Clinical Psychology of Aging: the Italian Manifesto

In the context of Italian aging population, clinical psychology can play a crucial role in enabling older adults to cope with the multiple challenges associated with the aging process and disease-related issues. This manifesto was  written by the 'Clinical Psychology of Aging' working group, which is part of the Italian Association of Psychology (AIP) consisting of academic experts in this field  who collaborated to elaborate the contents highlighting the most relevant dimensions of the clinical psychology of aging. Specifically, the aging process was addressed from multiple points of view (i.e., theoretical perspectives, multidimensional assessment, interventions), and the role of the clinical psychologists in the National Health System along with training issues were discussed in the attempt to specify  the unique contribution  of the clinical psychology in aging

Pharmacology of (2S,4Z)-N-[(2S)-2-hydroxy-2-phenylethyl]-4-(methoxyimino) -1-[(2 -methyl[1,1 -biphenyl]-4-yl)carbonyl]-2-pyrrolidinecarboxamide, a new potent and selective nonpeptide antagonist of the oxytocin receptor.

ABSTRACT We have discovered a new, potent, selective, and orally active oxytocin receptor antagonist, (2S,4Z)-N-[(2S)-2-hydroxy-2-phenylethyl]-4-(methoxyimino)-1-[(2Ј-methyl[1,1Ј-biphenyl]-4-yl)carbonyl]-2-pyrrolidinecarboxamide (compound 1). We report the biochemical, pharmacological, and pharmacokinetic characterization in vitro and in vivo of this compound. Premature birth is a major problem in obstetrics affecting about 10% of all births and being the largest cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. The impact on society is significant in terms of costs of neonatal intensive care and for the emotional and social stress to the family. The physiopathology of human preterm labor is complex and multifactorial. Preterm increase of uterine activity is a common complication of pregnancy and accounts for many cases of preterm labor. Pharmacological interventions aimed at maintaining uterine quiescence (tocolysis) have been, and are likely to remain, the cornerstone of pharmaceutical management of preterm labor. However, current tocolytic agents (␤-mimetics, magnesium sulfate, calcium channel blockers, or prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors) suffer from a minimal effectiveness and show important fetal and maternal side effects. Therefore, it is obvious that a safe and effective oral treatment delaying spontaneous preterm birth would have tremendous clinical benefits. The peptide hormone oxytocin (OT) is a potent contractor of the human uterus. OT mediates its effect through activation of the G protein-coupled oxytocin receptor (OT-R) that is expressed in myometrial cells. OT-R is coupled to phospholipase C activation, leading to intracellular synthesis of inositol phosphates and mobilization of calcium. In turn, the rise in intracellular calcium concentration promotes a cascade of events, including phosphorylation of myosin, that then acts on actin and induces uterine muscle cell contraction. Before onset of labor and in the term myometrium, the OT-R density Article, publication date, and citation information can be found a

The photocycloaddition of arenes and allenes

In the present work, we report on a new intramolecular para-cycloaddition of arenes with allenes, yielding attractive rigid scaffolds bearing several reactive functionalities to build in further diversity. Bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene-type products and benzoxepine acetals are formed in this reaction, in ratios and yields depending on the substitution pattern on the aromatic ring, the nature of the chromophore and the tether. This unprecedented reaction has remarkable features that distinguishes it from many other photochemical transformations: it is particularly robust with respect to substituents, it can be scaled up without notable loss of efficiency, and it can lead to structures with high complexity in low to good yields. All photochemical precursors could be synthesized readily in three steps. We confirmed the compatibility of the nitrogen atom in the photocycloaddition step, which gives access to bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene scaffold with two points that allow further diversification. This reaction was scaled up to multigram quantities without erosion of the typically high yields in photocycloadducts. Sequential deprotection of the N- or the C-terminus of bicyclic amino acids gave access to two conformationally constrained unnatural amino acids with different disposition of the two anchor points

