Novel Copolymers of Styrene and Halogen Ring‐Disubstituted 2‐Cyano‐N,N‐Dimethyl‐3‐Phenyl‐2‐Propenamides

Electrophilic trisubstituted ethylene monomers, halogen ring‐disubstituted 2‐cyano‐N,N‐dimethyl‐3‐phenyl‐2‐propenamides, RC₆H₃CH?C(CN)CON(CH₃)₂ (where R is 2,3‐dichloro, 2,4‐dichloro, 2,6‐dichloro, 3,4‐dichloro, 3,5‐dichloro, 2,3‐difluoro, 2,4‐difluoro, 2,6‐difluoro, 3,4‐difluoro, 3,5‐difluoro), were synthesized by potassium hydroxide catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring‐substituted benzaldehydes and N,N‐dimethyl cyanoacetamide, and characterized by CHN elemental analysis, IR, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR. Novel copolymers of the ethylenes and styrene were prepared at equimolar monomer feed composition by solution copolymerization in the presence of a radical initiator, ABCN at 70°C. The composition of the copolymers was calculated from nitrogen analysis, and the structures were analyzed by IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, GPC, DSC, and TGA. High T_g of the copolymers in comparison with that of polystyrene indicates a substantial decrease in chain mobility of the copolymer due to the high dipolar character of the trisubstituted ethylene monomer unit. The gravimetric analysis indicated that the copolymers decompose in the 300–450°C range.     

Selectivity of quadruplex DNA stationary phases toward amino acids in homodipeptides and alanyl dipeptides

Series of dipeptides, including homodipeptides and alanyl dipeptides, were separated using quadruplex (G-quartet) DNA stationary phases in open-tubular capillary electrochromatography (OTCEC). The stationary phases were constructed by covalently attaching the DNA oligonucleotides to the inner capillary surface. Three different G-quartet forming oligonucleotides were investigated: the two-plane G-quartet forming thrombin-binding aptamer, the four-plane analogue of the thrombin-binding aptamer, and a two-plane oligonucleotide identical to the thrombin-binding aptamer except for the replacement of the guanine by thymine in the central bridging loop of the G-quartet structure. Results were compared with results obtained using capillary electrophoresis on a bare capillary and OTCEC using an oligonucleotide with the same base composition as the thrombin-binding aptamer but in a different sequence that does not allow G-quartet formation as the stationary phase.     

Homoleptic Zincate‐Promoted Room‐Temperature Halogen–Metal Exchange of Bromopyridines

Homoleptic lithium tri‐ and tetraalkyl zincates were reacted with a set of bromopyridines. Efficient and chemoselective bromine–metal exchanges were realized at room temperature with a substoichiometric amount of nBu₄ZnLi₂?TMEDA reagent (1/3 equiv; TMEDA=N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine). This reactivity contrasted with that of tBu₄ZnLi₂?TMEDA, which was inefficient below one equivalent. DFT calculations allowed us to rationalize the formation of N???Li stabilized polypyridyl zincates in the reaction. The one‐pot difunctionalization of dibromopyridines was also realized using the reagent stoichiometrically. The direct creation of C? Zn bonds in bromopyridines enabled us to perform efficient Negishi‐type cross‐couplings.     

$$I_0$$ and combinatorics at $$\lambda ^+$$λ+

We investigate the compatibility of \(I_0\) with various combinatorial principles at \(\lambda ^+\), which include the existence of \(\lambda ^+\)-Aronszajn trees, square principles at \(\lambda \), the existence of good scales at \(\lambda \), stationary reflections for subsets of \(\lambda ^{+}\), diamond principles at \(\lambda \) and the singular cardinal hypothesis at \(\lambda \). We also discuss whether these principles can hold in \(L(V_{\lambda +1})\).     

Derived models and supercompact measures on

The main result of this paper is Theorem 1.1 , which shows that it is possible for derived models to satisfy “ω₁ is ‐supercompact”. Other constructions of models of this theory are also discussed; in particular, Theorem 4.1 constructs a normal fine measure on and hence a model of “Θ is regular”+“ω₁ is ‐supercompact” from a model of “Θ is measurable”.     

