Utilization of 1-oxa-2,2-(dimesityl)silacyclopentane acetals in the stereoselective synthesis of polyols

We have developed a route for the stereoselective synthesis of 1-oxa-2,2-(dimesityl)silacyclopentane acetals, intermediates in the synthesis of highly functionalized 1,3-diols. This route involves a diastereoselective conjugate addition reaction of a hydrosilyl anion, a subsequent diastereoselective enolate alkylation, and a fluoride-catalyzed intramolecular hydrosilylation reaction to afford the oxasilacyclopentane acetal. A highly selective nucleophilic substitution reaction, followed by oxidation of the C-Si bond, leads to the desired polyol.     

Evaluation and validation of the ABI 3700, ABI 3100, and the MegaBACE 1000 capillary array electrophoresis instruments for use with short tandem repeat microsatellite typing in a forensic environment

The demand for high-throughput DNA profiling has increased with the introduction of national DNA databases and has led to the development of automated methods of short tandem repeat (STR) profile production; however, a potential bottleneck still exists at the gel electrophoresis stage. Capillary electrophoresis sequencers capable of processing 96 samples with considerably reduced manual intervention are now available. In this paper, we compare the ABI Prism 377 slab-gel sequencer currently used by the Forensic Science Service with three leading capillary array electrophoresis instruments: the ABI Prism 3700, the Amersham MegaBACE 1000 and the 16-capillary ABI Prism 3100. We describe the experiments used to evaluate and validate these platforms for forensic use with the STR multiplex Ampf/STR SGMplus [1, 2], along with comparative data from the ABI Prism 377 sequencer.     

Magnetoelectric compounds with two sets of magnetic sublattices: UCrO4 and NdCrTiO5

Using magnetic and magnetoelectric (ME) powder susceptibility measurements, the low temperature magnetic properties of antiferromagnetic UCrO₄ and NdCrTiO₅ have been studied. Their Néel temperatures T_N are 44.5 and 20.5°K, respectively, the Cr³⁺ spin systems of both materials ordering cooperatively at T_N. Below T_N, the U⁵⁺ and Nd³⁺ moments are polarized due to their exchange interaction with the ordered Cr³⁺ spins. It is argued that, for both compounds, each of the two spin systems contributes to the ME susceptibilities. They are thus the first known ME materials possessing two distinct magnetic sublattices. The effective magnetic moments calculated from the magnetic susceptibilities are in good agreement with those previously reported by neutron diffraction studies.     

High-resolution 17O NMR spectroscopy of wadsleyite (beta-Mg2SiO4)

The sensitivity of high-resolution 17O (I = 5/2) NMR spectroscopy of solids has advanced significantly in recent years. Here, we show that excellent results are now obtainable from milligram quantities of 17O-enriched materials, thereby allowing the technique to be applied to silicate phases synthesized under very high pressures in a multiple-anvil apparatus. We report the first 17O NMR study of beta-Mg2SiO4 (9.6 mg of 35% 17O-enriched material, synthesized at p = 16 GPa and T = 1873 K), a dense phase believed to have a significant role in the Earth's mantle. Using STMAS at magnetic fields of B0 = 9.4 and 11.7 T and MQMAS at B0 = 18.8 T, we have resolved and assigned all four crystallographically distinct O sites and determined their chemical shift and quadrupolar parameters.     

Thermal analysis study of the effect of molecular weight on constrained amorphous phase in poly(phenylene sulfide)

We report a thermal analysis study of the effect of molecular weight on the amorphous phase structure of poly(phenylene sulfide), PPS, crystallized at temperatures just above the glass transition temperature. Thermal properties of Fortron PPS, having viscosity average molecular weights of 30000 to 91000, were characterized using temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC). We find that while crystallinity varies little with molecular weight, the heat capacity increment at the glass transition decreases as molecular weight decreases. This leads to a smaller liquid-like amorphous phase, and a larger rigid amorphous fraction, in the lower molecular weight PPS. For all molecular weights, constrained fraction decreases as the scan rate decreases.This research is supported by the U. S. Army Research Office through contract DAAH04-96-1-0009. The authors thank Hoechst Celanese for providing different molecular weight Fortron samples and Dr. George Collins for providing sample information. The authors acknowledge the assistance of Elizabeth Oyebode and Leonardo Grimaldi with sample preparation and MDSC work.     

