Determination of the types of nitrogen in steels containing aluminium or titanium by an extraction method with hydrogen

The extraction method with hydrogen, hitherto used to determine mobile nitrogen in steels over the temperature range 350–450°C, has been employed at higher temperatures to determine nitrogen bound as aluminium nitride, or as titanium nitride or carbonitride. In steels containing only silicon and titanium as deoxidizers, the nitrogen remaining after passage of hydrogen at 600 or 750°C is present as titanium nitride or carbonitride and can be determined by difference. In steels containing only silicon and aluminium as deoxidizers, the nitrogen remaining after passage of hydrogen at 600°C is present as aluminium nitride and can also be determined by difference. This was verified by determining the aluminium nitride indirectly. The nitrogen released from both the aluminium and titanium steels in hydrogen at 600°C probably results from dissociation of submicroscopic particles of manganese silicon nitride.     

OptiDock: virtual HTS of combinatorial libraries by efficient sampling of binding modes in product space

Products from combinatorial libraries generally share a common core structure that can be exploited to improve the efficiency of virtual high-throughput screening (vHTS). In general, it is more efficient to find a method that scales with the total number of reagents (Sigma growth) rather with the number of products (Pi growth). The OptiDock methodology described herein entails selecting a diverse but representative subset of compounds that span the structural space encompassed by the full library. These compounds are docked individually using the FlexX program (Rarey, M.; Kramer, B.; Lengauer, T.; Klebe, G. J. Mol. Biol. 1995, 251, 470-489) to define distinct docking modes in terms of reference placements for combinatorial core atoms. Thereafter, substituents in R-cores (consisting of the core structure substituted at a single variation site) are docked, keeping the core atoms fixed at the coordinates dictated by each reference placement. Interaction energies are calculated for each docked R-core with respect to the target protein, and energies for whole compounds are calculated by finding the reference core placement for which the sum of corresponding R-core energies is most negative. The use of diverse whole compounds to define binding modes is a key advantage of the protocol over other combinatorial docking programs. As a result, OptiDock returns better-scoring conformers than does serially applied FlexX. OptiDock is also better able to find a viable docked pose for each library member than are other combinatorial approaches.     

PHOTOINHIBITION OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN NATURAL WATERS*

Abstract— A quantitative analysis of the wavelength-dependent influence of solar irradiance on natural phytoplankton photosynthesis has been made. The effect on productivity due to several different UV radiation regimes has been measured. In the course of this analysis, it has been shown that the biological weighting function for photoinhibition of chloroplasts (Jones and Kok, 1966) allows the calculation of a biologically effective dose which is consistent with the measured photoinhibition in natural phytoplankton populations. The ecological implications of a change in available UV radiation, possibly due to anthropogenic altering of the ozone layer, are explored and it is found that the present static bottle ^l4C technique of measuring in situ phytoplankton productivity does not lend itself to assessing accurately the potential ecological consequences of possible increased MUV (middle ultraviolet radiation in the 280–340 nm region) on phytoplankton populations. A small change in MUV has a relatively minor effect on photoinhibition dose rates whereas it has a large potential effect on DNA dose rates.     

Irreversible enzyme inhibitors. CXI. Candidate active-site-directed irreversible inhibitors of dihydrofolic reductase derived from 4,6-diamino-1,2-dihydro-l-phenyl-s-triazines. V.

Condensation of 5-(p-nitrophenyl)-2-pentanone with phenylbiguanide hydrochloride (V) gave a 2-methyl-2-(p-nitrophenylpropyl)-1,2-dihydro-s-triazine (IX); hydrogenation of the nitro group to amino followed by bromoacetylation afforded the candidate irreversible inhibitor of dihydrofolic reductase, namely, 2-(p-bromoacetamidophenylpropyl)-4,6-diamino-1,2-dihydro-2-methyl-s-triazine hydrochloride (VIII). Similarly, the o, m, and p-isomers of 5-nitrophenoxy-2-pentanone were converted to the corresponding 2-(bromoacetamidophenoxypropyl)-1,2-dihydro-s-triazines (XI). The four candidate irreversible inhibitors were evaluated on the dihydrofolic reductases from pigeon liver, Walker-256 rat tumor, and L-1210/FR8 mouse leukemia. Only VIII was an irreversible inhibitor; VIII slowly inactivated the L-121-/FR8 mouse leukemia enzyme with a half-life of 2–3 hours at 37°, but VIII showed no inactivation of the other two dihydrofolic reductases—a species specific inactivation.     

