The Additive Influence of Propane-1,2-Diol on SDS Micellar Structure and Properties

Micellar systems are colloids with significant properties for pharmaceutical and food applications. They can be used to formulate thermodynamically stable mixtures to solubilize hydrophobic food-related substances. Furthermore, micellar formation is a complex process in which a variety of intermolecular interactions determine the course of formation and most important are the hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions between surfactant–solvent and solvent–solvent. Glycols are organic compounds that belong to the group of alcohols. Among them, propane-1,2-diol (PG) is a substance commonly used as a food additive or ingredient in many cosmetic and hygiene products. The nature of the additive influences the micellar structure and properties of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). When increasing the mass fraction of propane-1,2-diol in binary mixtures, the c.m.c. values decrease because propane-1,2-diol is a polar solvent, which gives it the ability to form hydrogen bonds, decreasing the cohesivity of water and reducing the dielectric constant of the aqueous phase. The values of ΔGm0 are negative in all mixed solvents according to the reduction in solvophobic interactions and increase in electrostatic interaction. With the rising concentration of cosolvent, the equilibrium between cosolvent in bulk solution and in the formed micelles is on the side of micelles, leading to the formation of micelles at a lower concentration with a small change in micellar size. According to the ¹H NMR, with the addition of propylene glycol, there is a slight shift of SDS peaks towards lower ppm regions in comparison to the D₂O peak. The shift is more evident with the increase in the amount of added propane-1,2-diol in comparison to the NMR spectra of pure SDS. Addition of propane-1,2-diol causes the upfield shift of the protons associated with hydrophilic groups, causing the shielding effect. This signifies that the alcohol is linked with the polar head groups of SDS due to its proximity to the SDS molecules.     

Synthesis and transformations of methyl (E)-2-(acetylamino)-3-cyanoprop-2-enoate und methyl (E)-2-(benzoylamino)-3-cyanoprop-2-enoate,versatile reagents for the preparation of polyfunctional heterocyclic systems

Methyl (E)-2-(acetylamino)-3-cyanoprop-2-enoate ( 2a ), and its 2-benzoyl analog 2b ere prepared from the corresponding methyl (Z)-2-(acylamino)-3-(dimethylamino)propenoates 1 Multifunctional compounds 2 are versatile synthons for preparation of polysubstituted heterocyclic systems such as pyrroles 4 , pyrimidines 5 and 6 , pyridazines 7 , pyrazoles 8 , 9 , and 11 , and isoxazoles 10 .     

Novel approach to the synthesis of 3-acyl substituted indolizines. The synthesis of 3-(indolizinyl-2)alanine and 4-(indolizinyl-3) homoalanine derivatives

A novel approach to the synthesis of 3-acylindolizines and the transformations of some acids into tryptophane analogues are described. Reaction of ethyl 2-pyridinylacetate and methyl 2-quinolinylacetate with N-trifluoroacetyl-5-bromo-4-oxonorvaline methylester led to N-trifluoroacetyl-3-(1-ethoxycarbonylindolizinyl-2) alanine methyl ester and N-trifluoroacetyl-3-(3-methoxycarbonylpyrrolo [1,2-a]quinolinyl-2) alanine methyl ester, respectively. Treatment of ethyl 2-pyridinylacetate and 2-pyridinylacetonitrile, first with N,N-dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal (DMFDMA), followed by reaction with phenacyl bromide, gave the corresponding 3-benzoylindolizines, while the reaction of ethyl 2-pyridinylacetate and 2-pyridinylacetonitrile with DMFDMA, followed by treatment with (S)-N-trifluoroacetyl-5-bromo-4-oxonorvaline methyl ester, gave the corresponding N-trifluoroacetyl-4-oxo-4-(indolizinyl-3)homoalanine methyl esters.     

Templating S100A9 amyloids on Aβ fibrillar surfaces revealed by charge detection mass spectrometry,microscopy, kinetic and microfluidic analyses

The mechanism of amyloid co-aggregation and its nucleation process are not fully understood in spite of extensive studies. Deciphering the interactions between proinflammatory S100A9 protein and Aβ₄₂ peptide in Alzheimer''s disease is fundamental since inflammation plays a central role in the disease onset. Here we use innovative charge detection mass spectrometry (CDMS) together with biophysical techniques to provide mechanistic insight into the co-aggregation process and differentiate amyloid complexes at a single particle level. Combination of mass and charge distributions of amyloids together with reconstruction of the differences between them and detailed microscopy reveals that co-aggregation involves templating of S100A9 fibrils on the surface of Aβ₄₂ amyloids. Kinetic analysis further corroborates that the surfaces available for the Aβ₄₂ secondary nucleation are diminished due to the coating by S100A9 amyloids, while the binding of S100A9 to Aβ₄₂ fibrils is validated by a microfluidic assay. We demonstrate that synergy between CDMS, microscopy, kinetic and microfluidic analyses opens new directions in interdisciplinary research.

Templating mechanism of S100A9 amyloids on Aβ fibrillar surfaces during amyloid co-aggregation process was revealed by synergy of biophysical methods including charge detection mass spectrometry, microscopy, kinetic and microfluidic analyses.     

