Effect of gamma-rays on the formation of color centers in copper-containing lead borate glasses

Absorption bands in the range of 350–950 nm, induced in copper-containing lead borate glasses by -rays were identified and characterized. The effect of irradiation dose, copper oxide and lead oxide contents on the intensity and position of the induced absorption bands were also considered. Several induced absorption bands were observed. At least two bands in the ranges of 740–780 and 850–870 nm could be identified. They are suggested to be associated with induced Cu⁽²⁺⁾ ions. The band in the 800–830 nm (1.6 eV) range is ascribed to the Pb⁽³⁺⁾ ion, whereas others in the ranges of 600–630 and 650–730 nm are associated with the intrinsic defects formed in the base glass.     

Graft polymerization of vinyl monomers onto cellulose in presence of soda lime glass. I

Sodium bisulfite–soda lime glass has proved to be a good initiator for polymerization and graft polymerization onto cellulose of some vinyl monomers. A scheme dealing with the mechanism of initiation has been proposed assuming trapping of the bisulfite radical inside the glass frame-work to form a so-called sulfur-impregnated solid. Such a solid has paramagnetic properties and acts on the vinyl monomers and cellulose as any free-radical-producing source thus leading to polymerization and graft polymerization onto cellulose. Other radicals containing sulfur, such as sulfite, sulfate, and persulfate failed to give such property with soda lime glass. With the sodium bisulfite–soda lime glass system the reactivity decreases in the order methyl methacrylate > ethyl acrylate > acrylonitrile which is inconsistent with the arrangement of acceptor monomers with decreasing electron-donating ability. This may reflect interference of the addition reaction which may take place between the monomer and bisulfite and the rate of which may depend on the activation energy of the monomer.     

New pyranosyl cembranoid diterpenes from Sarcophyton trocheliophorum

During our continual searching programme for novel bioactive metabolites from Sarcophyton trocheliophorum, collected from Red Sea, we describe herein the isolation and structural elucidation of further two new pyrane-based cembranoid diterpenes: 9-hydroxy-7,8-dehydro-sarcotrocheliol (1) and 8,9-expoy-sarcotrocheliol acetate (2), along with the well-known sarcotrocheliol acetate (3), (+)-sarcophine (4), (+)-sarcophytoxide (5) and (-)-sarcophytoxide (6). The chemical structures of compounds 1 and 2 were determined on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR (¹H, ¹³C, ¹H–¹H COSY, HMQC, HMBC and NOE), mass spectra (ESI and HR-ESIMS) and by comparison with related structures. The antimicrobial activities of the reported compounds 1–6 were investigated. According to the molecular docking study of compounds 1–6 using 3D structure of α,β tubulin in complex with taxol (PDB code 1JFF) and epothilone A (PDB code 1TVK), sarcophine (4) displayed the highest affinity towards both crystal structures, followed by 5 and 6, meanwhile pyrane-based cembranoid diterpenes (1–3) showed less affinity.     

Chemoselective thioacetalization and transthioacetalization of carbonyl compounds catalyzed by immobilized scandium(III) triflate in ionic liquids

Immobilized scandium triflate [Sc(OTf)₃] in ionic liquids has been found to be an extremely efficient and recyclable catalyst for the thioacetalization and transthioacetalization of both aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes. Significant rate acceleration and chemoselectivity was achieved by employing this catalytic system.     

The aftermath of the interplay between the endoplasmic reticulum stress response and redox signaling

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an essential organelle of eukaryotic cells. Its main functions include protein synthesis, proper protein folding, protein modification, and the transportation of synthesized proteins. Any perturbations in ER function, such as increased demand for protein folding or the accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the ER lumen, lead to a stress response called the unfolded protein response (UPR). The primary aim of the UPR is to restore cellular homeostasis; however, it triggers apoptotic signaling during prolonged stress. The core mechanisms of the ER stress response, the failure to respond to cellular stress, and the final fate of the cell are not yet clear. Here, we discuss cellular fate during ER stress, cross talk between the ER and mitochondria and its significance, and conditions that can trigger ER stress response failure. We also describe how the redox environment affects the ER stress response, and vice versa, and the aftermath of the ER stress response, integrating a discussion on redox imbalance-induced ER stress response failure progressing to cell death and dynamic pathophysiological changes.Subject terms: Mechanisms of disease, Cell biology     