Enantioselective synthesis of axially chiral 1-(1-naphthyl)isoquinolines and 2-(1-naphthyl)pyridines through sulfoxide ligand coupling reactions

Racemic 1-(1′-isoquinolinyl)-2-naphthalenemethanol rac-12 was prepared through a ligand coupling reaction of racemic 1-(tert-butylsulfinyl)isoquinoline rac-7 with the 1-naphthyl Grignard reagent 10. Resolution of rac-12 was achieved through chromatographic separation of the Noe-lactol derivatives 14 and 15, providing (R)-(−)-12 of >99% ee and (S)-(+)-12 of 90% ee. The ligand coupling reaction of optically enriched sulfoxide (S)-(−)-7 (62% ee) with Grignard reagent 10 furnished rac-12, with the absence of stereoinduction resulting from competing rapid racemisation of the sulfoxide 7. Reaction of optically enriched (S)-(−)-7 with 2-methoxy-1-naphthylmagnesium bromide was also accompanied by racemisation of the sulfoxide 7, and furnished optically active (+)-1-(2′-methoxy-1′-naphthyl)isoquinoline (+)-3b in low enantiomeric purity (14% ee). The absolute configuration of (+)-3b was assigned as R using circular dichroism spectroscopy, correcting an earlier assignment based on the Bijvoet method, but in the absence of heavy atoms. Optically active 2-pyridyl sulfoxides were found not to undergo racemisation analogous to the 1-isoquinolinyl sulfoxide 7, with the ligand coupling reactions of (R)-(+)- and (S)-(−)-2-[(4′-methylphenyl)sulfinyl]-3-methylpyridines, (R)-(+)-17 and (S)-(−)-17, with 2-methoxy-1-naphthylmagnesium bromide providing (−)- and (+)-2-(2′-methoxy-1′-naphthyl)-3-methylpyridines, (−)-18 and (+)-18, in 53 and 60% ee, respectively. The free energy barriers to internal rotation in 3b and 18 have been determined, and the isoquinoline (R)-(−)-12 examined as a ligand in the enantioselectively catalysed addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde; (R)-(−)-12 was also converted to (R)-(−)-N,N-dimethyl-1-(1′-isoquinolinyl)-2-naphthalenemethanamine (R)-(−)-19, and this examined as a ligand in the enantioselective Pd-catalysed allylic substitution of 1,3-diphenylprop-2-enyl acetate with dimethyl malonate.     

The synthesis and spectroscopic properties of some but-2-yne tungsten complexes of the type [WIX(CO){Ph2P(CH2)PPh2}(η-MeC2Me)] (X = Cl, Br, I, NO2, NO3, NCS or OH)

Reaction of the cationic complex [WI(CO)(NCMe){Ph₂P(CH₂)PPh₂}(η²-MeC₂ME)][BF₄] with an equimolar amount of MX (MX = NaCl, NaBr, NaI, KNO₂, KNO₃, NaNCS or KOH) in acetone at room temperature gave the neutral complex [WIX(CO){Ph₂P(CH₂)PPh₂}(η²-MeC₂Me)] (1–7) in good yield. Complexes 1–7 have been characterized by elemental analysis (C, H and N), IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy.     

Lipid bilayer disruption by polycationic polymers: the roles of size and chemical functional group

Polycationic polymers are used extensively in biology to disrupt cell membranes and thus enhance the transport of materials into the cell. The highly polydisperse nature of many of these materials makes obtaining a mechanistic understanding of the disruption processes difficult. To design an effective mechanistic study, a monodisperse class of polycationic polymers, poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers, has been studied in the context of supported dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) lipid bilayers using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Aqueous solutions of amine-terminated generation 7 (G7) PAMAM dendrimers caused the formation of 15-40-nm-diameter holes in lipid bilayers. This effect was significantly reduced for smaller G5 dendrimers. For G3, no hole formation was observed. In addition to dendrimer size, surface chemistry had a strong influence on dendrimer-lipid bilayer interactions. In particular, acetamide-terminated G5 did not cause hole formation in bilayers. In all instances, the edges of bilayer defects proved to be points of highest dendrimer activity. A proposed mechanism for the removal of lipids by dendrimers involves the formation of dendrimer-filled lipid vesicles. By considering the thermodynamics, interaction free energy, and geometry of these self-assembled vesicles, a model that explains the influence of polymer particle size and surface chemistry on the interactions with lipid membranes was developed. These results are of general significance for understanding the physical and chemical properties of polycationic polymer interactions with membranes that lead to the transport of materials across cell membranes.     

