The synthesis of 1-amino-2-hydroxy- and 2-amino-1-hydroxy-substituted ethylene-1,1-bisphosphonic acids and their N-methylated derivatives

A synthesis of 2-amino-1-hydroxyethylene-1,1-bisphosphonic acid 3 has been developed from N-phthaloylglycine via dimethyl 2-(N-phthaloylamino)acetylphosphonate 1. The preparation of the N-methylated and N,N-dimethylated derivatives 4 and 5 has been achieved by the reaction of 3 with formic acid and formaldehyde. The synthesis of 1-amino-2-hydroxyethylene-1,1-bisphosphonic acid 9 (R=R′=H) and its N-methylated and N,N-dimethylated analogues has been achieved by the reaction of phosphorus trichloride and phosphorous acid with the appropriate O-benzyl protected hydroxyacetamide, followed by catalytic hydrogenolysis of the protecting group.     

Inverted colloidal crystals as three-dimensional cell scaffolds

A new type of three-dimensional scaffold with inverted colloidal crystal geometry for the investigation of topological effects in cell cultures is introduced in this publication. The scaffolds are made by infiltration of the hexagonal crystal lattice of polystyrene spheres with sol-gel formulation and subsequent annealing. It possesses a relatively high degree of order among existing cell scaffolds and affords tight control over the scaffold porosity and tissue organization. The prepared scaffolds can be a convenient system for the investigation of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Their biocompatibility is demonstrated for human hepatocellular carcinoma HEP G2 and human bone marrow HS-5 cell cultures. A preliminary effect of the scaffold topology on cell proliferation is observed. HEP G2 hepatocytes form a large number of 10-15 cell colonies on scaffolds made from 75-microm spheres, while their number diminishes for scaffolds from 10- and 160-microm spheres. Under similar conditions, HS-5 forms smaller colonies consisting of three to four cells in 90-microm cavities.     

Electrophoretic analysis of electrically trained skeletal muscle.

Sheep latissimus dorsi muscle was electrically trained, thereby inducing fast-to-slow fibre-type transformation. Using a combination of one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis techniques with computer analysis, we have analysed altered expression of contractile protein isoforms at protein and mRNA level over a time course of electrical training extending to 5 months. Myosin heavy chain and regulatory myosin light chain analysis showed predominant expression of their slow isoforms (86% and 92%, respectively) after 3 months of training. At the same time point, however, tropomyosin analysis revealed that the slow isoform of the alpha-subunit accounted for 64% of the total alpha expression. Troponin T isoform switching proceeded more slowly over the same time course than tropomyosin and the thick filament proteins studied. Troponin T analysis revealed 5 fast and 2 slow isoforms in the sheep, of which the second slow isoform only became clearly visible after 5 months' training. At this time point the two slow isoforms were more predominant than their fast counterparts. This suggests that a wide heterogeneity of fast and slow isoform combinations are possible in the thin filament of skeletal muscle.     

A micro-mechanical beam-steering device for terahertz frequencies

Beam-steering techniques are required to fully exploit the benefits of present and future terahertz imaging systems. We propose and model a device that overcomes the difficulties that prevent analogues of existing electrical and optical micro-mechanical techniques being employed at terahertz frequencies. The device employs a variable phase-control medium comprised of interlocking artificial dielectric surfaces. We present an analytical array factor calculation that provides insight into the operation of the device and an improved discrete array factor model incorporating the complex transmission coefficients of the structure. The models are validated by comparison to results from a rigorous full-vector electromagnetic solver tool (finite-difference time-domain). We predict a practical device constructed from a silicon substrate could steer both TE and TM beams by up to 6.4°.     

Elektronalyse

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Negative refraction

Light bends the wrong way in materials where both ε and μ are negative as was pointed out in 1968, but the absence of natural materials with this property led to neglect of the subject until 1999 when it was shown how to make artificial materials, metamaterials, with negative μ. The rapid advance of the subject since that date, both in theory and experiment, is reflected in the exponential growth of publications now at the 200 per year level and still growing. This interest is explained by the sudden availability of a qualitatively different class of electromagnetic materials combined with the quite startling properties which these materials appear to have; all of which provokes debate as each new facet of their behaviour is revealed. Experiment has been vital to resolution of controversy and has chiefly been in the microwave region of the spectrum though there is potential in the optical region currently being explored by several groups.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (+)-vertine and (+)-lythrine

The total syntheses of the Lythracea alkaloids (+)-vertine and (+)-lythrine are described. Enantioenriched pelletierine is used as a chiral building block and engaged into a two step pelletierine condensation leading to two quinolizidin-2-one diastereomers in a 8 : 1 ratio. The major product is used in the synthesis of (+)-vertine via aryl-aryl coupling and ring closing metathesis to provide a Z-alkene α to the lactone carbonyl function. The same procedure was used for (+)-lythrine after base induced epimerization of the main quinolizidin-2-one diastereomer. Alternative classical ring closure strategies like macrolactonisation or aryl-aryl coupling failed.     

Effect of electrochemical oxidation of activated carbon fiber on competitive and noncompetitive sorption of trace toxic metal ions from aqueous solution

A viscose-rayon-based activated carbon cloth (ACC) was electrochemically oxidized to enhance its cation sorption capacity for comparison with as-received ACC. The ACCs were characterized by sodium capacity measurement, pH titration, zeta potential measurement, elemental analysis, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller surface area, and pore size distribution. Batch sorption experiments showed that electrochemically oxidized ACC (EO) is more effective for the removal of lead and copper ions compared to unoxidized ACC (UO) for both competitive and noncompetitive sorption. For electrochemically oxidized fibers the copper and lead sorption capacities of ACC increased 17 and 4 times, respectively, for noncompetitive sorption and 8.8 and 8.6 times, respectively, for competitive sorption. However, reduction in the sorption capacities for both metals was observed for the competitive sorption. The sorption of lead and copper onto EO was by ion exchange, while that onto UO was likely to be due to surface complex formation. The affinity order of the two metal ions sorbed by UO and EO is Pb(2+)>Cu(2+). The effect of pH on sorption isotherms indicated that metal uptake increased with an increase in solution pH.