Chitosan-based nanoparticles (CSNP) were prepared through ionic cross-linking and gelation of chitosan (CS) by tripolyphosphate (TPP). CS properties such as molecular weight, and preparation conditions were screened and the resulting nanoparticles were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The obtained particles were consistently spherical with an overall diameter of approximately $107{\pm}20$ nm. They were successfully used as a carrier for Zidovudine, an anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which, to our knowledge, is novel. The encapsulation ability, loading capacity, and controlled release behavior for these CSNP was evaluated. Results indicated that their intrinsic properties were strongly affected by properties inherent to CS such as molecular weight, and by the preparation condition, such as cross-linking density, which depends on the concentration of the cross-linker. In vitro release tests for the entrapped zidovudine showed that the CNNP provided a continuous release that can last upwards 20 h.

We have synthesized several glycosyl ergosterols and 5,6-dihydroergosterols (DHE) and examined their effects on production of nitric oxide (NO) and iNOS protein expression in LPS-treated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Our results showed that DHE derivatives inhibited production of NO and iNOS protein expression more strongly than ergosterol derivative. Especially, DHE-Glc exhibited most potent inhibitory activity without cytotoxicity up to the concentration of $100{\mu}M$.

We investigated the tribochemical and wear properties of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) based polymer matrix composites with nanoceramic (NC) ${\beta}$-sialon, and $Al_2O_3$ particles for the mechanical seal applications at low temperature. SEM showed that NC particles were homogeneously distributed in the polymer matrix and initiated the formation of the supramolecular spherulites around NC. From the temperature stimulated depolarization (TSD) current results, it was analyzed that the surface charge on nanoceramic affected the formation of the spherulites structure. 2 wt % $Al_2O_3$ NC did not degrade the mechanical properties of PTFE so that composites showed the similar values of tensile strength, elongation at the rupture and friction coefficient as those of neat PTFE. However, the composite with 2 wt % $Al_2O_3$ NC revealed the improved wear resistance, wear rate of 0.4-1.2 mg/h at room temperature and 0.28 mg/h at $-40^{\circ}C$, respectively, while the neat PTFE the 70-75 mg/h at room temperature and 70.3 mg/h at $-40^{\circ}C$.

Twenty two new 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) derivatives, 2-butoxy-4-substituted 5-fluoropyrimidines, were synthesized and characterized by IR, $^1H$ NMR, MS, HRMS. All compounds were preliminarily evaluated by MTT assay on human liver BEL-7402 cancer cell line in vitro. Ten compounds were selected to test their cytotoxic activity against A549, HL-60 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines in vitro. These compounds were more sensitive to BEL-7402 than other cell lines, particularly, cytotoxic activity of compounds 6b, 6d-f, 6p, 6s-u were in sub-micromolar scale. The highest cytotoxic potency against A549, HL-60 and MCF-7 was shown by 2-butoxy-4-chloro-5-fluoropyrimidine (5) with $IC_{50}$ values of 0.10, 1.66 and $0.59{\mu}M$, respectively. Compounds 6d and 6e were effective against MCF-7 with $IC_{50}$ $9.73{\mu}M$ and HL-60 with $IC_{50}$ $8.83{\mu}M$, respectively.

We have developed a new multifunctional material, 4,4',4"-tris(4-naphthalen-2-yl-phenyl)amine (2-TNPA), which can be used as a blue-emitting and hole-transporting material in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), as well as a donor material in organic solar cells (OSCs) and an active material in organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). The OLED device doped with 3% 2-TNPA shows a maximum current efficiency of 3.0 $cdA^{-1}$ and an external quantum efficiency of 3.0%. 2-TNPA is a more efficient hole-transporting material than 4,4'-bis[N-(naphthyl-N-phenylamino)]biphenyl (NPD). Furthermore, 2-TNPA shows a power-conversion efficiency of 0.39% in OSC and a field-effect mobility of $3.2{\times}10^{-4}cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$ in OTFTs.

