Kinetics and mechanisms of hydrolysis and aminolysis of thioxocephalosporins

The effect of replacing the beta-lactam carbonyl oxygen in cephalosporins by sulfur on their reactivity has been investigated. The second-order rate constant for alkaline hydrolysis of the sulfur analogue is 2-fold less than that for the natural cephalosporin. The thioxo derivative of cephalexin, with an amino group in the C7 side chain, undergoes beta-lactam ring opening with intramolecular aminolysis by a reaction similar to that for cephalexin itself. However, the rate of intramolecular aminolysis for the S-analogue is 3 orders of magnitude greater than that for cephalexin. Furthermore, unlike cephalexin, intramolecular aminolysis in the S-analogue occurs up to pH 14 with no competitive hydrolysis. The rate of intermolecular aminolysis of natural cephalosporins is dominated by a second-order dependence on amine concentration, whereas that for thioxocephalosporins shows only a first-order term in amine. The Bronsted beta(nuc) for the aminolysis of thioxo-cephalosporin is +0.39, indicative of rate-limiting formation of the tetrahedral intermediate with an early transition state with relatively little C-N bond formation.     

Antitumor Activity and Theoretical Calculation of Evodiamine and Rutaecarpine

The antitumor activities of two alkaloids, evodiamine(EVO) and rutaecarpine(RUT), against MCF-7, SMMC-7721 and SW-1353 cells growth in vitro were investigated by MTT assay. The results showed that the anti-tumor effects of two alkaloids were remarkably different. In order to discover the relationship of antitumor activity and structures of the compounds, the dihedral angle, Natural Electron Configuration, frontier molecular orbital profiles(HOMO, LUMO)and bandgaps of these two compounds have been studied based on density functional theory(DFT)by means of DFT-B3LYP/6-31G(d) in Gaussian 03. The calculation results of dihedral angle showed that EVO, due to the existence of methyl group attached to the N(14) atom, have non-planar and twisted structures, which decrease the stability of EVO and increase the activity of EVO. Furthermore, the bandgaps of RUT are lower than that of EVO, indicating RUT has higher stability than EVO, so the activity of EVO is higher than that of RUT. In addition, the negative charge of N14 atom in EVO is lower than that of in RUT, so the positive charge of N(14) atom in EVO is higher than that of in RUT, which suggests that the nucleophile is easier to aggress the N(14) atom in EVO than that in RUT, so the reason of the different antitumor activities of EVO and RUT may be attacked by nucleophile.     

支化聚乙烯的合成及结构与性能

以[ArNC(An)-C(An)NAr]NiBr₂[An=acenaphthyl, Ar=2,6-C₆H₃(ⁱPr)₂]为主催化剂, 以改性甲基铝氧烷(MMAO)和常规的甲基铝氧烷(MAO)为助催化剂, 研究了压力、 温度和时间等条件对乙烯聚合制备支化聚乙烯的影响, 采用高温核磁、 高温凝胶渗透色谱(GPC)及差示扫描量热仪(DSC)等对所得的聚乙烯结构进行表征. 研究发现, 以MMAO为助催化剂时, 催化活性比以MAO为助催化剂时高约1个数量级, 达到10⁷ g/(mol Ni·h); 所得聚乙烯的支化度为(45~64)/1000C, 而以MAO为助催化剂时所得聚乙烯的支化度达(82~88)/1000C. 对支化聚乙烯的力学性能进行了分析, 并与低密度聚乙烯(LDPE)和二元乙丙橡胶(EPM)进行比较. 结果表明, 支化聚乙烯拉伸强度达27.90 MPa, 比LDPE(14.40 MPa)和EPM(5.44 MPa)高, 但支化聚乙烯的弹性模量仅为2.10 MPa, 与EPM(2.11 MPa)相近; 支化聚乙烯的断裂伸长率为774.6%, 略高于LDPE的断裂伸长率(725.6%), 比EPM的断裂伸长率(1770.1%)低.     

几种修饰剂共价修饰L—门冬酰胺酶降低其抗原性的对比研究

选用单甲氧基聚乙二醇、右旋糖苷、磺化右旋糖苷,肝素及小分子醋酸酐对酶分子进行了共价修饰,研究了不同修饰剂对酶分子的酶活力及其抗原性的影响。结果表明,大分子,特别是单甲氧基聚乙二醇的降低抗原性效果很好,但活力损失较大;修饰剂分子量越大,酶表面氨基修饰程度越高,解除抗原性效果越好。     

RETRACTED: Ab initio and density functional study of electrical and thermochemical properties of mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrafluoropyrroles and their cations and anions

This article has been retracted by the authors.Reason: the authors have recognised that the subject matter of this article requires further examinations and that the content requires restructuring. For this reason, the authors requested that the article be retracted from Journal of Molecular Structure: THEOCHEM volume 713 issue 1–3 pages 43–49, from this journal.     

