High-throughput RNAi screening by time-lapse imaging of live human cells.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful tool to study gene function in cultured cells. Transfected cell microarrays in principle allow high-throughput phenotypic analysis after gene knockdown by microscopy. But bottlenecks in imaging and data analysis have limited such high-content screens to endpoint assays in fixed cells and determination of global parameters such as viability.

Syntheses, structures, luminescence and electrochemistry of benzene- and biphenyl-centered bis- and tris-1,3,2-diazaboroles and -1,3,2-diazaborolidines.

Reaction of 1,4-bis(dibromoboryl)benzene (1a) with 2 equiv. of the diazabutadiene tBuN=CH-CH=NtBu and subsequent reduction of the obtained bis(1,3,2-diazaborolium)salt 2a with sodium amalgam afforded the 1,4-bis(1,3,2-diazaborolyl)benzene 3a. Similarly, 1,3-bis(dibromoboryl)benzene (1b), 1,3,5-tris(dibromoboryl)benzene (1c) and 4,4'-bis(dibromoboryl)biphenyl (1d) were converted into compounds 3b, 3c and 3d which contain two or three diazaborolyl substituents at the arene core.

Novel rhodium and ruthenium carbonyl cluster complexes with face- and edge-bridging GaCp* ligands. Synthesis and structural characterization of the Rh6(CO)12(mu3-GaCp*)4 and Ru6(eta6-C)(mu2-CO)(CO)13(mu3-GaCp*)2(mu2-GaCp*) clusters.

Reactions of hexanuclear carbonyl clusters of rhodium Rh(6)(CO)(16) and ruthenium Ru(6)(eta(6)-C)(micro(2)-CO)(CO)(16) with GaCp*(Cp*= C(5)Me(5)) in the mild conditions result in substitution of CO ligands and formation of the Rh(6)(CO)(12)(micro(3)-GaCp*)(4) and the Ru(6)(eta(6)-C)(micro(2)-CO)(CO)(13)(micro(3)-GaCp*)(2)(micro(2)-GaCp*) cluster derivatives.

Routes to unique palladium A-frame complexes with a bridging fluoro-ligand.

Treatment of a toluene solution of [PdMe(2)(Cy(2)PCH(2)PCy(2))](1) with pentafluoropyridine in the presence of traces of water affords the generation of the A-frame complexes [(PdMe)(2){mu-kappa(2)(P,P)Cy(2)PCH(2)PCy(2)}(2)(mu-F)][SiMeF(4)]() and [(PdMe)(2){mu-kappa(2)(P,P)Cy(2)PCH(2)PCy(2)}(2)(mu-F)][OC(5)NF(4)](2b). If the reaction is performed in an NMR tube equipped with a PFA inliner, complex 2b is produced, only. Treatment of 1 with pentafluoropyridine in the presence of an excess water yields the pyridyloxy complex [PdMe(OC(5)NF(4))(Cy(2)PCH(2)PCy(2))](3).

Stability of various silicone oil/water emulsion films as a function of surfactant and salt concentration.

There have been reports, originally by the Bristol group, and subsequently by others, of the preparation and properties of emulsions of stable, nearly monodisperse droplets of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) in water, where no added surfactant is used. It has been assumed that their stability is due to the high density of surface-ionized hydroxyl groups, similar in fact to the closely related Stöber silica particles. In this study we confirm, from droplet lifetime studies, that droplets, prepared from such synthesized PDMS, are significantly more stable to coalescence than similar-sized droplets prepared from three types of commercially available PDMS, containing HO-, MeO-, or Me3-terminated chains, respectively.

Efficient and versatile stereoselective synthesis of cryptophycins.

The cryptophycins are a family of cyclic depsipeptides with four retrosynthetic units A to D which correspond to the respective amino acids and hydroxy acids. A new synthetic route to unit A allows the selective generation of all four stereogenic centres by introducing two of them in a catalytic asymmetric dihydroxylation, followed by substrate-controlled diastereoselective reactions. The diol also serves as the epoxide precursor.

Full-genome RNAi profiling of early embryogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans.

A key challenge of functional genomics today is to generate well-annotated data sets that can be interpreted across different platforms and technologies. Large-scale functional genomics data often fail to connect to standard experimental approaches of gene characterization in individual laboratories. Furthermore, a lack of universal annotation standards for phenotypic data sets makes it difficult to compare different screening approaches.