The smallest ketenimine and hydrogen cyanide N-methylide ($CH_2CNH$ and $CH_2NCH$) are provided from the argon/acetonitrile matrix samples exposed to radiation from laser ablation of transition-metals. New infrared bands are observed in addition to better determination of the vibrational characteristics for the previously reported bands, and the $^{13}C$ substituted isotopomers ($^{13}{CH_2}^{13}CNH$ and $^{13}CH_2N^{13}CH$) are also generated. Density functional frequency calculations and the D and $^{13}C$ isotopic shifts substantiate the vibrational assignments. $CH_2CNH$ is probably produced through single-step conversion of $CH_3CN$, whereas $CH_2NCH$ through two-step conversion via 2H-azirine. Inter-conversions between these two products evidently do not occur during photolysis and annealing.

A series of phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes 1-4 based on phenylpyrazole were synthesized and their photophysical properties were investigated. To evaluate their electroluminescent properties, OLED devices with the structure of ITO/NPB/mCP: 8% Iridium complexes (1-4)/TPBi/Liq/Al were fabricated. Among those, the device with 3 showed the most efficient white emission with maximum luminance of 100.6 $cd/m^2$ at 15 V, maximum luminous efficiency of 1.52 cd/A, power efficiency of 0.71 lm/W, external quantum efficiency of 0.59%, and CIE coordinates of (0.35, 0.40) at 15.0 V, respectively.

A new synthetic route to N-Cbz-cis-(3R,4R)-3-methylamino-4-methylpiperidine, key intermediate for CP-690,550, was disclosed with L-malic acid as the chiral pool starting material. The title compound was obtained in 16 steps with a total yield of 26% and more than 98% ee.

We have investigated the complex forming behavior of cucurbit[6]urils(CB6) and cucurbit[7]urils(CB7) with 7-diethylamino-4-methylcoumarin(C460) in water. The electronic absorption maximum of C460 shows bathochromic shift with the addition of CB7 and fluorescence intensity is greatly increased, while CB6 has no noticeable effects on the spectroscopic properties of C460. It is noted that CB7 interacts more strongly with C460 than CB6 does. Fluorescence lifetime also significantly increased for the CB7 complex, which is attributed to reduced polarity surrounding C460 and/or C460 being in a restricted environment. The stoichiometry for the complex formation determined from the fluorescence titration measurement indicates that 2:1 complex in which two CB7 molecules bind to C460 is formed. Thus, two step equilibrium processes are suggested for the complex formation and the binding constants are estimated. The semi-empirical electronic structures calculations indicate that C460 is not included in the CB7 cavity but interacts noncovalently with the portal carbonyls of CB7.

The surface structure and electrochemical behavior of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) prepared from benzenethiol (BT), cyclohexanethiol (CHT), and cyclopentanethiol (CPT) on Au(111) surface were examined by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) to understand the influence of thiol molecular backbone structure on the formation and reductive desorption behavior of SAMs. STM imaging showed that BT and CPT SAMs on Au(111) surface formed at room temperature were mainly composed of disordered domains, whereas CHT SAMs were composed of well-ordered domains with three orientations. From these STM results, we suggest that molecule-substrate interaction is a key parameter for determining the structural order and disorder of simple aromatic and alicyclic thiol SAMs on Au(111). In addition, the reductive desorption peak potential for BT SAMs with aromatic rings was observed at a less negative potential of -566 mV compared to CHT SAMs (-779 mV) or CPT SAMs (-775 mV) with aliphatic cyclic rings. This reductive desorption behavior for BT SAMs is due to the presence of p-orbitals on the aromatic rings, which promote facile electron transfer from the Au electrode to BT as compared to CHT and CPT. We also confirmed that the reductive desorption behavior for simple alicyclic thiol SAMs such as CHT and CPT SAMs on Au electrodes was not significantly influenced by the degree of structural order.

Macroporous $SnO_2$ foam was successfully synthesized via a simple soft-chemical route by hybridization between alkylamine and tin(IV) oxide. According to X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, the as-prepared $SnO_2$ foam had a highly ordered lamella structure along the crystallographic c-axis, which transformed to a rutile phase after thermal treatment at $300^{\circ}C$. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Sn K-edge revealed that $SnO_2$ particles in the hybrid material maintained their nanosized structure after hybridization with alkylamine. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images clearly showed that the as-prepared $SnO_2$ foam had a macroporous structure. This synthetic route can be extended to the development of open frameworks with good electrochemical properties in battery applications.

