Amicoumacins from the marine-derived bacterium Bacillus sp. with the inhibition of NO production

Chemical examination of the fermentation broth of the marine-derived bacterium Bacillus sp. resulted in the isolation of seven new amicoumacin-type isocoumarin derivatives, namely bacillcoumacins A–G (1–7), together with four known analogues. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis, while the absolute configurations of the new compounds were determined by CD, Mosher’s method, and chemical conversion. Compounds 7 and 9 showed inhibitory effects against the NO production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed C?S Activation/Aryne Insertion/Coupling Sequence: Synthesis of Functionalized 2‐Quinolinones

The insertion of an aryne into a C S bond can suppress the addition of an S nucleophile to the aryne in the presence of palladium. Catalyzed by Pd(OAc)₂, a wide range of α‐carbamoyl ketene dithioacetals readily react with arynes to selectively afford functionalized 2‐quinolinones in high yields under neutral reaction conditions by a C S activation/aryne insertion/intramolecular coupling sequence. The attractive feature of the new strategy also lies in the versatile transformations of the alkythio‐substituted quinolinone products.     

Synthesis of quinazolinones from anthranilamides and aldehydes via metal-free aerobic oxidation in DMSO

A highly environmentally benign protocol for the synthesis of quinazolinones from anthranilamides and aldehydes via aerobic oxidation was developed in wet DMSO. This protocol is operationally simple, exhibits broad substrate scope, and does not need toxic metal catalysts and bases. In addition, the utility of this transformation was further demonstrated by converting the resulting quinazolinones into other useful products in the same-pot without their isolation.     

Raman spectroscopy measurement of levofloxacin lactate in blood using an optical fiber nano‐probe

Liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry were time‐consuming and expensive as the main methods for the drug analysis at present, and the samples must be pretreated. The Raman spectroscopy measurement methods were fast and simple, so the Raman spectroscopy methods for the drug analysis were explored in this paper. An optical fiber nano‐probe coated with gold nanoparticles was fabricated and used with surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to measure levofloxacin lactate. The resulting SERS spectra of levofloxacin lactate in mouse blood that was detected by the optical fiber nano‐probe clearly showed the characteristic wave numbers of levofloxacin lactate, indicating that optical fiber nano‐probes can be used with spectral techniques to analyze drugs in vitro or potentially even in vivo. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

AN EXPLORATION OF STRUCTURALLY CHARACTERIZED HETERO-TRINUCLEAR [Cu(II)2Ca(II)] FLEXIBLE-BIS(SALAMO)-TYPE COMPLEX

Journal of Structural Chemistry - A new bis(salamo)-type ligand has been designed and synthesized, and its hetero-trinuclear [Cu(II)2Ca(II)] complex has been successfully prepared. It is...     

A novel approach to synthesize dichlorobenzonitriles by selective ammoxidation

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Dichlorobenzonitriles are important organic intermediates for the production of many fine chemicals and are produced most economically and environment-friendly...     

Simple and green synthesis of calcium alginate/hydroxyapatite hybrid material without high temperature treatment and its flame retardancy

Cellulose - Aiming to improve the thermal stability and flame retardant properties of calcium alginate, calcium alginate (CaAlg)/hydroxyapatite (HAP) hybrid material was synthesized in situ by the...     

Is PF-00835231 a Pan-SARS-CoV-2 Mpro Inhibitor? A Comparative Study

The COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread worldwide at a rapid rate. Currently, the absence of any effective antiviral treatment is the major concern for the global population. The reports of the occurrence of various point mutations within the important therapeutic target protein of SARS-CoV-2 has elevated the problem. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is a major therapeutic target for new antiviral designs. In this study, the efficacy of PF-00835231 was investigated (a Mpro inhibitor under clinical trials) against the Mpro and their reported mutants. Various in silico approaches were used to investigate and compare the efficacy of PF-00835231 and five drugs previously documented to inhibit the Mpro. Our study shows that PF-00835231 is not only effective against the wild type but demonstrates a high affinity against the studied mutants as well.     

Heat transfer coefficient distribution in inner surface of stator ventilation duct for large capacity air-cooled turbine generator

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The stator ventilation duct is the main path for fluid flowing to cool the stator bar and the core. Considering the complexity of the ventilation...     

Upgrading Solid Digestate from Anaerobic Digestion of Agricultural Waste as Performance Enhancer for Starch-Based Mulching Biofilm

Developing a green and sustainable method to upgrade biogas wastes into high value-added products is attracting more and more public attention. The application of solid residues as a performance enhancer in the manufacture of biofilms is a prospective way to replace conventional plastic based on fossil fuel. In this work, solid digestates from the anaerobic digestion of agricultural wastes, such as straw, cattle and chicken manures, were pretreated by an ultrasonic thermo-alkaline treatment to remove the nonfunctional compositions and then incorporated in plasticized starch paste to prepare mulching biofilms by the solution casting method. The results indicated that solid digestate particles dispersed homogenously in the starch matrix and gradually aggregated under the action of a hydrogen bond, leading to a transformation of the composites to a high crystalline structure. Consequently, the composite biofilm showed a higher tensile strength, elastic modulus, glass transition temperature and degradation temperature compared to the pure starch-based film. The light, water and GHG (greenhouse gas) barrier properties of the biofilm were also reinforced by the addition of solid digestates, performing well in sustaining the soil quality and minimizing N₂O or CH₄ emissions. As such, recycling solid digestates into a biodegradable plastic substitute not only creates a new business opportunity by producing high-performance biofilms but also reduces the environmental risk caused by biogas waste and plastics pollution.