Determination of velocity distribution of metallic atoms in plasma devices with a rapid-frequency-scan dye laser

A rapid-frequency-scan dye laser was developed for the measurement of the velocity-distribution functions of impurity atoms sputtered due to the high-temperature plasma-surface interaction. In order to confirm the effectiveness of this rapid-scan technique, measurements of the Doppler profiles of Fe atoms sputtered by Ar ion-beam bombardment with energy 3 keV were performed. A scanning range of more than 40 pm at 300 nm was obtained with a spectral bandwidth of 1.5 2 pm and good linearity. Doppler profiles were determined in various scattering conditions, and excellent performance of this technique was demonstrated. The distortion error caused by line saturation was analytically discussed, and it is shown that the effect of this error is not so serious (less than 10%) even for highly saturated excitation.     

Total synthesis of deglyco-bleomycin A2

Deglyco-bleomycin A2, the aglycon of bleomycin A2, has been synthesized for the first time.     

Inhibition of superoxide generation and of increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration by zinc in rat neutrophils stimulated with zymosan

The effect of Zn2+ on the O2- generation and change in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) of rat peritoneal neutrophils was studied. Zymosan (serum-treated zymosan (STZ))-induced O2- generation was inhibited by Zn2+ at concentrations as low as 10 microM. A large amount of the inhibition was observed in the absence of extracellular Ca2+ but the inhibition could not be restored by increasing the extracellular Ca2+ concentration, indicating that Zn2+ does not necessarily inhibit the O2- generation competitively with extracellular Ca2+. In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, Zn2+ inhibited STZ-induced transient increase in [Ca2+]i in the concentration range that evoked a marked inhibition in the O2- generation. On the other hand, Zn2+ did not inhibit significantly STZ-induced uptake of 45Ca2+ from extracellular medium by the cells. From these results, it is suggested that Zn2+ inhibits STZ-induced release of Ca2+ from intracellular storage sites, resulting in the suppression of the activation mechanism of neutrophils.     

Structures of [(CO2)n(H2O)m]- (n=1-4, m=1,2) cluster anions. I. Infrared photodissociation spectroscopy

The infrared photodissociation spectra of [(CO(2))(n)(H(2)O)(m)](-) (n=1-4, m=1, 2) are measured in the 3000-3800 cm(-1) range. The [(CO(2))(n)(H(2)O)(1)](-) spectra are characterized by a sharp band around 3570 cm(-1) except for n=1; [(CO(2))(1)(H(2)O)(1)](-) does not photodissociate in the spectral range studied. The [(CO(2))(n)(H(2)O)(2)](-) (n=1, 2) species have similar spectral features with a broadband at approximately 3340 cm(-1). A drastic change in the spectral features is observed for [(CO(2))(3)(H(2)O)(2)](-), where sharp bands appear at 3224, 3321, 3364, 3438, and 3572 cm(-1). Ab initio calculations are performed at the MP2/6-311++G(**) level to provide structural information such as optimized structures, stabilization energies, and vibrational frequencies of the [(CO(2))(n)(H(2)O)(m)](-) species. Comparison between the experimental and theoretical results reveals rather size- and composition-specific hydration manner in [(CO(2))(n)(H(2)O)(m)](-): (1) the incorporated H(2)O is bonded to either CO(2) (-) or C(2)O(4) (-) through two equivalent OH...O hydrogen bonds to form a ring structure in [(CO(2))(n)(H(2)O)(1)](-); (2) two H(2)O molecules are independently bound to the O atoms of CO(2) (-) in [(CO(2))(n)(H(2)O)(2)](-) (n=1, 2); (3) a cyclic structure composed of CO(2) (-) and two H(2)O molecules is formed in [(CO(2))(3)(H(2)O)(2)](-).     

Solid-state polymerization of long-chain vinyl compounds. I. Effect of molecular arrangement on polymerizability of octadecyl methacrylate

γ-Ray-initiated postpolymerization of octadecyl methacrylate in polymorphic crystals and melt has been investigated to clarify the effect of molecular arrangement of the monomer on polymerizability. From thermal, x-ray, and infrared (IR) analyses this long-chain monomer exhibited three crystalline modifications that we refer to as α-, sub-α, and β-forms. The β-form (mp 28.7–29.7°C), which is obtainable from solution, is a stable state with triclinic chain packing. The α-form (mp 19.5–20.0°C), which is obtained first from the melt but transforms into β-form on storing, is a metastable state with hexagonal chain packing. The sub-α-form appears transiently in α→β transition. The polymerizability of octadecyl methacrylate in the β-form is extremely low, whereas the α-form can polymerize easily and the initial polymerization rate, saturated conversion, and polymer molecular weights increase with temperature. Polymerizability in the molten state at fairly high temperature is rather low, however. Thus maximum polymerizability is obtained just above the melting point of α-form. It has been found that particular orientation and suitable packing mode with some freedom of rotational motion of the monomer molecules in layered structure accelerate the polymerization reaction.     

