Reaction of ketenes with N,N-disubstituted à-aminomethyleneketones. IX. Synthesis of 2H,5H-pyrano[3,2-c][1]benzopyran derivatives

Cycloaddition of dichloroketene to N,N-disubstituted 3-aminomethylene-4-chromanones gave in good yield N,N-disubstituted 4-amino-3,3-dichloro-3,4-dihydro-5H-pyrano[3,2-c][1]benzopyran-2-ones only in the case of aromatic N-substitution. Dehydrochlorination with triethylamine of these adducts afforded N,N-disubstituted 4-amino-3-chloro-5H-pyrano[3,2-c][1]benzopyran-2-ones in good to moderate yield. The cycloaddition to 3-dimethylaminomethylene-4-chromanone led directly to 3-chloro-4-dimethylamino-5H-pyrano[3,2-c][1]benzopyran-2-one.     

In silico strategies to describe the formation of the inclusion complex between β-cyclodextrin and β-naphtyloxyacetic acid: a preliminary step towards prediction of log K

Ligand/cyclodextrin is a peculiar type of ligand/receptor system. We report the results of a docking procedure using β-naphtyloxyacetic acid as ligand and various models of β-cyclodextrin as receptor. The results indicate that docking strategies can successfully be applied to any ligand/cyclodextrin system with the final aim of predicting log K values.     

New pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridones as selective A(1) adenosine receptor antagonists: synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular modelling studies

A series of ethyl 4-amino-1-(2-chloro-2-phenylethyl)-6-oxo-6,7-dihydro-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-5-carboxylates () has been synthesized as potential A(1) adenosine receptor (A(1) AR) ligands. Binding affinities of the new compounds were determined for adenosine A(1), A(2A) and A(3) receptors. Compounds and showed good affinity (K(i)= 299 nM and 517 nM, respectively) and selectivity towards A(1) AR, whereas showed good affinity for A(2A) AR (K(i)= 290 nM), higher than towards A(1) AR (K(i)= 1000 nM). The only arylamino derivative of the series displayed high affinity (K(i)= 4.6 nM) and selectivity for A(3) AR. Molecular modelling and 3D-QSAR (CoMFA) studies carried out on the most active compounds gave further support to the pharmacological results.     

Reaction of 2-dimethylaminomethylene-1,3-diones with dinucleophiles. X. synthesis of 5-substituted ethyl or methyl 4-isoxazolecarboxylates and methyl 4-(2,2-dimethyl-1-oxopropyl)-5-isoxazolecarboxylate

Reaction of ethyl or methyl 2-dimethylaminomethylene-3-oxoalkanoates with hydroxylamine hydrochloride in methanol solution afforded in high yields the relative esters of 5-substituted 4-isoxazolecarboxylic acids II . These esters were hydrolyzed generally with concentrated hydrochloric acid-acetic acid mixtures to the corresponding carboxylic acids in satisfactory yields. Ethyl or methyl esters II isomerized with sodium ethoxide or methoxide, respectively, to the corresponding esters or hemiesters of 2-cyano-3-oxoalkanoic acids generally in excellent to satisfactory yields. Reaction of methyl 5,5-dimethyl-3-dimethylaminomethylene-2,4-dioxohexanoate with hydroxylamine hydrochloride afforded in moderate yield methyl 4-(2,2-dimethyl-1-oxopropyl)-5-isoxazolecarboxylate, which was converted by acid hydrolysis as above to 4-t-butyl-4-hydroxyfuro[3,4-d]isoxazol-6-(4H)-one.     