Post-processing synchronization and characterization of generated signals by a repetitive Marx generator

In the present paper, a new approach was developed for solving the problem of time synchronization of a set of signals obtained by different measurement techniques without a common trigger. The recorded signals were the result of sparks and bursts generated by a repetitive Marx generator. A thermal imaging camera, a high speed camera and an audio recorder were used to obtain the necessary data for synchronization and characterization. Moreover, a piezoelectric sensor was applied for shock waves characterization during the early stages of bursts. In the first place, different data with evident time shifts were acquired. Then, A set of simple operations such as maximum selection and localization, threshold comparison, Euclidean distance calculation and minimization were employed for signal analysis and pattern matching to ensure a good data synchronization, which allowed a detailed analysis of the phenomenon in the end.     

Comparison of comet assay parameters for estimation of genotoxicity by sum of ranking differences

The genotoxic potential of waters in six rivers and reservoirs from Serbia was monitored in different tissues of chub (Squalius cephalus L. 1758) with the alkaline comet assay. The comet assay, or single-cell gel electrophoresis, has a wide application as a simple and sensitive method for evaluating DNA damage in fish exposed to various xenobiotics in the aquatic environment. Three types of cells, erythrocytes, gill cells, and liver cells, were used for assessing DNA damage. Images of randomly selected cells were analyzed with a Leica fluorescence microscope and image analysis by software (Comet Assay IV Image analysis system, PI, UK). Three parameters (tail length—l, tail intensity—i, and Olive tail moment—m) were analyzed on 1,700 nuclei per cell type. The procedure for sum of ranking differences (SRD) was implemented to compare different types of cells and different parameters for estimation of DNA damage. Regarding our nine different estimations of genotoxicity: tail length, intensity, and moment in erythrocytes (rel, rei, rem), liver cells (rll, rli, rlm), and gill cells (rgl, rgi, rgm), the SRD procedure has shown that the Olive tail moment and tail intensity are (almost) equally good parameters; the SRD value was lower for the tail moment and tail intensity than for tail length in the case of all types of cells. The least reliable parameter was rel; close to the borderline case were rei, rll, and rgl (～5 % probability of random ranking).

Immobilization of modified penicillin G acylase on Sepabeads carriers

An approach to stable covalent immobilization of chemically modified penicillin G acylase from Escherichia coli on Sepabeads® carriers with high retention of hydrolytic activity and thermal stability is presented. The two amino-activated polymethacrylate particulate polymers with different spacer lengths used in the study were Sepabeads® EC EA and Sepabeads® EC HA. The enzyme was first modified by cross-linking with polyaldehyde derivatives of starch in order to provide it with new useful functions. Such modified enzyme was then covalently immobilized on amino supports. The method seems to provide a possibility to couple the enzyme without risking a reaction at the active site which might cause the loss of activity. Performances of these immobilized biocatalysts were compared with those obtained by the conventional method with respect to activity and thermal stability. The thermal stability study shows that starch-PGA immobilized on Sepabeads EC-EA was almost 4.5-fold more stable than the conventionally immobilized one and 7-fold more stable than free non-modified PGA. Similarly, starch-PGA immobilized on Sepabeads EC-HA was around 1.5- fold more stable than the conventionally immobilized one and almost 9.5-fold more stable than free non-modified enzyme.     

Indirect optical crosstalk reduction by highly-doped backside layer in single-photon avalanche diode arrays

A method of reducing indirect optical crosstalk in single-photon avalanche diode arrays is investigated by TCAD simulations. The reduction is accomplished by taking advantage of an enhanced optical absorption in a highly-doped Si layer on the backside of the wafer. A simulation environment was developed to give information about optical crosstalk by incorporating the experimental optical constants of the materials constituting the crosstalk-reduction layer. It is shown that the indirect optical crosstalk is greatly reduced by increasing the thickness and doping of the layer. A crosstalk reduction of 5 orders of magnitude is gained with addition of 1-μm-thick \(\hbox {PureB}/\upalpha \hbox {-Si}\) stack for the array processed on a p-type substrate, while the same reduction is achieved with a 1-μm-thick highly-doped Si layer (As, \(1.1\times 10^{20}\, \hbox {cm}^{-3}\)) for an array processed on an n-type substrate.     

Reactions of methyl 2‐(benzyloxycarbonyl)amino‐3‐dimethylaminopropenoate and related compounds with hydrazines. Regiospecific synthesis of 1‐substituted‐4‐amino‐substituted‐1H‐pyrazol‐5‐(2H)‐ones

In this paper the regiospecific transformations of methyl 2‐(benzyloxycarbonyl)amino‐3‐dimethylaminopropenoate ( 1 ) with hydrazine, alkyl‐, aryl‐ and heteroaryl‐substituted hydrazines via the corresponding hydrazones 12‐16 into pyrazoles 17‐25 are described. Heteroaryl‐substitued hydrazones 13‐16 afforded by oxidation with bromine or lead tetraacetate the corresponding substituted (1,2,4‐triazolo[4,3‐b]pyridazin‐3‐yl)glycinates 27‐30 . Alkyl 2‐(2,2‐disubstituted‐1‐ethenyl)amino‐3‐dimethylaminopropenoates 31‐33 gave with hydrazines alkyl 2‐[2,2‐(disubstituted)ethenyl]amino‐3‐heteroarylhydrazonopropanoates 40‐48 and 2‐alkyl 2,3‐bis((hetero)arylhydrazono)propanoates 51‐55 .