Posthypoxic behavioral impairment and mortality of Drosophila melanogaster are associated with high temperatures,enhanced predeath activity and oxidative stress

Hypoxia is an underlying pathophysiological condition of a variety of devastating diseases, including acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We are faced with limited therapeutic options for AIS patients, and even after successful restoration of cerebral blood flow, the poststroke mortality is still high. More basic research is needed to explain mortality after reperfusion and to develop adjunct neuroprotective therapies. Drosophila melanogaster (D.m.) is a suitable model to analyze hypoxia; however, little is known about the impacts of hypoxia and especially of the subsequent reperfusion injury on the behavior and survival of D.m. To address this knowledge gap, we subjected two wild-type D.m. strains (Canton-S and Oregon-R) to severe hypoxia (<0.3% O₂) under standardized environmental conditions in a well-constructed hypoxia chamber. During posthypoxic reperfusion (21% O₂), we assessed fly activity (evoked and spontaneous) and analyzed molecular characteristics (oxidative stress marker abundance, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and metabolic activity) at various timepoints during reperfusion. First, we established standard conditions to induce hypoxia in D.m. to guarantee stable and reproducible experiments. Exposure to severe hypoxia under defined conditions impaired the climbing ability and reduced the overall activity of both D.m. strains. Furthermore, a majority of the flies died during the early reperfusion phase (up to 24 h). Interestingly, the flies that died early exhibited elevated activity before death compared to that of the flies that survived the entire reperfusion period. Additionally, we detected increases in ROS and stress marker (Catalase, Superoxide Dismutase and Heat Shock Protein 70) levels as well as reductions in metabolic activity in the reperfusion phase. Finally, we found that changes in environmental conditions impacted the mortality rate. In particular, decreasing the temperature during hypoxia or the reperfusion phase displayed a protective effect. In conclusion, our data suggest that reperfusion-dependent death might be associated with elevated temperatures, predeath activity, and oxidative stress.Subject terms: Stroke, Molecular neuroscience     

Direct organocatalytic asymmetric alpha-sulfenylation of activated C-H bonds in lactones, lactams, and beta-dicarbonyl compounds

The application of cinchona alkaloid derivatives as catalysts for enantioselective alpha-sulfenylation of activated C-H bonds in lactones, lactams, and beta-dicarbonyl compounds by different electrophilic sulfur reagents is presented. Optically active products are obtained in good to excellent yields and up to 91 % ee. Furthermore, the diastereoselective reduction of alpha-sulfenylated beta-keto esters to give optically active alpha-sulfenylated beta-hydroxy esters has been studied. A model for the intermediate is presented, in which the protonated cinchona alkaloid interacts with the substrate leading to face-shielding in accordance with the enantioselective alpha-sulfenylation step.     

Formation of third generation poly(pyrazolyl)borate ligands from alkyne coupling reactions of Fe[(p-IC6H4)B(3-Rpz)3]2 (R = H, Me; pz = pyrazolyl): pathways toward controlling an iron(II) electronic spin-state crossover

Sonogashira coupling reactions of terminal alkynes with Fe[(p-IC6H4)B(3-Mepz)3]2 (pz = pyrazolyl ring) yield Fe[(p-PhC2C6H4)B(3-Mepz)3]2 (2), Fe[(p-Me3SiC2C6H4)B(3-Rpz)3]2 (R = H, 3a, R = Me, 3b), and Fe[(p-HC2C6H4)B(3-Mepz)3]2 (R = H, 4a, R = Me, 4b), a series of new complexes containing "third generation" poly(pyrazolyl)borate ligands. Complex 2 undergoes a fairly gradual iron(II) electronic spin-state crossover with a 30 K hysteresis, whereas complex 3b is an unusual example of a complex with equivalent iron(II) sites in the high-spin form that shows an abrupt 50% spin crossover. For complex 4b, 50% of the iron(II) sites undergo a gradual spin-state transition between 185 and 350 K with an activation energy of 1590 +/- 30 cm(-1) and a T(1/2) = 280 K and, for the remaining iron(II) sites, an abrupt cooperative spin-state crossover between 106 and 114 K. The crystal structures of 4b obtained for each of the three distinct electronic spin states reveal two crystallographically different iron(II) sites, and analysis of the molecular/supramolecular structures indicates that the difference in the degree of pyrazolyl ring tilting in the ligands between the two sites, rather than the strength of the intermolecular forces, play a prominent role in determining the temperature of the spin-state crossover.     

Performance analysis and development of a refrigeration cycle through various environmentally friendly refrigerants

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - In this study, a refrigeration cycle was simulated with different refrigerants in a petrochemical plant in Iran. Using Aspen HYSYS Software, necessary...     

