Synthesis of Non-natural Xyloglucans by Polycondensation of 4,6-Dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl Oligosaccharide Monomers Catalyzed by Endo-β-1,4-glucanase

Summary: A cellotetraose-backboned hepta-saccharide (XXXG) (a capital X represents a glucopyranose residue that is substituted with a xylopyranose through an α-1,6 glycosidic bond, and a capital G represents a non-substituted glucopyranose residue) and a nona-saccharide (XLLG) (a capital L represents a glucopyranose residue that is substituted with a galactopyranoseβ(1-2)xylopyranose through an α-1,6 glycosidic bond) have directly been converted to the corresponding 4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl derivatives (DMT-β-XXXG 1 and DMT-β-XLLG 2 , respectively) by the action of 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methyl morpholinium chloride (DMT-MM). The selective nucleophilic attack of the anomeric hydroxyl group to DMT-MM has been achieved in water without using any protection of the hydroxyl groups. The resulting activated oligosaccharide derivatives ( 1 and 2 ) were found to polymerize catalyzed by an endo-β-1,4-glucanase as catalyst. The polymerization took place in a complete regio- and stereo-selective manner, affording non-natural polysaccharides having a XXXG-repeating unit and a XLLG-repeating unit, respectively, in the main chain. It is extremely difficult to construct such definite repeating structures via the conventional synthetic routes including protection-deprotection procedures.     

Solving polynomial least squares problems via semidefinite programming relaxations

A polynomial optimization problem whose objective function is represented as a sum of positive and even powers of polynomials, called a polynomial least squares problem, is considered. Methods to transform a polynomial least square problem to polynomial semidefinite programs to reduce degrees of the polynomials are discussed. Computational efficiency of solving the original polynomial least squares problem and the transformed polynomial semidefinite programs is compared. Numerical results on selected polynomial least square problems show better computational performance of a transformed polynomial semidefinite program, especially when degrees of the polynomials are larger.     

Reversible activation of diblock copolymer monolayers at the interface by pH modulation, 2: Membrane interactions at the solid/liquid interface

A monolayer of the pH-responsive poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate-block-methyl methacrylate] diblock copolymer [PDMAEMA-PMMA] was transferred from the air/water interface to a silicon substrate for evaluation as a tunable interlayer between biological material and solid substrates. Specular neutron reflectivity experiments revealed that the weak polyelectrolyte PDMAEMA chains at the solid/liquid interface can be reversibly activated by pH modulation. The thickness, scattering length density, and surface roughness of the polymer film can be systematically controlled by pH titration. As a simple model of plasma membranes, a lipid bilayer was deposited onto the polymer film. The membrane-substrate interaction was characterized by neutron reflectivity experiments, demonstrating that the membrane-substrate distance could be reversibly regulated by pH titration. These results confirm the potential of stimuli-responsive polymers for precise control of cell-surface interactions.     

Chirality control in oligothiophene through chiral wrapping

[structure: see text] Mixing oligothiophenes and polysaccharides, such as amylose and schizophyllan, affords novel inclusion complexes, in which oligothiophene guests adopt twisted conformation in the chiral channel created by left- or right-handed helical wrapping with the polysaccharide host polymers, leading to optical activity.     

Determination of electron effective mass from optical transition energy in InGaAs/InAlAs quantum wells

Nonparabolic effective mass of conduction subbands in InGaAs/InAlAs quantum wells (QWs), lattice-matched to InP, was quantitatively obtained by analyzing interband-optical transition spectra. Thickness of InGaAs well was 5.3, 9.4, and . Thickness of InAlAs barrier was about , and each QW was independent. Excellent agreement was obtained between experimental mass and theoretical mass predicted by Kane's three-level band theory on bulk InGaAs, in a wide energy range of from the bandedge. Method of experimental analysis on a relation between eigen energy and effective mass was described.     

Imprinting modulates processing of visual information in the visual wulst of chicks

Background

Results of the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) raised concerns regarding the timing and formulation of hormone interventions. Conjugated equine estrogens (CEE), used as the estrogen therapy in the WHIMS trial, is a complex formulation containing multiple estrogens, including several not secreted by human ovaries, as well as other biologically active steroids. Although the full spectrum of estrogenic components present in CEE has not yet been resolved, 10 estrogens have been identified. In the present study, we sought to determine which estrogenic components, at concentrations commensurate with their plasma levels achieved following a single oral dose of 0.625 mg CEE (the dose used in the WHIMS trial) in women, are neuroprotective and whether combinations of those neuroprotective estrogens provide added benefit. Further, we sought, through computer-aided modeling analyses, to investigate the potential correlation of the molecular mechanisms that conferred estrogen neuroprotection with estrogen interactions with the estrogen receptor (ER).

