Acylation of (<Emphasis Type="Italic">R,S</Emphasis>)-1-phenylethanol with ethyl acetate over an immobilized enzyme

Acylation of (R,S)-1-phenylethanol, which is a product of acetophenone hydrogenation, over a Pd-supported catalyst, was studied in ethyl acetate with an immobilized lipase. It was demonstrated that in the presence of hydrogen and Pd/C in the reaction medium the (R,S)-1-phenylethanol acylation rate is not hindered, whereas the selectivity was strongly altered in the latter case, leading to significant amounts of side products.     

Design of meloxicam and lornoxicam transdermal patches: Preparation, physical characterization, ex vivo and in vivo studies

Transdermal patches of meloxicam (MX) and lornoxicam (LX) were aimed to be prepared in order to overcome their side effects by oral application. The strategy was formulation of optimized films to prepare transdermal patches by determination of physical properties and investigation of drug-excipient compatibility. As the next step, in vitro drug release, assesment of anti-inflammatory effect on Wistar Albino rats, ex vivo skin penetration and investigation of factors on drug release from transdermal patches were studied. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) was concluded to be suitable polymer for formulation of MX and LX transdermal films indicating pharmaceutical quality required. MX and LX transdermal patches gave satisfactory results regarding to the edema inhibition in the assessment of anti-inflammatory effect. MX was found out to be more effective compared to LX on relieving of edema and swelling. These results were supported by data obtained from ex vivo penetration experiments of drug through rat skin. Indicative parameters like log P, molecular weight and solubility constraint on penetration rate of drugs also indicated good skin penetration. Transdermal patches of MX and LX can be suggested to be used especially for the immediate treatment of inflammated area since it displays anti-inflammatory effect, soon.     

Stereo-selectivity in a cyclotriphosphazene derivative bearing an exocyclic P-O moiety

Nucleophilic substitution reactions of N(3)P(3)Cl(4)[O(CH(2))(2)NCH(3)], (1) with the sodium salts of mono- and di-functional alcohols [methanol (2), phenol (3), tetraethyleneglycol (4) and 1,3-propanediol (5)] were carried out in order to investigate a possible directing effect of the spiro O-moiety on the formation of mono-substituted (2a, 3a), non-geminal di-substituted (2c, 3c) and ansa (4a, 5a) derivatives. Compounds isolated from the reactions were characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, (1)H and (31)P NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallographic analysis showed that the substituent OR in compounds (2a, 3a and 2c, 3c) and the ansa-ring in compounds (4a, 5a) formed cis to the P-O moiety of the exocyclic [O(CH(2))(2)NCH(3)] spiro ring. The formation of products (2a-d, 3a-d, 4a, 5a and 5b) was quantified from the (31)P NMR spectra of the reaction mixtures, which showed an overwhelming preference for derivatives (2a, 3a, 2c, 3c, 4a, 5a) with the substituent cis to the P-O moiety of the exocyclic spiro ring (2a, 3a, 2c, 3c, 4a, 5a), except for reaction with 1,3-propanediol where the six-membered ring spiro derivative (5b) was about three times more abundant than the eight-membered ring ansa-derivative (5a). Overwhelming formation of products with the substituent cis to the exocyclic P-O moiety is proof that the cation-assisted mechanism is responsible for the stereo-selectivity in the reactions with alkoxides.     

Laser micro-machined semi-slinky like MEMS structures: Novel interface coolers

Laser micro-machining has recently been considered a precision and reproducible manufacturing technique in MEMS fabrication because of the superior characteristics of a focused laser beam. It is not only a unique tool but also an invisible optical drill. The aim of the present paper is two-fold: to manufacture novel miniaturized titanium 3D MEMS surface structures in order to increase the cooling performance. Second is to find the behaviors of the operational parameters which controlling the laser-material interaction mechanisms and also suggest the best adjustments in order to achieve this novel semi-slinky like spiral MEMS surface structures with using a 20 W ytterbium fiber laser. Pure titanium micro-MEMS product which has novel interface coolers was manufactured using a ytterbium fiber laser (λ=1060 nm) with 40 ns pulse duration. Best adjustments were, respectively, the pulse duration: 40 ns, the pulse energy: 0.4 mJ, the laser scanning speed: 336.1 mm/s, the peak power density: 17.46 ? 10⁸ W/cm².     

