A Pauson-Khand-type reaction between alkynes and olefinic aldehydes catalyzed by rhodium/cobalt heterobimetallic nanoparticles: an olefinic aldehyde as an olefin and CO source

Co/Rh (Co:Rh = 2:2) heterobimetallic nanoparticles derived from Co(2)Rh(2)(CO)(12) react with alkynes and alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes such as acrolein, crotonaldehyde, and cinnamic aldehyde and release products resulting from [2 + 2 + 1]cycloaddition of alkyne, carbon monoxide, and alkene. alpha,beta-Unsaturated aldehydes act as a CO and alkene source. These reactions produce 2-substituted cyclopentenones.     

Loniceroside C,an antiinflammatory saponin from Lonicera japonica

A new triterpenoid saponin, loniceroside C was isolated from the aerial parts of Lonicera japonica. Its structure was established to be 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl hederagenin 28-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->2)-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl(1-->6)]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester by spectroscopic techniques and chemical transformations. Loniceroside C showed in vivo antiinflammatory activity against mouse ear edema provoked by croton oil.     

Supercritical fluid extraction of the fluoroquinolones norfloxacin and ofloxacin from orally treated-chicken breast muscles

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of the fluoroquinolones norfloxacin and ofloxacin from chicken breast muscles was examined. A liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was used for the determination of the fluoroquinolones. Extraction conditions of the SFE were optimized by determining the extraction parameters to achieve a sufficiently high recovery of each fluoroquinolone in fortified-muscle samples. Recovery values for the extraction of the fluoroquinolones using the SFE ranged from 70 to 87%. Chickens were treated orally with each fluoroquinolone and their muscles were extracted at set time intervals for time-course determination of the fluoroquinolones in chickens. The SFE combined with liquid chromatographic analysis showed that the concentrations of the fluoroquinolones decreased gradually with time in the chicken muscles after oral treatment, giving a concentration less than 5 ng/ml in 120 h. No further sample cleanup procedures were required after the SFE. These results suggest that SFE method is an extraction method for the determination of norfloxacin and ofloxacin in chicken muscle.     

乙酰化淀粉的塑化和性能研究

以乙酰化改性淀粉为基体,甘油为增塑剂,利用哈克旋转流变仪密炼制备热塑性乙酰化淀粉.实验结果表明制备热塑性乙酰化淀粉的甘油/乙酰化淀粉配比应大于30/100(W/W),且随甘油含量增加,热塑性乙酰化淀粉的脆性降低.动态机械热分析(DMTA)显示热塑性乙酰化淀粉包含富甘油和富淀粉两相,乙酰化淀粉和甘油为部分互溶.流变学分析显示淀粉分子间作用力非常强,表现为类固态行为.同时本文对材料的热稳定性进行了初步研究.     

An azo dye for photodynamic therapy that is activated selectively by two-photon excitation

Two-photon photodynamic therapy (TP-PDT) is a promising approach for the treatment of cancer because of its better penetration depth and superior spatial selectivity. Here, we describe an azo group containing cyclized-cyanine derivatives (ACC1 and ACC2) as a two-photon activated, type I based photosensitizer (PS). These small-molecule and heavy atom-free organic dyes showed marked reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating ability under physiological conditions, as well as fast loading ability into the cells and negligible dark toxicity. Live cell analyses with one- and two-photon microscopy revealed that these dyes showed higher ROS generation ability upon two-photon excitation than upon one-photon excitation via the type I process. The PSs have superior PDT properties compared to conventional Visudyne and 5-ALA under mild conditions. These characteristics allowed for precise PDT at the target region in mimic tumor spheroids, demonstrating that the developed TP PS could be useful in efficient PDT applications and in designing various PSs.

Azo containing dyes as a two-photon selective and type I based photosensitizers (PSs) were developed that exhibit excellent photodynamic therapy properties under mild condition.     

Morphology control of soap-free seeded P(St-EA-AA) latex particles

Soap-free poly(styrene-ethyl acrylate-acrylic acid) latex particles with narrow size distribution and with surface carboxyl groups were synthesized by semicontinuous emulsion polymerization, and the particles with homogeneous multihollow structure were obtained after alkali posttreatment. Effects of treatment conditions and crosslinking agents on particle morphology were investigated. Results showed that the multihollow structure can be formed inside the uncrosslinked particles only when the treatment temperature exceeded 50 °C, the pH was higher than 10.0, the amount of 2-butanone was more than 3.0 ml and the treatment time was longer than 30 min. Furthermore, the volume expansion of the particles increased with the temperature increased to 90 °C, the pH to 12.5 or the amount of 2-butanone to 7.0 ml, and this value increased first and then decreased with the treatment time prolonged. Fine pores can be generated in the shell of particles crosslinked by 0.2 g of ethyl glycol dimethylacrylate (EGDMA), while no hollow structure formed inside particles when 0.4 g of EGDMA or 0.2 g of divinyl benzene was used.     