Syntheses and molecular structures of eta3-[(eta5-Cp*)(CO)2Fe-AsPC(SiMe3)2]M(CO)2(eta5-Cp)(M = Mo, W): the first complexes featuring eta3-arsaphosphaallyl ligands.

Reaction of (eta5-Cp)(CO)2M=P=C(SiMe3)2 4a (M = Mo) and 4b (M = W) with (eta5-Cp*)(CO)2Fe-As=C(NMe2)2 5 affords the eta3-1-arsa-2-phosphaallyl complexes [(eta5-Cp*)(CO)2Fe-AsPC(SiMe3)2]M(CO)2(eta5-Cp) 6a and 6b, the molecular structures of which were determined by X-ray analyses.

Particle zips: vertical emulsion films with particle monolayers at their surfaces.

Vertical emulsion films with particle monolayers at their surfaces have been studied by direct microscope observations. The effects of particle wettability and surface coverage on the structure and stability of water films in octane and octane films in water have been investigated. Monodisperse silica particles (3 microm in diameter) hydrophobized to different extents have been used.

Methoxy-substituted centrohexaindanes through the fenestrane route.

Tetrahydroxyfenestrindane undergoes HPF6-catalyzed condensation with anisole, 2-methylanisole and the three dimethoxybenzenes to furnish several centrohexaindanes bearing oxyfunctionalization at the opposite ends of one of the three [2,2']-spirobiindane axes.

Centrality dependence of charged-particle pseudorapidity distributions from d + Au collisions at sqrt[sNN] = 200 GeV.

Charged-particle pseudorapidity densities are presented for the d + Au reaction at sqrt[s(NN)] = 200 GeV with -4.2 < or = eta < or = 4.2.

Evolution of the nuclear modification factors with rapidity and centrality in d + Au collisions at (sqrt)[N(S)N]=200 GeV.

We report on a study of the transverse momentum dependence of nuclear modification factors R(dAu) for charged hadrons produced in deuteron + gold collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV, as a function of collision centrality and of the pseudorapidity (eta=0, 1, 2.2, 3.2) of the produced hadrons.

Identification of inhibitors for a virally encoded protein kinase by 2 different screening systems: in vitro kinase assay and in-cell activity assay.

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) protein kinase pUL97 represents an important determinant for viral replication and thus is a promising target for the treatment of HCMV. The authors screened a compound library of nearly 5000 entities based on known kinase inhibitors in 2 distinct ways. A radioactive in vitro kinase assay was performed with recombinant pUL97, purified from baculovirus-infected insect cells, on myelin basic protein-coated FlashPlates.

Triterpenes from Maesopsis eminii.

Two pentacyclic triterpenes, 1alpha,3beta-dihydroxybauer-7-en-28-oic acid (1) and 3beta-hydroxybauer-7-en-28-oic acid (2), together with sitosterol-3-beta-O-d-glucopyranoside and stigmasterol have been isolated from the bark of the plant Maesopsis eminii. Their structures have been elucidated by spectroscopic methods. One of the triterpenes (1) is new, and its structure was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis.

C-F or C-H bond activation and C-C coupling reactions of fluorinated pyridines at rhodium: synthesis, structure and reactivity of a variety of tetrafluoropyridyl complexes.

Reactions of [RhH(PEt3)3] (1) or [RhH(PEt3)4] (2) with pentafluoropyridine or 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoropyridine afford the activation product [Rh(4-C5NF4)(PEt3)3] (3). Treatment of 3 with CO, 13CO or CNtBu effects the formation of trans-[Rh(4-C5NF4)(CO)(PEt3)2] (4a), trans-[Rh(4-C5NF4)(13CO)(PEt3)2] (4b) and trans-[Rh(4-C5NF4)(CNtBu)(PEt3)2] (5). The rhodium(III) compounds trans-[RhI(CH3)(4-C5NF4)(PEt3)2] (6a) and trans-[RhI(13CH3)(4-C5NF4)(PEt3)2] (6b) are accessible on reaction of 3 with CH3I or 13CH3I.

2,5-Diphenyl-3,4-bis(2-pyridyl)cyclopenta-2,4-dien-1-one as a redox-active chelating ligand.

