Convenient access both to highly antimalaria-active 10-arylaminoartemisinins, and to 10-alkyl ethers including artemether, arteether, and artelinate

An economical phase-transfer method is used to prepare 10-arylaminoartemisinins from DHA and arylamines, and artemether, arteether, and artelinate from the corresponding alcohols. In vivo sc screens against Plasmodium berghei and P. yoelii in mice reveal that the p-fluorophenylamino derivative 5 g is some 13 and 70 times, respectively, more active than artesunate; this reflects the very high sc activity of 10-alkylaminoartemisinins. However, through the po route, the compounds are less active than the alkylaminoartemisinins, but still approximately equipotent with artesunate.     

Load combination by partial safety factors

The Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) format, which is a generic form of most current mechanical and structural design criteria, is accepted to be appropriate for load combination purposes. The meaning of the load factors in the framework of a LRFD format is discussed from a theoretical point of view. These load factors can be obtained by suitable calibration procedures. The problems that arise in the application of these procedures are analysed.A new calibration methodology is formulated and its operative aspects are dicussed. In this approach, the structure is designed to have a high reliability under permanent and quasi-permanent loads. Consistent degrees of safety for different design situations are achieved by calibrating the combination factors to be applied to the short-duration loads. Some numerical examples of this new calibration procedure are presented.The applications in reactor technology may be of some interest. The structural components of a nuclear power plant are generally subjected to several actions of different nature. By adopting the approach discussed in this paper, the reliability of every sub-structure has to be assessed only when the sub-structure is subjected to a set of few actions in combination. Moreover the safety analyses can be conducted in a deterministic context, all probabilistic calculations being limited to a preliminary investigation on the loads.     

Only Men Need Apply?

Comments on the paper by M. E. Heilman (see record 1990-57170-001) in which questions are raised and data are presented regarding the effect of feminine sex-role stereotyping. However, the current author was dismayed that a woman psychologist dealing with this kind of issue could be guilty of a "sin" often committed by male psychologists: in her study, Heilman sampled only male subjects. Are only male students' perceptions of female instructors of importance? (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structure control, coating properties, and durability of fluorinated acrylic-based polymers

Fluorinated acrylates were employed for the synthesis of conventional, side-chain fluorinated, fully acrylic random copolymers, and of more unusual hybrid copolymers with vinyl ethers. The latter can feature alternating structure and peculiar material properties associated with fluorine or fluorinated groups substitution onto the polymer backbone. Improved efficacy and durability of the resulting coating, highly desirable for the consolidation and protection of highly valued works of art, was achieved through a systematic approach involving a detailed study of their photodegradation behavior, and extensive testing of protection efficacy upon application onto micro-and macroporous stone substrates of different chemical composition and morphology. Presented on behalf of FATIPEC (AITIVA) at the 78th Annual Meeting of the FSCT in Chicago, IL on October 16–20, 2000. Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via Risorgimento 35, 56126 Pisa, Italy. Dipartimento di Chimica IFM, via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy. Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy, Lucia.     

Impact of diet supplemented with microencapsulated condensed tannins on cow milk nutritional profile

Feed production systems should consider more sustainable solutions to reduce the pressure on earth's finite resources. In this work, we investigated the effect of microencapsulated condensed tannins (MCTs)-enhanced diet on the cow milk characteristics. The diet reduced the urea content, while preserved and the n-3 and n-6 portion of fatty acids. Aside from the rising of vitamin C level, MCTs had a negative effect on the amount of B group vitamins. MCTs may be considered a promising feed supplement that offers a good trade-off in terms of milk chemical quality while increasing the environmental sustainability of cattle livestock.     

Survival of Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains in the upper gastrointestinal tract

In the present study six probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains were investigated for their ability to survive in the human upper gastrointestinal tract through a dynamic gastric model of digestion. MRS broth was used as delivery vehicle and survival was investigated during in vitro gastric and gastric plus duodenal digestion. Results highlighted that all tested strains showed good survival rate during both gastric and duodenal digestion. In particular, three strains exhibited a great survival showing a recovery percentage in the range between 117 and 276%. In agreement with survival data, high lactic acid production was detected for all strains, confirming their metabolic activity during digestion.     

Detection of lead in Zea mays by dual‐energy X‐ray microtomography at the SYRMEP beamline of the ELETTRA synchrotron and by atomic absorption spectroscopy

This study is related to the application of the X‐ray dual‐energy microradiography technique together with the atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) for the detection of lead on Zea mays stem, ear, root, and leaf samples. To highlight the places with lead intake, the planar radiographs taken with monochromatic X‐ray radiation in absorption regime with photon energy below and above the absorption edge of a given chemical element, respectively, are analyzed and processed. To recognize the biological structures involved in the intake, the dual‐energy images with the lead signal have been compared with the optical images of the same Z. mays stem. The ear, stem, root, and leaf samples have also been analyzed with the AAS technique to measure the exact amount of the hyperaccumulated lead. The AAS measurement revealed that the highest intake occurred in the roots while the lowest in the maize ears and in the leaf. It seems there is a particular mechanism that protects the seeds and the leaves in the intake process. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. This article was published online on 1 December 2009. An error was subsequently identified. This notice is included in the online and print version to indicate that both have been corrected 19 February 2010.     

Exfoliated/Intercalated Rubber/Organo‐Montmorillonite Nanocomposites: Preparation and Characterization

The preparation of new rubber based nanocomposites by using properly modified organophilic clays is described. A commercial organophilic montmorillonite containing a hydroxylated ammonium ion is reacted with LPBs. The reaction causes a decrease of the polarity of the clay and a great increase of the interlayer distance. The modified organoclays are successfully dispersed into rubber matrices (SBR or BR) by melt blending in an internal batch mixer. SAXS analyses and TEM micrographs revealed the formation of highly exfoliated nanocomposites containing intercalated stacks made of few lamellae.