Nanostructured Functional Thermoplastic Polymeric Materials Based on the Molecular Control of the Blending

1 Results The development of the concepts of nanotechnology has given an important impact on the design of new polymer based materials which are in most cases characterized by a multiphase morphology. When at least one phase has nanometric dimension(s) the system can be considered as a nanocomposite where the interface is not only determining for the adhesion but also may play a role in some bulk properties. Indeed in nanostructured multiphase solids the interface is significant as a bulk component. The...     

The Three-component One-pot Synthesis of 4,6-Diarylpyrimidin-2(1h)-ones and 9-Phenyl-8-oxa-10,12-diaza-tricyclo[7.3.1.0~(2,7)]trideca-2(7),3,5-trien-11-one

1 Results Pyrimidinones (PMs) are a class of important heterocycles which have been well documented throughout the literature due to their biological importance. They exhibit a wide range of pharmaceutical and therapeutic properties[1].A rapid and efficient one-pot method for the synthesis of 4,6-diarylpyrimidin-2(1H)- ones and related heterocycles is described.The condensation of acetophenone derivatives,aldehydes and urea in the presence of sulfamic acid was employed to synthesize a variety of pyrimid...     

Heterostructure in ZnO Nano-Tetrapods

1 Introduction 　　Nanoscale science and technology have attracted greatattention since the novel properties become dominant for well-known materials as their sizes reduced to some critical dimension. These properties frequently originate in lattice distortions, structure transformations etc[1]. The variations of size and structure ofnanocrystals lead to the change of their electronic structures. Very recently, nanoscale materials with different electronic structures were utilized in fabricating nanoscale junctions[2]. 　　……     

Effect of volatile anesthetics on the circular dichroism of bilirubin bound to human serum albumin

The characteristic circular dichroism of bilirubin bound to human serum albumin undergoes a remarkable sign inversion on addition of halothane, chloroform and other volatile anesthetics. This sign inversion, which is completely reversed by removal of the anesthetic, reflects a pronounced conformational change of the bound ligand; probably a complete inversion of chirality. The observation suggests that association of volatile anesthetics with proteins can markedly alter the internal topography of receptor sites and potentially influence the stereoselectivity of ligand binding.     

The gene encoding ganglioside-induced differentiation-associated protein 1 is mutated in axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 4A disease.

We identified three distinct mutations and six mutant alleles in GDAP1 in three families with axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) neuropathy and vocal cord paresis, which were previously linked to the CMT4A locus on chromosome 8q21.1. These results establish the molecular etiology of CMT4A (MIM 214400) and suggest that it may be associated with both axonal and demyelinating phenotypes.     

Effect of 15(R)-15-methyl-prostaglandin E2 on iron absorption in the rat

Summary The administration of 15(R)-15-methyl prostaglandin E₂ (15(R)-15-M-PGE₂) in vivo significantly diminished the uptake of⁵⁹Fe into blood, spleen, liver, femur and dried intestine of rats, whereas acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) increased the counts significantly. This effect of ASA was counteracted by 15(R)-15-M-PGE₂. It is suggested that prostaglandins (PGs) might play an important role in inhibiting iron absorption at the intestinal level.This work was supported by grant No.6638 from CONICET (Argentina). The technical assistance of Mrs María E. Castro and Norma Rizzo is gratefully acknowleged.     

Pragmatism in Economic Methodology: The Duhem-Quine Thesis Revisited

Contemporary developments in economicmethodology have produced a vibrant agenda ofcompeting positions. These include, amongothers, constructivism, critical realism andrhetoric, with each contributing to the Realistvs. Pragmatism debate in the philosophies of thesocial sciences. A major development in theneo-pragmatist contribution to economicmethodology has been Quine's pragmatic assaulton the dogmas of empiricism, which are nowclearly acknowledged within contemporaryeconomic methodology. This assault isencapsulated in the celebrated Duhem-Quinethesis, which according to a number ofcontemporary leading philosophers of economics,poses a particularly serious methodologicalproblem for economics. This problem, asreflected in Hausman's analysis, consists ofthe inability of economics to learn fromexperience, thereby subverting the capacity totest economic theories. In this paper wedispute this position. Our argument is basedon a combination of Quine's holism with VanFraassen's constructive empiricism, especiallythe latter's analysis of empirical adequacy andhis pragmatic approach to explanation. Theresulting reorientation of economic methodologyrestores the capacity of economics to learnfrom experience and reinstates the imperativeof developing alternatives to orthodoxtheorizing in economics.