Liquid plug propagation in flexible microchannels: A small airway model.

In the present study, we investigate the effect of wall flexibility on the plug propagation and the resulting wall stresses in small airway models with experimental measurements and numerical simulations. Experimentally, a flexible microchannel was fabricated to mimic the flexible small airways using soft lithography. Liquid plugs were generated and propagated through the microchannels. The local wall deformation is observed instantaneously during plug propagation with the maximum increasing with plug speed. The pressure drop across the plug is measured and observed to increase with plug speed, and is slightly smaller in a flexible channel compared to that in a rigid channel. A computational model is then presented to model the steady plug propagation through a flexible channel corresponding to the middle plane in the experimental device. The results show qualitative agreements with experiments on wall shapes and pressure drops and the discrepancies bring up interesting questions on current field of modeling. The flexible wall deforms inward near the plug core region, the deformation and pressure drop across the plug increase with the plug speed. The wall deformation and resulting stresses vary with different longitudinal tensions, i.e., for large wall longitudinal tension, the wall deforms slightly, which causes decreased fluid stress and stress gradients on the flexible wall comparing to that on rigid walls; however, the wall stress gradients are found to be much larger on highly deformable walls with small longitudinal tensions. Therefore, in diseases such as emphysema, with more deformable airways, there is a high possibility of induced injuries on lining cells along the airways because of larger wall stresses and stress gradients.

Multi-channel 3-D cell culture device integrated on a silicon chip for anticancer drug sensitivity test.

A novel three-dimensional cell culture system was constructed with an array of cell panels (4 x 5) in a silicon chip, together with multi-channel drug containers. Human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells were embedded in a collagen-gel matrix and entrapped in a pyramidal-shaped silicon hole. Each cell panel can be isolated by a channel composed of a microfluid part and a reservoir. A cell panel was exposed to 200 mm KCN for 2 days to demonstrate that each cell panel could be independently evaluated under various stimulation conditions. Based on the cellular respiration activity, the proliferation behavior was continuously monitored on the silicon-based cell array for 5 days using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). The cells entrapped in the device (3-D culture) proliferated normally, and the proliferation rate was lower than that of cells grown in a monolayer cell culture (2-D culture). The effects of three anticancer drugs measured simultaneously on the cell chip were in good agreement with those obtained by a conventional colorimetric assay. Our results suggest that the silicon-based device for 3D culture is appropriate for a chemosensitivity assay involving multi-chemical stimulation.

NaBH4 in N-methylpyrrolidone: a safe alternative for hydride displacement reaction.

Enhanced reactivity of NaBH4 was observed as a solution in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). Thus, a simple protocol for debromination of alkyl bromide and sulfonate is devised with NMP as a key solvent. Also described is a new mixed borohydride system, NaBH4-LiOTf-NMP, which works as an alternative to NaBH3CN for the SN2 type displacement. No reports have ever revealed usefulness of NMP in borohydride reduction.

An efficient conversion of 5-nitroisatin into 5-nitroindole derivative.

Our process research on OPC-35564 revealed that a mixed borohydride reducing agent (ZrCl4/NaBH4) in DME (Itsuno system) afforded a rapid and direct conversion of N-alkyl-nitroisatin into nitroindole nucleus. Comparison with other reducing agents indicated the superiority of the present system and the key function of ZrCl4. For the manipulation of base-labile isatin, a useful procedure for its N-alkylation using Cu2CO3 is also presented.

Modulation of the Cs2CO3-promoted catalytic amination by a crown ether.

The catalytic addition of 18-Crown-6 in some Cs2CO3-promoted amination of triflates and bromides was beneficial to improve sluggish reaction with suppression of the unwanted side products. The protocol was useful for the preparation of chlorinated aryl piperazines from phenol derivatives.

Beneficial effect of cesium salts on Pd-catalyzed hydroxycarbonylation.

A Pd(0)-catalyzed hydroxycarbonylation of the aryl bromide was effectively carried out in the presence of some Cs salts such as cesium carbonate, cesium bicarbonate, and cesium acetate in wet DMF solution. For the understanding of their function, an oxy-coordinated intermediate arising from a Cs oxygen-Pd interaction has been postulated, which is likely to be responsible for related Cs assisted catalytic processes.

Construction of chiral 1,2-cycloalkanopyrrolidines from L-proline using ring closing metathesis (RCM).

An efficient synthetic method for the preparation of optically active pyrroloazocine, pyrroloazepine, quinolizidine, indolizidine using ring closing olefin metathesis (RCM) is described.