Investigating the use of Virtual Learning Environments by teachers in schools and colleges

Investigating the use of Virtual Learning Environments by teachers in schools and college

Synergistic effects of inhibiting the MNK-eIF4E and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways on cell migration in MDA-MB-231 cells

The study of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) is a key focus in cancer research due to its role in controlling the translation of tumour-associated proteins, that drive an aggressive migratory phenotype. eIF4E is a limiting component of the eIF4F complex which is a critical determinant for the translation of mRNAs. Mitogenactivated protein kinase interacting protein kinases (MNK1/2) phosphorylate eIF4E on Ser209, promoting the expression of oncogenic proteins, whereas mTORC1 phosphorylates and de-activates the eIF4E inhibitor, 4E-BP1, to release translational repression. Here we show that inhibiting these pathways simultaneously effectively slows the rate of cell migration in breast cancer cells. However, a molecular hybridisation approach using novel, cleavable dual MNK1/2 and PI3K/mTOR inhibiting hybrid agents was less effective at slowing cell migration

Performance characteristics of a low-cost, field-deployable miniature CCD spectrometer

Miniature spectrometers incorporating array detectors are becoming a viable, low-cost option for field and process deployments. The performance characteristics of one such instrument are reported and compared with those of a conventional benchtop instrument. The parameters investigated were wavelength repeatability, photometric linearity, instrumental noise (photometric precision) and instrumental drift

Competitive formation of spiro and ansa derivatives in the reactions of tetrafluorobutane-1,4-diol with hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene: a comparison with butane-1,4-diol

Reaction of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene, N3P3Cl6 (1), in two stoichiometries (1:1.2 and 1:3) with the sodium derivative of the fluorinated diol, 2,2,3,3-tetrafluorobutane-1,4-diol, (2), in THF solution at room temperature afforded six products, whose structures have been characterized by X-ray crystallography and 1H, 19F and 31P NMR spectroscopy: the mono-spiro compound, N3P3Cl4(OCH2CF2CF2CH2O), (3), its ansa isomer, (4), a di-spiro derivative N3P3Cl2(OCH2CF2CF2CH2O)2, (5), its spiro-ansa (6) and non-gem cis bis-ansa (7) isomers and a tri-spiro compound N3P3(OCH2CF2CF2CH2O)3, (8). The tri-spiro derivative (8) was also formed in the reaction of the ansa compound (4) with diol (2) in a 1:3 ratio in THF at room temperature. The reactions of (1) with step-wise additions of (2) were also investigated at low temperature (-780C) to give the same range of products as at room temperature. The results of all reactions are compared with previous work on the reactions of (1) with butane-1,4-diol/pyridine mixtures and with the reaction of hexafluorocyclotriphosphazene, N3P3F6 (9), with the silyl derivative of the diol (2), (Me3SiOCH2CF2)2, in a 1:0.4 mole ratio in the same solvent, THF

Mononuclear Transition Metal Complexes of 7-Nitro-1,3,5-Triazaadamantane

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Wagner, G., Horton, P. N., & Coles, S. J. (2016). Mononuclear Transition Metal Complexes of 7-Nitro-1,3,5-Triazaadamantane. ChemistrySelect, 1(8), 1548-1555. DOI: 10.1002/slct.201600502, which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/slct.201600502/abstract. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-ArchivingComplexes of the type [MCl2(7-nitro-1,3,5-triaza-adamantane)2] (M = Zn(II), Pd(II), Pt(II)) and [MCl2(H2O)2(7-nitro-1,3,5-triazaadamantane) 2] (M = Mn (II), Co(II), Ni(II)) have been prepared and their structures have been analysed by X-ray crystallography, elemental analysis, IR and solid state 13C and 15N NMR spectroscopy, supported by density functional theory/ gauge independent atomic orbital (DFT/GIAO) calculations. In each case, 7-nitro-1,3,5-triazaadamantane acts as a mono-dentate ligand and binds to one metal centre only, in spite of the presence of three equivalent amino nitrogens. In the Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes, a two-dimensional intermolecular hydrogen bonding network between the aqua- and the chloro ligands is established. The uncoordinated amines of the 7-nitro-1,3,5-triaza- adamantane are not involved in any H-bonding, as a result of the exceptionally low basicity of this compound