Results

Cultured basal forebrain neurons were exposed to either β-amyloid_25–35 or excitotoxic glutamate with or without pretreatment with estrogens followed by neuroprotection analyses. Three indicators of neuroprotection that rely on different aspects of neuronal damage and viability, LDH release, intracellular ATP level and MTT formazan formation, were used to assess neuroprotective efficacy. Results of these analyses indicate that the estrogens, 17α-estradiol, 17β-estradiol, equilin, 17α-dihydroequilin, equilinen, 17α-dihydroequilenin, 17β-dihydroequilenin, and Δ^8,9-dehydroestrone were each significantly neuroprotective in reducing neuronal plasma membrane damage induced by glutamate excitotoxicity. Of these estrogens, 17β-estradiol and Δ^8,9-dehydroestrone were effective in protecting neurons against β-amyloid_25–35-induced intracellular ATP decline. Coadministration of two out of three neuroprotective estrogens, 17β-estradiol, equilin and Δ^8,9-dehydroestrone, exerted greater neuroprotective efficacy than individual estrogens. Computer-aided analyses to determine structure/function relationships between the estrogenic structures and their neuroprotective activity revealed that the predicted intermolecular interactions of estrogen analogues with ER correlate to their overall neuroprotective efficacy.

Conclusion

The present study provides the first documentation of the neuroprotective profile of individual estrogens contained within the complex formulation of CEE at concentrations commensurate with their plasma levels achieved after an oral administration of 0.625 mg CEE in women. Our analyses demonstrate that select estrogens within the complex formulation of CEE contribute to its neuroprotective efficacy. Moreover, our data predict that the magnitude of neuroprotection induced by individual estrogens at relatively low concentrations may be clinically undetectable and ineffective, whereas, a combination of select neuroprotective estrogens could provide an increased and clinically meaningful efficacy. More importantly, these data suggest a strategy for determining neurological efficacy and rational design and development of a composition of estrogen therapy to alleviate climacteric symptoms, promote neurological health, and prevent age-related neurodegeneration, such as AD, in postmenopausal women.     

Imprinting modulates processing of visual information in the visual wulst of chicks

Background  

Imprinting behavior is one form of learning and memory in precocial birds. With the aim of elucidating of the neural basis for visual imprinting, we focused on visual information processing.     

Epoc group: transformable protecting group with gold(iii)-catalyzed fluorene formation

This study presents the novel concept of a transformable protecting group, which changes its properties through structural transformation. Based on this concept, we developed a 2-(2-ethynylphenyl)-2-(5-methylfuran-2-yl)-ethoxycarbonyl (Epoc) group. The Epoc group was transformed into an Fmoc-like structure with gold(iii)-catalyzed fluorene formation and was removable under Fmoc-like mild basic conditions post-transformation even though it was originally stable under strongly basic conditions. As an application for organic synthesis, the Epoc group provides the novel orthogonality of gold(iii)-labile protecting groups in solid-phase peptide synthesis. In addition, the high turnover number of fluorene formation in aqueous media is suggestive of the applicability of the Epoc group to biological systems.

A protecting group removable with gold(iii)-catalyzed fluorene formation and the subsequent addition of piperidine was developed.     

Eventually positive solutions of first order nonlinear differential equations with a deviating argument

The following first order nonlinear differential equation with a deviating argument $ x'(t) + p(t)[x(\tau (t))]^\alpha = 0 $ is considered, where α > 0, α ≠ 1, p ∈ C[t ₀; ∞), p(t) > 0 for t ≧ t ₀, τ ∈ C[t ₀; ∞), lim _t→∞ τ(t) = ∞, τ(t) < t for t ≧ t ₀. Every eventually positive solution x(t) satisfying lim _t→∞ x(t) ≧ 0. The structure of solutions x(t) satisfying lim _t→∞ x(t) > 0 is well known. In this paper we study the existence, nonexistence and asymptotic behavior of eventually positive solutions x(t) satisfying lim _t→∞ x(t) = 0.     

Non-uniform asymptotic stability for the damped linear oscillator

Sufficient conditions are established for non-uniform asymptotic stability of a linear oscillator with damping term. The obtained results clarify a difference between the uniform asymptotic stability and the asymptotic stability. Some simple examples are included to illustrate the results. Especially, Bessel’s differential equations are taken up and it is proved that the equilibrium is asymptotically stable, but it is not uniformly asymptotically stable.