Cationic ruthenium allenylidene complexes as catalysts for ring closing olefin metathesis

A series of well accessible cationic ruthenium allenylidene complexes of the general type [(eta6-arene)(R3P)RuCl(=C=CR'2)]+ X- is described which constitute a new class of pre-catalysts for ring closing olefin metathesis reactions (RCM) and provide an unprecedented example for the involvement of metal allenylidenes in catalysis. They effect the cyclization of various functionalized dienes and enynes with good to excellent yields and show a great tolerance towards an array of functional groups. Systematic variations of their basic structural motif have provided insights into the essential parameters responsible for catalytic activity which can be enhanced further by addition of Lewis or Bronsted acids, by irradiation with UV light, or by the adequate choice of the "non-coordinating" counterion X-. The latter turned out to play a particularly important role in determining the rate and selectivity of the reaction. A similarly pronounced influence is exerted by remote substituents on the allenylidene residue which indicates that this ligand (or a ligand derived thereof) may remain attached to the metal throughout the catalytic process. X-ray crystal structures of the catalytically active allenylidene complexes 3b.PF6 and 15.OTf as well as of the chelate complex 10 required for the preparation of the latter catalyst are reported.     

Influence of organic and inorganic arsenicals on glucose uptake in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells.

The effect of organic (oxophenylarsine; PhAsO) and inorganic (arsenite) arsenicals on the availability of glucose to Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells was investigated. The MDCK cells revealed stereospecific D-glucose uptake which was inhibited by both arsenicals in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. After 10 min (37 degrees C), the effects on D-glucose and 2-deoxy-D-glucose accumulation were analogous, suggesting an impaired hexose uptake. With arsenite, 0.5-1 mmol dm-3 were required for half-maximum inhibition (IC50), whereas PhAsO inhibited glucose uptake in the micromolar range (IC50 5-30 mumol dm-3). Under these conditions neither cell morphology nor cellular viability was affected. After 60 min, however, the inhibition of glucose utilization was paralleled by the formation of blebs, detachment of the monolayer and a loss of cellular viability as confirmed by dye exclusion, lactate dehydrogenase and potassium release. It is concluded that inhibition of glucose uptake may contribute to the acute toxicity, especially of organic arsenicals, by further aggravating the depletion of intracellular carbohydrates.     

Pigment-Protein Interactions in the Antenna-Reaction Center Complex of Heliobacillus mobilis

Membrane fragments of Heliobacillus (Hc.) mobilis were characterized using resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy in order to determine the configuration of the neurosporene carotenoid, the pigment-protein interactions of the bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) g molecules, and the Chl a-like chlorin pigments present in the antenna-reaction center complex constituting the photosynthetic apparatus. Using 363.8 nm excitation, the Raman contributions of the BChl g molecules were selectively resonantly enhanced over those of the carotenoid and the Chl a-like chlorin pigments. The RR spectrum of BChl g in these membranes excited at 363.8 nm exhibits bands at 1614 and 1688 cm^?1, which correspond to a C_aC_m methine bridge stretching mode and a keto carbonyl group stretching mode, respectively. Both of these bands are 16 cm^?1 wide (full width at half maximum, FWHM), indicating that a sole population of BChl g molecules is being enhanced at this excitation wavelength. The observed frequency of the C_aC_m stretching mode (1614 cm^?1) indicates that the bulk of BChl g molecules is pentacoordinated with only one axial ligand to the central Mg atom while that of the keto carbonyl stretching mode (1668 cm^?1) indicates that these groups are engaged in a hydrogen bond. This homogeneous population of BChl g molecules bound to the heliobacterial core polypeptides is in contrast to the heterogeneous population of Chl a molecules bound to the core polypeptides of the reaction center of photosystem I of Synechocystis 6803 as observed by the inhomogeneously broadened C₉ keto carbonyl band in its RR spectrum. The RR spectrum of the Chl a-like chlorin pigments in Hc. mobilis excited at 441.6 nm exhibits a broad keto carbonyl band (43 cm^?1 FWHM) with components at 1665, 1683 and 1695 cm^?1, indicating several populations of these pigments differing in their protein interactions at the level of the keto carbonyl group. Fourier transform (FT) pre-RR spectroscopic measurements of intact whole cells and membrane fragments at room temperature using 1064 nm excitation indicate that high quality vibrational spectra of the BChl g molecules can be obtained with no photodegradation. Low-temperature FT Raman spectra excited at 1064 nm reveals an inhomogeneously broadened 1665 cm^?1 band corresponding to the C₉ keto carbonyl stretching mode. Spectral deconvolution and second derivative analysis of this band reveal that it is comprised of components at 1665, 1682 and 1695 cm^?1, the latter two most likely arising from BChl g photoconversion products. Excitation using 885 nm to enhance the preresonance effect of the BChl g molecules yields an FT Raman spectrum where the keto carbonyl band at 1665 cm^?1 is narrow, as is the case in the Soret RR spectra, reflecting a sole population of BChl g molecules, which are engaged in an H bond. The RR spectrum of the neurosporene molecule in Hc. mobilis membranes excited at 496.5 nm is compared to that of 1,2-dihydroneurosporene bound in a cis configuration in reaction centers of Rhodopseudomona viridis and to that of the same carotenoid in its all-trans configuration extracted from these reaction centers in the presence of light. The similarity of this latter RR spectrum with that of neurosporene in the Hc. mobilis membranes indicates that it is bound in an all-trans configuration.     

