A weight-function approach for determining watershed initial conditions for combustion waves

In many generic combustion models, one finds that a combustionwave will develop with a specific wave speed. However, thereare possible initial temperature profiles which do not evolveinto such waves, but rather die out to the ambient temperature.There can exist, in some models, a clear distinction betweenthose initial conditions that do evolve into combustion wavesand those that do not; this is sometimes referred to as thewatershed initial condition. When fuel consumption is consideredto be negligible, analytical methods can be used to obtain theexact watershed. In this paper, we consider the problem of determiningpseudo-watersheds and ascertaining the relationship betweenthese pseudo-watersheds and the exact watersheds. In the processa novel weight-function approach for infinite spatial domainsis developed.     

Recording long-term potentiation of synaptic transmission by three-dimensional multi-electrode arrays

Background  

Multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) have become popular tools for recording spontaneous and evoked electrical activity of excitable tissues. The majority of previous studies of synaptic transmission in brain slices employed MEAs with planar electrodes that had limited ability to detect signals coming from deeper, healthier layers of the slice. To overcome this limitation, we used three-dimensional (3D) MEAs with tip-shaped electrodes to probe plasticity of field excitatory synaptic potentials (fEPSPs) in the CA1 area of hippocampal slices of 129S5/SvEvBrd and C57BL/6J-Tyr^C-Brd mice.     

Michael reactions of pseudoephedrine amide enolates: effect of LiCl on syn/anti selectivity

The stereochemical outcome of the asymmetric Michael reaction of pseudoephedrine amide enolates changes dramatically in the presence of LiCl. Reaction of the enolate in the absence of LiCl results in formation of the anti Michael adduct with high selectivity, whereas in the presence of lithium chloride the syn adduct is favored. This method provides access to enantiomerically enriched trans-3,4-disubstituted delta-lactones from the anti Michael adducts by a two step reduction/lactonization sequence. Information obtained from NMR studies indicates that, under both enolization conditions, the (Z)-enolate is formed. A model to explain the turnover in selectivity based on NMR evidence is presented.     

Direct synthesis of 4-arylpiperidines via palladium/copper(I)-cocatalyzed Negishi coupling of a 4-piperidylzinc iodide with aromatic halides and triflates

A general procedure for the synthesis of 4-arylpiperidines via the coupling of 4-(N-BOC-piperidyl)zinc iodide with aryl halides and triflates is presented. The reaction requires cocatalysis with both Cl(2)Pd(dppf) and a copper(I) species. An improved, safer procedure for the activation of zinc dust is also presented.     

Direct N-acetyl enamine formation: lithium bromide mediated addition of methyllithium to nitriles

An improved protocol for N-acetyl enamine formation is disclosed which involves LiBr-mediated addition of MeLi to substituted nitriles. The resulting enamides are isolated in high yields and excellent purity which permits subsequent hydrogenation at very low catalyst loading.