Tri-component diblock copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(ε-caprolactone-<Emphasis Type="Italic">co</Emphasis>-lactide): synthesis,characterization and loading camptothecin

Biodegradable tri-component diblock copolymer was synthesized by bulk copolymerization of ε-caprolactone (CL) and D, L-lactide (LA) in the presence of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (MePEG), using stannous octoate as catalyst. Their chemical structure and physical properties were investigated by GPC, NMR, DSC, TGAand XRD. The increase of CL/LA ratio in the diblock copolymer leads to lower T _g, higher decomposition temperature and crystallinity. Nanoparticles formulated from MePEG–poly(CL-co-LA) (PCAE) possess spherical structure, which was characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The DLS results indicate that the particle size increased with the increase of CL/LA ratio and the hydrophobic fragment length in the copolymer. The drug encapsulation efficiency and the drug release behavior in vitro conditions of camptothecin were measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The encapsulation efficiency can be achieved as high as 84.4% and the release behavior can be made well-controlled. MePEG–poly(CL-co-LA) nanoparticles might have a great potential as carriers for hydrophobic drugs.     

Five-coordinate Cobalt(II), Nickel(II) and Zinc(II) Complexes Derived from 2-pyridine-2-yl-3-(pyridine-2-carboxylideneamino)-1,2-dihydroquinazolin-4(3H)-one. The Crystal Structure of the Cobalt(II) Complex

The synthesis of cobalt(II), nickel(II) and zinc(II) complexes of 2-pyridine-2-yl-3(pyridine-2-carboxylideneamino)-1,2-dihydroquinazolin-4(3H)-one is described. The ligand and metal complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, conductivity measurements, spectral (u.v.–vis., i.r., 1D n.m.r., 2D hetcor and mass) and thermal studies. The cobalt(II) complex crystallizes as pink crystals in the monoclinic crystal system, space group P21/n with a = 10.066(6) Å, b = 15.929(9) Å, c = 12.624(7) Å, α = 90.00(9)°, β = 110.850 (8)°, γ = 90.00, V = 1891.5 (18) ų and Z = 4. The geometry around the cobalt atom is distorted trigonal bipyramidal with τ = 0.83 [structural parameter, τ = (β − α)/60; where α and β are the two basal angles in a five coordinate complex].     

AFM of adsorbed polyelectrolytes on cellulose I surfaces spin-coated on silicon wafers

Thin layers of cellulose I nanocrystals were spin-coated onto silicon wafers to give a flat model cellulose surface. A mild heat treatment was required to stabilize the cellulose layer. Interactions of this surface with polyelectrolyte layers and multilayers were probed by atomic force microscopy in water and dilute salt solutions. Deflection–distance curves for standard silicon nitride tips were measured for silicon, cellulose-coated silicon, and for polyelectrolytes adsorbed on the cellulose surface. Transfer of polymer to the tip was checked by running deflection–distance curves against clean silicon. Deflection–distance curves were relatively insensitive to adsorbed polyelectrolyte, but salt addition caused transfer of cationic polyelectrolyte to the tip, and swelling of the polyelectrolyte multilayers.     

Limiting Partial Molar Volumes of Electrolytes in 2-Methyl-2-Butanol <Emphasis Type="Bold">+</Emphasis> Water Mixtures at 298.15 K

Partial molar volumes at infinite dilution, V⁰₂, of alkali–metal halides (LiCl, NaCl KCl RbCl CsCl, NaBr, KBr, KI), tetra-n-alkylammonium bromides, R₄NBr (R=Me, Et, n-Pr, n-Bu, n-Pen), NaBPh₄, and Ph₄PCl have been determined in binary solvent mixtures of water with 2-methyl-2-butanol covering the water-rich region and the alcohol-rich region at 298.15 K. V⁰₂ for alkali–metal halides show relatively little dependence on the solvent composition. However, in the case of hydrophobic electrolytes the observed effects are more pronounced. A good linear dependence between V⁰₂(R₄NBr) and the molecular weight of the tetra-n-alkylammonium cation is found. Limiting single-ion volumes have been obtained using the assumption that V⁰(Ph₄P⁺)–V⁰(BPh^–₄)=2.0 cm³-mol^–1. The trends in the single-ion volumes are discussed in both solvent regions.     