Formation and conformation of baicalin-berberine and wogonoside-berberine complexes

It is well-known that baicalin-berberine complex (1) precipitates in the water decoction of numerous Chinese Medicinal formulae containing Radix Scutellariae and Rhizoma Coptidis or Cortex Phellodendri. In the current study, ionic interaction between the carboxylate ion of baicalin and the quaternary ammonium ion of berberine was revealed to be responsible for the formation of 1 and wogonoside-berberine (2) by using FAB-MS and NMR titration experiments. In addition, nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) correlations observed in 1 and 2 suggested quite different conformation of the two complexes, which was further supported by the fact that the [α](D) of the canadine obtained by reduction of 1 is of an opposite sign to that obtained from 2. Partition coefficients (n-octanol/water) determination demonstrated 12-20 times larger partition coefficient of each complex (1, 2) than that of each single compound (baicalin, wogonoside, and berberine), indicating the significant role of the formation of the complex in the bioavailability enhancement of these pharmacologically active constituents.     

Antimycobacterial and antioxidant activities of reserpine and its derivatives

In view of the attributed medicinal properties of reserpine, a number of acyl reserpine derivatives were prepared and tested for antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, strain H(37)Rv and antioxidant activities. The results indicated that in the case of antimycobacterial activity, 10 out of 18 derivatives caused more inhibition than that caused by reserpine itself. The results of antioxidant activity revealed that acylation in benzene ring of reserpine decreases the percentage inhibition of DPPH in all the derivatives compared to the parent compound (1).     

Preparation and characterization of conjugates of silk fibroin and chitooligosaccharides

With the aim of the functionalization of silk fibroin (SF), conjugates of SF and polycationic chitooligosaccharides (COS) were prepared by the chemical modification of SF with cyanuric chloride (CY)-activated COS (COS-CY). The ¹H NMR spectrum of the reaction product between a model compound D-glucosamine and CY suggested that the COS-CY modifier was synthesized by the reaction of the amino group and the terminal anomeric hydroxyl group in COS, with the chlorine atom of CY. The ¹H NMR spectrum and amino acid analysis of the conjugates (COS-CY-SF) clarified that the tyrosine and lysine residues of SF reacted with a second chlorine atom of the triazine ring of the modifier. On the basis of the results of the hexosamine determination and the amino acid analysis of COS-CY-SF, it is estimated that COS-CY-SF consists of 38 wt% COS, 8 wt% CY, and 54 wt% SF. The absorbance at 600 nm as a function of pH for COS-CY-SF and SF indicated that the introduction of a large amount of hexosamine made SF amphiphilic and more water-soluble at lower pH values. The COS-CY-SF conjugates retarded the growth of Escherichia coli after incubation for 24 h at a conjugate concentration of 0.6% (w/v), while SF did not retard the growth at a SF concentration of 0.7% (w/v).     

Photostability and photoprotection factor of boldine and glaucine

Boldine hydrochloride was more photounstable than boldine after irradiation with UVB (lambda = 300 nm). However, photoconsumption quantum yields, for glaucine hydrochloride (6.5 x 10(-2)) and boldine hydrochloride (6.7 x 10(-2)) in air, were quite similar. The photolysis was oxygen dependent in both cases, and the effect over the kinetics after the addition of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy suggested free radicals participation. The fact that the antioxidative capacity of boldine and boldine hydrochloride did not change during the photolysis, suggests that the phenolic structure remains unchanged in the photoproducts, corroborated with the photoproducts analysis. The photoprotection capacity was evaluated before and after irradiation. Results indicate that the values before irradiation are similar for all three compounds, only glaucine increasing its capacity with length of irradiation time.     

Hydroxymethylation and aminomethylation of 6-mercaptopurine and its derivatives

Labile aminomethyl and hydroxymethyl derivatives of 6-mercaptopurine (I) (6-MP) and S⁶-acyloxymethyl-6-MP have been converted to stable acetyloxymethyl derivatives by their reaction with acetic anhydride. Analysis of the reaction products and comparison of their 'H nmr spectra and hplc chromatograms with those of acetyloxymethyl derivatives of known structures suggested 1) that the aminomethyl derivatives of 6-MP were 7-substituted derivatives, 2) that the aminomethyl derivative of S⁶-acetyloxylmethyl-6-MP was a 9-derivative, 3) that the hydroxymethyl derivative of 6-MP was a mixture of 7-substituted and S⁶,3-disubstitu-ted derivatives, and 4) that the hydroxymethyl derivative of S⁶-pivaloyloxymethyl-6-MP was a 9-substituted derivative. In addition, a previously unreported dialkyl derivative of 6-MP VI was isolated from its reaction with aminomethylating agent and characterized. Analyses of the 'H nmr spectra and hplc chromatograms of the reaction of VI with acetic anhydride suggested that VI was a 1,7-disubstituted derivative.     