Development of a microfluidic platform for single-cell secretion analysis using a direct photoactive cell-attaching method

A precise understanding of individual cellular processes is essential to meet the expectations of most advanced cell biology. Therefore single-cell analysis is considered to be one of possible approach to overcome any misleading of cell characteristics by averaging large groups of cells in bulk conditions. In the present work, we modified a newly designed microchip for single-cell analysis and regulated the cell-adhesive area inside a cell-chamber of the microfluidic system. By using surface-modification techniques involving a silanization compound, a photo-labile linker and the 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymer were covalently bonded on the surface of a microchannel. The MPC polymer was utilized as a non-biofouling compound for inhibiting non-specific binding of the biological samples inside the microchannel, and was selectively removed by a photochemical reaction that controlled the cell attachment. To achieve the desired single-macrophage patterning and culture in the cell-chamber of the microchannel, the cell density and flow rate of the culture medium were optimized. We found that a cell density of 2.0 × 10(6) cells/ml was the appropriate condition to introduce a single cell in each cell chamber. Furthermore, the macrophage was cultured in a small size of the cell chamber in a safe way for 5 h at a flow rate of 0.2 μl/min under the medium condition. This strategy can be a powerful tool for broadening new possibilities in studies of individual cellular processes in a dynamic microfluidic device.     

Study of Tamiflu sensitivity to variants of A/H5N1 virus using different force fields

An accurate estimation of binding free energy of a ligand to receptor ΔG(bind) is one of the most important problems in drug design. The success of solution of this problem is expected to depend on force fields used for modeling a ligand-receptor complex. In this paper, we consider the impact of four main force fields, AMBER99SB, CHARMM27, GROMOS96 43a1, and OPLS-AA/L, on the binding affinity of Oseltamivir carboxylate to the wild-type and Y252H, N294S, and H274Y mutants of glycoprotein neuraminidase from the pandemic A/H5N1 virus. Having used the molecular mechanic-Poisson-Boltzmann surface area method, we have shown that ΔG(bind), obtained by AMBER99SB, OPLS-AA/L, and CHARMM27, shows the high correlation with the available experimental data. They correctly capture the binding ranking Y252H → WT → N294S → H274Y observed in experiments (Collins, P. J. et al. Nature 2008, 453, 1258). In terms of absolute values of binding scores, results obtained by AMBER99SB are in the nearest range with experiments, while OPLS-AA/L, which is applied to study binding of Oseltamivir to the influenza virus for the first time, gives rather big negative values for ΔG(bind). GROMOS96 43a1 provides a lower correlation as it supports Oseltamivir to be more resistant to N294S than H274Y. Our study suggests that force fields have pronounced influence on theoretical estimations of binding free energy of a ligand to receptor. The effect of all-atom models on dynamics of the binding pocket as well as on the hydrogen-bond network between Oseltamivir and receptors is studied in detail. The hydrogen network, obtained by GROMOS, is weakest among four studied force fields.     

Intrinsic UV absorption spectrometry observed with a liquid core waveguide as a sensor technique for monitoring ozone in water

The industrial use of ozone as a sanitizing agent in water treatment and food processing in recent years calls for sensor technologies for monitoring ozone in water for process control. Ozone molecules absorb UV light with a peak absorption wavelength at 254 nm. This property has been used in this work to develop a simple sensor technology for online, real-time continuous monitoring of trace ozone in water. A Teflon AF2400 tube filled with pure water forms a liquid core waveguide (LCW), which is used as a long-path-length optical absorption cell. This pure water filled tube was deployed into a water sample. Ozone molecules dissolved in the water sample permeate through the Teflon AF2400 tube wall and dissolve in water filled in the tube. This prevents interference species from entering the LCW, and eliminates interferences. The optical absorption signal of the long-path-length cell at 254 nm measured by guiding light through the LCW is used as a sensing signal. This simple structured sensor does not involve any chemical reagent, is reversible, and has a response time <4.5 minutes. It can be used to detect ozone in water samples down to 3.6 × 10(-9) mol L(-1).