Quassinoids from seeds of Brucea Javanica and their anticomplement activities

Abstract

An investigation on seeds of Brucea javanica led to the acquisition of a new quassinoid, 20-hydroxyyadanzigan (1), along with five known quassinoids (2–6). The structure of the new compound was elucidated on the basis of extensive spectral analysis. All of the compounds were assayed for their anticomplement activities through classical and alternative pathways. Compounds 1–6 exhibited potent anticomplement activity with CH₅₀ and AP₅₀ values of 0.032–0.075?mg/mL and 0.061–0.118?mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the structure-activity relationships of these compounds are discussed.

     

Cover Picture

The cover picture shows a section of the electron charge density of the first metal carbide endohedral metallofullerene (Sc(2)C(2))@C(84) obtained from a synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction study by the maximum entropy method (MEM). The several density maxima, which correspond to scandium and carbon atoms, are clearly seen inside the C(84) carbon cage. The MEM charge density distribution also reveals that the C(84) cage has D(2d) symmetry (no. 23) and that the C(2) axis is parallel to the <100> face-centered cubic (fcc) direction of the unit cell. As a consequence of the site symmetry being 4mm, the C(2) axis of (Sc(2)C(2))@C(84) is oriented to six equivalent <100> directions and shows a merohedral disorder. The resultant Sc small middle dot small middle dot small middle dotSc distances and C-C bond lengths of the Sc(2)C(2) cluster are 0.429(2) and 0.142(6) nm, respectively. The observed C-C bond length is between that of a typical single and a double bond, and is very close to that of the C-C bond (0.143 nm) combining two pentagons in a C(60) molecule. More about this fascinating structure can be found in the contribution by Shinohara and co-workers on p. 397 ff.     

物理化学课程“热化学”主题学习历程研究——化学师范生知识建构的文本分析

为深入了解地方性师范院校化学师范生知识建构习惯和水平，探讨他们在大学专业基础课程中的学习历程，以物理化学课程中以“融合科学读写特色”的“热化学”学案作为研究载体，研究对象在学案引导下开展自学活动，并在阅读教材和文献基础上进行科学写作。采用量表工具针对大学生自学效果和反思活动进行评价，并采用SOLO分类评价科学写作作品，采用KWL工具评价学生的科学阅读收获。结果发现研究对象学习动机不强，不擅长在新的学科知识学习中联系已有专业课程知识，基于文本学习的建构活动水平极低，可能是因为他们在应试背景下的基础知识并未形成体系，先修课程中并未培养元认知学习策略。     

酞菁类化合物对MH/Ni电池性能的影响

针对MH/Ni电池充电过程中氧的产生和不恰当的消除方式带来的内压升高和热量聚集使电池总体性能衰减很快的问题, 提出采用降低化学催化氧还原的比例, 提高热量产生少的电催化氧还原比例的方法加以解决.金属酞菁类化合物是一种电催化氧还原剂.添加酞菁的MH/Ni电池与对比电池进行容量衰减、内压、大电流放电等特性比较, 其性能均有显著提高.     

Organometallic chemistry, biology and medicine: ruthenium arene anticancer complexes

Our work has shown that certain ruthenium(II) arene complexes exhibit promising anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo. The complexes are stable and water-soluble, and their frameworks provide considerable scope for optimising the design, both in terms of their biological activity and for minimising side-effects by variations in the arene and the other coordinated ligands. Initial studies on amino acids and nucleotides suggest that kinetic and thermodynamic control over a wide spectrum of reactions of Ru(II) arene complexes with biomolecules can be achieved. These Ru(II) arene complexes appear to have an altered profile of biological activity in comparison with metal-based anticancer complexes currently in clinical use or on clinical trial.     

Specific labeling of cell surface proteins with chemically diverse compounds

The specific and covalent labeling of fusion proteins with synthetic molecules opens up new ways to study protein function in the living cell. Here we present a novel method that allows for the specific and exclusive extracellular labeling of proteins on the surfaces of live cells with a large variety of synthetic molecules including fluorophores, protein ligands, or quantum dots. The approach is based on the specific labeling of fusion proteins of acyl carrier protein with synthetic molecules through post-translational modification catalyzed by phosphopantetheine transferase. The specificity and versatility of the labeling should allow it to become an important tool for studying and manipulating cell surface proteins and for complementing existing approaches in cell surface engineering.     