Adiabatic ionization energies from charge transfer equilibrium constants; experimental determinations of entropy changes for charge transfer equilibria

Equilibrium constants have been measured as a function of temperature for the charge transfer equilibria in mixtures of NO with aromatic compounds, and mixtures of aromatic compounds. The experimentally determined entropy changes are in good agreement with entropy changes calculated from statistical mechanical considerations provided an intermolecular component is included. The enthalpy changes for the charge transfer reactions correspond to the differences in the adiabatic ionization potentials of the compounds.     

THE WAVELENGTH DEPENDENCE OF ULTRAVIOLET INACTIVATION OF HOST CAPACITY IN A MAMMALIAN CELL-VIRUS SYSTEM

Abstract. The ability of UV-irradiated African green monkey kidney cells (CV-1) to support the growth of unirradiated herpes simplex virus type 1 as measured by plaque forming ability has been investigated. The lowering of plaque formation by the virus when the host cell was irradiated was examined at thirteen different wavelengths. An action spectrum for this cellular parameter (capacity) was obtained in the wavelength region of 235–302 nm. This action spectrum points to nucleic acid as the critical target molecule for this effect.     

Dramatic 5'-residue effect on conformer distribution of short oligonucleotide retro models of the cisplatin-DNA cross-link: implications for the Lippard and cross-link distorted base pair steps present in cisplatin-DNA duplex adducts

The cisplatin anticancer drug preferentially attacks the GG sequence of DNA duplexes. Virtually all DNAs containing the key G*G* lesion (G* = N7 platinated G) have large distortions in the cross-link (G*G*) base pair (bp) step and also in the adjacent Lippard (XG*) bp step, making the adducts very different from B-form DNA in the XG*G* region. The XG*G* strand in duplexes also differs in several ways from single-strand (ss) models with G*G* and XG*G* sequences. In the duplex, the X residue has an N sugar, the 5'-G* and 3'-G* bases have slight "R" canting (3'-G* H8 atom toward the 5'-G* base), and there is no or weak H-bonding by the NH3 ligands. In most XG*G* ss models, X has an S sugar, the 5'-G* base normally cants strongly toward the 3'-G* base (L canting), and the NH3 forms an H-bond. Well-defined ss models exist in the solid state, but dynamic motion obscures the properties of the ss models in solution. In this work, we employ retro models (better defined, less dynamic ss models) to understand the differences between duplex and ss models. The retro models in this study lack carrier ligand NH's, thus eliminating H-bonding. To correlate previous ss solid-state models with our solution work, we constructed hybrid molecules by overlaying parts of known structures. The combined model and experimental information indicates that the X N-pucker is not favorable in L-canted ss models, that X residue steric effects (not H-bonding) favor L canting in ss models, that X N-pucker is needed for favorable WC hydrogen bonding and stacking interactions in duplexes, and that X N-pucker minimizes X base clashes with bases in the complementary strand in duplexes. The R canting minimizing clashes between the X and G* residues of the Lippard bp step (independent of X pucker) and the repositioning of the X residue base caused by the change from S-pucker to N-pucker together lead to the unusual features of the Lippard bp step in the duplex.     

SV40 INDUCTION FROM A MAMMALIAN CELL LINE BY ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION and THE PHOTOSENSITIZERS 8-METHOXYPSORALEN and ANGELICIN

Abstract SV40-transformed weanling Syrian hamster kidney cells were exposed to long wavelength ultraviolet radiation in the presence of 8-methoxypsoralen or angelicin. The number of viruses induced as a result of this treatment was quantitated on CV-1P cells. The results indicate that angelicin, which is generally believed to form only monoadducts, is a potent viral inducing agent even when compared with 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), which forms both monoadducts and crosslinks. At low radiation exposures 8-MOP is more effective than angelicin; as the radiation exposure is increased angelicin is capable of inducing the same peak level of virus expression as was 8-MOP. It appears that the induction of SV40 is a phenomenon possibly related to the repair of monoadducts.