Screening method for organic aciduria by spectrofluorometric measurement of total dicarboxylic acids in human urine based on intramolecular excimer-forming fluorescence derivatization

A simple screening method of organic aciduria by spectrofluorometric measurement of total dicarboxylic acids in human urine is described. This method is based on an intramolecular excimer-forming fluorescence derivatization with a pyrene reagent, 4-(1-pyrene)butanoic acid hydrazide (PBH). Dicarboxylic acids in urine were converted to the corresponding dipyrene-labeled derivatives by reaction with PBH in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide and pyridine, and the derivatives afforded intramolecular excimer fluorescence (420-540 nm) which can clearly be discriminated from the normal fluorescence (360-420 nm) emitted from reagent blanks. The technique is so selective that it permits spectrofluorometric measurement of total amount of dicarboxylic acids by the direct derivatization of diluted urine samples. The same reaction mixture has also served as a liquid chromatographic (LC) sample for the separative determination of individual dicarboxylic acids. The spectrofluorometric data did not contradict with the LC data. These methods were usefully applied to preliminary screening test of glutaric aciduria. In conclusion, the present derivatization method allows rapid and direct determination of total amount of dicarboxylic acids in human urine samples.     

3,4-dihydro-6,7-dimethoxy-4-methyl-3-oxo-qinoxaline-2-carbonyl azide as a highly sensitive fluorescence derivatization reagent for primary,secondary and tertiary alcohols in high-performance liquid chromatography

3,4-Dhydro-6,7-dimethoxy-4-methyl-3-oxo-quinoxaline-2-carbonyl azide is a highly senstive fluorescence derivatization reagent for primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols for high-performance liquid chromatography. Reaction conditions are optimized with benzyl alcohol, n-hexanol, cyclohexanol and 2-methyl-2-butanol. The reagent reacts with the alcohols in benzene to produce the corresponding fluorescent carbamic acid esters, which can be separated on a reversed-phase column YMC Pack C₈ with aqueous methanol as eluent. the detection limits for the alchols are 2–5 fmol per 10-μl njection. The reagent also reacts with hydroxysteroids with primary, secondary and/or tertiary alcoholic group(s) to form fluorescent derivatives. Hydroxycarboxylic acids and phenols do not give any chromatographic peaks.     

Structure of YM-254890, a Novel Gq/11 Inhibitor from Chromobacterium sp. QS3666

The isolation and structure elucidation of YM-254890, a novel G_q/11 inhibitor from Chromobacterium sp. QS3666, is described. The gross structure was determined by one- and two-dimensional NMR studies and mass spectrometry. YM-254890 is a cyclic depsipeptide containing uncommon amino acids; β-hydroxyleucine (two residues), N,O-dimethylthreonine and N-methyldehydroalanine. YM-254890 exists as a mixture of two conformers in a variety of NMR solvents, and the distinction between major and minor conformers appears to lie in the geometry of the amide bond between 3-phenyllactic acid and N-methyldehydroalanine. The absolute stereochemistery was elucidated by Marfey's analysis and chiral HPLC analysis of the acid hydrolysate of YM-254890.     

Asymmetric crystallization of bisguanidinobenzene derivatives

We show that the mono-N-methylated and -ethylated derivatives of the achiral compound bisguanidinobenzene undergo spontaneous asymmetric crystallization into a chiral form with chiral space group P2₁2₁2₁. The absolute configurations of the chiral crystals were determined by X-ray crystallography and correlated with circular dichroism (CD) spectra recorded in the solid state. The corresponding protonated and isopropylated derivatives, by contrast, afforded achiral crystals.     

