Discovery of Chemicals to Either Clear or Indicate Amyloid Aggregates by Targeting Memory‐Impairing Anti‐Parallel Aβ Dimers

Amyloid‐β (Aβ) oligomers are implicated in Alzheimer disease (AD). However, their unstable nature and heterogeneous state disrupts elucidation of their explicit role in AD progression, impeding the development of tools targeting soluble Aβ oligomers. Herein parallel and anti‐parallel variants of Aβ(1–40) dimers were designed and synthesized, and their pathogenic properties in AD models characterized. Anti‐parallel dimers induced cognitive impairments with increased amyloidogenesis and cytotoxicity, and this dimer was then used in a screening platform. Through screening, two FDA‐approved drugs, Oxytetracycline and Sunitinib, were identified to dissociate Aβ oligomers and plaques to monomers in 5XFAD transgenic mice. In addition, fluorescent Astrophloxine was shown to detect aggregated Aβ in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid samples of AD mice. This screening platform provides a stable and homogeneous environment for observing Aβ interactions with dimer‐specific molecules.     

The Elusive Ketene (H2CCO) Channel in the Infrared Multiphoton Dissociation of Solid 1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-Triazinane (RDX)

Understanding of the fundamental mechanisms involved in the decomposition of 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane (RDX) still represents a major challenge for the energetic materials and physical (organic) chemistry communities mainly because multiple competing dissociation channels are likely involved and previous detection methods of the products are not isomer selective. In this study we exploited a microsecond pulsed infrared laser to decompose thin RDX films at 5 K under mild conditions to limit the fragmentation channels. The subliming decomposition products during the temperature programed desorption phase are detected using isomer selective single photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PI-ReTOF-MS). This technique enables us to assign a product signal at m/z=42 to ketene (H₂CCO), but not to diazomethane (H₂CNN; 42 amu) as speculated previously. Electronic structure calculations support our experimental observations and unravel the decomposition mechanisms of RDX leading eventually to the elusive ketene (H₂CCO) via an exotic, four-membered ring intermediate. This study highlights the necessity to exploit isomer-selective detection schemes to probe the true decomposition products of nitramine-based energetic materials.     

Toggle-switchable fluorescence of bisindolylmaleimide derivatives by reversible esterification/hydrolysis

Isomers based on the bisindolylmaleimide architecture were reported in this Letter. Introducing hydroxyl to this architecture lead to quenching the fluorescence of bisindolylmaleimide. The fluorescence was recovered with its hydroxyl group esterified. Ester group can be easily transformed to hydroxyl group by hydrolysis reaction. Thus, a toggle-switchable fluorescence, ‘off-on’ cycle can be established on the basis of reversible esterification/hydrolysis reaction.     

An assessment of models for predicting refrigerant characteristics in adiabatic and non-adiabatic capillary tubes

Small vapor compression refrigeration systems incorporate a non-adiabatic capillary tube called a capillary tube-suction line heat exchanger (SLHX) in order to improve performance. The thermodynamic properties of the refrigerant in the capillary tube and suction pipe are influenced by associated phenomena. This study compares various relevant models. Based on the comparison recommended correlations were selected and the simulation results show that the friction factor model has the most dominant.     

How Preservice Teachers Interpret and Respond to Student Geometric Errors

Recognizing and responding to students' thinking is essential in teaching mathematics, especially when students provide incorrect solutions. This study examined, through a teaching scenario task, elementary preservice teachers' interpretations of and responses to a student's work on a task involving reflective symmetry. Findings revealed that a majority of preservice teachers identified the student's errors from conceptual aspects of reflection rather than from procedural aspects. However, when they responded to the student's errors, preservice teachers tried to cope with them by invoking procedural knowledge. This study also revealed the three types of responses and two different forms of address by preservice teachers to student errors; these categories might provide insight into the difficulties arising in communication between students and teachers.     

Catalytic one-pot synthesis of [5.5.5.6]fenestrane systems via a dicobalt octacarbonyl-catalyzed tandem cycloaddition of dienediynes

Catalytic one-pot synthesis of fenestrane derivatives from dienediynes was developed: fenestranes were synthesized in high yields by a dicobalt octacarbonyl-catalyzed tandem cycloaddition of dienediynes.     

Catalytic one-pot synthesis of N-phenyl alkyl amides from alkene and aniline in the presence of cobalt on charcoal under carbon monoxide

N-Phenyl alkyl amides were synthesized by the cobalt on charcoal-catalyzed one-pot reaction of alkene and aniline under carbon monoxide; this is the first heterogeneous catalytic formation of N-phenyl alkyl amides.     

Pion propagation near the QCD chiral phase transition

We point out that, in analogy with spin waves in antiferromagnets, all parameters describing the real-time propagation of soft pions at temperatures below the QCD chiral phase transition can be expressed in terms of static correlators. This allows, in principle, the determination of the soft pion dispersion relation on the lattice. Using scaling and universality arguments, we determine the critical behavior of the parameters of pion propagation. We predict that, when the critical temperature is approached from below, the pole mass of the pion drops despite the growth of the pion screening mass. This fact is attributed to the decrease of the pion velocity near the phase transition.