Mechanism of Macroscopic Motion of Oleate Helical Assemblies: Cooperative Deprotonation of Carboxyl Groups Triggered by Photoisomerization of Azobenzene Derivatives

Macroscopic and spatially ordered motions of self‐assemblies composed of oleic acid and a small amount of an azobenzene derivative, induced by azobenzene photoisomerization, was previously reported. However, the mechanism of the generation of submillimeter‐scale motions by the nanosized structural transition of azobenzene was not clarified. Herein, an underlying mechanism of the motions is proposed in which deprotonation of carboxyl groups in cooperation with azobenzene photoisomerization causes a morphological transition of the self‐assembly, which in turn results in macroscopic forceful dynamics. The photoinduced deprotonation was investigated by potentiometric pH titration and FTIR spectroscopy. The concept of hierarchical molecular interaction generating macroscale function is expected to promote the next stage of supramolecular chemistry.     

Chemical-Synthesis-Based Approach to Glycoprotein Functions in the Endoplasmic Reticulum

The introduction of Asn-linked glycans to nascent polypeptides occurs in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotic cells. After the removal of specific sugar residues, glycoproteins acquire signals in the glycoprotein quality control (GPQC) system and enter the folding cycle composed of lectin-chaperones calnexin (CNX) and calreticulin (CRT), glucosidase II (G-II), and UDP-Glc:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase (UGGT). G-II initiates glycoproteins’ entry and exit from the cycle, and UGGT serves as the “folding sensor”. This account summarizes our effort to analyze the properties of enzymes and lectins that play important roles in GPQC, especially those involved in the CNX/CRT cycle. To commence our study, general methods for the synthesis of high-mannose-type glycans and glycoproteins were established. Based on these, various substrates to analyze components of the GPQC were created, and properties of CRT, G-II, and UGGT have been clarified.     

Computational Analysis Reveals a Critical Point Mutation in the N-Terminal Region of the Signaling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule Responsible for the Cross-Species Infection with Canine Distemper Virus

Infection of hosts by morbilliviruses is facilitated by the interaction between viral hemagglutinin (H-protein) and the signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM). Recently, the functional importance of the n-terminal region of human SLAM as a measles virus receptor was demonstrated. However, the functional roles of this region in the infection process by other morbilliviruses and host range determination remain unknown, partly because this region is highly flexible, which has hampered accurate structure determination of this region by X-ray crystallography. In this study, we analyzed the interaction between the H-protein from canine distemper virus (CDV-H) and SLAMs by a computational chemistry approach. Molecular dynamics simulations and fragment molecular orbital analysis demonstrated that the unique His28 in the N-terminal region of SLAM from Macaca is a key determinant that enables the formation of a stable interaction with CDV-H, providing a basis for CDV infection in Macaca. The computational chemistry approach presented should enable the determination of molecular interactions involving regions of proteins that are difficult to predict from crystal structures because of their high flexibility.     

The Impact of C2 Insertion into a Carbazole Donor on the Physicochemical Properties of Dibenzo[a,j]phenazine-Cored Donor–Acceptor–Donor Triads

Novel electron donor–acceptor–donor (D-A-D) compounds comprising dibenzo[a,j]phenazine as the central acceptor core and two 7-membered diarylamines (iminodibenzyl and iminostilbene) as the donors have been designed and synthesized. Investigation of their physicochemical properties revealed the impact of C₂ insertion into well-known carbazole electron donors on the properties of previously reported twisted dibenzo[a,j]phenazine-core D-A-D triads. Slight structural modification caused a drastic change in conformational preference, allowing unique photophysical behavior of dual emission derived from room-temperature phosphorescence and triplet–triplet annihilation. Furthermore, electrochemical analysis suggested sigma-dimer formation and electrochemical polymerization on the electrode. Quantum chemical calculations also rationalized the experimental results.     

Laplace transform impedance analysis in the two-phase coexistence reaction of spinel Li1 + x Mn2O4 positive electrode

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - We demonstrate the Laplace transform (LT) impedance technique for measuring electrochemical lithiation and delithiation in the two-phase system of spinel...     