Resolution of problems in soft matter dynamics by combining calorimetry and other spectroscopies

In several current important problems in different areas of soft matter physics, controversy persists in interpreting the molecular dynamics observed by various spectroscopies including dielectric relaxation, light scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance, and neutron scattering. Outstanding examples include: (1) relaxation of water in aqueous mixtures, in molecular sieves and silica-gel nanopores, and in hydration shell of proteins; and (2) dynamics of each component in binary miscible polymer blends, in mixtures of an amorphous polymer with a small molecular glassformer, and in binary mixtures of two small molecular glassformers. We show the applications of calorimetry to these problems have enhanced our understanding of the dynamics and eliminated the controversies.     

Molecular iodine: An efficient catalyst for the one-pot synthesis of primary 1-aminophosphonates

A new and convenient procedure has been developed for the one-pot synthesis of different types of primary 1- aminophosphonates from aldehydes/ketones, HMDS and diethyl phosphite using I₂ as an inexpensive, non-toxic, non-metallic and readily available catalyst. These reactions proceeded under solvent-free conditions and produced the desired products in high yields.     

2‐Aminocyclopentene‐1‐Dithiocarboxylic Acid‐Naphthalene Adsorbent for the Preconcentration and Determination of a Trace Copper in Real Samples by Spectrophotometric Method

A solid uncharged complex produced from 2‐aminocyclopentene‐1‐dithiocarboxylic acid (synthetic reagent) on naphthalene provides a very sensitive, selective and economical method for the preconcentration and determination of trace amounts of copper in drug and alloy samples. The 2‐aminocyclopentene‐1‐dithiocarboxylate of copper is retained quantitatively on microcrystalline naphthalene in the pH range 2.8–3.3. After filtration the solid mass consisting of copper complex‐naphthalene is dissolved with 4 mL of dimethylformamide (DMF). The absorbance is measured at 462 nm with a spectrophotometer against the reagent blank and molar absorptivity found to be 2.8 × 10⁵ liter mol^?1 cm^?1. Beer's law is obeyed over the concentration range of 0.1–16.0 μg of copper in 4 mL of the dimethylformamide solution. Detection limit is 3 ng mL^?1 [signal to noise ratio = 2]. Ten replicate determinations on a sample containing 1 μg of copper gave a relative standard deviation of 0.76%. The interference of a large number of anions and cations have been studied and the optimized conditions developed were utilized for determination of copper in various real samples.     

PPh3/DDQ as a neutral system for the facile preparation of diethyl α-bromo, α-iodo and α-azidophosphonates from diethyl α-hydroxyphosphonates

The mixture of triphenylphosphine (PPh₃) and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzquinone (DDQ) as a neutral system has been used for the preparation of various types of diethyl α-bromo, α-iodo and α-azidophosphonates from their corresponding diethyl α-hydroxyphosphonates in the presence of n-Bu₄NBr, n-Bu₄NI and NaN₃ in good to high yields.     

Polymorphism in Fe[(p-IC6H4)B(3-Mepz)3]2 (pz = pyrazolyl): impact of supramolecular structure on an iron(II) electronic spin-state crossover

The new ligands Na[(p-IC6H4)B(3-Rpz)3] (R = H, Me) have been prepared by converting I2C6H4 to IC6H4SiMe3 with Li(t)Bu and SiMe3Cl, and then to IC6H4BBr2 with BBr3 and subsequent reaction with 3 equiv of (un)substituted pyrazole and 1 equiv of NaO(t)Bu. These new ligands react with FeBr2 to give either purple, low-spin Fe[(p-IC6H4)B(pz)3]2 or colorless, high-spin Fe[(p-IC6H4)B(3-Mepz)3]2. Depending upon the crystallization conditions, Fe[(p-IC6H4)B(3-Mepz)3]2 can exist both as two polymorphs and as a methylene chloride solvate. An examination of these polymorphs by variable-temperature X-ray crystallography, magnetic susceptibility, and Mossbauer spectroscopy has revealed different electronic spin-state crossover properties for each polymorph and yields insight into the influence of crystal packing, independent of other electronic perturbations, on the spin-state crossover. The first polymorph of Fe[(p-IC6H4)B(3-Mepz)3]2 has a highly organized three-dimensional supramolecular structure and does not undergo a spin-state crossover upon cooling to 4 K. The second polymorph of Fe[(p-IC6H4)B(3-Mepz)3]2 has a stacked two-dimensional supramolecular structure, a structure that is clearly less well organized than that of the first polymorph, and undergoes an abrupt iron(II) spin-state crossover from high spin to low spin upon cooling below ca. 130 K. The crystal structure of the methylene chloride solvate of Fe[(p-IC6H4)B(3-Mepz)3]2 has a similar stacked two-dimensional supramolecular structure, but the crystals readily lose the solvate. The resulting desolvate undergoes a gradual spin-state crossover to the low-spin state upon cooling below ca. 235 K. It is clear from a comparison of the structures that the long-range solid-state organization of the molecules, which is controlled by noncovalent supramolecular interactions, has a strong impact upon the spin-state crossover, with the more highly organized structures having lower spin-crossover temperatures and more abrupt spin-crossover behavior.