Preparation and dilute solution properties of model gemini nonionic surfactants

Dimeric poly(ethylene oxide) surfactants (or nonionic gemini surfactants) with the structure (Cn-2H2n-3CHCH2O(CH2CH2O)mH)2(CH2)6 (or GemnEm), where n is the alkyl length and m is the average number of ethylene oxides per head group, were synthesized. Surfactants were synthesized with alkyl chain lengths n = 12, 14, and 20 and m = 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30. Water solubilities and cloud temperatures at 1 wt% were determined by measuring turbidity as a function of temperature. Cloud temperatures increase with m and decrease with n, as observed for conventional surfactants. For large m the cloud temperatures were all above 100 degrees C. Surfactants with small m (i.e., n = 12, 14, m = 5 and n = 20, m = 10) were insoluble at room temperature, forming two-phase mixtures. Critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) were measured using a pyrene fluorescence method and are all in the range of 10(-7) to 10(-6) M, with the lowest values from the surfactants with large n and small m. CMCs of mixtures with both anionic and nonionic conventional (monomeric) surfactants were well described by an ideal mixing model.     

Sign changes in the prime number theorem

The Ramanujan Journal - Let V(T) denote the number of sign changes in $$\psi (x) - x$$ for $$x\in [1, T]$$ . We show that $$\liminf _{T\rightarrow \infty } V(T)/\log T\ge \gamma _{1}/\pi +...     

Interspike interval embedding of chaotic signals

According to a theorem of Takens [Lecture Notes in Mathematics (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1981), Vol. 898], dynamical state information can be reproduced from a time series of amplitude measurements. In this paper we investigate whether the same information can be reproduced from interspike interval (ISI) measurements. Assuming an integrate-and-fire model coupling the dynamical system to the spike train, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the system states and interspike interval vectors of sufficiently large dimension. The correspondence implies in particular that a data series of interspike intervals, formed in this manner, can be forecast from past history. This capability is demonstrated using a nonlinear prediction algorithm, and is found to be robust to noise. A set of interspike intervals measured from a simple neuronal circuit is studied for deterministic structure using a prediction error statistic. (c) 1995 American Institute of Physics.     

Synthesis of benzopyran derivatives,XV Preparation of arylsulfonyloxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromenes

Summary Arylsulfonyloxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromenes (26–35) have been synthesized by reduction of arylsulfonyloxy-2,2-dimethyl-4-chromanones (6–15) followed by dehydration.

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Synthese von Benzopyranderviaten. 15. Mitt.: Darstellung von Arylsulfonyloxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromenen

Zusammenfassung Reduktion von Arylsulfonyloxy-2,2-dimethyl-4-chromanonen (6–15) und anschließende Dehydratisierung liefert Arylsulfonyloxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromene (26–35).

     

Kinetic and thermodynamic characterization of the cobalt and manganese oxyhydroxide cores formed in horse spleen ferritin

Horse spleen ferritin (HoSF) containing 800-1500 cobalt or 250-1200 manganese atoms as Co(O)OH and Mn(O)OH mineral cores within the HoSF interior (Co-HoSF and Mn-HoSF) was synthesized, and the chemical reactivity, kinetics of reduction, and the reduction potentials were measured. Microcoulometric and chemical reduction of HoSF containing the M(O)OH mineral core (M = Co or Mn) was rapid and quantitative with a reduction stoichiometry of 1.05 +/- 0.10 e/M forming a stable M(OH)(2) mineral core. At pH 9.0, ascorbic acid (AH(2)), a two-electron reductant, effectively reduced the mineral cores; however, the reaction was incomplete and rapidly reached equilibrium. The addition of excess AH(2) shifted the reaction to completion with a M(3+)/AH(2) stoichiometry of 1.9-2.1, consistent with a single electron per metal atom reduction. The rate of reaction between M(O)OH and excess AH(2) was measured by monitoring the decrease in mineral core absorbance with time. The reaction was first order in each reactant with second-order rate constants of 0.53 and 4.74 M(-1) min(-1), respectively, for Co- and Mn-HoSF at pH 9.0. From the variation of absorbance with increasing AH(2) concentration, equilibrium constants at pH 9.0 of 5.0 +/- 1.9 for Co-HoSF and 2.9 +/- 0.9 for Mn-HoSF were calculated for 2M(O)OH + AH(2) = 2M(OH)(2) + D, where AH(2) and D are ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid, respectively. Consistent with these equilibrium constants, the standard potential for the reduction of Co(III)-HoSF is 42 mV more positive than that of the ascorbic acid reaction, while the standard potential of Mn(III)-HoSF is 27 mV positive relative to AH(2). Fe(2+) in solution with Co- and Mn-HoSF under anaerobic conditions was oxidized to form Fe(O)OH within the HoSF interior, resulting in partial displacement of the Co or Mn by iron.     

