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Marketing management is one of the practical-oriented subjects in management education, which is very dynamic. In this changing and newly emerging business and marketing ecosystem, the challenge of marketing teaching pedagogy is increasing day by day. In marketing management teaching pedagogical research, there is a scarcity of integrated blended framework consisting of teaching technology and augmented learning exposure in supporting classroom teaching methodology. The study attempts to identify how various factors like theoretical knowledge, practical orientation, teaching technology and augmented learning can impact marketing management education’s learning outcome in the Indian context. Current research has also tried developing and examining a structured framework that may strengthen the classroom teaching environment. This article is based on empirical data of 693 marketing and sales professionals who are mostly alumni from topmost Indian B-schools. Exploratory factor analyses and structural equation modelling, and path analysis are being done to test the conceptual research model. The results of this article demonstrate how contemporary integrated classroom teaching can boost the marketing management learning outcomes with a proper blend of augmented learning exposure, out-of-class exercises and teaching technology in an Indianized way.

Single Electron Transistor (SET) has become very popular in industry as well as in academia. As SET can control the tunneling of electrons one by one through the channel so that power dissipation is very low as compared to conventional Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS), though it has high speed, high gain like properties. So, the hybridization of CMOS with SETcan be used in modern Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) circuit design, and this technique is very popular as Hybrid CMOS–SET (HCS) which uses less power with high speed of response. But the model requires two distinct simulators, such as, Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE) for CMOS and SIMON or Korea Single Electron Circuit Simulator (KOSEC) or Monte Carlo Single Electronics Simulator (MOSEC) or Single-Electron Nano Electronic Circuit Analyzer (SENECA) for SET, to simulate a single HCS model. To overcome this problem of HCS, macro- modelling of SET has been introduced by different researchers which can be simulated by using MATLAB with SIMULINK, SPICE and so on. In this present paper, macro model of SET has been incorporated with CMOS so that it can be simulated using a single software and this technique has been used to develop different logic circuits and the output can be controlled by the individual components of SET macro model. The simulation results show that the proposed model also consumes low power (0.275 nW to 0.55 nW) with high speed which can be used in VLSI design.

—Reversible Logic Gates have become very popular for their uninhibited merits like, low power consumption, low garbage output, decreasing the quantum cost, least propagation delay etc. Several circuits have been designed for reversible logic ICs using conventional CMOS technology. But, as the CMOS technology is suffering from scaling down problems, the researchers have moved themselves towards post CMOS devices for further fabrication of Reversible ICs. Among different post CMOS devices, in SET, electrons are tunnelling through the channel one by one, so it offers ultra-low power dissipation compared to the traditional CMOS though it has high speed, high gain like properties. So the hybridization of CMOS-SET can achieve a useful effect on VLSI design, and the new technology is known as Hybrid CMOS-SET (HCS). But as the Hybrid CMOS-SET requires two distinct software, the HCS macro model has become very useful, as it can be simulated by using a single software. In this present paper, the reversible logic gate has been designed using the HCS macro model and is also being simulated using a single software, MATLAB with SIMULINK, with low power consumption.

‘Smart’ has become a leitmotif that is widely assumed to reach the goals of urban sustainability and improve the living standards of people. Though there is an exponential increase in the smart cities' research during the last two decades, the concept is still silent about the importance of existing cities and communities to achieve Smart Urban Development (SUD). Authors propose a Systematic Literature Search and Review framework, coupled with deductive text computational and inductive grounded theory methods for the meta-synthesis. This study contributes to the present research landscape by facilitating urban professionals for framing integrated strategies, instead of blindly fixing the urban spaces with technological components. The automated text analysis for meta-synthesis is a novel approach for analyzing a diverse concept like Smart City, by eliminating chances of human errors. The findings conclude that the three-dimensional objectives of SUD are achieving sustainable development, high quality of life, and inclusive development.