On the Rayleigh-Plateau instability

In this paper,we study the surface instability of a cylindrical pore in the absence of stress. This instability is called the Rayleigh-Plateau instabilty. We consider the model developed by Spencer et ...     

Synthesis,Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Evaluation of Novel Series of Condensed Thiazoloquinazoline with Pyrido,Pyrano, and Benzol Moieties as Five- and Six-Membered Heterocycle Derivatives

A novel synthesis of thiazolo[2,3-b]quinazolines 4(a–e), pyrido[2′,3′:4,5]thiazolo[2,3-b]quinazolines {5(a–e), 6(a–e), and 7(a–e)}, pyrano[2′,3′:4,5]thiazolo[2,3-b]quinazolines 8(a–e), and benzo[4,5]thiazolo[2,3-b]quinazoloine9(a–e) derivatives starting from 2-(Bis-methylsulfanyl-methylene)-5,5-dimethyl-cyclohexane-1,3-dione 2 as efficient α,α dioxoketen dithioacetal is reported and the synthetic approaches of these types of compounds will provide an innovative molecular framework to the designing of new active heterocyclic compounds. In our study, we also present optimization of the synthetic method along with a biological evaluation of these newly synthesized compounds as antioxidants and antibacterial agents against the bacterial strains, like S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. Among all the evaluated compounds, it was found that some showed significant antioxidant activity at 10 μg/mL while the others exhibited better antibacterial activity at 100 μg/mL. The results of this study showed that compound 6(c) possessed remarkable antibacterial activity, whereas compound 9(c) exhibited the highest efficacy as an antioxidant. The structures of the new synthetic compounds were elucidated by elemental analysis, IR, ¹H-NMR, and ¹³C-NMR.     

Genes involved in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis>glutamate receptor expression and localization

Background  

A clear picture of the mechanisms controlling glutamate receptor expression, localization, and stability remains elusive, possibly due to an incomplete understanding of the proteins involved. We screened transposon mutants generated by the ongoing Drosophila Gene Disruption Project in an effort to identify the different types of genes required for glutamate receptor cluster development.     

Novel microscopic mechanism of intermixing during growth on soft metallic substrates

Generic computer simulations using empiric interatomic potentials suggest a new, collective mechanism that could be responsible for mixing at heteroepitaxial interfaces. Even if single adsorbate atoms diffuse by hopping on the substrate surface and do not mix at the terraces, two-dimensional islands formed by nucleation may become unstable above a certain critical size and explode upwards forming clusters of several atomic layers. This process is accompanied by strong distortions of the underlying atomic layers, and on soft materials it can result in surface etching and incorporation of substrate atoms into the islands.     

One-legged caterpillars span hypercubes

The aim of this paper is to prove that any balanced caterpillar having 2ⁿ vertices and maximum degree 3 spans the n-dimensional hypercube.