A multi-residue cation-exchange clean up procedure for basic drugs in produce of animal origin

There is considerable interest in maximising the amount of information obtained from animal product analyses, when screening for the presence of veterinary drug residues. One of the barriers to effective multi-residue analysis to date has been a lack of effective clean up procedures to isolate a wide range of residues from the potential interferents, which may be present in both simple and complex (including processed) foods. A cation-exchange clean up has, therefore, been developed for use with acetonitrile extracts of foods, when analysing for several basic drug groups (sulfonamides, benzimidazoles, levamisole, nitroimidazoles, tranquillisers and fluroquinolones). The clean up procedure has also been shown to be effective using a modified extraction solvent for malachite green and leucomalachite green in fish.Several of the key parameters that influence analyte recovery have been investigated and in an optimised procedure, tissue/biofluid samples containing sulfonamides, benzimidazoles, levamisole, nitroimidazoles, tranquillisers and fluoroquinolones are first extracted with acetonitrile. The extract is then dried with sodium sulfate and acidified with glacial acetic acid before loading onto a Bond Elut, strong cation-exchange (SCX) solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge. Extracts from fish containing malachite green and leucomalachite green can be cleaned up using the same SCX SPE procedure following extraction with citrate buffer/acetonitrile. Typical recoveries of drugs from low level fortified tissues using the optimised procedure lie in the range 53-104% with the exception of carazolol from pig kidney (31%), malachite green from trout (42-51%) and ciprofloxacin from chicken muscle (44%) and from egg (21%).     

Novel carbohydrate-appended metal complexes for potential use in molecular imaging

Seven discrete sugar-pendant diamines were complexed to the {M(CO)(3)}(+) ((99m)Tc/Re) core: 1,3-diamino-2-propyl beta-D-glucopyranoside (L(1)), 1,3-diamino-2-propyl beta-D-xylopyranoside (L(2)), 1,3-diamino-2-propyl alpha-D-mannopyranoside (L(3)), 1,3-diamino-2-propyl alpha-D-galactopyranoside (L(4)), 1,3-diamino-2-propyl beta-D-galactopyranoside (L(5)), 1,3-diamino-2-propyl beta-(alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1,4)-D-glucopyranoside) (L(6)), and bis(aminomethyl)bis[(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)methyl]methane (L(7)). The Re complexes [Re(L(1)-L(7))(Br)(CO)(3)] were characterized by (1)H and (13)C 1D/2D NMR spectroscopy which confirmed the pendant nature of the carbohydrate moieties in solution. Additional characterization was provided by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and mass spectrometry. Two analogues, [Re(L(2))(CO)(3)Br] and [Re(L(3))(CO)(3)Br], were characterized in the solid state by X-ray crystallography and represent the first reported structures of Re organometallic carbohydrate compounds. Conductivity measurements in H(2)O established that the complexes exist as [Re(L(1)-L(7))(H(2)O)(CO)(3)]Br in aqueous conditions. Radiolabelling of L(1)-L(7) with [(99m)Tc(H(2)O)(3)(CO)(3)](+) afforded in high yield compounds of identical character to the Re analogues. The radiolabelled compounds were determined to exhibit high in vitro stability towards ligand exchange in the presence of an excess of either cysteine or histidine over a 24 h period.     

Studies on polymers and composites from lignin and fiber derived from sugar cane

Sugarcane fiber (i.e. bagasse) lignin has a larger fraction of aromatics unsubstitution in the ortho position than hardwood or softwood lignin and hence has the greater ability to be derivatized. Furthermore, organosolv lignin has a higher purity than sulfonated and kraft lignins. This work examines the purification of organosolv lignin derived from bagasse and the physico‐chemical properties of the lignin and lignin‐phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin coatings, and composites. The wetability tests have shown that lignin and lignin‐PF resin films are effective water barrier coatings, though the contact angles of lignin‐PF resin films were considerably less than the wax films. The overall mechanical properties (i.e. peak stress, peak strain and modulus) of the bagasse fiber composites were lower than the values obtained with the composites without the inclusion of bagasse fiber. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An altered mechanism of hydrolysis for a metal-complexed phosphate diester

Isotope effects in the nucleophile and in the leaving group were measured to gain information about the mechanism and transition state of the hydrolysis of methyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate complexed to a dinuclear cobalt complex. The complexed diester undergoes hydrolysis about 1011 times faster than the corresponding uncomplexed diester. The kinetic isotope effects indicate that this rate acceleration is accompanied by a change in mechanism. A large inverse 18O isotope effect in the bridging hydroxide nucleophile (0.937 +/- 0.002) suggests that nucleophilic attack occurs before the rate-determining step. Large isotope effects in the nitrophenyl leaving group (18Olg = 1.029 +/- 0.002, 15N = 1.0026 +/- 0.0002) indicate significant fission of the P-O ester bond in the transition state of the rate-determining step. The data indicate that in contrast to uncomplexed diesters, which undergo hydrolysis by a concerted mechanism, the reaction of the complexed diester likely proceeds via an addition-elimination mechanism. The rate-limiting step is expulsion of the p-nitrophenyl leaving group from the intermediate, which proceeds by a late transition state with extensive bond fission to the leaving group. This represents a substantial change in mechanism from the hydrolysis of uncomplexed aryl phosphate diesters.