Three-dimensional structural features and the toxicity of aminobenzenes and phenols

There are many organic pollutants in the environment, such as polychlorinated biphenyl, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), and polychlorinated naphthalene. These organic pollutants are persistent,liposoluble and easily cumulated in organism; consequently, the potential toxicity will be high. Risk assessment of industrial chemicals is currently carried out using scanty experimental data, because many of these chemicals have very little or no test data. S…     

Influence of ethanol oxidation rate on the lactate/pyruvate ratio and phosphorylation state of the liver in fed rats.

The effect of the ethanol oxidation rate on the interaction between the phosphorylation state (the [ATP]/[ADP] X [HPO4]2- ratio) and the redox state (the free [NAD+]/[NADH] ratio) of the liver cytosol was studied in intact fed rats. The rate of ethanol oxidation was inhibited to different degrees with pyrazole. The ethanol oxidation rate had no influence on the liver lactate level but correlated significantly with the pyruvate level. Accordingly, a significant correlation was also found between the ethanol oxidation rate and the lactate/pyruvate ratio. The rate of ethanol oxidation correlated significantly with the liver 3-phosphoglycerate level. No change in the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate level was found. No correlation was found between the ethanol oxidation rate and the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate/3-phosphoglycerate redox couple. Ethanol administration slightly increased the liver ATP level, but the simultaneous administration of pyrazole eliminated this effect. Other adenine nucleotides and HPO4 2- were not changed. The changes in the rate of ethanol oxidation had no effect on the phosphorylation state in the fed liver. It is assumed that in the fed liver the phosphorylation state is so well stabilized that the redox level has no influence.     

Characterization of N-terminal processing of group VIA phospholipase A<Subscript>2</Subscript> and of potential cleavage sites of amyloid precursor protein constructs by automated identification of signature peptides in LC/MS/MS analyses of proteolytic digests

Dysregulation of proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) contributes to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease, and the Group VIA phospholipase A(2) (iPLA(2)beta) is the dominant PLA(2) enzyme in the central nervous system and is subject to regulatory proteolytic processing. We have identified novel N-terminal variants of iPLA(2)beta and previously unrecognized proteolysis sites in APP constructs with a C-terminal 6-myc tag by automated identification of signature peptides in LC/MS/MS analyses of proteolytic digests. We have developed a Signature-Discovery (SD) program to characterize protein isoforms by identifying signature peptides that arise from proteolytic processing in vivo. This program analyzes MS/MS data from LC analyses of proteolytic digests of protein mixtures that can include incompletely resolved components in biological samples. This reduces requirements for purification and thereby minimizes artifactual modifications during sample processing. A new algorithm to generate the theoretical signature peptide set and to calculate similarity scores between predicted and observed mass spectra has been tested and optimized with model proteins. The program has been applied to the identification of variants of proteins of biological interest, including APP cleavage products and iPLA(2)beta, and such applications demonstrate the utility of this approach.     

Synthesis of Functionalized (2-Thienylcarbonyl)thiazoles and 4-(2-Thienyl)pyridines by Reaction of (2-Thienylcarbonyl)thioacetanilides and their Enamine Derivatives

Summary. The condensation of two molecules of 2-(2-thienylcarbonyl)thioacetanilides catalyzed by piperidine yielded thiazole derivatives as confirmed by X-ray crystal structure analysis. The reaction of malononitrile with 3-morpholino-3-(2-thienyl)acrylic acid thioanilides furnished 6-amino-1-aryl-4-(2-thienyl)-1,2-dihydro-2-thioxopyridine-5-carbonitriles. A similar reaction of malononitrile with 3-morpholino-3-(2-thienyl)acrylic acid anilides provided 2-oxopyridine-5-carbonitriles.     

Aminoalkylation with Aldehydes Mediated by Solid Lithium Perchlorate

Summary. The solid LiClO₄-mediated one-pot reaction of aldehydes with secondary amines and C nucleophiles afforded the corresponding aminoalkylation products in high yields. Unlike the previous reported procedure, the aminoalkylation of aldehyde was achieved in the presence of only 0.5 equivalents of solid lithium perchlorate in dichloromethane as the solvent with good to high yields at room temperature.     

The application of NMR and MS methods for detection of adulteration of wine,fruit juices,and olive oil. A review

This review covers two important techniques, high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS), used to characterize food products and detect possible adulteration of wine, fruit juices, and olive oil, all important products of the Mediterranean Basin. Emphasis is placed on the complementary use of SNIF-NMR (site-specific natural isotopic fractionation nuclear magnetic resonance) and IRMS (isotope-ratio mass spectrometry) in association with chemometric methods for detecting the adulteration.