Kinetic Analysis of the Hydrolysis of Pentose-1-phosphates through Apparent Nucleoside Phosphorolysis Equilibrium Shifts**

Herein, we report an addition to the toolbox for the monitoring and quantification of the hydrolytic decay of pentose-1-phosphates, which are known to be elusive and difficult to quantify. This communication describes how apparent equilibrium shifts of a nucleoside phosphorolysis reaction can be employed to calculate hydrolytic loss of pentose-1-phosphates based on the measurement of post-hydrolysis equilibrium concentrations of a nucleoside and a nucleobase. To demonstrate this approach, we assessed the stability of the relatively stable ribose-1-phosphate at 98 °C and found half-lives of 1.8–11.7 h depending on the medium pH. This approach can be extended to other sugar phosphates and related reaction systems to quantify the stability of UV-inactive and hard-to-detect reaction products and intermediates.     

Modular Synthetic Approach to Carboranyl‒Biomolecules Conjugates

The development of novel, tumor-selective and boron-rich compounds as potential agents for use in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) represents a very important field in cancer treatment by radiation therapy. Here, we report the design and synthesis of two promising compounds that combine meta-carborane, a water-soluble monosaccharide and a linking unit, namely glycine or ethylenediamine, for facile coupling with various tumor-selective biomolecules bearing a free amino or carboxylic acid group. In this work, coupling experiments with two selected biomolecules, a coumarin derivative and folic acid, were included. The task of every component in this approach was carefully chosen: the carborane moiety supplies ten boron atoms, which is a tenfold increase in boron content compared to the l-boronophenylalanine (l-BPA) presently used in BNCT; the sugar moiety compensates for the hydrophobic character of the carborane; the linking unit, depending on the chosen biomolecule, acts as the connection between the tumor-selective component and the boron-rich moiety; and the respective tumor-selective biomolecule provides the necessary selectivity. This approach makes it possible to develop a modular and feasible strategy for the synthesis of readily obtainable boron-rich agents with optimized properties for potential applications in BNCT.     

Synthese und Kristallstruktur einer Neuen hexagonalen Modifikation von Al2S3 mit fünffach koordiniertem Aluminium

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a Novel Hexagonal Modification of Al₂S₃ with Five-coordinated Aluminum A new hexagonal high temperature modification of Al₂S₃ could be prepared by chemical vapour transport with iodine (860 → 750°C) or by annealing of α -Al₂S₃ at 550°C. According to the single crystal X-ray structure determination the novel form of Al₂S₃ crystallizes in space group P 6₁ (No. 169) with a = 6.491(1), c = 17.169(4) Å, V = 626.5 ų, Z = 6; R = 0.0253. In this modification one half of the aluminum atoms are tetrahedrally coordinated [d(Al? S): 2.226–2.267 Å], whereas the other half are in trigonal bipyramidal coordination of five S atoms with bond lengths of 2.272–2.315 Å (equatorial) and 2.495–2.521 Å (axial). Aluminum in AlS₅ coordination is observed for the first time in this compound. The crystal structure is isotypic to In₂Se₃ and AlInS₃. In addition, results of a refinement of the α -Al₂S₃ crystal structure are reported which were obtained on crystals prepared also by chemical vapour transport with iodine.     

Structure and diffusion in amorphous aluminum silicate: a molecular dynamics computer simulation

The amorphous aluminum silicate (Al2O3)2(SiO2) [AS2] is investigated by means of large scale molecular dynamics computer simulations. We consider fully equilibrated melts in the temperature range 6100 K> or =T> or =2300 K as well as glass configurations that were obtained from cooling runs from T=2300 to 300 K with a cooling rate of about 10(12) K/s. Already at temperatures as high as 4000 K, most of the Al and Si atoms are fourfold coordinated by oxygen atoms. Thus, the structure of AS2 is that of a disordered tetrahedral network. The packing of AlO4 tetrahedra is very different from that of SiO4 tetrahedra in that Al is involved with a relatively high probability in small-membered rings and in triclusters in which an O atom is surrounded by four cations. We find as typical configurations two-membered rings with two Al atoms in which the shared O atoms form a tricluster. On larger length scales, the system shows a microphase separation in which the Al-rich network structure percolates through the SiO2 network. The latter structure gives rise to a prepeak in the static structure factor at a wave number q=0.5 A(-1). A comparison of experimental x-ray data with the results from the simulation shows good agreement for the structure function. The diffusion dynamics in AS2 is found to be much faster than in SiO2. We show that the self-diffusion constants for O and Al are very similar and that they are by a factor of 2-3 larger than the one for Si.     

The iodine supply of humans depending on site, food offer and water supply

In Central Europe, the iodine content of weathered soils of new red sandstone, Muschelkalk, keuper and lower strata of new red sandstone, which developed from marine sediment is low. Boulder clays and diluvial sands also exhibit low iodine concentrations. In the same areas, the iodine concentration of drinking water decreases from 9 to 1 g/l with increasing distance from the oceans. Cereals and foodstuffs produced from them are extremely iodine-poor. The iodine content of plants increases with the proportion of leaves. Soil contamination raises the iodine content of foodstuffs and improves the iodine supply of animals. The iodination of mineral mixtures increased the iodine content of cow's milk from 17 to 81 g/l. The iodination of packed cooking salt and of the mineral mixtures for cattle and pigs resulted in a mean increase of the iodine intake of adults from about 30 g/day to 48 and 59, respectively. Although iodine intake remained considerably below the calculated requirement for adults (100 to 150 g/day), it led to the disappearance of Struma konnata and reduced the frequency of struma in children.