Positive solutions for a system of second-order multi-point boundary value problems

In this paper, we present some results for positive solutions of a system of nonlinear second-order ordinary differential equations subject to multi-point boundary conditions.     

A nonlinear mesh-warping technique for correcting brain deformation after stroke

This article presents a warping technique for correcting brain tissue distortion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans due to stroke lesion growth and for mapping MRI scans to histological sections. Meshes are imposed upon the images for feature specification, and these features are exactly matched in the different images to be mapped, while the other voxels are matched by interpolation. This technique was tested on serial MR images and histological sections that were acquired in a nonhuman primate model of stroke. This technique was able to deliver satisfactory warping results. It is simple and robust and can be utilized in many applications for comparison of multimodality medical images and histological sections.     

Molecular Turnstiles Featuring Bicyclic Rotators: Solution and Solid-State Investigation of Steric and Electronic Concerns

A molecular rotor is created when a 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole rotator is incorporated into a rigid arylene ethynylene framework supported by pyridine coordination to a metal (Ag⁺ or PdCl₂) guest. Comparisons to a similarly sized naphthyl rotator via ¹H NMR spectroscopy provide insights into the movement of these bicyclic rotators relative to the rigid stator framework. Chemical shift increases of 0.3 ppm, or more, upon metal complexation are consistent with through-space interaction of the central arene with a bound PdCl₂ guest. Further study via X-ray crystallography illustrates that rotation of the 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole unit in the solid state is likely hampered by relatively strong chalcogen bonding (N⋅⋅⋅S distance of 2.93 Å), forming 2S-2N squares between benzothiadiazoles of neighboring complexes. Strong π–π interactions (3.29–3.36 Å) between neighboring complexes likewise restrict solid-state rotation of the potential benzothiadiazole rotator. Modest changes to UV–vis spectra upon metal coordination suggest that electronic properties are mostly independent of stator configuration.     

A Building Block Approach for the Total Synthesis of YM-385781

YM-254890 and FR900359 are potent and selective inhibitors of the Gq/11-signaling pathway. As such, they have been attractive targets for both synthesis and biological studies. Yet in spite of this effort, a versatile synthetic approach to the molecules that allows for the rapid construction of a variety of non-natural and labelled analogs and an increase in the amount of those analogs available remains elusive. We report here a convergent building block approach to the molecules that can solve this challenge.