A novel and expeditious approach to unusual spirolactam building blocks

A rapid access to 7-azaspiro[4.5]decan-6-ones 1 involving three regio- and chemoselective reactions starting from tetrabromonorbornyl derivatives is described. The alkaline H(2)O(2) cleavage reaction of monosubstituted alpha-diketones 9 furnished the potential bridged bicyclic lactones 10in a highly regio- and stereoselective manner. The radical-mediated, intermolecular bridgehead C-C bond formation of the versatile bridged lactones 10 with acrylonitrile followed by LAH reduction of the adduct 13 intriguingly leads to the formation of novel spirolactam building blocks 1.     

Synthesis and Reactions of 5-Amino-3-(3-methyl-5-oxo-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-4-yl)-7-phenyl-7 H -thiazolo[3,2- a ]pyrimidine-6-carbonitrile

5-Amino-3-(3-methyl-5-oxo-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-4-yl)-7-phenyl-7H-thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine-6-carbonitrile was synthesized via the reaction of 4-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one with benzylidene malononitrile and was then transformed to related fused heterocyclic systems. The antifungal and antibacterial studies revealed in some cases excellent biocidal properties.     

Determining molecular structures and conformations directly from electron diffraction using a genetic algorithm.

A global optimization strategy, based upon application of a genetic algorithm (GA), is demonstrated as an approach for determining the structures of molecules possessing significant conformational flexibility directly from gas-phase electron diffraction data. In contrast to the common approach to molecular structure determination, based on trial-and-error assessment of structures available from quantum chemical calculations, the GA approach described here does not require expensive quantum mechanical calculations or manual searching of the potential energy surface of the sample molecule, relying instead upon simple comparison between the experimental and calculated diffraction pattern derived from a proposed trial molecular structure. Structures as complex as all-trans retinal and p-coumaric acid, both important chromophores in photosensing processes, may be determined by this approach. In the examples presented here, we find that the GA approach can determine the correct conformation of a flexible molecule described by 11 independent torsion angles. We also demonstrate applications to samples comprising a mixture of two distinct molecular conformations. With these results we conclude that applications of this approach are very promising in elucidating the structures of large molecules directly from electron diffraction data.     

Tetrastrontium dimanganese copper nonaoxide,Sr4Mn2CuO9

Single crystals of Sr₄Mn_2.09Cu_0.91O₉ have been grown by flux synthesis and the structure, closely related to the hexagonal perovskite 2H, was solved from single‐crystal X‐ray data in space group P321. The structure of Sr₄Mn₂CuO₉ is composed of chains of face‐sharing polyhedra with a sequence of two octahedra and one trigonal prism. The octahedra are filled by Mn atoms and the Cu atoms are randomly distributed at the centres of the square faces of the trigonal prism. A stacking fault is observed within one of the two chains, which can be attributed to a shifting of the chain along the c axis.     

Synthesis of imidazoles as novel emivirine and S‐DABO analogues

5‐Alkyl‐4‐benzyl‐1,3‐dihydroimidazol‐2‐ones ( 3a‐d ) and 5‐alkyl‐4‐benzyl‐1,3‐dihydroimidazole‐2‐thiones (7a‐d) were prepared via Dakin West reaction on DL‐phenylalanine with the appropriate aliphatic acid anhydrides followed by hydrolysis and reaction with potassium cyanate or potassium thiocyanate. Compounds 3a‐d were alkylated with ethoxymethyl chloride to give the alkylated imidazoles 5a‐d which were considered analogues of Emivirine with deletion of carbonyl group at the 4‐position. Alkylation of 7a‐d afforded the corresponding S‐alkylated derivatives 8a‐p which in a similar way were considered analogues of S‐DABO. However all the imidazole derivatives were devoid of activity against HIV.