TINS, target immobilized NMR screening: an efficient and sensitive method for ligand discovery

We propose a ligand screening method, called TINS (target immobilized NMR screening), which reduces the amount of target required for the fragment-based approach to drug discovery. Binding is detected by comparing 1D NMR spectra of compound mixtures in the presence of a target immobilized on a solid support to a control sample. The method has been validated by the detection of a variety of ligands for protein and nucleic acid targets (K(D) from 60 to 5000 muM). The ligand binding capacity of a protein was undiminished after 2000 different compounds had been applied, indicating the potential to apply the assay for screening typical fragment libraries. TINS can be used in competition mode, allowing rapid characterization of the ligand binding site. TINS may allow screening of targets that are difficult to produce or that are insoluble, such as membrane proteins.     

Room‐Temperature Synthesis of High Surface Area Anatase TiO2 Exhibiting a Complete Lithium Insertion Solid Solution

The synthesis of highly divided anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles displaying 300 m² g^?1 surface area is achieved by following a two‐step synthetic process at room temperature. The particles exhibit a needle‐like morphology composed of self‐assembled 4 nm nanoparticles. The crystallization process from amorphous TiO₂.1.6H₂O to oriented aggregation of anatase TiO₂ proceeds according to a slow solid dehydration process taking place in a large range of pH in deionized water (1 < pH < 12) or alternatively when including a low amount of NH₄F_(aq) in solution. Driven by their high surface area enhancing the chemical/electrochemical reactivity, it is reported in the case of the anatase TiO₂ that a modification in the lithium insertion mechanism is no longer attributable to a two‐phase reaction between the two‐end members Li_εTiO₂ and Li_0.5±αTiO₂ when downsizing the particle size, but instead through a complete solid solution all along the composition range.     

Regioselective Synthesis and Inclusion Properties of distal-Bis[(2-pyridylmethyl) oxy]tetrathiacalix[4]arenes

Regioselective synthesis of bis[(2-pyridylmethyl)oxy]tetrathiacalix[4]arenes was accomplished by a protection–deprotection method using benzyl groups as a protecting group. The conformational studies of distal-bis[(2-pyridylmethyl)oxy]thiacalix[4]arenes in solution and solid state are described. The two-phase solvent extraction data indicated that bis[(2-pyridylmethyl)oxy]tetrathiacalix[4]arenes show strong Ag⁺ (E%, 97%) affinity. In contrast, no significant E% is observed for K⁺. A good Job plots proves 1:1 coordination of 1,3-alternate -3 with Ag⁺ cation. ¹H-NMR Titration of 1,3-alternate- 3 with AgSO₃CF₃ also clearly demonstrates that a 1:1 complex is formed with retention of the original symmetry. The conformational changes of pyridine moiety from the original outward orientation of the ring nitrogen to the inside orientation toward the thiacalixarene cavity were observed in the process of Ag⁺ complexation. The down-field shifts of the benzene protons of the benzyl group were also observed and attributed to the conformational deviation from the original face to face overlapping.     

Investigation of the thermal degradation of PET, zinc phosphinate, OMPOSS and their blends—Identification of the formed species

The incorporation of both OMPOSS and Exolit OP950 (zinc phosphinate) into PET leads to increased fire retarding properties and a synergistic effect has been established between the three components. Here the thermal degradation of OMPOSS, Exolit OP950, PET and blends of them is investigated via thermal degradation in pyrolytic and thermo-oxidative conditions. All species formed during the degradation of the additives or the blends are identified by solid state NMR and X-ray diffraction in the condensed phase and by GC–MS in the gas phase. The investigation shows that no chemical interaction occurs between the additives, which suggests that the synergy responsible for the improvement of fire properties of the material has a physical origin.     

Asymmetric de novo synthesis of fluorinated d-glucitol and d-mannitol analogues

A highly efficient anti-S_E2′ electrophilic fluorination of enantioenriched allylsilanes a subsequent dihydroxylation of the resulting allylic fluorides were used as key steps for the synthesis of three fluorinated carbohydrate analogues, 1,5-di-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-d-glucitol, 2,6-di-O-benzyl-5-deoxy-5-fluoro-l-glucitol and 1,5-di-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-d-mannitol. A new catalytic asymmetric route to 1-benzyloxy-4-trimethylsilyl-but-3-yn-2-ol, a common precursor to two advanced allylsilanes, is also described featuring a Noyori asymmetric transfer hydrogenation reaction.     

