Stimulation of Microvascular Networks on Sulfonated Polyrotaxane Surfaces with Immobilized Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

Modulation of material properties and growth factor application are critical in constructing suitable cell culture environments to induce desired cellular functions. Sulfonated polyrotaxane (PRX) surfaces with immobilized vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) are prepared to improve network formation in vascular endothelial cells. Sulfonated PRXs, whereby sulfonated α‐cyclodextrins (α‐CDs) are threaded onto a linear poly(ethylene glycol) chain capped with bulky groups at both terminals, are coated onto surfaces. The molecular mobility of sulfonated PRX surfaces is modulated by tuning the number of threading α‐CDs. VEGF is immobilized onto surfaces with varying mobility. Low mobility and VEGF‐immobilization reinforce cell proliferation, yes‐associated protein activity, and rhoA, pdgf, ang‐1, and pecam‐1 gene expression. Highly mobile surfaces and soluble VEGF weakly affect these cell responses. Network formation is strongly stimulated in vascular endothelial cells only on low‐mobility VEGF‐immobilized surfaces, suggesting that molecular mobility and VEGF immobilization synergistically control cell function.     

A complete calculation for direct detection of Wino dark matter

In the anomaly-mediated supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking scenario, neutral gaugino of SUL₍₂₎$\mathit{SU}{(2)}_L$ multiplet, Wino, can be the lightest SUSY particle and become a candidate for dark matter. We calculated scattering cross section of Wino dark matter with nucleon, which is responsible for direct detection of the dark matter, on the assumption that the SUSY particles and the heavier Higgs bosons have masses of the order of the gravitino mass in the SUSY standard model. In such a case, the Wino–nucleon coupling is generated by loop processes. We have included two-loop contribution to Wino–gluon interaction in the calculation, since it is one of the leading contributions to the Wino–nucleon coupling. It was found that the spin-independent scattering cross section with proton is ^{10−(46–48)} cm²${10}^{-(46\text{–}48)}{\text{cm}}^2$. While it is almost independent of the Wino mass, the result is quite sensitive to the Higgs boson mass due to the accidental cancellation.     

How nitrogenase shakes--initial information about P-cluster and FeMo-cofactor normal modes from nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS)

Nitrogenase catalyzes a reaction critical for life, the reduction of N(2) to 2NH(3), yet we still know relatively little about its catalytic mechanism. We have used the synchrotron technique of (57)Fe nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) to study the dynamics of the Fe-S clusters in this enzyme. The catalytic site FeMo-cofactor exhibits a strong signal near 190 cm(-)(1), where conventional Fe-S clusters have weak NRVS. This intensity is ascribed to cluster breathing modes whose frequency is raised by an interstitial atom. A variety of Fe-S stretching modes are also observed between 250 and 400 cm(-)(1). This work is the first spectroscopic information about the vibrational modes of the intact nitrogenase FeMo-cofactor and P-cluster.     

Surfactant-mixing effects on the interfacial tension and the microemulsion formation in water/supercritical CO2 system

The effects of surfactant mixing on interfacial tension and on microemulsion formation were examined for systems of air/water and water/supercritical CO2 (scCO2) interfaces and for water/scCO2 microemulsions. A fluorinated surfactant, sodium bis(1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecyl)-2-sulfosuccinate (8FS(EO)2), was mixed with the three hydrocarbon surfactants, Pluronic L31, Tergitol TMN-6, and decyltrimethylammonium chloride (DeTAC), at equimolar ratio. For all the cases, the interfacial tension was significantly lowered by the mixing. The positive synergistic effect suggests that the mixed surfactants tend to pack more closely on the interface than the pure constituents. It was found, however, that the microemulsion formation in scCO2 was never facilitated by the mixing, except for the case of TMN-6. This is probably due to the segregation of the surfactants into hydrocarbon-rich and fluorocarbon-rich phases on the microemulsion surface.     

Synthetic studies on (−)-FR182877: construction of the ABCD ring system via the intramolecular cycloadditions (2)

Construction of the ABCD ring system of (−)-FR182877 via the intramolecular Diels-Alder (IMDA) reaction and the highly diastereoselective intramolecular hetero-Diels-Alder (IMHDA) reaction is described. The IMHDA reactions of the substrates incorporating the oxabutadiene with the E- or Z-alkene were examined, revealing that the sole product was obtained from both substrates and the E-alkene geometry was found to be crucial to obtaining the desired product.     

Synthesis of lipophilic bisanthracene fluorophores: versatile building blocks toward the synthesis of new light-harvesting dendrimers

Lipophilic bisanthracene-based fluorophore and its derivatives were synthesized by the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of 9-anthrylboronic acid with a substituted dibromobenzene. In addition to desirable fluorescent properties, these molecular systems were demonstrated to serve as versatile building blocks toward the synthesis of two types of new light-harvesting dendrimers due to their chemical stability.     

Chiral phosphinooxazolidine ligands for palladium- and platinum-catalyzed asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions

Cationic palladium (Pd)- and platinum (Pt)-phosphinooxazolidine catalysts 13a-c, 15a-d, 17a-c, and 19a-c were prepared from phosphinooxazolidine ligands 1-3, MCl(2) (M = Pd and Pt), and counterions, and the activities of the catalysts in the asymmetric Diels-Alder (DA) reactions of cyclic or acyclic dienes with imide dienophiles were investigated. These catalysts demonstrated high levels of catalytic activity. The cationic Pd-POZ complex 13c provided particularly excellent enantioselectivity (98% ee) in the DA reactions of cyclopentadiene with acryloyl-, crotonyl-, and fumaroyl-1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones (20a-c).