The photocontrolled reduction of silver nitrate to silver (Ag) nanoparticles on honeycomb-patterned poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK)-cellulose triacetate (CTA) composite thin films was studied. The composites were prepared via the oxidative polymerization of N-vinylcarbazole with ferric chloride using different CTA concentrations. A honeycomb-patterned film was fabricated by casting the composite solution under humid conditions. Ag particles with a homogeneous distribution were produced by the composite film in a moderate CTA concentration, whereas aggregated Ag was obtained from the pure PVK film.

The influence of electron beam irradiation on photocatalytic activity of $TiO_2$ thin films was investigated. $TiO_2$ thin films were prepared by anodization of Ti foil, and they were then subjected to an 1 MeV electron beam. Changes in physical properties and photocatalytic activity of $TiO_2$ before and after e-beam irradiation were investigated. The crystallinity of the synthesized materials was investigated by X-ray diffraction, and the oxidation states of both titanium and oxygen were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The density of donor ($N_d$) and flat band potential ($E_{fb}$) were investigated by Mott-Schottky analysis, and photocurrent was measured under a 1kW Xenon lamp illumination. After e-beam irradiation, significant change of Ti oxidation state was observed. $Ti^{3+}/Ti^{4+}$ ratio increased mainly due to the surface reduction by electron, and photocurrent was observed to increase with e-beam irradiation.

This study tested the feasibility of observing H/D exchange of intact protein by top-down electron capture dissociation (ECD) mass spectrometry for the investigation of protein structure. Ubiquitin is selected as a model system. Local structural information was obtained from the deuteration levels of c and $z^{\cdot}$ ions generated from ECD. Our results showed that ${\alpha}$-helix region has the lowest deuteration level and the C-terminal fraction containing a highly mobile tail has the highest deuteration level, which correlates well with previous X-Ray and HDX/NMR analyses. We studied site-specific H/D exchange kinetics by monitoring H/D exchange rate of several structural motives of ubiquitin. Two hydrogen bonded ${\beta}$-strands showed similar HDX rates. However, the outer ${\beta}$-strand always has higher deuteration level than the inner ${\beta}$-strand. The HDX rate of the turn structure (residues 8-11) is lower than that of ${\beta}$-strands (residues 1-7 and residues 12-17) it connects. Although isotopic distribution gets broader after H/D exchange which results in a limited number of backbone cleavage sites detected, our results demonstrate that this method can provide valuable detailed structural information of proteins. This approach should also be suitable for the structural investigation of other unknown proteins, protein conformational changes, as well as protein-protein interactions and dynamics.

A new compound, perforaphenonoside A (1), along with 11 known compounds (2-12) were isolated from a methanol extract of adventitious roots of Hypericum perforatum. Their chemical structures were elucidated using chemical and physical methods as well as comparison of NMR and mass spectral data with previously reported data. Their inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ and activation of PPAR was measured in HepG2 cells using a luciferase reporter system. Among the compounds 3, 6, 7 and 12 inhibited NF-${\kappa}B$ activation stimulated by TNF${\alpha}$ in a dose-dependent manner, with $IC_{50}$ values ranging from 0.85 to $8.10{\mu}M$. Moreover, compounds 1-3, 7, 11 and 12 activated the transcriptional activity of PPARs in a dose-dependent manner, with $EC_{50}$ values ranging from 7.3 to $58.7{\mu}M$. The transactivational effects of compounds 1-3, 7, 11 and 12 were evaluated on three individual PPAR subtypes. Among them, compound 2 activated $PPAR{\alpha}$ transcriptional activity, with 153.97% stimulation at $10{\mu}M$, while compounds 1, 2 and 11 exhibited transcriptional activity of $PPAR{\gamma}$, with stimulation from 124.76% to 126.91% at $10{\mu}M$.

