A European population in Minoan Bronze Age Crete.

The first advanced Bronze Age civilization of Europe was established by the Minoans about 5,000 years before present. Since Sir Arthur Evans exposed the Minoan civic centre of Knossos, archaeologists have speculated on the origin of the founders of the civilization. Evans proposed a North African origin; Cycladic, Balkan, Anatolian and Middle Eastern origins have also been proposed. Here we address the question of the origin of the Minoans by analysing mitochondrial DNA from Minoan osseous remains from a cave ossuary in the Lassithi plateau of Crete dated 4,400-3,700 years before present. Shared haplotypes, principal component and pairwise distance analyses refute the Evans North African hypothesis. Minoans show the strongest relationships with Neolithic and modern European populations and with the modern inhabitants of the Lassithi plateau. Our data are compatible with the hypothesis of an autochthonous development of the Minoan civilization by the descendants of the Neolithic settlers of the island.

7,8-Dihydroxy-4-propyl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,10b-octahydrobenzo[f]quinolinium bromide monohydrate, a dopamine agonist.

In the crystal structure of the title dopaminergic compound, C16H24NO2+.Br-.H2O, protonation occurs at the piperidine N atom. The piperidine ring adopts a chair conformation and the cyclohexene ring adopts a half-chair conformation; together with the planar benzene ring, this results in a relatively planar shape for the whole molecule. Classical hydrogen bonds (N-H...Br, O-H...Br and O-H...O) produce an infinite three-dimensional network. Hydrogen bonds between water molecules and Br- anions create centrosymmetric rings throughout the crystal structure. Structural comparison of the molecule with the ergoline dopamine agonist pergolide shows that it is the hydrogen-bond-forming hydroxy or imino group that is necessary for dopaminergic activity, rather than the presence of a phenyl or a pyrrole ring per se.

2-acetamido-N-benzyl-2-(methoxyamino)acetamides: functionalized amino acid anticonvulsants.

In the crystal structure of 2-acetamido-N-benzyl-2-(methoxyamino)acetamide (3L), C12H17N3O3, the 2-acetylaminoacetamide moiety has a linearly extended conformation, with an interplanar angle between the two amide groups of 157.3 (1) degrees . In 2-acetamido-N-benzyl-2-[methoxy(methyl)amino]acetamide (3N), C13H19N3O3, the planes of the two amide groups intersect at an angle of 126.4 (4) degrees , resulting in a chain that is slightly more bent. The replacement of the methoxyamino H atom of 3L with a methyl group to form 3N and concomitant loss of hydrogen bonding results in some positional/thermal disorder in the methoxy(methyl)amino group. In both structures, in addition to classical N-H...O hydrogen bonds, there are also weak non-standard C-H...O hydrogen bonds. The hydrogen bonds and packing interactions result in planar hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas perpendicular to the c axis in 3L and parallel to the ab plane in the N-methyl derivative. Stereochemical comparisons with phenytoin have identified two O atoms and a phenyl group as molecular features likely to be responsible for the anticonvulsant activities of these compounds.

Stereochemical basis for activity in thiadiazole anticonvulsants: 1-[5-(biphenyl-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl]methanaminium chloride and two inactive analogues, 2-(biphenyl-4-yl)-5-[2-(1-methylethylidene)hydrazino]-1,3,4-thiadiazole and the methanol solvate of its hydrochloride salt.

In 1-[5-(biphenyl-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl]methanaminium chloride, C15H14N3S+.Cl-, the protonation occurs at the amine N atom. The outer phenyl ring makes an angle of 88.0 (2) degrees with the plane through the inner benzene ring, and the planes of the thiadiazole ring and the attached benzene ring intersect at an angle of 165.5 (4) degrees . In addition to classical N-H...N and N-H...Cl(-) hydrogen bonds producing chains parallel to the c axis, there are weak C-H...N and C-H...Cl- hydrogen bonds. The hydrogen bonds and packing interactions result in hydrophilic and hydrophobic planar areas in the crystal, perpendicular to the a axis. Stereochemical comparison with phenytoin shows that the two compounds may utilize similar mechanisms of action. 2-(Biphenyl-4-yl)-5-[2-(1-methylethylidene)hydrazino]-1,3,4-thiadiazole, C17H16N4S, where Z' = 2, and the methanol solvate of its hydrochloride salt, 5-(biphenyl-4-yl)-2-[2-(1-methylethylidene)hydrazino]-1,3,4-thiadiazol-3-ium chloride methanol solvate, C17H17N4S+.Cl-.CH3OH, adopt linear almost planar molecular conformations. The para position of the outer phenyl ring in these compounds precludes adoption of the phenytoin anticonvulsant stereochemistry.

Ethyl 5-isopropoxy-4-methyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate: structural determinants of benzodiazepine-receptor antagonism.

Molecules of the title compound, C18H20N2O3, are linked into ribbons by N-H...O and N-H...N hydrogen bonds. Stereochemical comparison with Ro 15-1788 (viz. ethyl 8-fluoro-5,6-dihydro-5-methyl-6-oxo-4H-imidazo[1,5-a][1,4]benzodiazepine-3-carboxylate) has identified three electronegative N and O atoms in the molecule as features likely to be responsible for its activity as a benzodiazepine-receptor antagonist.