14‐Membered Cyclopeptides from Paliurus ramosissimus and P. hemsleyanus

Six 14‐membered cyclopeptide alkaloids, i.e., ramosines A–C, mucronine J, and lotusines A and D, were isolated from the roots of Paliurus ramosissimus, and an additional four, hemsines A–D, from the roots of P. hemsleyanus. Among these, ramosines A–C ( 1, 5 , and 6 , resp.) and hemsines A and B ( 7 and 8 , resp.) are new bases of the amphibine‐B type, and hemsines C and D ( 9 and 10 , resp.) are new integerrine‐type alkaloids. Additionally, ramosine C ( 6 ) represents the first 14‐membered cyclopeptide alkaloid possessing a substitution (? OH) at C(13′). Their structural elucidations were based on spectral analysis and molecular‐modeling studies. Pronounced solvent effects in the ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR spectra of these two types of alkaloids were observed.     

Solvothermal Synthesis and Characterization of the New Iron Thioantimonates(III) [Fe(C6H18N4)]FeSbS4 and [Fe(C4H13N3)2]Fe2Sb4S10 Containing FeII and FeIII and Protein‐Analogous [2FeIII‐2S]2+ Clusters

The two new compounds [Fe(tren)]FeSbS₄ ( 1 ) (tren = tris(2‐aminoethyl)amine) and [Fe(dien)₂]Fe₂Sb₄S₁₀ ( 2 ) (dien = diethylendiamine) were prepared under solvothermal conditions and represent the first thioantimonates(III) with iron cations integrated into the anionic network. In both compounds Fe³⁺ is part of a [2Fe^III‐2S] cluster which is often found in ferredoxines. In addition, Fe²⁺ ions are present which are surrounded by the organic ligands. In ( 1 ) the Fe²⁺ ion is also part of the thioantimonate(III) network whereas in ( 2 ) the Fe²⁺ ion is isolated. In both compounds the primary SbS₃ units are interconnected into one‐dimensional chains. The mixed‐valent character of [Fe(tren)]FeSbS₄ was unambiguously determined with Mössbauer spectroscopy. Both compounds exhibit paramagnetic behaviour and for ( 1 ) a deviation from linearity is observed due to a strong zero‐field splitting. Both compounds decompose in one single step.     

Microfluidic three-dimensional biomimetic tumor model for studying breast cancer cell migration and invasion in the presence of interstitial flow

Cell migration and invasion are critical steps in cancer metastasis, which are the major cause of death in cancer patients. Tumor-associated macrophages(TAMs) and interstitial flow(IF) are two important biochemical and biomechanical cues in tumor microenvironment, play essential roles in tumor progression. However, their combined effects on tumor cell migration and invasion as well as molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. In this work, we developed a microfluidic-based 3 D breast cancer model by co-culturing tumor aggregates, macrophages, monocytes and endothelial cells within 3 D extracellular matrix in the presence of IF to study tumor cell migration and invasion. On the established platform, we can precisely control the parameters related to tumor microenvironment and observe cellular responses and interactions in real-time. When co-culture of U937 with human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs) or MDA-MB-231 cells and tri-culture of U937 with HUVECs and MDA-MB-231 cells, we found that mesenchymal-like MDA-MB-231 aggregates activated the monocytes to TAM-like phenotype macrophages. MDA-MB-231 cells and IF simultaneously enhanced the macrophages activation by the stimulation of colony-stimulating factor 1(CSF-1). The activated macrophages and IF further promoted vascular sprouting via vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGFα) signal and tumor cell invasion. This is the first attempt to study the interaction between macrophages and breast cancer cells under IF condition. Taken together, our results provide a new insight to reveal the important physiological and pathological processes of macrophages-tumor communication. Moreover, our established platform with a more mimetic 3 D breast cancer model has the potential for drug screening with more accurate results.     

Efficient synthesis and spectral determination of 11‐[(o‐ m‐ and p‐substituted)‐phenyl]‐8‐chloro‐3,3‐dimethyl‐2,3,4,5,10,11‐hexahydro‐1H‐dibenzo[b,e][1,4]diazepin‐1‐ones

A new synthesis to obtain eleven novel derivatives of 11‐[(o‐ m‐ and p‐substituted)‐phenyl]‐8‐chloro‐3,3‐dimethyl‐2,3,4,5,10,11‐hexahydro‐1H‐dibenzo[b,e][1,4]diazepin‐1‐ones with possible pharmacological activity in the central nervous system in two efficient steps has been developed. The final products were obtained by condensation and cyclization between 3‐[4‐chloro‐1,2‐phenylenediamine]‐5,5‐dimethyl‐2‐cyclohexenone with (o‐ m‐ and p‐substituted)benzaldehyde. The structure of all products was corroborated by ir, ¹H‐nmr, ¹³C‐nmr and high resolution in ms.     

Syntheses and Crystal Structures of Two Metal Succinates Modified by Bipyridines

Two new metal succinates modified by rigid bipyridines, Cd(4, 4′‐bpy)(C₄H₄O₄)·1/4H₂O ( 1 ) and Cu(2, 2′‐bpy)(C₄H₄O₄)_0.5(NO₃)(H₂O) ( 2 ) (bpy = bipyridine), have been synthesized by hydrothermal reactions and structurally determined. Complex 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Cmca with the cell parameters a = 11.696(2), b = 15.554(2), c = 15.874(3) Å, α = β = γ = 90.00°, V = 2888(3) ų, Z = 8. Complex 2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group with a = 7.077(1), b = 9.838(2), c = 10.461(2) Å, α = 71.941(3)°, β = 73.078(3)°, γ = 74.502(3)°, V = 649.8(2) ų, Z = 2. In complex 1 , a 2‐D network was formed by Cd‐succinato bonding. The 2‐D networks are pillared by 4, 4′‐bpy ligands, forming a 3‐D grid framework. The 2‐fold interpenetration of the resulting 3‐D frameworks completes the molecular structure. In complex 2 , the Cu^II atom adopts a distorted octahedral in which the Cu^II atoms are bridged by two H₂O molecules into an infinite zigzag chain, [Cu₂(H₂O)₂(C₄H₄O₄)]_n. The neighboring chains are further linked by π‐π stacking interactions into a 2‐D network, and the interlayer hydrogen bonds lead to the final 3‐D crystal structure.     

