Stimulation of Microvascular Networks on Sulfonated Polyrotaxane Surfaces with Immobilized Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

Modulation of material properties and growth factor application are critical in constructing suitable cell culture environments to induce desired cellular functions. Sulfonated polyrotaxane (PRX) surfaces with immobilized vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) are prepared to improve network formation in vascular endothelial cells. Sulfonated PRXs, whereby sulfonated α‐cyclodextrins (α‐CDs) are threaded onto a linear poly(ethylene glycol) chain capped with bulky groups at both terminals, are coated onto surfaces. The molecular mobility of sulfonated PRX surfaces is modulated by tuning the number of threading α‐CDs. VEGF is immobilized onto surfaces with varying mobility. Low mobility and VEGF‐immobilization reinforce cell proliferation, yes‐associated protein activity, and rhoA, pdgf, ang‐1, and pecam‐1 gene expression. Highly mobile surfaces and soluble VEGF weakly affect these cell responses. Network formation is strongly stimulated in vascular endothelial cells only on low‐mobility VEGF‐immobilized surfaces, suggesting that molecular mobility and VEGF immobilization synergistically control cell function.     

Optimizing Charge Switching in Membrane Lytic Peptides for Endosomal Release of Biomacromolecules

Endocytic pathways are practical routes for the intracellular delivery of biomacromolecules. Along with this, effective strategies for endosomal cargo release into the cytosol are desired to achieve successful delivery. Focusing on compositional differences between the cell and endosomal membranes and the pH decrease within endosomes, we designed the lipid-sensitive and pH-responsive endosome-lytic peptide HAad. This peptide contains aminoadipic acid (Aad) residues, which serve as a safety catch for preferential permeabilization of endosomal membranes over cell membranes, and His-to-Ala substitutions enhance the endosomolytic activity. The ability of HAad to destabilize endosomal membranes was supported by model studies using large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) and by increased intracellular delivery of biomacromolecules (including antibodies) into live cells. Cerebral ventricle injection of Cre recombinase with HAad led to Cre/loxP recombination in a mouse model, thus demonstrating potential applicability of HAad in vivo.     

Photoinduced Pyramidal Inversion Behavior of Phosphanes Involved with Aggregation-Induced Emission Behavior

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) is a fascinating phenomenon because of the applications of luminescent materials in the aggregated state, which exploit the large structural changes of the molecules in the excited state. Recently, it was reported that triphenylphosphane derivatives show AIE behavior in which they undergo potentially large structural changes in the excited state. Inspired by this report, photoinduced pyramidal inversion behavior of phosphanes was investigated. In photochemical experiments, the prepared P-stereogenic phosphanes exhibited photoracemization in dilute solution, and a negative correlation was observed between the photoracemization and the AIE phenomenon. Theoretical computations revealed that the inversion barrier in the excited state was much smaller than that in the ground state. This is the first report on the photoinduced pyramidal inversion behavior of phosphanes, which will provide new and unexplored applications.     

Copper‐Catalyzed Stereoselective Aminoboration of Bicyclic Alkenes

A copper‐catalyzed aminoboration of bicyclic alkenes, including oxa‐ and azabenzonorbornadienes, has been developed. With this method, amine and boron moieties are simultaneously introduced at an olefin with exo selectivity. Subsequent stereospecific transformations of the boryl group can provide oxygen‐ and nitrogen‐rich cyclic molecules with motifs that may be found in natural products or pharmaceutically active compounds. Moreover, a catalytic asymmetric variant of this transformation was realized by using a copper complex with a chiral bisphosphine ligand, namely (R,R)‐Ph‐BPE.     