How to Turn an Electron Transfer Protein into a Redox Enzyme for Biosensing

Cytochrome c is a small globular protein whose main physiological role is to shuttle electrons within the mitochondrial electron transport chain. This protein has been widely investigated, especially as a paradigmatic system for understanding the fundamental aspects of biological electron transfer and protein folding. Nevertheless, cytochrome c can also be endowed with a non-native catalytic activity and be immobilized on an electrode surface for the development of third generation biosensors. Here, an overview is offered of the most significant examples of such a functional transformation, carried out by either point mutation(s) or controlled unfolding. The latter can be induced chemically or upon protein immobilization on hydrophobic self-assembled monolayers. We critically discuss the potential held by these systems as core constituents of amperometric biosensors, along with the issues that need to be addressed to optimize their applicability and response.     

Acoustic Analysis of Voice Quality with or without False Vocal Fold Displacement After Cordectomy

Conventional cordectomy by means of a laryngofissure is one of the therapeutic options for treatment of early glottic cancer. To improve the poor voice quality related to this kind of operation, many authors have developed different techniques to repair the mucosal defect. We analyzed voice quality acoustically and compared it after cordectomy alone and after cordectomy with the reconstruction of the vocal cord in a group of 14 patients affected by T1 glottic carcinoma. All the patients underwent postoperative speech therapy. Three patients who underwent cordectomy with reconstruction showed the presence of diplophonia, while two patients without reconstruction showed the presence of bitonality. The differences of the acoustic parameters (jitter, shimmer, harmonic-to-noise ratio) between the two groups of patients were not statistically significant. Reconstruction of the vocal cord does not seem to improve voice quality after cordectomy even in combination with postoperative speech therapy.     

Multifunctional chemical vapor sensors of aligned carbon nanotube and polymer composites

Partially coating perpendicularly aligned carbon nanotube arrays with an appropriate polymer thin film along their tube length provides a novel concept for developing new sensors of high sensitivity, good selectivity, and excellent environmental stability for the detection of a broad class of chemical vapors with low power consumption. The absorption and desorption of chemical vapors by the polymer matrix cause changes in the inter-tube distance and, hence, the surface resistance across the nanotube film. Simple measurements of the resistance change, therefore, constitute the nanotube-polymer chemical vapor sensors. These rationally designed, aligned carbon nanotube-polymer composite films are flexible and can be effectively integrated into many systems for a wide range of potential applications, including their use as multifunctional sensors for sensing chemical vapors, mechanical deformations, thermal and optical exposures.     

Nonlinear modelling of data in photomineralization kinetics of organic micropollutants by photocatalytic membranes immobilizing titanium dioxide in membrane reactors

Kinetic fitting of substrate disappearance and of total organic carbon (TOC) mineralization of organic micropollutants, in water and air, by photocatalytic membranes immobilizing titanium dioxide, was carried out. A model was used in which mineralization of substrate to CO₂ is supposed to occur, with kinetic constant k₁, through one single intermediate, mediating the behaviour of all the numerous real intermediates formed in the path to CO₂, kinetic constant of formation of the latter being k₂. A competitive Langmuirian‐type adsorption of both substrate and ‘intermediate’ was also supposed to be operative, as expressed by pseudo‐thermodynamic constants K₁ and K₂ respectively, these constants possessing a, partly at least, kinetic significance. Nonlinear models could be fitted to data by using the least‐squares method. The very satisfactory matching is shown for the laboratory‐scale mineralization kinetics of methane, as model molecule of aliphatic contaminants, both in the gas phase and in aqueous solution. Furthermore, in pilot plant experiments, using phenol, as model molecule of aromatics, modelling of quantum yields was carried out, as a function of concentration and of adsorbed radiant power. Kinetics of hydroxyl radicals reacting between themselves, leading to hydrogen peroxide, other than with substrate or intermediates leading to mineralization, was considered, paralleled by a second competition kinetics due to superoxide anion radical and its conjugate acid, equally leading to mineralization. In this model the contribution of hydroxyl radicals to mineralization decreases with irradiance, while the contribution of superoxide anion radical and its conjugate acid increases. If the regression equations of these two contributions are considered together, in a linear combination, the surface model perfectly fits the experimental data. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.