AbstractGlobally, the issue of urbanization has been a matter of concern over the past few decades. Unplanned urban growth alters the natural drainage pattern and the water cycle, consequently, giving rise to floods. The floods are attributed to heavy precipitation but, human activities act as a catalyst in creating an imbalance in the environmental harmony. Predominantly, urban floods in the developing nations are known to affect quite a large population and infrastructure. Nagpur, in Maharashtra, India has been facing hydro-meteorological events in the last decade along with a persistent reduction of natural land and rapid urban growth. The paper attempts to establish a relationship between temporal landcover change for years 1995, 2005, 2015 and increased surface runoff eventually causing urban floods through application of the Soil Conservation Services Curve Number method. These years marked a remarkable urban development in Nagpur hence were considered. The outcome demonstrated a prominent urban sprawl of 12.84 percent and a severe loss of 16.32 percent in natural vegetation between 1995 and 2015. This paper examines the relationship between urban expansion and runoff at the catchment level by integrating land use/cover mapping with the hydrological model. Although the potential impact is expected, this study can further confirm it and facilitate policymakers developing policies to mitigate flooding-caused damages.

Byline: Santosh. Mondal, Palash. Mandal, Saptarshi. Roy, Subrata. Chattopadhyay, Shravasti. Roy, Pranab. Biswas Background: Malignant lymphoma (ML) is one of the most common cancers and is most prevalent in developed [...]

An efficient synthesis of the Alpinia officinarum-derived diarylheptanoids, viz., enantiomers of a β-hydroxyketone (1) and an α,β-unsaturated ketone (2) was developed starting from commercially available eugenol. Among these, compound 2showed a superior antiproliferative effect against human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells. Besides reducing clonogenic cell survival, compound 2dose-dependently increased the sub G1 cell population and arrested the G2-phase of the cell cycle, as revealed by flow cytometry. Mechanistically, compound 2acts as an intracellular pro-oxidant by generating copious amounts of reactive oxygen species. Compound 2also induced both loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) as well as lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) in the MCF-7 cells. The impaired mitochondrial and lysosomal functions due to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generation by compound 2may contribute to its apoptotic property.

The shrinking size of transistors for satisfying the increasing demand for higher density and low power has made the VLSI circuits more vulnerable to faults. Therefore, new circuits in advanced VLSI technology have forced designers to use fault tolerant techniques in safety-critical applications. Also, the presence of some faults (not permanent) due to the complexity of the nanocircuit or its interaction with software results in malfunctioning of circuits. The fault tolerant scheme, where majority voter plays the core role in triple modular redundancy (TMR), is being implemented increasingly in digital systems. This work targets to implement a different fault tolerant scheme of majority voter for the implementation of TMR using quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA), viable alternative nanotechnology to CMOS VLSI. The fault masking ability of various voter designs has been analysed in details. The fault masking ratio of the proposed voter (FMV) is 66% considering single/multiple faults. Simulation results establish the validation of proposed logic in QCA which targets nano-scale devices. The proposed logic is also suitable for conventional CMOS technology, which is verified with the Cadence tool.

The case study pedagogy over the years led to its essence in effective learning with real-life situations, logical progression and data-driven analysis in solution optimization. However, it is has its limitations in solving managerial problems with creativity. It confines the learning to its boundaries, is mechanistic and unemotional by design. It does not unfold limitless interpretation while merging creativity and innovation with out-of-the-box thinking. A differentiated session offering led to incorporating fiction movies and books to tinker young minds with a plethora of thought rainbows. The essence of the unconventional mode of group learning resulted in linkage of marketing theories to fiction, taking the interpretations to a pleasure voyage. The philosophical perspective with high engagement moves from literary subjectivity to profound management objectivity. This article depicts that experimentation with differentiated pedagogy can generate better learning outcomes which can create an effective impact for management students in creative thinking and wiser decision-making.

The case is about rethinking the business strategy in the gaming industry in India vis-à-vis the world. It discusses the start-up Virtual Infocom (Virtual Information & Communications) and how over the years it has grown into a formidable local and global player. The case is about revamping market strategy and the attributes therein, the prospects and the potential, and envisages to explore as to how the company should, if so, alter their business strategy to be a top brand reckoning in the industry. Virtual Infocom, primarily a training institute, is considering whether to develop games for the market instead of being a secondary player. It unravels the dilemma as to whether it should continue with training or diversify to earn revenues globally to ensure a sustainable competitive advantage in the gaming industry.

The study aims to investigate the concept of Smart Sustainable Cities in traditionally planned and organically grown settlements. Smart Cities Mission is an ambitious project of Government of India targeting 100 cities for improving their urban quality of life. However, there is no universally accepted definition of smart cities because of its vast and vague scope. In such a situation, it becomes important to understand where our old cities stand in terms of smart sustainability and inclusiveness. The methodological approach adopts case analysis of old Indian cities and Arab cities in terms of their environmental, economic and social planning paradigms. These include land use mix, compact development, dwelling density, internal and external connectivity, open spaces, walkable neighbourhoods, access to social services, collective cohesiveness, local area governance, crime & safety, economic diversification and socio-cultural diversity.