Five novel spiro[benzo[c]fluorene-7,9'-fluorene] based dyes, including 5-[spiro[benzo[c]fluorene-7,9'-fluoren]-5-yl] spiro[benzo[c]fluorene-7,9'-fluorene] (7), 5-[spiro[benzo[c]fluorene-7,9'-fluoren]-9-yl] spiro[benzo[c]fluorene-7,9'-fluorene] (8), 5-[spiro[benzo[c]fluorene-7,9'-fluoren]-2'-yl] spiro[benzo[c]fluorene-7,9'-fluorene] (9), 9-[spiro[benzo[c]fluorene-7,9'-fluoren]-9-yl] spiro[benzo[c]fluorene-7,9'-fluorene] (10), and 2'-[spiro[benzo[c]-fluorene-7,9'-fluoren]-2'-yl] spiro[benzo[c]fluorene-7,9'-fluorene] (11) were successfully prepared from the corresponding halogen and boronic acid derivatives through the Suzuki coupling reaction, respectively. Chemical structures were confirmed by $^1H$ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), $^{13}C$ NMR, Fourier transforminfrared spectrscopy, mass spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The thermal properties were determined by differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetric analysis. The relationships between the optical and electrochemical properties and the combined positions between these dimers were systematically investigated using UV-vis, photoluminescence (PL), and photoelectron spectroscopy. These five dimers exhibited high fluorescent quantum yields and good morphological stability with high glass transition states > $174^{\circ}C$. Dimer 7 showed a UV absorbance peak at 353 nm, emission PL peak at 424 nm, and quantum efficiency of 0.62 in a cyclohexane solution.

Two new isoflavanones, (3R) 5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-2'-methoxyisoflavanone (1) and (3R) 5',8-di-(${\gamma}$,${\gamma}$-dimethylallyl)-2',5-dihydroxyl-4',7-dimethoxyl-isoflavanone (2), were isolated from Uraria clarkei, together with two known compounds dalbergioidin (3), 5,7-dihydroxy-2',4'-dimethoxyisoflavanone (4). The structures involving the absolute configuration of the new compounds were well elucidated by MS, IR, UV, CD, 1D and 2D NMR analyses. Cytotoxicity of the four compounds were assessed, results suggested that compound 2 possessed well cytotoxic activity, against the Hela, K562, and HL60 cell lines with $IC_{50}$ values of 28.0, 40.6 and $35.1{\mu}M$, respectively.

The proteasome, which is highly evolutionarily conserved, is responsible for the degradation of most short-lived proteins in cells. Small-molecule inhibitors targeting the proteasome's degradative activity have been extensively developed as lead compounds for various human diseases. An exemplified molecule is bortezomib, which was approved by FDA in 2003 for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Here, using transiently and stably expressed N-end rule model substrates in mammalian cells, we evaluated and identified that salinosporamide A and salinosporamide B effectively inhibited the proteasomal degradation. Considering that a variety of proteasome substrates are implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases, they have the potential to be clinically applicable as therapeutic agents.

A synthesis and cation-induced fluorescent behavior of the carbazole-attached $NO_2S_2$-macrocycle (L) is described and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray analysis. The photoluminescence spectrum of L in 80% $CH_3CN/CH_2Cl_2$ displays a peak maximum at 431 nm (blue emission). In the metal-induced fluorometric experiment, L showed a drastic chelation-enhanced fluorescence quenching (CHEQ) effect only with $Hg^{2+}$ and $Cu^{2+}$. In ESI-mass study, a 1:1 stoichiometry for complexation of L with $Hg^{2+}$ was confirmed, suggesting the unique sensing behavior of the proposed ligand L due to the selective complexation affinity for $Hg^{2+}$. The observed results indicate that L is a promising turn-off type fluoroionophore for $Hg^{2+}$ and $Cu^{2+}$ detections. Additionally, the $Ag^+$ complex of the precursor macrocycle was prepared and its solid structure was crystallographically characterized.

To investigate the influence of the carbon matrix on the electrochemical performance of Si/C composites, four types of Si/C composites were prepared using graphite, petroleum coke, pitch and sucrose as carbon precursors. A ball mill was used to prepare Si/C blends from graphite and petroleum coke, whereas a dispersion technique was used to fabricate Si/C composites where Si was embedded in disordered carbon matrix derived from pitch or sucrose. The Si/pitch-based carbon composite showed superior Si utilization (96% in the first cycle) and excellent cycle retention (70% after 40 cycles), which was attributed to the effective encapsulation of Si and the buffering effect of the surrounding carbon matrix on the silicon particles.

Hetero-dimer anions of naphthalene (Np), anthracene (An), phenanthrene (Ph) and pyrene (Py) were investigated using the time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS), anion photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and theoretical calculation. There are two possible geometries with their electron affinity (EA) difference: parallel displaced (PD) and T-shaped. Dispersion force plays a key role in PD structure with the formation of a new anionic core while ${\pi}$-hydrogen interaction plays a key role in T-shaped structure with the monomer anionic core. The optimized structures and charge distributions can simply be explained by the relative difference of EA.