Combined effects of conjugation pattern and alkoxy side chains on the photovoltaic properties of thiophene‐containing PPE‐PPVs

This contribution presents the synthesis and properties of four thiophene‐containing poly(‐p‐arylene‐ethynylene)/poly(‐p‐arylene‐vinylene)s, PIa‐b and PIIa‐b , whose repeating units (RU) consist either of 1:2 or 2:2 triple bond/double bond ratio, and which bear linear alkoxy side chains not longer than octyloxy and branched 2‐ethylhexyloxy. PIa‐b and PIIa‐b exhibit similar absorption and emission behaviour in dilute solution (λ_a = 483–486 nm, λ_e = 540 nm) as well as in solid state (λ_a = 500, 530 nm, λ_e = 560 nm), whereby slightly higher fluorescence quantum yields (Φ_f) were obtained for PI than for PII systems, as a result of higher number of thiophene units within the RU of PII . An enhancement of the Φ_f‐value from 0% to 3% is obtained after replacing linear octadecyloxy in PIIc‐e by bulky branched 2‐ethylhexyloxy in PIIa‐b . Nonoptimized solar cells of configuration ITO/PEDOT:PSS/polymer: PCBM (1:3 weight ratio)/LiF/Al show open circuit voltages as high as 900 mV for PIa‐b and 800 mV for PIIa‐b . Reducing the size of the side chain from R = 2‐ethylhexyl in PIa to R = methyl in PIb leads to a significant increase of the short circuit current, I _SC, from ca. 2.5 mA to ca. 3.7 mA and consequently to an enhancement of the energy conversion efficiency, η_AM1.5, from ca. 1.2% to ca. 1.7%. This is due to an extended donor‐acceptor interfacial area, as evidenced by AFM topology pictures showing smaller nanoscale clusters size in PIb than in PIa active layer. The same change led to minimal effect in PII systems. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1619–1631, 2007     

Communicating Probability Distributions

A rate distortion problem is solved that is motivated by a quantum data compression problem. The goal is to send information about a source string x so that a receiver can construct a second string y for which the joint empirical probability distribution of x and y is close to some desired distribution. The problem differs from the usual rate distortion problems in that one must consider both remote sources and distortion functions that are not averages of per-letter distortion functions     

An integer programming model for hierarchical workforce scheduling problem

In this paper, an integer programming model for the hierarchical workforce problem under the compressed workweeks is developed. The model is based on the integer programming formulation developed by Billionnet [A. Billionnet, Integer programming to schedule a hierarchical workforce with variable demands, European Journal of Operational Research 114 (1999) 105–114] for the hierarchical workforce problem. In our model, workers can be assigned to alternative shifts in a day during the course of a week, whereas all workers are assigned to one shift type in Billionnet’s model. The main idea of this paper is to use compressed workweeks in order to save worker costs. This case is also suitable for the practice. The proposed model is illustrated on the Billionnet’s example problem and the obtained results are compared with the Billionnet’s model results.     

Preparation and bioevaluation of <Superscript>99m</Superscript>Tc–carbonyl complex of guanine

The aim of this study is to prepare radiolabeled guanine with ^99mTc(CO)₃⁺ core. For this purpose, guanine has been radiolabeled with ^99mTc(CO)₃⁺ core. Quality control study of radiolabeled guanine molecule with ^99mTc(CO)₃⁺ core was performed by thin layer radio chromatography (TLRC) and high performance liquid radio chromatography (HPLRC). The results showed that the radiolabeling yield was quite high (94 ± 3%). Beside that ^99mTc(CO)₃–Gua complex has showed good in vitro stability during the 24 h period. Radiopharmaceutical potential of this complex was evaluated in Wistar Albino Rats. It was concluded that ^99mTc(CO)₃–Gua could be used as a nucleotide radiopharmaceutical for in vivo applications.     

Effect of chain length on the formation of intramolecular and intermolecular products: Reaction of diols with cyclotriphosphazene

The reactions of cyclotriphosphazene, N₃P₃Cl₆ (1), in a 1:1.2 stoichiometry with the sodium derivative of seven diols [ethane- (2a), 1,3-propane- (2b), 1,4-butane- (2c), 1,5-pentane- (2d), 1,6-hexane- (2e), 1,8-octane- (2f) and 1,10-decane- (2g) diol] in THF solution at room temperature have been used to investigate the effect of chain length on the formation of reaction products. Although no new products were found for the reaction of 1 with diols 2a-c compared to those in the literature using other bases and solution conditions, the reactions of 1 with the diols 2d-g gave six different types of products, whose structures have been characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, ¹H and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy; ansa compounds N₃P₃Cl₄[O(CH₂)_nO], (5d-5g); single-bridged compounds N₃P₃Cl₅[O(CH₂)_nO]N₃P₃Cl₅(6d-6f); double-bridged compounds N₃P₃Cl₄[O(CH₂)_nO]₂N₃P₃Cl₄ (7d-7g, syn and anti) and triple-bridged compounds, N₃P₃Cl₃[O(CH₂)_nO]₃N₃P₃Cl₃ (8d-f). Where suitable single crystals were obtained, X-ray crystallographic studies confirmed the structures of two ansa compounds (5d and 5f), one single-bridged compound (6e), and five double-bridged compounds (meso-anti for 7d, 7e, 7f and meso-syn for 7d and 7f). ³¹P NMR measurements of the reaction mixtures were used to quantify the formation of products for the reactions 1 with all the diols, 2a-g; it is found that, with increasing chain length of the diol, there is a decrease in the products formed by intramolecular reactions (spiro and ansa derivatives) and a concomitant increase in the amounts of products formed by intermolecular reactions (single-, double- and triple-bridged derivatives) of cyclophosphazene.