Synthesis and human leukocyte elastase inhibitory activity of novel 2-spiro(2′,2′-diphenylcyclopropane) cephalosporin sulfones

A new series of 2-spiro(2,2-diphenylcyclopropane) cephalosporin sulfones was synthesizes as potent human leukocyte elastase inhibitors.SynPhar Laboratories Inc., #2 Taiho Alberta Centre, 4290-91A Street, Edmonton, Canada T6R 5V2. Published in Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 11, pp. 1517–1523, November, 1998.     

Studies on monobactams II. Synthesis and β-lactamase inhibitory activity of 4α-methyl-3-[(thien-2-yl)-methylene]-2-azetidinone-1-sulfonate

Two monobactam derivatives, potassium 4-methyl-(3E)-[(thien-2-yl)methylene]-2-azetidinone-1-sulfonate and its (3Z)-isomer, were prepared and evaluated for their -lactamase inhibitory activities. These compounds were devoid of -lactamase inhibitory activity.SynPhar Laboratories Inc., #2, 4290-91A Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6E 5V2, Canada. Tokushima Research Institute, Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 224-2 Ebisuno Hiraishi, Kawauchi-cho, Tokushima 771-01, Japan. Published in Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 11, pp. 1548–1552, November, 1998.     

A predictive model for impact response of viscoelastic polymers in drop tests

We show for the first time that a classical Hookean viscoelastic constitutive law for rubbery materials can predict the impact forces and deflections measured with a commercial drop tester when a mass, or tup with a flat impacting surface is dropped onto a flat pad of commercial impact-absorbing rubber. The viscoelastic properties of the rubber, namely the relaxation times and strengths, are obtained by a standard rheological linear-oscillatory test, and the equation of momentum transfer is then solved, using these measured parameters, assuming a uniaxial deflection of the pad during the impact. Good agreement between measured and predicted forces and deflections is obtained for a series of various drop heights, tup masses, impact areas, and pad thicknesses, as long as the deflection of the pad relative to its thickness is small or modest (<50% or so), and as long as the area of the pad is less than or equal to that of the tup. When the pad area is greater than the tup, forces are higher than predicted, unless an empirical factor is introduced to account for the nonuniaxial stretching of the ring of material that extends outside of the impact area. These results imply that the impact-absorbing properties of a rubbery polymeric material can be assessed by simply examining the material's linear viscoelastic spectrum.     

Parameter dependence and outcome dependence in dynamical models for state vector reduction

We apply the distinction between parameter independence and outcome independence to the linear and nonlinear models of a recent nonrelativistic theory of continuous state vector reduction. We show that in the nonlinear model there is a set of realizations of the stochastic process that drives the state vector reduction for which parameter independence is violated for parallel spin components in the EPR-Bohm setup. Such a set has an appreciable probability of occurrence ( 1/2). On the other hand, the linear model exhibits only extremely small parameter dependence effects. We investigate some specific features of the models and we recall that, as has been pointed out recently, if one wants to be able to speak of definite outcomes (or equivalently of possessed objective elements of reality) at finite times, one has to slightly change the criteria for their attribution to physical systems. The concluding section is devoted to a detailed discussion of the difficulties which one meets when one tries to take, as a starting point for the formulation of a relativistic theory, a nonrelativistic scheme which exhibits parameter dependence. Here we derive a theorem which identifies the precise sense in which the occurrence of parameter dependence forbids a genuinely relativistic generalization. Finally we show how the appreciable parameter dependence of the nonlinear model gives rise to problems with relativity, while the extremely weak parameter dependence of the linear model does not give rise to any difficulty, provided one takes into account the appropriate criteria for the attribution of definite outcomes.Work supported in part by the Trieste Section of the INFN.     

New solid state NMR techniques in coal analysis

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has become a valuable technique for the determination of the aromaticity of fossil fuels. Now, by exploiting ¹³C relaxation, intimate details of the structure of coal may be determined. This article briefly describes these new applications.     

SSZ-53 and SSZ-59: two novel extra-large pore zeolites

The syntheses, structure solutions, and physicochemical and catalytic characterizations of the novel zeolites SSZ-53 and SSZ-59 are described. SSZ-53 and SSZ-59 were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions with the [1-(4-fluorophenyl)cyclopentylmethyl]trimethyl ammonium cation and 1-[1-(4-chlorophenyl)cyclopentylmethyl]-1-methyl azocanium cation, respectively, as structure-directing agents. The framework topology of SSZ-53 was solved with the FOCUS method, and the structure of SSZ-59 was determined by model building. Rietveld refinement of synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data confirms each proposed model. SSZ-53 and SSZ-59 each possess a one-dimensional channel system delimited by 14-membered rings. Results from transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, catalytic experiments (spaciousness index and constraint index tests), and argon and hydrocarbon adsorption experiments are consistent with the proposed structures.     

