A quantitative approach to modeling mammalian myelinated nervefibers for electrical prosthesis design

Presents an upgraded cable model of mammalian myelinated nerve fibers in an extracellularly applied field. The kinetics of the nodes is based upon voltage clamp data in rat motor fibers at 37°C (J.R. Schwartz and G. Eikhof, 1987), while the resting membrane potential is computed with the Goldman equation. The resulting spike shape, conduction velocity, strength/duration behavior, and absolute and relative refractory period are in good quantitative agreement with published experimental data in mammals at normal body temperature and at 20°C. Results at intermediate temperatures however, suggest that the widely used concept of a constant Q₁₀ for the rate constants is invalid. In addition, the model generates realistic abortive spikes towards the end of the absolute refractory period and it can describe the consequences of repetitive firing. The results stress the advantages of a multiple nonlinear node model even if only time aspects of nerve behavior are under study. It turned out, that the model presented here describes in vivo neural properties relevant for electrical prosthesis design better than previous models in literature     

Immobilizing a Fluorescent Dye Offers Potential to Investigate the Glass/Resin Interface

Silane coupling agents are commonly applied to glass fibers to promote fiber/resin adhesion and enhance durability in composite parts. In this study, a coupling agent multilayer on glass was doped with trace levels of the dimethylaminonitrostilbene (DMANS) fluorophore. The fluorophore was immobilized on the glass surface by tethering the molecule to a triethoxy silane coupling agent, creating the DMANS/silane coupling agent molecule (DMSCA). DMSCA was then diluted with commonly used coupling agents and grafted to a glass microscope coverslip to create a model composite interface. A 53-nm blue shift in fluorescence from the immobilized DMSCA can be followed during cure of an epoxy resin overlayer, giving this technique potential to monitor the properties of the fiber/resin interface during composite processing. Contact angle measurements on these coupling agent layers were similar in the presence or absence of the DMSCA molecule, suggesting that trace levels of the fluorescent probe did not affect the structure of the layer. The immobilized DMSCA molecule behaved similarly to the DMANS precursor in solution. Both showed longer wavelength fluorescence in more polar environments. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

(Z)-3-p-tolylsulfinylacrylonitrile as a chiral dienophile: diels-alder reactions with furan and acyclic dienes

The behavior of (Z)-3-p-tolylsulfinylacrylonitrile (1) as a chiral dienophile has been evaluated from its reactions with furan and acyclic dienes. Electrostatic interactions of the cyano group with the sulfinyl one restrict the conformational mobility around the C-S bond, thus controlling the pi-facial selectivity, which is almost complete in all cases, the approach of the diene from the less-hindered face of the dienophile (that bearing the lone electron pair) in the predominant rotamer being the favored one. The regioselectivity is also completely controlled by the cyano group. Additionally, the reactivity of compound 1 as well as its endo-selectivity are both higher than those observed for the corresponding (Z)-3-sulfinylacrylates, thus proving the potential of sulfinylnitriles as chiral dienophiles.     

Large-scale production of polypropylenimine dendrimers

The synthesis and characterization of a new series of polypropylenimine dendrimers is reported. Using a repetition of the sequence of a Michael addition to a primary amine, followed by a heterogeneously catalyzed hydrogenation, ultra-pure polypropylenimine macromolecules with molecular weights up to 6912 are synthesized. The reaction sequence allows the preparation of these dendrimers at very large scales, whilst the availability of a simple purification in the sequence affords ultra-pure samples. The polypropylenimine dendrimers are fully characterized; apart from the first 0.5 generation they are all oils, possess a Tg in the range from −90 to −40 °C, are unexpectedly stable, and their intrinsic viscosity drops after generation 4.     

Solid-Phase Synthesis of a Monofunctional trans-a(2)Pt(II) Complex Tethered to a Single-Stranded Oligonucleotide

Cross-linking ability is possible with the oligonucleotide-tethered, monofunctional trans-Pt(II) complex shown. It was synthesized by a novel solid-phase approach comprising conjugation of immobilized tetrathymidylic acid with a trans-a(2)Pt(II) building unit, ammonolysis, and transformation of the resulting complex (R=1-N-cyclohexylmethylthyminate) into the chloro derivative (R=Cl). a=NH(2)CH(3), T=thymine.