Finite element approximation of -surfaces

In this paper a piecewise linear finite element approximation of -surfaces, or surfaces with constant mean curvature, spanned by a given Jordan curve in is considered. It is proved that the finite element -surfaces converge to the exact -surfaces under the condition that the Jordan curve is rectifiable. Several numerical examples are given.

     

Effects of strain on the dissociation dynamics of O2 on Si(001)

There are two distinctive channels in the dissociation reaction of O2 on Si(001)-(2 x 1): a trapping-mediated channel and a direct-activated channel. Externally applied tensile strain along the <110> direction on the (001) surface is found to suppress the dissociation via a direct-activated channel and to enhance that via a trapping-mediated channel in the temperature range between 200 and 300 K. It has been demonstrated that the dissociation dynamics involving elementary processes such as inelastic scattering and trapping, desorption and/or dissociation from a trapping precursor, and direct dissociation are sensitively influenced by the strain to change the branching ratio of the dissociation reaction.     

Interaction of Natronobacterium pharaonis phoborhodopsin (sensory rhodopsin II) with its cognate transducer probed by increase in the thermal stability

Pharaonis phoborhodopsin (ppR, also called Natronobacterium pharaonis sensory rhodopsin II) and its transducer protein, pharaonis halobacterial transducer of ppR (pHtrII), form a signaling complex, and light signals are transmitted from the sensor to the transducer by the protein-protein interaction. A truncated pHtrII(1-159) consisting of intramembrane helices (expressing amino acid residues from the first to the 159th position) and ppR form the complex in a solution containing 0.1% n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside. At 75-85 degrees C, the time-dependent color loss of ppR was caused by denaturation. We found that pHtrII(1-159) retarded the denaturation rate of ppR. This increase in the thermal stability was used as a probe for the binding ability in the dark. Tyr199 of ppR and Asn74 of pHtrII(1-114) were proposed as amino acid residues interacting with each other through hydrogen bonding. Then,ppR and pHtrII(1-159) mutants at these positions were prepared to examine the effect on the binding in the dark. The wild-type and Y199F mutant can bind pHtrII(1-159), suggesting that the hydrogen bonding between these specific amino acid residues may not be the only cause of the binding, but the hydrophobic interaction via phenyl ring of ppR may contribute dominantly.     

Phase structures of the N-acetyl-L-glutamic acid oligomeric benzyl esters (exact residue numbers 4, 6, 8, and 12)–dioxane systems and their optical properties

A series of N-acetyl-L-glutamic acid oligomeric benzyl esters with exact residue numbers (4, 6, 8, 10, and 12) has been synthesized by a stepwise procedure. It has been found that the phase maps of these oligomer-dioxane systems consist of three regions (I : an isotropic solution, II : a liquid crystalline phase, and III : a two-phase (I and II) solution). In particular, for the samples with residue numbers 6, 8, and 12, selective light scattering of coloured regions in the transparent II and III (bottom-layer) regions have been investigated by the use of UV-visible absorption spectra, leading to the conclusion that there exists a helical axis in the structure of the supramolecular aggregates formed by these oligomeric molecules.     

Exafs study of bromine-doped polyacetylene

Extended-X-ray-absorption-fine-structure (EXAFS) measurements have been made on the Br K absorption of Br-doped polyacetylene at 300 K. The analysis of the EXAFS data shows that Br-C and Br-Br bonds exist in Br-doped polyacetylene with the ratio nearly independent of Br concentration over its range from 5% to 60%. This result indicates that substitution and/or addition reactions of bromine take place even at the low doping level.     

Functional and Photochemical Characterization of a Light‐Driven Proton Pump from the Gammaproteobacterium Pantoea vagans

Photoactive retinal proteins are widely distributed throughout the domains of the microbial world (i.e., bacteria, archaea, and eukarya). Here we describe three retinal proteins belonging to a phylogenetic clade with a unique DTG motif. Light‐induced decrease in the environmental pH and its inhibition by carbonyl cyanide m‐chlorophenylhydrazone revealed that these retinal proteins function as light‐driven outward electrogenic proton pumps. We further characterized one of these proteins, Pantoea vagans rhodopsin (PvR), spectroscopically. Visible spectroscopy and high‐performance liquid chromatography revealed that PvR has an absorption maximum at 538 nm with the retinal chromophore predominantly in the all‐trans form (>90%) under both dark and light conditions. We estimated the pK_a values of the protonated Schiff base of the retinal chromophore and its counterion as approximately 13.5 and 2.1, respectively, by using pH titration experiments, and the photochemical reaction cycle of PvR was measured by time‐resolved flash‐photolysis in the millisecond timeframe. We observed a blue‐shifted and a red‐shifted intermediate, which we assigned as M‐like and O‐like intermediates, respectively. Decay of the M‐like intermediate was highly sensitive to environmental pH, suggesting that proton uptake is coupled to decay of the M‐like intermediate. From these results, we propose a putative model for the photoreaction of PvR.     

Electrochemical Determination of Synephrine by Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography Using a Zwitterionic Monolith Column

A sensitive method for the electrochemical determination of synephrine (SYN) by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) has been developed. Optimal chromatographic separation and high sensitive determination by HILIC with electrochemical detection (HILIC‐ECD) was achieved using a sulfobetaine‐type zwitterionic monolith column (100×1.02 mm, i.d.), a mixture of 10 mM sodium phosphate (pH 4) and acetonitrile (20 : 80, v/v) as mobile phase, and a glassy carbon working electrode which was applied with a potential at +1.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The chromatographic peak height of SYN was proportional to the concentration from 5.0 µg/L to 1.0 mg/L (r=0.999). The detection limit of SYN (S/N=3) was 3.7 pg on the column. Moreover, the present HILIC‐ECD could be applied to the accurate and precise determination of SYN in Aurantii nobilis Pericarpium. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that an ECD is one of useful detection methods applicable to HILIC.