Tunable surface-enhanced infrared absorption on au nanofilms on si fabricated by self-assembly and growth of colloidal particles

Au colloids were used to fabricate nanoscale-tunable Au nanofilms on silicon for surface-enhanced IR absorption bases in both ambient and electrochemical environments. This wet process incorporates the self-assembly of colloidal Au monolayer using 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane as the organic coupler with subsequent chemical plating in an Au(III)/hydroxylamine solution. FTIR spectroscopy in transmission mode of the probe species SCN- was used to evaluate the apparent surface enhancement in IR absorption of 2D Au colloid arrays and chemically plated Au particles. The nanostructure of Au films was examined by atomic force microscopy. The IR and AFM results show that the apparent surface enhancement factor (1-2 orders of magnitude) increases with increasing sizes and/or contact, and the severe aggregation of Au nanoparticles may cause the bipolar band shape. Cyclic voltammetry on the Au nanofilm obtained by the above nucleation and growth strategy exhibits a feasible electrochemical stability and behavior. In situ ATR-FTIR measurement of p-nitrobenzoic acid adsorption demonstrates that the as-grown Au film yields rather promising surface enhancement as well.     

Study on permeation behavior and chemical degradation of PA66 in acid solution

In many polymers under corrosive liquids, degradation followed after permeation of environmental solution for a long period. The permeation rate of environmental solution, in many cases, is very low in corrosion-resistant polymeric materials. Therefore, the observation of the permeation of environmental solution and degradation of polymeric materials are very difficult in practical application. A simulation of permeation of solution is required in order to understand the permeation behavior of environmental solution and polymer degradation. A detailed analysis of the permeation behavior of solution accompanied by chemical reaction is important to study for improving the lifetime of polymers. Polyamide 66 (PA66) and sulfuric acid solution were used to investigate the quantitative study of permeation of environmental solution and its relation to degradation of polymeric materials. Correlation between diffusion process and degradation of PA66 related to the decrease of weight average molecular weight was defined. The diffusion rate of sulfuric acid solution was found to increase by decreasing weight average molecular weight of PA66 due to the established chain scission by hydrolysis reaction. The permeation of sulfuric acid solution that affected the decomposition reaction was modeled and quantitative evaluation of permeation of sulfuric acid was established.     

Synthesis and central nervous system stimulant activity of camphor-1,2,4-benzotriazines fused with five and six-membered heterocycles

Novel camphor-1,2,4-triazines fused with imidazole 2–3 , thiadiazole 4 , 1,2,4-triazole 7 , pyrimidine 9–13 and 1,3,5-triazine 14 , were synthesized starting from (5R,8S)-3-amino-5,9,9-trimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,8-methano-1,2,4-benzotriazine 1 . Evaluation of central nervous system stimulant activity demonstrated that the presence of a N-N group at C-3 position of 1,2,4-benzotriazine will be essential for the activity.     

Baryogenesis in false vacuum

The null result in the LHC may indicate that the standard model is not drastically modified up to very high scales, such as the GUT/string scale. Having this in the mind, we suggest a novel leptogenesis scenario realized in the false vacuum of the Higgs field. If the Higgs field develops a large vacuum expectation value in the early universe, a lepton number violating process is enhanced, which we use for baryogenesis. To demonstrate the scenario, several models are discussed. For example, we show that the observed baryon asymmetry is successfully generated in the standard model with higher-dimensional operators.     

Decomposition of Insoluble and Hard-to-Degrade Animal Proteins by Enzyme E77 and Its Potential Applications

Insoluble and hard-to-degrade animal proteins are group of troublesome proteins, such as collagen, elastin, keratin, and prion proteins that are largely generated by the meat industry and ultimately converted to industrial wastes. We analyzed the ability of the abnormal prion protein-degrading enzyme E77 to degrade insoluble and hard-to-degrade animal proteins including keratin, collagen, and elastin. The results indicate that E77 has a much higher keratinolytic activity than proteinase K and subtilisin. Maximal E77 keratinolytic activity was observed at pH 12.0 and 65 °C. E77 was also adsorbed by keratin in a pH-independent manner. E77 showed lower collagenolytic and elastinolytic specificities than proteinase K and subtilisin. Moreover, E77 treatment did not damage collagens in ovine small intestines but did almost completely remove the muscles. We consider that E77 has the potential ability for application in the processing of animal feedstuffs and sausages.