Local structure analysis of smoky and colorless topaz using single crystal Al NMR

The angular dependence of the ²⁷Al NMR spectrum was measured for single crystals of smoky and colorless topaz, Al₂SiO₄(F,OH)₂. Smoky topaz was obtained by irradiating high energy neutrons to colorless topaz. The quadrupole coupling constant e²Qq/h and the asymmetry parameter η were obtained from the analysis of the angular dependences of quadrupole splitting of the ²⁷Al NMR spectrum. The local structures around the aluminum atoms in smoky and colorless topaz were discussed from the magnitude and the direction of the electric field gradient. The directions of principal axes of the EFG tensor of ²⁷Al were close to the directions of Al-O and Al-F bonds. The difference in the bond lengths between Al(1)-F(1) and Al(1)-F(2) was found to affect the x and y components of the EFG tensor.     

Altered protein synthesis in rat kidney cells exposed to semiconductor materials

It is thought that the extensive industrial use of arsenic, gallium and indium, which have applications as the materials for III–V semiconductors, will increase human exposure to these compounds in the near future. We have undertaken the development of new biological indicators for assessing exposure to these elements. Element-specific alterations in protein synthesis patterns were expected to occur following exposure to arsenic compounds. We examined alterations in protein synthesis in primary cultures of rat kidney proximal tubule epithelial cells by sodium arsenite, gallium chloride and indium chloride, utilizing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. After incubation with the chemicals for 20 h, newly synthesized proteins were labeled with [³⁵S]methionine. A protein with a molecular weight (M_r) of 30 000 was markedly induced on exposure to 10 μM arsenite or 300 μM gallium chloride, and synthesis of proteins with M_r values of 85 000, 71 000, 65 000, 51 000, 38 000 and 28 000 were also increased by exposure to arsenite and gallium chloride. No significant changes were observed upon exposure to indium. Some of these increased proteins could be heat-shock proteins.     

Purification and characterization of gamma-enolase from various mammals.

The gamma subunit of enolase (gamma-enolase) was purified from the brain tissues of cow, dog, goat, pig, rabbit, and rat. The purification was achieved in only three steps: ammonium sulfate-precipitation, DE 53 cellulose ion-exchange chromatography, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) in a preparative mode. The purification procedure was comparatively more simple than previously reported methods, and the yield of gamma-enolase was sufficient for subsequent structural and immunological analyses. In all mammals, the purified gamma-enolase migrated in sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE (SDS-PAGE) with a molecular mass of 46 kilodaltons (kDa), and the immunological cross-reactivity between those gamma-enolases was very strong. The structural homology of these gamma-enolases was examined by peptide mapping using cyanogen bromide cleavage and subsequent two-dimensional electrophoresis. The resulting peptide patterns were highly similar and in cow, dog, and goat, the patterns were almost identical. These results indicate that structural homology, that is, the species non-specificity of gamma-enolase, appears to be very high.     

Approximation of transient temperatures in complex geometries using fractional derivatives

It is shown that time-dependent temperatures in a transient, conductive system can be approximately modeled by a fractional-order differential equation, the order of which depends on the Biot number. This approximation is particularly suitable for complex shapes for which a first-principles approach is too difficult or computationally time-consuming. Analytical solutions of these equations can be written in terms of the Mittag-Leffler function. The approximation is especially useful if a suitable fractional-order controller is to be designed for the system.     

Macromolecular synthesis from saccharic lactones. Ring-opening polyaddition of D-glucaro- and D-mannaro-1,4:6,3-dilactones with alkylenediamines

Ring-opening polyaddition of a saccharic acid dilactone prepared from D-glucose, D-glucaro-1,4 : 6,3-dilactone, with several alkylenediamines proceeded at room temperature with no catalyst. The resulting new polyamides carrying many pendant hydroxyl groups, poly(alkylene D-glucaramide)s, were more amorphous and hydrophilic than the corresponding nylons having no hydroxyl groups, and were hydrolyzed more easily than the latter in an acidic condition. The ring-opening ability of D-mannaro-1,4:6,3-dilactone, which was another saccharic acid dilactone obtained from D-mannitol, was found to be lower than that of the D-glucaric analogue. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Expression of a restricted fragment of staphylococcal tetracycline resistance determinant as a fused product in Escherichia coli

Tetracycline resistance (TcR) plasmid pNS1, a deletion derivative constructed from staphylococcal plasmid pTP5, carries a tet determinant which specifies a TcR protein (TET) with a molecular weight of 50 kilodaltons (kDa). In order to express the pNS1-encoded TET as a fused product, a 0.8 kilobase pairs fragment containing 57.1% of tet determinant was inserted into a chloramphenicol resistance determinant. From the nucleotide sequence, it is deduced that the fusion protein (designated CAT'-TET') is a 53 kDa protein composed of 472 amino acids in which the 199 and 262 amino acids are derived from CAT and TET, respectively. Although the molecular weight of CAT'-TET' obtained from the result of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (42 kDa) was not in agreement with its predicted weight (53 kDa), the ratio of TET' segment to the fusion protein (22 kDa/42 kDa) corresponded almost exactly to that deduced from the nucleotide sequence (29 kDa/53 kDa). The expression of CAT'-TET' in Escherichia coli caused a rapid decrease in growth rate and in the number of viable cells. This result is thought to be due to the toxic effect of CAT'-TET' on the cell membrane.     

Basic study of the gelation of dimethacrylate‐type crosslinking agents

An investigation was made of the gelation of dimethacrylate‐type crosslinking agents in view of an application for separation media. The study mainly centered on a crosslinking agent, glycerol dimethacrylate (GDMA), which is relatively hydrophilic because of a hydroxyl group in the middle of its structure. The gelation of GDMA was compared with that of other hydrophobic crosslinking agents such as ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and 1,6‐hexanediol dimethacrylate. The diluents used in the study were toluene, toluene with methanol, and cyclohexanol. The gelation was observed in real time with a charge coupled device camera and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Also, the separated dry gels were extensively characterized with scanning electron microscopy, BET (N₂ absorption and desorption isotherm), and Fourier transform infrared. DLS analysis showed a stronger molecular interaction of GDMA gelation in toluene, whereas this interaction was much weaker in an alcoholic solvent such as toluene with methanol or cyclohexanol. This indicated that GDMA gelation might proceed through hydrogen bonding as well as a crosslinking reaction of vinyl groups. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 949–958, 2006