$Zn_{(1-x)}Ni_xAl_2O_4$ (x = 0.0-1.0) spinels were prepared at $800^{\circ}C$ by co-precipitation method and characterized by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The specific surface area was determined by BET. SEM image showed nano sized spherical particles. XPS confirmed the valence states of the metals, showing moderate Lewis character for the surface of materials. The powders were successfully used as new heterogeneous catalysts of Biginelli's reaction, a one-pot three-component reaction, leading to some dihydropyrimidinones (DHPMs). These new catalysts that produced good yields of DHPMs, were easily recovered by simple filtration and subsequently reused with persistent activity, and they are non-toxic and environmentally friendly. The optimum amount of catalyst is 20% by weight of benzaldehyde derivatives, while the doping amount has been found optimal for x = 0.1.

The fluctuations in concentrations of reactants dominate the long-time dynamics of the single (A + A ${\rightarrow}$ 0) and two species (A + B ${\rightarrow}$ 0) diffusion-influenced annihilation reactions. Although hierarchical Smoluchowski approaches can provide a systematic and flexible framework to deal with the fluctuation effects, their results are too complicated to be analytically solved. For the efficient numerical calculation of the complicated fluctuation effect terms, we show that the presented point particle approximation is not only practical but also quite accurate for most conditions in diffusion-influenced reaction systems.

The $Fe_3O_4$-core and Ag-shell ($Fe_3O_4@Ag$ nanoeggs) were prepared through the encapsulation of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane-coated magnetite nanoparticle in nano-Ag shell by a simple chemically controlled procedure. The $Fe_3O_4@Ag$ nanoeggs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV-vis spectrum and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer, respectively. A detailed analysis is provided of how the hydrolysis and condensation of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and the pH value are vital in fabricating the $Fe_3O_4@Ag$ nanoeggs. The prepared $Fe_3O_4@Ag$ nanoeggs possessed uniform size, improved monodispersity, stability against aggregation and high magnetization, which were utilized for the detection of latent fingerprints deposited onto different surfaces. The experimental results showed that the latent fingerprints developed with the $Fe_3O_4@Ag$ nanoeggs powders exhibited excellent ridge details with minimal background staining.

We demonstrate that ruthenium oxide ($RuO_2$) nanotubes with controlled dimensions can be synthesized using facile electrochemical means and anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. $RuO_2$ nanotubes were formed using a cyclic voltammetric deposition technique and an aqueous plating solution composed of $RuCl_3$. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) was used to determine the effective electrochemical oxidation potential of $Ru^{3+}$ to $RuO_2$. The length and wall thickness of $RuO_2$ nanotubes can be adjusted by varying the range and cycles of the electrochemical cyclic voltammetric potentials. Thick-walled $RuO_2$ nanotubes were obtained using a wide electrochemical potential range (-0.2~1 V). In contrast, an electrochemical deposition potential range from 0.8 to 1 V produced thin-walled and longer $RuO_2$ nanotubes in an identical number of cycles. The dependence of wall thickness and length of $RuO_2$ nanotubes on the range of cyclic voltammetric electrochemical potentials was attributed to the distinct ionic diffusion times. This significantly improves the ratio of surface area to mass of materials synthesized using AAO templates. Furthermore, this study is directive to the controlled synthesis of other metal oxide nanotubes using a similar strategy.

Metabolomics is a field that studies systematic dynamics and secretion of metabolites from cells to understand biological pathways based on metabolite changes. The metabolic profiling of intact human colorectal tissues was performed using high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) NMR spectroscopy, which was unnecessary to extract metabolites from tissues. We used two different groups of samples, which were defined as normal and cancer, from 9 patients with colorectal cancer and investigated the samples in NMR experiments with a water suppression pulse sequence. We applied target profiling and multivariative statistical analysis to the analyzed 1D NMR spectra to identify the metabolites and discriminate between normal and cancer tissues. Cancer tissue showed higher levels of arginine, betaine, glutamate, lysine, taurine and lower levels of glutamine, hypoxanthine, isoleucine, lactate, methionine, pyruvate, tyrosine relative to normal tissue. In the OPLS-DA (orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis), the score plot showed good separation between the normal and cancer groups. These results suggest that metabolic profiling of colorectal cancer could provide new biomarkers.

