Trichothiazole A,a dichlorinated polyketide containing an embedded thiazole isolated from Trichodesmium blooms

Mass spectrometry-guided isolation of the lipophilic extract of Trichodesmium bloom material led to the isolation and structure characterization of a new thiazole-containing di-chlorinated polyketide (1). The structure of 1 was deduced using 1D and 2D NMR analysis, high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis and complementary spectroscopic procedures. Trichothiazole A possesses interesting structural features, such as a terminal alkyne, two vinyl chlorides and a 2,4-disubstituted thiazole. Trichothiazole A showed moderate cytotoxicity to Neuro-2 A cells (EC₅₀: 13.3 ± 1.1 μM).     

Synthesis of 4-Alkyl-4-alkoxybutenolides Having Unsaturated Side Chains via Chromium Carbene Complex Photochemistry: (+)-Cerulenin

The photochemical reaction between optically active ene carbamates and chromium alkoxycarbene complexes containing unsaturated aliphatic side chains was further developed. Although remote olefinic groups, including conjugated dienes, were tolerated, a homoallylic side chain underwent intramolecular reaction to give a strained cyclobutanone. (+)-Cerulenin was synthesized utilizing the photochemical reaction of an alkynylcarbene complex with an optically active ene carbamate and the bis(pi-crotyl)nickel halide alkylation of a vinyl bromide as key steps.     

Photolysis of (Me2Si)6 in argon matrices doped with high concentrations (ca. 20%) of N2O or C2H4O: formation of (Me2SiO)6

Irradiation using a low pressure mercury lamp (λ=ca. 250 nm) of argon matrices containing ca. 1% (Me₂Si)₆ and ca. 20% ethylene oxide (C₂H₄O) or nitrous oxide (N₂O) for a period of ca. 20 h leads to the formation of the cyclic compound (Me₂SiO)₆. This has a 12-membered ring with alternating Si and O atoms. It is identified by comparison of its infrared spectrum with a spectrum of an authentic sample. The reaction appears to proceed by stepwise insertion of O atoms into Si---Si bonds.     

Learning to See: Making Sense of the Mathematics of Change in Middle School

In this article, we will describe the results of a study of 6th grade students learning about the mathematics of change. The students in this study worked with software environments for the computer and the graphing calculator that included a simulation of a moving elevator, linked to a graph of its velocity vs. time. We will describe how the students and their teacher negotiated the mathematical meanings of these representations, in interaction with the software and other representational tools available in the classroom. The class developed ways of selectively attending to specific features of stacks of centimeter cubes, hand-drawn graphs, and graphs (labeled velocity vs. time) on the computer screen. In addition, the class became adept at imagining the motions that corresponded to various velocity vs. time graphs. In this article, we describe this development as a process of learning to see mathematical representations of motion. The main question this article addresses is: How do students learn to see mathematical representations in ways that are consistent with the discipline of mathematics? This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Investigating secondary students beliefs about mathematical problem-solving

Many studies over the past 30 years have highlighted the important role of students’ beliefs for successful problem-solving in mathematics. Given the recent emphasis afforded to problem-solving on the reformed Irish secondary school mathematics curriculum, the main aim of this study was to identify Irish students’ (n = 975) beliefs about the field. A quantitative measure of these beliefs was attained through the use of the Indiana Mathematical Belief Scale, an existing 30-item (five-scale) self-report questionnaire. A statistical analysis of the data revealed that students who were further through their secondary education had a stronger belief that not all problems could be solved by applying routine procedures. In contrast, the same students held less positive beliefs than their younger counterparts that they could solve time-consuming problems and that conceptual understanding was important. The analysis also indicated that gender had a significant impact on three of the five belief scales.     

Close-coupling approach to Coulomb three-body problems

The convergent close-coupling method is shown to overcome the remaining discrepancies with experiment of electron-hydrogen ionization. Consequently, this method is able to calculate accurately the Coulomb three-body problems which include electron collisions with hydrogen and helium (within the frozen core model), and helium double photoionization at all incident energies and kinematical or geometrical arrangements of the outgoing electrons.     

New oxidative transformations of phenolic and indolic oxazolines: an avenue to useful azaspirocyclic building blocks

The oxidative cyclization of a phenolic amide to a spirolactam has long been regarded as an "impossible" reaction, because exposure of the substrates to a variety of oxidants results in formation of spirolactones with consequent loss of the amine segment. We recently communicated that this heretofore unknown transformation may be achieved by oxidation of oxazoline analogues of phenolic and indolic amides. Herein, we provide full details of our work.     

Neutron capture mechanism in 45Sc and 139La

Fast neutron capture γ-ray spectra in ⁴⁵Sc and ¹³⁹La exhibit anomalous intensities for transitions to low-lying states with large neutron angular momenta. As statistical and valence models cannot adequately explain the observed spectra, a 2p-1h capture mechanism is proposed.