Maximum visibility in interferometers illuminated by vectorial waves

The maximum visibility achievable in arbitrary lossless linear interferometers illuminated with two vectorial transversal electromagnetic beams is determined.     

Gold(I)-Catalyzed Intermolecular Formal [4+2] Cycloaddition of O-Aryl Ynol Ethers and Enol Ethers: Synthesis of Chromene Derivatives

Gold(I)-catalyzed formal [4+2] cycloaddition of O-aryl ynol ethers 1 and enol ethers 2 is described. This intermolecular reaction between two electron-rich unsaturated systems takes place, under mild conditions, in the presence of 5 mol% [IPrAu(CH₃CN)]SbF₆ as catalyst giving chromene derivatives with good yields. The cycloaddition is completely regio- and stereoselective, as well as versatile for both reactives. Silyl enol ethers can also react in the same way and under the same reaction conditions with quantitative yields. A plausible mechanism through a selective addition of the enol ether to the alkyne gold activated complex followed by an intramolecular aromatic electrophilic substitution is proposed. Several experimental results support the presence of a cationic oxonium intermediate prior to the aromatic substitution. The reaction represents a new entry to the chromene core.     

Macrocybin,a Natural Mushroom Triglyceride,Reduces Tumor Growth In Vitro and In Vivo through Caveolin-Mediated Interference with the Actin Cytoskeleton

Mushrooms have been used for millennia as cancer remedies. Our goal was to screen several mushroom species from the rainforests of Costa Rica, looking for new antitumor molecules. Mushroom extracts were screened using two human cell lines: A549 (lung adenocarcinoma) and NL20 (immortalized normal lung epithelium). Extracts able to kill tumor cells while preserving non-tumor cells were considered “anticancer”. The mushroom with better properties was Macrocybe titans. Positive extracts were fractionated further and tested for biological activity on the cell lines. The chemical structure of the active compound was partially elucidated through nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, and other ancillary techniques. Chemical analysis showed that the active molecule was a triglyceride containing oleic acid, palmitic acid, and a more complex fatty acid with two double bonds. The synthesis of all possible triglycerides and biological testing identified the natural compound, which was named Macrocybin. A xenograft study showed that Macrocybin significantly reduces A549 tumor growth. In addition, Macrocybin treatment resulted in the upregulation of Caveolin-1 expression and the disassembly of the actin cytoskeleton in tumor cells (but not in normal cells). In conclusion, we have shown that Macrocybin constitutes a new biologically active compound that may be taken into consideration for cancer treatment.     

trans‐Selective Insertional Dihydroboration of a cis‐Diborene: Synthesis of Linear sp3‐sp2‐sp3‐Triboranes and Subsequent Cationization

The reaction of aryl‐ and amino(dihydro)boranes with dibora[2]ferrocenophane 1 leads to the formation 1,3‐trans‐dihydrotriboranes by formal hydrogenation and insertion of a borylene unit into the B=B bond. The aryltriborane derivatives undergo reversible photoisomerization to the cis‐1,2‐μ‐H‐3‐hydrotriboranes, while hydride abstraction affords cationic triboranes, which represent the first doubly base‐stabilized B₃H₄⁺ analogues.     

Coordinating ability of the heterocycles 1,3-dithia-2-arsa- and stiba-cyclopentanes. Part III. Dithioacid and dithiocarbamate complexes containing a free functional group. Crystal structure of 2-pyrrolidonedithiocarbamate of 1,3-dithia-arsa-cyclopentane

Three 1,1-dithioacids containing an additional functional group, 2-pyrrolidone-1-carbodithioic acid, 2-hydroxycyclopentene-1-carbodithioic acid, and 2-pyrrolidone-1,3-bis(carbodithioic) acid, were reacted with the Group 15 heterocycles 2-chloro-1,3-dithia-2-arsa- and stiba-cyclopentanes (CIMS₂C₂H₄; M = As, Sb). The dithiocomplexes obtained were characterized by spectroscopic methods and elemental analyses. The X-ray structure determination of the 2-pyrrolidonedithiocarbamate of 1,3-dithia-arsacyclopentane shows a monodentate behavior of the dithiocarbamate entity and the absence of participation of the carbonyl oxygen in the coordination.     