Hyperpolarized 13C Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Fumarate Metabolism by Parahydrogen-induced Polarization: A Proof-of-Concept in vivo Study

Hyperpolarized [1-¹³C]fumarate is a promising magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarker for cellular necrosis, which plays an important role in various disease and cancerous pathological processes. To demonstrate the feasibility of MRI of [1-¹³C]fumarate metabolism using parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP), a low-cost alternative to dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (dDNP), a cost-effective and high-yield synthetic pathway of hydrogenation precursor [1-¹³C]acetylenedicarboxylate (ADC) was developed. The trans-selectivity of the hydrogenation reaction of ADC using a ruthenium-based catalyst was elucidated employing density functional theory (DFT) simulations. A simple PHIP set-up was used to generate hyperpolarized [1-¹³C]fumarate at sufficient ¹³C polarization for ex vivo detection of hyperpolarized ¹³C malate metabolized from fumarate in murine liver tissue homogenates, and in vivo ¹³C MR spectroscopy and imaging in a murine model of acetaminophen-induced hepatitis.     

Velocity profile measurement by ultrasonic doppler method

The ultrasonic velocity profile measuring method has been developed at PSI for application in fluid mechanics and fluid flow measurement. It uses pulsed ultrasonic echography together with the detection of the instantaneous Doppler shift frequency. This method has the following advantages over the conventional techniques: (1) an efficient flow mapping process, (2) applicability to opaque liquids, and (3) a record of the spatiotemporal velocity field. After a brief introduction of its principle, the characteristics and specifications of the present system are given. Then examples in fluid engineering for oscillating pipe flow, T-branching flow of mercury, and recirculating flow in a square cavity are described that confirm the method's advantages. Several other works under way by other investigators are introduced. A potential for in-depth study of fluid dynamics is demonstrated by several examples from an investigation of modulated wavy flows in a rotating Couette system. The position-averaged power spectrum and the time-averaged energy spectral density were used to study the dynamic characteristics of the flow, and subsequently the velocity field was decomposed into its intrinsic wave structure based on two-dimensional Fourier analysis.     

Spatial structure of the flow through an axisymmetric sudden expansion

Spatio-temporal velocity fields of an axisymmetric sudden expansion were measured using an ultrasonic velocity profiler and analyzed to investigate the transitional scheme of the spatial structure using two-dimensional Fourier transform and proper orthogonal decomposition techniques. The variation of the zero-crossing point, the fluctuation energy directed upstream and the eigenmode spectrum all have the same transitional scheme as a function of the Reynolds number. The transitional scheme can be classified Re _d<1,000 for the laminar regime, Re _d=1,000–3,000 for the transitional regime and Re _d>3,000 for the turbulent regime. Especially, in the transitional regime, we found large changes in the flow structure at Re _d=1,500 and 2,000. The jump at Re _d=2,000 is caused by the change in the flow condition upstream. The jump at Re _d=1,500 clearly shows a change in the spatial structure of the flow.     

Synthesis and Polymerization of (S)-4-Methyl-2-N,N-dimethylaminopentyl Methacrylate

(S)-4-Methyl-2-N,N-dimethylaminopentyl methacrylate (DMAPM) was synthesized from the reaction of N,N-dimethyl-L-leucinol with methacryl chloride, and its radical polymerization was investigated. It was found that DMAPM readily polymerized by α,α¹-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator to give poly-DMAPM. The copolymerization of DMAPM(M₁) with styrene(Mz) was also studied in various solvents with AIBN as an initiator at 60°C. From the result obtained in benzene, Q and e values of DMAPM were determined to be 0.64 and -0.04, respectively. Specific rotations of the copolymers of DMAPM with styrene were not proportional to the weight percent of the DMAPM unit incorporated, but the observed relation gave a downward curve. The copolymerizations DMAPM with α, β-disubstituted monomers such as maleic acid, maleimide, and N-phenylmaleimide were carried out in order to induce asymmetric center in the polymer chain. After hydrolysis of the copolymers obtained, the hydrolyzed polymers were found to be optically active, suggesting an induction of asymmetric center into the polymer chain.