Pseudopartial wetting and precursor film growth in immiscible metal systems

We explore the equilibrium wetting behavior and precursor film growth in pure and alloy metallic systems. The systems exhibit equilibrium "pseudopartial" wetting, that is, a thin film in equilibrium with a nonzero contact angle in both liquid and solid states. The film spreading kinetics clearly indicates a diffusive transport mechanism. The alloying has only a small impact on the equilibrium wetting properties but strongly affects the transport during the growth of the precursor film.     

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchip for precolumn reaction and micellar electrokinetic chromatography of biogenic amines

We have demonstrated that precolumn derivatization and capillary electrophoresis separation on a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchip can be realized as efficient as those on glass microchips. In an optimized condition of micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC), using 25 mM sodium borate buffer (pH 10.0) with 25 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 5% v/v methanol, the electroosmotic flow in an oxidized PDMS microchip is stabilized within 3% for days. By employing a fluorometric derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) in an optimally designed reaction chamber, four most important biogenic amines occurring in foods, histamine, tyramine, putrescine, and tryptamine, are quantitatively determined in less than 1 min at the levels applicable to real samples. The migration behaviors of anionic OPA-derivatized biogenic amines under the MEKC conditions are analyzed, and it has been found that under our separation conditions, the electrophoretic mobility of the SDS micelles is significantly greater than those of the anions in the aqueous phase. The channel manifold in a PDMS substrate is fabricated using replica molding against a thick photoresist, SU-8, pattern generated by photolithography. The plate with the microchannel pattern is strongly, irreversibly bonded to another PDMS plate by using a new bonding technique, which employs surface oxidation by corona discharge generated from a cheap, handy source, Tesla coil.     

Improved expression by cytomegalovirus promoter/enhancer and behavior of vascular endothelial growth factor gene after myocardial injection of naked DNA

Direct injection of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene plasmid DNA into the myocardium was shown to induce development of new blood vessels to increase the circulation in the heart of patients with coronary artery diseases. However, such angiogenic gene therapy (via naked DNA) was limited by low level of gene expression. Furthermore, the temporal and spatial characteristics of VEGF gene transfer in the heart are not known. In this study, we demonstrated that a plasmid vector, containing the human cytomegalovirus immediate early (HCMV IE) promoter and enhancer, induces greater expression of gene in the rat heart monitored by gene fused to the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter, than four different viral and cellular promoters. Interestingly, expression of VEGF121 protein showed an earlier peak, a shorter duration, and a wider distribution than that of CAT only. Therefore, a plasmid vector with an HCMV IE promoter/enhancer provides clear advantages over other previously developed plasmids. Furthermore, expression profile of VEGF121 gene may provide useful information in the design of angiogenic gene therapy in the heart.     

Sphingosine mediates FTY720-induced apoptosis in LLC-PK1 cells

FTY720, a synthetic sphingoid base analog, was examined as a new sphingosine kinase inhibitor, which converts endogenous sphingosine into its phosphate form. With 20 microM of FTY720, sphingosine accumulated in the LLC-PK(1) cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The FTY720 treated cells showed a high concentration of fragmented DNA, a high caspase-3 like activity and TUNEL staining cells. It was also found that the sphingosine and sphinganine level increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner within 12 h after the FTY720 treatment. The sphingosine kinase activity was reduced by FTY720 as much as other sphingosine kinase inhibitors, N, N-dimethylsphingosine (DMS), dl-threo-dihydrosphingosine (DHS). The fragmented DNA content as a result of the 20 microM of FTY720 treatment and by 5 microM of the exogenously added BSA-sphingosine complex indicated typical apoptosis. Under similar conditions, the accumulated sphingosine concentration in all the cells was almost identical even though the sphingosine distribution inside the cells was somewhat different. These results indicate that the FTY720 induced apoptosis is associated with the inhibition of the sphingosine kinase activity and is strongly associated with the successive accumulation of sphingosine.     

Preparation of block copolymer vesicles in solution

Block copolymer vesicles can be prepared in solution from a variety of different amphiphilic systems. Polystyrene‐block‐poly(acrylic acid), polystyrene‐block‐poly(ethylene oxide), and many other block copolymer systems can produce vesicles of a wide range of sizes; those in the range of 100–1000 nm have been explored extensively. Different factors, such as the absolute and relative block lengths, the presence of additives (ions, homopolymers, and surfactants), the water content in the solvent mixture, the nature and composition of the solvent, the temperature, and the polydispersity of the hydrophilic block, provide control over the types of vesicles produced. Their high stability, resistance to many external stimuli, and ability to package both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds make them excellent candidates for use in the medical, pharmaceutical, and environmental fields. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 923–938, 2004     

Independent exponential feeding of glycerol and methanol for fed-batch culture of recombinant Hansenula polymorpha DL-1