ABSTRACTIn India, urban settlements, especially metropolitan cities, are expanding at a rapid pace, transforming non-built-up areas into built-up landscapes inducing various irreversible environmental consequences. A metropolis generally is composed of statutory urban areas at the core and rural or periurban areas at the periphery, with various differences to the core. Therefore, simultaneous study of growth dynamics of different parts in the same metropolis, namely metropolitan urban (core), and metropolitan rural (periphery) seems to be important for effective urban planning. This study attempts to assess the built-up dynamics of the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) in India using a proposed zoning approach; that is, three different spatial levels of KMA—KMA-Total (the entire KMA), KMA-Urban (metropolitan urban), and KMA-Panchayet (metropolitan rural)—for the time period between 1980 and 2010 employing Shannon's entropy and some other landscape metrics integrated with Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System. The results show that the built-up expansion of KMA-Total is gradually becoming compact over time. But, within KMA, built-up growth of KMA-Urban has declined sharply, becoming more compact, whereas, KMA-Panchayet is experiencing a higher degree of built-up growth featured by dispersed and fragmented growth. Importantly, the zoning approach proposed in this study appears to be an effective one to analyze spatiotemporal built-up dynamics in large cities.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) refers to cross-resistance to a range of structurally and functionally unrelated compounds, and is accompanied by an elevated expression of ATP driven cell-membrane transporters. The cytotoxicity of Malabaricone-A (MAL-A), a diarylnonanoid derived from Myristica malabarica was demonstrated in leukemic cell lines, but its effectiveness in drug-resistant cancer cell lines has not been evaluated. Accordingly, this study tested its cytotoxic potential in a T-lymphoblastic leukemic cell line, CCRF CEM and its MDR counterpart, CEM/ADR5000. The effectiveness of MAL-A was 1.8 fold higher in CEM/ADR5000 than CCRF CEM cell line, the IC50being value 5.40 ± 1.41 vs. 9.72 ± 1.08 µg/ml, respectively, suggesting that MAL-A demonstrated 'collateral sensitivity'. This cytotoxicity of MAL-A was attributed to an enhanced generation of oxidative stress, as the IC50 valueincreased following the addition of an anti-oxidant, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). Furthermore, MAL-A depleted glutathione and inhibited glutathione peroxidase activity, which too contributed towards generation of a redox imbalance. This culminated in an apoptosis mediated cell death as evident by mitochondrial membrane depolarization, enhanced caspase-3 activity, increased externalization of phosphatidylserine and an increase in the sub G0/G1population. Collectively, compounds with pro-oxidant activity have promising therapeutic potential in drug resistant phenotypes, worthy of future pharmacological consideration.

GARUDA is a nation-wide grid of computational nodes, mass storage and scientific instruments with an aim to provide technological advancements required to enable compute-data intensive, collaborative applications for the twenty-first century. From a Proof-of-Concept, the GARUDA has evolved to an operational grid, aggregating nearly 70TF-15TB compute–storage power, via high-speed National Knowledge Network and hosts a stack of middleware and tools to enable hundreds of users from diverse communities like life science, earth science, computer aided engineering, material science, etc. Evolution and confluence of research and technologies has led to the maturity of GARUDA grid: there have been addition of several hundred CPUs, large data stores, standardization of grid middleware, research on interoperability between grids and participation from varied application communities that have made significant impact to GARUDA. The GARUDA partner institutes are using this e-infrastructure to grid enable applications of societal and national importance. The authors in this paper present the manner of building a nation-wide operational grid and its evolution, its deliverables, architecture and applications.

Functional polymers with azetidinium groups in the backbone are synthesized via the reaction of aminotelechelic polymers, containing primary and secondary amino groups, with epichlorohydrin. During the reaction, the secondary amino groups are transformed into azetidinium groups and the primary amino groups are transformed into amino‐chlorohydrin, amino‐epoxide, and azetidinium groups. The formation of desired functional groups in the polymer is controlled by tuning the reaction conditions. To understand the influence of reaction conditions generating the desired functional groups, model reactions of primary and secondary amines with epichlorohydrin are studied in detail, including the influence of the mole ratio of the starting materials, effect of solvent, effect of pH, and reaction kinetics.

