Synthesis of periphery-functionalized dendritic molecules using polylithiated dendrimers as starting material

A general method for the functionalization of Si-Cl terminated carbosilane dendritic molecules via organolithium or organomagnesium reagents is described. Quantitative exchange of the bromine atoms of 4-bromophenyl-functionalized dendrimers affords polylithiated species that are valuable starting materials for further functionalization, e.g., into pyridyl alcohols. The latter were successfully applied as catalyst precursors in a ruthenium-mediated ring-closure metathesis reaction.     

UVB irradiation of normal human skin favors the development of type-2 T-cells in vivo and in primary dermal cell cultures

To determine the effect of UVB exposure on the balance of type-1 or type-2 T-cells in skin, we examined the expression of key markers interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-4 in cryostat sections. IFN-gamma mRNA was clearly detectable in nonirradiated control skin, and IFN-gamma protein was found in 2% of the dermal CD3pos T-cells, whereas IL-4 mRNA was hardly detectable, and no IL-4 protein was found. In contrast, IL-4 mRNA expression increased upon irradiation, and IL-4 was found in 2% of the T-cells at day 2 after UVB-exposure. Concomitantly, IFN-gamma mRNA expression decreased, and IFN-gamma protein became absent. We also analyzed T-cells present in primary dermal cell cultures, which were used as an in vitro equivalent of the in vivo situation. As compared with T-cells from control skin, T-cells in dermal cell cultures from UVB-exposed skin displayed an increased IL-4 and decreased IFN-gamma expression. No such skewing occurred when the T-cells from irradiated skin were cloned in the absence of a dermal microenvironment. Except for an occasional positive T-cell, type-1-associated cell-surface markers (CCR5, CXCR3) or type-2 markers (CCR3, CD30, CRTH2) were undetectable in situ. But these markers were expressed on cultured dermal T-cells from UVB-exposed and control skin at a comparable level, but did not correlate with the IFN-gamma and IL-4 production. Altogether, UVB-induced changes of the dermal microenvironment favor the development of type-2 T-cells.     

Oscillatory melting temperature of the vortex smectic phase in layered superconductors

We report on transport measurements of YBa 2Cu 3O (7-delta) single crystals with different oxygen contents in the geometry B, J ||ab (J perpendicularB). Our data show that the vortices become confined between the Cu-O planes below a well-defined temperature at which the effective size 2xi of the vortex core is approximately equal to the period of the Cu-O layers. This confinement strongly increases the vortex liquid freezing temperature. A new melting line is found separating a vortex liquid and a smectic phase, which shows an oscillatory field dependence reflecting differences between commensurate and incommensurate smectic states.     

Synthesis of Novel Chiral Diol Ligands for the Enantioselective Reactions

The chiral diols ((,(,((,((-Tetraaryl-1,3-dioxolane-4,5-dimethanols) have been used for the formation of cyclic titanates and similar derivatives of Mg, Al and Zr. These complexes of oxophilic metal centers were employed in catalytic and stiochiometric enantioselective reactions such as enantioselective addition reactions of carbon-centered nucleophiles to aldehydes1, [2+2] cycloadditions2, and Diels-Alder reactions3. So far, the two hydrogen atoms of all this type of diols are in trans form…     

The diffraction of elastic waves by an imperfect fusion bond

We consider diffraction by a semi-infinite crack located alonga fusion interface between two differing elastic media. Twotypes of crack, namely open and partially closed cracks, areinvestigated. An open crack is modelled by a stress-free contactboundary condition and a partially closed crack is modelledby a spring contact boundary condition. For the latter, thejump in the stress across the crack is assumed to be proportionalto the jump in the displacement across the crack. This situationarises in, for example, a K-weld where the fine grain of theparent material (for example, ferritic or forged austeniticsteel) is in stark contrast with the coarse-grained weld metal(for example, austenitic weld metal). In the metal weld thedirection of the grain axis varies through the metal. However,diffraction is a local phenomenon and so the austenitic steelis assumed to have a zonal axis so that it may be modelled bya transversely isotropic composite. The ferritic or forged austeniticsteel will be modelled as an isotropic material.     

Transferring Ions from Solution to the Gas Phase: The Two Basic Principles

The efficient formation of gaseous ions is the crucial step in all successful mass spectrometric experiments. The invention of electrospray ionization (ESI) has strongly facilitated this step by transferring preformed ions directly from solution to the gas phase – thereby circumventing the need to first convert analytes to the gas phase and then ionize them – and therefore ESI has become an extremely useful and widely applied MS technique. The invention of sonic spray ionization (SSI) has also allowed for the transfer of ions from solution into the gas phase, but without the assistance of a voltage or heating. Numerous ionization techniques, using similar principles to those applied in either ESI or SSI, have subsequently been developed. Although experimental conditions used in such techniques vary markedly, herein we argue that they are all based on either one of two basic principles by which ions can be transferred from solution to the gas phase, that is: via (1) neutralizing the counter ion, or (2) separating the ions. We have selected 35 such techniques and categorized them accordingly. This article thereby aims to establish the basic principles by which gaseous ions can be obtained from solvated ions. We further propose that any new ionization technique used to transfer solvated ions to the gas phase will similarly fall into one of these two mechanistic categories.

Open image in new window

Graphical abstract