Classification for dimethylarsenate-decomposing bacteria using a restrict fragment length polymorphism analysis of 16S rRNA genes.

A new monitoring system for bacterial communities involving dimethylarsinic acid (DMAA) decomposition was provided by combining the MPN (Most Probable Number) method and RFLP (restriction-fragment-length polymorphism analysis). The abundance of DMAA decomposing bacteria was estimated by the MPN method using a bacterial culture medium, which included DMAA as the sole carbon source, indicating bacterial cell densities of 1700 cells/ml in Lake Kahokugata and 330 cells/ml in Lake Kibagata. After isolating the dominant bacteria using agar plates, the isolates were classified into some genotype groups by RFLP analysis using 16S rDNA sequences. Classification of the RFLP analysis indicated that 14 isolates of Lake Kahokugata were classified into 6 types, which included 2 dominant types related to genus Pseudomonas, while 8 isolates of Lake Kibagata displayed 6 types including one or two isolates. Moreover, the RFLP types were unique for each lake, suggesting that DMAA decomposing bacteria were specific for the aquatic environment related to the arsenic cycle. The activities of DMAA decomposition mostly matched with the RFLP type category of the isolates. Accordingly, combining the MPN method with the RFLP analysis will play an important role in elucidating the distributions and dynamics of the DMAA-decomposing bacterial community.     

Development of a “Built-in” Scanning Near Field Microscope Head for an Atomic Force Microscope System and Stress Mapping of an Al2O3/ZrO2 Eutectic Composite

We constructed a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) on a commercially available atomic force microscopy (AFM) apparatus (SPM-9500J2; Shimadzu Corp.) to measure the stress distribution in ceramic composite materials. Features of our SNOM system are: (1) a compact SNOM head substituted for the original AFM head; (2) a wide scanning range (125 × 125 μm²) inherited from the original scanner; (3) use of conventional shear-force regulation; (4) an optical system for the illumination-collection (I-C) mode; (5) excitation by a 488 nm line of an Ar-ion laser, and (6) light detection by photon counting or a polychromator equipped with an electronically cooled charge coupled device (CCD). This SNOM system was used to measure the surface structure and stress distribution of an Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ eutectic composite. We simultaneously measured topographic images and fluorescence spectra of an Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ eutectic composite. We estimated its peak intensity, peak position, and peak width from the fluorescence spectrum during scanning, which respectively correspond to the abundance of Al₂O₃, stress in the grain, and the anisotropy of that stress. Mapping images showed that the stress and its anisotropy were weaker in the center of the Al₂O₃ grain than its boundary between Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂. That observation suggests that Al₂O₃ underwent intense anisotropic stress induced by volume expansion in the phase transition of ZrO₂ from the cubic phase to the monoclinic phase during preparation.     

Selective and simultaneous determination of phosphate and silicate ions in leaching process waters for ceramics glaze raw materials of narutal origin by ion-exclusion chromatography coupled with UV-detection after postcolumn derivatization.

The selective and simultaneous ion-exclusion chromatography (IEC) with UV-detection on a weakly acidic cation-exchange resin column in the H+ -form (TSKgel Super IC-A/C) was developed and applied for the simultaneous determination of phosphate and silicate ions as the water quality parameters required for optimizing the water-leaching process for ceramics glaze raw materials of natural origin including feldspar, woods-ash, and straw-ash. Phosphate and silicate ions in these water-leaching process water samples were separated selectively from the coexisting anions such as sulfate, chloride, nitrate and carbonate ions, based on the ion-exclusion separation mechanism. They were detected selectively and simultaneously by a postcolumn derivatization with molybdenum-yellow using the UV-detector. Under the optimized separation and detection conditions (eluent, 0-1 mM sulfuric acid; reactant, 10 mM sodium molybdate-25 mM sulfuric acid; detector, UV at 370 nm; temperature, 45 degrees C), the linearity of calibration was in the range 0.1 - 10 ppm for both phosphate and silicate ions, and the detection limits at S/N = 3 were 2.58 ppb for silicate ions and 4.75 ppb for phosphate ions. The effectiveness of this method was demonstrated in practical applications to the water-leaching process for some ceramics glaze raw materials.     