Management of the gastric toxicity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remains a crucial problem because the commercially available drugs have side effects and are often expensive. Therefore, we examined the potential of the green tea-derived polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) to treat indomethacin-induced stomach ulcers in mice. Administration of indomethacin (18 mg/kg, po) to mice induced ulceration in the glandular portion of the gastric mucosa, accompanied by increased lipid peroxidation (LPO) and protein oxidation and reductions in thiol defense, mucin, cyclooxygenase (COX) expression and prostaglandin (PG) synthesis in the gastric tissues. Daily oral administration of EGCG (2 mg/kg) or omeprazole (3 mg/kg) for 3 days produced similar (~72-75%, p < 0.001) beneficial effects on the acute gastric ulceration. Treatment with the test samples partially reversed all the adverse oxidative effects of indomethacin. In addition, EGCG, but not omeprazole, enhanced expression of the COX isoforms and PG synthesis. The results suggest that the non-toxic and inexpensive tea polyphenol EGCG may be an excellent candidate for further evaluation as a potent anti-ulcer drug.

We have previously demonstrated that resveratrol (Resv)-induced cellular apoptosis occurs after formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) but the role of GSH has not been well defined. Our experimental data enumerated that Resv treatment (50 μm) induced apoptosis in human leukemic monocyte lymphoma cells, which was preceded by cellular GSH efflux. High concentration of extracellular thiol (GSH, N-acetyl cysteine) and two specific inhibitors of carrier-mediated GSH extrusion, methionine or cystathionine, prevented the process of oxidative burst and cell death. This proved that GSH efflux could be a major molecular switch to modulate Resv-induced ROS generation. Spectrofluorometric data depicted that after 6 h of Resv treatment, ROS generation was evident. Pretreatment of cells with intracellular ROS scavenger (polyethylene glycol-superoxide dismutase and polyethylene glycol-catalase) efficiently reduced ROS generation but failed to prevent intracellular GSH depletion. Thus, it suggested that intracellular GSH depletion was independent of ROS production but dependent on GSH extrusion. Furthermore, to bridge the link between GSH efflux and ROS generation, we carried out confocal microscopy of the localization of Bax protein. Microscopic analysis and small interfering RNA treatment emphasized that cellular GSH efflux triggered Bax translocation to mitochondria, which resulted in the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, ROS generation, and caspase 3 activation and thus triggered apoptosis.

Stomach ulceration is a major side effect of most chemopreventive drugs. We have established that although resveratrol is a promising chemopreventive compound, it delays the ulcer healing process. However, its analog hydroxystilbene-1 (HST-1) was devoid of such an ulcerogenic side effect. Consequently, here we tried to explore the chemopreventive efficacy of HST-1 compared with resveratrol in different cancer cell lines and identified the probable signaling pathways responsible for cell death. Our cell viability study established that HST-1, compared with resveratrol, showed better chemopreventive potential in all of the cell lines tested, with U937 and MCF-7 being the cells most affected. Furthermore, in U937 and MCF-7 cell lines, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay, cell cycle analysis, and nuclear fragmentation by confocal microscopy established that both HST-1 and resveratrol switched on the apoptotic death cascade to execute cell death. The initiator signal was Fas-independent but synchronized in terms of cytosolic Ca2+influx, dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential, and oxidative burst. It is noteworthy that the executioner signal was cell-specific as in U937 cells; HST-1 and resveratrol treatment induced mitochondrial permealization followed by cardiolipin depletion and cytochrome crelease, which eventually activated downstream caspases 9 and 3 to execute the death process. In contrast, in MCF-7 cells the death process was executed in a caspase-independent but calpain-dependent manner as calpain activation induced cleavage of cytosolic α-fodrin, stimulated mitochondrial release of apoptotic inducing factor and endonuclease G, and thus harmonized cytosolic and mitochondrial death signals to accomplish apoptosis.

