Friedel-Crafts Polymers. 6. Friedel-Crafts Polycondensation of p-Xylylerte Dibromide with Salicylic Acid and β-Resorcyiic Acid

Polymers were prepared by condensing p-xylylene dibromide separately with salicylic acid and β-resorcylic acid in the presence of anhydrous ferric chloride in dioxane. The polymer samples_were characterized by elemental analysis, by IR spectral study, by M determined by vapor pressure osmometry, by nonaqueous conducto-metric titration in pyridine, by TGA in air, and by viscosity measurements of polymer solutions in DMF. Polymeric metal chelates of Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Fe³⁺ with polymer samples were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, by IR spectral study, and by TGA in air. The chelation ion-exchange properties of the polymer samples were studied by employing the batch equilibration method.     

Akt is involved in the inhibition of cell proliferation by EGF

Axin is a negative regulator of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway and is involved in the regulation of axis formation and proliferation. Involvement of Axin in the regulation of other signaling pathways is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the involvement of Akt in growth regulation by Axin in L929 fibroblasts stimulated by EGF. Akt activity was increased by EGF treatment and Ras activation, respectively. Both the EGF- and Ras-induced Akt activations were abolished by Axin induction, as revealed by both Western blot and immunocytochemical analyses. The proliferation and Akt activation induced by EGF were decreased by Axin induction, and the effects of EGF were abolished by treatment of an Akt-specific inhibitor. Therefore, Axin inhibits EGF-induced proliferation of L929 fibroblasts by blocking Akt activation.     

High-performance liquid chromatography of sulphadimethoxine and its N1-glucuronide, N4-acetyl and N4-acetyl-N1-glucuronide metabolites in human plasma and urine

Sulphadimethoxine is metabolized in humans by N1-glucuronidation and by N4-acetylation. Sulphadimethoxine-N1-glucuronide can be measured by the direct high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis and without enzymic deglucuronidation. The N1-glucuronide can be measured by an isocratic as well as by a gradient mobile phase. The group contribution of the N1-glucuronide moiety to the capacity factor is a reduction of 0.24 in the isocratic system and 0.55 in the gradient system. N4-Acetylation increases the capacity factor by a factor 1.4 in the isocratic system and by 1.06 in the gradient system.     

Isotachophoretic zone formation of serum albumin in different free fluid electrophoresis instruments

The isotachophoretic behavior of a model protein, serum albumin, was examined (i) by computer simulation, (ii) by capillary isotachophoresis in HPE 100 and Tachophor 2127, (iii) by continuous flow isotachophoresis in Elphor VaP 22 and the BIO-STREAM Separator and (iv) by recycling isotachophoresis in an apparatus of our own design. Variations in monitored zone shapes can be explained by differences in engineering aspects and fluid stabilization principles of the instruments.     

Polymer modification to achieve novel properties

Polymers have been modified, by subjecting them to reactions in solution, in the melt and in the solid state. Novel polymers with improved and optimized properties have also been created by copolymerization, chain transfer or by the design of chain termination. Even by manipulating the initiation step in polymerizations, functional and reactive groups have been introduced at the head of the polymer chain. Polymer properties have been modified by influencing physical properties of polymers by orienting, annealing and blending.     

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase beta expression mediated by MyoD and muscle regulatory factor 4 is differentially affected by retinoic acid receptor and retinoid X receptor

Mammals have two major isoforms of acetyl-CoA carboxyase (ACC). The 275 kDa beta-form (ACCbeta) is predominantly in heart and skeletal muscle while the 265 kDa alpha-form (ACCalpha) is the major isoform in lipogenic tissues such as liver and adipose tissue. ACCbeta is thought to control fatty acid oxidation by means of the ability of malonyl-CoA to inhibit carnitine palmitoyl-CoA transferase-1 (CPT-1), which is a rate-limiting enzyme of fatty acid oxidation in mitochondria. Previously, it was reported that MyoD and other muscle regulating factors (MRFs) up-regulate the expression of ACCbeta by interactions between these factors and several cis-elements of ACCbeta promoter. We described here that ACCbeta expression mediated by MRFs is regulated by retinoic acids. Endogenous expression of ACCbeta in differentiated H9C2 myotube was significantly increased by retinoic acid treatment. However, on transient transfection assay in H9C2 myoblast, ACCbeta promoter activity was suppressed by RXRalpha and more severely by RARalpha. These effects on ACCbeta expression in myoblasts and myotubes by RXRalpha and RARalpha seem to be mediated by their interactions with MRFs because no consensus sequence for RXRalpha and RARalpha has been found in ACCbeta promoter and retinoic acid receptors did not affect this promoter activities by itself. In transient transfection in NIH3T3 fibroblast, the activation of ACCbeta promoter by MyoD, main MRF in myoblast, was significantly suppressed by RARalpha and to a less extent by RXRalpha while the RXRalpha drastically augmented the activation by MRF4, major MRF in myotube. These results explained that retinoic acids differentially affected the action of MRFs according to their types and RXRalpha specially elevates the expression of muscle specific genes by stimulating the action of MRF4.     