TIME-RESOLVED STUDIES OF SINGLET-OXYGEN EMISSION FROM L1210 LEUKEMIA CELLS LABELED WITH 5-(N-HEXADECANOYL)AMINO EOSIN. A COMPARISON WITH A ONE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL OF SINGLET-OXYGEN DIFFUSION AND QUENCHING

Abstract— Time-resolved measurements were made of near-infrared emission from 5-( N -hexadecanoyl)amino-eosinlabeled L1210 leukemia cells following pulsed-laser excitation. The cells were suspended in phosphate-buffered saline made with deuterium oxide solvent. A significant fraction of the emission occuring10–80 μs after the laser pulse was due to singlet oxygen. This singlet-oxygen emission is believed to result from singlet oxygen generated near the cell-membrane surface, where 5-( N -hexadecanoyl)amino eosin is known to concentrate, and then diffusing out into the buffer. The intensity and the kinetics of the experimentally observed singlet-oxygen emission were in excellent agreement with the predictions of a theoretical one-dimensional model of singlet-oxygen diffusion and quenching.
During the10–80 μs time period studied, most of the singlet oxygen was located in the buffer. Thus, the use of water-soluble singlet-oxygen quenchers, such as histidine, provide one means of separating the singlet-oxygen emission quenchers, such as histidine, provide one means of separating the singlet-oxygen emission from other sources of light during this time interval.     

Advanced system for separation of rare-earth fission products

A microprocessor-controlled radiochemical separation system, which has been developed at the INEL, has been further advanced to separate individual rare-earth elements from mixed fission products in times of a few minutes. The system was composed of an automated chemistry system fed by two ∼300μg²⁵²Cf sources coupled directly by a He-jet to transport the fission products. Chemical separations were performed using two high performance liquid chromatography columns coupled in series. The first column separated the rare-earth group by extraction chromatography using dihexyldiethylcarbamoylmethylphosphonate (DHDECMP) adsorbed on Vydac C₈ resin. The second column isolated the individual rare-earth elements by cation exchange chromatography using Aminex A-9 resin with α-hydroxyisobutyric acid (α-HIBA) as the eluent. Significant results, which have been obtained to date with this advanced system, are the identification of several new neutron-rich rare-earth isotopes including¹⁵⁵Pm (T=48±4 s) and¹⁶³Gd (T=68±3 s). In addition a half-life of 41±4 s is reported for¹⁶⁰Eu. Work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under DOE Contract No. De-ACO7-76IDO-1570.     

4,4′-Bipyridine complexes of molybdenum(II) and tungsten(II)

Treatment of [MI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)₂] with two equivalents of 4,4-bipyridine (4,4-bipy) in CH₂Cl₂ at room temperature gave the MeCN displaced products, [MI₂(CO)₃(4,4-bipy-N)₂] (1) and (2). Equimolar amounts of [MI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)₂] and L (L = PPh₃, AsPh₃ or SbPh₃) react to give [MI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)L], which when reacted in situ with 4,4-bipy yield the new complexes, [MI₂(CO)₃(4,4-bipy-N)L] (3)–(8). Reaction of equimolar quantities of [WI₂(CO)(NCMe)( ²-RC₂R)₂] (R = Me or Ph) and 4,4-bipy gave the new bis(alkyne) complexes, [WI₂(CO)(4,4-bipy-N)( ²-RC₂R)₂] (9) and (10). Treatment of [MI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)₂] with two equivalents of (9) or (10) in CH₂Cl₂ at room temperature affords the bimetallic complexes, [MI₂(CO)₃{WI₂(CO)(4,4-bipy-N,N)( ²-RC₂R)₂}₂] (11)–(14). Equimolar quantities of [MI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)(PPh₃)] (prepared in situ) and (9) or (10), react to give the 4,4-bipy-bridged complexes, [MI₂(CO)₃{WI₂(CO)(4,4-bipy-N,N)( ²-RC₂R)₂}(PPh₃)] (15)–(18). All the new complexes, (1)–(18) were characterised by elemental analysis (C, H and N), i.r. and ¹H-n.m.r. spectroscopy.