Copper-catalyzed complete regio- and stereoselective cyclization of 1-aryl-3-sulfanyl-4-oxahepta-1,6-diynes triggered by alkynylation

Copper(I)-catalyzed alkynylation-cyclization of 4-oxahepta-1,6-diynes 1 with a wide variety of terminal alkynes proceeded to give (3E,4Z)-3-(phenylsulfanylmethylene)-4-(2-propynylidene)tetrahydrofuran-2-yl]benzenes 2aa-he in high yields with complete regio- and stereoselectivity.     

Reactions of 1,3-thiazine-2,6-dithiones. Part 5. Novel synthesis of 3,5-dicyano-4-thiopyridones via 2-cyanomethyldihydro-1,3-thiazine-6-thiones

A novel synthesis of a series of 2,6-disubstituted 3,5-dicyano-4-thiopyridones 4 by the decomposition of 2,4-disubstituted 5-cyano-2-cyanomethyldihydro-1,3-thiazine-6-thiones 2 , which are synthesized from 4-substituted 5-cyano-1,3-thiazine-2,6-dithiones and enaminonitriles, is described.     

The Markov Model Based Algorithm to Predict Networking Load on the Computational Grid

The computational Grid is currently gaining in popularity, and it enables computers scattered all over the world to be connected by the Internet as if they are part of a large computational infrastructure. While the computational Grid gathers more and more computational resources and the number of the applications for the computational Grid is increasing, load balancing for the computational Grid is still not effective enough. Because the computers are connected by a wide area network on the computational Grid, the significant communication latency and the frequency of large wave throughputs make it difficult to achieve effective load balancing. Thus, in this paper, we propose an algorithm to predict networking loads on the computational Grid to make the use of computational resources more efficient. The proposed algorithm based on the Markov model is evaluated using an actual networking load. As a result, the Markov model based algorithm offers the most accurate predictions compared with the related work. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Crystal structure of [1,4-bis[1-(3,5-dichlorophenolato-2-ylmethyl)-ylpropylamino-kappa2N,O]piperazine-kappa2N,N']cobalt(II).

The X-ray crystal structure of the title complex, Co(Cl2bprpi) is described. In this complex the Co(II) center displays a distorted octahedral coordination geometry. The piperazine ring exhibits boat conformation, forming chelate rings and capping the Co atom. The N2-Col-N3 angle is 69.41(15) degrees, extremely smaller than 90 degrees. Because the small angle causes a large steric hindrance, the piperazine ring can be effective as an ion size-recognition site. The molecular structure is stabilized by intramolecular N-H...O hydrogen bonds and Cl...H contacts.     

Chemical structures and hepatoprotective effects of constituents from the leaves of Salacia chinensis

The methanolic extract from the leaves of Salacia chinensis collected in Thailand was found to show a protective effect on D-galactosamine-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes. From the methanolic extract, eight new glycosides, named foliachinenosides E, F, G, H, and I, and foliasalaciosides J, K and L, were isolated together with 26 known constituents. The structures of new glycosides were determined on the basis of physicochemical and chemical evidence. In addition, the hepatoprotective effects of the isolated compounds on D-galactosamine-induced cytotoxicity were examined. Among them, lignans, eleutheroside E? and 7R,8S-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, were found to show the protective effects [inhibition (%) 41.4 ± 3.6 (p < 0.01), 45.5 ± 2.7 (p < 0.01) at 100 μM, respectively].     

Photophysical property and photostability of J-aggregate thin films of thiacyanine dyes prepared by the spin-coating method

By use of electrostatic interactions of dye molecules and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA), the spin-coating technique has been successfully applied to the preparation of stable J-aggregate thin films of thiacarbocyanine dyes on a polycarbonate or quartz plate. The J-aggregate thin films were prepared by the spin-coating of PDDA aqueous solution on dye thin films prepared on a substrate by the spin-coating of 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propanol solution of dyes. Photophysical properties of the dye thin films and J-aggregate thin films were studied by measuring the fluorescence spectra, quantum yields, and lifetimes. Coherent size of the J-aggregates was estimated to be 3-12 by means of the absorption bandwidth (full width at half maximum) or radiative lifetime. Photostability of the J-aggregate thin films was also studied in terms of photodegradation efficiency under argon and oxygen in comparison with the dye thin films, and J-aggregate thin films were found to be more stable than the corresponding dye thin films.     

