A Bifunctional B,N-Based Asymmetric Catalytic Nitrostyrene-Michael Addition Acting through a 10-Membered Ring Cyclic Transition State

The B,N-bifunctional catalyst homoboroproline has been applied to a catalytic asymmetric nitroalkene-Michael addition to β-nitrostyrene analogues, showing broad substrate tolerance, high conversions and moderate to good asymmetric induction. The ability of homoboroproline to act as an efficient catalyst based on enamine-formation of the secondary amine, coupled with intramolecular Lewis-acid chelation of the nitro function, in a non-FLP manner, to effect efficient and enantioselective catalysis via a proposed large 10-membered ring transition state is remarkable and reinforced by theoretical calculations.     

Electrochemical Determination of Homocysteine at Disposable Graphite Electrodes

In the case of disruption of Hcy metabolism, the blood level of Hcy increases and it causes particularly the cardiovascular diseases, cancer, dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Thus, the sensitive analysis of Hcy levels in biological fluids is very important. Hcy analysis was performed herein using very practical and cost‐effective protocol using differential pulse voltammetry and graphite electrode. Detection limit of Hcy was found to be 1.21 µM in the linear range from 2 µM to 20 µM. The electrochemical Hcy detection in artificial urine medium was also successfully performed even in the presence of L ‐Cysteine, L ‐Methionine and Glutathione.     

The removal of heavy metal cations by natural zeolites

In this study, the adsorption behavior of natural (clinoptilolite) zeolites with respect to Co²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Mn²⁺ has been studied in order to consider its application to purity metal finishing wastewaters. The batch method has been employed, using metal concentrations in solution ranging from 100 to 400 mg/l. The percentage adsorption and distribution coefficients (K_d) were determined for the adsorption system as a function of sorbate concentration. In the ion exchange evaluation part of the study, it is determined that in every concentration range, adsorption ratios of clinoptilolite metal cations match to Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin–Kaganer–Radushkevich (DKR) adsorption isotherm data, adding to that every cation exchange capacity metals has been calculated. It was found that the adsorption phenomena depend on charge density and hydrated ion diameter. According to the equilibrium studies, the selectivity sequence can be given as Co²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Zn²⁺ > Mn²⁺. These results show that natural zeolites hold great potential to remove cationic heavy metal species from industrial wastewater.     

Fermion families and chirality through extra dimensions

We give a simple model to explain the origin of fermion families and chirality through the use of a domain wall-anti-domain wall pair placed in a five dimensional space-time. Received: 14 March 2002 / Revised version: 3 July 2002 / Published online: 27 September 2002 RID="a" ID="a" e-mail: erdem@likya.iyte.edu.tr     

Classification of Spectral Patterns Obtained from Eustachian Tube Sonometry

Spectral patterns of sound transmission through the Eustachian tube (ET) have been obtained in a series of experiments designed to identify ET dysfunction. Previous studies of ET function using sonometry have relied on heuristic and somewhat arbitrary methods in interpreting the data. In this study, an automated classification algorithm was developed to separate these sonograms into three distinct groups. From a total of 150 sample spectra, 75 were used in the formation of learning sets. The remaining spectra were classified into these three groups using standard Bayesian techniques. Both parametric and nonparametric methods were applied in estimating conditional probability density functions. Results of classification are compared with an independent test of ET function. Agreement between our classifier and the results of the independent test was as good as 97.3 percent. The results of this study indicate that an automated classification procedure can effectively distinguish among the three major types of sonograms obtained from ET sonometry.     

Coherent interactions of dissipative spatial solitons

We report observation of the interaction between two coherent dissipative spatial solitons in a periodically patterned semiconductor optical amplifier with power levels of tens of milliwatts. The interactions are nonlocal and phase dependent and exhibit surprising features, such as soliton birth. The experimental results are in good agreement with the numerical simulations.     

Phenolic compounds from the aerial parts of Clematis viticella L. and their in vitro anti-inflammatory activities*

Phytochemical investigations on the EtOH extract of Clematis viticella led to the isolation of six flavonoid glycosides, isoorientin (1), isoorientin 3′-O-methyl ether (2), quercetin 7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (3), quercetin 3,7-di-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (4), manghaslin (5) and chrysoeriol 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), one phenylethanol derivative, hydroxytyrosol (7), along with three phenolic acids, caffeic acid (8), (E)-p-coumaric acid (9) and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (10). The structures of the isolates were elucidated on the basis of NMR and HR-MS data. All compounds were isolated from C. viticella for the first time. Compounds 7 and 8 showed significant anti-inflammatory activity at 100 μM by reducing the release of NO in LPS-stimulated macrophages comparable to positive control indomethacin. Compounds 3 and 7 exhibited anti-inflammatory activity through lowering the levels of TNF-α while 1, 3 and 5 decreased the levels of neopterin better than the positive controls.     

Synthesis and Assembly of Zinc Oxide Microcrystals by a Low-Temperature Dissolution–Reprecipitation Process: Lessons Learned About Twin Formation in Heterogeneous Reactions

Cobalt-doped zinc oxide single crystals with the shape of hexagonal platelets were synthesized by thermohydrolysis of zinc acetate, cobalt acetate, and hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) in mixtures of ethanol and water. The mineralization proceeds by a low-temperature dissolution–reprecipitation process from the liquid phase by the formation of basic cobalt zinc salts as intermediates. The crystal shape as well as twin formation of the resulting oxide phase can be influenced by careful choice of the solvent mixture and the amount of doping. An understanding of the course of the reaction was achieved by comprehensive employment of analytical techniques (i.e., SEM, XRD, IR) including an in-depth HRTEM study of precipitates from various reaction stages. In addition, EPR as well as UV/Vis spectroscopic measurements provide information about the insertion of the cobalt dopant into the zincite lattice. The Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique is shown to be suitable for depositing coatings of the platelets on glass substrates functionalized with polyelectrolyte multilayers and hence is applied for the formation of monolayers containing domains with ordered tessellation. No major differences are found between deposits on substrates with anionic or cationic surface modification. The adherence to the substrates is sufficient to determine the absolute orientation of the deposited polar single crystals by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) studies.     

New current–mode special function continuous-time active filters employing only OTAs and OPAMPs

This paper reports three current mode second order filters, each of which realizes a specific function without any external passive elements. These filters realize low-pass notch (LPN), high-pass notch (HPN) and all-pass (AP) functions. Two OPAMPs, a double output OTA and a single output OTA are employed for each circuit. The filter structures can be easily cascaded since they have high output impedances. This property is especially useful for achieving high-order filters using these LPN and HPN filters as building blocks. The presented theory is verified with macro models in SPICE simulations and, using the SPICE parameters of the layout technology, post layout simulations are carried out, with parasitics extracted from the layouts of the filter chips.     

The Transport Properties of the Cell Membrane Ion Channels in Electric Fields: Bethe Lattice Treatment

The interactive two-state model of cell membrane ion channels in an electric field is formulated on the Bethe lattice by means of the exact recursion relations. The probability of channel opening or maximum fractions of open potassium and sodium channels are obtained by solving a non-linear algebraic equation. Using known parameters for the conventional mean-field theory the model gives a good agreement with the experiment both at low and high trans-membrane potential values. For intermediate voltages, the numerical results imply that collective effects are introduced by trans-membrane voltage.