Addition–deletion results for the minimal degree of logarithmic derivations of hyperplane arrangements and maximal Tjurina line arrangements

Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics - We study the change of the minimal degree of a logarithmic derivation of a hyperplane arrangement under the addition or the deletion of a hyperplane and give a...     

Chemo-enzymatic syntheses of drimane-type sesquiterpenes and the fundamental core of hongoquercin meroterpenoid by recombinant squalene-hopene cyclase

Squalene-hopene cyclase (SHC) converts squalene (C(30)) into pentacyclic triterpenes of hopene and hopanol. A linear sesquiterpene, (6E,10E)-2,6,10-trimethyldodeca-2,6,10-triene, underwent cyclization catalyzed by SHC, affording the following six bicyclic sesquiterpenes (drimane skeleton) in relatively high yield (68%): drim-7(8)-ene, drim-8(12)-ene, drim-8(9)-ene, driman-8α-ol, driman-8β-ol, and the novel sesquiterpene, named quasiclerodane, the skeleton of which is analogous to that of clerodane diterpene. To extend the scope of the enzymatic syntheses, acyclic sesquiterpenes to which a phenol moiety was appended were subjected to the enzymatic reaction catalyzed by SHC. The cyclic meroterpene core present in hongoquercins A and B was successfully prepared. The formation mechanisms of drimane-type sesquiterpenes and the cyclic meroterpene core of hongoquercins A and B are discussed.     

Ru(CO)-salen-Catalyzed Synthesis of Enantiopure Aziridinyl Ketones and Formal Asymmetric Synthesis of (+)-PD 128907

Aziridination of vinyl ketones using SESN(3) in the presence Ru(CO)-salen complex 1 provides the enantiopure aziridinyl ketones that can serve as useful chiral building blocks. A formal asymmetric synthesis of (+)-PD 128907 was achieved in an eight-step sequence via aziridination.     

Quantitative assessment of skeletal muscle activation using muscle functional MRI

The purpose of the present study is to determine whether muscle functional MRI (mfMRI) can be used to obtain three-dimensional (3-D) images useful for evaluating muscle activity, and if so, to measure the distribution of muscle activity within a medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle. Seven men performed 5 sets of 10 repetitions of a calf-raise exercise with additional 15% of body-weight load. Magnetic resonance images were obtained before and immediately after the exercise. To threshold images, only those pixels showing transverse relaxation time (T2) greater than the mean+1 S.D. of the entire regions of interest (ROIs) in the preexercise image and T2 lower than the mean+1 S.D. of the entire ROIs in the postexercise image were identified. The survived pixels showing T2 are defined as active muscle. Those thresholded images were 3-D reconstructed, and this was used to determine area of active muscle along transverse, longitudinal and vertical axes. At the exercise level used in the present study, the percentage volume of activated muscle in the MG was 62.8+/-4.5%. There was a significant correlation between percentage volume of activated muscle and integrated electromyography (r=.78, P<.05). Percentage areas of activated muscle were significantly larger in the medial than in the lateral region, in the anterior than in the posterior region and in the distal than in the proximal region (P<.05). These results suggest that mfMRI can be used to evaluate the muscle activity and to determine intramuscular variations of activity within skeletal muscle.     

Charge states of Ca atoms in β-dicalcium silicate

In order to study the crystal structure of β‐Ca₂SiO₄, time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction experiments were carried out at temperatures between room temperature (RT) and 600 °C. Rietveld refinement at RT has shown that β‐Ca₂SiO₄ is monoclinic based on P2₁/n symmetry and two different types of Ca sites, Ca(1) and Ca(2). All interatomic distances within 3 Å were calculated, with the valences of Ca(1) with seven CaO bonds and Ca(2) with eight were estimated to be 1.87+ and 2+ by the Zachariasen-Brown-Altermatt formula (bond valence sum). Applying charge neutrality the two charge states of Ca in β‐Ca₂SiO₄ are [Ca(1)SiO₄]²⁻ and Ca(2)²⁺, respectively. Furthermore, the [Ca(1)SiO₄]²⁻ unit has the shortest Ca-O distance, and its length kept constant at 2.23 Å at all temperatures. In the short-range structure analysis at RT, the shortest Ca-O bond was also observed in a radial distribution function. These results imply that the [Ca(1)SiO₄]²⁻ unit has covalency on the shortest Ca-O in addition to Si-O.     

