The total synthesis of (±) kawain via a hetero-diels-alder cycloaddition

The hetero-Diels-Alder reaction between 1,3-dimethoxy-1-trimethylsilyloxybutadiene $\text{4}$, and cinnamaldehyde$\text{5}$, produces (±) kawain in 75% and 84% yield respectively when catalyzed by Eu(fod)₃ or Yb(fod)₃. When Ag(fod) is employed as the catalyst a unique condensation reaction occurs which produces two acyclic diastereomers in 72% yield.     

Measuring and modeling the transport of fission products in unsaturated prairie soil

Summary In 1951, 6.7 liters of an aqueous acidic solution of irradiated uranium (360 GBq) leaked from a buried storage tank into unsaturated prairie soil, where it has remained, undisturbed. In October 2001, sonic drilling was conducted to recover core samples around and below the tank location. This paper describes the measurements and investigative approaches being pursued to determine the transport properties of the various fission and daughter products and actinides. Separate effects laboratory experiments are also being conducted involving both inert and radioactive samples in similar soil, to examine the effects on transport properties (diffusion and sorption) of temperature, recharge and discharge rates, concentration and soil porosity. Finally, transport modeling approaches are discussed.     

Tailoring the surface properties of poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic devices

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) is an attractive material for microelectrophoretic applications because of its ease of fabrication, low cost, and optical transparency. However, its use remains limited compared to that of glass. A major reason is the difficulty of tailoring the surface properties of PDMS. We demonstrate UV grafting of co-mixed monomers to customize the surface properties of PDMS microfluidic channels in a simple one-step process. By co-mixing a neutral monomer with a charged monomer in different ratios, properties between those of the neutral monomer and those of the charged monomer could be selected. Mixtures of four different neutral monomers and two different charged monomers were grafted onto PDMS surfaces. Functional microchannels were fabricated from PDMS halves grafted with each of the different mixtures. By varying the concentration of the charged monomer, microchannels with electrophoretic mobilities between +4 x 10(-4) cm2/(V s) and -2 x 10(-4) cm2/(V s) were attainable. In addition, both the contact angle of the coated surfaces and the electrophoretic mobility of the coated microchannels were stable over time and upon exposure to air. By carefully selecting mixtures ofmonomers with the appropriate properties, it may be possible to tailor the surface of PDMS for a large number of different applications.     

The Primitive Ideals of some Étale Groupoid <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis><Superscript>∗</Superscript>-Algebras

We consider the Deaconu–Renault groupoid of an action of a finitely generated free abelian monoid by local homeomorphisms of a locally compact Hausdorff space. We catalogue the primitive ideals of the associated groupoid C ^?-algebra. For a special class of actions we describe the Jacobson topology.     

Effect of IAPP on the proteome of cultured Rin-5F cells

Background

Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) or amylin deposits can be found in the islets of type 2 diabetes patients. The peptide is suggested to be involved in the etiology of the disease through formation of amyloid deposits and destruction of β islet cells, though the underlying molecular events leading from IAPP deposition to β cell death are still largely unknown.

Results

We used OFFGEL? proteomics to study how IAPP exposure affects the proteome of rat pancreatic insulinoma Rin-5F cells. The OFFGEL? methodology is highly effective at generating quantitative data on hundreds of proteins affected by IAPP, with its accuracy confirmed by In Cell Western and Quantitative Real Time PCR results. Combining data on individual proteins identifies pathways and protein complexes affected by IAPP. IAPP disrupts protein synthesis and degradation, and induces oxidative stress. It causes decreases in protein transport and localization. IAPP disrupts the regulation of ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation and increases catabolic processes. IAPP causes decreases in protein transport and localization, and affects the cytoskeleton, DNA repair and oxidative stress.

Conclusions

Results are consistent with a model where IAPP aggregates overwhelm the ability of a cell to degrade proteins via the ubiquitin system. Ultimately this leads to apoptosis. IAPP aggregates may be also toxic to the cell by causing oxidative stress, leading to DNA damage or by decreasing protein transport. The reversal of any of these effects, perhaps by targeting proteins which alter in response to IAPP, may be beneficial for type II diabetes.

     

A speech-to-noise ratio measurement algorithm

An algorithm to measure speech-to-noise ratios has been implemented on a minicomputer. The algorithm attributes the energy within each consecutive 20-ms frame of a speech-plus-noise waveform to either a speech or noise source. This discrimination process is based upon the known characteristics of frame energy histograms of such waveforms. In response to observed inaccuracies of this discrimination process in cases of low speech versus noise separation, a method of estimating the speech Vrms of the signal is incorporated which attempts to recover speech energy, "masked" by noise. The algorithm's ability to track known speech-to-noise ratios on a decibel-for-decibel basis down to a ratio of approximately 5 dB has been demonstrated by experimentation.     

Application of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to the analysis of benzodiazepines in blood

A sensitive and selective high-performance liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/APCI-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous detection of 18 benzodiazepines and metabolites in human blood is described. The procedure utilises butyl chloride extraction at alkaline pH followed by reversed-phase liquid chromatography. The technique is suitable for screening analyses and confirmation of identity of the benzodiazepines at their lowest reported therapeutic concentrations using 500 microL of blood. The method has been successfully applied in forensic cases involving low concentrations of benzodiazepines.     

Nanostructures of gold coated iron core-shell nanoparticles and the nanobands assembled under magnetic field

Pure metal iron nanoparticles are unstable in the air. By a coating iron on nanoparticle surface with a stable noble metal, these air-stable nanoparticles are protected from the oxidation and retain most of the favorable magnetic properties, which possess the potential application in high density memory device by forming self-assembling nanoarrays. Gold-coated iron core-shell structure nanoparticles (Fe/Au) synthesized using reverse micelles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The average nanoparticle size of the core-shell structure is about 8 nm, with about 6 nm diameter core and 1∼2 nm shell. Since the gold shell is not epitaxial growth related to the iron core, the morié pattern can be seen from the overlapping of iron core and gold shell. However, the gold shell lattice can be seen by changing the defocus of TEM. An energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDS) also shows the nanoparticles are air-stable. The magnetic measurement of the nanoparticles also proved successful synthesis of gold coated iron core-shell structure. The nanoparticles were then assembled under 0.5 T magnetic field and formed parallel nanobands with about 10 μm long. Assembling two dimensional ordered nanoarrays are still under going. Received 29 November 2000