Preparation of Gd(2)O(3) : Eu(3+) and Gd(2)O(2)S : Eu(3+) phosphor fine particles using an emulsion liquid membrane system

Size- (submicrometer-sized) and morphology- (spherical) controlled composite Gd-Eu oxalate particles were prepared in an emulsion liquid membrane (water-in-oil-in-water emulsion) system. The oxalate particles thus prepared were calcined in air to obtain Gd(2)O(3) : Eu(3+) phosphor particles and in sulfur atmosphere to obtain Gd(2)O(2)S : Eu(3+) phosphor particles. These submicrometer-sized spherical phosphor particles showed photoluminescence properties with emission peak at 614 nm for Gd(2)O(3) : Eu(3+) and 628 nm for Gd(2)O(2)S : Eu(3+).     

Synthesis of thermosensitive polymer/mesoporous silica composite and its temperature dependence of anion exchange property

An anion exchanger consisting of amino-functionalized MCM-41 type mesoporous silica coated with temperature-responsive polymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), was synthesized in this study. The structure of this composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and elemental analysis. The XRD pattern showed that the synthesized composite had the ordered hexagonal structure and the interplanar spacing, d(100), was around 40?. The amount of surface-grafted thermosensitive polymer was estimated to be about 0.8wt.% by elemental analysis. The adsorption-desorption behavior of methyl orange in this synthesized material depended on the temperature of aqueous solution: at 25°C, the reversible adsorption-desorption of methyl orange was repeated with changing pH of the solution; at 40°C, the methyl orange was not adsorbed and desorbed independent of pH of the solution.     

Determination of the double-bond position in hexadecenols by mass spectrometry without prior chemical modification

Fourteen isomers of chemically unmodified hexadecenol were analysed by two types of quadrupole mass spectrometer, coupled with a gas chromatograph, for the location of the double-bond position. A series of spectra were interpreted in terms of mass spectral patterns on a fuzzy classification, in which the intensity ratios of six diagnostic pairs of the predominant ions were preferred in devising similarity indices. The accuracy of the method in the location of double-bond position was confirmed by testing with other series of spectra.     

Electrophoretic analysis of phosphorylation of the yeast 20S proteasome

The 26S proteasome complex, consisting of two multisubunit complexes, a 20S proteasome and a pair of 19S regulatory particles, plays a major role in the nonlysosomal degradation of intracellular proteins. The 20S proteasome was purified from yeast and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). A total of 18 spots separated by 2-DE were identified as the 20S proteasome subunits by peptide mass fingerprinting with matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The alpha2-, alpha4- and alpha7-subunits gave multiple spots, which converged into one spot for each subunit when treated with alkaline phosphatase. The difference of pI between phosphorylated and dephosphorylated spots and their reaction against anti-phosphotyrosine antibody suggested that the alpha2- and alpha4-subunits are phosphorylated either at Ser or at Thr residue, and the alpha7-subunit is phosphorylated at Tyr residue(s). These phosphorylated subunits were analyzed by electrospray ionization-quadrupole time of flight-tandem MS (ESI-QTOF-MS/MS) to deduce the phosphorylation sites. The 20S proteasome has three different protease activities: chymotrypsin-like, trypsin-like and peptidylglutamyl peptide-hydrolyzing activities. The phosphatase treatment increased K(m) value for chymotrypsin-like activity of the 20S proteasome, indicating that phosphorylation may play an important role in regulating the proteasome activity.     

Imaging of enzyme activity by scanning electrochemical microscope equipped with a feedback control for substrate-probe distance

The enzymatic activity of diaphorase (Dp) immobilized on a solid substrate was characterized using a scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) with shear force feedback to control the substrate-probe distance. The shear force between the substrate and the probe was monitored with a tuning fork-type quartz crystal and used as the feedback control to set the microelectrode probe close to the substrate surface. The sensitivity and the contrast of the SECM image were improved in the constant distance mode (distance, 50 nm) with the shear force feedback compared to the image in the constant height mode without the feedback. By using this system, the SECM and topographic images of the immobilized diaphorase were simultaneously measured. The microelectrode tip used in this study was ground aslant like a syringe needle in order to obtain the shaper topographic images. This shape was also effective for avoiding the interference during the diffusion of the enzyme substrates.     

Microchip electrophoretic protein separation using electroosmotic flow induced by dynamic sodium dodecyl sulfate-coating of uncoated plastic chips

Separation of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-protein complexes is difficult on plastic microchips due to protein adsorption onto the wall. In this paper, we elucidated the reasons for the difficulties in separating SDS-protein complexes on plastic microchips, and we then demonstrated an effective method for separating proteins using polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microchips. Separation difficulties were found to be dependent on adsorption of SDS onto the hydrophobic surface of the channel, by which cathodic electroosmotic flow (EOF; reversed flow) was generated. Our developed method effectively utilized the reversed flow from this cathodic EOF as a driving force for sample proteins using permanently uncoated but dynamic SDS-coated PMMA microchips. High-speed (6 s) separation of proteins and peptides up to 116 kDa was successfully achieved using this system.     

Theoretical study of the double Renner effect for A2Pi MgNC/MgCN: higher excited rovibrational states

The authors report here the implementation of a newly developed, highly efficient matrix diagonalization routine in the DR program [T. E. Odaka et al., J. Mol. Struct. 795, 14 (2006)]. The DR program solves the rovibronic Schrodinger equation for a triatomic molecule with a double Renner effect, i.e., with two accessible linear arrangements of the nuclei at which the electronic energy is doubly degenerate. With the new routines, the authors can extend the DR calculations of rovibronic energies for A 2Pi MgNC/MgCN by considering a much larger set of rovibronic states, in particular, states at higher J values, than the authors were able to access previously.     

Inhibitory effects of 3-O-acyl-(+)-catechins on Epstein-Barr virus activation

In the course of an exploratory investigation of antitumor-promoting catechins, 3-O-acyl-(+)-catechins of varying carbon lengths from C(4) to C(18) were assessed for inhibitory effects on the activation of the Epstein-Barr virus early antigen. Like 3-O-acyl-(-)-epigallocatechins, the (+)-catechin derivatives showed promising effects with the C-3 acyl chain of C(8)-C(11) carbon atoms.     

Water‐Soluble N‐(n‐Fatty acyl)chitosans

Chitosan was partially N‐acylated by treatment with n‐fatty acid anhydrides in a homogeneous solution in 2 vol.‐% aqueous acetic acid‐methanol (1:2 v/v). The degree of substitution (d.s.) for N‐acyl groups in the water‐soluble N‐acylchitosan derivatives was in the range of 0.42–0.82 for N‐acetyl, 0.37–0.76 for N‐propionyl, 0.52–0.71 for N‐butyryl and 0.54–0.64 for N‐pentanoyl and ca. 0.58 for N‐hexanoyl, respectively.

Water soluble N‐(n‐fatty acyl)chitosans.