Molecular modeling and chemical reactivity of sanfetrinem and derivatives

The indiscriminate use of beta-lactams has considerably diminished their efficiency as a result of bacteria developing effective defense mechanisms against them. Recent pharmaceutical research has led to the synthesis of tricyclic beta-lactam antibiotics known as "tricyclic carbapenems" or "trinems". In this work, we studied the chemical reactivity, an essential property for antibiotic action, of trinems and found it to be similar to that of cephalosporins. Also, we elucidated the interaction pattern for sanfetrinem and 4beta-methoxy trinem and compared it to that for classical beta-lactams. The behavior of both trinems was found to be similar to that of penicillin G toward Staphylococcus aureus PC1, and that of cephalothin and imipenem toward Enterobacter cloacae P99.     

Structure and properties of bread dough and crumb

The effects of hydrocolloids (guar and locust bean gums), soluble pentosans, and whey proteins on staling of bread crumb were investigated by means of DSC, rheometry, and image analyis. One current hypothesis, that these ingredients would behave as “water binders” and, at least the former two, as anti-staling agents, was indeed confirmed, although this action might be indirect. All the samples considered showed an exothermic DSC peak preceding the endotherm of the amylopectin fusion. According to a previous work, this signal was attributed to a water-dependent cross-linking process that would involve next-neighbouring polymer chains. To check the effect produced by molecular modifications that were expected to increase the water uptake of these ingredients, doughs containing added succinylated pentosans and whey proteins, and a polycarboxylate polymer, PEMULEN TR-1, were examined. These modifications enhanced starch retrogradation and yielded a firmer crumb. It was tentatively concluded that some direct interaction between these modified molecules and the crumb polymers might have taken place. In line with the food polymer science approach, the use of Time-Temperature-Transformation (TTT) diagrams is also discussed.     

Structure and function of window glass and Pyrex

Window glass is a ternary mixture, while Pyrex (after window glass, the most common form of commercial glass) is a quaternary. Here, we investigate the chemical, physical, and mathematical factors that determine the compositions of these optimized glasses. Previously, we succeeded in deriving exactly the composition of window glass (sodium calcium silicate) without adjustable parameters. Borosilicates are a much more challenging problem, and Pyrex (sodium aluminum borosilicate) requires a different approach. Our analysis shows that mean-field (or global) models (networks without significant clustering) are sufficient for window glass and probably most other commercial silicate glasses. However, it appears that the most important property of pyrex, its ability to resist mechanical shocks, requires a cluster model (large medium range order). We propose such a model, and argue that it also follows from hierarchical principles. Our model is strongly supported by specific experiments, and we suggest further experiments to test the principles underlying commercial glasses.     

Flexible fabrication and applications of polymer nanochannels and nanoslits

Fluidic devices that employ nanoscale structures (<100 nm in one or two dimensions, slits or channels, respectively) are generating great interest due to the unique properties afforded by this size domain compared to their micro-scale counterparts. Examples of interesting nanoscale phenomena include the ability to preconcentrate ionic species at extremely high levels due to ion selective migration, unique molecular separation modalities, confined environments to allow biopolymer stretching and elongation and solid-phase bioreactions that are not constrained by mass transport artifacts. Indeed, many examples in the literature have demonstrated these unique opportunities, although predominately using glass, fused silica or silicon as the substrate material. Polymer microfluidics has established itself as an alternative to glass, fused silica, or silicon-based fluidic devices. The primary advantages arising from the use of polymers are the diverse fabrication protocols that can be used to produce the desired structures, the extensive array of physiochemical properties associated with different polymeric materials, and the simple and robust modification strategies that can be employed to alter the substrate's surface chemistry. However, while the strengths of polymer microfluidics is currently being realized, the evolution of polymer-based nanofluidics has only recently been reported. In this critical review, the opportunities afforded by polymer-based nanofluidics will be discussed using both elastomeric and thermoplastic materials. In particular, various fabrication modalities will be discussed along with the nanometre size domains that they can achieve for both elastomer and thermoplastic materials. Different polymer substrates that can be used for nanofluidics will be presented along with comparisons to inorganic nanodevices and the consequences of material differences on the fabrication and operation of nanofluidic devices (257 references).     

