Manuals in orthogonal categories

The notion of a manual, introduced and investigated in detail by Foulis, Randall, and their followers, has turned out to be further reaching than its originators had envisaged. Its omnipresence is comparable with the notion of a sheaf, whose significance is well recognized by every pure and applied mathematician. The principal concern of this paper is to give an appropriate vehicle, as general as possible, by which the theory of manuals can be developed. The vehicle is called an orthogonal category, which is akin to the notion of a category with coproducts. Orthogonal categories provide also a new perspective on the notion of a sheaf over a complete Boolean algebra, deepening our comprehension of Boolean mathematics and paving the way to quantum mathematics.     

Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization mass spectrometry using a two-color laser beam generated by stimulated Raman scattering.

Two-color (1+1') resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (REMPI/TOF-MS) combined with supersonic jet (SSJ) spectrometry has been demonstrated. The methodology uses a two-color laser beam consisting of a Stokes beam generated by stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and a fundamental beam for the excitation and subsequent ionization of p-dichlorobenzene. The MPI signal was found to be substantially increased when a two-color laser beam was employed. This approach greatly simplifies the analytical system and reduces the cost of the instrumentation required for two-color ionization. The potential advantage of applying this method for the analysis of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) emitted from an incinerator is discussed.     

Confinement by polynomial potentials

It is shown that the Dirac equation with attractive monomial vector potential cannot confine a particle. General polynomial type vector potential cannot confine a particle, either. This condition is not changed by a scalar potential smaller than the vector one.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of new psi[(E)-CH=CMe]- and psi[(Z)-CH=CMe]-type alkene dipeptide isosteres by organocopper reagents and application to conformationally restricted cyclic RGD peptidomimetics

Diastereoselective synthesis of new psi[(E)-CH=CMe]- and psi[(Z)-CH=CMe]-type alkene dipeptide isosteres corresponding to dipeptides having one N-methylamino acid, and application to bioactive peptides, are described. In a key reaction introducing the chiral alpha-alkyl group of the isosteres, organocopper-mediated alkylation of syn-beta-methylated gamma-mesyloxy-alpha,beta-enoate 26a afforded E- and Z-isomers of anti-S(N)2' products in a solvent-dependent manner. The resulting two isosteres, D-Phe-psi[(E)-CH=CMe]-L-Val 27a and D-Phe-psi[(Z)-CH=CMe]-L-Val 28b, which corresponded to trans- and cis-conformers of D-Phe-L-MeVal, respectively, were utilized in a structure-activity relationship study on cyclic RGD peptides 1 and 2, in company with a psi[(E)-CH=CH]-type alkene dipeptide isostere, D-Phe-psi[(E)-CH=CH]-L-Val. The cyclic isostere-containing pseudopeptides 3, 4, and 40 were synthesized and biological activity against integrin alpha(V)beta(3) and alpha(IIb)beta(3) receptors were also evaluated.     

Single molecular multianalyte sensor: jewel pendant ligand

[structure: see text] The jewel pendant ligand has multiple chromogenic units combined in a single molecule with the dyes linked to a semiselective binding site by three heteroatoms (O, N, S) having different HSAB characteristics, to indicate diverse response to individual transition metal ions. Using a single-molecular multianalyte sensor, multiple analytes could be determined with a minimal sensing system.     

Preparation and photolysis of polyamides having coumarin dimer component

The ring-opening polyaddition reaction of anti and syn head-to-head Coumarin dimers with diamines and the photocleavage behavior of the resulting polyamides were investigated. Anti head-to-head Coumarin dimer successfully reacted with aliphatic and aromatic diamines in an aprotic polar solvent to give corresponding high molecular weight polyamides. The polyamides showed good film forming ability and exhibited solubility behavior typical of polyelectrolytes. Furthermore, these polyamides were found to undergo exclusively asymmetric photocleavage on the cyclobutane rings in the polymer main chain to give a fumaramide unit with elimination of 2,2′-dihydroxystilbene. On the other hand, syn head-to-head Coumarin dimer gave only low molecular weight polyamides. These polymerization and photocleavage behaviors were elucidated in comparison with those of model reactions.     

Cell docking inside microwells within reversibly sealed microfluidic channels for fabricating multiphenotype cell arrays

We present a soft lithographic method to fabricate multiphenotype cell arrays by capturing cells within an array of reversibly sealed microfluidic channels. The technique uses reversible sealing of elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) molds on surfaces to sequentially deliver various fluids or cells onto specific locations on a substrate. Microwells on the substrate were used to capture and immobilize cells within low shear stress regions inside channels. By using an array of channels it was possible to deposit multiple cell types, such as hepatocytes, fibroblasts, and embryonic stem cells, on the substrates. Upon formation of the cell arrays on the substrate, the PDMS mold could be removed, generating a multiphenotype array of cells. In addition, the orthogonal alignment and subsequent attachment of a secondary array of channels on the patterned substrates could be used to deliver fluids to the patterned cells. The ability to position many cell types on particular regions within a two dimensional substrate could potentially lead to improved high-throughput methods applicable to drug screening and tissue engineering.     

Application of samarium diiodide (SmI2)-induced reduction of gamma-acetoxy-alpha,beta-enoates with alpha-specific kinetic electrophilic trapping for the synthesis of amino acid derivatives

Gamma-acetoxy-alpha,beta-enoates were easily reduced by samarium diiodide (SmI2) in THF to generate samarium dienolates which were kinetically trapped with ease at their alpha-positions by electrophiles (proton, aldehydes or ketones) to yield (E)-alkene dipeptide isosteres or gamma-amino acid derivatives in high chemical yields.     

SmI2-mediated reduction of gamma,gamma-difluoro-alpha,beta-enoates with application to the synthesis of functionalized (Z)-fluoroalkene-type dipeptide isosteres

A samarium diiodide (SmI(2))-mediated reduction of gamma,gamma-difluoro-alpha,beta-enoates (15, 29, and 34) was successfully applied to the synthesis of (Z)-fluoroalkene dipeptide isosteres (23, 30, and 35), which have served as potential dipeptide mimetics. Reduction of the gamma,gamma-difluoro-alpha,beta-enoates by SmI(2) proceeded via successive two-electron transfers to form dienolate species which upon kinetically controlled trapping with t-BuOH yielded Xaa-Gly-type fluoroalkene isosteres exemplified by 23, 30, and 35. Replacement of the t-BuOH kinetic trapping agent with aldehydes or ketones provided access to alpha-substituted fluoroalkene isosteres (43 and 45) through aldol reactions of Sm-dienolates with the carbonyl compounds. Of particular note, the use of the SmI(2)-HCHO reagent system with chiral enoate 34 provided D-Phe-psi[(Z)-CF[double bond]CH]-D/L-Ser isosteres (45), which could be converted to enantiomerically pure isosteres (49-52) that bore a variety of side chain functionalities at the alpha-position. This was achieved by a sequence of manipulations consisting of beta-lactone formation followed by chromatographic separation and ring-opening with soft nucleophiles. Included in the present work is the first utilization of a Rh-catalyzed Reformatsky reaction of chiral imines for the stereoselective preparation of alpha,alpha-difluoro-beta-amino acid derivatives (28 and 33). The appropriate choice of reagents (carbonyl compounds for kinetic trapping or ring-opening nucleophiles and imines for Reformatsky reactions) allows the presented methodology to yield various fluoroalkene isosteres possessing a wide range of side chain functionalities.