Hierarchical meso–macroporous bioglass for bone tissue engineering

A novel meso–macroporous bioglass has been synthesized based on a sol–gel technique. This method used mushroom stalk as macroporous template and EO₂₀PO₇₀EO₂₀ as the mesoporous template. The final sample has copied the macroporous structure of the plant template, precisely. Ibuprofen was used as the model drug, and the drug loading and release test indicated the loading amount of the sample could reach 33.59 wt% and the releasing amount closed 75 wt% after 48 h. The excellent biomineralization and bioactive are also confirmed in vitro tests. It takes only 4 h to induce the formation of hydroxyapatite. Notably, the biocompatibility assessment confirmed that the obtained materials presented good biocompatibility and the enhanced adherence of HeLa cells. The exquisite mesoporous structure of the sample would be propitious to storage and transport guest molecule, making the hierarchical porous materials have more distinctive performance and application on bone tissue regeneration and drug delivery, etc.     

Bioactive sol–gel scaffolds with dual porosity for tissue engineering

Scaffolds containing dual porosity at the nano and macroscale appear to exhibit improved performance in terms of crystallization of hydroxycarbonate apatite plus cell adhesion and proliferation, as well as vascularization. The aim of the present work is to develop a novel, simple sol–gel process for the preparation of silica-based bioactive porous bone tissue scaffold, with a pore structure consisting of interconnected pores of both 100’s of micrometers and 10’s of nanometers in size, optimized for enhanced bone regeneration performance. SiO₂–CaO and SiO₂–CaO–P₂O₅ porous glass monoliths have been prepared with a dual pore structure including pores of both ~50–200 micrometers and a few to 10’s of nanometers in size, based on polymerization-induced phase separation together with the sol-gel transition, by adding a water soluble polymer to the precursor sol. The nanopore (~5–40 nm) structure of such macroporous gel skeletons was tailored by solvent exchange, followed by heat treatment at 600–700 °C. The overall pore structure has been studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), N₂-adsorption (BET), Mercury intrusion porosimetry and Infrared spectroscopy. The scaffold bioactivity, tested in simulated body fluid, has been demonstrated by means of DRIFTS, SEM and X-ray diffraction measurements.     

Ceramics based on double magnesium–sodium phosphates for bone regeneration

The fabrication of ceramics based on double phosphates MgNaPO₄ and Mg₄Na(PO₄)₃ is considered. Volume changes in phase transformations of MgNaPO₄ and Mg₄Na(PO₄)₃ upon thermal treatment in a range of 800–1100 °C and their effect on the microstructure of ceramics are studied.     

Silica–gelatin hybrids for tissue regeneration: inter-relationships between the process variables

Owing to their diverse range of highly tailorable material properties, inorganic/organic hybrids have the potential to meet the needs of biodegradable porous scaffolds across a range of tissue engineering applications. One such hybrid platform, the silica–gelatin sol–gel system, was examined and developed in this study. These hybrid scaffolds exhibit covalently linked interpenetrating networks of organic and inorganic components, which allows for independent control over their mechanical and degradation properties. A combination of the sol–gel foaming process and freeze drying was used to create an interconnected pore network. The synthesis and processing of the scaffolds has many variables that affect their structure and properties. The focus of this study was to develop a matrix tool that shows the inter-relationship between process variables by correlating the key hybrid material properties with the synthesis parameters that govern them. This was achieved by investigating the effect of the organic (gelatin) molecular weight and collating previously reported data. Control of molecular weight of the polymer is as an avenue that allows the modification of hybrid material properties without changing the surface chemistry of the material, which is a factor that governs the cell and tissue interaction with the scaffold. This presents a significant step forward in understanding the complete potential of the silica–gelatin hybrid system as a medical device.     

A facile synthetic strategy for mesoporous crystalline copper–polyaniline composite

A facile and novel strategy for preparing mesoporous crystalline copper–polyaniline composite is reported wherein the reaction is carried out at room temperature using copper nitrate as the oxidizing agent and methanol as the solvent. The composite obtained as a precipitate has been characterized using UV–visible absorption spectroscopy (UV–vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption–desorption method, Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) method, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method (BET) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The XRD studies in conjunction with the BJH method reveals that the composite has crystalline nature with a mesoporous structure and has a diameter of 3.5 nm. The specific surface area of copper–polyaniline composite is estimated to be as high as 63.2 m² g^?1 using the BET surface area plot. The characterization of the filtrate indicates the presence of pernigraniline with a very small weight percent of copper.     