Solution-based deposition of $CuIn_xGa_{1-x}Se_2$ (CIGSe) thin films is well known non-vacuum process for the fabrication of CIGSe solar cells. However, due to the usage of organic chemicals in the preparation of CIG precursor solutions, the crystallization of the polycrystalline CIGSe and the performance of CIGSe thin film solar cells were significantly affected by the carbon residues from the organic chemicals. In this work, we have tried to eliminate the carbon residues in the CIG precursor thin films efficiently by using soft-annealing process. By adjusting soft-annealing temperature, it is possible to control the amount of carbon residues in CIG precursor thin films. The reduction of the carbon residues in CIG precursors by high temperature soft-annealing improves the grain size and morphology of polycrystalline CIGSe thin films, which are also closely related with the electrical properties of CIGSe thin film solar cells.

The Suzuki cross-coupling reactions proceeded in excellent yields when it was catalyzed by magnetically recyclable nanocatalyst. This nanocatalyst provided very high catalytic activity with low loading level (1 mol %), because the palladium nanoparticles were so small in size (~2 nm) and located on the surface of the nanocomposite. It was also easily recovered from the reaction mixture using a magnet and reused for six consecutive cycles.

Bifunctional Fe-SBA-15-$SO_3H$ mesoporous materials with different Si/Fe molar ratios (3, 5, and 7) have been synthesized via a simple direct hydrothermal method and characterized by XRD, $N_2$-adsorption/desorption, TG/DTG and FT-IR techniques, and used as solid acid catalysts in the esterification of lactic acid with methanol. XRD and $N_2$ sorption characterizations show successful iron doping within the mesoporous channels of SBA-15-$SO_3H$. The FT-IR and TG/DTG characterizations also reveal the presence of iron. With the incorporation of Fe ions into the SBA-15-$SO_3H$, the acid sites substantially increased because of the self-separated acidity of the hydrolysis of $Fe^{3+}$ solutions. However, in the Si/Fe = 3 molar ratio, the catalytic conversion decreased which is caused by the reduced cooperation effect between the acid pairs due to the weakened hydrogen bonds and collapse of the pore structure. This further suggests that the mesoporous structure decreases with the decrease in Si/Fe ratio.

Based on the finding that the 2-aminobenzamido group of MS-275 plays a crucial role in inhibiting HDACs through chelation of zinc existing at the active site of HDAC enzymes, novel N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)arylsulfonamide derivatives were synthesized for their potential ability to inhibit HDACs and evaluated for anticancer activity against human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). Although the synthesized arylsulfonamides have failed to significantly inhibit total HDACs activity, phenyl carbamate-linked arylsulfonamide 10 and benzyl thiocarbamate-linked arylsulfonamide 15 exhibited good anticancer activities, which were only 4.3- and 3.6-fold lower anticancer activities, respectively, than MS-275 that is undergoing phase II clinical trials. These results suggest that these compounds may act as a selective HDAC inhibitor and probably N-(2-hydroxyphenyl) sulfamoyl group may play an important role in interacting with HDAC enzymes through chelation of zinc ion.

Energy flow and C-$H_{methyl}$ and C-$H_{ring}$ bond dissociations in vibrationally excited toluene in the collision with $N_2$ and $O_2$ have been studied by use of classical trajectory procedures. The energy lost by the vibrationally excited toluene upon collision is not large and it increases slowly with increasing total vibrational energy content between 5,000 and 45,000 $cm^{-1}$. Intermolecular energy transfer occurs via both of V-T and V-V transfers. Both of V-T and V-V transfers increase as the total vibrational energy of toluene increases. When the total energy content $E_T$ of toluene is sufficiently high, either C-H bond can dissociate. The C-$H_{methyl}$ dissociation probability is higher than the C-$H_{ring}$ dissociation probability, and that in the collision with $N_2$ is larger than with $O_2$.