Enantioselective isotactic alternating copolymerization of styrene and 4-methylstyrene with carbon monoxide catalyzed by a cationic bioxazoline pd(II) complex

The cationic bioxazoline Pd(II) complex 2 catalyzes the alternating copolymerization of carbon monoxide with styrene and 4-methylstyrene, respectively, to yield a highly isotactic optically active polymer at room temperature and low carbon monoxide pressure (1–4 atm).     

Determination of pharmaceuticals, iodinated contrast media and musk fragrances in sludge by LC/tandem MS and GC/MS

Analytical methods have been developed that allow for the determination of antiphlogistics, lipid regulators, the antiepileptic carbamazepine, cytostatic agents, the psychiatric drug diazepam and iodinated contrast media (ICM) as well as two major polycyclic musk fragrances HHCB (galaxolide) and AHTN (tonalide) in activated and digested sludge. The procedures consist of ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE) using methanol/acetone or pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) using 100% methanol. Clean-up was performed with C18ec material and silica gel followed by LC tandem MS (electrospray or atmospheric pressure chemical ionization) detection for pharmaceuticals and iodinated contrast media as well as GC/MS in the SIM mode for musk fragrances. Absolute recoveries from spiked activated sludge in general ranged from 88+/-4 to 119+/-20% for ICM and were 78+/-15 and 87+/-10% for the AHTN and HHCB, respectively. For the pharmaceuticals, absolute recoveries in activated sludge ranged between 43 and 78%. Subsequently, compensation of losses was carried out by using surrogate standards (acidic pharmaceuticals: fenoprop, neutral pharmaceuticals: dihydro-carbamazepine, musk fragrances: AHTN-D3). With one exception the recoveries were also adequate in digested sludge ranging from 43% to 120%.     

Theoretical study on the structures and electronic spectra of TCNE2-.

Investigations into the charge-separated states and electron-transfer transitions in tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) complexes have recently generated much interest. In this work we present theoretical calculations showing that the most stable structure of the dianion TCNE2- has D2d symmetry in vacuum as well as in the solvents dichloromethane and acetonitrile. By means of the coupled cluster linear response, we compute the vertical electronic spectrum in both the gas phase and solution. The theoretical results are compared to the experimental data and good agreement is achieved.     

Quantification of veterinary antibiotics (sulfonamides and trimethoprim) in animal manure by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

A fast and cost effective method was developed to extract and quantify residues of veterinary antimicrobial agents (antibiotics) in animal manure by liquid-liquid extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The compounds investigated include six sulfonamides, one metabolite, and trimethoprim. The method was performed without sample clean up. Recoveries from spiked manure slurry samples (spike level = 1 mg/kg) were as follows: sulfaguanidine (52%), sulfadiazine (47%), sulfathiazole (64%), sulfamethazine (89%), its metabolite N4-acetyl-sulfamethazine (88%), sulfamethoxazole (84%), sulfadimethoxine (51%), and trimethoprim (64%). Relative standard deviations of the recoveries were less than 5% within the same day and less than 20% between days. The limit of quantification was below 0.1 mg/kg liquid manure slurry for all compounds and calibration curves obtained from extracts of spiked samples were linear up to a level of 5 mg/kg liquid manure, except for trimethoprim (0.01-0.5 mg/kg). Analysis of six grab samples taken in Switzerland from manure pits on farms where medicinal feed had been applied revealed total sulfonamide concentrations of up to 20 mg/kg liquid manure.     

Linear First-Order Evolution Problems Without Initial Conditions

Direct and inverse problems for first-order in time linear evolution problems without initial conditions, i.e. related to the unbounded time-intervals (−∞, 0] and \mathbbR{\mathbb{R}}, are considered in the framework of Banach spaces. Some degenerate in time problems related to a bounded time-interval are also considered. The approach for solving the previous problems is related to both C ₀-and Analytic Semigroup Theory.