111In–L–LDL and 153Gd–L–LDL as radiotracers for detection of AR4‐2J rat pancreatic tumors

Pancreatic cancer has an extremely poor prognosis, due, in part, to lack of methods for early diagnosis. The present study was designed to evaluate the potential of labeling low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) with a radionuclide using a lipid chelating agent, bis(stearylamide) of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (L), to detect pancreatic tumors by gamma‐scintigraphy. Previous studies indicated that the difficulty of visualization of pancreatic tumors was due to their poor vascularization. This study compares the ability of two radiotracers, ¹¹¹In–L–LDL and ¹⁵³Gd–L–LDL to target highly vascularized rat pancreatic tumors (AR4‐2J) implanted in nude mice. Biodistribution studies showed that the tumor uptake of ¹¹¹In–L–LDL and ¹⁵³Gd–L–LDL tracers was twofold and fivefold higher respectively than with the controls (¹¹¹In citrate and ¹⁵³Gd citrate respectively). These tracers would thus be suitable for scintigraphic imaging. We show here that LDL could be employed as a delivery system for tracers such as ¹¹¹In or ¹⁵³Gd when these two radionuclides are complexed by a lipid‐chelating anchor, and that ¹¹¹In–L–LDL and ¹⁵³Gd–L–LDL enabled better visualization of the pancreatic tumor tissues, with a better result with ¹⁵³Gd–L–LDL. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Formation of β‐iPP in isotactic polypropylene/ethylene–propylene rubber blends: Effects of preparation method,composition, and thermal condition

The effects of preparation method, composition, and thermal condition on formation of β‐iPP in isotactic polypropylene/ethylene–propylene rubber (iPP/EPR) blends were studied using modulated differential scanning calorimeter (MDSC), wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), and phase contrast microscopy (PCM). It was found that the α‐iPP and β‐iPP can simultaneity form in the melt‐blended samples, whereas only α‐iPP exists in the solution‐blended samples. The results show that the formation of β‐iPP in the melt‐blended samples is related to the crystallization temperature and the β‐iPP generally diminishes and finally vanishes when the crystallization temperature moves far from 125 °C. The phenomena that the lower critical temperature of β‐iPP in iPP/EPR obviously increases to 114 °C and the upper critical temperature decreases to 134 °C indicate the narrowing of temperature interval, facilitating the formation of β‐iPP in iPP/EPR. Furthermore, it was found that the amount of β‐iPP in melt‐blended iPP/EPR samples is dependent on the composition and the maximum amount of β‐iPP formed when the composition of iPP/EPR blends is 85:15 in weight. The results through examining the effect of annealing for iPP/EPR samples at melt state indicate that this annealing may eliminate the susceptibility to β‐crystallization of iPP. However, only α‐iPP can be observed in solution‐blended samples subjected to annealing for different time. The PCM images demonstrate that an obvious phase‐separation happens in both melt‐blended and solution‐blended iPP/EPR samples, implying that compared with the disperse degree of EPR in iPP, the preparation method plays a dominant role in formation of β‐iPP. It is suggested that the origin of formation of β‐iPP results from the thermomechanical history of the EPR component in iPP/EPR. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1704–1712, 2007     

A new cytotoxic limonoid from Odontadenia macrantha from the Suriname rainforest

Bioassay‐guided fractionation of the methanol extract of Odontadenia macrantha afforded a new limonoid, odontadenin A (1) and two known triterpenoids, lupeol (2) and α‐amyrin (3). The structure of 1 was established on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR and high‐resolution fast atom bombardment mass spectrometric data. The new compound was found to possess moderate cytotoxicity against A2780, the ovarian cancer cell line. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ca(NO3)2•4H2O-catalysed Biginelli Reaction: One-pot Synthesis of 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydropyrimidin-2-ones/pyrimidine-2-thiones under Solvent-free Conditions

The synthesis of 1,2,3,4-dihydropyrimidinone/thione derivatives was achieved in good to excellent yields using calcium(II) nitrate as catalyst to promote the Biginelli three-component condensation reaction from a diversity of aromatic aldehydes, β-keto compounds and urea or thiourea. The reaction was carried out under solvent-free conditions.     

