Regiospecific synthesis of γ-hydroxybutenolide. Photosensitized oxygenation of substituted 2-trimethylsilylfuran

Regiospecific synthesis of substituted γ-hydroxybutenolide was accomplished by photosensitized oxygenation of 2-trimethylsilyl-furan derivatives, and chemoselective oxidation of furan ring having tri- and tetra-substituted olefins in the side chain was also achieved.     

Synthesis of novel and regioselectively mesogen-incorporated thermotropic liquid crystals from cellulose derivatives

Regioselectively mesogen-incorporated cellulose derivatives, in which the hydroxy group at C-6 is displaced by a bulky and rigid mesogenic group such as {4-[(4-methoxyphenoxy)carbonyl]phenoxy}acetate or [(4′-cyanobiphenyl-4-yl)oxy]acetate, and the C-2 and C-3 groups are displaced by octanoyl or lauroyl groups, were synthesized. Thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric analyses of the final products, along with polarized optical microscopic observations, revealed that the obtained cellulose derivatives have a thermotropic liquid-crystalline nature and transition from the mesomorphic to the isotropic phase over a wide range of temperatures. These derivatives could be considered to be main-chain liquid-crystalline cellulosic polymers.     

Synthesis, reaction and structure of a highly light-stable silver(I) cluster with an Ag4S4N4 core having a tridentate 4N-morpholyl 2-acetylpyridine thiosemicarbazone ligand: use of water-soluble silver(I) carboxylates as a silver(I) source

A novel neutral tetrameric silver(I) cluster [Ag(mtsc)](4) was obtained from reactions of a tridentate (4)N-morpholyl 2-acetylpyridine thiosemicarbazone ligand (N'-[1-(2-pyridyl)ethylidene] morpholine-4-carbothiohydrazide, Hmtsc) and silver(I) sources containing Ag-O bonds (Ag(2)O, Ag(OAc), silver(I) 2-pyrrolidone-5-carboxylate (infinity){[Ag(Hpyrrld)](2)}, silver(I) 5-oxo-2-tetrahydrofurancarboxylate (infinity){[Ag(othf)](2)}, and silver(I) complexes with camphanic acid (infinity){[Ag(ca)]} and (infinity){[Ag(ca)(Hca)]}). The cluster was characterized by elemental analysis, TG/DTA, FTIR and single-crystal X-ray analysis in the solid state. The solution properties of the complexes were investigated using solution molecular weight measurement, ESI-MS and solution ((1)H, (13)C and (31)P) NMR spectroscopy. The obtained cluster is a novel example of a light-stable Ag(I) cluster with a tridentate thiosemicarbazone ligand and the second report of a crystal structure of a thiosemicarbazone silver(I) complex. The reaction of the tetramer with a large excess of PPh(3) gave dimeric complexes, namely, [Ag(micro(S)-mtsc)(PPh(3))](2) and [(PPh(3))(2)Ag(micro(S)-mtsc)(2)Ag]. The chloroform solution of the tetrameric complex showed modest and effective activities against selected bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and yeasts (Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae), respectively, but it did not inhibit the growth of any selected microorganisms in a water-suspension system.     

Novel synthesis of macroporous poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels using oil-in-water emulsions

Porous N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) hydrogels having a unique structure, that is, spherelike cavities distributed randomly and a homogeneous network in the gel phase, were successfully synthesized by means of an emulsion templating method; this method involves the synthesis of NIPA gels in an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion by free radical copolymerization with a cross-linker, followed by washing (removal) of the dispersed oil as a pore template (porogen). The synthesis conditions, O/W volume ratio, amount of added surfactant, and monomer concentration affect the internal pore structure, equilibrium swelling, and swelling/shrinking kinetics. A porous hydrogel swollen at 10 degrees C has a pore diameter distribution in the range of 1-40 microm, which was observed with a scanning electron microscope. Scanning electron micrographs and swelling degree reveal that the pore size and porosity can be adjusted by varying the O/W volume ratios and surfactant amounts. The porous hydrogels show very rapid swelling/shrinking in accordance with the temperature swing. The fast response is attributed to the convection flow of water through the macropores. In addition to a faster response gel, the emulsion templating method can yield potentially intelligent gels in which the pores function as spaces for reaction, separation, and storage.     