A ring-closing metathesis (RCM)-based approach to mycolactones A/B

The total synthesis of the mycobacterial toxins mycolactones A/B ( 1 a / b ) has been accomplished based on a strategy built around the construction of the mycolactone core through ring‐closing metathesis. By employing the Grubbs second‐generation catalyst, the 12‐membered core macrocycle of mycolactones, with a functionalized C2 handle attached to C11, was obtained in 60–80 % yield. The C‐linked upper side chain (comprising C12–C20) was completed by a highly efficient modified Suzuki coupling between C13 and C14, while the attachment of the C5‐O‐linked polyunsaturated acyl side chain was achieved by Yamaguchi esterification. Surprisingly, a diene containing a simple isopropyl group attached to C11 could not be induced to undergo ring‐closing metathesis. By employing fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry techniques, the synthetic mycolactones A/B ( 1 a / b ) were demonstrated to display similar apoptosis‐inducing and cytopathic effects as mycolactones A/B extracted from Mycobacterium ulcerans. In contrast, a simplified analogue with truncated upper and lower side chains was found to be inactive.     

A powerful approach to alkoxy radical-mediated remote C(sp~3)–H bonds functionalization

正The activation of inert C(sp~3)–H bonds with control of reactivity and selectivity is one of the central topics in chemical sciences.In this context,alkoxy radical-mediated 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer allows the regioselective transfor-     

A second generation pyranose-based approach to the F ring (C38–C45) of altohyrtin A

A second generation approach to the F ring, fragment C38–C45, of altohyrtin A (1) is described herein. The C43–C44 C-glycosidic linkage was prepared and subsequently functionalised with a thioketal moiety.     

A new convenient approach to chiral β-aryl(heteroaryl)alkylamines

Chiral β-aryl(heteroaryl)alkylamines have been prepared from N-tosyl alkylaziridines via regiospecific nucleophilic ring opening and subsequent desulfonylation in good to excellent yields. The corresponding aziridines are easily obtained from commercially available (S)-α-amino acids, so this method is the first effective route to asymmetric β-aryl(heteroaryl)alkylamines.     

A modified variation–perturbation approach to zero-point vibrational motion

We present a detailed investigation of the perturbation approach for calculating zero-point vibrational contributions to molecular properties. It is demonstrated that if the sum of the potential energy and the zero-point vibrational energy is regarded as an effective potential energy, the leading contribution to the first-order wave function vanishes in the perturbation approach. Two different perturbation approaches have been investigated numerically by calculations of some magnetic properties for a few diatomic molecules and the results obtained have been compared to the exact numerical results. It is shown that only a few terms need to be included in a perturbation expansion to obtain an accuracy in the calculated rovibrational contribution better than the quality normally obtained for the potential and property surfaces in electronic structure calculations. Received: 16 April 1999 / Accepted: 1 July 1999 / Published online: 4 October 1999     

A ring-closing metathesis approach for the synthesis of (±)-pregabalin

Abstract  

Efficient utilization of a Mannich-type reaction and the ring-closing metathesis (RCM) approach that leads to a convenient synthesis of 3-(aminomethyl)-5-methylhexanoic acid (pregabalin) is described.     

Electrospun fibrous membranes of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) with β-tricalcium phosphate for guided bone regeneration application

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) have been proved great success for the treatment of bone defects in oral implantology. Bone defects are reconstructed by the use of a barrier membrane which prevents the invasion of soft tissue and create a space for guiding new bone growth into the bone defect. To develop GBR membranes with higher bioactivity, poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) fibrous membranes containing β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) were fabricated via electrospinning. The presence of 5 wt% and 10 wt% of β-TCP in the fibers improved mechanical properties. In vitro biocompatibility results have shown that all membranes are non-cytotoxic and the presence of β-TCP increased cell adhesion and proliferation. Furthermore, cell viability results demonstrated that the presence of 5 wt% β-TCP is advantageous for osteoblast proliferation. Therefore, the results suggest that PLGA with 5 wt% β-TCP fibrous membranes meet the requirement of morphological, physical, mechanical and bioactive properties for an effective GBR membrane.     

A combinatorial approach for determining protease specificities: application to interleukin-1β converting enzyme (ICE)

Background: Interleukin-1β converting enzyme (ICE/caspase-1) is the protease responsible for interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production in monocytes. It was the first member of a new cysteine protease family to be identified. Members of this family have functions in both inflammation and apoptosis.Results: A novel method for identifying protease specificity, employing a positional-scanning substrate library, was used to determine the amino-acid preferences of ICE. Using this method, the complete specificity of a protease can be mapped in the time required to perform one assay. The results indicate that the optimal tetrapeptide recognition sequence for ICE is WEND, not YVAD, as previously believed, and this led to the synthesis of an unusually potent aldehyde inhibitor, Ac-WEND-CHO (K_i=56 pM). The structural basis far this potent inhibition was determined by X-ray crystallography.Conclusions: The results presented in this study establish a positional-scanning library as a powerful tool for rapidly and accurately assessing protease specificity. The preferred sequence for ICE (WEND) differs significantly from that found in human pro-interleukin-1β (YVHD), which suggests that this protease may have additional endogenous substrates, consistent with evidence linking it to apoptosis and IL-1α production.     

