The estimated excited oxidation potential of sodium anthraquinone‐2‐sulfonate (SAS) increases from 1.8 V to about 2.3 V vs SCE by protonation with Brønsted acids. This increased photooxidation power ...of protonated anthraquinone was used for the regio‐selective oxidative bromination of electron rich (hetero)arenes and drugs in good yield. The mild reaction conditions are compatible with many functional groups, such as double and triple bonds, ketones, amides and amines, hydroxyl groups, carboxylic acids and carbamates. Mechanistic investigations indicate the photooxidation of the arene followed by nucleophilic bromide addition as the likely pathway.
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•Hand muscle denervation was studied in adult spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients with MUNIX.•Adult SMA patients had a pathophysiological remarkable denervation pattern of hand muscles, a ...‘reversed split hand’.•MUNIX is a biomarker for upcoming questions in adult SMA.
There is still insufficient knowledge about natural history in adult spinal muscular atrophy, thus valid markers for treatment and disease monitoring are urgently needed.
We studied hand muscle innervation pattern of 38 adult genetically confirmed 5q spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients by the motor unit number index (MUNIX) method. Data were compared to healthy controls and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and systematically correlated to typical disease-relevant scores and other clinical as well as demographic characteristics.
Denervation of hand muscles in adult SMA was not evenly distributed. By calculation of the MUNIX ratios, we identified a specific hand muscle wasting pattern for SMA which is different to the split hand in ALS. Furthermore, MUNIX parameters strongly correlated with established disease course parameters independent of disease stages.
We found a pathophysiological remarkable denervation pattern of hand muscles, a ‘reversed split hand’. MUNIX of single hand muscles correlated well with disease severity and thus represents an easily available biomarker for adult SMA.
Our data show the power of the MUNIX method as a biomarker for upcoming questions in adult SMA.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic neuromuscular disease caused by mutations of the SMN1 gene. Deficient SMN protein causes irreversible degeneration of alpha motor neurons characterized by ...progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. Considering that SMA is a multi-systemic disorder and SMN protein was found to be expressed in cortical structures, the cognitive profile of adult patients with SMA has recently been of particular interest. With nusinersen, a novel, disease-modifying drug has been established, but its effects on neuropsychological functions have not been validated yet. Aim of this study was to investigate the cognitive profile of adult patients with SMA during treatment initiation with nusinersen and to reveal improvement or deterioration in cognitive performance.
This monocentric longitudinal study included 23 patients with SMA type 2 and 3. All patients were assessed with the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS) before and after 14 months of treatment initiation with nusinersen. Additionally, motor function was evaluated by Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded (HFMSE), Revised Upper Limb Module (RULM) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale Revised (ALSFRS-R).
Of the treatment-naive patients, only three were below the age- and education-matched cut-off for cognitive impairment in the ECAS total score. Significant differences between SMA type 2 and 3 were only detected in the domain of Language. After 14 months of treatment, patients showed significant improvement of absolute scores in all three ALS-specific domains, in the non-ALS-specific domain of Memory, in both subscores and in the ECAS total score. No associations were detected between cognitive and functional outcome measures.
In some adult patients with SMA abnormal cognitive performance in ALS-specific functions of the ECAS was evident. However, the presented results suggest no clinically significant cognitive changes during the observed treatment period with nusinersen.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to verify the influence of superplasticizer and air entrainment admixtures (AEs) in the electrical resistivity of concrete.Design/methodology/approachTen different ...types of concrete have been studied. Three levels of superplasticizer and air AEs have been used (0.20, 0.35 and 0.50 per cent). Concrete samples were cast and the electrical resistivity was monitored at the ages of 28, 63 and 91 days. Compressive strength and density tests have also been executed.FindingsThe superplasticizer admixture presented an optimal level of 0.35 per cent that significantly increased the electrical resistivity. The air AEs at the same dosage caused a considerable decrease in the electrical resistivity. The concrete with air AEs showed highest resistivity/MPa ratio.Research limitations/implicationsThe results should be carefully extrapolated for other materials and admixtures.Practical implicationsThe usage of chemicals admixture in concrete is extremely common nowadays. However, only a few authors have studied the impact of such materials on the concrete’s electrical resistivity. Since many other researchers have already correlated electrical resistivity with other concrete’s properties, such as strength, setting time and corrosion probability, it is important to better understand how superplasticizers and air-entraining agents, for instance, impact the resistivity.Originality/valueThe vast majority of studies only tested the resistivity of cement paste or mortar and usually for short period of time (up to 28 days), which seems not to be adequate since the cement reaction continues after that period. This paper fills this gap and studied the impact of admixture on concrete and for a period of 91 days.
Objective
To determine whether serum creatine kinase activity (CK) and serum creatinine concentration (Crn) are prognostic and predictive biomarkers for disease severity, disease progression, and ...nusinersen treatment effects in adult patients with 5q‐associated spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
Methods
Within this retrospective, multicenter observational study in 206 adult patients with SMA, we determined clinical subtypes (SMA types, ambulatory ability) and repeatedly measured CK and Crn and examined disease severity scores (Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded, Revised Upper Limb Module, and revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale). Patients were followed under nusinersen treatment for 18 months.