Stimulatory effect of red light on starch accumulation in a marine green alga,chlamydomonas sp. strain MGA161

A marine green alga,Chlamydomonas sp. strain MGA161 was cultivated under illumination of red and white lights. The growth rate under red light illumination was almost the same as that in the basic conditions under white light illumination, but red light-grown cells accumulated almost twice as much starch as white light-grown cells. Although there was a slight decrease in carbonic anhydrase activity, red light-illuminated cells had almost 2.3 times the fructose-l,6-diphos-phatase activity of white light-illuminated cells. Red light might stimulate starch accumulation by increasing the amounts of enzymes related to carbon fixation through the phytochrome system. Cells grown under red light degraded 1.6 times as much starch and produced 1.7 times as much hydrogen and 1.6 times as much ethanol compared with cells grown under white light during 12 h of dark anaerobic fermentation.     

Origin of attraction and directionality of the pi/pi interaction: model chemistry calculations of benzene dimer interaction.

A model chemistry for the evaluation of intermolecular interaction between aromatic molecules (AIMI Model) has been developed. The CCSD(T) interaction energy at the basis set limit has been estimated from the MP2 interaction energy near the basis set limit and the CCSD(T) correction term obtained by using a medium size basis set. The calculated interaction energies of the parallel, T-shaped,and slipped-parallel benzene dimers are -1.48, -2.46, and -2.48 kcal/mol, respectively. The substantial attractive interaction in benzene dimer, even where the molecules are well separated, shows that the major source of attraction is not short-range interactions such as charge-transfer but long-range interactions such as electrostatic and dispersion. The inclusion of electron correlation increases attraction significantly. The dispersion interaction is found to be the major source of attraction in the benzene dimer. The orientation dependence of the dimer interaction is mainly controlled by long-range interactions. Although electrostatic interaction is considerably weaker than dispersion interaction, it is highly orientation dependent. Dispersion and electrostatic interactions are both important for the directionality of the benzene dimer interaction.     

A novel method for preparation of 2-(methyl- or phehnylthio)alkanoic esters

Ethyl 2-acetylalkanoate gave ethyl 2-(methyl- or phenylthio)alkanoate in high yield on treatment wiht CH₃SSO₂CH₃, PhSSO₂Ph, or PhSSPh in the presence of small excess of EtONa in EtOH. Application of the present method to synthesis of pellitorine and the queen substance is also described.     

13C nuclear magnetic resonance studies of sesquiterpenes,anisatin and neoanisatin: The structure of anisatinic acid,a novel isomerization product of anisatin

¹³C NMR spectra are reported for derivatives of toxic sesquiterpenes, anisatin (I) and neoanisatin (II). Chemical shifts for each compound have been assigned on the basis of off-resonance decoupling experiments, known chemical shift rules, and comparison of the spectra among the compounds examined. Toxic anisatin (I) is known to isomerize under mild conditions to a non-toxic compound, anisatinic acid. The structure of anisatinic acid has been determined unambiguously to be IIIa by the ¹³C NMR spectral analysis of a derivative 8 of anisatinic acid. Some aspects of the substituent effects on the ¹³C chemical shifts obtained in the present investigation are described.     

A SYNTHETIC ROUTE TO 3-METHYLTHIO-2-ALKANONES STARTING FROM 3-ALKYL-2,4-PENTANEDIONES

Abstract

An efficient preparation of a 3-methylthio-2-alkanone (1) has been realized by the reaction of a 3-alkyl-2,4-pentanedione (8) with one mol-equiv of S-methyl methanethiosulfonate (4) in the presence of excess EtONa in EtOH. Furthermore, treatment of 8 with 4 and K₂CO₃ in refluxing acetone, followed by addition of MeOH and heating the resulting mixture, gave 1 in a high yield. These methods were applied to synthesis of pseudoionone.