2,5-Diphenyl-3,4-bis(2-pyridyl)cyclopenta-2,4-dien-1-one (1), a close relative of tetraphenylcyclopentadienone, is a new ligand platform for use in redox switches and sensors. Compound 1 acts as a molecular electrochemical sensor towards a range of divalent metal ions and exhibits favourable two-wave behaviour. It forms chelates of the type [(1)MX2], whose stability is enhanced by five orders of magnitude upon one-electron reduction.

RGD-mutants of B-lymphotropic polyomavirus capsids specifically bind to alpha(v)beta3 integrin.

Integrins are a family of cell surface proteins that function as receptors for extracellular matrix ligands and for some viruses. A subset of integrins recognises peptide sequences containing arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) motifs as ligands. The B-lymphotropic polyomavirus (LPV) has a non-enveloped capsid that recognises a sialylated cell surface receptor.

Synthesis, structure and reactivity of ferrio-chloro-phosphanes, -arsanes and -stibanes [(CO)2(eta5-C5Me5)FePn(Cl)R] (Pn = P, As, Sb); R = tetramethylcyclopentadienyl, 2,7-di-tert-butylfluorenyl, 2,7-di-tert-butyl-9-trimethylsilylfluorenyl) as precursor to novel metallo-phosphaalkenes, -arsaalkenes, and -stibaalkenes.

Reaction of one equivalent of the complexes [FeCp*(CO)2PnCl2] (Pn = P, As, Sb) with tetramethylcyclopentadienyllithium afforded compounds [FeCp*(CO)2[Pn(Cl)(C5Me4H)]]. Dehydrochlorination by means of tert-butyllithium led to decomposition. Only in the case of the phosphorus compound was evidence for the initial formation of a phosphaalkene given by 31P NMR spectroscopy.

The (Me5C5)Si+ cation: a stable derivative of HSi+.

The reaction of decamethylsilicocene, (Me5C5)2Si, with the proton-transfer reagent Me5C5H2+B(C6F5)4- produces the salt (Me5C5)Si+ B(C6F5)4(2), which can be isolated as a colorless solid that is stable in the absence of air and moisture. The crystal structure reveals the presence of a cationic pi complex with an eta5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ligand bound to a bare silicon center. The 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance at very high field (delta = - 400.

The use of diathermy scissors in parotid gland surgery.

Objective: To evaluate the benefits, as well as the possible complications, of the use of diathermy scissors in parotid gland surgery.

Design: Prospective study of the surgical procedures of the diathermy scissors and a retrospective comparison with a conventionally treated control group concerning cut-closure time.

Setting: Tertiary care referral academic center.

Identification of transcripts from a subtraction library which might be responsible for the mild phenotype in an intrafamilially variable course of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

While frame-shift mutations are usually found in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), in-frame mutations are associated with the less severe phenotype of Becker's muscular dystrophy. Exceptions have been reported in both directions suggesting the existence of modifying genes, which might be helpful for innovation of new therapeutic strategies. We report on the very rare case of an intrafamilially different course of DMD, with the younger brother being far less affected than the older one when compared at the same age.

Spontaneous chiral resolution of a coordination polymer with distorted helical structure consisting of achiral building blocks.

Reaction of achiral 2,5-diphenyl-3,4-di(3-pyridyl)cyclopenta-2,4-dien-1-one (2) with ZnCl2 and HgBr2, respectively, afforded the helically chiral coordination polymers [(2)ZnCl2]infinity and [(2)HgBr2]infinity, which show spontaneous chiral resolution, forming colonies of homochiral crystals.

Transverse-momentum spectra in Au+Au and d+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV and the pseudorapidity dependence of high-p(T) suppression.

We present spectra of charged hadrons from Au+Au and d+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV measured with the BRAHMS experiment at RHIC. The spectra for different collision centralities are compared to spectra from p+(-)p collisions at the same energy scaled by the number of binary collisions. The resulting ratios (nuclear modification factors) for central Au+Au collisions at eta=0 and eta=2.

1,2-Chlorine atom migration in 3-chloro-2-butyl radicals: a computational study.

The structure as well as several unimolecular reaction pathways of the 3-chloro-2-butyl radical 1 have been studied at several different theoretical levels (B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ, BHLYP/aug-cc-pVDZ, G3(ROMP2)B3). The symmetrically chlorine-bridged structure is a transition state at all levels of theory and the most favorable ground state structure is the unbridged beta-chloroalkyl radical. Reaction barriers for the 1,2-chlorine migration process are higher than those for rotation around the central C-C bond.