Biodegradable/biocompatible ABC triblock copolymer bearing hydroxyl groups in the middle block

New biodegradable/biocompatible ABC block copolymers, poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(glycidol)‐b‐poly(L ,L ‐lactide) (PEO‐PGly‐PLLA), were synthesized. First, PEO‐b‐poly(1‐ethoxyethylglycidol)‐b‐PLLA was synthesized by a successive anionic ring‐opening copolymerization of ethylene oxide, 1‐ethoxyethylglycidyl ether, and L ,L ‐lactide initiated with potassium 2‐methoxyethanolate. In the second step, the 1‐ethoxyethyl blocking groups of 1‐ethoxyethylglycidyl ether were removed at weakly acidic conditions leaving other blocks intact. The resulting copolymers were composed of hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments joined by short polyglycidol blocks with one hydroxyl group in each monomeric unit. These hydroxyl groups may be used for further copolymer transformations. The PEO‐PGly‐PLLA copolymers with a molecular weight of PLLA blocks below 5000 were water‐soluble. Above the critical micellar concentration (ranging from 0.05 to1.0 g/L, depending on the composition of copolymer), copolymers formed macromolecular micelles with a hydrophobic PLLA core and hydrophilic PEO shell. The diameters of the micelles were about 25 nm. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3750–3760, 2003     

Phase relationships in the system SrBr2SrCl2

Strontium bromide-chloride phases (SrBr_xCl_2?x) in the composition region 2.00 > x > 0 were prepared and examined by the Guinier powder X-ray diffraction technique. Observed and calculated powder intensities for the compositions x = 1.60, 1.40, and 0.30 are presented. The anions assume an ordered arrangement at the first two compositions and a random arrangement at the third. Two previously unreported intermediate phases at the composition about x = 1.50 and x = 0.60, both of unknown structure, were identified and their d values are reported. SrBr₂ is found to be insoluble in SrCl₂.     

Level crossing resonance due to chlorine nuclei in a free radical

Muonium adds to allyl chloride, CH₂=CHCH₂Cl, to form two radicals: MuCH₂CHCH₂Cl (main product) and CH₂CHMuCH₂Cl (minor product). Both radicals were fully characterized bySR andLCR. In the main product, the LCR lines due to the³⁵Cl and³⁷Cl nuclei were observed. Also, the temperature dependence of various hyperfine coupling constants (hfc) indicates that both Mu and Cl eclipse the unpaired electronp ₂-orbital in the minimum energy conformation. For the fragment-CH₂Cl, the presence of Mu in the-position is found to affect significantly the hfc of Cl in the-position; an internal rotational barrier of 12 kJ mol^–1 was estimated using a simpleV ₂ torsional potential.     

μSR Investigation of ethyl radicals adsorbed on silica

SR spectra of the ethyl radical adsorbed on porous silica were observed in transverse and in longitudinal magnetic fields in the temperature range 190–298 K. The line widths reflect the dynamic partial averaging of the hyperfine anisotropy due to reorientation and surface diffusion.     

Volumes of restricted Minkowski sums and the free analogue of the entropy power inequality

In noncommutative probability theory independence can be based on free products instead of tensor products. This yields a highly noncommutative theory: free probability theory (for an introduction see [9]). The analogue of entropy in the free context was introduced by the second named author in [8]. Here we show that Shannon's entropy power inequality ([6, 1]) has an analogue for the free entropy (X) (Theorem 2.1).The free entropy, consistent with Boltzmann's formulaS=klogW, was defined via volumes of matricial microstates. Proving the free entropy power inequality naturally becomes a geometric question.Restricting the Minkowski sum of two sets means to specify the set of pairs of points which will be added. The relevant inequality, which holds when the set of addable points is sufficiently large, differs from the Brunn-Minkowski inequality by having the exponent 1/n replaced by 2/n. Its proof uses the rearrangement inequality of Brascamp-Lieb-Lüttinger ([2]). Besides the free entropy power inequality, note that the inequality for restricted Minkowski sums may also underlie the classical Shannon entropy power inequality (see 3.2 below).Research supported in part by grants from the National Science Foundation.     

Classification of generic 3-dimensional Lagrangian singularities with (Z2) l -symmetries

The paper provides the complete list of local models forZ ₂ ^l -invariant generic germs of Lagrangian submanifolds of dimension ≦3. Classification is done directly for genrating functions of Lagrangian submanifolds and contains both elementary singularities and non-elementary ones with continuous moduli. The results demonstrate, in particular, that in contrast to the non-equivariant case the classification of equivariant Lagrangian singularities is not subordinated to the classification of symmetric functions up to the right equivariant equivalences.     

Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) Probe for <Emphasis Type="Italic">In-situ</Emphasis> Nitric Oxide Concentration Measurement in a Non-thermal Pulsed Corona Discharge Plasma Reactor

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) is an effective in-situ probe for NO concentrations below 300 ppm in a non-thermal plasma reactor. A new method has been developed to measure in-situ NO concentration in the reactor discharge region using a long-time—on the order of seconds—averaged fluorescence detection. This method, for quantifying NO concentration in a nonthermal plasma reactor, is simpler than a short-time—on the order of nanoseconds—fluorescence detection. For accurate measurement based on the new method, the LIF intensity must be close to the corona-induced fluorescence (CIF) intensity; the CIF intensity serves as a guide in selecting the LIF intensity. We find that a kinetic model proposed earlier works for two-tube reactors and represents the NO concentration in the middle of the reactor, which verifies the assumption of gas plug flow.     

Use of carbon suboxide to obtain block and graft copolymers. I. Grafting of carbon suboxide on polyamide 6

Polyamide 6 in the form of film was grafted by gaseous carbon suboxide in the form of toluene solutions. The influence of temperature on the extent of grafting was studied. It was concluded that in a sufficiently high temperature a copolymer of high structure appears. The influence of substances that initiate homopolymerization of suboxide upon the course of grafting reaction was studied. It was found that the substances do not increase the effectiveness of grafting. However a significant increase of effectiveness of grafting is produced by introducing into the reaction environment some small quantities of methanol. By the addition of methanol a graft copolymer of a maximum effectiveness of 43.1% was obtained. The copolymer was subjected to further tests and appeared to be c.l. poly(amide-6–g-carbon suboxide). Additional tests indicated that the polyamide film graft with carbon suboxide shows some interesting properties.     

IMPAIRED REPAIR OF UVC-INDUCED DNA DAMAGE IN L5178Y-R CELLS: DNA UNWINDING STUDIES WITH THE USE OF 1-β-D-ARABINOFURANOSYL CYTOSINE

Abstract— L5178Y-R (LY-R) and L5178Y-S (LY-S) cells differ in sensitivity to UVC radiation (D₀: 2.8 and 9.0 J/m²respectively, for cells exposed in Fischer's medium). We used these cells and a DNA unwinding technique in conjunction with 1-β-D-arabinosyl cytosine to determine DNA strand breaks accumulating as a result of enzymatic incision during DNA repair. Following UVC exposure DNA strand break accumulation was observed in LY-S cells but not in LY-R cells. The repair defect in LY-R cells is accompanied by a delayed recovery of [³H]thymidine incorporation.