Illuminating Molecular Processes in Living Cells

Lately, scientists have explored approaches to developing fluorescent and/or bioluminescent indicators to pinpoint cellular processes in single living cells. These analytical methods have become a key technology for visualizing and detecting what was otherwise unseen in live cells. The target signaling included second messengers, protein phosphorylations, protein–protein interactions, and protein localizations.     

Enantiospecific synthesis of isomers of AES, a new environmentally friendly chelating agent

Three four-step enantiospecific syntheses of different diastereomers of AES, a new biodegradable chelating agent, are described. The stereocenters in each of the isomers are accessible from l- and d-malic and aspartic acids.     

Medicinal Organometallic Chemistry: Designing Metal Arene Complexes as Anticancer Agents

The field of medicinal inorganic chemistry is rapidly advancing. In particular organometallic complexes have much potential as therapeutic and diagnostic agents. The carbon‐bound and other ligands allow the thermodynamic and kinetic reactivity of the metal ion to be controlled and also provide a scaffold for functionalization. The establishment of structure–activity relationships and elucidation of the speciation of complexes under conditions relevant to drug testing and formulation are crucial for the further development of promising medicinal applications of organometallic complexes. Specific examples involving the design of ruthenium and osmium arene complexes as anticancer agents are discussed.     

A transport model for the evolution of urban systems

When comparing an urban system to an elasto-plastic lattice, an analogy to the solid state of matter can be exploited using the concepts of the band theory similarly. Thereafter, the population dynamics – in a region of certain stability in the state space and within appropriate energy bands – can be described in terms of Cellular Automata, with two mobile agents or pseudo particles: the inhabitant (representative of an average individual) and the recurson (representative of its multidimensional resources). As in the solid state, transition rules take the form of two coupled transport equations, comprising the terms equivalent to the generation-recombination and circulation processes. The first process can be compared to a predator–prey growth model, typical of Ecology; whereas the circulation process – composed of a drift component and a diffusion component – should be compared to the concentration-sprawl demographic balance seen in urban occupation and dynamics. Thus, it needs to be defined and determined an urban potential function, an equivalent population charge, mobility and diffusion parameters, as well as net growth factors. This analogy, discussed within the context of a case study for Great Mendoza, plausibly explains the varied growth rates of the political departments, as well as the principal urban trends for spatial occupation.     

Overview: The Potential of silanes for chromate replacement in metal finishing industries

Trialkoxysilanes (or silanes) have emerged as a very promising alternative for chromates in metal finishing industries. Compared to the conventional chromating processes, the major merits of silane-based surface treatments include: eco-compliance, easy-control processing, comparable corrosion protection of metals as well as paint adhesion to a variety of topcoats. In this overview paper, we report the recent status of silane studies including results of corrosion performance tests, the mechanism of corrosion protection of metals by silanes and the themal stabilities of silane films. We also address the new fields that we are beginning to explore such as nano-structured silane films, “self-healing” silane films, and “super-primers”.     

Fe/Zn双金属氰化物催化剂催化环氧丙烷聚合的活性结构研究

以氯化锌、铁氰化钾（含有整合剂）的水溶液为原料，合成了铁锌双金属氰化物（DMC）催化剂。为获得高活性的DMC催化剂，需将叔丁醇 、多元醇螯合剂螯合至其结构中，用XRD、XPS等分析手段，对铁锌DMC催化剂的结构与活性进行分析表征。实验发现，DMC催化剂的晶体结构与螯合剂密切相关，螯合剂能显著降低DMC催化剂的结晶程度，从而提高DMC催化剂的活性。同时，氯化锌过量也有利于DMC催化剂活性的提高。并表征了相关DMC催化剂的活性中心。     

金属硫蛋白加质子常数及与Cd(II)络合常数测定

用pH计和Cd离子选择电极测定了金属硫蛋白的加质子常数及其与Cd(Ⅱ)的络合常数, 用改进的简化络合模型处理实验结果, 得到了去金属硫蛋白(apo MT)中6类不同的加质子基团的数目及其加质子常数。对Cd(Ⅱ)滴定数据的计算表明, MT中两个结构域——α和β对Cd(Ⅱ)的络合常数相差约1000倍。从热力学定量描述了MT中两个结构域结合金属离子选择优先顺序。