Preparation of water‐soluble,syndiotacticity‐rich,low molecular weight poly(vinyl alcohol) microfibrils in high yields with the low‐temperature polymerization of vinyl pivalate in tetrahydrofuran and saponification

To prepare water‐soluble, syndiotacticity‐rich poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) microfibrils for various industrial applications, we synthesized syndiotacticity‐rich, low molecular weight PVA by the solution polymerization of vinyl pivalate (VPi) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at low temperatures with 2,2′‐azobis(2,4‐dimethylvaleronitrile) (ADMVN) as an initiator and successive saponification of poly(vinyl pivalate) (PVPi). Effects of the initiator and monomer concentrations and the polymerization temperature were investigated in terms of the polymerization behaviors and molecular structures of PVPi and the corresponding syndiotacticity‐rich PVA. The polymerization rate of VPi in THF was proportional to the 0.91 power of the ADMVN concentration, indicating the heterogeneous nature of THF polymerization. The low‐temperature solution polymerization of VPi in THF with ADMVN proved to be successful in obtaining water‐soluble PVA with a number‐average degree of polymerization (P_n) of 300–900, a syndiotactic dyad content of 60–63%, and an ultimate conversion of VPi into PVPi of over 75%. Despite the low molecular weight of PVA with P_n = 800, water‐soluble PVA microfibrillar fibers were prepared because of the high level of syndiotacticity. In contrast, for PVA with P_n = 330, shapeless and globular morphologies were observed, indicating that molecular weight has an important role in the in situ fibrillation of syndiotacticity‐rich PVA. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1103–1111, 2002     

Fast DNA sequencing up to 1,000 bases by capillary electrophoresis using poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) as a separation medium

Poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA) with a molecular mass of 5.2 x 10(6) g/mol has been synthesized and used in DNA sequencing analysis by capillary electrophoresis (CE). A systematic investigation is presented on the effects of different separation conditions, such as injection amount, capillary inner diameter, polymer concentration, effective separation length, electric field and temperature, on the resolution. DNA sequencing up to 800 bases with a resolution (R) limit of 0.5 (and 1,000 bases with a resolution limit of 0.3) and a migration time of 96 min was achieved by using 2.5% w/v polymer, 150 V/cm separation electric field, and 60 cm effective separation length at room temperature on a DNA sample prepared with FAM-labeled--21M13 forward primer on pGEM3Zf(+) and terminated with ddCTP. Ultrafast and fast DNA sequencing up to 420 and 590 bases (R > or = 0.5) were also achieved by using 3% w/v polymer and 40 cm effective separation length with a separation electric field of 525 and 300 V/cm, and a migration time of 12.5 and 31.5 min, respectively. PDMA has low viscosity, long shelf life and dynamic coating ability to the glass surface. The unique properties of PDMA make it a very good candidate as a separation medium for large-scale DNA sequencing by capillary array electrophoresis (CAE).     

Di­aqua­bis(4,5‐di­hydro‐1,2,4‐triazolo[1,5‐a]­pyrimidin‐5‐one‐N3)bis­(thiocyanato‐N)­nickel(II)

The title compound, [Ni(NCS)₂(C₅H₄N₄O)₂(H₂O)₂], crystallizes in the triclinic space group P. The molecular unit contains two neutral mol­ecules of 4,5‐di­hydro‐1,2,4‐triazolo[1,5‐a]­pyrimidin‐5‐one (5HtpO) coordinated through the N atom in position 3, two thio­cyanate ligands coordinated through their N atoms and two water mol­ecules completing an octahedral environment around the Ni^II ion, which lies on a centre of inversion. The structure is stabilized by hydrogen bonding. Distances in the coordination sphere are Ni—N3(5HtpO) 2.132 (2), Ni—O(water) 2.085 (2) and Ni—N(thio­cyanato) 2.040 (2) Å.     

A New Activation Method for Electroless Metal Plating：Palladium Laden via Bonding with Self—Assembly Monolayers

A new activation method has been developed for electroless copper plating on silicon wafer based on palladium chemisorption on SAMs of APTS without SnCl2 sensitization and roughening condition.A closely packed electroless copper film with strong adhesion is successfully formed by AFM observation.XPS study indicates that palladium chemisorption occurred via palladium chloride bonding to the pendant amino group of the SAMs.     

Coherent Control of High Harmonic Generation Driven by Metal Nanotip Photoemission

Steering ultrafast electron dynamics with well-controlled laser fields is very important for generation of intense supercontinuum radiation. It can be achieved through coherent control of the symmetry of the interaction between strong-field laser fields and a metal nanotip. We employ a scheme of two-color laser pulses combined with a weak static field to realize the control of a single quantum path to generate high harmonic generation from a single solid-state nanoemitter. Moreover, a smooth and ultrabroad supercontinuum in the extreme ultraviolet region is obtained, which can produce a single attosecond pulse. Our findings are beneficial for efficient generation of isolated sub-100 as XUV pulses from solid-state sources.