Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Surface Treatment of Polymers and Influence on Cell Cultivation

Atmospheric plasma treatment is an effective and economical surface treatment technique. The main advantage of this technique is that the bulk properties of the material remain unchanged while the surface properties and biocompatibility are enhanced. Polymers are used in many biomedical applications; such as implants, because of their variable bulk properties. On the other hand, their surface properties are inadequate which demands certain surface treatments including atmospheric pressure plasma treatment. In biomedical applications, surface treatment is important to promote good cell adhesion, proliferation, and growth. This article aim is to give an overview of different atmospheric pressure plasma treatments of polymer surface, and their influence on cell-material interaction with different cell lines.     

The past and present practices and continuing controversies of preconception care

Preconception care, a long-established concept for primary prevention of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality through detection and reduction of modifiable risks, has been widely propagated for the last decades. This article provides an overview of the various goals and practices described in the literature in different parts of the world, including issues and controversies pertaining to the provision and implementation of preconception care in different health care settings.     

Mechanism of the Leakage Induced on Lipid Model Membranes by Rz1 Lipoprotein, the Bacteriophage λ Rz1 Gene Product: A Fluorescence Study

The leakage of aqueous contents of neutral (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine/cholesterol) liposomes as induced by Rz1, a proline-rich lipoprotein, the bacteriophage Rz1 gene product, was studied. Fluorescence enhancement assay with Tb³⁺/dipicolinic acid and self-quenching assays with carboxyfluorescein and fluorescein isothiocyanaten-dextran were used to monitor the Rz1-induced leakage from neutral liposomes. The results demonstrated that Rz1 caused local membrane destabilization leading to the leakage of the liposome contents. The extent of the leakage was independent of the molecular mass of the liposome-entrapped solutes in the range of 376–4000 Da. The kinetics of Rz1-liposome leakage was very similar to that obtained with detergent Triton X-100 for all the solutes used. The results suggested that Rz1 can act as a detergent; i.e., by interacting with lipids on both sides of the liposome membranes (inducing perturbation in the lipid packing within the bilayer), it facilitates the transfer of encapsulated molecules into the external liposome environment. The importance of this result for Rz1 physiological function is discussed.     

Diffraction of waves by inhomogeneous obstacles

Summary The two dimensional problem of diffraction of scalar waves by a bounded inhomogeneity in an otherwise unbounded medium is studied both theoretically and numerically. Using singular operator properties, existence and uniqueness of the solution, and the convergence of the numerical method used are proved.     

Selective catalytic oxidation reaction of p-xylene on manganese–iron mixed oxide materials

Mixed manganese iron oxides (Mn/Fe/O) as heterogeneous catalysts were prepared by hydrothermal treatment and citrate methods to be tested in the oxidation of p-xylene (PX) using as oxidation agent molecular oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and tert-butyl hydroperoxide. Preparation of mixed MnFe oxide by the citrate method releases materials with smaller particle size and lower degree of crystallinity as compared with the hydrothermal one, which further leads to a higher activity toward the oxidation of PX. A conversion of PX of 98% and a yield in p-toluic acid of 93% were obtained in the presence of Mn/Fe/O prepared by the citrate method using tert-butyl hydroperoxide as an oxidizing agent.     

A new case of induced helical chirality in a bichromophoric system: absolute configuration of transparent and flexible diols from the analysis of the electronic circular dichroism spectra of the corresponding di(1-naphthyl)ketals

Di(1-naphthyl)ketals of 1, n-diols show couplet effects allied to the (1)B naphthalene transition in their CD spectra. This means that they assume a conformation with a prevailing sense of twist of the naphthalene rings, imposed by the absolute configuration (AC) of the starting diols and by the nature of the R 1 groups. A positive couplet for aliphatic diols is a probe of ( R, R), AC while the opposite sign is found for ( R, R) aromatic diols.     

Multisite modification of neomycin B: combined Mitsunobu and click chemistry approach

The aminoglycoside antibiotic neomycin B has been converted into several novel building blocks that can be used for the specific modification of three of the four ring systems. Under carefully controlled conditions, the Mitsunobu reaction can be used to selectively dehydrate the ido ring to give the talo epoxide. Subsequently however, under more forcing conditions, the 2-deoxy streptamine ring undergoes Mitsunobu dehydration to give an aziridine. An unusual remote neighboring group effect was observed. When the primary hydroxyl of the ribose ring was blocked, aziridine formation on the deoxystreptamine ring did not occur. Both the epoxide and epoxide-aziridine neomycin building blocks can be ring-opened with azide and subjected to "click" type chemistry with terminal alkynes to generate a series of new neomycin analogues. These reactions can all be carried out without recourse to O-protecting groups. A detailed conformational analysis by NMR revealed some unexpected conformer preferences in these systems.     

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 1H-pyridinium-3-olate and 1-methylpyridinium-3-olate with methyl acrylate: a density functional theory study

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of 1-substituted pyridinium 3-olates with methyl acrylate is studied using density functional theory (DFT) method at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level. The molecular mechanisms of the possible stereo- and regio-chemical pathways are characterized and explored. Solvent effects are also evaluated by the polarizable continuum model (PCM). Analysis of the results shows that there are relevant differences in the reaction pathways between the gas phase and with solvent. Only results in solvent phase are in accord with literature experimental results where 6-substituted 8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-en-2-ones are formed preferentially. These polar cycloaddition reactions take place through highly asynchronous transition states in which nucleophilic attack by C2/C6 of the pyridinium-3-olates on the more electrophilic centre of the methyl acrylate initiates the process. Analysis of global and local indexes of the reactants is evaluated in order to explain the observed regioselectivity. Rate constants are calculated at room temperature using conventional transition state theory.     

Quinine‐Derived Imidazolidin‐2‐imine Ligands: Synthesis,Coordination Chemistry,and Application in Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation

Two new optically active bidentate N,N‐ligands, DMIQCI ( 3a ) and DMIQCD ( 3b ), containing a quinuclidine core and an imidazolidin‐2‐imine unit, were synthesized. The reaction of these ligands with [(η⁵‐C₅Me₅)RuCl]₄ afforded the brick‐red ruthenium(II) complexes [(η⁵‐C₅Me₅)Ru(DMIQCI)Cl] ( 4 ) and [(η⁵‐C₅Me₅)Ru(DMIQCD)Cl] ( 5 ), which were used as catalysts in the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone in boiling 2‐propanol. The reactions of 3a and 3b with [(COD)PdCl₂] (COD = 1,5‐cycloocta‐diene) and with [(DME)NiBr₂] (DME = 1,2‐dimethoxyethane) afforded the square‐planar palladium(II) complexes [(DMIQCI)PdCl₂] ( 7 ) and [(DMIQCD)PdCl₂] ( 8 ) or the tetrahedral nickel(II) complexes [(DMIQCI)NiBr₂] ( 9 ) and [(DMIQCD)NiBr₂] ( 10 ), respectively. The X‐ray crystal structures of 4 , 7 , 9· THF, and 10 are reported.