N,N-disubstituted azines attenuate LPS-mediated neuroinflammation in microglia and neuronal apoptosis via inhibiting MAPK signaling pathways.

Background: Activated microglia interact with astrocytes and neuronal cells to induce neuroinflammation, which can contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. To identify the most effective anti-neuroinflammatory agent, we designed and synthesized a family of 13 new azine derivatives and investigated their anti-neuroinflammatory activities in LPS-activated BV-2 microglial cells.

Results: Out of 13 derivatives, compound 3 [4,4'-(1E,1'E,3E,3'E)-3,3'-(hydrazine-1,2-diylidene) bis-(prop-1-ene-1-yl-3-ylidene) bis-(2-methoxyphenol)] exhibited excellent anti-neuroinflammatory activities (IC = 12.

Lespedeza bicolor ameliorates endothelial dysfunction induced by methylglyoxal glucotoxicity.

Background: Lespedeza species have been used as a traditional medicine to treat nephritis, azotemia, inflammation, energy depletion, diabetes, and diuresis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to screen the most potent Lespedeza species against methylglyoxal (MGO)-induced glucotoxicity, and to elucidate the mechanisms of action. Also, we will attempt to identify small chemical metabolites that might be responsible for such anti-glucotoxicity effects.

H2-Binding by Neutral and Multiply Charged Titaniums: Hydrogen Storage Capacity of Titanium Mono- and Dications.

Given that transition metal-hydrogen systems have been studied as a predecessor for hydrogen storage materials, we have investigated the neutral and multiply charged titanium-H2 systems (Ti-H2, Ti(+)-H2, Ti(2+)-H2, Ti(3+)-H2, and Ti(4+)-H2) using density functional theory (DFT) and high-level ab initio calculations, including coupled cluster theory with single, double, and perturbatively triple excitations [CCSD(T)]. These systems show different types of hydrogenation depending on their charged state. The neutral Ti-H2 system shows dihydride structure with covalent interaction where the Ti-H distance is 1.

Charge-transfer-to-solvent-driven dissolution dynamics of I- (H2O)2-5 upon excitation: excited-state ab initio molecular dynamics simulations.

In contrast to the extensive theoretical investigation of the solvation phenomena, the dissolution phenomena have hardly been investigated theoretically. Upon the excitation of hydrated halides, which are important substances in atmospheric chemistry, an excess electron transfers from the anionic precursor (halide anion) to the solvent and is stabilized by the water cluster. This results in the dissociation of hydrated halides into halide radicals and electron-water clusters.

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of an excited state of X(-)(H(2)O)(3) (X = Cl, I) complex.

Upon excitation of Cl(-)(H(2)O)(3) and I(-)(H(2)O)(3) clusters, the electron transfers from the anionic precursor to the solvent, and then the excess electron is stabilized by polar solvent molecules. This process has been investigated using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations of excited states of Cl(-)(H(2)O)(3) and I(-)(H(2)O)(3) clusters. The AIMD simulation results of Cl(-)(H(2)O)(3) and I(-)(H(2)O)(3) are compared, and they are found to be similar.

Electric field effects on water clusters (n = 3-5): systematic ab initio study of structures, energetics, and transition states.

The structures, energetics, and transition states of water clusters (trimer to pentamer, n = 3-5) are investigated as a function of electric field by using ab initio calculations. With an increasing strength of the field, the most stable cyclic structures of trimer, tetramer, and pentamer open up to align their dipole moments along the direction of the field. For the lower strength (below 0.

Low-lying electronic states of FeNC and FeCN: a theoretical journey into isomerization and quartet/sextet competition.

With several levels of multireference and restricted open-shell single-reference electronic structure theory, optimum structures, relative energetics, and spectroscopic properties of the low-lying (6)Delta, (6)Pi, (4)Delta, (4)Pi, and (4)Sigma(-) states of linear FeNC and FeCN have been investigated using five contracted Gaussian basis sets ranging from Fe[10s8p3d], C/N[4s2p1d] to Fe[6s8p6d3f2g1h], C/N[6s5p4d3f2g]. Based on multireference configuration interaction (MRCISD+Q) results with a correlation-consistent polarized valence quadruple-zeta (cc-pVQZ) basis set, appended with core correlation and relativistic corrections, we propose the relative energies: T(e)(FeNC), (6)Delta(0)<(6)Pi (2300 cm(-1))<(4)Delta (2700 cm(-1))<(4)Pi (4200 cm(-1))<(4)Sigma(-); and T(e)(FeCN), (6)Delta(0)<(6)Pi (1800 cm(-1))<(4)Delta (2500 cm(-1))<(4)Pi (2900 cm(-1))<(4)Sigma(-). The (4)Delta and (4)Pi states have massive multireference character, arising mostly from 11sigma-->12sigma promotions, whereas the sextet states are dominated by single electronic configurations.

Aqua dissociation nature of cesium hydroxide.

To understand the mechanism of aqueous base dissociation chemistry, the ionic dissociation of cesium-hydroxide in water clusters is examined using density functional theory and ab initio calculations. In this study, we report hydrated structures, stabilities, thermodynamic quantities, dissociation energies, infrared spectra, and electronic properties of CsOH(H(2)O)(n=0-4). With the addition of water molecules, the Cs-OH bond lengthened significantly from 2.

Definitive ab initio studies of model SN2 reactions CH(3)X+F- (X=F, Cl, CN, OH, SH, NH(2), PH(2)).

The energetics of the stationary points of the gas-phase reactions CH(3)X+F(-)-->CH(3)F+X(-) (X=F, Cl, CN, OH, SH, NH(2) and PH(2)) have been definitively computed using focal point analyses. These analyses entailed extrapolation to the one-particle limit for the Hartree-Fock and MP2 energies using basis sets of up to aug-cc-pV5Z quality, inclusion of higher-order electron correlation [CCSD and CCSD(T)] with basis sets of aug-cc-pVTZ quality, and addition of auxiliary terms for core correlation and scalar relativistic effects. The final net activation barriers for the forward reactions are: E (b/F,F)=-0.

What is the nature of polyacetylene neutral and anionic chains HC(2n)H and HC(2n)H(-) (n = 6-12) that have recently been observed?

The optimized geometries, adiabatic electron affinities, and IR-active vibrational frequencies have been predicted for the long linear carbon chains HC(2n)H. The B3LYP density functional combined with the DZP basis set was used in this theoretical study. The computed physical properties are discussed.