Construction and evaluation of nagR-nagAa::lux fusion strains in biosensing for salicylic acid derivatives

The NagR protein is a response regulatory protein found in the bacterium Ralstonia sp. U2 that is involved in sensing for salicylic acid and the subsequent induction of the operaon just upstream of its gene. The genes encoded for in this operon are involved in the degradation of salicylic acid. Escherichia coli strain RFM443 carrying a fusion of the Photorhabdus luminesscens luxCDABE operon with the nagR gene and upstream region of the nagAa gene was constructed and characterized with respect to its optimum temperature, its response time and kinetics, and its ability to deterctnumerous benzoic acid derivatives. Although capable of detecting 0.5 mM salicylic acid at any temperature between 28 and 40°C, this E. coli strain, labeled DNT5, showed its greatest relative activity at 30°C, i.e., the temperature at which the largest induction was seen. Furthermore, experiments done with numerous benzoic acid derivatives found the NagR protein to be responsive to only a few of the compounds tested, including salicylic acid and 3-methyl salicylic acid and 3-methyl saliyclic acid, and acetyl salicylic acid was the strongest inducer. The lower limits of detection for these compounds with E. coli strain DNT5 were also established, wit the native inducer, salicylic acid, giving the most sensitive response and detectable down to a concentration of about 2 μM. A second lux fusion plasmid was also constructed and transformed into an NahR background, Pseudomonas putida KCTC1768. Within this strain, NAGK-1768, the supplemental activity of the NahR protein on the nagAn promoter, was shown to extend both the range of chemicals detected and the sensitivity.     

Dispersion of silica nano-particles in sol-gel hybrid resins for fabrication of multi-scale hybrid nanocomposite

Multi-scale hybrid nanocomposites containing both ∼15 nm silica colloids and ∼2 nm oligosiloxanes in a methacryl polymer matrix were newly designed and fabricated. Colloidal silica sols were dispersed in methacryl oligosiloxanes nano-hybrid resins synthesized by sol-gel reaction of methacryloxypropylmethoxysilane and diphenylsilanediol. On the basis of TEM and SANS analyses, it was confirmed that the silica colloids were compatibly dispersed and different sizes of colloidal silica and oligosiloxanes co-exist in the solutions. Multi-scale hybrid nanocomposites fabricated by UV and thermal curing with incorporation of silica colloids in the nano-hybrid materials show enhanced mechanical and thermal characteristics.     

Synthesis and Adsorption Property of Two Polymeric Adsorbents with Pendent Ether Bonds

Two polymeric adsorbents, poly(methyl p-vinylbenzvl ether) and oolv(ohenvl p-vinylbenzyl ether), were synthesized from chloromethylated polystyrene, Their adsorptionproperty for phenol in hexane solution was investigated. The results showed that the twoadsorbents adsorb phenol from hexane solution through hydrogen-bonding and π-π stacking interaction.     

Electrolytic reduction of spent oxide fuel in a molten LiCl-Li2O system

Summary The Advanced Spent Conditioning Process (ACP) developed by the KAERI is based on pyrometallurgy and the electrolytic reduction plays a central role in transforming spent oxide fuels into metals. The constituents of the spent fuels are distributed between a salt and a reduced metal phase during electrolysis. Lithium metal is produced in a molten LiCl-Li₂O cell and then it reacts with the metal oxides of the spent fuel producing Li₂O and reduced metals. By focusing on the activity of Li₂O and the electric potential, the electrolytic reduction process of the ACP is discussed. Thermodynamic considerations are defined and operation conditions are proposed including Li₂O activity and cell potential.     

Effect of photothermal therapy on breast tumor vascular contents: noninvasive monitoring by near-infrared spectroscopy

The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of photothermal laser irradiation on rat breast tumor (DMBA-4) vascular contents. An 805-nm diode laser was used in our experiment with a power density ranging from 0.32 to 1.27 W/cm2. The dynamic changes of oxygenated hemoglobin and total hemoglobin concentrations, delta[HbO2] and delta[Hb]total, in rat tumors during photothermal irradiation were noninvasively monitored by a near-infrared spectroscopy system. A multichannel thermal detection system was also used simultaneously to record temperatures at different locations within the tumors. Our experimental results showed that: (1) photoirradiation did have the ability to induce hyperthermic effects inside the rat breast tumors in a single exponential trend; (2) the significant changes (P < 0.005) of delta[HbO2] and delta[Hb]total in response to a low dosage of laser irradiation (0.32 W/cm2) have a single exponential increasing trend, similar to that seen in the tumor interior temperature; and (3) the increase in magnitude of delta[HbO2] is nearly two times greater than that of delta[Hb]total, suggesting that photoirradiation may enhance tumor vascular oxygenation. The last observation may be important to reveal the hidden mechanism of photoirradiation on tumors, leading to improvement of tumor treatment efficiency.     

