Studies in acyl C-H activation via aryl and alkyl to acyl "through space" migration of palladium.

Examples of the 1,4-migration of a palladium moiety in aryl- and alkylpalladium intermediates to the acyl position of an aldehyde or formamide have been observed. The resulting acylpalladium intermediate can undergo ester or carbamate formation by reaction with an alcohol; decarbonylation, followed by beta hydride elimination to an alkene; reaction with an organomercurial to form an ester; or alkene insertion. Deuterium-labeling studies have been used to confirm the palladium migration mechanism.

Design and control of RUPERT: a device for robotic upper extremity repetitive therapy.

The structural design, control system, and integrated biofeedback for a wearable exoskeletal robot for upper extremity stroke rehabilitation are presented. Assisted with clinical evaluation, designers, engineers, and scientists have built a device for robotic assisted upper extremity repetitive therapy (RUPERT). Intense, repetitive physical rehabilitation has been shown to be beneficial overcoming upper extremity deficits, but the therapy is labor intensive and expensive and difficult to evaluate quantitatively and objectively. The RUPERT is developed to provide a low cost, safe and easy-to-use, robotic-device to assist the patient and therapist to achieve more systematic therapy at home or in the clinic. The RUPERT has four actuated degrees-of-freedom driven by compliant and safe pneumatic muscles (PMs) on the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. They are programmed to actuate the device to extend the arm and move the arm in 3-D space. It is very important to note that gravity is not compensated and the daily tasks are practiced in a natural setting. Because the device is wearable and lightweight to increase portability, it can be worn standing or sitting providing therapy tasks that better mimic activities of daily living. The sensors feed back position and force information for quantitative evaluation of task performance. The device can also provide real-time, objective assessment of functional improvement. We have tested the device on stroke survivors performing two critical activities of daily living (ADL): reaching out and self feeding. The future improvement of the device involves increased degrees-of-freedom and interactive control to adapt to a user's physical conditions.

Synthesis of trans-3,4-Dimethyl-4-(3-hydroxyphenyl)piperidine Opioid Antagonists: Application of the Cis-Thermal Elimination of Carbonates to Alkaloid Synthesis.

Improved syntheses of twotrans-3,4-dimethyl-4-(3-hydroxyphenyl)piperidine opioid antagonists from 1,3-dimethyl-4-piperidinone are described. The 1,3-dimethyl-4-arylpiperidinol 23 was selectively dehydrated in a two step process to the 1,3-dimethyl-4-aryl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine 26 by the cis-thermal elimination of the corresponding alkyl carbonate derivative at 190 degrees C. In the presence of a basic nitrogen, the success of the elimination was found to be critically dependent upon the nature of the carbonate alkyl group, with Et, i-Bu, and i-Pr being preferred (90% yield). Alkylation of the metalloenamine, formed by deprotonation of 26 with n-BuLi, proceeded regio- and stereospecifically to give the trans-3,4-dimethyl-4-aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyridine 27, which was converted in three steps to the common intermediate, (3R,4R)-3,4-dimethyl-4-(3-hydroxyphenyl)piperidine. LY255582, a centrally-active opioid antagonist, and LY246736-dihydrate, a peripherally-active opioid antagonist, were prepared from 1,3-dimethyl-4-piperidinone in 11.8% yield (8 steps) and 6.2% yield (12 steps), respectively.