Chlorophyll bleaching by UV-irradiation in vitro and in situ: Absorption and fluorescence studies

Chlorophyll bleaching by UV-irradiation has been studied by absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy in extracts containing mixtures of photosynthetic pigments, in acetone and n-hexane solutions, and in aqueous thylakoid suspensions. Chlorophyll undergoes destruction (bleaching) accompanied by fluorescent transient formation obeying first-order kinetics. The bleaching is governed by UV-photon energy input, as well as by different chlorophyll molecular organizations in solvents of different polarities (in vitro), and in thylakoids (in situ). UV-C-induced bleaching of chlorophylls in thylakoids is probably caused by different mechanisms compared to UV-A- and UV-B-induced bleaching.     

Comparison of NAA and ICP-MS for the determination of major and trace elements in environmental sample

Summary Major and trace elements in soil and plant samples, including standard reference materials were determined by means of neutron activation analysis (NAA) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The analytical procedure for NAA utilized dried powder samples. The concentration of iodine in soil samples was determined by radiochemical NAA. The irradiated samples were cooled and then counted with a Ge gamma-ray detector connected to a multi-channel analyzer. For ICP-MS analysis, the samples were decomposed by microwave digestion with an acid mixture. The concentration of I in the soil samples was measured by ICP-MS after separation by ignition. The analytical values for most elements in the environmental samples by both methods were in good agreement, whereas sample treatments were different. Measured value of Zr in the soil samples by ICP-MS was about 50% lower than that by NAA. It should be assumed that some minerals of Zr in soil particles were not entirely dissolved by the acid mixture. Analytical results of Cd for three different Cd levels in unpolished rice flour samples (NIES 10-a, b and c) determined by ICP-MS were in agreement with certified values. The concentration of Cd in the sample with the lowest Cd level, as determined by NAA with 57% counting error, was 3 times higher than the certified value.     

Comparative determination of uranium in rock phosphates and columbite by ICP-OES,alpha &; gamma spectrometry

During this work selective separation of uranium from rock phosphate and columbite mineral was done before its quantitative estimation by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometery (ICP-OES). Uranium from the rock phosphate and columubite was extracted by sodium peroxide fusion followed by leaching in 2 M HNO₃. To avoid spectral interference in the estimation of uranium by ICP-OES, the selective separation of uranium from the leachate was carried out by using two different extractants, 30% Tributyl Phophates (TBP) in CCl₄ and a equi-volume mixture of Di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) & TBP in petrofin. Uranium was stripped from the organic phase by using 1 M ammonium carbonate solution. Determination of uranium by ICP-OES was done after dissolving the residue left after evaporation of ammonium carbonate solution in 4% HNO₃. The concentration of the uranium observed in the rock phosphates samples was 40–200 μg g⁻¹ whereas in columbite samples the concentration range was 100–600 μg g⁻¹. Uranium concentration evaluated by ICP-OES was complimented by gamma & alpha spectrometry. Concentration of uranium evaluated by gamma spectrometry in case of rock phosphate and coulmbite was in close agreement with the uranium content obtained by ICP-OES. Uranium determination by alpha spectrometry showed only minor deviation (1–2%) from the results obtained by ICP-OES in case of rock phosphates whereas in case of coulmbites results are off by 20–30%.     

Friedel-Crafts Polymers. 5. Friedel-Crafts Polycondensation of p-Xylylene Dichloride with Salicylaldehyde and o-Hydroxyacetophenone

Polymers were prepared by condensing p-xylylene dichloride (PXDC) separately with salicylaldehyde (SAL) and o-hydroxy-acetophenone (OHAC) in the presence of anhydrous ferric chloride in dioxane. The polymer samples were characterized by elemental analysis, measurement of their M by vapor pressure osmometry, by nonaqueous conductometric titration in pyridine, by IR spectral study, by TGA in air, and by viscometric study in DMF. The ion-exchange capacities of these polymeric ligands for selected metal ions were measured by the batch equilibration method and compared. Polymeric metal chelates of PXDC-SAL and PXDC-OHAC polymer samples with Cu^{2 +}, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, Fe³ and Zn^{2 +} were prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, by IR spectral study, and by thermal analyses.     

