Combustion characteristics of Mg vapor jet flames in CO2 atmospheres

An experimental study was performed on the combustion characteristics of a jet diffusion flame of Mg vapor injected through a small nozzle into CO₂ atmospheres at low pressures from 8 to 48 kPa with a view to using Mg as fuel for a CO₂-breathing turbojet engine in the Mars atmosphere. The Mg vapor jet produced three types of the flame. At lower pressures and higher injection velocities, a red-heated jet flame formed, in which the injected Mg vapor was heated by spontaneous reactions, turning red. At medium pressures and injection velocities, a stable luminous lifted-like flame developed above the rim of the chimney, a tube-like combustion product for the Mg vapor passage that grew on the nozzle during combustion. The flame had similar flame length properties to laminar jet diffusion flames of gaseous fuels. At higher pressures and lower injection velocities, a stable luminous attached flame developed at the rim of the chimney. The same reactions, producing MgO(g), CO and MgO(c), proceeded preferentially for all flames and chimneys. Carbon was only subordinately generated. Burning behavior of Mg vapor jets in a CO₂ atmosphere has been represented, including the homogeneous reaction of Mg vapor with CO₂, the diffusion of CO₂, and the condensation and deposit of MgO. The injection velocity of Mg vapor at the rim of the chimney and the exothermic reactions with diffused CO₂ that occur there play a crucial role in the attachment and development of the flames. The flame structure may be explained in terms of the relatively low gas-phase reaction rate of Mg with CO₂.     

Cell-Specific Gene Transfer by α-Cyclodextrin Conjugates with Mannosylated Polyamidoamine Dendrimers

To improve the activity and the cell specificity of gene transferof polyamidoamine starburst dendrimer, we prepared -CyD conjugates with mannosylateddendrimers (generation 2 (G2), man--CDE conjugates) having various degrees of substitution(DS) of mannose residue. The man--CDE conjugates (DS 1, 3 and 5) formed complexeswith plasmid DNA (pDNA), but man--CDE conjugate (DS 8) did not. The gene transferactivity of man--CDE conjugates (DS 1, 3 and 5) and -CDE conjugate was augmented with an increasein the charge ratio of vector/pDNA, without showing cytotoxicity. Man--CDE conjugates(DS 3 and 5) showed higher gene transfer activity than -CDE conjugate in A549 cells, whichrecognize mannose, but man--CDE conjugates (DS 1 and 8) showed almost comparable gene transfer activityto -CDE conjugate (G2). On the other hand, no appreciable enhancing effect of man--CDEconjugates (DS 3 and 5) on the transfer activity was observed in NIH3T3 cells, which do not recognizemannose. These findings suggest that man--CDE conjugates (DS 3 and 5) can be new preferablecell-specific non-viral vectors of pDNA to cells which recognize the mannose moiety.     

Graft polymerization of vinyl monomers onto cotton fibres pretreated with amines

The influence of treating cotton fibres with several amines on the mechanical properties, moisture sorption ability before and after graft polymerization, and on graft yields for various water-soluble and water-insoluble vinyl monomers were analysed. As compared to water, the treatment with amines, ethylenediamine (EDA) in particular, resulted in a decrease in the crystallinity and tensile strength of the cotton fibres, and an increase in the moisture sorption. The graft yields of amine-treated cotton fibres using water-soluble monomers, acrylic acid (AA), methacrylic acid (MAA) and acrylamide (AM) were greater than those observed for water-treated cotton fibres, whereas the graft yields using water-insoluble monomers, methyl acrylate (MA), methyl methacrylate (MMA) and vinyl acetate (VA) were lower. The moisture sorption ability was improved by the graft polymerization with water-soluble monomers. The improvement was enhanced for MA and MAA by treatment with sodium hydroxide to form the corresponding sodium carboxylate derivatives. The tensile strength of EDA-treated cotton was slightly reduced by grafting, while that of the water-activated cotton yarn was barely changed. These results suggest that the graft polymerization of amine-treated cotton fibres with certain vinyl monomers increased the moisture sorption ability without resulting in increased fibre rigidity.     

