Synthesis of heparin saccharides III. Synthesis of derivatives of D-glucosamine as starting materials for disaccharides.

Derivatives of benzyl 2-[1-(benzyloxy)formamido]-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside with various protecting groups at C(3) (benzoyl, benzyl and N-phenylcarbamoyl) and C(6) (benzoyl, benzylsulfonyl, N-phenylcarbamoyl and tosyl) have been synthesized as starting materials for disaccharides. The C(4) and C(6) hydroxyl groups of the amino sugar were initially blocked by an acetal group. After introduction of the protecting group at C(3), the acetal group was removed by acid hydrolysis, and the C(6) hydroxyl group was selectively acylated or sulfonylated. The 3,6-di-O-benzoate has also been prepared by dimolar benzoylation of the amino sugar, whereby the 4,6-isomer was obtained as a by-product.     

N,N'-ethylenebis(pyridoxylideneiminato) and N,N'-ethylenebis(pyridoxylaminato): synthesis, characterization, potentiometric, spectroscopic, and DFT studies of their vanadium(IV) and vanadium(V) complexes

The Schiff base N,N'-ethylenebis(pyridoxylideneiminato) (H(2)pyr(2)en, 1) was synthesized by reaction of pyridoxal with ethylenediamine; reduction of H(2)pyr(2)en with NaBH(4) yielded the reduced Schiff base N,N'-ethylenebis(pyridoxylaminato) (H(2)Rpyr(2)en, 2); their crystal structures were determined by X-ray diffraction. The totally protonated forms of 1 and 2 correspond to H(6)L(4+), and all protonation constants were determined by pH-potentiometric and (1)H NMR titrations. Several vanadium(IV) and vanadium(V) complexes of these and other related ligands were prepared and characterized in solution and in the solid state. The X-ray crystal structure of [V(V)O(2)(HRpyr(2)en)] shows the metal in a distorted octahedral geometry, with the ligand coordinated through the N-amine and O-phenolato moieties, with one of the pyridine-N atoms protonated. Crystals of [(V(V)O(2))(2)(pyren)(2)].2 H(2)O were obtained from solutions containing H(2)pyr(2)en and oxovanadium(IV), where Hpyren is the "half" Schiff base of pyridoxal and ethylenediamine. The complexation of V(IV)O(2+) and V(V)O(2) (+) with H(2)pyr(2)en, H(2)Rpyr(2)en and pyridoxamine in aqueous solution were studied by pH-potentiometry, UV/Vis absorption spectrophotometry, as well as by EPR spectroscopy for the V(IV)O systems and (1)H and (51)V NMR spectroscopy for the V(V)O(2) systems. Very significant differences in the metal-binding abilities of the ligands were found. Both 1 and 2 act as tetradentate ligands. H(2)Rpyr(2)en is stable to hydrolysis and several isomers form in solution, namely cis-trans type complexes with V(IV)O, and alpha-cis- and beta-cis-type complexes with V(V)O(2). The pyridinium-N atoms of the pyridoxal rings do not take part in the coordination but are involved in acid-base reactions that affect the number, type, and relative amount of the isomers of the V(IV)O-H(2)Rpyr(2)en and V(V)O(2)-H(2)Rpyr(2)en complexes present in solution. DFT calculations were carried out and support the formation and identification of the isomers detected by EPR or NMR spectroscopy, and the strong equatorial and axial binding of the O-phenolato in V(IV)O and V(V)O(2) complexes. Moreover, the DFT calculations done for the [V(IV)O(H(2)Rpyr(2)en)] system indicate that for almost all complexes the presence of a sixth equatorial or axial H(2)O ligand leads to much more stable compounds.     

Three remarks on the modular commutator

First a problem of Ralph McKenzie is answered by proving that in a finitely directly representable variety every directly indecomposable algebra must be finite. Then we show that there is no local proof of the fundamental theorem of Abelian algebras nor of H. P. Gumm's permutability results. This part may also be of interest for those investigating non-modular Abelian algebras. Finally we provide a Gumm-type characterization of the situation when twonot necessarily comparable congruences centralize each other. In doing this, we introduce a four variable version of the difference term in every modular variety. A two-terms condition is also investigated.Dedicated to the memory of András HuhnPresented by R. W. Quackenbush.     