Planar chiral arene tricarbonylchromium complexes via enantioselective deprotonation / electrophile addition reactions

Sequential reaction of prochiral (η6-arene)Cr(CO)3 complexes with chiral amide bases and electrophiles yielded planar chiral complexes. Benzaldehyde acetal and phenyl carbamate complexes gave o-substituted products with 64 to 81% enantiomeric excess. With the benzaldehyde acetal complex, competitive benzylic deprotonation occurred. Enantiomeric purity of the substituted carbamate complexes could be increased to > 90% ee by fractional crystallization. The racemate crystallized selectively, leaving the enantiomerically enriched complex in solution

Enantioselective Deprotonation/Electrophile Addition Reactions of Tricarbonyl(phenyl carbamate)chromium Complexes

Sequential reaction of the tricarbonyl[(?6-phenyl) carbamate]chromium complex 3 with chiral amide bases (see 4 and 5) and electrophiles yielded planar chiral ortho-substituted complexes 6 with up to 70% enantiomeric excess (ee) (Scheme 2, Table 1 and 2). The enantiomer purity could be increased to >90% ee by fractional crystallization. In all but one case the racemate crystallized selectively, leaving the enantiomerically enriched complex in solution. X-Ray crystal-structure analyses of rac-6a and (1R)-6a suggest that this can be ascribed to a more favorable packing of enantiomers of opposite configuration in the solid state than that of the enantiomerically pure solid. Increasing the temperature of the intermediate ortho-lithiated aryl carbamate complex induced an anionic ortho-Fries rearrangement: The 1,3-transposition of the carbamoyl group yielded the ortho-substituted (?6-benzamide)tricarbonylchromium complexes 10 in 65% yield, after exposure to the electrophile (Scheme 6), and the use of a chiral amide base 5 in the deprotonation step afforded the product with an ee of 54%

Self-Assembly of Double and Triple Helices Controlled by Metal Ion Stereochemical Preference

The syntheses of the dinucleating bisbidentate ligand bis[5-(l-methyl-2-(6'-methyl-2'-pyridyl)benzimidazolyl)]methane (bismbmp, 3) and its mononuclear analogue 6-methyl-2-( 1 -methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine (mbmp, 1) are reported. The ligand mbmp (1) reacts with copper(I) to give [Cu(mbmp)₂]ClO₄ whose crystal structure (CuC₂₈H₂₆N₆ClO₄, z = 7.877 (1) Å, b = 13.810 (2) Å, c = 25.090 (7) Å, ß = 95.29 (1)°, monoclinic, P2₁/c, Z = 4) shows a mononuclear structure with Cu(I) pseudotetrahedrally coordinated by two bidentate , '-diimine donor groups. The same chromophore is found for each copper ion in the dinuclear complex [Cu₂(bismbmp)₂](ClO₄)₂-H₂0 obtained by reaction of copper(I) with bismbmp. Conductivity measurements and UV-visible spectra show that the dinuclear structure is maintained in solution in polar aprotic solvents, and ¹H-NMR measurements unambigously establish a double-helical structure for this complex. Mbmp reacts with cobalt(II) to give octahedral [Co(mbmp)₃] (ClO₄)₂-CH₃CN. The same coordination sphere is obtained when bismbmp reacts with cobalt(II), to give the triple-helical dinuclear complex [Co₂(bismbmp)₃] (ClO₄)₄-3H₂0, selectively produced by self-assembly. Spectroscopic results show that the triple-helical structure (D} symmetry) observed in the solid state is maintained in polar aprotic solvents. Spectrophotometric titrations show that bismbmp reacts with zinc(II) to give successively a triple-helical complex [Zn₂₋ (bismbmp)₃]⁴⁺, a double-helical complex [Zn₂(bismbmp)₂]⁴⁺, and a third complex [Zn₃(bismbmp)₂]⁶⁺. The influence of metal ion stereochemical preferences on the self-assembly of dinuclear helical complexes is discussed