A shotgun approach for the identification of platinum–protein complexes

A shotgun approach including peptide-based OFFGEL-isoelectric focusing (IEF) fractionation has been developed with the aim of improving the identification of platinum-binding proteins in biological samples. The method is based on a filter-aided sample preparation (FASP) tryptic digestion under denaturing and reducing conditions of cisplatin–, oxaliplatin–, and carboplatin–protein complexes, followed by OFFGEL-IEF separation of the peptides. Any risk of platinum loss is minimized throughout the procedure due to the removal of the reagents used after each stage of the FASP method and the absence of thiol-based reagents in the focusing buffer employed in the IEF separation. The platinum–peptide complexes stability after the FASP digestion and the IEF separation was confirmed by size exclusion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SEC-ICP-MS). The suitability of peptide-based OFFGEL-IEF fractionation for reducing the sample complexity for further nano-liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-ESI-MS/MS) analysis has been demonstrated, allowing the detection of platinum-containing peptides, with significantly lower abundance and ionization efficiency than unmodified peptides. nLC-MS/MS analysis of selected OFFGEL-IEF fractions from tryptic digests with different complexity degrees: standard human serum albumin (HSA), a mixture of five proteins (albumin, transferrin, carbonic anhydrase, myoglobin, and cytochrome-c) and human blood serum allowed the identification of several platinum–peptides from cisplatin–HSA. Cisplatin-binding sites in HSA were elucidated from the MS/MS spectra and assessed considering the protein three-dimensional structure. Most of the potential superficial binding sites available on HSA were identified for all the samples, including a biologically relevant cisplatin-cross-link of two protein domains, demonstrating the capabilities of the methodology.

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Graphical Abstract Graphical abstract shows the several steps involved in the identification of platinum-protein complexes: FASP digestion of proteins, peptide fractionation by OFFGEL-IEF and identification of Pt-complexes by nLC-ESIMS/MS

     

An approach to calculate solid–liquid phase equilibrium for binary mixtures

An approach is presented to calculate solid–liquid phase equilibrium for binary mixtures, using expressions for the temperature as a function of the molar fraction. For Margules model the expression gives explicitly the temperature, while for other liquid phase activity models an iterative procedure is required to calculate the temperature. The method is very easy to apply and it can be used for mixtures that have peritectic and eutectic points, or just a eutectic point. The approach was applied to five case studies with binary mixtures of fatty acids and triglycerides. The results were in good agreement with experimental data.     

Synthetic approach to seco-tetracenomycin natural products saccharothrixone A–C

Design and development of first synthetic approach to the functionalized tetracyclic framework of structurally novel seco-tetracenomycin natural products saccharothrixones A–C has been reported. A thermal dehydro Diels-Alder reaction of an arenyne-alkyne unit has been utilized as the key synthetic step. This strategy has been extended for the generation of a small library of diversely functionalized tetracyclic systems of seco-tetracenomycins. An approach for the synthesis of poly-hydroxyl tetracyclic system has also been described. This report represents the first synthetic approach to the tetracenomycin natural products saccharothrixones A–C.     

Cost-effective bio-derived mesoporous carbon nanoparticles-supported palladium catalyst for nitroarene reduction and Suzuki–Miyaura coupling by microwave approach

A new heterogeneous catalyst was synthesized by immobilizing Pd on areca nut kernel-derived carbon nanospheres (CNSs). The CNSs, without any further activation processes, accommodated 3% of Pd on their surface. The new Pd/CNS material was used for the reduction of nitroarenes and Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of bromoarenes with aryl boronic acids. The reactions were conducted under microwave irradiation at 160 °C using 12 mol% of Pd/CNS (0.36% actual Pd content). The reduction of nitroarenes into their respective amino compounds was achieved in 10–20 min (conversion up to 100%); by contrast, the Suzuki–Miyaura reactions yielded up to 98% at 150 °C with 10 mol% of Pd/CNS catalyst. The products were identified using gas chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The catalyst was isolated from reaction mixture and reused without any significant loss in the activity. Thus, the present work introduces one-pot-derived porous CNSs as efficient catalytic support to Pd, establishing an alternative to existing Pd/C in terms of cost and efficiency.