Synthesis and Application of (R)-3-Methylpyrrolidine-3-Carboylic Acid

L-Proline is an amino acid widely used in pharmaceutical and biotechnological research due to its catalytic activity and biological relevance. L-Proline has been recognized and utilized as an organocatalyst, which allows cleaner, more sustainable reactions. However, one issue with L-proline is its low solubility in organic systems, limiting its reactivity and efficiency, especially when considering industrial research. Two reactions that utilize L-Proline are the Michael and Aldol but require 100 mol% of L-Proline and 30 mol% of L-Proline, respectively. This research will focus on the synthesis of an analogue of L-Proline utilizing inexpensive, commercially available reagents. A variety of organic reactions are used to generate the analogue whose structure is adapted for better solubility. The analogue is known to the Masterson research group and involves a multi-step synthesis, so efforts to improve the current synthetic strategy were made to maximize the efficiency of the production for the analogue. The current method has shown to be the most efficient pathway allowing maximum production at each step. Future goals for the project will include using organic reactions, including Aldol and Michael, to analyze the solubility and reactivity of the analogue and compare with studies performed with L-Proline

Gas phase electronic structure of the 3d metal monoacetylides (MCCH, M = Sc. Zn)

The physical properties of gas phase metal monoacetylide (MCCH, where M = Sc–Zn) molecules have been evaluated with coupled cluster theory and multireference configuration interaction. Metal monoacetylides are isovalent to well-studied metal monocyanides (MCN) and metal monoisocyanides (MNC), which suggests the MCCH series will have similar electronic structure. Some of the MCCH molecules, such as ScCCH, FeCCH, and CoCCH share a trait with their isoelectronic MCN/MNC counterparts: profound multireference character and low-lying excited electronic states. Also like the MCN/MNC molecules, the MCCH species have rather large ligand dissociation energies. Due to the prevalence of CnH polyyne molecules discovered in the interstellar medium, members of the MCCH series likely exist as relevant astrochemicals and could be involved in prebiotic reactions

Detection of Ferric Ions In a Gram-Positive Bacterial Cell: \u3ci\u3eStaphylococcus aureus\u3c/i\u3e

A rhodamine-based chemosensor was synthesized and found to selectively bind ferric ions over other metal ions (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Co2+, Hg2+ Cr3+, Al3+) in an organic-aqueous mixture (CH3CN-MES). Upon addition of ferric ions, the spirolactam ring opens, producing a visual color change and a fluorescence intensity increase, i.e. a “turn on” optical response at 577 nm is observed. The chemosensor coordinates to ferric ions in 1:1 stoichiometry with a calculated Ka = 3.5 × 104 mol⋅dm−3 by fluorescence spectroscopy and a LoD of 27 ppb. The chemosensor was reversible upon addition of the Fe3+ chelator desferrioxamine. One- and two-dimensional NMR experiments with Al3+ ions aided in understanding of the coordination environment of the ferric ion with the chemosensor, which were confirmed by molecular modeling calculations. X-ray quality crystals of the chemosensor were obtained, and the solid-state structure is reported. Confocal microscopy was used to detect free ferric ions in Staphylococcus aureus

Prioritising drugs for single patient (n-of-1) trials in palliative care

Many of the drugs prescribed commonly to palliative care patients have potentially significant side-effects and are of unproven benefit. The acquisition of evidence to support the prescribing of these drugs has been very slow. Single patient trials (SPTs) (also known as n-of-1 trials) offer a potential means of obtaining the evidence necessary to support or refute the use of several of the drugs and interventions whose use is currently based on physician experience or anecdote alone. A list of SPTs considered “most urgent”, for commonly employed treatments and for the most common and most troublesome symptoms in palliative care is presented. These are drugs for which the gap between evidence and practice is greatest, where the evidence of efficacy is most lacking, where significant side effects potentially lead to the greatest morbidity, or where cost is a major patient burden. Although not all the drugs used in palliative care are suitable, SPTs provide a potential alternative method of gathering evidence in palliative care