Chains anisotropy in PDMS networks due to friction on gold surfaces

In this article, we describe an experimental friction study of poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) networks on metallic substrates such as gold-coated slides, and under different conditions. The friction generates a transfer of a thin layer of PDMS and a preferential orientation of the polymer chains at the interface. However, the characterization of this layer is complicated, given the small amount of matter and the contact with a metallic surface. The polarization-modulation infrared reflexion-absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS), which is an excellent tool for anisotropy and orientation studies, was used to characterize the PDMS transferred layer. Our results showed an induced anisotropy due to the friction, and in which PDMS chains are lying parallel to the gold substrate surface. Our spectroscopic analyzes allowed us to imagine a scheme of PDMS transfer on the gold surface. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2348–2353, 2004     

Frequency permutation arrays

Motivated by recent interest in permutation arrays, we introduce and investigate the more general concept of frequency permutation arrays (FPAs). An FPA of length n = mλ and distance d is a set T of multipermutations on a multiset of m symbols, each repeated with frequency λ, such that the Hamming distance between any distinct x,y ∈ T is at least d. Such arrays have potential applications in powerline communication. In this article, we establish basic properties of FPAs, and provide direct constructions for FPAs using a range of combinatorial objects, including polynomials over finite fields, combinatorial designs, and codes. We also provide recursive constructions, and give bounds for the maximum size of such arrays. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 14: 463–478, 2006     

Phase behavior,crystallization, and morphology in thermosetting blends of a biodegradable poly(ethylene glycol)‐type epoxy resin and poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)

Thermosetting blends of a biodegradable poly(ethylene glycol)‐type epoxy resin (PEG‐ER) and poly(?‐caprolactone) (PCL) were prepared via an in situ curing reaction of poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDGE) and maleic anhydride (MAH) in the presence of PCL. The miscibility, phase behavior, crystallization, and morphology of these blends were investigated. The uncured PCL/PEGDGE blends were miscible, mainly because of the entropic contribution, as the molecular weight of PEGDGE was very low. The crystallization and melting behavior of both PCL and the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) segment of PEGDGE were less affected in the uncured PCL/PEGDGE blends because of the very close glass‐transition temperatures of PCL and PEGDGE. However, the cured PCL/PEG‐ER blends were immiscible and exhibited two separate glass transitions, as revealed by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. There existed two phases in the cured PCL/PEG‐ER blends, that is, a PCL‐rich phase and a PEG‐ER crosslinked phase composed of an MAH‐cured PEGDGE network. The crystallization of PCL was slightly enhanced in the cured blends because of the phase‐separated nature; meanwhile, the PEG segment was highly restricted in the crosslinked network and was noncrystallizable in the cured blends. The phase structure and morphology of the cured PCL/PEG‐ER blends were examined with scanning electron microscopy; a variety of phase morphologies were observed that depended on the blend composition. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2833–2843, 2004     

Estimation non paramétrique de la régression avec variable explicative dans un espace métrique

We study a nonparametric regression estimator when the explanatory variable takes its values in a semi-metric space. We establish some asymptotic results and give upper bounds of the p-mean and the almost sure estimation errors under general conditions. We end by an application to the discrimination in a semi-metric space and illustrate the results by the example of Wiener process as an explanatory variable. To cite this article: S. Dabo-Niang, N. Rhomari, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 336 (2003).     

Surface‐initiated polymerization from poly(ethylene terephthalate)

The free‐radical polymerization of styrene initiated from a functionalized poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) surface yielded a tethered polymer layer. The anchoring of the initiator species on the PET surface was performed from surface‐reactive groups easily generated by an alkaline hydrolysis of PET. After each surface modification, PET films were characterized by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, measurements of water contact angles, and time‐of‐flight secondary‐ion mass spectrometry. The influence of the polymerization duration, the grafted initiator density, and the grafting mode on the efficiency of the surface‐initiated polymerization of styrene was investigated. In some cases, the tethering of the polystyrene layer on PET could be a reversible process. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1347–1359, 2003