Nematic ordered cellulose templates mediating order-patterned deposition accompanied with synthesis of calcium phosphates

In a previous study, the nematic ordered cellulose (NOC) templates successfully induced biodirected epitaxial nanodeposition of cellulose nanofibers secreted by Gluconacetobacter xylinus along the orientation of the molecular tracks (Kondo et al. 2002). As an extended concept for the NOC, this article attempts to propose a sort of biomimic mineralization using the template. It combines morphologically controlling process with synthesis of the calcium phosphate as a major component of bones. This process was initially mediated by the modified NOC template having a pair of roles of the ion supply sources and scaffolds for 3D-ordering architecture of the calcium phosphate as a biomineral in the key functions for biomineralization. The successful establishment of such an ordered deposition of the inorganic on the template was confirmed by several surface characterizations such as atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and so on. Moreover, similarly to human bones, the obtained major assemble states of the calcium phosphates exhibited amorphous. The above process using the bifunctional cellulose template can be considered as a biomimic mineralization, which also opens pathways toward preparation of potentially versatile organic–inorganic order-patterned composites under a less energy consumption.     

Practical synthesis of chiral emopamil left hand as a bioactive motif

An asymmetric synthesis of (2S)-2-(2-isopropyl)-5-hydroxy-2-phenylpentanenitrile (emopamil left hand, 2) has been completed by use of the MAD (methyl aluminum bis(4-methyl-2,6-di-tert-butylphenoxide)-induced rearrangement of a chiral epoxyalcohol as the key reaction. The stereochemistry of the chiral quaternary center was confirmed by transformation of 2 to (S)-noremopamil. This method requires minimal purification procedures and affords high chemical and optical yields. Acid-catalyzed isomerization of an allylaldehyde and retro-aldol type racemization at the quaternary carbon of a nitrile-alcohol were encountered.     

The shapes of critical loci of binary fluid mixtures on the p–T plane

The relations between the shapes of the critical loci of binary fluid mixtures and the positions of the critical points of their component fluids on the p–T plane were considered theoretically. The consideration was carried out for vapor–liquid phase equilibria in the model systems without liquid–liquid equilibria. We focused only the relations between the shapes and the tangent of the straight lines connecting the critical points of the component fluids on the p–T plane, and so the effects of the distance between the critical points were out of the scope of this work. The changes in the shapes of the critical loci were classified logically into three patterns. Literature survey has shown that the two patterns exist in the experimental results for several types of mixtures. The shapes of the critical loci of the binary fluid mixtures on the p–T plane are closely related to the relative positions between the critical points of their component fluids.     

Ring conformations of d-glucose derivatives possessing two bulky silyl protecting groups at the 3,4-positions; the first observation of a stable full-axial chair conformer without bridge structures

The ring conformations of 3,4-bis-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl- and 3,4-bis-O-tert-butyldiphenylsilyl-d-glucopyranoses as well as the corresponding phenyl 1-thio-d-glucopyranosides were investigated. Observations showed that the introduction of the two tert-butyldiphenylsilyl groups can flip the pyranose-ring into the ¹C₄ conformation possessing more axial substituents. All the substituents of the 3,4-bis-O-tert-butyldiphenylsilyl-β-d-glucopyranose were axially oriented.     

Monoterpenes produced by Cupressus lusitanica cultured cells including a novel monoterpene (1s, 2s, 6s)-(+)-1,6-epoxy-4(8)-p-menthen-2-ol

A novel monoterpene, (1S, 2S, 6S)-(+)-1,6-epoxy-4(8)-p-menthen-2-ol, was isolated from an elicitor-treated cell culture of Cupressus lusitanica (Mexican cypress). Ten known monoterpenes--limonene, myrcene, beta-ocimene, sabinene, terpinolene, 4-terpineol, alpha-terpineol, 4(8)-p-menthen-1,2-diol, 4-hydroxyphellandric acid methylester and beta-thujaplicin methylether--were also identified. Regioselective metabolisms of monoterpenes were observed in this culture.     

Recent Progress of Thioester Method

Introduction Theavailabilityofsite specificallymodifiedpep tidesisofvitalimportanceforbiochemicalandbiophys icalstudies.Biologicalmethods,suchasexpression usingbacteria,areuseful.Theyare,however,notal waysapplicabletothesynthesisofpeptideswithsite specifi…