ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE FOR BLEPHARISMIN PHOTORECEPTOR PIGMENT MEDIATING STEP-UP PHOTOPHOBIC RESPONSE OF UNICELLULAR ORGANISM, Blepharisma

Abstract— In the ciliated protozoan, Blepharisma japonicum, the pink-colored pigment (blepharismin) contained in the pigment granules is believed to be the photoreceptor pigment responsible for the step-up photophobic response. When the cells partially bleached by extrusion of the pigment granules caused by cold shocks were subsequently cultured under illuminated conditions, the pigment-less granules regenerated and the cells were further bleached (pigment content below 0.5%). The photosensitivity of such colorless cells disappeared completely. In contrast, the blepharismin pigment regenerated gradually when such colorless cells were transferred to darkness. The photosensitivity of the cells also recovered with regeneration of the pigment. We found that blepharismin pigment was not photobleached in the absence of O₂. The step-up photophobic response was also completely repressed in the absence of O₂. These results strongly confirm that blepharismin is a photoreceptor pigment mediating photobehavior of Blepharisma and that O₂ is required for the early step in the phototransduction of the light-excited pigment.     

Chelation-assisted hydroesterification of alkenes catalyzed by rhodium complex

[reaction: see text] The hydroesterification of alkenes with 2-pyridylmethanol (1) catalyzed by Rh(4)(CO)(12) is described. The reaction is accelerated by the presence of a pyridine ring in the alcohol 1. The reaction is applicable to various alkenes, both terminal and internal alkenes.     

Acid-base properties and DNA-binding of water soluble N-confused porphyrins with cationic side-arms

Water soluble N-confused porphyrins, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(alpha-pyridinio-p-tolyl)-2-aza-21-carbaporphyrin (pPyNCP) and its N-methyl derivative, 2-N-methyl-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(alpha-pyridinio-p-tolyl)-2-aza-21-carbaporphyrin (NMe-pPyNCP), have been synthesized by introducing cationic side-arms at the meso-positions of N-confused porphyrin. Their acid-base properties (pK(1-4)) and DNA-binding ability in aqueous solutions were elucidated in comparison with the corresponding porphyrin derivative. Photophysical behaviors of pPyNCP were largely influenced by buffer compositions and DNA structures, whereas NMe-pPyNCP is considerably robust against these factors. In addition, significant enhancement of the fluorescence was observed with NMe-pPyNCP by the addition of DNA. The unique properties of pPyNCP and NMe-pPyNCP stem from the confused pyrrole rings in the macrocycle.     

Detailed kinetic analysis of the impact of nucleation behavior and particle size distribution on the configurations of carbon black

Journal of Nanoparticle Research - Dextrans are widely used as additives in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics because of their hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, and low toxicity. These features...     

中国古建筑结构力学研究进展

中国古代建筑是中国古代文化的宝贵遗产. 力学的多样性也反映在古建筑 结构力学研究. 西安交通大学从1982年开始, 对以西安明代箭楼、城楼和宁波宋代保国寺 等国家重点保护文物为代表的木结构建筑, 以唐代大雁塔、小雁塔等国家重点保护文物为代 表的古代高层建筑, 和以国家重点保护文物西安古城墙为代表的砖-土结构以及钟楼、鼓楼 等中国城市的代表性古建筑的结构力学特性进行了一系列研究. 得到关于古建筑结构(如斗 拱、结构非线性、榫卯节点的接触力学特性、地宫、古代夯土、古塔基础、古城墙等)力学 特性的新认识. 本文对此进行小结, 同时也介绍近年来的其它学者的一些研究.     

Easy‐to‐Attach/Detach Solubilizing‐Tag‐Aided Chemical Synthesis of an Aggregative Capsid Protein

A solubilizing Trt‐K₁₀ tag was developed for the effective chemical preparation of peptides/proteins with low solubility. The Trt‐K₁₀ tag comprises a hydrophilic oligo‐Lys sequence and a trityl anchor, and can be selectively introduced to a side chain thiol of Cys of deprotected peptides/proteins with a trityl alcohol‐type introducing reagent Trt(OH)‐K₁₀ under acidic conditions. Significantly, the ligation product in the reaction mixture of a thiol‐additive‐free native chemical ligation can be modified directly in a one‐pot manner to facilitate the isolation of the product by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Finally, the Trt‐K₁₀ tag can be readily removed with a standard trifluoroacetic acid cocktail. Using this easy‐to‐attach/detach tag‐aided method, a hepatitis B virus capsid protein that is usually difficult to handle was synthesized successfully.     

Visible-light-induced oxidative removal of nitrogen oxides in air by metal chloride-modified titanium (IV) oxide nanoparticles

Various metal chloride-modified titanium(IV) oxide (TiO₂) (MCMT) samples were prepared by loading metal chloride on commercial TiO₂ nanoparticles (Ishihara ST-01) having a large specific surface area and used for photoinduced oxidative removal of nitrogen oxides (NO _x ) in air under irradiation of visible light and/or ultraviolet (UV) light. The NO _x removal activity of MCMT samples under photoirradiation from a blue fluorescent lamp (BFL) with a UV cut filter decreased in the following order: RhCl₃/ST-01>H₂PtCl₆/ST-01>RuCl₃/ST-01>ST-01>IrCl₄/ST-01>HAuCl₄/ST-01, indicating that RhCl₃. H₂PtCl₆ and RuCl₃ fixed on TiO₂ effectively worked as photosensitizers for NO _x removal. NO _x was almost quantitatively fixed as nitrate on RhCl₃/ST-01 photoirradiated with BFL or blue light-emitting diodes. Under irradiation of both visible light and UV light from a white fluorescent lamp, RhCl₃/ST-01 exhibited a higher level of removal of NO _x and a much lower level of release of nitrogen dioxide than did bare ST-01, indicating that RhCl₃/ST-01 effectively utilized both visible light and UV light and that two types of reaction (photosensitization by fixed RhCl₃ and photocatalysis by TiO₂) occurred over RhCl₃/ST-01.     

Evaluation of electron-hole recombination properties of titanium (IV) oxide particles with high photocatalytic activity

Electron-hole recombination in nano-sized titanium(IV) oxide (TiO₂) particles with various physical properties, which have been shown to be highly active photocatalysts, was evaluated by quantitative analysis of reduced titanium species (Ti³⁺), which might be formed at crystalline defective sites in TiO₂ particles through photo-irradiation in the presence of a hole scavenger under deaerated conditions. These highly active photocatalyst samples were synthesized by hydrothermal crystallization in organic media (HyCOM method) and post-calcination. The Ti³⁺ density decreased with increasing calcination temperature (T _c), and a linear correlation was observed between the Ti³⁺ density and rate constant for electron-hole recombination evaluated by femtosecond pump-probe diffuse reflection spectroscopy. Reaction rate (R _Ag) and the amount of silver ions (Ag⁺) adsorbed on TiO₂ particles ([Ag⁺]_ads) were measured for photocatalytic silver metal deposition along with oxygen formation from an aqueous Ag⁺ solution under deaerated conditions, and the slope of the R _Ag versus [Ag⁺]_ads plot was determined. Kinetic investigation of this reaction showed that the reciprocal of the slope was approximately related to the ratio of the rates for electron-hole recombination and electron trapping (k _r/k _e ratio). The k _r/k _e ratio decreased as T _c increased, and the logarithm of the k _r/k _e ratio was linearly related with Ti³⁺ density. These two parameters were used as a measure for the recombination properties of TiO₂ photocatalysts with various physical properties.