Under pressure: predicting pressurized metered dose inhaler interactions using the atomic force microscope

Drug particulate interactions in pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDI) may lead to a decrease in aerosolization efficiency and subsequent efficacy in patient treatment. The interactions between salbutamol sulfate (commonly used in Ventolin pMDIs) and a series of pMDI canister materials were investigated using the atomic force microscope (AFM) colloid probe technique. Approximately 4000 individual force-distance curves were determined for a drug probe and three surfaces (10 x 10 mum areas) in situ, in a model propellant. The area under each force-distance curve was integrated to obtain separation energy values. Median separation energy values followed the rank order borosilicate glass > aluminum > PTFE, suggesting PTFE to be the most suitable canister coating.     

A mass spectrometric investigation of non-covalent interactions between ruthenium complexes and DNA

Electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry was used to investigate reactions between six ruthenium compounds and three different non self-complementary duplex oligonucleotides containing 16 base pairs. Each of the compounds studied formed non-covalent complexes containing between one and five ruthenium molecules bound to DNA. Competition experiments involving duplex 16mers and pairs of ruthenium compounds were used to determine the order of relative binding affinities of the metal compounds. Other competition experiments involving ruthenium compounds, and the organic DNA binding agents daunomycin and distamycin, provided information about the sites and modes of DNA binding of the ruthenium compounds.     

Gold catalysis contra platinum catalysis in hydroarylation contra phenol synthesis

Three silylated γ-alkynylfurans were prepared and subjected to both gold and platinum catalysts. The TMS- and the TBDMS-substituted furans reacted. With AuCl₃ and the binuclear [(Ph₃PAu)₂Cl][BF₄] catalyst a hydroarylation of the alkyne was observed. Na[AuCl₄] gave phenols as the product, but these were formed only after in situ desilylation of the starting material by the gold catalyst and thus the wrong isomer dominated. Only with PtCl₂(MeCN)₂ phenols with a silyl group were formed. The TBDPS-substituted furan failed to react. Two alkynylsilanes were synthesized, but they also failed to react.     

Structure of the first parallel DNA quadruplex-drug complex

The first crystal structure of a drug (daunomycin) bound to a parallel-stranded intermolecular telomeric G4 quadruplex (d(TGGGGT)4) has been determined to high resolution. A planar assemblage of three daunomycin molecules stacks onto the 5' end of the G4 column, with the daunosamine substituents occupying three of the four quadruplex grooves. The surface area of the terminal G-quartet in this parallel DNA quadruplex, presently occupied by three daunomycins, is sufficiently large that it could easily accommodate other potential telomerase inhibitors such as substituted porphyrins or telomestatin.     

Capillary zone electrophoresis in the analysis of dyes and other compounds employed in the dye-manufacturing and dye-using industries

High resolution separation of several dyes and related intermediates, as well as other compounds employed in the dye-manufacturing and dye-using industries, has been achieved using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE).

The analysis of anionic dyes and some non-coloured anionic intermediates has been achieved using 10 mM Na₂B₄O₇−40 mM sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) buffer; high-resolution separations of water soluble anionic, neutral and cationic intermediates were also achieved using this micellar buffer. Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) has also been developed for the analysis of aqueous insoluble, electrically neutral compounds by incorporating a co-solvent, acetonitrile, into a micellar buffer. In addition, MECC has been used successfully for following all the major steps involved in the synthesis of a disperse dye.     

Magnetic, electronic, and structural characterization of nonstoichiometric iron oxides at the nanoscale

We have investigated the structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of nonstoichiometric iron oxide nanocrystals prepared by decomposition of iron(II) and iron(0) precursors in the presence of organic solvents and capping groups. The highly uniform, crystalline, and monodisperse nanocrystals that were produced enabled a full structural and compositional survey by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The complex and metastable behavior of nonstoichiometric iron oxide (wüstite) at the nanoscale was studied by a combination of Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetic characterization. Deposition from hydrocarbon solvents with subsequent self-assembly of iron oxide nanocrystals into superlattices allowed the preparation of continuous thin films suitable for electronic transport measurements.     

Synthesis of 3-oxo-δ-lactones via hetero-Diels-Alder reactions

The hetero-Diels-Alder reaction between aldehydes, 2, and bis-1,1-dimethoxy-3-trimethyl-1-siloxy-1,3-butadiene, 1, produces 2-methoxy-5,6-dihydro-γ-pyrones, 4, which are subsequently hydrolyzed to afford substituted 3-oxo-δ-lactones, 5, in high yields, providing a new and efficient approach to these synthetically useful intermediates.     

Partial order complementation graphs

Two partial ordersP andQ on a setX arecomplementary (written asPQ) if they share no ordered pairs (except for loops) but the transitive closure of the union is all possible ordered pairs. For each positive integern we form a graph Pos _n consisting of all nonempty partial orders on {1, ,n} with edges denoting complementation. We investigate here properties of the graphs Pos _n . In particular, we show:

The Lusin-Privalov theorem for subharmonic functions

This paper establishes a generalization of the Lusin-Privalov radial uniqueness theorem which applies to subharmonic functions in all dimensions. In particular, it answers a question of Rippon by showing that no subharmonic function on the upper half-space can have normal limit at every boundary point.