Vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cell culture on NaOH-treated poly(epsilon-caprolactone) films: a preliminary study for vascular graft development

Tissue engineering offers the potential of providing vessels that can be used to replace diseased and damaged native blood vessels. The endothelization of a synthetic vascular graft minimizes the failures associated with blood clotting and platelet activation. The aim of this study was to culture vascular-derived endothelial and smooth muscle cells on both untreated and NaOH-treated poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) films, a biocompatible and bio-resorbable polymer, and to evaluate the behavior of both cell types as a preliminary study for vascular graft development. PCL films were prepared by hot pressing; characterized by DSC, IR, SEM, and scanning force microscopy; and treated with NaOH to increase the surface hydrophilicity before cell culture. Endothelial and smooth muscle cells, isolated from pig cava vein, were characterized by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy studies of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and alpha-smooth muscle actin. Good adhesion, growth, viability and morphology of both the endothelial and smooth muscle cells on PCL films were obtained, but a light stimulation of mitochondrial activity was observed during short culture times. NaOH treatment improved the adhesion and enhanced the proliferation in both cell types. This verified the possible use of this modified polymer as a support in the preparation of a synthetic vascular graft. [Diagram: see text] SEM micrograph of smooth muscle cells cultured on NaOH-treated PCL film. (Original magnification: 1000x).     

6AZO-CONTAINING SELF-ASSEMBLY ULTRA-THIN FILMS AND THEIR PHOTOVOLTAIC PROPERTIES

A kind of azo-containing resin (Azo-R) was synthesized by a simple way through the coupling reaction of 2-nitro-N-methyldiphenylamine-4-diazoresin (NDR) with phenol, and a new covalentely attached multilayer film from Azo-R as H-donor and photosensitive diazoresin, diphenylamine-4-diazoresin (DR) as H-acceptor via H-bonding attraction by selfassembly technique has been fabricated. Following the decomposition of diazonium group of DR under exposure to UV light, the H-bonds between the layers of the film convert to covalent bonds and the film becomes very stable toward polar solvents or electrolyte aqueous solutions. Thus the UV-irradiated azo-containing films can be used to measure photocurrent in a conventional three-electrode photoelectrochemical cell using KCl as supporting electrolyte. It was confirmed that the azo-containing multilayer film is responsible for the photocurrent generation.     

Determination of Diffusion Coefficients for Binary Nonelectrolyte Mixtures. A Free-Volume Predictive Approach

A diaphragm cell has been used to measure mutual diffusion coefficients at 25°C for four binary nonelectrolyte mixtures: ethylbenzene + n-hexane, carbon tetrachloride + ethylbenzene, cyclohexane + p-xylene, and 1,2-dichloroethane + cyclohexane. A free-volume predictive approach for binary mutual diffusion coefficients was developed and tested. Only infinite dilution diffusion coefficients, some readily available pure substance data, and UNIFAC group contribution parameters are used in the model. No binary equilibrium thermodynamic information is required. For 73 binary systems with an overall average absolute deviation of 5.2%, it has been shown that the developed method is better than two commonly available reference methods for the prediction of liquid diffusion coefficients.     

Mechanism of the 2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-6-methylpyridinium 2-nitroxysuccinate reduction in nitrite-generating systems

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Pd(PPh3)2Cl2-CuCl体系催化有机高价碘杂环化合物与末端炔烃的化学选择性交叉偶联反应

以有机高价碘杂环化合物1,2为底物,在Pd(PPh3)2Cl2-CuCl催化剂存在下与末端炔烃进行交叉偶联反应,实验发现该反应为--化学选择性反应,控制反应体系的物料比、温度及反应时间可以分别得到单偶联或双偶联产物,从而证实了有机高价碘杂环化合物的碘盐在进行交叉偶联反应时的反应活性比sp2的碘化物高.     