Stomach ulceration is a major side effect of most chemopreventive drugs. We have established that although resveratrol is a promising chemopreventive compound, it delays the ulcer healing process. However, its analog hydroxystilbene-1 (HST-1) was devoid of such an ulcerogenic side effect. Consequently, here we tried to explore the chemopreventive efficacy of HST-1 compared with resveratrol in different cancer cell lines and identified the probable signaling pathways responsible for cell death. Our cell viability study established that HST-1, compared with resveratrol, showed better chemopreventive potential in all of the cell lines tested, with U937 and MCF-7 being the cells most affected. Furthermore, in U937 and MCF-7 cell lines, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay, cell cycle analysis, and nuclear fragmentation by confocal microscopy established that both HST-1 and resveratrol switched on the apoptotic death cascade to execute cell death. The initiator signal was Fas-independent but synchronized in terms of cytosolic Ca(2+) influx, dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential, and oxidative burst. It is noteworthy that the executioner signal was cell-specific as in U937 cells; HST-1 and resveratrol treatment induced mitochondrial permealization followed by cardiolipin depletion and cytochrome c release, which eventually activated downstream caspases 9 and 3 to execute the death process. In contrast, in MCF-7 cells the death process was executed in a caspase-independent but calpain-dependent manner as calpain activation induced cleavage of cytosolic alpha-fodrin, stimulated mitochondrial release of apoptotic inducing factor and endonuclease G, and thus harmonized cytosolic and mitochondrial death signals to accomplish apoptosis.

Despite its potential, use of trans-resveratrol as an anticancer drug is severely constrained because of its tendency to prolong gastric ulceration. We found that in addition to delaying ulcer healing, trans-resveratrol also aggravated acute gastric ulceration induced by the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by reducing the synthesis of prostaglandin (PG) E2via a specific inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 that also hampered angiogenesis. However, for the first time, we showed that the 3′-5′-hydroxylated congener [(E)-HST-1] of trans-resveratrol, synthesized in multigram scale, exerted potential chemotherapeutic property but was nonulcerogenic in nature, rather moderately accelerated healing of indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration. HST-1 did not suppress COX-1, COX-2 expression, and PGE2synthesis but reduced the level of inflammatory myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. The healing was augmented primarily through the nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-dependent pathway. HST-1 treatment induced endothelial NOS (eNOS) expression and reduced inducible NOS (iNOS), resulting in increased eNOS/iNOS ratio. The selective iNOS inhibitor [l-N6-(1-iminoethyl) lysine hydrochloride] and nonselective NOS inhibitor (Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester) treatment revealed that eNOS could be the probable molecular switch to accelerate the indomethacin-induced ulcer healing in HST-1-treated mice. Furthermore, the anticancer effect of HST-1 on U937 and K562 leukemia cell lines was found to be significantly better than that of trans-resveratrol. Overall, these established HST-1 as a potentially better anticancer compound than trans-resveratrol, considering it is devoid of any ulcerogenic side effects. In conclusion, for the first time, we showed that a novel analog of trans-resveratrol, HST-1, was devoid of ulcerogenic adversative effects of trans-resveratrol but retained potentially better anticancer property.

Tuning in: The reaction of halocyclopentane organometallic reagents can be tuned by the choice of metal (see scheme). Cyclopentylmagnesium bromide reduces aldehydes and ketones to the corresponding alcohols. However, in the presence of ZnCl2, normal Grignard addition to the ketones gives tertiary alcohols with complete diastereoselectivity. These protocols were used in the asymmetric synthesis of two medicinally important compounds.

Abstract: UV-Vis spectroscopic investigations of electron donor-acceptor complexes of [60]- and [70]fullerenes with a well-known laser dye, viz., 4,4-difluoro-1,3,5,7,8-pentamethyl-2,6-diethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indecene (PM567), are reported in toluene solutions. Absorption bands due to charge transfer (CT) transitions have been located in the visible region. The vertical ionization potential of PM567 has been determined utilizing Mulliken’s equation. A possible mechanism for the interaction between the electronic subsystems of [60]- and [70]fullerenes with PM567 is discussed. Oscillator strengths, resonance energies and electronic coupling elements of the CT complexes were estimated. Formation constant data and ab initio calculations suggest that PM567 binds more tightly with [60]fullerene compared to [70]fullerene.

Acting as a redox switch, folic acid (1) might be a promising iron modulator to protect cellular machinery against oxidative stress and iron overload. The vitamin 1 can directly control the iron concentration by oxidizing it even if present in chelated forms. In addition, during its role as a reducing agent for the biologically relevant reactive oxygen species (ROS), it furnishes 6-formyl pterin. This folate-derived intermediate possesses a stronger Fe2-oxidizing capacity than 1. Thus, compound 1 can reduce the iron toxicity in two ways. Although, the Fe2-oxidizing capacity is nullified in the presence of a strong biological reductant like ascorbic acid, this property may play a predominant role during pathogenesis when the cellular ascorbic acid levels deplete significantly. The iron-modulatory property of 1 was also confirmed with the L929 mouse fibroblast cell line.