Electrospray droplet impact/secondary ion mass spectrometry: cluster ion formation

The electrospray droplets that are sampled through an orifice into the vacuum chamber are accelerated by 10 kV and impact on the stainless steel substrate. The mass and the kinetic energy of electrospray droplets are roughly estimated to be a few 10(6) u and approximately 10(6) eV, respectively. The molecular ion M(+.) and the protonated molecule [M+H](+) are observed as secondary ions for chrysene and coronene deposited on the metal substrate (no matrix used). The ionization may take place in the shock wave generated by the high-momentum coherent collision between the droplet projectile and the solid sample. Cluster ions of H(+)(H(2)O)(n) and CF(3)COO(-)(H(2)O)(n), with n up to approximately 150, were observed as secondary ions formed by the electrospray droplet impact ionization (EDI) for 10(-2) M trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) aqueous solution. This indicates that the charged droplets that collide with the metal substrate with the kinetic energy of approximately 10(6) eV do not vaporize completely but are disintegrated into many tiny microdroplets. The ion signal intensity anomalies (i.e. magic numbers) were observed for the cluster ions of H(3)O(+)(H(2)O)(n) and CF(3)COO(-)(H(2)O)(n) for 10(-2) M TFA aqueous solution and of Cs(+)(H(2)O)(n), I(-)(H(2)O)(n), Cs(+)(CsI)(n), and I(-)(CsI)(n) for 10(-2) M CsI aqueous solution.     

Metal components analysis of metallothionein-III in the brain sections of metallothionein-I and metallothionein-II null mice exposed to mercury vapor with HPLC/ICP-MS

Mercury vapor is effectively absorbed via inhalation and easily passes through the blood–brain barrier; therefore, mercury poisoning with primarily central nervous system symptoms occurs. Metallothionein (MT) is a cysteine-rich metal-binding protein and plays a protective role in heavy-metal poisoning and it is associated with the metabolism of trace elements. Two MT isoforms, MT-I and MT-II, are expressed coordinately in all mammalian tissues, whereas MT-III is a brain-specific member of the MT family. MT-III binds zinc and copper physiologically and is seemed to have important neurophysiological and neuromodulatory functions. The MT functions and metal components of MTs in the brain after mercury vapor exposure are of much interest; however, until now they have not been fully examined. In this study, the influences of the lack of MT-I and MT-II on mercury accumulation in the brain and the changes of zinc and copper concentrations and metal components of MTs were examined after mercury vapor exposure by using MT-I, II null mice and 129/Sv (wild-type) mice as experimental animals. MT-I, II null mice and wild-type mice were exposed to mercury vapor or an air stream for 2 h and were killed 24 h later. The brain was dissected into the cerebral cortex, the cerebellum, and the hippocampus. The concentrations of mercury in each brain section were determined by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentrations of mercury, copper, and zinc in each brain section were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The mercury accumulated in brains after mercury vapor exposure for MT-I, II null mice and wild-type mice. The mercury levels of MT-I, II null mice in each brain section were significantly higher than those of wild-type mice after mercury vapor exposure. A significant change of zinc concentrations with the following mercury vapor exposure for MT-I, II null mice was observed only in the cerebellum analyzed by two-way analysis of variance. As for zinc, the copper concentrations only changed significantly in the cerebellum. Metal components of metal-binding proteins of soluble fractions in the brain sections were analyzed by size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) connected with ICP-MS. From the results of HPLC/ICP-MS analyses, it was concluded that the mercury components of MT-III and high molecular weight metal-binding proteins in the cerebellum of MT-I, II null mice were much higher than those of wild-type mice. It was suggested that MT-III is associated with the storage of mercury in conditions lacking MT-I, and MT-II. It was also suggested that the physiological role of MT-III and some kind of high molecular weight proteins might be impaired by exposure to mercury vapor and lack of MT-I and MT-II.