Effect of freezing rate on physical stability of lyophilized cationic liposomes

Factors affecting the storage stability of lyophilized cationic liposomes were investigated using liposomes prepared with various excipients and by different freezing rates, either quick freezing (freezing by immersion into liquid nitrogen) or slow freezing (cooling to -50 degrees C at a rate of -10 degrees C/h). Increases in the particle size of cationic liposomes observed during freeze-drying were inhibited by the addition of sucrose, trehalose and sucrose-dextran mixtures (1 : 1 and 2 : 1 by weight). The storage instability of the formulations, as indicated by changes in particle size, was affected by their glass transition temperature (T(g)). Addition of high-T(g) excipients resulted in smaller increases in the particle size, indicating improvement of storage stability. The storage stability of cationic liposome formulations was also affected by freezing rate. Formulations prepared by slow freezing exhibited better stability. Longer shear relaxation times were observed for formulations prepared by slow freezing compared with those prepared by quick freezing. This indicates that formulations prepared by slow freezing have a lower matrix mobility, which may result in better storage stability. T(g) or (1)H-NMR relaxation measurements could not detect differences in matrix mobility between formulations prepared by different freezing rates. Shear relaxation measurements seem to be a useful method for evaluating the storage stability of cationic liposome formulations.     

History of the Development and Growth of Thermosetting Polymers

Fibrous proteins are cross-linked through the disulfide linkages of cystine; animal and vegetable proteins can be cross-linked by the reaction of tannic acid, chromic acid, or formaldehyde; and natural rubber can be vulcanized by heating with sulfur. However, most thermosetting polymers are synthetic polymers. These include saturated polyesters (Glyptals) synthesized by Smith in 1901, phenolic plastics produced by Baekeland in 1907, urea and melamine plastics produced by John and Henkel in 1918 and 1935, alkyds patented by Kienle in 1933, glycol maleates patented by Ellis in 1937, and epoxy resins patented by Schlack in 1933. Many of these developments were made prior to the advent of commercial synthetic thermoplastics. However, because their fabrication is more labor intensive than that of thermoplastics, thermosetting plastics now account for less than 20% of all plastics produced. Nevertheless, over 2.5 million tons of these thermosets are produced annually and the use of these cross-linked plastics continues to grow.     

Controlled Radical Polymerization

Various methods which lead to the control of molecular weight and polydispersities, and which allow for the preparation of block copolymers by radical polymerization are discussed. Thermal polymerizationof styrenes in the presence of stable radicals, polymerization of vinyl acetate and methyl methacrylate in the presence of chromium complexed by macrocyclic ligands polymerization of vinyl acetate initiated by organoaluminum compounds complexed by dipyridyl and activated by stable radicals, as well as in the presence of phosphites, are described in detail.     

Cytosolic accumulation of gammaH2AX is associated with tropomyosin-related kinase A-induced cell death in U2OS cells

Tropomyosin-related kinase A (TrkA) plays an important role in cell survival, differentiation, and apoptosis in various neuronal and nonneuronal cell types. Here we show that TrkA overexpression by the Tet-On system mimics NGF-mediated activation pathways in the absence of nerve growth factor (NGF) stimulation in U2OS cells. In addition, p53 upregulation upon DNA damage was inhibited by TrkA, and p21 was upregulated by TrkA in a p53-independent manner. TrkA overexpression caused cell death by interrupting cell cycle progression, and TrkA-induced cell death was diminished in the presence of its specific inhibitor GW441756. Interestingly, TrkA-mediated cell death was strongly related to gammaH2AX production and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage in the absence of DNA damage inducer. In this study, we also reveal that gammaH2AX production by TrkA is blocked by TrkA kinase inhibitors K-252a and GW441756, and it is also significantly inhibited by JNK inhibitor SP600125. Moreover, reduction of cell viability by TrkA was strongly suppressed by SP600125 treatment, suggesting a critical role of JNK in TrkA-induced cell death. We also found that gammaH2AX and TrkA were colocalized in cytosol in the absence of DNA damage, and the nuclear localization of gammaH2AX induced by DNA damage was partly altered to cytosol by TrkA overexpression. Our results suggest that the abnormal cytosolic accumulation of gammaH2AX is implicated in TrkA-induced cell death in the absence of DNA damage.     

