Properties of the overtone mode of the quartz crystal microbalance in a low-viscosity liquid

The effect of the immersion angle on the overtone mode of the quartz crystal ‘microbalance’ (QCM, piezoelectric quartz crystal) was investigated in a Newtonian liquid. The measurement using the impedance analyzer revealed that the resonant frequency shift of the Nth overtone mode of the QCM was depend on the immersion angle, and, at each immersion angle, was times larger than that of the fundamental mode. These tendencies were also observed in the resistance of the Butterworth-Van Dyke equivalent circuit. Furthermore, on the basis of these results, we have discussed the immersion angle dependence of the resonant frequency shift and the resistance.     

Photo-and-thiol-driven trans insertion of phenylacetylene into H-Pt bonds

The photo-and-thiol-driven trans insertion of phenylacetylene into H-Pt bonds of Pt(X)(H)(PPh3)2 (X = SAr, Cl, Br, and I) took place to afford Pt[(Z)-C(H)=CH(Ph)](X)(PPh3)2 in good yields.     

Fluorescent solution microcapsules as ideal tracer particles in long-term tracking of 3-D Lagrangian trajectories

 Fluorescent solution microcapsules (diameter <100 μm) have been invented as tracer particles suitable for the long-term tracking of 3-D Lagrangian trajectories in the rotating annulus fluid experiments. In more than 10% of the tracking experiments, the microcapsule was observed to follow the flow passively for more than 10 h, at their maximum 18 h. Received: 21 May 1997/Accepted: 7 January 1998     

Measurement of two‐dimensional distribution of surface supersaturation over a sodium chlorate crystal surface using multidirectional interferometry

The two‐dimensional (2D) distributions of surface supersaturation of sodium chlorate crystals with and without solutal convection have been measured by means of a multidirectional interferometry (MDI) technique coupled with the principles of three‐dimensional (3D) computer tomography. When solutal convection was present over a top face, the supersaturation at the center of the face was depleted by a factor of >0.9 with reference to the value at the edges of the crystal. When the convection was suppressed using an upside‐down geometry, the depletion of supersaturation at the center of the face was much smaller, <0.4. Therefore, the supersaturation difference between the edges and the face center, which is responsible for the morphological stability due to volume diffusion for the solute, becomes less important compared to the effect of convection due to hydrodynamic reasons. This result should give us a key to solve why the crystal quality is sometimes better in convection‐free microgravity conditions because of improved stability of a crystal face caused by more homogeneous distribution of supersaturation over the crystal surface.     

Development of a novel two-dimensional gel electrophoresis protocol with agarose native gel electrophoresis

A new protocol for conducting two-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis was developed by combining the recently developed agarose native gel electrophoresis with either vertical sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) or flat SDS agarose gel electrophoresis. Our innovative technique utilizes His/MES buffer (pH 6.1) during the first-dimensional (1D) agarose native gel electrophoresis, which allows for the simultaneous and clear visualization of basic and acidic proteins in their native states or complex structures. Our agarose gel electrophoresis is a true native electrophoresis, unlike blue native–PAGE, which relies on the intrinsic charged states of the proteins and their complexes without the need for dye binding. In the 2D, the gel strip from the 1D agarose gel electrophoresis is soaked in SDS and placed on top of the vertical SDS–PAGE gels or the edge of the flat SDS–MetaPhor high-resolution agarose gels. This allows for customized operation using a single electrophoresis device at a low cost. This technique has been successfully applied to analyze various proteins, including five model proteins (BSA, factor Xa, ovotransferrin, IgG, and lysozyme), monoclonal antibodies with slightly different isoelectric points, polyclonal antibodies, and antigen–antibody complexes, as well as complex proteins such as IgM pentamer and β-galactosidase tetramer. Our protocol can be completed within a day, taking approximately 5–6 h, and can be expanded further into Western blot analysis, mass spectrometry analysis, and other analytical methods.