Intriguing self-assembly of large granules of F-actin facilitated by gelsolin and alpha-actinin

We report microscopic observations and a structural determination of actin granules self-assembled in concentrated solutions of actin filaments (F-actin). Optical microscopy shows reproducible formation of numerous and stable granules of densely packed F-actin of variable sizes on the order of 10 microm. These granules coexist with a uniform network of F-actin of a lower concentration. The microscopic segregation of F-actin into two distinct states is assisted by an actin cross-linking protein, alpha-actinin. The rapid on and off rates and temperature sensitivity of the alpha-actinin/F-actin interaction facilitate the formation of multi-micrometer-sized granules of well-defined shapes. Additional physical factors such as the excluded volume effect and the minimization of surface energy act in concert with the specific molecular interactions to define the intriguing granular formation. Both the biochemical specificity of alpha-actinin and the thermodynamics of phase transitions are required for understanding such large scale self-assembly.     

The synthesis of dicationic extended bis-benzimidazoles

The synthesis of extended dicationic bis-benzimidazoles starting from trans-1,2-bis(4-cyanophenyl)ethene and trans-1,2-bis(4-cyanophenyl)cyclopropane is reported. The target diamidines show significant in vitro activity against B. subtilis.     

Distance dependence of electron transfer in rigid,cofacially compressed,pi-stacked porphyrin-bridge-quinone systems

The electron-transfer (ET) dynamics of a series of unusually rigid pi-stacked porphyrin-quinone (P-Q) systems, in which sub-van der Waals interplanar distances separate juxtaposed porphyryl, aromatic bridge, and quinonyl components of these assemblies, are reported. The photoinduced charge separation (CS) and thermal charge recombination (CR) ET reactions of [5-[8'-(2',5'-benzoquinonyl)-1'-naphthyl]-10,20-diphenylporphinato]zinc(II) (1a-Zn), [5-[8'-(4'-[8'"-(2'"',5'"'-benzoquinonyl)-1'"-naphthyl]-1'-phenyl)-1'-naphthyl]-10,20-diphenylporphinato]zinc(II) (2a-Zn), and [5-(8'-[4'-(8'"-[4'"'-(8'"-[2'"',5'"'-benzoquinonyl]-1'"-naphthyl)-1'"'-phenyl]-1'"-naphthyl)-1'-phenyl]-1'-naphthyl)-10,20-diphenylporphinato]zinc(II) (3a-Zn) in CH(2)Cl(2) were investigated by pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy. Analyses of these data show that the phenomenological ET distance dependence (beta) for both the CS and CR reactions in these systems is soft (beta(CS) = 0.43 A(-1); beta(CR) = 0.35 +/- 0.16 A(-1)). This work demonstrates that simple aromatic building blocks such as benzene, which are characterized by highly stabilized filled molecular orbitals and large HOMO-LUMO gaps, can provide substantial D-A electronic coupling when organized within a pi-stacked structural motif that features a modest degree of arene-arene interplanar compression.     

Thermally produced biodegradable scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering

A novel process was developed to fabricate biodegradable polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, without using organic solvents. Solvent residues in scaffolds fabricated by processes involving organic solvents may damage cells transplanted onto the scaffolds or tissue near the transplantation site. Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) powder and NaCl particles in a mold were compressed and subsequently heated at 180 degrees C (near the PLLA melting temperature) for 3 min. The heat treatment caused the polymer particles to fuse and form a continuous matrix containing entrapped NaCl particles. After dissolving the NaCl salts, which served as a porogen, porous biodegradable PLLA scaffolds were formed. The scaffold porosity and pore size were controlled by adjusting the NaCl/PLLA weight ratio and the NaCl particle size. The characteristics of the scaffolds were compared to those of scaffolds fabricated using a conventional solvent casting/particulate leaching (SC/PL) process, in terms of pore structure, pore-size distribution, and mechanical properties. A scanning electron microscopic examination showed highly interconnected and open pore structures in the scaffolds fabricated using the thermal process, whereas the SC/PL process yielded scaffolds with less interconnected and closed pore structures. Mercury intrusion porosimetry revealed that the thermally produced scaffolds had a much more uniform distribution of pore sizes than the SC/PL process. The utility of the thermally produced scaffolds was demonstrated by engineering cartilaginous tissues in vivo. In summary, the thermal process developed in this study yields tissue-engineering scaffolds with more favorable characteristics, with respect to, freedom from organic solvents, pore structure, and size distribution than the SC/PL process. Moreover, the thermal process could also be used to fabricate scaffolds from polymers that are insoluble in organic solvents, such as poly(glycolic acid). Cartilage tissue regenerated from thermally produced PLLA scaffold.