Facile synthetic access to and biological evaluation of the macrocyclic core of apoptolidin

Oxidative cleavage of the C-20/C-21 bond in apoptolidin (1) provides two fragments of similar complexity, facilitating a divide-and-diversify strategy for the determination of the structural basis for apoptolidin's biological activity, the remarkably selective induction of apoptosis in sensitive cell lines. The ability of compounds derived from this cleavage to inhibit mitochondrial F(0)F(1)-ATPase is reported. [structure: see text]     

Baryon rapidity loss in relativistic Au + Au collisions

An excitation function of proton rapidity distributions for different centralities is reported from AGS Experiment E917 for Au+Au collisions at 6, 8, and 10.8 GeV/nucleon. The rapidity distributions from peripheral collisions have a valley at midrapidity which smoothly change to distributions that display a broad peak at midrapidity for central collisions. The mean rapidity loss increases with increasing beam energy, whereas the fraction of protons consistent with isotropic emission from a stationary source at midrapidity decreases with increasing beam energy. The data suggest that the stopping is substantially less than complete at these energies.     

Validity of retinal oxygen saturation analysis: Hyperspectral imaging in visible wavelength with fundus camera and liquid crystal wavelength tunable filter

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the feasibility of a newly developed hyperspectral fundus imaging camera with a liquid crystal tunable filter. The intensities of different wavelengths of light transmitted through an artery, vein, and the area surrounding these vessels and reflected out were measured, and the differential spectral absorptions were analyzed. Measurements were made from 16 normal eyes and from two artificial capillaries. The ratios of absorption (ROA) of arteries to veins from 500 to 580 nm (range 1) and from 600 to 720 nm (range 2) were calculated. For all eyes, the ROA_range1 was larger than ROA_range2. The ROA obtained from the artificial capillary filled with blood saturated with oxygen or nitrogen was similar to that of simulated data of oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin extinction rate. Most ROAs of human eyes were lower than those of the simulated data and the artificial capillaries. Oxygen saturation analysis by hyperspectral fundus imaging of retinal vessels were qualitatively in agreement with thein vitro analysis or simulated values. However, further improvements are necessary to evaluate the oxygen saturation quantitatively in the retinal blood vessels.     

Preparation of poly(p‐oxybenzoyl) crystals using direct polymerization of p‐hydroxybenzoic acid in the presence of boronic anhydrides

Poly(p‐oxybenzoyl) (POB) crystals were prepared by reaction‐induced crystallization during direct polymerization of p‐hydroxybenzoic acid in the presence of boronic anhydrides. Polymerizations were carried out at 300 °C in dibenzyltoluene at a concentration of 1% with three kinds of anhydrides of boronic acid such as 3,4,5‐trifluorophenylboronic acid (TFB), 4‐methoxyphenylboronic acid (MPB) and 4‐biphenylboronic acid (BPB). The POB crystals were formed as precipitates in the solution and the morphology was considerably influenced by both the structure of the boronic anhydride and its concentration (c_B). Needle‐like crystals were firmed in the presence of TFB anhydride (TFBA) at c_Bs of 5 and 10 mol % by the spiral growth of lamellae. Spherical aggregates of slab‐like crystals were formed at c_Bs from 50 to 100 mol %. The polymerization with MPB anhydride and BPB anhydride (BPBA) also yielded the needle‐like crystals at c_Bs of 50 and 5 mol %, respectively. The polymerization with TFBA at lower c_B was favorable to prepare the needle‐like crystal. Molecular weight was also influenced by the structure of the boronic anhydride and c_B. M_n increased generally with c_B and BPBA gave the highest M_n of 14.7 × 10³ at c_B of 100 mol %. The loose packing of the molecules in the crystal caused by the bulkiness of the end‐groups made the polymerization in the crystals more efficiently. Morphology and molecular weight of the POB crystals could be controlled by the chemical structure and the content of boronic anhydride. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011.     

ESR study of Mn2+ in GeTe and GeTeSi glasses

The electron spin resonance spectra of Mn²⁺ ions have been studied in Ge_xTe_100?x with x = 15, 17.5 and 20, and Ge_20?xTe₈₀Si_x with 0 ?x? 20. All samples are found to exhibit six hyperfine lines centered at g = 4.3 with hyperfine interaction constant A = 56 × 10^?4cm^?1. The g = 4.3 line is interpreted as being caused by Mn²⁺ ions incorporated in the amorphous network and surrounded by four Te atoms in an arrangement of orthorhombic symmetry. Some of the samples of GeTe show a g = 2.0 line. This line also appears after heat treatment in air at temperatures above the glass transition temperature. It is concluded that the g = 2.0 line is caused by Mn²⁺ ions in phase separated microcrystalline or concentrated regions of MnO in the glass.     

Flexible host frameworks with diverse cavities in inclusion crystals of bile acids and their derivatives

We have systematically investigated structures and properties of inclusion crystals of bile acids and their derivatives. These steroidal compounds form diverse host frameworks having zero‐, one‐ and two‐dimensional cavities, causing various inclusion behaviors towards many organic compounds. The diverse host frameworks exhibit the following guest‐dependent flexibility. First, the frameworks mainly depend on the included guests in size and shape. The size‐dependence is quantitatively estimated by the parameter PCcavity, which is the volume ratio of a guest molecule to a host cavity. The resulting values of PCcavity lie in the range of 42–76%. Second, each of the host frameworks has its own range of the values. Some guests can employ two different frameworks with the boundary values, explaining formation of polymorphic crystals. Third, the host frameworks are selected by host–guest interactions through weak hydrogen bonds, such as NH/π and CH/O. The weak hydrogen bonds play an important role for various selective inclusion processes. Fourth, the host frameworks are dynamically exchangeable, resulting in intercalation and polymerization in the cavities. These static and dynamic structures of the frameworks demonstrate great potential of crystalline organic inclusion compounds as functional materials. © 2009 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 9: 124–135; 2009: Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ) DOI 10.1002/tcr.20171