Site-specific detection of S-nitrosylated PKB alpha/Akt1 from rat soleus muscle using CapLC-Q-TOF(micro) mass spectrometry

Protein Kinase Balpha(PKBalpha, or Akt1) is believed to play a crucial role in programmed cell death, cancer progression and the insulin-signaling cascade. The protein is activated by phosphorylation at multiple sites and subsequently phosphorylates and activates eNOS. Free cysteine residues of the protein may capture reactive, endogenously produced nitric oxide (NO) as S-nitrosothiols. Site-specific detection of S-nitrosylated cysteine residues, usually at low stoichiometry, has been a major challenge in proteomic research largely due to the lack of mass marker for S-nitrosothiols that are very labile under physiologic conditions. In this report we describe a sensitive and specific MS method for detection of S-nitrosothiols in PKB alpha/Akt1 in rat soleus muscle. PKB alpha/Akt1 was isolated by immunoprecipitation and 2D-gel electrophoresis, subjected to in-gel tryptic digestion, and cysteinyl nitrosothiols were reacted with iodoacetic acids [2-C(12)/C(13) = 50/50] under ascorbate reduction conditions. This resulted in the production of relatively stable carboxymethylcysteine (CMC) immonium ions (m/z 134.019 and m/z 135.019) within a narrow argon collision energy (CE = 30 +/- 5 V) in the high MS noise region. In addition, free and disulfide-linked cysteine residues were converted to carboxyamidomethylcysteines (CAM). Tryptic S-nitrosylated parent ion was detected with a mass accuracy of 50 mDa for the two CMC immonium ions at the triggered elution time during capillary liquid chromatography (LC) separation. A peptide containing Cys(296) was discriminated from four co-eluting tryptic peptides under lock mass conditions (m/z 785.8426). S-nitrosothiol in the tryptic peptide, ITDFGLBKEGIK (B: CAM, [M + 2H](2+) = 690.86, Found: 690.83), is believed to be present at a very low level, since the threshold for the CMC immonium trigger ions was set at 3 counts/s in the MS survey. The high levels of NO that are produced under stress conditions may result in increased S-nitrosylation of Cys(296) which blocks disulfide bond formation between Cys(296) and Cys(310) and suppresses the biological effects of PKB alpha/Akt1. With the procedures developed here, this process can be studied under physiological and pathological conditions.     

Electronic and vibrational second-order nonlinear optical properties of protein secondary structural motifs

A perturbation theory approach was developed for predicting the vibrational and electronic second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) polarizabilities of materials and macromolecules comprised of many coupled chromophores, with an emphasis on common protein secondary structural motifs. The polarization-dependent NLO properties of electronic and vibrational transitions in assemblies of amide chromophores comprising the polypeptide backbones of proteins were found to be accurately recovered in quantum chemical calculations by treating the coupling between adjacent oscillators perturbatively. A novel diagrammatic approach was developed to provide an intuitive visual means of interpreting the results of the perturbation theory calculations. Using this approach, the chiral and achiral polarization-dependent electronic SHG, isotropic SFG, and vibrational SFG nonlinear optical activities of protein structures were predicted and interpreted within the context of simple orientational models.     

Regioselective hydroborations of methylvinylchlorosilanes

The regioselectivity of the hydroboration of the methylchlorovinylsilanes, Cl_nMe_3?nSiCHCH₂ (n= 0 ? 3), has been investigated using BH₃←THF, 9-BBN, disiamyl- and dicyclohexylborane. Methylation of the adducts with methylmagnesium bromide is complicated by formation of tetraalkylboronates. Alkaline hydrogen peroxide oxidation of the boronates gives reasonable yields of the corresponding α- and β-trimethylsilylethanols forn= 0 and 1. Forn= 2 and 3, conversion of the adducts to the corresponding α- and β- deuteroethylsilanes by treatment with excess sodium methoxide in methanol-0-d provides a more effective means of derivatization. Addition of the alkenes,n= 2 or 3, to excess BH₃←THF givesca. 90% of the α-boro-organo-chlorosilanes. For all of the alkenes, the dialkylboranes giveca. 80% of the β-boron adducts.