5α-24-Norcholestan-3β-ol and (24Z)-Stigmasta-5,7,24(28)-trien-3β-ol,Two New Marine Sterols from the Pacific Sponges Terpios zeteki and Dysidea herbacea

The steroidal components of 2 marine sponges, Terpios zeteki (from Hawaii) and Dysidea herbacea (from Australia) were fractionated through a combination of chromatographic methods, including reversed phase HPLC., and were analyzed by a combination of physical methods, including high resolution GC.-MS. and 360 MHz ¹H-NMR. T. zeteki contains 6 conventional 5α-stanols which comprise 91% of the sterol mixture, and traces (0.5%) of a new C₂₆ sterol, 5α-24-norcholestan-3β-ol. Minor amounts of conventional Δ⁵-sterols (6.5%) and of a single Δ⁴-3-ketosteroid (1.5%) were also present. In contrast, the Australian sponge (D. herbacea) contains 3 Δ^5,7-sterols which comprise 1.5% of the sterol mixture, and one new C₂₉ sterol, (24 Z)-stigmasta-5,7,24(28)-trien-3β-ol, as the major component (75%). In addition, minor amounts of conventional 5α-stanols (0.5%), Δ⁵-sterols (5%) and 5α-Δ⁷-sterols (18%) were present in this complex sterol mixture. The possible dietary or endosymbiotic origins of these sterols are discussed.     

Préparation d'isoxazoles trisubstitués par réduction chimique et électrochimique d'α-acyl β-nitrostilbènes

Nitration of α-acylstilbenes with dinitrogen tetroxide leads to corresponding Z-α-acyl-β-nitrostilbenes. By chemical or electochemical reduction of these compounds, trisubstituted isoxazoles were prepared in good yields.     

Acid-Catalyzed Rearrangements of 5,6-exo-Epoxy-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-yl Derivatives. Migratory Aptitudes of Acyl vs. Alkyl Groups in Wagner-Meerwein Transpositions

In the presence of HSO₃F/Ac₂O in CH₂CL₂, 2-exo- and 2-endo-cyano-5,6-exo-epoxy-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-yl acetates ( 6a , b ) gave products derived from the epoxide-ring opening and a 1,2-shift of the unsubstituted alkyl group (σ bond C(3)–C(4)). In contrast, under similar conditions, the 5,6-exo-epoxy-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one ( 6c ) gave 5-oxo-2-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-3,7-diyl diacetates 20 and 21 arising from the 1,2-shift of the acyl group. Acid treatment of 5,6-exo-epoxy-2,2-dimethoxy-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane ( 6d ) and of 5,6-exo-epoxy-2,2-bis(benzyloxy)-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane ( 6e ) gave minor products arising from epoxide-ring opening and the 1,2-shift of σ bond C(3)–C(4) and major products ( 25 , 29 ) arising from the 1,3-shift of a methoxy and benzyloxy group, respectively. Under similar conditions, 5,6-exo-epoxy-2,2-ethylenedioxy-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane ( 6f ) gave 1,1-(ethylenedioxy)-2-(2-furyl)ethyl acetate ( 32 , major) and a minor product 33 , arising from the 1,2-shift of σ bond C(3)–C(4). The following order of migratory aptitudes for 1,2-shifts toward electron-deficient centers has been established: acyl > alkyl > alkyl α-substituted with inductive electron-withdrawing groups. This order is valid for competitive Wagner-Meerwein rearrangements involving equilibria between carbocation intermediates with similar exothermicities.     

Preconcentration of lead,cadmium, copper and zinc in water at the pg g−1 level by non-boiling evaporation

An evaluation of the non-boiling evaporation technique for the preconcentration of Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn at the pg g^?1 level in water samples is presented. Various improvements were made to allow efficient control of contamination problems at these extremely low concentrations. They include the choice of FEP Teflon for the evaporation containers and the use of sophisticated cleaning, ageing and pre-conditionning procedures. Detailed calibration graphs were obtained down to the sub-pg g^?1 level by processing ultra-low concentration standards. This technique was then applied to the determination of these four metals in snow samples collected in Greenland and Antarctica.     

Photochemistry of polymeric systems. I. Photocrosslinking of polymers and copolymers containing pyridine N-oxide groups

Vinylpyridine-N-oxide units were introduced in polymeric chains in order to study their photocrosslinking. Copolymers of styrene and 4-vinylpyridine-N-oxide were especially synthesized and studied. The methods used for characterization of photocrosslinked films were a “photoresist test” or the measurement of the insolubility and of the swelling ratio. The Cleavage of the N-oxide bond was responsible for the photocrosslinking. The competitive formation of carbonyl compounds took place and decreased the rate of photocrosslinking. This last reaction is favored by triplet-state quenchers. The photosensitivity of the copolymers was determined as a function of the wavelength of the radiation used. When the photocrosslinking proceeded, a film of the copolymeric material became transparent in the 280–320-nm range. Thick films could therefore be completely photocrosslinked when irradiated in this range of wavelength.     

