Mechanistic investigation of the Ru-catalyzed hydroamidation of terminal alkynes

The ruthenium-catalyzed hydroamidation of terminal alkynes has evolved to become a broadly applicable tool for the synthesis of enamides and enimides. Depending on the catalyst system employed, the reaction leads chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectively to a single diastereoisomer. Herein, we present a comprehensive mechanistic study of the ruthenium-catalyzed hydroamidation of terminal alkynes, which includes deuterium-labeling, in situ IR, in situ NMR, and in situ ESI-MS experiments complemented by computational studies. The results support the involvement of ruthenium-hydride and ruthenium-vinylidene species as the key intermediates. They are best explained by a reaction pathway that consists of an oxidative addition of the amide, followed by insertion of a π-coordinated alkyne into a ruthenium-hydride bond, rearrangement to a vinylidene species, nucleophilic attack of the amide, and finally reductive elimination of the product.     

Rayleigh Scattering of 59.5 keV γ-Rays by Mo and Sn

The differential cross sections for coherent scattering of 59.5 keV γ-rays by Mo and Sn were measured using a high-purity germanium detector. The results were compared with predictions of form factor theories and S-matrix calculations.     

Die klassisch-reguläre Lösbarkeit des Rand-Anfangswertproblems nichtlinearer Wellengleichungen mit einer Randbedingung vom gemischten Typ

Ohne ZusammenfassungFür viele wertvolle Hinweise möchte ich an dieser Stelle meinem akademischen Lehrer, Herrn Prof. Dr. W. von Wahl, danken     

Phenacenes from Diels-Alder trapping of photogenerated o-xylylenols: phenanthrenes and benzo[e]pyrene bisimide

[structure: see text] The synthesis of phenanthrene and benzo[e]pyrene bisimides, 1 and 2, was accomplished via the Diels-Alder trapping of sterically congested o-xylylenols photochemically generated from 3,6-dibenzoyl-o-xylene and 1,4-dibenzoyl-9,10-dihydroanthracene, respectively. Absorption and emission from 2 are red-shifted from 1 and unsubstituted benzo[e]pyrene. The fluorescence quantum yield for 2 is an order of magnitude lower than that of 1 and comparable to that of the parent benzo[e]pyrene.     

The effects of low dose leukotriene receptor antagonist therapy on airway remodeling and cysteinyl leukotriene expression in a mouse asthma model

Airway structural changes that occur in patients with asthma in response to persistent inflammation are termed airway remodeling. The cysteinyl leukotrienes (LTC(4), D(4) and E(4)) are known to play important roles in the pathobiology of asthma. To evaluate the effect of low dose montelukast (MK) on the development of airway remodeling using a chronic murine model of allergic airway inflammation with subepithelial fibrosis, BALB/c mice, after intraperitoneal ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization on days 0 and 14, received intranasal OVA periodically on days 14-75. MK treated mice received montelukast sodium intraperitoneally on days 26-75. The OVA sensitized/challenged mice developed an extensive eosinophil cell inflammatory response, goblet cell hyperplasia, mucus occlusion, and smooth muscle hypertrophy of the airways. In addition, in OVA sensitized/challenged mice, dense collagen deposition/fibrosis was seen throughout the lung interstitium surrounding the airways, blood vessels, and alveolar septae. The cysteinyl leukotriene 1 (CysLT1) receptor antagonist, MK significantly reduced the airway eosinophil infiltration, goblet cell hyperplasia, mucus occlusion, and lung fibrosis except airway smooth muscle hypertrophy in the OVA sensitized/challenged mice. The OVA sensitized/challenged mice had significantly increased epithelial desquamation compared with control mice. MK markedly reduced epithelial desquamation of airways in OVA/MK treated animals compared with OVA sensitized/challenged mice. MK treatment did not affect the levels of CysLT in lung tissue. Our results show that the important role of cysteinyl leukotrienes in the pathogenesis of asthma. Lower dose of CysLT1 receptor antagonism has a significant anti-inflammatory effect on allergen-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis but not airway smooth muscle hypertrophy in an animal model of asthma.     

Experiment of C-Band Wavelength Conversion in a Silicon Waveguide Pumped by Dispersed Femtosecond Laser Pulse

We experimentally demonstrate the C-band wavelength conversion using four-wave mixing in a 17-mm-long silicon-on-insulator waveguide pumped by a dispersed mode-locked femtosecond laser pulse. The idler can be observed with an incident average pump power lower than 4 dBm, and about 35 nm of conversion bandwidth from 1530nm to 1565nm is measured by using a 1550-nm pump wavelength. The pulse-pumped efficiency is demonstrated to be higher, by more than 22 dB, than the cw-pumped efficiency. The conversion efficiency variations with respect to the pump and signal powers are also investigated.     

Expected gain–loss pricing and hedging of contingent claims in incomplete markets by linear programming

We analyze the problem of pricing and hedging contingent claims in the multi-period, discrete time, discrete state case using the concept of a “λ gain–loss ratio opportunity”. Pricing results somewhat different from, but reminiscent of, the arbitrage pricing theorems of mathematical finance are obtained. Our analysis provides tighter price bounds on the contingent claim in an incomplete market, which may converge to a unique price for a specific value of a gain–loss preference parameter imposed by the market while the hedging policies may be different for different sides of the same trade. The results are obtained in the simpler framework of stochastic linear programming in a multi-period setting, and have the appealing feature of being very simple to derive and to articulate even for the non-specialist. They also extend to markets with transaction costs.     

In vitro study on the competitive reactions between arsenite and selenite with glutathione

Exposure to arsenic can cause various biological effects by increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Selenium acts as a beneficial element by regulating ROS and limiting heavy metal uptake and translocation. There are studies on the interactive effects of As and Se in plants, but the antagonistic and synergistic effects of these elements based on their binding to glutathione (GSH) molecules have not been studied yet. In this study, we aimed to investigate the antagonistic or synergistic effects of As and Se on the binding mechanism of Se and As with GSH at pH 3.0, 5.0, or 6.5. The interaction of As and Se in Se(SG)₂ + As(III) or As(SG)₃ + Se(IV) binary systems and As(III) + Se(IV) + GSH ternary system were examined depending on their ratios via liquid chromatography diode array detector/electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-DAD/MS) and liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). The results showed that the formation of As(GS)₃ was not detected in the As(III) + Se(SG)₂ binary system, indicating that As(III) did not affect the stability of Se(SG)₂ complex antagonistically. However, in the Se(IV) + As(SG)₃ binary system, the addition of Se(IV) to As(SG)₃ affected the stability of As(SG)₃ antagonistically. Se(IV) reacted with GSH, disrupting the As(SG)₃ complex, and consequently, Se(SG)₂ formation was measured using LC-MS/DAD. In the Se(IV) + GSH + As(III) ternary system, Se(SG)₂ formation was detected upon mixing As(III), Se(IV), and GSH. The increase in the concentration of As(III) did not influence the stability of the Se(SG)₂ complex. Additionally, Se(IV) has a higher affinity than As(III) to the GSH, regardless of the pH of the solution. In both binary and ternary systems, the formation of the by-product glutathione trisulfide (GSSSG) was detected using LC-ESI-MS/MS.