Supramolecular complexes of [60]- and [70]fullerenes with various meso-tetraphenylporphyrins in toluene solutions have been studied by electronic absorption spectroscopy. Charge transfer (CT) absorption bands are observed in the visible region. Vertical ionization potentials (IDV) of the meso-tetraphenylporphyrins are reported from a study of EDA interaction of these porphyrins with a number of electron acceptors like o-chloranil, p-chloranil, 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ) and vitamin K. The dependence of the CT transition energy on the donor ionization potential has been utilized to estimate the vertical electron affinities (EAV) of [60]- and [70]fullerenes in solution. The value of EAVfor [60]fullerene is found to be 0.10 eV lower in magnitude than that of [70]fullerene. We have extracted degrees of CT, and oscillator and transition dipole strengths of the fullerenes/meso-tetraphenylporphyrins complexes. The experimental results show that the CT complexes studied here have a neutral character in their ground states. Electronic coupling elements have been determined for fullerene/meso-tetraphenylporphyrin complexes. Values of the solvent reorganization energy indicate that the electron transfer process takes place at a faster rate in the case of [70]fullerene/meso-tetraphenylporphyrin complexes.Supramolecular complexes of [60]- and [70]fullerenes with various meso-tetraphenylporphyrins in toluene solutions have been studied by electronic absorption spectroscopy. Charge transfer (CT) absorption bands are observed in the visible region. Vertical ionization potentials (IDV) of the meso-tetraphenylporphyrins are reported from a study of EDA interaction of these porphyrins with a number of electron acceptors like o-chloranil, p-chloranil, 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ) and vitamin K. The dependence of the CT transition energy on the donor ionization potential has been utilized to estimate the vertical electron affinities (EAV) of [60]- and [70]fullerenes in solution. The value of EAVfor [60]fullerene is found to be 0.10 eV lower in magnitude than that of [70]fullerene. We have extracted degrees of CT, and oscillator and transition dipole strengths of the fullerenes/meso-tetraphenylporphyrins complexes. The experimental results show that the CT complexes studied here have a neutral character in their ground states. Electronic coupling elements have been determined for fullerene/meso-tetraphenylporphyrin complexes. Values of the solvent reorganization energy indicate that the electron transfer process takes place at a faster rate in the case of [70]fullerene/meso-tetraphenylporphyrin complexes.

Ring-opening-cross-metathesis (ROCM) reaction has been used to prepare spiro-indane derivatives containing six rings. The Diels-Alder (DA) chemistry of indan-2-spiro(cyclopenta-2,4-diene) 1 with various dienophiles such as 1,4-benzoquinone and its derivatives gave the corresponding DA products in moderate to good yields. Also, we report an improved procedure for preparation of the spiro-diene 1 using phase-transfer catalysis (PTC) conditions.

The lasing and photostability characteristics of Rhodamine 6G and Pyrromethene 567 dyes dispersed in polymeric host materials have been investigated as a function of the intensities of incident pump and signal beams in a longitudinally pumped dye laser in an oscillator–amplifier configuration. A substantial reduction in the rate of photodegradation was observed under lasing conditions and with increasing signal intensity in a dye amplifier, establishing that the service lives of these materials improve with an increase in the rate of stimulated emission. We observed ∼62% amplifier efficiency at 2 Hz operation and 10% reduction in amplifier efficiency at 10 Hz operation after exposure of 72,000 pulses by use of a Pyrromethene disk.

AbstractThe tensile behaviour of fully degummed filaments of two commercial varieties of silkproduced in India, namely mulberry (Bombyx mori) and tasar (Antheraea mylitta), hasbeen investigated in dry and wet state. The tensile properties were correlated with thestructures and morphologies of these two varieties of silk. The tenacity and elongation atbreak of these silks were not significantly different in dry and wet state; however, a slightreduction in initial modulus was noticed in wet state. The stress-strain behaviour ofmulberry silk filament was different from that of tasar in that it demonstrated acharacteristic yield point, lower modulus and elongation at break twice as high as that ofmulberry. The characteristic stress-strain behaviour of theses two varieties of silk wascorrelated with density, birefringence, orientation index, sonic modulus and amino-acidcomposition. Poor orientation and less order in tasar are related to the higher percent ofbulky groups present in fibroin.

