Pd (II)‐catalyzed vinyl addition polymerization of novel functionalized norbornene bearing dimethyl carboxylate groups

Three novel functionalized polynorbornenes (PNB) with pendant dimethyl carboxylate group (carboxylates—acetate, propionate, and butyrate) are synthesized as a vinyl‐type with a palladium (II) catalyst in high yield. The effects of size of substitutents, molar ratio of monomer to catalyst, solvent polarity, reaction time, and temperature on the polymerization of exo‐norbornene dimethyl propionate were systematically investigated. The low molar ratio and temperature, as well as high polarity of solvent, and long reaction time, are favorable for the enhancement of the monomer conversion, especially, the solvent have an obvious effect on the catalyst activity. The resulting poly(cis‐norbornene‐exo‐2,3‐dimethyl carboxylates) (PNB‐dimethyl carboxylates) show good solubility in common organic solvent and high thermal stability up to 360 °C. The glass transition temperature was detected by DMA at 331, 324, and 318 °C for acetate, propionate, and butyrate, respectively. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3391–3399, 2007     

Spot tests for calcium sulphate, lead sulphate, silver, thallium, and formaldehyde based on reactions with selenosulphate

Summary Spot tests have been described for calcium sulphate, lead sulphate, silver, thallium and formaldehyde based on the reaction with selenosulphate. In these reactions either red elemental selenium (CaSO₄, CH₂O) or black metal selenide (PbSO₄ Tl, Ag) is formed. The limits of identification are: 0.2 mg of PbS04 or CaSO₄, 2 g of Ag, 10 g of Tl, 0.2 g of CH₂O.

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Zusammenfassung Für Calciumsulfat, Bleisulfat, Silber, Thallium und Formaldehyd werden Tüpfelproben beschrieben, die auf Umsetzungen mit Selenosulfat beruhen. Hierbei -wird entweder rotes elementares Selen abgeschieden (CaSO₄ CH₂O) oder schwarze Selenide werden gebildet (PbSO₄, Tl, Ag). Die Nachweisgrenzen betragen: 0,2 mg PbSO₄ oder CaSO₄, 2 g Ag, 10 g Tl, 0,2 g CH₂O.

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This paper has been dedicated to Prof. Dr.Fritz Wessely, Vienna, on the occasion of his 70th birthday.     

MODELING HARVEST SCHEDULING IN MULTIFUNCTIONAL PLANNING OF FORESTS FOR LONGTERM WATER YIELD OPTIMIZATION

In this study, wood production and hydrologic functions of forests were accommodated within a planning procedure for separate working circles (areas dedicated to certain forest functions) that were delineated according to an Ecosystem‐Based Functional Planning approach. Mixed integer goal programming was used as the optimization technique. The timing and scheduling of a maintenance cutting (partial harvest) was the decision variable in the modeling effort, and an original formulation was developed as a multiobjective planning procedure. Four sample planning strategies were developed and model outputs were evaluated according to these strategies. Spatial characteristics of stands were considered, and used to prohibit the regeneration of adjacent stands during the same time period. Because of the positive relationship between qualified water production and standing timber volume in the forest, the model attempts to maximize qualified water production levels by increasing standing volume stocks in the forest through the delay of regeneration activities.     

13C CP/MAS NMR studies of morphological changes in polypropylene: 2. The double melting endotherm of spunbonded fabrics

The double melting endotherm of spunbonded isotactic polypropylene (iPP) fabrics was investigated by monitoring changes in the solid-state NMR spectrum that result from thermal annealing. The DSC melting thermogram was found to change from a double to a single endotherm at anneal temperatures ≥156°C, with a concomitant increase in percent crystallinity. All of the carbon resonances in the CP/MAS NMR spectrum of the purely crystalline phase of iPP were found to be composed of multiple peaks with relative intensities that depend on anneal temperature. By monitoring the changes in the distribution of intensity among the various peaks of a given resonance, a transition temperature of 156°C was identified. Arguments are presented that this redistribution of intensity within a given carbon resonance characterizes the transformation from the α₁ to the α₂ monoclinic crystal form. The exothermicity associated with this transformation is responsible for the observation of a double melting endotherm by DSC. The splitting patterns observed in the NMR spectrum are discussed in terms of interlayer distances between layers of isochiral helices and the density of exposed methyls at the contact faces of these interlayers. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Components of Banisteriopsis caapi,a Plant Used in the Preparation of the Psychoactive Ayahuasca,Induce Anti-Inflammatory Effects in Microglial Cells

