Longitudinal and transversal two-point correlations in a turbulent flow

Based on measurements with hot-wire anemometers in a fully developed turbulent flow in the wake of a cylinder we investigate different aspects of longitudinal and transversal two-point correlations. In particular we use Taylor's hypothesis as well as simultaneous measurements with two X-hot-wire probes, and investigate how these correlations change with the relative orientation of their separation vector with respect to the mean flow direction. For the wake at a distance of eighty cylinder diameters at a Reynolds number Re = 28 000 (Taylor-based Reynolds number Re_λ = 290), we find evidence of strong anisotropy. We analyze the data using increment statistics, in particular increment distributions and structure functions. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Hetero‐π‐systems from 2 + 2 cycloreversion,part 2.1Ab initio thermochemical study of heterocyclobutanes 2 + 2 cycloreversion to form heteroethenes H2C=X (X=NH,O, SiH2, PH,S)

Ab initio and DFT thermochemical study of diradical mechanism of 2 + 2 cycloreversion of parent heterocyclobutanes and 1,3‐diheterocyclobutanes, cyclo‐(CH₂CH₂CH₂X), and cyclo‐(CH₂XCH₂X), where X = NH, O, SiH₂, PH, S, was undertaken by calculating closed‐shell singlet molecules at three levels of theory: MP4/6‐311G(d)//MP2/6‐31G(d)+ZPE, MP4/6‐311G(d,p)//MP2/6‐31G (d,p)+ZPE, and B3LYP/6‐311+G(d,p)+ZPE. The enthalpies of 2 + 2 cycloreversion decrease on going from group 14 to group 16 elements, being substantially higher for the second row elements. Normally endothermic 2 + 2 cycloreversion is predicted to be exothermic for 1,3‐diazetidine and 1,3‐dioxtane. Strain energies of the four‐membered rings were calculated via the appropriate homodesmic reactions. The enthalpies of ring opening via the every possible one‐bond homolysis that results in the formation of the corresponding 1,4‐diradical were found by subtracting the strain energies from the central bond dissociation energies of the heterobutanes CH₃CH₂—CH₂XH, CH₃CH₂—XCH₃, and HXCH₂—XCH₃. The latter energies were determined via the enthalpies of the appropriate dehydrocondensation reactions, using C—H and X—H bond energies in CH₃XH calculated at G2 level of theory. Except 1,3‐disiletane, in which ring‐opening enthalpy attains 69.7 kcal/mol, the enthalpies of the most economical ring openings do not exceed 60.7 kcal/mol. The 1,4‐diradical decomposition enthalpies found as differences between 2 + 2 cycloreversion and ring‐opening enthalpies were negative, the least exothermicity was calculated for ⋅ CH₂SiH₂CH₂CH₂. The only exception was 1,3‐disiletane, which being diradical, CH₂SiH₂CH₂SiH₂, decomposed endothermically. Since decomposition of the diradical containing two silicon atoms required extra energy, raising the enthalpy of the overall reaction to 78.9 kcal/mol, 1,3‐disiletane was predicted to be highly resisting to 2 + 2 cycloreversion. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 18:704–720, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20377     

Packing considerations of bis‐dimedone derivatives

We have determined the crystal structures of 2,2′‐(4‐fluoro­phenyl)­methyl­enebis(3‐hydroxy‐5,5‐di­methyl‐2‐cyclo­hexen‐1‐one), C₂₃H₂₇FO₄, (I), 2,2′‐(4‐chloro­phenyl)­methyl­enebis(3‐hy­droxy‐5,5‐dimethyl‐2‐cyclo­hexen‐1‐one), C₂₃H₂₇ClO₄, (II), 2,2′‐(4‐hydroxy­phenyl)­methyl­enebis(3‐hydroxy‐5,5‐di­methyl‐2‐cyclo­hexen‐1‐one), C₂₃H₂₈O₅, (III), 2,2′‐(4‐methyl­phenyl)­methyl­enebis(3‐hydroxy‐5,5‐di­methyl‐2‐cyclo­hexen‐1‐one), C₂₄H₃₀O₄, (IV), 2,2′‐(4‐methoxy­phenyl)­methyl­enebis(3‐hy­droxy‐5,5‐di­methyl‐2‐cyclo­hexen‐1‐one), C₂₄H₃₀O₅, (V), and 2,2′‐(4‐N,N′‐di­methyl­amino­phenyl)­methyl­enebis(3‐hydroxy‐5,5‐di­methyl‐2‐cyclo­hexen‐1‐one), C₂₅H₃₃NO₄, (VI). Structures (III) to (VI) of these bis‐dimedone derivatives show nearly the same packing pattern irrespective of the different substituent in the para position of the aromatic ring. However, (II) does not fit into this scheme, although the Cl atom is a substituent not too different from the others. The different packing of the fluoro compound, (I), can be explained by the fact that it crystallizes with two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit, which show a different conformation of the dimedone ring. On the other hand, (I) shows a similar packing pattern to bis(2‐hydroxy‐4,4‐di­methyl‐6‐oxo‐1‐cyclo­hexenyl)­phenyl­methane, a compound containing an aromatic ring without any substituent and with Z′ = 2.     

