Rhodium(II)-Catalyzed Hinsberg Dearomatization Using Trimethylsilyldiazomethane.

Rhodium(II) catalyzes carbene transfer from trimethylsilyldiazomethane to arylmethyl thioethers, generating sulfonium ylides that undergo [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement, punching quaternary centers into aromatic rings. The reaction works well with naphthalene, indole, and benzofuran ring systems, but the reaction is unsuccessful with the monocyclic benzene homologue. For aryl thioethers, Rh(OAc) gives good results.

Nerve Visualization using Phenoxazine-Based Near-Infrared Fluorophores to Guide Prostatectomy.

Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) is poised to revolutionize surgical medicine through near-infrared (NIR) fluorophores for tissue- and disease-specific contrast. Clinical open and laparoscopic FGS vision systems operate nearly exclusively at NIR wavelengths. However, tissue-specific NIR contrast agents compatible with clinically available imaging systems are lacking, leaving nerve tissue identification during prostatectomy a persistent challenge.

OregonFluor enables quantitative intracellular paired agent imaging to assess drug target availability in live cells and tissues.

Non-destructive fluorophore diffusion across cell membranes to provide an unbiased fluorescence intensity readout is critical for quantitative imaging applications in live cells and tissues. Commercially available small-molecule fluorophores have been engineered for biological compatibility, imparting high water solubility by modifying rhodamine and cyanine dye scaffolds with multiple sulfonate groups. The resulting net negative charge, however, often renders these fluorophores cell-membrane-impermeant.

Tandem Insertion/[3,3]-Sigmatropic Rearrangement Involving the Formation of Silyl Ketene Acetals by Insertion of Rhodium Carbenes into S-Si Bonds.

Allyl 2-diazo-2-phenylacetates are shown to react with trimethylsilyl thioethers in the presence of rhodium(II) catalysts to generate α-allyl-α-thio silyl esters. The transformation involves a tandem process involving formal rhodium-catalyzed insertion of the carbene group into the S-Si bond to generate a silyl ketene acetal, followed by a spontaneous Ireland-Claisen rearrangement. The silyl ester products were isolated as the corresponding carboxylic acids after aqueous workup.

Investigation of Oxazine and Rhodamine Derivatives as Peripheral Nerve Tissue Targeting Contrast Agent for Fluorescence Imaging.

Accidental nerve transection or injury is a significant morbidity associated with many surgical interventions, resulting in persistent postsurgical numbness, chronic pain, and/or paralysis. Nerve-sparing can be a difficult task due to patient-to-patient variability and the difficulty of nerve visualization in the operating room. Fluorescence image-guided surgery to aid in the precise visualization of vital nerve structures in real time during surgery could greatly improve patient outcomes.

Evaluation of school transportation patterns and the associated impact on BMI in 2 Midwestern communities.

Background: The decline in active commuting to and from school in the United States is, in part, due to urban design standards and public policies that promote automobile travel and discourage pedestrian activity.

Purpose: The current investigation examines active commuting at neighborhood schools and how it is altered by distance to school, student age and its potential impact on Body Mass Index.

Methods: Demographic and transportation datasets were obtained for 5367 elementary students (K-5th grade) and middle school students (6th-8th grade) in 2 Midwestern communities.

Use of quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis to compare quantity and stability of isolated murine DNA.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) can be extracted from different tissue sources for genotyping of mice. Methods of collecting tissue vary with respect to their perceived invasiveness, and in some cases, tissue is collected multiple times in order to verify a genotype. The authors' goal was to refine and optimize tissue collection methods with quantitative measures for subsequent genotyping.

Thrombospondin-2 is an endogenous adipocyte inhibitor.

The matricellular protein thrombospondin-2 (TSP2) inhibits proliferation and enhances osteoblastogenesis of multipotent mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPC). Osteoblastogenesis and adipogenesis are reciprocally regulated, thus we hypothesized that TSP2 could be an inhibitor of adipogenesis. TSP2 gene expression is up-regulated during MPC osteoblast differentiation and down-regulated during adipogenic differentiation through a cAMP-PKA pathway, relative to control cells.