Trends in the CNDO/2 molecular orbital study of electronic structure in some neurotransmitter drugs

An investigation of electronic structure in some neurotransmitter drugs has been made using the CNDO/2 semi-empirical molecular orbital method.The electronic structure has been conveniently characterized by the electronic parameters nett atomic population (NAP) and bond index (BI). A variation of these electronic parameters with respect to conformation has been studied and has been found unlikely to exceed 0.1 e in most. cases. Further, the useful extent to which the electronic parameters of some commonly occurring functional groups may be regarded as conformationally invariant has been demonstrated. Also presented are (i) a discussion on the intramolecular close-approach of functional groups — the interaction between terminal —COO^? and ?NH₃⁺ groups of α-ω anaino acids is explicitly considered; (ii) an enquiry into the extension of ‘standard’ (idealized) geometry models in the elucidation of electronic structure.The implication of the results and observations presented here are briefly discussed with reference to classical and quantum structure-activity studies of drug molecules.     

Transformed steroids

A preparative method for 9a-hydroxylation of ⁵-3-hydroxysteroids using the fungi ofCircinella sp. 10Kh-1220 not capable of modifying theA ring has been developed. It is established that the yields of the main and the side products greatly depend on the transformation conditions, mycelium age, and the structure of the steroid substrate. Under the optimal transformation conditions novel 9-hydroxysubstituted derivatives of androstenolone, pregnenolone, 16-dehydro-16,17-epoxy-, and-16-methoxypregnenolone have been obtained in 36–80 % yields.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 737–743, April, 1994.     

ACu9X4 ‐ Neue Verbindungen mit der CeNi8, 5Si4, 5‐Struktur (A: Sr,Ba; X: Si,Ge)

ACu₉X₄ ‐ New Compounds with CeNi_{8, 5}Si_{4, 5} Structure (A: Sr, Ba; X: Si, Ge) The new compounds SrCu₉Si₄ (a = 8.146(1), c = 11.629(2)Å), BaCu₉Si₄ (a = 8.198(2), c = 11.735(2)Å), SrCu₉Ge₄ (a = 8.273(2), c = 11.909(5)Å), and BaCu₉Ge₄ (a = 8.338(4), c = 12.011(7)Å) are formed by reaction of the elements at 1000° ‐ 1100 °C. They are isotypic (I4/mcm, Z = 4) and crystallize in an ordered variant of the cubic NaZn₁₃ type structure, also built up by the binary phase BaCu₁₃. In the ternary compounds the positions of Cu2 are orderly occupied by copper and silicon and germanium, respectively. This results in a lowering of symmetry and a distortion of the polyhedra. The metallic conductivity of the compounds was confirmed by measurements on BaCu₉Si₄.     

A Promising MgII‐Ion‐Selective Luminescent Probe: Structures and Properties of Dy–Mn Polymers with High Symmetry

Two Dy–Mn polymers, {[Dy(L¹)₃Mn_1.5(H₂O)₃]?3.125 H₂O}_n ( 1 , L¹=pyridine‐2,6‐dicarboxylic acid) and {[Dy(L²)₃Mn_1.5(H₂O)₆]?8.25 H₂O}_n ( 2 , L² = 4‐hydroxylpyridine‐2,6‐dicarboxylic acid), with high symmetry (S₆) have been prepared. Polymer 1 has a nanoporous 3D framework with channel of about 17.6 Å diameter, while 2 has a honeycomb‐type 2D structure with the cavity of approximately 14.4 Å diameter. In the construction of multidimensional porous polymers with 3d–4f mixed metals, it is the first observation that a ligand substituent effect leads to dramatic differences in the structures formed. Luminescent studies reveal that the emission intensities of 1 and 2 increase significantly upon the addition of Mg²⁺, whereas the introduction of other metal ions leaves the intensity unchanged or even weakens it; hence, both of them may serve as good candidates of Mg²⁺ luminescent probes. To our knowledge, complex 1 is also the first example of a 3d–4f metal‐based nanoporous polymer to exhibit luminescent selectivity for Mg²⁺. Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal a rather rare ferromagnetic interaction in 2 . Thermal gravimetric analyses and powder X‐ray diffraction investigations have also been performed, suggestive of high thermal stability of 1 .     