The radioprotective activity of Piper betel ethanolic extract (PE) has been studied using rat liver mitochondria and pBR 322 plasmid DNA as two model in vitro systems. The extract effectively prevented gamma-ray induced lipid peroxidation as assessed by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substrates, lipid hydroperoxide and conjugated diene. Likewise, it prevented radiation-induced DNA strand breaks in a concentration dependent manner. The radioprotective activity of PE could be attributed to its hydroxyl and superoxide radicals scavenging property along with its lymphoproliferative activity. The radical scavenging capacity of PE was primarily due to its constituent phenolics, which were isolated and identified as chevibetol and allyl pyrocatechol.

Btn2p, a novel cytosolic coiled-coil protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was previously shown to interact with and to be necessary for the correct localization of Rhb1p, a regulator of arginine uptake, and Yif1p, a Golgi protein. We now report the biochemical and physical interactions of Btn2p with Ist2p, a plasma membrane protein that is thought to have a function in salt tolerance. A deletion in Btn2p (btn2Δ strains) results in a failure to correctly localize Ist2p, and strains lacking Btn2p and Ist2p (btn2Δ ist2Δ strains) are unable to grow in the presence of 0.5 or 1.0 M NaCl. Btn2p was originally identified as being up-regulated in a btn1Δ strain, which lacks the vacuolar-lysosomal membrane protein, Btn1p, and serves as a model for Batten disease. This up-regulation of Btn2p was shown to contribute to the maintenance of a stable vacuolar pH in the btn1Δ strain. Btn1p was subsequently shown to be required for the optimal transport of arginine into the vacuole. Interestingly, btn1Δ ist2Δ strains are also unable to grow in the presence of 0.5 or 1.0 M NaCl, and ist2Δ suppresses the vacuolar arginine transport defect in btn1Δ strains. Although further investigation is required, we speculate that altered vacuolar arginine transport in btn1Δ strains represents a mechanism for maintaining or balancing cellular ion homeostasis. Btn2p interacts with at least three proteins that are seemingly involved in different biological functions in different subcellular locations. Due to these multiple interactions, we conclude that Btn2p may play a regulatory role across the cell in response to alterations in the intracellular environment that may be caused by changes in amino acid levels or pH, a disruption in protein trafficking, or imbalances in ion homeostasis resulting from either genetic or environmental manipulation.

Intramolecular reductive deoxygenation of ethylenedioxy tethered symmetrical and unsymmetrical aromatic bis(ketone) ethers with the low-valent titanium (LVT) reagent (TiCl4-Zn-DME) yielded the corresponding cyclic stilbenes with excellent Z-selectivity. On the other hand, coupling of the aldehydic tethered ethers proceeded with high E-selectivity with the LVT reagent (TiCl3 / Li / KCl (2.0 eq.) / THF). Dealkylation of the cyclic stilbenes furnished the geometrically pure hydroxystilbenes.

Btn2p, a novel coiled-coil protein, is up-regulated in btn1delta yeast strains, and this up-regulation is thought to contribute to maintaining a stable vacuolar pH in btn1delta strains (D. A. Pearce, T. Ferea, S. A. Nosel, B. Das, and F. Sherman, Nat. Genet. 22:55-58, 1999). We now report that Btn2p interacts biochemically and functionally with Rsglp, a down-regulator of the Can1p arginine and lysine permease. Rsglp localizes to a distinct structure toward the cell periphery, and strains lacking Btn2p (btn2delta strains) fail to correctly localize Rsg1p. btn2delta strains, like rsg1delta strains, are sensitive for growth in the presence of the arginine analog canavanine. Furthermore, btn2delta strains, like rsg1delta strains, demonstrate an elevated rate of uptake of [14C]arginine, which leads to increased intracellular levels of arginine. Overexpression of BTN2 results in a decreased rate of arginine uptake. Collectively, these results indicate that altered levels of Btn2p can modulate arginine uptake through localization of the Can1p-arginine permease regulatory protein, Rsglp. Our original identification of Btn2p was that it is up-regulated in the btn1delta strain which serves as a model for the lysosomal storage disorder Batten disease. Btnlp is a vacuolar/lysosomal membrane protein, and btn1delta suppresses both the canavanine sensitivity and the elevated rate of uptake of arginine displayed by btn2delta rsg1delta strains. We conclude that Btn2p interacts with Rsglp and modulates arginine uptake. Up-regulation of BTN2 expression in btn1delta strains may facilitate either a direct or indirect effect on intracellular arginine levels.