Burning velocity measurement of HFC-41, HFC-152, and HFC-161 by the spherical-vessel method

The burning velocities of fluoromethane (HFC-41), 1,2-difluoroethane (HFC-152), fluoroethane (HFC-161) and ethane were measured by the spherical-vessel (SV) method at room temperature and at initial pressures of 80-107 kPa over a wide range of HFC/air equivalence ratios (?). The burning velocities were determined from the measured pressure increases by application of a spherical flame model. Schlieren photography was used to directly observe flame propagation behavior in a cylindrical vessel equipped with optical windows. The time evolution of the flame radii derived from the pressure increases agreed with the time evolution observed with the Schlieren technique. The maximum burning velocities of HFC-41, HFC-152, HFC-161 and ethane were 28.3 cm s⁻¹ at ? = 1.01, 30.1 cm s⁻¹ at ? = 1.07, 38.3 cm s⁻¹ at ? = 1.07 and 40.9 cm s⁻¹ at ? = 1.05, respectively. The maximum burning velocities for the HFCs, including previously reported C₁ and C₂ fluoroalkanes, decreased with increasing F-substitution rate (the ratio of the number of F atoms to the sum of the number of H and F atoms). The concentrations of chemical species in the flames were investigated by means of an equilibrium calculation, and the results suggested that the burning velocity was correlated with the concentrations of H and OH radicals that were not deactivated by F radicals in the flame. The results also suggested that the burning velocities were linearly related to the heats of combustion of the C₁ and C₂ fluoroalkanes.     

Sensitive and validated LC‐MS/MS methods to evaluate mycophenolic acid pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients

Monitoring of pharmacodynamics in addition to pharmacokinetics is one of strategies to individualize mycophenolate mofetil therapy. The purpose of this study was to develop sensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) methods for evaluation of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of mycophenolic acid (MPA). Concentrations of mycophenolic acid glucuronide (MPAG), mycophenolic acid acyl‐glucuronide, as well as unbound MPA and MPAG, were determined, and inosine‐5′‐monophosphate dehydrogenase activity was calculated by measuring concentrations of produced xanthosine‐5′‐monophosphate (XMP) and intracellular adenosine‐5′‐monophosphate after incubation of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) lysates. A metal‐free Mastro^TM column and two gradient patterns were used to improve the quantification limit of XMP to 0.1 μm . In the clinical MPA concentration range, the linearity of the calibration curve, inter‐ and intra‐day precision and accuracy satisfied the relevant US Food and Drug Administration guidelines. The MPA concentrations in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients determined by the enzyme assay and the present LC‐MS/MS method showed a good correlation (r² = 0.95, p < 0.001). In this study, we report sensitive and validated LC‐MS/MS methods to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of MPA, which are sufficiently sensitive to assess small quantities of PBMC lysates collected shortly after HSCT. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering and background light emission coupled with plasmon of single Ag nanoaggregates

We investigated the optical properties of isolated single aggregates of Ag nanoparticles (Ag nanoaggregates) on which rhodamine 6G molecules were adsorbed to reveal experimentally a correlation among plasmon resonance Rayleigh scattering, surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS), and its background light emission. From the lack of excitation-laser energy dependence of background emission maxima we concluded that the background emission is luminescence, not Raman scattering. The polarization dependence of both SERRS and background emission was the same as that of the lowest-energy plasmon resonance maxima, which is associated with a longitudinal plasmon. From the common polarization dependence, we identified that the lowest-energy plasmon is coupled with both SERRS and background emission. In addition, we revealed that the lowest-energy plasmon with a higher quality factor (Q factor) yields larger SERRS and background emission intensity. Also, we identified that the Q factor dependence of the SERRS intensity was similar to that of the background emission intensity. This similarity directly supported us to demonstrate an enhancement of both SERRS and background emission by coupling with a common plasmon radiative mode.     