The two major symptoms characterizing Alzheimer's disease are the formation of amyloid-${\beta}$ extracellular deposits in the form of senile plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) that consist of pathological hyperphosphorylated tau protein aggregated into insoluble paired helical filaments (PHFs). Neurons of the central nervous system have appreciable amounts of tau protein, a microtubule-associated protein. To maintain an optimal operation of nerves, the microtubules are stabilized, which is necessary to support cell structure and cellular processes. When the modified tau protein becomes dysfunctional, the cells containing misfolded tau cannot maintain cell structure. One of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is hyperphosphorylated tau protein. This paper shows that the small heat shock protein from humans (Hsp27) reduces hyperphosphorylated tau and prevents hyperphosphorylated tau-induced cell death of the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y.

A simple and efficient synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles was achieved via a one-pot three-component cyclocondensation of benzil, aromatic aldehydes, and ammonium acetate in the presence of a catalytic amount of tetrabutylammonium hexatungstate $[TBA]_2[W_6O_{19}]$ as a heterogeneous catalyst under thermal solvent-free conditions. The key features of this methodology are operational simplicity, high yields, short reaction times, and a recyclable catalyst with a very easy work up.

Novel chitosan (CS) based membrane networks were developed by solution casting and followed by crosslinking with different crosslinkers such as glutaraldehyde, urea-formaldehyde, and thiourea-formaldehyde. The developed membrane networks were designated as CS-GA, CS-UF and CS-TF. Crosslinking reaction of CS membranes was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Membrane rigidity and compactness were studied by the differential scanning calorimetry. The surface morphology of CS membranes was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The sorption behaviour with respect to contact time, initial pH and initial metal ion concentration were investigated. The maximum adsorption capacity of CS-GA, CS-UF and CS-TF sorbents was found to be 1.03, 1.2 and 1.18 mM/g for $Cu^{2+}$ and 1.48, 1.55 and 2.18 mM/g for $Ni^{2+}$ respectively. Swelling experiments have been performed on the membrane networks at $30^{\circ}C$. Desorption studies were performed in acid media and EDTA and it was found that the membranes are reusable for the metal ion removal for three cycles. The developed membranes could be successfully used for the separation of $Cu^{2+}$ and $Ni^{2+}$ metal ions from aqueous solutions.

N-Propylsulfamic acid supported onto magnetic $Fe_3O_4$ nanoparticles (MNPs-PSA) was used as an efficient and magnetically recoverable catalyst for synthesis of 2H-Indazolo[2,1-b]phthalazine-1,6,11(13H)-trione derivatives from the three-component, one-pot condensation reaction of phthalhydrazide, aromatic aldehydes and cyclic 1,3-diones, in good to excellent yields at $100^{\circ}C$ under solvent-free conditions. The catalyst was easily separated with the assistance of an external magnetic field from the reaction mixture and reused for several consecutive runs without significant loss of its catalytic efficiency. In order to compare, the synthesis of 2H-Indazolo[ 2,1-b]phthalazine-1,6,11(13H)-trione derivatives in the presence of catalytic amount of sulfamic acid (SA) under same reaction condition was also reported.

Pseudo-first-order rate constants ($k_{obsd}$) have been measured spectrophotometrically for the nucleophilic substitution reactions of 2-pyridyl thionobenzoate (5b) with alkali-metal ethoxides (EtOM, $M^+=Li^+$, $Na^+$, $K^+$, and 18-crown-6-ether complexed $K^+$) in anhydrous ethanol at $25.0{\pm}0.1^{\circ}C$. The plots of $k_{obsd}$ vs. $[EtOM]_o$ curve upward regardless of the nature of the $M^+$ ions, while those of $k_{obsd}/[EtO^-]_{eq}$ vs. $[EtO^-]_{eq}$ are linear with a positive intercept. Dissection of $k_{obsd}$ into $k_{EtO^-}$ and $k_{EtOM}$ (i.e., the second-order rate constants for the reactions with the dissociated $EtO^-$ and ion-paired EtOM, respectively) has revealed that the ion-paired EtOM is more reactive than the dissociated $EtO^-$, and $M^+$ ions catalyze the reactions in the order $K^+$ < $Na^+$ < $Li^+$ < 18C6-complexed $K^+$. The plot of log $k_{EtOM}$ vs. $1/r_{Stokes}$ results in an excellent linear correlation, indicating that the reactions are catalyzed by the solvated $M^+$ ions but not by the bare $M^+$ ions. The reactions of 5b with EtOM have been concluded to proceed through a six-membered cyclic TS, in which the solvated $M^+$ ions increase the electrophilicity of the reaction center and the nucleofugality of the leaving group.