Results
CK and Crn differed between clinical subtypes and correlated strongly with disease severity scores (e.g., for Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded: (CK) ρ = 0.786/ (Crn) ρ = 0.558). During the 18 months of nusinersen treatment, CK decreased (∆CK = −17.56%, p < 0.0001), whereas Crn slightly increased (∆Crn = +4.75%, p < 0.05).
Interpretation
Serum creatine kinase activity and serum creatinine concentration reflect disease severity of spinal muscular atrophy and are promising biomarkers to assess patients with spinal muscular atrophy during disease course and to predict treatment response. The decrease of creatine kinase activity, combined with the tendency of creatinine concentration to increase during nusinersen treatment, suggests reduced muscle mass wasting with improved muscle energy metabolism.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Background:
5q spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive lower motoneuron disease caused by deletion or mutations in the survival motor neuron 1 gene (
SMN1
) which results in reduced ...expression of full-length SMN protein. The main symptoms are caused by spinal motor neuron demise leading to muscle atrophy, and medical care mostly refers to motor symptoms. However, new insights of recent studies in severe SMA type I revealed disease involvement of several non-motor regions, for example cardiac, vascular, sensory nerve involvement, and thalamic lesions. Non-motor symptoms (NMS) were previously described in many neurodegenerative diseases i.e., Parkinson's disease and, importantly, also amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Methods:
We screened for NMS in 70 adult patients with SMA type II (SMAII) and type III (SMAIII) and 59 age/sex-matched healthy controls (controls) in a multicenter cross-sectional study including 5 different centers with specialized expertise in medical health care of motoneuron diseases. We used a self-rating questionnaire including 30 different items of gastrointestinal, autonomic, neuropsychiatric, and sleep complaints NMS questionnaire (NMSQuest), which is a validated tool in Parkinson's disease.
Results:
Total NMS burden was low in adult SMA (median: 3 items) and not significantly different compared to controls (median: 2 items). Total NMS of SMA patients did not correlate with disease severity scores. However, the items “swallowing difficulties,” “falling,” and particularly “swelling legs” were significantly more frequently reported in SMA. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were reported in a frequency comparable to controls and were not significantly increased in SMA.
Conclusion:
Patient-reported prevalence of NMS in adult SMA was low, which does not argue for a clinically relevant multisystemic disorder in SMAII/III. Importantly, adult SMA patients do not seem to suffer more frequently from symptoms of depression or adaptive disorders compared to controls. Our results yield novel information on previously underreported symptoms and will help to improve the medical guidance of these patients.
We report the visible‐light‐mediated synthesis of β‐chloro ketones from aryl cyclopropanes, oxygen, hydrochloric acid, and nitric acid. The operationally simple and catalyst‐free method uses cheap ...standard laboratory reagents and displays broad functional‐group tolerance. Moreover, scale up of the reaction and late‐stage functionalization of bioactive compounds is possible, providing the opportunity to utilize the cyclopropane ring as a masked β‐chloro ketone in a reaction sequence. We propose a light‐driven radical chain reaction initiated by the reaction of diluted hydrochloric and nitric acid to produce small quantities of molecular chlorine. The mechanistic hypothesis is supported by 18O labelling and UV/Vis experiments, cyclovoltammetry, and several control reactions.
With a light touch: In situ generation of Cl2 from highly diluted HCl and HNO3 and its light‐mediated cleavage leads to efficient oxochlorination of aryl cyclopropanes. This method tolerates a wide range of functional groups and can be scaled up easily. The products are valuable synthetic intermediates that are difficult to obtain otherwise, and which might also find application in biochemistry, for example, as precursors to antibody–drug conjugates.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
9.
A Retrosynthetic Approach for Photocatalysis Petzold, Daniel; Giedyk, Maciej; Chatterjee, Anamitra ...
European journal of organic chemistry,
March 15, 2020, Volume:
2020, Issue:
10
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Visible‐light‐mediated chemical reactions have become very popular within the last 15 years. Many excellent reviews have summarized reaction principles and recent results in photochemistry and ...photocatalysis. However, despite their popularity photochemistry and photoredox catalysis are not regular parts of the bachelor and master curriculum of chemistry education. As a consequence, most chemists will use in synthesis planning classic retrosynthetic disconnections and only rarely consider photocatalytic steps. The aim of this article is to be a useful tool for synthetic chemists, that are interested in the synthetic aspects of photocatalysis and looking for a specific retrosynthetic disconnection. Not only are informative schemes provided but also are the availability of the catalysts and reagents as well as the functional group tolerance of the respective method briefly discussed.
The aim of this article is to be a useful tool for synthetic chemists, that are interested in the synthetic aspects of photocatalysis and looking for a specific retrosynthetic disconnection. Not only are informative schemes provided but also are the availability of the catalysts and reagents as well as the functional group tolerance of the respective method briefly discussed.
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The front cover picture, provided by Daniel Petzold and Burkhard König, illustrates how visible light and protons increase the oxidation potential of an anthraquinone‐based photocatalyst ...synergistically. The increased oxidative power enables the efficient and selective bromination of various electron‐rich arenes and heteroarenes under very mild reaction conditions and with excellent functional group tolerance. Details can be found in the communication on pages 626–630 (D. Petzold, B. König, Adv. Synth. Catal. 2018, 360, 626–630; DOI 10.1002/adsc.201701276).
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