An alternative efficient redox couple for the dye-sensitized solar cell system

A series of new cobalt complexes [Co(LLL)(2)X(2)] were synthesized and evaluated as redox mediators for dye-sensitized nanocrystalline TiO(2) solar cells. The structure of the ligand and the nature of the counterions were found to influence the photovoltaic performance. The one-electron-transfer redox mediator [Co(dbbip)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (dbbip = 2,6-bis(1'-butylbenzimidazol-2'-yl)pyridine) performed best among the compounds investigated. Photovoltaic cells incorporating this redox mediator yielded incident photon-to-current conversion efficiencies (IPCE) of up to 80%. The overall yield of light-to-electric power conversion reached 8 % under simulated AM1.5 sunlight at 100 W m(-2) intensity and more than 4% at 1000 W m(-2). Photoelectrodes coated with a 2 microm thick nanoporous layer and a 4 microm thick light-scattering layer, sensitized with a hydrophobic ruthenium dye, gave the best results.     

Solvothermal synthesis of new metal organic framework structures in the zinc-terephthalic acid-dimethyl formamide system

Two new metal organic framework (MOF) structures have been obtained from the Zn-terephthalic acid (H₂BDC)-dimethyl formamide (DMF) system and examined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction: Zn(C₈H₄O₄)(C₃H₇NO), 1, monoclinic C2/m, a=11.1369(5), b=14.0217(7), , β=106.316(1)°, , , Z=4, R₁=0.060, wR₂=0.169, S=1.27; Zn(HCO₂)₃(C₂H₈N), 2, trigonal , a=8.1818(1), , , , Z=6, R₁=0.014, wR₂=0.039, S=1.11. Contrary to previously published structures in the same system, the crystals were obtained by solvothermal synthesis at 381 K. Structure 1 consists of 2-D layers stacked in an offset manner to accommodate DMF moieties coordinated to Zn²⁺ within voids in adjacent layers. Structure 2 consists of a 3-D network constructed from Zn²⁺ ions bridged by deprotonated formic acid moieties. Over time, the structure of 1 rearranges to Zn(C₈H₄O₄)(C₃H₇NO)(H₂O) [monoclinic P2₁/n, a=6.6456(2), b=15.2232(5), , β=104.110(2)°, , , Z=4, R₁=0.048, wR₂=0.100, S=1.07], which is identical to the known MOF-2 structure, obtained by crystallization at ambient conditions. The three structures were determined from crystals with similar crystal habits picked from a single solvothermal synthesis batch. The study demonstrates that MOF syntheses can give not only multiple crystal structures under different conditions, but also that numerous different structures, including some that are metastable, can be formed under identical conditions.     

Interactions between temperature-sensitive hydrogel microspheres and granulocytes

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) has a low critical solution temperature (LCST) at 32°C in water and the hydrophilicity changes through the LCST. The microspheres whose surface was composed of PNIPAM exhibited phase transition behavior around 32°C. Therefore, the interactions between PNIPAM micropheres and granulocytes depended on the temperature. That is, the oxygen consumption and active oxygen production by cells in contact with PNIPAM-containing microspheres and adhesion of the microspheres to the cell surface were more enhanced above the LCST of PNIPAM than below it, whereas no significant temperature dependence of cell–microspheres interaction was observed in nonthermosensitive microsphere systems. It was suggested that the function of cells could be controlled with temperature using the temperature-sensitive microspheres.     

Small molecules as inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases

Cell division (mitosis) is one of the basic requirements for multicellular oranisms. The capability of a cell to replicate enables a complex assembly to be created. Faulty regulation of the control mechanism in the cell cycle leads to an excessive cell proliferation and is the cause of cancer. The key position of the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and their direct partners, as well as the fact that the majority of malign illnesses show defects in at least one of these key players of the cell cycle, is of great interest for the development of low-molecular-weight CDK inhibitors. In this Review an overview of the different structural classes of ATP-competitive inhibitors of CDKs are given, whose devlopment was aimed at battling cancer. The Review shows how far the development of selective CDK inhibitors has progressed and to what extent the expectations for such drugs have so far been fulfilled.     

4,5,6-三取代-2H-吡喃-2-酮的简便合成法

2H-吡喃-2-酮及其衍生物是有机合成的蓬要中间体。对于它们的合成已有许多报道,例如利用烯醇醚或烯醇砖醚与丁酰氯反应;羰基化合物与甲氧亚甲螭丙二酸二甲酯反应;α-苯基丙醛酸酯与丙酮的成环缩合2,6-二氯-3-三氯甲基吡啶与亚甲基丁二酸酯的反应,邻氰基苯乙炔、二苯乙二酮和丙酮的反应。但上述方法往往原料较难得到,产率较低或操作麻烦。