GENETIC VARIATIONS AND LINOLENIC ACID INDUCED CHANGES IN THE ORIENTATION PATTERN OF CHLOROPHYLL a IN THYLAKOID MEMBRANES

Abstract Orientation pattern of the Q_y absorption and emission dipoles of chlorophyll a were studied in wild type Scenedesmus obliquus and in mutants deficient in chlorophyll b and carotenoids. Fluorescence polarization ratio at –140°C and linear dichroism at 25°C were measured in whole cells and thylakoids aligned in polyacrylamide gel. Unlike normal thylakoids, mutants displayed fluorescence polarization ratios significantly lower than 1.0 and showed a negative LD signal around 672 nm, indicating the tendency of the Q_y dipoles to tilt out from the membrane plane. Such an orientation pattern can also be artificially induced by treating normal thylakoids with linolenic acid.     

Energy Dissipation Processes of singlet‐excited 1‐Hydroxyfluorenone and its Hydrogen‐bonded Complex with N‐methylimidazole¶

Effects of solvent, pH and hydrogen bonding with N‐methylimidazole (MIm) on the photophysical properties of 1‐hydroxyfluorenone (1HOF) have been studied. Fluorescence lifetime, fluorescence quantum yield and triplet yield measurements demonstrated that intersystem crossing was the dominant process in apolar media and its rate constant significantly diminished with increasing solvent polarity. The acceleration of internal conversion in alcohols paralleled the strength of intermolecular hydrogen bonding. The faster energy dissipation from the singlet‐excited state in cyclohexane was attributed to intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The pK_a of 1HOF decreased from 10.06 to 5.0 on light absorption, and H₃O⁺ quenched the singletexcited molecules in a practically diffusion‐controlled reaction. On addition of MIm in toluene, dual fluorescence was observed, which was attributed to reversible formation of excited hydrogen‐bonded ion pair. Rate constants for the various deactivation pathways were derived from the combined analysis of the steady‐state and the time‐resolved fluorescence results.     

Thermoanalytical Study of the Composition of β-tungsten

The aim of the present work was to provide arguments to the almost ‘hystorical’ problem of what β-tungsten is. WO₃was reduced in dry H₂gas atmosphere in order to examine, whether β-tungsten formed in such a way contains oxygen as part of the lattice described as W_xO (e.g. W₂₀O) or is a pure metallic phase of tungsten. As a result of thermoanalytical measurements and of chemical analysis for oxygen, the assumption is supported that in the 600-800°C temperature range of metal formation not the W_xO (β-W)→W(α-W) transformation but the β-W→α-W structural rearrangement of materials with identical chemical composition is the most probable process. The earlier opinion that the formation of the β-W structure requires the presence of oxygen atoms was not verified by our results. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Artificial intelligence in electrostatic risk management

In the last two decades protection against electrostatic hazards became a very important topic. The increase in the range of possible faults fast automated systems and complex fault analysis is required.The tools of artificial intelligence and expert systems have been applied successfully on this field and this paper aims to take a step further. While giving some insight to the currently used tools, another AI method, the 'support vector machines' are introduced in this paper. Besides a brief review on SVMs they are introduced to the SCOUT system, a novel approach to electrostatic hazard management.     

Cinchona based squaramide catalysed enantioselective Michael addition of α-nitrophosphonates to aryl acrylates: enantioselective synthesis of quaternary α-aminophosphonates

Several cinchona based squaramide catalysts were applied to the asymmetric Michael addition of α-nitroethylphosphonates to acrylic acid aryl esters, resulting in high yields and enantioselectivities. The absolute configuration of one of the quaternary α-nitrophosphonate adducts was deduced from its experimental and calculated CD spectra. The adducts were reduced to their cyclic aminophosphonates by catalytic hydrogenation.     

Efficient syntheses of zoledronic acid as an active ingredient of a drug against osteoporosis

The reaction of 1H-imidazol-1-ylacetic acid and two equivalents of phosphorus trichloride/phosphorous acid at 75?°C in sulfolane, or in the presence of catalytic amounts of [bmim][BF₄] afforded zoledronic acid in yields up to 75%. The joint use of the ionic liquid additive and sulfolane as the solvent was synergetic affording highly valuable zoledronic acid in a record yield of 93%.