Chalcogeno-Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction of enones with acetals: simple alpha-alkoxyalkylation of enones

1-[2-(Methylsulfanyl)phenyl]prop-2-en-1-one (1) and the seleno congener (2) reacted with acetals 3 and 21 in the presence of BF(3).Et(2)O to give alpha-alkoxyalkyl enones 4, 5 and 22, 23 in good yields. When the reaction mixtures were worked up with a saturated NaHCO(3) solution instead of Et(3)N, onium salts 6 and 7 were obtained together with 4 and 5. Reactions with cyclic acetal 14 gave alpha-(beta-hydroxyethoxy) enones 15 and 16 accompanied by dimeric products 17 and 18.     

Solid-state polymerization of long-chain vinyl compounds. V. Two-step postpolymerization of octadecyl acrylate by temperature increase and by stepwise γ-ray irradiation

The mechanism of two-dimensional polymerization of octadecyl acrylate in lamellar crystal was investigated in two-step postpolymerizations by temperature increase and stepwiseγ-ray irradiation in lieu of the usual one-step reaction. Two-step postpolymerizations by these procedures are interpreted satisfactorily by the cone model, which assumes that the polymerization probability of the monomer molecules in a single layer is distributed conically around the initiation point. It was found that the propagating radicals were living, even in the saturated stage, and the effect of the polymer chains already formed on the propagating and terminating reactions was evident. Furthermore, molecular weight distributions of the resultant poly(octadecyl acrylate) measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) were broad. The values of M_w /M _n for the two-step post polymerizations were 4.71–7.03, whereas those for one-step reactions were 3.26–5.54.     

On the structure of the bioactive constituent from ayurvedic medicine Salacia reticulata: revision of the literature

The reported structure of a potent α-glucosidase inhibitor 7 isolated recently from ayurvedic medicine Salacia reticulata was found incorrect, and the compound was proved to be de-O-sulfated kotalanol 4. Discussion and detailed analysis of the spectral data leading to the revised structure are presented.     

An IR study of (CO2)(+)n (n=3-8) cluster ions in the 1000-3800 cm-1 region

Infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectra of carbon dioxide cluster ions, (CO(2))(n) (+) with n=3-8, are measured in the 1000-3800 cm(-1) region. IR bands assignable to solvent CO(2) molecules are observed at positions close to the vibrational frequencies of neutral CO(2) [1290 and 1400 cm(-1) (nu(1) and 2nu(2)), 2350 cm(-1) (nu(3)), and 3610 and 3713 cm(-1) (nu(1)+nu(3) and 2nu(2)+nu(3))]. The ion core in (CO(2))(n) (+) shows several IR bands in the 1200-1350, 2100-2200, and 3250-3500 cm(-1) regions. On the basis of previous IR studies in solid Ne and quantum chemical calculations, these bands are ascribed to the C(2)O(4) (+) ion, which has a semicovalent bond between the CO(2) components. The number of the bands and the bandwidth of the IRPD spectra drastically change with an increase in the cluster size up to n=6, which is ascribed to the symmetry change of (CO(2))(n) (+) by the solvation of CO(2) molecules and a full occupation of the first solvation shell at n=6.     

Medicinal flowers. XXIII. New taraxastane-type triterpene, punicanolic acid, with tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitory activity from the flowers of Punica granatum

The methanolic extract from the flowers of Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae) was found to show inhibitory effect on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha, 1 ng/ml)-induced cytotoxicity in L929 cells. By bioassay-guided separation, a new taraxastane-type triterpene, punicanolic acid (1), was isolated from the active fraction (ethyl acetate-soluble fraction) together with four triterpenes (2--5), two galloyl glucoses (6, 7), two flavones (8, 9), and beta-sitosterol. Among the constituents, 1, oleanolic acid (2), maslinic acid (4), 1,2,6-tri-O-galloyl beta-D-glucopyranoside (6), 1,2-di-O-galloyl-4,6-O-(S)-hexahydroxydiphenoyl beta-D-glucopyranoside (7), and luteolin (8) significantly inhibited TNF-alpha-induced cytotoxicity in L929 cells at 30 microM.