Fe K‐Edge X‐ray Absorption Fine Structure Determination of γ‐Al2O3‐Supported Iron‐Oxide Species

The structure of FeO_x species supported on γ‐Al₂O₃ was investigated by using Fe K‐edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The samples were prepared through the impregnation of iron nitrate on Al₂O₃ and co‐gelation of aluminum and iron sulfates. The dependence of the XRD patterns on Fe loading revealed the formation of α‐Fe₂O₃ particles at an Fe loading of above 10 wt %, whereas the formation of iron‐oxide crystals was not observed at Fe loadings of less than 9.0 wt %. The Fe K‐edge XAFS was characterized by a clear pre‐edge peak, which indicated that the Fe?O coordination structure deviates from central symmetry and that the degree of Fe?O?Fe bond formation is significantly lower than that in bulk samples at low Fe loading (<9.0 wt %). Fe K‐edge extended XAFS oscillations of the samples with low Fe loadings were explained by assuming an isolated iron‐oxide monomer on the γ‐Al₂O₃ surface.     

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy as a novel tool for crystallographic analysis in cellulose: the potentiality of being a new standard for evaluating crystallinity

Cellulose - Given that terahertz (THz) radiation responds to intermolecular forces such as hydrogen bonds, THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) has expanded possibilities in cellulose research....     

Geometric analysis of anharmonic downward distortion following paths

A mathematical aspect of the anharmonic downward distortion following (ADDF) path is discussed. The ADDF method is utilized as an automated reaction path search method, which can explore transition state geometries on a potential energy surface from a potential minimum. We show that the maximum number of the ADD stationary paths intersecting the potential minimum is 2^{f + 1} ? 2 , where f denotes the degree of freedom of the system. We also show that the bifurcation of the ADD stationary path is essential to detect all the transition states connected from a given minimum. The ADDF computation is demonstrated for a H₂O molecule in which pitchfork bifurcation is observed.     

2′,4′-BNA/LNA with 9-(2-Aminoethoxy)-1,3-diaza-2-oxophenoxazine Efficiently Forms Duplexes and Has Enhanced Enzymatic Resistance**

Artificial nucleic acids are widely used in various technologies, such as nucleic acid therapeutics and DNA nanotechnologies requiring excellent duplex-forming abilities and enhanced nuclease resistance. 2′-O,4′-C-Methylene-bridged nucleic acid/locked nucleic acid (2′,4′-BNA/LNA) with 1,3-diaza-2-oxophenoxazine (BNAP ( B^H )) was previously reported. Herein, a novel B^H analogue, 2′,4′-BNA/LNA with 9-(2-aminoethoxy)-1,3-diaza-2-oxophenoxazine (G-clamp), named BNAP-AEO ( B^AEO ), was designed. The B^AEO nucleoside was successfully synthesized and incorporated into oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs). ODNs containing B^AEO possessed up to 10⁴-, 152-, and 11-fold higher binding affinities for complementary (c) RNA than those of ODNs containing 2′-deoxycytidine ( C ), 2′,4′-BNA/LNA with 5-methylcytosine ( L ), or 2′-deoxyribonucleoside with G-clamp ( P^AEO ), respectively. Moreover, duplexes formed by ODN bearing B^AEO with cDNA and cRNA were thermally stable, even under molecular crowding conditions induced by the addition of polyethylene glycol. Furthermore, ODN bearing B^AEO was more resistant to 3′-exonuclease than ODNs with phosphorothioate linkages.     

Electrodeposition of aluminum–hafnium alloy from the Lewis acidic aluminum chloride-1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride molten salt

The electrochemistry of Hf(IV) and the electrodeposition of Al–Hf alloys were examined in the Lewis acidic 66.7–33.3 mol% aluminum chloride-1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride molten salt containing HfCl₄. When cyclic staircase voltammetry was carried out at a platinum disk electrode in this melt, the deposition and stripping waves for Al shifted to negative and positive potentials, respectively, suggesting that aluminum stripping is more difficult due to the formation of Al–Hf alloys. Al–Hf alloy electrodeposits containing ~13 at.% Hf were obtained on Cu rotating wire and cylinder electrodes. The Hf content in the Al–Hf alloy deposits depended on the HfCl₄ concentration in the melt, the electrodeposition temperature, and the applied current density. The deposits were composed of dense crystals and were completely chloride-free. The chloride-induced pitting corrosion potential of the resulting Al–Hf alloys was approximately +0.30 V against pure aluminum when the Hf content was above 10 at.%.