Erythroid cell-specific gene regulation during terminal differentiation is controlled by transcriptional regulators, such as EKLF and GATA1, that themselves exhibit tissue-restricted expression patterns. Their early expression, already in evidence within multipotential hematopoietic cell lines, has made it difficult to determine what extracellular effectors and transduction mechanisms might be directing the onset of their own transcription during embryogenesis. To circumvent this problem, we have taken the novel approach of investigating whether the ability of embryonic stem (ES) cells to mimic early developmental patterns of cellular expression during embryoid body (EB) differentiation can address this issue. We first established conditions whereby EBs could form efficiently in the absence of serum. Surprisingly, in addition to mesoderm, these cells expressed hemangioblast and hematopoietic markers. However, they did not express the committed erythroid markers EKLF and GATA1, nor the terminally differentiated β-like globin markers. Using this system, we determined that EB differentiation in BMP4 was necessary and sufficient to recover EKLF and GATA1 expression and could be further stimulated by the inclusion of VEGF, SCF, erythropoietin and thyroid hormone. EBs were competent to respond to BMP4 only until day 4 of differentiation, which coincides with the normal onset of EKLF expression. The direct involvement of the BMP/Smad pathway in this induction process was further verified by showing that erythroid expression of a dominant negative BMP1B receptor or of the inhibitory Smad6 protein prevented induction of EKLF or GATA1 even in the presence of serum. Although Smad1, Smad5 and Smad8 are all expressed in the EBs, BMP4 induction of EKLF and GATA1 transcription is not immediate. These data implicate the BMP/Smad induction system as being a crucial pathway to direct the onset of EKLF and GATA1 expression during hematopoietic differentiation and demonstrate that EB differentiation can be manipulated to study induction of specific genes that are expressed early within a lineage.

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) are the most common neurodegenerative disorders of childhood. We have examined mRNA levels of the CLN1, CLN2,and CLN3genes, which are associated with the infantile, late infantile, and juvenile forms of NCL in 64 different human tissues, and have grouped the results into gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, glandular/secretory, muscle, and carcinoma tissue types. mRNA levels for CLN3are highest in gastrointestinal tissue and are also high in glandular/secretory tissue, whereas mRNA levels for CLN1and CLN2do not appear to be preferentially elevated in any tissue type. The significance of extraneural expression of CLN3is reviewed in the context of the function of the protein.

Several aliphatic 2-alkanols with varying chain length has been efficiently resolved by their acetylation using vinyl acetate/PPL in diisopropyl ether. The effect of solvent polarity, position and type of unsaturation and chain length has been probed. This has led to more convenient synthesis of some insect pheromones.

A facile synthesis of the title compound has been developed starting from the crotylated product of (R)-cyclohexylideneglyceraldehyde (2). The key features of the synthesis were stereochemical control of the crotylation by alteration of reaction conditions, operational simplicity and the use of inexpensive compounds/reagents.

An asymmetric synthesis of the macrolide antibiotic (-)-A26771B (1) has been developed wherein the stereochemistries at its C-5 and C-15 centres were installed using an (R)-BINOL-catalyzed allylation and a lipase-catalyzed acylation respectively. Acrylation at the C-15 centre under Mitsunobu conditions followed by a ring closing metathesis provided the macrocylic skeleton, which was suitably functionalized to obtain (-)-1. The biological assay of the antibiotic and two of its precursors suggested that presence of the γ-oxo moiety and the succinate function in (-)-1were detrimental to its antibacterial activity.

A facile synthesis of the title compound has been developed starting from a homoallylic alcohol that can be conveniently prepared from (R)-cyclohexylidene glyceraldehyde. The key features of the synthesis were its operational simplicity and the use of inexpensive compounds.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.

Titanium(III) chloride was found to be an effective catalyst for the imino Diels-Alder reaction between an imine (generated in situ) and an activated alkene in acetonitrile at ambient temperature. The reaction proceeds smoothly to afford the corresponding adduct as a mixture of chromatographically separable cis- and trans isomers in moderate to good yields.