Alternative high resolution sensor to hot-wire and hot-film anemometer

We present a new type of high resolution sensor for turbulent flow measurements based on the optical detection of a deflected cantilever. The Laser-Cantilever-Anemometer (LCA) can be used in air as well as in water without any changes in setup. Experiments for testing the functionality of this sensor in turbulent air flows show that the measured data with the LCA match the data obtained with a hot-wire anemometer up to several kHz. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Screening an In-House Isoquinoline Alkaloids Library for New Blockers of Voltage-Gated Na+ Channels Using Voltage Sensor Fluorescent Probes: Hits and Biases

Voltage-gated Na⁺ (Na_V) channels are significant therapeutic targets for the treatment of cardiac and neurological disorders, thus promoting the search for novel Na_V channel ligands. With the objective of discovering new blockers of Na_V channel ligands, we screened an In-House vegetal alkaloid library using fluorescence cell-based assays. We screened 62 isoquinoline alkaloids (IA) for their ability to decrease the FRET signal of voltage sensor probes (VSP), which were induced by the activation of Na_V channels with batrachotoxin (BTX) in GH3b6 cells. This led to the selection of five IA: liriodenine, oxostephanine, thalmiculine, protopine, and bebeerine, inhibiting the BTX-induced VSP signal with micromolar IC₅₀. These five alkaloids were then assayed using the Na⁺ fluorescent probe ANG-2 and the patch-clamp technique. Only oxostephanine and liriodenine were able to inhibit the BTX-induced ANG-2 signal in HEK293-hNa_V1.3 cells. Indeed, liriodenine and oxostephanine decreased the effects of BTX on Na⁺ currents elicited by the hNa_V1.3 channel, suggesting that conformation change induced by BTX binding could induce a bias in fluorescent assays. However, among the five IA selected in the VSP assay, only bebeerine exhibited strong inhibitory effects against Na⁺ currents elicited by the hNav1.2 and hNav1.6 channels, with IC₅₀ values below 10 µM. So far, bebeerine is the first BBIQ to have been reported to block Na_V channels, with promising therapeutical applications.     

Liquid Metal Superelastic Fiber Mat Enabling Highly Permeable Wearable Electronics Toward Comfortable e-Skins

Low water vapor and air permeability is a persistent challenge in wearable and on-skin electronics, as it reduces wearing comfort, and leads to skin irritation and inflammation in the long term. To tackle this issue, Zheng and coworkers designed a stretchable conductor based on an elastomeric fiber mat coated by liquid metal. After simple activation via stretching, the flexible conductor was endowed with excellent permeability, good stretchability, exceptional electrical stability, and good biocompatibility, ascribed to the mesh-like structure and the vertically buckled structure of the liquid metal. Based on the intriguing properties of the material, it was employed in a multi-functional wearable device, able to detect the heartbeat and sweat while serving as a heating device. The corresponding research has been published in Nature Materials and can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-020-00902-3.     

Separation of Dihydro-Isocoumarins and Dihydro-Stilbenoids from Hydrangea macrophylla ssp. serrata by Use of Counter-Current Chromatography

Previously, different Hydrangea macrophylla ssp. serrata cultivars were investigated by untargeted LC-MS analysis. From this, a list of tentatively identified and unknown compounds that differ significantly between these cultivars was obtained. Due to the lack of reference compounds, especially for dihydro-isocoumarins, we aimed to isolate and structurally characterise these compounds from the cultivar ‘Yae-no-amacha’ using NMR and LC-MS methods. For purification and isolation, counter-current chromatography was used in combination with reversed-phase preparative HPLC as an orthogonal and enhanced purification workflow. Thirteen dihydro-isocoumarins in combination with other metabolites could be isolated and structurally identified. Particularly interesting was the clarification of dihydrostilbenoid glycosides, which were described for the first time in H. macrophylla ssp. serrata. These results will help us in further studies on the biological interpretation of our data.