催化裂化装置沉降器内结焦的微观结构及其生长过程的分析

对催化裂化装置（FCCU）沉降器内结焦的微观结构进行分析，结果表明，结焦形态主要有4种，丝状焦、滴状焦、块状焦和颗粒状焦。各种结焦形态的成因机理不同，微观结构及生长过程也不同。丝状焦是由铁、镍金属元素催化烃类气体，以及易生焦物发生脱氢缩合反应，以催化剂颗粒形成结焦中心并逐渐长大形成细丝状焦炭；滴状焦是由稠环芳烃脱氢缩合反应而生成，高沸点未汽化油滴黏附在催化剂颗粒或器壁表面形成“焦核”，即由重芳烃、胶质、沥青质脱氢缩合反应和二烯烃聚合环化反应而生成的；块状焦是高沸点未汽化油滴相互溶解后，再脱氢缩合反应或聚合环化反应而形成的结焦；颗粒状焦是油气在气相中脱氢缩合反应或聚合环化反应形成的微小结焦颗粒相互团聚形成的颗粒簇。催化裂化装置沉降器内的结焦一般是上述几种结焦过程的组合，是催化结焦和非催化结焦过程共同作用的结果。     

Dehydration of tetrafluoropropanol (TFP) by pervaporation via novel PBI/BTDA-TDI/MDI co-polyimide (P84) dual-layer hollow fiber membranes

A novel PBI/P84 co-polyimide dual-layer hollow fiber membrane has been specifically fabricated through the dry-jet wet phase inversion process, for the first time, for the dehydration pervaporation of tetrafluoropropanol (TFP). Polybenzimidazole (PBI) was chosen as the outer selective layer because of its superior hydrophilic nature and excellent solvent-resistance together with robust thermal stability, while P84 co-polyimide was employed as the inner supporting layer because of its good solvent-resistance and thermal stability. The PBI/P84 membrane exhibits superior water selectivity and relatively high permeation flux. At 60 °C, the PBI/P84 dual-layer hollow fiber membrane shows a permeation flux of 332 g/(m² h) and a separation factor of 1990 for a feed solution containing of 85 wt% TFP. The preferential water sorption and the significant diffusivity difference between TFP and water are the main causes of high separation factor. However, an increase in feed temperature will greatly increase the permeation flux but seriously decrease the water selectivity. The activation energy data verify that water can preferentially permeate the PBI membrane due to the strong water affinity of PBI and a much smaller molecular size of water.     

Pruning of orbits in four-disk and hyperbola billiards

It is shown that for the four-disk system and the hyperbola billiard it is possible to construct a new symbolic plane preserving the orientation existing in the dynamical space. Physical orbits are mapped into the topological well-ordered plane and it is shown that the forbidden and allowed orbits are separated by a monotone pruning front.     

Stable conformations of tripeptides in aqueous solution studied by UV circular dichroism spectroscopy

Determination of the precise solution structure of peptides is of utmost importance to the understanding of protein folding and peptide drugs. Herein, we have measured the UV circular dichroism (UVCD) spectra of tri-alanine dissolved in D(2)O, H(2)O, and glycerol. The results clearly show the coexistence of a polyproline II or 3(1)-helix and a somewhat disordered flat beta-strand conformation, in complete agreement with recent predictions from spectroscopic data (Eker et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 14 330-14 341). A thermodynamic analysis revealed that enthalpic contributions of about 11 and 17 kJ/mol stabilize polyproline II in D(2)O and H(2)O, respectively, but at room temperature they are counterbalanced by entropic contributions, which clearly favor the more disordered beta-strand conformation. It is hypothesized that this delicate balance is the reason for the variety of structural propensities of amino acid residues in the absence of nonlocal interactions. The isotope effect yielding a higher occupation of polyproline II in H(2)O with respect to D(2)O strongly suggests that a hydrogen-bonding network involving the peptide and water molecules in the hydration shell plays a major role in stabilizing this conformation. The equilibrium between polyproline II and beta-strand is practically maintained in glycerol, which suggests that glycerol can substitute water as stabilizing solvent for the polyproline II conformation. We also measured the UVCD spectra of tri-valine and tri-lysine (both at acidic pD) in D(2)O and found them to adopt a flat beta-strand and left-handed turn structure, respectively, in accordance with recent analyses of vibrational spectroscopy data. Generally, the present study adds substantial evidence to the notion that the so-called random coil state of peptides is much more structured than generally assumed.