Yaequinolones J1 and J2, novel insecticidal antibiotics from Penicillium sp. FKI-2140

[chemical reaction: see text]. Two novel insecticidal antibiotics with a p-methoxyphenylquinolinone skeleton fused with a pyran ring, yaequinolones J1 (1) and J2 (2), have been isolated from Penicillium sp. FKI-2140, and structures were elucidated by spectroscopic studies including various NMR experiments. The relative stereochemistries were assigned by NOE experiments. Yaequinolones J1 and J2 showed toxicity against Artemia salina (brine shrimp) with the MIC value of 6.25 microg/mL.     

Catalytic activity and regeneration property of a Pd nanoparticle encapsulated in a hollow porous carbon sphere for aerobic alcohol oxidation

A core-shell composite consisting of a palladium (Pd) nanoparticle and a hollow carbon shell (Pd@hmC) was employed as a catalyst for aerobic oxidation of various alcohols. The core-shell structure was synthesized by consecutive coatings of Pd nanoparticles with siliceous and carbon layers followed by removal of the intermediate siliceous layer. Structural characterizations using TEM and N(2) adsorption-desorption measurements revealed that Pd@hmC thus-obtained was composed of a Pd nanoparticle core of 3-6 nm in diameter and a hollow carbon shell with well-developed mesopore (ca. 2.5 nm in diameter) and micropore (ca. 0.4-0.8 nm in diameter) systems. When compared to some Pd-supported carbons, Pd@hmC showed a high level of catalytic activity for oxidation of benzyl alcohol into benzaldehyde using atmospheric pressure of O(2) as an oxidant. The Pd@hmC composite also exhibited a high level of catalytic activity for aerobic oxidations of other primary benzylic and allylic alcohols into corresponding aldehydes. The presence of a well-developed pore system in the lateral carbon shell enabled efficient diffusion of both substrates and products to reach the central Pd nanoparticles, leading to such high catalytic activities. This core-shell structure also provided high thermal stability of Pd nanoparticles toward coalescence and/or aggregation due to the physical isolation of each Pd nanoparticle from neighboring particles by the carbon shell: this specific property of Pd@hmC resulted in possible regeneration of catalytic activity for these aerobic oxidations by a high-temperature heat treatment of the sample recovered after catalytic reactions.     

Dynamical properties of ethylene glycol and glucose studied by temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry and Brillouin scattering

The fragility of ethylene glycol and glucose aqueous solution systems has been investigated by temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC). The frequency and temperature dependences of complex specific heat have been observed in the vicinity of a glass-transition temperature T _g . It is shown that the value of the fragility index m can be determined from the temperature dependence of the α-relaxation times observed by TMDSC. We have also studied the elastic properties of these aqueous solutions by micro-Brillouin scattering, and determined these relaxation times of elastic properties in the gigahertz range.     

Maximum Lebesgue extension of monotone convex functions

Given a monotone convex function on the space of essentially bounded random variables with the Lebesgue property (order continuity), we consider its extension preserving the Lebesgue property to as big solid vector space of random variables as possible. We show that there exists a maximum such extension, with explicit construction, where the maximum domain of extension is obtained as a (possibly proper) subspace of a natural Orlicz-type space, characterized by a certain uniform integrability property. As an application, we provide a characterization of the Lebesgue property of monotone convex function on arbitrary solid spaces of random variables in terms of uniform integrability and a “nice” dual representation of the function.     

Defining equations¶of certain rational cuspidal curves. I

In this paper, we describe the defining equations of rational cuspidal plane curves having exactly one cusp such that the tangent line at the cusp intersects only at the cusp. Received: 5 January 2000     

Investigation of the influence of cell density of human fibroblasts cryopreserved inside collagen sponges at various cooling rates

The influence of cell density of cells cryopreserved inside a collagen matrix at various cooling rates was investigated. Human fibroblasts were three-dimensionally cultured for 2 days in a collagen sponge (20 mm in diameter and 1 mm in thickness) as an extracellular matrix to imitate biological tissue (artificial tissue). Different cell densities for the artificial tissue were used, from 10(5) to 10(7) cells/cm(3). Four artificial tissues were first stacked in a test chamber, frozen at a cooling rate of 0.3 to 50 degrees C/min in a solution of Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium, 20% fetal bovine serum and 10% dimethylsulfoxide, kept frozen below -185 degrees C for 2 hours, and then finally thawed. Membrane integrity of fibroblasts using a trypan blue exclusion assay was evaluated as an index for post-thaw cellular viability. Results show that with increasing cell density, the post-thaw membrane integrity decreased. Therefore, in the cryopreservation of biological tissue, it seems high cell density is one factor which causes a decline in viability.