and 57 %, respectively.