As a novel feeding strategy for aptomizing human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) production with a recombinant Hansenula polymorpha DL-1 using the methanol oxidase (MOX) promoter in H. polymorpha DL-1, independent exponential feeding of two substrates was used. A simple kinetic model considering the cell growth on two substrates was established and used to calculate the respective feeding rates of glycerol and methanol. In the fedbatch culture with methanol-only feeding, the optimal set point of specific growth rate on methanol was found to be 0.10 h⁻¹. When the fed-batch cultures were conducted by the independent feeding of glycerol and methanol, the actual specific growth rate on glycerol and methanol was slightly lower than the set point of specific growth rate. By the uncoupled feeding of glycerol and methanol the volumetric productivity of hEGF increased from 6.4 to 8.0 mg/(L·h), compared with methanol-only feeding.     

Biomimetic oxidative transformations of pericine: partial synthesis of apparicine and valparicine, a new pentacyclic indole alkaloid from Kopsia

A new pentacyclic indole alkaloid of the pericine-type, valparicine, representing the first member of this sub-group, was obtained from a Malayan Kopsia species and the structure was established by spectroscopic analysis. A partial synthesis of valparicine and apparicine from pericine was carried out via the Potier-Polonovski reaction and the biogenetic implications are discussed.     

Simple syntheses, structural diversity, and Tishchenko reaction catalysis of neutral homoleptic rare earth(II or III) 3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolates--the structures of

The homoleptic rare-earth pyrazolate complexes [Sc(tBu2pz)3], [Ln2(tBu2pz)6] (Ln = La, Nd, Sm, Lu), [Eu4(tBu2pz)8] and the mixed oxidation state species [Yb2(tBu2pz)5] (tBu2pz = 3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolate) have been prepared by a simple reaction between the corresponding rare-earth metal and 3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazole, in the presence of mercury, at elevated temperatures. In addition, [Yb2(tBu2pz)6] was prepared by redox transmetallation/ligand exchange between ytterbium, diphenylmercury(II) and tBu2pzH in toluene, whilst the same reactants in toluene under different conditions or in diethyl ether gave [Yb2(tBu2pz)5]. The complexes of the trivalent lanthanoids display dimeric structures [Ln2(tBu2pz)6] (Ln = La, Nd, Yb, Lu) with chelating eta2-terminal and eta2:eta2-bridging pyrazolate coordination. The considerably smaller Sc3+ ion forms monomeric [Sc(tBu2pz)3] of putative D3h molecular symmetry, with pyrazolate ligands solely eta2-bonded. [Eu4(tBu2pz)8] is a structurally remarkable tetranuclear EuII complex with two types of europium centres in a linear array. The outer two are bonded to one terminal and two bridging pyrazolates, and the inner two are coordinated by four bridging ligands. Unprecedented mu-eta5:eta2 pyrazolate ligation is observed, with each outer Eu2+ sandwiched between two eta5-bonded pyrazolate groups, which are also eta2-linked to an inner Eu2+. The two inner Eu2+ ions are linked together by two equally occupied components of each of two symmetry related, disordered pyrazolate groups with one component eta4:eta2 bridging and one eta3:eta2 bridging. [La2(tBu2pz)6] has also been shown to be a Tishchenko reaction catalyst with several organic substrates.     

Electrochemical genosensing properties of gold nanoparticle–carbon nanotube hybrid

We have investigated the electrochemical genosensing properties of gold nanoparticle–carbon nanotube hybrid. Thiolated oligonucleotide probes and mercaptohexanol were self-assembled onto the Au–CNT hybrid. The hybridization events of target oligonucleotides are monitored using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and a.c. voltammetry techniques. A redox-active mediator is used to detect the oxidation of guanine residues. The as-fabricated genosensor is able to differentiate between complementary and mismatched hybridizations, relying on the oxidation current of the guanine residues mediated via .     

Analysis of urban dust (PM<Subscript>2</Subscript>/PM<Subscript>10-2</Subscript>) in Daejeon city by instrumental neutron activation analysis

Summary As part of an air pollution monitoring study, airborne particulate matter (PM₂/PM_10-2) samples were collected from 2000 to 2003 at two sampling sites in an urban region, Daejeon, the middle of Korea. Mass concentrations of both fine and coarse fractions and that of the black carbon in the fine particles were measured using the Gent stacked filter unit sampler and the smoke stain reflectometer, respectively. In the collected samples the concentrations of 24 elements were analyzed using instrumental neutron activation analysis. Monitored data were investigated for their temporal trends under different environmental conditions and their seasonal correlation patterns. Crustal enrichment factors were also estimated to establish the contribution between anthropogenic and crustal origin. Patterns for airborne particle matter (APM) and elemental concentrations, seasonal variation of some marker elements were investigated. The results can be applied for the investigation of further air pollution sources and for the evaluation of air quality.