Enantioseparation of chiral N-imidazole derivatives by electrokinetic chromatography using highly sulfated cyclodextrins: mechanism of enantioselective recognition

Baseline separation of ten new substituted [1-(imidazo-1-yl)-1-phenylmethyl)] benzothiazolinone and benzoxazolinone derivatives, with one chiral center, was achieved by CD-EKC using highly sulfated CDs (alpha, beta, gamma highly S-CDs) as chiral selectors. The influence of the type and concentration of the chiral selectors on the enantioseparations was investigated. The highly S-CDs exhibit a very high enantioselectivity power since they allow excellent enantiomeric resolutions compared to those obtained with the neutral CDs. The enantiomers were resolved with analysis times inferior to 2.5 min and resolution factors R(s) of 3.73, 3.90, 1.40, and 4.35 for compounds 1, 2, 3, and 5, respectively, using 25 mM phosphate buffer at pH 2.5 containing either highly S-alpha-CD, highly S-beta-CD, and highly S-gamma-CD (3 or 4% w/v) at 298 K, with an applied field of 0.30 kV/cm. The determination of the enantiomer migration order for the various analytes and the study of the analyte structure-enantioseparation relationships display the high contribution of the interactions between the analytes phenyl ring and the CDs to the enantiorecognition process. The thermodynamic study of the analyte-CD affinities permits us to improve our knowledge about the enantioseparation mechanism.     

Chiral capillary electrophoretic determination of the enantiomeric purity of tetrahydronaphthalenic derivatives, melatoninergic ligands, using highly sulfated beta-cyclodextrins

Using cyclodextrin capillary zone electrophoresis (CD-CZE), baseline separation of synthetic tetrahydronaphthalenic derivatives, potential melatoninergic compounds, was achieved. A method for the enantioresolution of these tetralins and determination of their enantiomeric purity was developed using anionic CDs (highly sulfated-CD or highly S-CD) as chiral selectors and capillaries dynamically coated with polyethylene oxide (PEO). Operational parameters such as the nature and concentration of the chiral selectors, buffer pH, organic modifiers, temperature and applied voltage were investigated. The use of charged CDs provides a driving force for our neutral compounds in the running buffer and enantiomeric resolution by inclusion of compounds in the CD cavity. The highly S-beta-CD was found to be the most effective complexing agent, allowing good enantiomeric resolution. The complete resolution of three tetralin compounds was obtained using 25 mM phosphate buffer at pH 2.5 containing 2.5% w/v of highly S-beta-CD at 25 degrees C with an applied field of 0.25 kV/cm. The apparent association constants of the inclusion complexes were calculated. This optimized method was validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, accuracy and recovery. The enantiomeric purity for the three molecules was determined and the detection limit of enantiomer impurities is about 0.3-0.6%.     

Chiral separation of N-imidazole derivatives, aromatase inhibitors, by cyclodextrin-capillary zone electrophoresis. Mechanism of enantioselective recognition

Baseline separation of ten new, substituted [1-(imidazo-1-yl)-1-phenylmethyl)] benzothiazolinone and benzoxazolinone derivatives with one chiral center was achieved using cyclodextrin-capillary zone electrophoresis (CD-CZE). A method for the enantiomeric resolution of these compounds was developed using neutral CDs (native alpha-, beta-, gamma-CDs or alpha-, beta-, gamma-hydroxypropyl (HP)-CDs) as chiral selectors. Operational parameters including the nature and concentration of the chiral selectors, pH, ionic strength, organic modifiers, temperature, and applied voltage were investigated. The use of neutral CDs provides enantiomeric resolution by inclusion of compounds in the CD cavity. The HP-alpha-CD and HP-beta-CD were found to be the most effective complexing agents and allowed efficient enantiomeric resolutions. Optimal separation of N-imidazole derivatives was obtained using 50 mM phosphate buffer at pH 2.5 containing either HP-alpha-CD or HP-beta-CD (7.5-12.5 mM) at 25 degrees C, with an applied field of 0.50 kV.cm(-1) giving resolution factors Rs superior to 1.70 with migration times of the second enantiomer less than 13 min. The same enantiomer migration order observed for all molecules can be related to a close interaction mechanism with CDs. The influence of structural features of the solutes on Rs and tm was studied. The lipophilic character (log kw) of the solutes and the apparent and averaged association constants of inclusion complexes for four compounds with the six different CDs led us to rationalize the enantioseparation mechanisms. The conclusions were corroborated with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on chiral stationary phases (CSPs) based on CDs.     

Energy flow and multiplicity measurement in ultra-relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions

Experimental results from the HELIOS set-up (High Energy Lepton and Ion Spectrometer, in operation at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron to study high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions) are presented and discussed. The transverse energy differential cross section can be parametrized by a geometrical model. The energy density reached in these collisions is much larger than that inside the nucleon and is in the region of the critical value 2·5 GeV/fm³ obtained from lattice QCD calculations for the deconfinement transition. The transverse momentum spectra of photons agree in shape and absolute cross section with the photon spectra expected from hadronic sources.Presented at the IIIrd International Symposium High Energy Experiments And Methods (HEXAM '89), Bechyn, Czechoslovakia, June 25–30, 1989.I would like to thank the organizers of the HEXAM'89 Symposium in Bechyn for giving me the opportunity to participate in this very pleasant and stimulating conference and the hospitality they have extended. This work was supported in part by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).