Banisteriopsis caapi is used to prepare the psychoactive beverage ayahuasca, and both have therapeutic potential for the treatment of many central nervous system (CNS) conditions. This study aimed to isolate new bioactive compounds from B. caapi extract and evaluate their biological activity, and that of the known β-carboline components of the plant (harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine), in BV-2 microglial cells, the in vivo activation of which is implicated in the physiopathology of CNS disorders. B. caapi extract was fractionated using semipreparative liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD) and the exact masses ([M + H]⁺ m/z) of the compounds in the 5 isolated fractions were determined by high-resolution LC-MS/MS: F1 (174.0918 and 233.1289), F2 (353.1722), F3 (304.3001), F4 (188.1081), and F5 (205.0785). Harmine (75.5–302 µM) significantly decreased cell viability after 2 h of treatment and increased the number of necrotic cells and production of reactive oxygen species at equal or lower concentrations after 24 h. F4 did not impact viability but was also cytotoxic after 24 h. Most treatments reduced proinflammatory cytokine production (IL-2, IL-6, IL-17, and/or TNF), especially harmaline and F5 at 2.5 µM and higher concentrations, tetrahydroharmine (9.3 µM and higher), and F5 (10.7 µM and higher). The results suggest that the compounds found in B. caapi extract have anti-inflammatory potential that could be explored for the development of treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.     

Collisional effects in the tokamap

Plasmas confined in tokamaks with non-symmetric perturbations are surrounded by a chaotic layer of magnetic field lines that guide charged particles to the tokamak wall. We use an analytical two-dimensional symplectic mapping to study the resulting fractal patterns of field line escape. However, particles may experience several collisions before escaping toward the tokamaks wall. We add a random collisional term to the field line mapping to investigate how the particle collisions modify their escape patterns.     

Tokamak magnetic field lines described by simple maps

The magnetic field line structure in a tokamak can be obtained by direct numerical integration of the field line equations. However, this is a lengthy procedure and the analysis of the solution may be very time-consuming. Otherwise we can use simple two-dimensional, area-preserving maps, obtained either by approximations of the magnetic field line equations, or from dynamical considerations. These maps can be quickly iterated, furnishing solutions that mirror the ones obtained from direct numerical integration, and which are useful when long-term studies of field line behavior are necessary (e.g. in diffusion calculations). In this work we focus on a set of simple tokamak maps for which these advantages are specially pronounced.     

First-principles theory of correlated transport through nanojunctions

We report the inclusion of electron-electron correlation in the calculation of transport properties within an ab initio scheme. A key step is the reformulation of Landauer's approach in terms of an effective transmittance for the interacting electron system. We apply this framework to analyze the effect of short-range interactions on Pt atomic wires and discuss the coherent and incoherent correction to the mean-field approach.     

Torsion-adding and asymptotic winding number for periodic window sequences

In parameter space of nonlinear dynamical systems, windows of periodic states are aligned following the routes of period-adding configuring periodic window sequences. In state space of driven nonlinear oscillators, we determine the torsion associated with the periodic states and identify regions of uniform torsion in the window sequences. Moreover, we find that the measured torsion differs by a constant between successive windows in periodic window sequences. Finally, combining the torsion-adding phenomenon, reported in this work, and the known period-adding rule, we deduce a general rule to obtain the asymptotic winding number in the accumulation limit of such periodic window sequences.