铂修饰光阴极及其在纳晶太阳能电池中的应用

分别用真空镀膜法、热分解法和电化学法制备了铂金修饰导电玻璃,并以此作为光阴极组装了染料敏化纳晶TiO₂太阳能电池.用SEM观察了铂金修饰导电玻璃表面形貌,发现用真空镀膜法制备的铂金膜结构缺陷多、不均匀,存在较多的污点.用热分解法制备的铂金膜具有多孔状结构,但存在较多的有机物分解的残留物.用电镀法制备的铂金膜结构均匀、排列规则、缺陷少、污染少.测定了所制备铂金膜的电阻,结果表明由电镀法所制得的铂金膜电阻最小,用热解法和真空镀膜法制得的铂金膜电阻较大.测定了DSSC电池的光电性能,发现用电镀法制得的铂金膜的催化性能最好,大大提高了DSSC电池的性能;其次是热分解法,由真空镀膜法制备的铂金膜对电池的性能没有多大改善.     

AUGMENTATION OF ULTRAVIOLET ERYTHEMA BY INDOMETHACIN IN ACTINIC PRURIGO: EVIDENCE OF MECHANISM OF PHOTOSENSITIVITY

Abstract— The effect of topical indomethacin on the intensity of erythema induced by ultraviolet radiation was measured by reflectance spectrophotometry in six patients with actinic prurigo. The intensity of UV-C erythema was decreased by indomethacin in five patients. The intensity of UV-B erythema was increased by indomethacin in five patients, and UV-A erythema was increased by indomethacin in all patients. The increased inflammatory response induced by UV-B and UV-A with indomethacin application was related to erythemal sensitivity at these wavelengths. Topical indomethacin caused no change in the intensity of UV-A erythema in a group of non-photosensitive subjects.
That inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase augments the inflammatory response to ultraviolet radiation suggests that lipoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid may be involved in the mechanism of photosensitivity in actinic prurigo.     

Theoretical study of the influence of small angle scattering on diffraction enhanced imaging

Small angle scattering plays an important role in diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI). The DEI equation proposed by Chapman is accepted and widely used by many applications in medical, biological and material researches. However, in this framework the contribution of the small angle scattering determined by the crystal analyzer is neglected and the extinction contrast caused by the rejection of the small angle scattering by the analyzer is not explicitly expressed. In this contribution we introduce two additional terms in the DEI equation that describe the additional background introduced by the small angle scattering collected by the analyzer crystal and the extinction contrast associated to the rejection of the small angle scattering by the analyzer crystal, respectively. Four kinds of images of the DEI method were considered by using these revised equations and results were presented and discussed.     

Oxidations and reductions of iron-cyanogen compounds of cobalt,nickel, cadmium and zinc

I. Cobalt ferrocyanide is oxidized by bromine water, by nitrous acid or by hydrogen peroxide in presence of acids to cobalt ferroferricyanide (cobalt Prussian blue), while cobalt ferricyanide is reduced by sulfurous acid to cobalt Prussian blue.II. Nickel ferrocyanide is oxidized by nitrous acid or by hydrogen peroxide in presence of acids to nickel ferricyanide.III. Nickel ferrocyanide and cadmium ferrocyanide are oxidized by bromine water to the ferricyanides.IV. The ferricyanides of nickel, cadmium and zinc are reduced by sulfurous acid to the ferrocyanides.     

萘降解菌LHJ38生物合成靛蓝的研究

萘降解菌LHJ38在金属盐培养基中加入水杨酸钠诱导培养后能提高其生物合成靛蓝的能力,在LB培养基中加入水杨酸钠反而抑制了其生物合成靛蓝的能力.与LHJ38最适生长pH值不同,LHJ38生物合成靛蓝的最佳pH值范围是8.45—9.45,在pH为8.95的情况下生物合成靛蓝能力是其在pH值为6.95的情况下的两倍.     

Substoichiometric determination of phosphorus

Phosphorus in orchard leaves (NBS SRM-1571) and spinach (SRM-1570) was determined by various substoichiometric analytical methods such as the direct method, GRASHCHENKO's method and the method of carrier amount variation. All samples were labelled with³²P radioisotope. The data obtained by the method of carrier amount variation were also treated by the method of least squares instead of De VOE's method. Phosphorus concentration in orchard leaves was 0.206±0.011% by the direct method, 0.219±0.011% by GRASHCHENKO's method, 0.211±0.011% by the method of carrier amount variation and 0.207±0.007% by the method of least squares, respectively. These values agree with the value reported by NBS (0.21±0.01%). Furthermore, these concentrations obtained by various substoichiometric methods were compared with those by radioactivation reported in a prevoius paper.