A comparison of the several methods for determination of specific IgE antibodies

The accuracy of measurement using kits in the clinical laboratories is important for the patient diagnosis and treatment. In the present paper, the AL-18, AlaSTAT, CAP, FAST and RAST methods were investigated and were compared among kits the results obtained with serum sample, for determination of specific IgE antibodies. Significant differences among kits were observed from the results of those methods. One of the reasons, why the data discrepancy exists, is that each kit uses a different reference and a different inclusion method of allergen. For the evaluation of data discrepancy among those kits, it might be important that the clinical history of symptoms and in vivo tests against the different allergens compared with results of in vivo tests.     

Iridium complex-catalyzed method for the construction of a quaternary carbon center α to allene

[Ir(cod)Cl]₂/dppe-catalyzed allylic alkylation of 1,1-disubstituted-2,3-butadienyl acetates gives a product bearing a quaternary carbon center α to allene in high yield.     

Renormalization group approach to QCD phase transitions

Effective scalar theories for QCD are proposed to investigate the deconfining and chiral phase transitions. The orders of the phase transitions are determined by infrared stabilities of the fixed points. It is found that the transitions inSU (3) gauge theories are of 1st order for any number of massless flavors. The cases ofSU (2) andSU (4) gauge theories are also discussed.     

Self-organized near-field etching of the sidewalls of glass corrugations

Using soda-lime glass with a nano-stripe pattern as a test specimen, we demonstrated self-organized near-field etching with a continuum-wave laser (λ=532 nm) light source. Atomic force microscopy confirmed that near-field etching decreases the flank roughness of the corrugations as well as the roughness of the flat surface.     

Size- and shape-dependent activity of metal nanoparticles as hydrogen-evolution catalysts: mechanistic insights into photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

The catalytic activity of Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) with different sizes and shapes was investigated in a photocatalytic hydrogen‐evolution system composed of the 9‐mesityl‐10‐methylacridinium ion (Acr⁺–Mes: photocatalyst) and dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH: electron donor), based on rates of hydrogen evolution and electron transfer from one‐electron‐reduced species of Acr⁺–Mes (Acr^.–Mes) to PtNPs. Cubic PtNPs with a diameter of (6.3±0.6) nm exhibited the maximum catalytic activity. The observed hydrogen‐evolution rate was virtually the same as the rate of electron transfer from Acr^.–Mes to PtNPs. The rate constant of electron transfer (k_et) increased linearly with increasing proton concentration. When H⁺ was replaced by D⁺, the inverse kinetic isotope effect was observed for the electron‐transfer rate constant (k_et(H)/k_et(D)=0.47). The linear dependence of k_et on proton concentration together with the observed inverse kinetic isotope effect suggests that proton‐coupled electron transfer from Acr^.–Mes to PtNPs to form the Pt? H bond is the rate‐determining step for catalytic hydrogen evolution. When FeNPs were used instead of PtNPs, hydrogen evolution was also observed, although the hydrogen‐evolution efficiency was significantly lower than that of PtNPs because of the much slower electron transfer from Acr^.–Mes to FeNPs.