Effect of three vitrification methods on development of two-cell mouse embryos

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of three vitrification procedures [conventional straw (CS), open pulled straw (OPS) and closed pulled straw (CPS)] on the development of two-cell mouse embryos. Two-cell mouse embryos were randomly divided into vitrified and non-vitrified control groups. Embryos in the vitrified group were cryopreserved within a combination of 5.5 M ethylene glycol and 1M sucrose as cryoprotectants, loaded within three different straws (CS, OPS and CPS) and warmed in stepwise sucrose solutions. The survived embryos from each procedure were cultured in human tubal fluid (HTF). The non-vitrified control embryos were also cultured in the same manner. The rates of the development in all the groups were daily determined and statistically compared. On day 4 of the cultivation period, several expanded blastocysts from each group were randomly selected and stained either with propidium iodide (PI) and bisbenzimide or with terminal transferase- mediate DNA end labeling (TUNEL) Technique. The mean number of the inner cell mass (ICM), trophoectoderm (TE), necrotic and apoptotic cells were counted and statistically compared. The survival rate of embryos in CPS was significantly higher than that in OPS and CS. The rate of hatched blastocysts did not differ in the three vitrification procedures, but in comparison with that of the control, CS and OPS showed a significant reduction. The mean number of ICM and TE decreased in CS and OPS, whereas in CPS it was almost identical to that of the control. The incidence of apoptosis and necrosis appeared to be almost similar in all the groups. In conclusion, CPS seems to be an effective, easy and rapid method for the cryopreservation of two-cell mouse embryos.     

In vivo mapping of functional domains and axonal connectivity in cat visual cortex using magnetic resonance imaging

Noninvasive cognitive neuroimaging studies based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are of ever-increasing importance for basic and clinical neurosciences. The explanatory power of fMRI could be greatly expanded, however, if the pattern of the neuronal circuitry underlying functional activation could be made visible in an equally noninvasive manner. In this study, blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD)-based fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were performed in the same cat visual cortex, and the foci of fMRI activation utilized as seeding points for 3D DTI fiber reconstruction algorithms, thus providing the map of the axonal circuitry underlying visual information processing. The methods developed in this study will lay the foundation for in vivo neuroanatomy and the ability for noninvasive longitudinal studies of brain development.     

Synthesis,characterization, and molecular structures of Ni(II) and Cd(II) complexes derived from dithiophosphonate

Two novel dithiophosphonate ligands, HS₂P(p‐C₆H₄OMe)(OCH₂CH₂CH(CH₃)₂) ( 1 ) and HS₂P(p‐C₆H₄OMe)(OCH(CH₃)₂) ( 2 ), were synthesized and characterized by multinuclear (¹H, ³¹P, and ¹³C) NMR, infrared spectroscopy as well as elemental analysis. The reactions of 1 and 2 with NiCl₂·6H₂O and Cd(NO₃)₂·4H₂O in methanol led to novel complexes 3 and 4 . The single crystal X‐ray structures of 3 and 4 showed tetracoordinated structure with square planar geometry for the nickel complex, while it showed pentacoordinated structure with distorted square‐pyramid environment for the cadmium complex.     

Keggin Heteropolyacid Catalyzed Synthesis of Isoxazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidine-4,6(5H,7H)-diones at Room Temperature

Isoxazolo[5,4‐d]pyrimidine‐4,6(5H,7H)diones 2a – 2f have been synthesized from the reaction of ethyl 5‐amino‐3‐methyl‐4‐isoxazole carboxylate ( 1 ) with aryl isocyanates in the presence of Keggin heteropolyacid H₃[PW₁₂O₄₀] as a green solid acid catalyst at room temperature in a one‐pot process in good yields.     

Efficient and solvent-free synthesis of 1-amidoalkyl-2-naphthols using <Emphasis Type="Italic">N,N,N’,N’</Emphasis>-tetrabromobenzene-1,3-disulfonamide

N,N,N,’N’-Tetrabromobenzene-1,3-disulfonamide [TBBDA] is found to be a reusable catalyst for efficient synthesis of various amidoalkyl naphthols from β-naphthol, aromatic aldehydes and urea in good to high yields under solvent-free conditions.      

One-pot synthesis of benzochromeno-pyrazole derivatives

Abstract  

One-pot synthesis of different benzochromeno-pyrazole derivatives has been reported via reaction of aldehydes, 3-methyl-1H-pyrazol-5(4H)-one and α-naphthol/β-naphthol in the presence of sulfamic acid.     

MCM-41 Catalyzed Efficient Regioselective Synthesis of β-Aminoalcohol under Solvent-free Conditions

β‐Aminoalcohols were synthesized in high yields by reaction of epoxides with amines in the presence of MCM‐41 as a green and reusable catalyst under solvent‐free conditions.     

Phosphido‐diphosphine pincer group 3 complexes as efficient initiators for lactide polymerization

New Group 3 metal complexes of the type [LM(CH₂SiMe₃)₂(THF)_n] supported by tridentate phosphido‐diphosphine ligands [(o‐C₆H₄PR₂) ₂ PH; L1‐H : R = iPr; L2‐H : R = Ph] have been synthesized by reaction of L1‐H and L2‐H with [M(CH₂SiMe₃)₃(THF)₂)] (M = Y and Sc). All the new complexes [(o‐C₆H₄PR₂) ₂ PM(CH₂SiMe₃)₂(THF)_n] [M = Y, R = iPr (1), R = Ph (2); M = Sc, R = iPr (3), R = Ph (4)] were studied as initiators for the ring opening polymerization of lactide. The yttrium complexes ( 1 and 2 ) exhibited high activity and good polymerization control, shown by the linear fits in the plot of number‐averaged molecular weight (M_n) versus the percentage conversion and versus the monomer/initiator ratio and by the low polydispersity index values. Interestingly, very good molar‐mass control was observed even when L ‐Lactide was polymerized in the absence of solvent at 130 °C. A good molar‐mass control but lower activities were observed in the polymerization reaction of lactide promoted by the analogous scandium complexes 3 and 4 . © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 1374–1382, 2010     

Decision making under uncertainty with fuzzy targets

This paper discusses the issue of how to use fuzzy targets in the target-based model for decision making under uncertainty. After introducing a target-based interpretation of the expected value on which it is shown that this model implicitly assumes a neutral behavior on attitude about the target, we examine the issue of using fuzzy targets considering different attitudes about the target selection of the decision maker. We also discuss the problem for situations on which the decision maker’s attitude about target may change according to different states of nature. Especially, it is shown that the target-based approach can provide an unified way for solving the problem of fuzzy decision making with uncertainty about the state of nature and imprecision about payoffs. Several numerical examples are given for illustration of the discussed issues.