GO-SWCNT Buckypapers as an Enhanced Technology for Water Decontamination from Lead

Water decontamination is an important challenge resulting from the incorrect disposal of heavy metal waste into the environment. Among the different available techniques (e.g., filtration, coagulation, precipitation, and ion-exchange), adsorption is considered the cheapest and most effective procedure for the removal of water pollutants. In the last years, several materials have been tested for the removal of heavy metals from water, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), and graphene oxide (GO). Nevertheless, their powder consistency, which makes the recovery and reuse after adsorption difficult, is the main drawback for these materials. More recently, SWCNT buckypapers (SWCNT BPs) have been proposed as self-standing porous membranes for filtration and adsorption processes. In this paper, the adsorption capacity and selectivity of Pb²⁺ (both from neat solutions and in the presence of other interferents) by SWCNT BPs were evaluated as a function of the increasing amount of GO used in their preparation (GO-SWCNT buckypapers). The highest adsorption capacity, 479 ± 25 mg g⁻¹, achieved for GO-SWCNT buckypapers with 75 wt.% of graphene oxide confirmed the effective application of such materials for cheap and fast water decontamination from lead.     

Electrochemical Immunoassay for Tumor Marker CA19-9 Detection Based on Self-Assembled Monolayer

A CA19-9 electrochemical immunosensor was constructed using a hybrid self-assembled membrane modified with a gold electrode and applied to detect real samples. Hybrid self-assembled membranes were selected for electrode modification and used to detect antigens. First, the pretreated working electrodes were placed in a 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)/β-mercaptoethanol (ME) mixture for 24 h for self-assembly. The electrodes were then placed in an EDC/NHS mixture for 1 h. Layer modification was performed by stepwise dropwise addition of CA19-9 antibody, BSA, and antigen. Differential pulse voltammetry was used to characterize this immunosensor preparation process. The assembled electrochemical immunosensor enables linear detection in the concentration range of 0.05–500 U/mL of CA19-9, and the detection limit was calculated as 0.01 U/mL. The results of the specificity measurement test showed that the signal change of the interfering substance was much lower than the response value of the detected antigen, indicating that the sensor has good specificity and strong anti-interference ability. The repeatability test results showed that the relative standard deviations were less than 5%, showing good accuracy and precision. The CA19-9 electrochemical immunosensor was used for the actual sample detection, and the experimental results of the standard serum addition method showed that the RSD values of the test concentrations were all less than 10%. The recoveries were 102.4–115.0%, indicating that the assay has high precision, good accuracy, and high potential application value.     

In Silico Drug Repurposing of FDA-Approved Drugs Highlighting Promacta as a Potential Inhibitor of H7N9 Influenza Virus

Influenza virus infections continue to be a significant and recurrent public health problem. Although vaccine efficacy varies, regular immunisation is the most effective method for suppressing the influenza virus. Antiviral drugs are available for influenza, although two of the four FDA-approved antiviral treatments have resulted in significant drug resistance. Therefore, new treatments are being sought to reduce the burden of flu-related illness. The time-consuming development of treatments for new and re-emerging diseases such as influenza and the high failure rate are increasing concerns. In this context, we used an in silico-based drug repurposing method to repurpose FDA-approved drugs as potential therapies against the H7N9 virus. To find potential inhibitors, a total of 2568 drugs were screened. Promacta, tucatinib, and lurasidone were identified as promising hits in the DrugBank database. According to the calculations of MM-GBSA, tucatinib (−54.11 kcal/mol) and Promacta (−56.20 kcal/mol) occupied the active site of neuraminidase with a higher binding affinity than the standard drug peramivir (−49.09 kcal/mol). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies showed that the C-α atom backbones of the complexes of tucatinib and Promacta neuraminidase were stable throughout the simulation period. According to ADME analysis, the hit compounds have a high gastrointestinal absorption (GI) and do not exhibit properties that allow them to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB). According to the in silico toxicity prediction, Promacta is not cardiotoxic, while lurasidone and tucatinib show only weak inhibition. Therefore, we propose to test these compounds experimentally against the influenza H7N9 virus. The investigation and validation of these potential H7N9 inhibitors would be beneficial in order to bring these compounds into clinical settings.     

Иследоваиие Иследоваиие иоверхиостеӥ

Die zunehmende Industrialisierung der landwirtschaftlichen Production bei höheren Qualitätsanforderungen verlangt objective und hochempfindliche Kontrollverfahren.

Zur zerstörungsfreien Ermittlung innerer Qualitätsmängel an Früchten, z.B. Kartoffelknollen, können lichtoptische Verfahren wegen der starken Streuung nicht umfassend eingesetzt werden. Deshulb wurde unter Einsatz weicher Gammastrahlung (²⁴¹ Am) versucht, “trockene” Hohlstellen, insbesondere bedingt durch Hohlherzigkeit, in Kartoffelknollen zu erkennen. Es konnte gezeigt werden, daβbei einem Erkennungsfehler von etwa 13% diese Mängel (ab ca. 5 mm Durchmenser) zu erkennen sind, auch wenn die Knollen nur in einer durch die Knollenmitte verlaufenden Ebene durchstrahlt werden.