Intra- and intermolecular interactions between cyclic-AMP receptor protein and DNA: ab initio fragment molecular orbital study

The ab initio fragment molecular orbital (FMO) calculations were performed for the cAMP receptor protein (CRP) complexed with a cAMP and DNA duplex to elucidate their sequence-specific binding and the stability of the DNA duplex, as determined by analysis of their inter- and intramolecular interactions. Calculations were performed with the AMBER94 force field and at the HF and MP2 levels with several basis sets. The interfragment interaction energies (IFIEs) were analyzed for interactions of CRP-cAMP with each base pair, DNA duplex with each amino acid residue, and each base pair with each residue. In addition, base-base interactions were analyzed including hydrogen bonding and stacking of DNA. In the interaction between DNA and CRP-cAMP, there was a significant charge transfer (CT) from the DNA to CRP, and this CT interaction played an important role as well as the electrostatic interactions. It is necessary to apply a quantum mechanical approach beyond the "classical" force-field approach to describe the sequence specificity. In the DNA intramolecular interaction, the dispersion interactions dominated the stabilization of the base-pair stacking interactions. Strong, attractive 1,2-stacking interactions and weak, repulsive 1,3-stacking interactions were observed. Comparison of the intramolecular interactions of free and complexed DNA revealed that the base-pairing interactions were stronger, and the stacking interactions were weaker, in the complexed structure. Therefore, the DNA duplex stability appears to change due to both the electrostatic and the CT interactions that take place under conditions of DNA-CRP binding.     

Time-dependent radiolytic yields of the solvated electrons in 1,2-ethanediol, 1,2-propanediol, and 1,3-propanediol from picosecond to microsecond

The absorption spectra of the solvated electron in 1,2-ethanediol (12ED), 1,2-propanediol (12PD), and 1,3-propanediol (13PD) have been determined by nanosecond pulse radiolysis techniques. The maximum of the absorption band located at 570, 565, and 575 nm for these three solvents, respectively. With 4,4'-bipyridine (44Bpy) as a scavenger, the molar extinction coefficients at the absorption maximum of the solvated electron spectrum have been evaluated to be 900, 970, and 1000 mol-1 m2 for 12ED, 12PD, and 13PD, respectively. These values are two-thirds or three-fourths of the value usually reported in the literature. With these extinction coefficients, picosecond pulse radiolysis studies have allowed us to depict the radiolytic yield of the solvated electron in these solvents as a function of time from picosecond to microsecond. The radiolytic yield in these viscous solvents is found to be strongly different from that of water solution.     

Modified C-band technique for the analysis of chromosome abnormalities in irradiated human lymphocytes

A modified C-band technique was developed in order to analyze more accurately dicentric, tricentric, and ring chromosomes in irradiated human peripheral lymphocytes. Instead of the original method relying on treatment with barium hydroxide Ba(OH)₂, C-bands were obtained using a modified form of heat treatment in formamide followed with DAPI staining. This method was tentatively applied to the analysis of dicentric chromosomes in irradiated human lymphocytes to examine its availability. The frequency of dicentric chromosome was almost the same with conventional Giemsa staining and the modified C-band technique. In the analysis using Giemsa staining, it is relatively difficult to identify the centromere on the elongated chromosomes, over-condensed chromosomes, fragment, and acentric ring. However, the modified C-band method used in this study makes it easier to identify the centromere on such chromosomes than with the use of Giemsa staining alone. Thus, the modified C-band method may give more information about the location of the centromere. Therefore, this method may be available and more useful for biological dose estimation due to the analysis of the dicentric chromosome in human lymphocytes exposed to the radiation. Furthermore, this method is simpler and faster than the original C-band protocol and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method with the centromeric DNA probe.