Favored Conformations of Carbonyl Compounds: A Structural Study of n-Octanal.

We report on the molecular structures of the two most abundant conformers of n-octanal observed by molecular beam Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Next to limonene, which is the main component of citrus-oil, octanal and other n-alkyl aldehydes strongly enhance the typical fresh smell of lemon-oil. Due to the high flexibility of its n-alkyl chain and the high number of possible conformers, different semi-empirical methods (AM1, PM3, MMFF94) were used to sample the conformational space of octanal before performing more sophisticated quantum chemical calculations at the MP2 level of theory.

A facile approach for thermal and reduction dual-responsive prodrug nanogels for intracellular doxorubicin delivery.

In this study, thermal and redox dual sensitive nanogels based on N-vinylcaprolactam (VCL) and N-succinimidyl methacrylate (Suma) crosslinked with diallyl disulfide were synthesized via a facile and straightforward method. The reactive succinimide groups were mainly located in the nanogel shell which increases considerably their accessibility for conjugation reactions. Doxorubicin (DOX) was successfully loaded into the nanogel through two different routes.

Reduced NO signaling during pregnancy attenuates outward uterine artery remodeling by altering MMP expression and collagen and elastin deposition.

Recent findings indicate that endothelial nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in uterine artery outward circumferential remodeling during pregnancy. Although the underlying mechanisms are not known, they likely involve matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The goal of this study was to examine the linkage among NO inhibition, expansive remodeling, and MMP expression within the uterine vascular wall.