Local chain‐configuration dependence of the mechanisms of the chemical reaction of poly(vinyl chloride). IX. Novel results on stereoselectivity of chlorination reaction

A poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) sample was chlorinated in solution in the presence of 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile and by the fluid‐bed method. The aim was to evaluate the scope of the stereoselectivity of the chlorination reaction. The quantitative microstructural analysis of the residual PVC with a degree of chlorination was followed by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. From the evolution of the content of isotactic (mm), heterotactic (mr), and syndiotactic (rr) triads and of mmmm, mmmr, and rmmr isotactic pentads in the unchlorinated parts of the polymer, it was unambiguously inferred that the chlorination reaction proceeds by a stereoselective mechanism in that the mr heterotactic triads are the most reactive structures followed by the isotactic triad at mmmr and rmmr pentads. This conclusion was confirmed on the basis of the Fourier transform infrared results. The results provide valuable information regarding the effect of tacticity and related local conformations in the chemical reactions of PVC. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 508–519, 2003     

Synthesis and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of starch‐g‐poly(1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one) copolymers

A new biodegradable starch graft copolymer, starch‐g‐poly(1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one), was synthesized through the ring‐opening graft polymerization of 1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one onto a starch backbone. The grafting reactions were conducted with various 1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one/starch feed ratios to obtain starch‐g‐poly(1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one) copolymers with various poly(1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one) graft structures. The microstructure of starch‐g‐poly(1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one) was characterized in detail with one‐ and two‐dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The effect of the feed composition on the resulting microstructure of starch‐g‐poly(1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one) was investigated. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3417–3422, 2004     

Fluorinated,crosslinkable terpolymers based on vinylidene fluoride and bearing sulfonic acid side groups for fuel‐cell membranes

The radical terpolymerization of 8‐bromo‐1H,1H,2H‐perfluorooct‐1‐ene with vinylidene fluoride (VDF) and perfluoro(4‐methyl‐3,6‐dioxaoct‐7‐ene) sulfonyl fluoride is presented. Changing the feed compositions of these three fluorinated comonomers enabled us to obtain different random‐type poly[vinylidene fluoride‐ter‐perfluoro(4‐methyl‐3,6‐dioxaoct‐7‐ene) sulfonyl fluoride‐ter‐8‐bromo‐1H,1H,2H‐perfluorooct‐1‐ene] terpolymers containing various sulfonyl fluoride and brominated side groups. Yields higher than 70% were reached in all cases. The hydrolysis of the sulfonyl fluoride group into the ? SO₃Li function in the presence of lithium carbonate was quantitatively achieved without the content of VDF being affected, and so dehydrofluorination of the VDF base unit was avoided. These original terpolymers were then crosslinked via dangling bromine atoms in the presence of a peroxide/triallyl isocyanurate system, which produced films insoluble in organic solvents such as acetone and dimethylformamide (which totally dissolved uncured terpolymers). The acidification of ? SO₃Li into the ? SO₃H function enabled protonic membranes to be obtained. The thermal stabilities of the crosslinked materials were higher than those of the uncured terpolymers, and their electrochemical performances were investigated. According to the contents of the sulfonic acid side functions, the ion‐exchange capacities ranged from 0.6 to 1.5 mequiv of H⁺/g, whereas the water uptake and conductivities ranged from 5–26% (±11%) and from 0.5 to 6.0 mS/cm, respectively. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4566–4578, 2006     

The preparation and structure of 1,4,5,6,7,7-hexachloro-2-endo-ferrocenylhydroxymethyl-3-endo-hydroxymethyl-5-norbornene

The crystal structure of a novel ferrocene derivative with potential flame-retardant/smoke-suppressant activity, 1,4,5,6,7,7-hexachloro-2-endo-ferrocenyl-hydroxymethyl-3-endo-hydroxymethyl-5-norbornene, has been determined. Some of the carbon–carbon bonds within the chlorendic residue are unusually long, and there is no interaction between the hydroxyl groups and the iron atom. There is evidence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the two hydroxyl groups.