Synthesis and structural studies of hydrazino-crown ethers and thermodynamic studies of their interaction with transition,and post-transition metal ions and methyl ammonium ion

Hydrazino-crown ethers have been synthesized in only 3 or 4 steps starting from 1,2-diacetylhydrazine. The X-ray crystal structure of protonated hydrazino-19-crown-7 (2) showed that one of the hydrazino nitrogen atoms was directed outside the ring cavity. A solvent methanol molecule is held in the cavity of the host ligand by three hydrogen bonds involving two hydrogen atoms bonded to nitrogens of the ligand and the alcohol hydrogen of the methanol. The logK values for the interaction of2 with CH₃NH ₊ ³ , Ag⁺, Pb²⁺, and Cd²⁺ were much less than those for the interaction of symmetrical triaza-l8-crown-6 (5) with the same cations. Hydrazino-crown2 reduced silver ions to silver metal when a solution of2 and silver ions in DMSO was allowed to stand for several days.     

On the vanishing viscosity method for first order differential-functional IBVP

We consider the initial-boundary value problem for first order differential-functional equations. We present the ‘vanishing viscosity’ method in order to obtain viscosity solutions. Our formulation includes problems with a retarded and deviated argument and differential-integral equations. Supported by KBN grant 2 PO3A, 01811.     

Antimicrobial Activities of Plant Extracts against Solanum tuberosum L. Phytopathogens

The purpose of the study was to select an environmentally friendly plant biopesticide to protect seed potatoes against phytopathogens. The scope included the evaluation of the antimicrobial activities of 22 plant water extracts, 22 water-glycol extracts, and 3 subcritical carbon dioxide extracts using the agar diffusion method against 10 potato phytopathogens. For the most effective extracts, minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), chemical composition analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and in situ assays on seed potatoes were performed. Garlic water extract was finally selected as the most effective in phytopathogen growth inhibition, both in vitro and in situ, with MIC values ranging between 6.3–25 mg/mL. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural was determined to be the main component of this extract (33.24%). Garlic water extract was proposed as a potential biopesticide against potato phytopathogens.     

First Experimental Quantitative Charge Density Studies of Advanced Intermediate of Vitamin D Analogues

Vitamins D are a group of fat-soluble secosteroids which play a regulatory role in the functioning of most cells. Rational design of new vitamin D analogs, of increased therapeutic potency and lowered calcemic side effects, requires high-resolution initial structures and a deep understanding of interactions with the molecular targets. In this paper, using quantum crystallography, we present the first determination of the experimental quantitative charge density of an advanced intermediate of vitamin D analogues as well as a reconstruction of the theoretical electron density of final vitamin D analogues. Application of these methods allows for topological and electrostatic interaction energy analysis. We showed that the A-ring chair conformation has a significant influence on the topological properties of vitamin D compounds. Moreover, the interactions between the CD-ring and side-chain additionally stabilize the crystal structure. These results are supported by our theoretical calculations and previous biological studies.     

New 1,3,4-Thiadiazole Derivatives with Anticancer Activity

We designed and synthesized the 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives differing in the structure of the substituents in C2 and C5 positions. The cytotoxic activity of the obtained compounds was then determined in biological studies using MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and normal cell line (fibroblasts). The results showed that in both breast cancer cell lines, the strongest anti-proliferative activity was exerted by 2-(2-trifluorometylophenylamino)-5-(3-methoxyphenyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole. The IC₅₀ values of this compound against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were 49.6 µM and 53.4 µM, respectively. Importantly, all new compounds had weaker cytotoxic activity on normal cell line than on breast cancer cell lines. In silico studies demonstrated a possible multitarget mode of action for the synthesized compounds. The most likely mechanism of action for the new compounds is connected with the activities of Caspase 3 and Caspase 8 and activation of BAX proteins.     

Synthesis and characterisation of coating polyurethane cationomers containing fluorine built-in hard urethane segments

Polyurethane cationomers were synthesised in the reaction of 4,4’-methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate) with polyoxyethylene glycol (M?= 2,000) or poly(tetrafluoroethyleneoxide-co-difluoromethylene oxide) α,ω-diisocyanate and N-methyl diethanolamine. Amine segments were built-in to the urethane-isocyanate prepolymer in the reaction with 1-bromobutane or formic acid, and then they were converted to alkylammonium cations. The obtained isocyanate prepolymers were then extended in the aqueous medium that yielded stable aqueous dispersions which were applied on the surfaces of test poly(tetrafluoroethylene) plates. After evaporation of water, the dispersions formed thin polymer coatings. ¹H, ¹³C NMR and IR spectral methods were employed to confirm chemical structures of synthesised cationomers. Based on ¹H NMR and IR spectra, the factors κ and α were calculated, which represented the polarity level of the obtained cationomers. The DSC, wide angle X-ray scattering and atom force microscopy methods were employed for the microstructural assessment of the obtained materials. Changes were discussed in the surface free energy and its components, as calculated independently according to the method suggested by van Oss–Good, in relation to chemical and physical structures of cationomers as well as morphology of coating surfaces obtained from those cationomers. Fluorine incorporated into cationomers (about 30%) contributed to lower surface free energy values, down to about 15 mJ/m². That was caused by gradual weakening of long-range interactions within which the highest share is taken by dispersion interactions.     

On sums of Darboux and nowhere constant continuous functions

We show that the property

(P)

for every Darboux function there exists a continuous nowhere constant function such that is Darboux

follows from the following two propositions:

(A)

for every subset of of cardinality there exists a uniformly continuous function such that ,

(B)

for an arbitrary function whose image contains a non-trivial interval there exists an of cardinality such that the restriction of to is uniformly continuous,

which hold in the iterated perfect set model.

     

Retention of configuration in the action of human plasma 3'-exonuclease on oligo(deoxynucleoside phosphorothioate). A new method for assignment of absolute configuration at phosphorus in isotopomeric deoxyadenosine 5'-O-[(18)O]phosphorothioate

A new method of analysis has allowed the exonucleolytic cleavage by human 3'-exonuclease to be determined. Hydrolysis by human plasma 3'-exonuclease proceeds with retention of configuration at phosphorus. The new method determines the sense of chirality at phosphorus in isotopomeric adenosine 5'-O-[(18)O]phosphorothioates. This is based on stereospecific two-step conversion of the mono-thionucleotide into the corresponding deoxyadenosine 5'-O-alpha-[(18)O]thiotriphosphate, followed by the use of terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase and MALDI TOF mass spectrometry of the resulting elongated primer. Retention of configuration in the reaction of plasma 3'-exonuclease implies a two-step mechanism with two displacements on phosphorus. Inversion at each step leads to overall retention.     

Helium-antihydrogen interaction: the Born-Oppenheimer potential energy curve

The interaction of atomic antihydrogen with helium has been studied within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. The linear combination of explicitly correlated Gaussian functions was used as the ansatz for the wave function of light particles. The potential energy curve with the minimum at 3.63 bohr and the barrier at 2.42 bohr has been obtained.     

Efficient generation of flexible-monomer intermolecular potential energy surfaces

A new method of generating flexible-monomer intermolecular interaction potentials has been proposed. The method, based on symmetry-adapted perturbation theory, extends a rigid-monomer potential into a flexible-monomer one at a cost negligible compared to performing calculations on a full-dimensional grid (i.e., including internal degrees of freedom of monomers). The non-rigidity effects are accounted for by density-overlap integrals and by asymptotic expansion coefficients. Results for a model system (Ar-HF) demonstrate that the method recovers a substantial portion of these effects.