Photopolymers for Rapid Prototyping of Soluble Mold Materials and Molding of Cellular Biomaterials

To substitute cross-linked photopolymers in rapid prototyping of mold materials and therefore extend the range of materials which can be casted, organo-soluble photopolymers were developed. Branched bisalkylacrylamides were suitable as base component for such formulations, due to their high reactivity, good mechanical properties, and excellent solubility of the formed polymers. These molding materials were used to prepare cellular biocompatible materials which could be used as bone replacement materials. Biocompatible crosslinkers based on methacrylates from hydrolyzed gelatine or lactic acid ethyleneglycol blockcopolymers and commercially available reactive diluents are the base components of such a formulation. Biocompatibility was investigated by osteoblast-like cells. Cellular biocompatible parts were obtained by thermal polymerization in soluble mould materials prepared by 3D-photoshaping.     

Disintegration and perfectness of measure spaces

For every finite measure space (X,A,P) we find a unique representation P=Q₁+Q₂+Q₃ such that Q₁ is compact, Q₂ is perfect and purely noncompact and Q₃ is purely nonperfect. We show that every Pachl-_O-disintegrable probability space is Ramachandran-_O-disintegrable and therefore perfect and under a certain condition we prove the equivalence between compactness and Ramachandran-_O-disintegrability.     

Solid-phase synthesis of imidazo[4,5-b]pyridin-2-ones and related urea derivatives by cyclative cleavage of a carbamate linkage

A solid-phase synthesis of substituted cyclic urea derivatives as potential heterocyclic library scaffolds is described. 2-Amino-3-nitropyridine is attached to Wang resin via a carbamate linkage. Reduction of the nitro group was achieved with SnCl(2).2H(2)O. Reductive alkylation with a range of substituted benzaldehydes followed by cyclative cleavage afforded a small library of 3-substituted imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine-2-ones in 33-45% yield and 59-88% purity. Subsequently, this methodology was applied to the synthesis of 3-substituted imidazo[4,5-f]quinolin-2-ones.     

Die Hydrolyse von Phospholinsäureamiden

Hydrolysis of Amides of Phospholinic Acid The acid catalysed hydrolysis of (= OAP, R = organic substituent) has been investigated kinetically. Provided the pH remains constant, the hydrolysis is a first order reaction. From the temperature dependance of the rate constant the activation energy E_a as well as the thermodynamic data ΔH* and ΔS* have been calculated. In comparison to the compound with R = H aromatic substituents and additional the t-butyl group enhance E_a whilst aliphatic substituents included the benzyl group diminish E_a. The first step of the reaction is a protonation at the oxygen or nitrogen resulting in the formation of an equilibrium. After the determination of the basicity constant K_A of some OAPs it was possible to calculate the respective rate constants of the rate determining step of the reactions and the corresponding thermodynamic data E_F, ΔH and ΔS. It is assumed that the mechanism of the hydrolysis takes place according to the same scheme which has been assumed for the hydrolysis of cyclic esters of the phosphinic acid by Ugi [1] and colaborators.     

Novel metathesis catalysts based on ruthenium 1,3-dimesityl-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-2-ylidenes: synthesis, structure, immobilization, and catalytic activity

The synthesis of novel ruthenium-based metathesis catalysts containing the saturated 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-2-ylidene ligand, that is, [RuCl2(NHC)[=CH-2-(2-PrO)-5-NO(2)-C6H3]] (1) and [Ru(CF3COO)2(NHC)[=CH-2-(2-PrO)-5-NO2-C6H3]] (2) (NHC=1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-2-ylidene) is described. Both catalysts are highly active in ring-closing metathesis (RCM) and ring-opening cross-metathesis (ROCM). Compound 1 shows moderate activity in enyne metathesis. Compound 2 is not applicable to enyne metathesis since it shows high activity in the cyclopolymerization of diethyl dipropargylmalonate (DEDPM). Poly(DEDPM) prepared by the action of 2 consists of 95% five-membered rings, that is, poly(cyclopent-1-enevinylene)s, and 5 % of six-membered rings, that is, poly(cyclohex-1-ene-3-methylidene)s. The polymerization proceeds in a nonliving manner and results in polyenes with broad polydispersities (1.9< or =PDI< or =2.3). Supported analogues of 2 were prepared by immobilization on hydroxymethyl-Merrifield resin and a monolithic support derived from ring-opening-metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Catalyst loadings of 1 and 2.5%, respectively, were obtained. Both supported versions of 2 showed excellent reactivity. With 0.24-2% of the supported catalysts, yields in RCM and ROCM were in the range of 76-100%. Leaching of ruthenium was low and resulted in Ru contaminations of the products of less than 0.000014% (0.14 ppm).     

Amperometric biosensor for the rapid determination of salicylate in whole blood

A method for the determination of salicylate in whole blood is described. The assay uses salicylate hydroxylase to convert salicylate to catechol in the presence of NADH and molecular oxygen. The formation of catechol is monitored amperometrically by oxidation at +300 mV vs.Ag/AgCl and the size of the oxidation current is related to the concentration of salicylate in the sample. The reagents are incorporated into the working electrode of a disposable strip, allowing measurements to be made on a drop of blood within 1 min. The functional range of the assay can be extended to the equivalent of 7.2 mM plasma salicylate by incorporating benzoate as a component of the reaction system. The method has the advantages of simplicity and speed compared with standard procedures, and should prove especially useful in suspected overdose situations.     

