Synthesis of imidazolidinediones and oxazolidinediones from cyclization of propargylureas and propargyl carbamates.

A synthetic procedure for the preparation of imidazolidinediones by the base-catalyzed cyclization of propargylureas is described. This method appears to be the most versatile way of obtaining these compounds containing tertiary groups substituted on ring-nitrogen number 3. One of these derivatives, 3-tert-butyl-5,5-dimethyl-2,4-imidazolidinedione (1a), has shown a moderate level of subcutaneous metrazole seizure threshold activity (scMet indicates potential for control of petit mal epileptic seizures) in control screens on mice, as determined by the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke.

Electrochemistry of cyclic alpha-imino carboxylates and their metal complexes: correlation with physiological activity.

Cyclic voltammetry data were obtained for delta 1-pyrroline-2-carboxylate, delta 3-thiazoline-4-carboxylate, delta 2-thiazoline-2-carboxylate and their complexes with Cu(II), Fe(III), and Fe(II). The free ligands were reduced at about -0.35 V and were oxidized in the range of 0.42-0.52 V. Complexing the imine carboxylates with metal ions produces reduction and oxidation in the ranges of 0.05-0.37 V and 0.52-0.74 V, respectively. Prior reports show that these ligands take part in various biological functions. We propose that electron transfer may be involved in some aspects of the physiological activity. The captodative effect can be applied.

Enhanced energy confinement and performance in a low-recycling tokamak.

Extensive lithium wall coatings and liquid lithium plasma-limiting surfaces reduce recycling, with dramatic improvements in Ohmic plasma discharges in the Current Drive Experiment-Upgrade. Global energy confinement times increase by up to 6 times. These results exceed confinement scalings such as ITER98P(y,1) by 2-3 times, and represent the largest increase in energy confinement ever observed for an Ohmic tokamak plasma. Measurements of Dalpha emission indicate that global recycling coefficients decrease to approximately 0.3, the lowest documented for a magnetically confined hydrogen plasma.

Synthesis of bisbicyclo[1.1.1]pentyldiazene. The smallest bridgehead diazene.

Bisbicyclo[1.1.1]pentyldiazene, the smallest bicyclic azo compound, has been synthesized from the precursor [1.1.1]propellane via synthesis of N,N'-bis(bicyclo[1.1.1]pentyl)sulfamide and azoxybicyclo[1.1.1]pentane. The UV absorption of this diazene at 382 nm indicates that the compound is the trans isomer. Conversion to the cis isomer by irradiation was not possible because of attainment of a photostationary state. However, on the basis of the photochemical studies, the absorption of the cis-[1.1.1] isomer is estimated to be 384 nm.

Properties and subunit characterization of affinity purified Sophora japonica lectin.

The affinity purified Sophora japonica lectin exhibits an anomalous behavior on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Electrophoresis at pH 8.9 produces three protein staining bands. Extraction and re-electrophoresis of the fastest and slowest migrating components demonstrates that the lectin solution is an equilibrium mixture of interconvertible forms. Addition of a bindable saccharide, D-galactose, during PAGE causes the equilibrium to be shifted toward a single form. As indicated by analytical gel filtration, sedimentation velocity ultracentrifugation and ion-exchange chromatography experiments, the equilibrium mixture consists of charge and not molecular weight variants of the native molecule of 132,800 g/m. Results from end-group and cysteine analyses and PAGE in sodium dodecyl sulfate indicate that the native lectin is composed of the non-covalent association of two dissimilar subunits. One subunit consists of two identical polypeptide chains attached by two disulfide bonds and the other subunit of two identical polypeptide chains stabilized by a single cysteine bridge.