Modification of gold nanorods using phosphatidylcholine to reduce cytotoxicity

Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), which is necessary for the preparation of gold nanorods (NRs), was extracted from a NR solution into a chloroform phase containing phosphatidylcholine (PC). After three extractions, the zeta potential of the NRs remained positive, but its magnitude decreased from +67 +/- 1 to +15 +/- 1 mV. Transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis indicated that the NRs were passivated with PC. The PC layer on the NR surface contributed to the prevention of NR aggregation. The PC-passivated NRs showed low cytotoxicity in comparison with twice-centrifuged NRs. It was shown that a negligible amount of CTAB was dispersed in the NR solution after the extraction. The extraction using a chloroform phase containing PC was found to be a convenient way of replacing the CTAB with alternative capping agents such as PC. This is a key technique for preparing functional NRs that can have practical applications.     

Development of a fluorescence peptide chip for the detection of caspase activity

Proteases play a key role in cell functions, and it is very important to monitor their activities for drug screening and diagnosis of diseases. In the present study, a new class of fluorescence probe, into which a fluorophore and a quencher have been introduced, was developed and applied to the on-chip detection of caspase-3 activity. This probe is non fluorescent in the absence of caspase-3. However, when it is treated with active caspase-3, the fluorescence intensity increases dependent on the caspase-3 activity due to the cleavage of the quencher-containing moiety on a glass slide. This caspase-dependent increase in the fluorescence intensity was also detected when the glass slide immobilizing the probe peptide was treated with cell lysate stimulated by staurosporine (STP), which is an apoptosis-inducing agent. On the other hand, such an increase was not detected in the case of control cell lysate without STP-stimulation. The developed system is a rapid and sensitive method and is useful for the direct measurement of protease activity on a glass array.     

Scavenging DPPH radicals catalyzed by binary noble metal-dendrimer nanocomposites

Catalytic activity of gold-platinum, gold-palladium, and platinum-palladium dendrimer nanocomposites for scavenging 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals was investigated. The gold-platinum and gold-palladium dendrimer nanocomposites were prepared via simultaneous reduction by sodium borohydride in the presence of poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers with amine or carboxyl terminal groups. The particles were not mixtures of monometallic particles but alloyed bimetallic particles. Bimetallic particles exhibited higher catalytic activity than monometallic ones.     

Synthesis of Orthorhombic Mo‐V‐Sb Oxide Species by Assembly of Pentagonal Mo6O21 Polyoxometalate Building Blocks

Mix and match : The pentagonal [Mo₆O₂₁]^n? polyoxomolybdate building block assembles with other sources of Mo, V, and Sb ions to form an orthorhombic Mo‐V‐Sb oxide. The first single‐crystal X‐ray analysis of an orthorhombic Mo–V‐based oxide, a promising catalyst for light alkane selective oxidation known as the “M1 phase”, revealed the structure of the compound.

     

Potassium hydrogen trans‐glutaconate monohydrate at 295, 245 and 40 K,and its rubidium analogue at 298 K

A centrosymmetric and short O—H?O hydrogen bond was found in isomorphic crystals of potassium hydrogen trans‐glutaconate monohydrate (potassium hydrogen trans‐pent‐2‐ene‐1,5‐dioate, K⁺·C₅H₅O₄^?·H₂O), (I), and rubidium hydrogen trans‐glutaconate monohydrate (rubidium hydrogen trans‐pent‐2‐ene‐1,5‐dioate, Rb⁺·C₅H₅O₄^?·H₂O), (II). The O?O distance at room temperature is 2.444 (3) Å in (I), and 2.417 (4) Å in (II). The O?O distance for (I) showed no significant decrease at low temperatures.