Aggregation and reactivity of the dilithium and dicesium enediolates of 1-naphthylacetic acid

UV-vis spectra of the dilithium, 1-Li, and dicesium, 1-Cs, enediolates of alpha-naphthylacetic acid show no systematic change with concentration in dilute THF solution, but addition of small amounts of HMPA causes a bathochromic shift in the spectrum of 1-Li. These results indicate that these salts are aggregated and that HMPA breaks up the aggregates of 1-Li. The quantitative effect of small increments of HMPA indicates that 1-Li is a dimer. Alkylation reactions of 1-Cs show half-order kinetics in enediolate indicating that this salt is also dimeric but that the small amount of monomer in equilibrium is the actual reactant. Alkylation of 1-Li, however, is much slower and shows first-order kinetics interpreted as a direct reaction of the dimer; the amount of monomer in this case is too small to compete. A solution of 1-Li in THF containing 10% HMPA is much more reactive in alkylation than 1-Li alone and the first-order dependence in 1-Li is now interpreted as reaction of the monomer. Compound 1-Li is found to form a mixed aggregate with LDA, a finding that has possible synthetic significance since enediolates used in syntheses are frequently prepared using LDA. Structures of these compounds are suggested based on model ab initio computations.     

Comparison of photomacrocyclization reactions of trimethylsilyl- and tributylstannyl-terminated phthalimido- and maleimido-polyethers

SET-promoted photomacrocyclization reactions of trimethylsilyl- and tributylstannyl-terminated phthalimido- and maleimido-polyethers were investigated. The results indicate that the excited state cyclization processes, which take place via sequential SET-destannation pathways, produce macrocyclic polyethers more efficiently than those involving sequential SET-desilylation routes do. In addition, differences in product distributions obtained from photoreactions of trimethylsilyl- and tributylstannyl-terminated maleimido-polylethers suggest that more than one mechanistic pathway is followed in excited-state reactions of the tin-containing substrates.     

Rotation and contraction of native and regenerated cellulose fibers upon swelling and dissolution: the role of morphological and stress unbalances

Upon swelling and dissolution, native cellulose fibers such as cotton hairs or wood fibers are rotating and contracting. Regenerated cellulose fibers are only contracting, not rotating. Cotton hairs show two rotation mechanisms, a well known untwisting, not seen in wood fibers, due to the unwinding of the twists initially induced by the desiccation that occurs at the end of the growth, and a “microscopic rotation” that can also be slightly observed in wood fibers. In addition to these rotation mechanisms, cotton hairs and wood fibers show a rolling up of their primary wall that is due to the higher elongation of the external layers as compared to the internal layers arising during the elongation phase of the cell. Contraction originates from the fact that the cellulose chains are in an extended conformational state due to the spinning process for the regenerated fibers and to the bio-deposition process for native fibers. The contraction is related to the relaxation of the mean conformation of cellulose chains from an extended state to a more condensed state. Physical as well as mechanical modeling will support the experimental observations.     

Determination of iron by Z-GFAAS and the influence of short-term precision and long-term precision

A detailed method validation of graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) with Zeeman background correction was performed. The aim is to perform a detailed investigation of short-term precision as opposed to long-term precision. It was suggested that release of graphite flakes into the light path during measurement significantly influenced the performance of the method. It was found that significant deviations with respect to the certified values were frequent and an estimate of reliable uncertainties was obtained only after a high number of repetitions. Uncertainty of Interlaboratory testing was evaluated as a method to estimate uncertainties that are comparable to uncertainties that were obtained by Interlaboratory testing and to uncertainties predicted by the Horwitz curve. To a large extent, the uncertainty in measurement that was predicted by pooled calibrations corresponded to the uncertainties that were obtained from multiple determinations of unknowns. It was thus proposed that a large proportion of the difference in uncertainty in measurement between laboratories could be explained by properties of the different detectors. In order to support accuracy, it is suggested that a higher level of uncertainty should be accepted in analytical investigations.     

Relationship between heat of immersion and surface Gibbs energy of fluorite and cassiterite

Calorimetric measurements were made of the heat of immersion in water of cassiterite that was either untreated or treated with 60% HNO₃. The heats of immersion of cassiterite and fluorite were also calculated theoretically from the surface Gibbs energy components, and compared with the heat of immersion measured for cassiterite and that taken from the literature for fluorite. The results of the measurements and calculation revealed that the heat of immersion depends on the degree of hydration of the surface of cassiterite and fluorite. It was also found that it is possible to predict the heats of immersion in water of cassiterite and fluorite from the Lifshitz-van der Waals and acid-base components of the surface Gibbs energy.     

Preparation and properties of mixed micelles made of Pluronic polymer and PEG-PE

Mixed micelles made of Pluronic P105 (P105) and poly(ethylene glycol)-phosphatidyl ethanolamine conjugate (PEG-PE) were prepared. The interaction of Pluronic and PEG-PE was studied and the interaction parameter beta and critical micelle concentration (CMC) were used to evaluate the micellar stability toward dilution. The results showed that certain mixed micelles were more stable than pure Pluronic micelles upon dilution. The mixed micelles were used to trap the poorly soluble anticancer drug camptothecin (CPT). The cytotoxicity of the CPT-loaded mixed micelles against MCF-7 cancer cell was higher than that of CPT-loaded P105 micelles and much higher than that of the free drug.