Zur Kenntnis des Phosphatstoffwechsels der Hefe

Scheinbare Divergenzen zwischen den seinerzeit aufgestellten Phosphatbilanzen in Säureextrakten aus phosphatangereicherter und-verarmter Hefe und den in der letzten Mitteilung dieser Reihe erhobenen Befunden über den Gehalt an freien Nucleotiden in demselben Material, veranlaßten eine genauere Überprüfung der Frage, inwieweit die Extraktionsmethoden die Ergebnisse der Nucleotidbestimmung und der Phosphatbilanzen beeinflussen. Es zeigte sich, daß bei Bestimmung der freien Nucleotide, trotz Verwendung verschiedener Extraktionsmittel, sowohl qualitativ als auch quantitativ weitgehend entsprechende Ergebnisse erhalten wurden.Die Resultate können wieder in dem Sinne erklärt werden, daß während der Phosphatanreicherung eine Synthese von Nucleinsäure auf Kosten der freien Nucleotide erfolgt.Gleichzeitig durchgeführte Phosphatbilanzen in den Säureextrakten aus phosphat-verarmter und-angereicherter Hefe ergaben je nach den Extraktionsbedingungen starke, zur Zeit noch schwer deutbare Konzentrationsunterschiede in den einzelnen Phosphatfraktionen.

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The detection of formaldehyde in textiles using interdigitated microelectrode array diffusion layer titration with electrogenerated hypobromite

An interdigitated microelectrode array (IDA) was applied to the determination of formaldehyde released from textiles produced in industry. The proposed method is based on formaldehyde reaction with hypobromite which is formed in weakly basic media by control current electrooxidation of bromide on the generator segment of the IDA array. The unreacted hypobromite diffuses through the gap between individually polarisable IDA segments and it is amperometrically detected on the collector segment of the IDA. The efficiency of this nonconvective transfer process in the absence of formaldehyde was substantially higher (78%) in comparison with that when using the rotating ring disc electrode. The influence of the added formaldehyde on the transfer process can be utilised to develop a simple and sensitive analytical procedure for formaldehyde detection with a detection limit of 4×10⁻⁶ mol dm⁻³.     

Disruption of DNA repair processes by carcinogenic metal compounds

Based on pronounced enhancing effects in combination with other DNA-damaging agents the potentials of Ni(II), Cd(II) and As(III) to interfere with DNA repair processes in HeLa cells was investigated. With respect to oxidative DNA damage, Ni(II) and Cd(II) induced DNA strand breaks starting at concentrations of 250 μM and 5 μM, respectively. The induction of oxidative DNA base modifications like 8-hydroxyguanine was restricted to the cytotoxic concentration of 750 μM Ni(II) and not observed after treatment with Cd(II). In contrast, the removal of oxidative DNA base modifications was inhibited at concentrations as low as 50 μM Ni(II) and 0.5 μM Cd(II). Regarding nucleotide excision repair, Ni(II) and Cd(II) disturbed the DNA-protein interactions involved in the damage recognition step when applying HeLa nuclear protein extracts and a UV-damaged oligonucleotide, while As(III) inhibited the actual incision event. In the case of Ni(II) and Cd(II), this effect was reversible by the addition of Mg(II) and Zn(II), respectively. Furthermore, Cd(II) inactivated the isolated bacterial Fpg protein, most likely by the displacement of Zn(II) from its zinc finger structure. Since DNA is continuously damaged by exogenous and endogenous sources, an impaired repair capacity might well account for the carcinogenic action of the metal compounds. Received: 30 July 1997 / Revised: 6 October 1997 / Accepted: 10 October 1997     

Cellulose synthesis in maize: isolation and expression analysis of the cellulose synthase (CesA) gene family

Stalk lodging in maize results in significant yield losses. We have determined that cellulose per unit length of the stalk is the primary determinant of internodal strength. An increase in cellulose concentration in the wall might allow simultaneous improvements in stalk strength and harvest index. Cellulose formation in plants can be perturbed by mutations in the genes involved in cellulose synthesis, post-synthetic cellulose alteration or deposition, N-glycosylation, and some other genes with as yet unknown functions. We have isolated 12 members of the cellulose synthase (CesA) gene family from maize. The genes involved in primary wall formation appear to have duplicated relatively independently in dicots and monocots. The deduced amino acid sequences of three of the maize genes, ZmCesA10–12, cluster with the Arabidopsis CesA sequences that have been shown to be involved in secondary wall formation. Based on their expression patterns across multiple tissues, these three genes appear to be coordinately expressed. The remaining genes show overlapping expression to varying degrees with ZmCesA1, 7, and 8 forming one group, ZmCesA3 and 5 a second group, and ZmCesA2 and 6 exhibiting independent expression of any other gene. This suggests that the varying levels of coexpression may just be incidental except in the case of ZmCesA10–12, which may interact with each other to form a functional enzyme complex. Isolation of the expressed CesA genes from maize and their association with primary or secondary wall formation has made it possible to test their respective roles in cellulose synthesis through mutational genetics or transgenic approaches. This information would be useful in improving stalk strength.