Combination Therapy of Carnosic Acid and Methotrexate Effectively Suppressed the Inflammatory Markers and Oxidative Stress in Experimental Arthritis

Background: Combination therapy with methotrexate (MTX) is the most common therapeutic strategy used for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, we combined the natural compound carnosic acid (CA) with MTX to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in adjuvant arthritis (AA). Methods: AA was induced in 6–8 rats per group. MTX was administrated twice a week at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg b.w., while CA was administered daily at a dose of 100 mg/kg both in monotherapy and in combination with MTX. Plasma samples were collected on the 14th, 21st, and 28th day. Body weight and hind paw volume were measured once a week. Results: We found that, mainly, the CA + MTX combination significantly reduced the hind paw swelling, the levels of IL-17A, MMP-9, and MCP-1 in plasma, and GGT activity in joint homogenates. The mRNA expression of HO-1, catalase, and IL-1β in the liver were significantly improved by CA + MTX only. Our results indicate that adding CA to MTX treatment could be a good therapeutic option for patients suffering from RA. Conclusions: The addition of CA to methotrexate treatment significantly improved its efficacy in decreasing the development of AA by inhibiting the markers of inflammation and oxidative stress.     

Tandem Catalysis Utilizing Olefin Metathesis Reactions

Since olefin metathesis transformation has become a favored synthetic tool in organic synthesis, more and more distinct non‐metathetical reactions of alkylidene ruthenium complexes have been developed. Depending on the conditions applied, the same olefin metathesis catalysts can efficiently promote isomerization reactions, hydrogenation of C=C double bonds, oxidation reactions, and many others. Importantly, these transformations can be carried out in tandem with olefin metathesis reactions. Through addition of one portion of a catalyst, a tandem process provides structurally advanced products from relatively simple substrates without the need for isolation of the intermediates. These aspects not only make tandem catalysis very attractive from a practical point of view, but also open new avenues in (retro)synthetic planning. However, in the literature, the term “tandem process” is sometimes used improperly to describe other types of multi‐reaction sequences. In this Concept, a number of examples of tandem catalysis involving olefin metathesis are discussed with an emphasis on their synthetic value.     

Families of Line-Graphs and Their Quantization

Any directed graph G with N vertices and J edges has an associated line-graph L(G) where the J edges form the vertices of L(G). We show that the non-zero eigenvalues of the adjacency matrices are the same for all graphs of such a family L ⁿ (G). We give necessary and sufficient conditions for a line-graph to be quantisable and demonstrate that the spectra of associated quantum propagators follow the predictions of random matrices under very general conditions. Line-graphs may therefore serve as models to study the semiclassical limit (of large matrix size) of a quantum dynamics on graphs with fixed classical behaviour.     

Weak law of large numbers for iterates of random-valued functions

Aequationes mathematicae - Given a probability space $$ (\Omega , {\mathcal {A}}, P) $$ , a complete and separable metric space X with the $$ \sigma $$ -algebra $$ {\mathcal {B}} $$ of all its...     

Hydrogen Storage Materials: Room‐Temperature Wet‐Chemistry Approach toward Mixed‐Metal Borohydrides

The poor kinetics of hydrogen evolution and the irreversibility of the hydrogen discharge hamper the use of transition metal borohydrides as hydrogen storage materials, and the drawbacks of current synthetic methods obstruct the exploration of these systems. A wet‐chemistry approach, which is based on solvent‐mediated metathesis reactions of precursors containing bulky organic cations and weakly coordinating anions, leads to mixed‐metal borohydrides that contain only a small amount of “dead mass”. The applicability of this method is exemplified by Li[Zn₂(BH₄)₅] and M[Zn(BH₄)₃] salts (M=Na, K), and its extension to other systems is discussed.     

A Comparison of the Experimental and ab Initio Values of theO NMR Chemical Shifts in the Carbonyl Group

New experimental and theoretical results are presented for the NMR shielding of oxygen in the carbonyl group. The experimental values clearly demonstrate that the solvent effects are very significant. The new results for the chemical shifts are in better agreement than the previous literature data with the corresponding ab initio values calculated for isolated molecules.     

An investigation of the reliability of the Galerkin-Petrov method

The Galerkin-Petrov method is applied to the determination of the ground state energy of the beryllium atom. The basis set of the coordinate subspace consists of correlated wavefunctions of the combined configuration-interaction-Hylleraas type. The basis set of the projective subspace is of the configuration-interaction type. The usefulness of a previously proposed way of characterization of pairs of subspaces has been further confirmed. Experience in constructing close pairs of subspaces gathered in the case of two-electron systems is used for the larger system. Two methods for constructing pairs of subspaces are used in the calculations.     

Studies towards the total synthesis of di- and sesterterpenes with dicyclopenta[a,d]cyclooctane skeletons. Three-component approach to the A/B rings building block

Sesqui- and sesterterpenes of ophiobolin and fusicoccin families are important synthetic targets because of complexity of structure and potentially useful physiological activities, including anti-tumor activity. A synthesis of versatile building blocks for these terpenoids is described. Cyclopenta[8]annulene rings system with properly dislocated substituents was constructed using as key steps ring closing metathesis reaction and Wagner - Meerwein rearrangement. Ring closing metathesis reaction leading to cyclopenta[8]annulene was studied in detail.