Flat rank of automorphism groups of buildings

The flat rank of a totally disconnected locally compact group G, denoted flat-rk(G), is an invariant of the topological group structure of G. It is defined thanks to a natural distance on the space of compact open subgroups of G. For a topological Kac-Moody group G with Weyl group W, we derive the inequalities alg-rk(W) ≤ flat-rk(G) ≤ rk(|W|₀). Here, alg-rk(W) is the maximal Z-rank of abelian subgroups of W, and rk(|W|₀) is the maximal dimension of isometrically embedded flats in the CAT0-realization |W|₀. We can prove these inequalities under weaker assumptions. We also show that for any integer n ≥ 1 there is a simple, compactly generated, locally compact, totally disconnected group G, with flat-rk(G) = n and which is not linear.     

Disintegration and perfectness of measure spaces

For every finite measure space (X,A,P) we find a unique representation P=Q₁+Q₂+Q₃ such that Q₁ is compact, Q₂ is perfect and purely noncompact and Q₃ is purely nonperfect. We show that every Pachl-_O-disintegrable probability space is Ramachandran-_O-disintegrable and therefore perfect and under a certain condition we prove the equivalence between compactness and Ramachandran-_O-disintegrability.     

Quantitation of amorphicity by microcalorimetry

The amorphous state of solids is characterized by a higher chemical and physical reactivity and a hygroscopic behaviour. Furthermore processing of amorphous powders is often difficult, because of the instability. Fast crystallizations, precipitations and milling favour the formation of the amorphous state. Galenical processes like granulation, drying, lyophilization, mixing, may also induce amorphous regions in the drug products.X-ray diffraction techniques can be used for the determination of the amorphicity of drug raw materials or drug products. Unfortunately, 10% is the detection limit, which in normal cases can be attained. Amorphous substances undergo an exothermic crystallization at temperatures above the glass transition point. Water which is a plasticizer decreases the temperature of the glass transition point, allowing the crystallization to occur at lower temperatures. The crystallization energy is measure of by microcalorimetry.Examples show the influence of the choice of the experimental conditions, especially the influence of the amorphicity on the kinetic of the reaction. Critical steps are discussed for three different drug substances. Limits of detection in the magnitude of 1 % are possible using microcalorimetry.     

ELECTRIC LINEAR DICHROISM OF P700 CHLOROPHYLL U-PROTEIN COMPLEXES

Abstract— The P₇₀₀ chlorophyll a -protein complex (CPI) isolated from green plants was oriented in aqueous solutions using pulsed electric fields of up to 6700 V cm^-1. The electric linear dichroism spectrum is reported in the range of 400–720nm. Positive peaks in the linear dichroism Δ A = A _I - A ₁ (where A_I and A₁ are the absorbance components in which the polarizer orientation is parallel and perpendicular with respect to the electric field. respectively) are observed at 443 and 686 nm. The ΔA signal at 686 nm is discussed in terms of either a specialized chlorophyll form absorbing at 686 nm. or due to an exciton component absorbing at the same wavelength.     

Ph2SO/Tf2O: a powerful promotor system in chemoselective glycosylations using thioglycosides

Diphenylsulfoxide in combination with triflic anhydride provides a very potent thiophilic glycosylation promotor system, capable of activating disarmed thioglycosides. The usefulness of this novel thiophilic activator is illustrated in a successful chemoselective glycosylation sequence in which the donor thioglycoside in the first condensation step may be either armed or disarmed. [reaction: see text]     

Dimerizable cationic detergents with a low cmc condense plasmid DNA into nanometric particles and transfect cells in culture

The size of condensed DNA particles is a key determinant for in vivo diffusion and gene delivery to cells. Gene molecules can be individually compacted by cationic thiol detergents into nanometric particles that are stabilized by oxidative conversion of the detergent into a gemini lipid. To reach the other goal, gene delivery, a series of cationic thiol detergents with various chain lengths (C(12)-C(16)) and headgroups (ornithine or spermine) was prepared, using a versatile polymer-supported synthetic strategy. Critical micelle concentrations and thiol oxidation rates of the detergents were measured. The formation and stability of complexes formed with plasmid DNA, as well as the size, xi-potential, morphology, and transfection efficiency of the particles were investigated. Using the tetradecane/ornithine detergent, a solution of 5.5 Kpb plasmid DNA molecules was converted into a homogeneous population of 35 nm particles. The same detergent, once oxidized, exhibited a typical lipid phase internal structure and was capable of effective cell transfection. The particle size did not increase with time. Surprisingly, the gel electrophoretic mobility of the DNA complexes was found to be higher than that of plasmid DNA itself. Favorable in vivo diffusion and intracellular trafficking properties may thus be expected for these complexes.     

A telescoped Knochel-Hauser/Kumada-Corriu coupling strategy to functionalized aromatic heterocycles

The direct application of Knochel-Hauser derivative arylmagnesium halides in Kumada-Corriu couplings is described. By utilizing the in situ-generated Grignard reagents, the transmetalation with stoichiometric zinc salts to known Negishi coupling conditions is avoided, thereby streamlining the transformation. Several aromatic hetereocycles participate in the deprotonation and couple with a variety of phenyl iodides and bromides in isolated yields up to 81%. The parent system is demonstrated on 6?g scale with 79% yield, and monitored via ReactIR to show the stability of the Grignard and progression of the deprotonation/CC coupling reaction.     

Heat transfer between two nanoparticles through near field interaction

We introduce a thermal conductance by using the fluctuation-dissipation theorem to analyze the heat transfer between two nanoparticles separated by a submicron distance. Using either a molecular dynamics technique or a model based on the Coulomb interaction between fluctuating dipoles, we derive the thermal conductance. Both models agree for distances larger than a few diameters. For separation distances smaller than the particle diameter, we find a transition regime characterized by a thermal conductance larger than the contact conductance.     

Beyond the diffusing-wave spectroscopy model for the temporal fluctuations of scattered light

We extend the theory of diffusing-wave spectroscopy using a random-walk approach and a numerical solution of the radiative transfer equation. The theory is not restricted to the diffusive regime and allows one to describe the crossover between the single-scattering and the diffusive regimes, which has been observed experimentally. It also predicts a lower bound of the scattered-field correlation time at long paths. This extended theory should have broad experimental applications in the field of imaging through biological tissues.