Investigation of efflorescence of inorganic aerosols using fluorescence spectroscopy

The phase transition is one of the most fundamental phenomena affecting the physical and chemical properties of atmospheric aerosols. Efflorescence, in particular, is not well understood, partly because the molecular interactions between the solute and water molecules of saturated or supersaturated solution droplets have not been well characterized. Recently, we developed a technique that combines the use of an electrodynamic balance and a fluorescence dye, 8-hydroxyl-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulfonate (pyranine), to study the distributions of solvated and free water in aqueous droplets (Choi, M. Y.; Chan, C. K.; Zhang, Y. H. J. Phys. Chem. A 2004, 108, 1133). We found that the equality of the amounts of solvated and free water is a necessary but not sufficient condition for efflorescence. For efflorescing compounds such as Na2SO4, (NH4)2SO4, and a mixture of NaCl and Na2SO4, the amount of free water decreases, while that of solvated water is roughly constant in bulk measurements and decreases less dramatically than that of free water in single-particle measurements as the relative humidity (RH) decreases. Efflorescence of the supersaturated droplets of these solutions occurs when the amounts of free and solvated water are equal, which is consistent with our previous observation for NaCl. For nonefflorescing compounds in single-particle levitation experiments such as MgSO4 and Mg(NO3)2, the amounts of free and solvated water are equal at a water-to-solute molar ratio of about 6, at which spectral changes due to the formation of contact ion pairs between magnesium and the anions occur as shown by Raman spectroscopy. Fluorescence imaging shows that the droplets of diluted Mg(NO3)2 (at 80% RH) and MgSO4 are homogeneous but those of NaCl, Na2SO4, (NH4)2SO4, and supersaturated Mg(NO3)2 (at 10% RH) are heterogeneous in terms of the solvated-to-free water distribution. The solvated-to-free water ratios in NaCl, Na2SO4, and (NH4)2SO4 droplets are higher in the outer regions by about half a radius deep than at the center of the droplets.     

Alkyl Ammonium Ion Selectivity of Hexahomotrioxacalix[3]arene Triamide Derivative having the Intramolecular Hydrogen-Bonding Group

The lower rim functionalized hexahomotrioxacalix[3]arene triamide 4 with cone-conformation was synthesized from triol 1 by a stepwise reaction. The different extractability for alkali metal ions, transition metal ions, and alkyl ammonium ions from water into dichloromethane is discussed. Due to the strong intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the neighboring NH and CO groups in triamide 4, its affinity to metal cations was weakened. Triamide 4 shows a single selectivity to n-BuNH ₃ ⁺ . The anion complexation of triamide 4 was also studied by ¹H NMR titration experiments. Triamide 4 binds halides through the intermolecular hydrogen bonding among the NH hydrogens of amide in a 1:1 fashion in CDCl₃. The association constants calculated from these changes in chemical shifts of the amide protons are K _a = 223 M^?1 for Cl^? and K _a = 71.7 M^?1 for Br^?. Triamide 4 shows a preference for Cl^? complexation than Br^? complexation.     

Tasumatrols P – T,Five New Taxoids from Taxus sumatrana

The phytochemical investigation of the more polar fractions from the leaves and twigs of Taxus sumatrana (Taxaceae) afforded five new taxane diterpene esters, tasumatrols P–T ( 1 – 5 ) possessing an 11(15→1),11(10→9)‐diabeotaxane skeleton. Compounds 1, 4 , and 5 contain an α‐hydroxy group at C(14), while 3 has no OH group at either C(13) or C(14). Compound 2 is a natural 4,5‐acetonide derivative, while 4 has an unusual spiro‐connected 2‐hydroxy‐2‐phenyl‐1,3‐dioxolane ring. Ten known taxoids, were also isolated in the course of the chromatographic fractionation. Five additional new O‐acetyl derivatives 3a, 4a, 4b, 5a , and 5b were prepared from the taxanes 3 – 5 . The structures of all new compounds were established on the basis of their spectroscopic analyses. Compound 1 showed mild cytotoxic activity against human Hela and Daoy tumor cells.