Vacancies in the solids of low molecular weight organic compounds observed by positron annihilation

PAL were measured for several low molecular organic compounds, normal and cyclic-hydrocarbons and their perfluorinated ones, from room temperature down to about 40 K, and information about the vacancies in them has been extracted from ₃ andI ₃. Normally the size of vacancies were larger in the solids comprising larger molecules, showing thato-Ps can represent the vacancy size. In a special case of perfluorocyclohexane whose solid had to be prepared by sublimation the vacancy size was larger than expected. In all the solid molecules studied twoo-Ps states could be observed and their relative importance could easily change showing a hysteresis-like behavior. At further lower temperatures of around 40 K theo-Ps state with longer lifetime and larger intensity became overwhelming for all molecules. Also ₃ andI ₃ were not very sensitive to most of the phase transitions, including the melting points.     

Benzoyl(acetylacetonato)nickel(II) complexes containing tertiary phosphine ligands. Their synthesis,dynamic behavior in solution,and decarbonylation

Carbon monoxide is readily inserted into the phenyl—nickel bond of PhNi(acac)(PR₃)_n to give benzoylnickel complexes, PhCONi(acac)PR₃ (R = Ph, Et, cyclo-C₆H₁₁), which were characterized by elemental analysis, IR and NMR spectroscopy, as well as chemical reactions. The reactions of the benzoylnickel complexes with methyl iodide and alcohols give acetophenone and corresponding benzoates, respectively, accompanied by some decomposition reactions. The solid benzoylnickel complexes when heated at elevated temperatures are decarbonylated and biphenyl, benzophenone and carbon monoxide are liberated. The dynamic behavior of the acac ligand in acetone solution was studied and the activation parameters for the acac exchange reactions were obtained. The decarbonylation reaction of the benzoyl complex PhCONi(acac)PPh₃ in acetone was studied by NMR, and found to be first order in the benzoylnickel complex.     

Identification of Shiga toxins in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli using immunoprecipitation and high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

We developed a rapid and reliable identification method for Shiga toxins in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) using immunoprecipitation and high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS). Polyclonal antisera specific for Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1) and Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2) were raised in rabbits so as to be used for the immunoprecipitation. The immunoprecipitaion was carried out by mixing sample solutions with 50 microl each of the antisera to Stx1 and Stx2 followed by allowing the mixed solutions to stand for 30 min. The quantity required to obtain the immunoprecipitate was more than 0.5 microg of Shiga toxins. HPLC-ESI-MS analysis of the resulting immunoprecipitates provided accurate molecular weight information on Shiga toxins, leading to direct evidence for the presence of these toxins. It requires at most two days to perform our procedure from toxin extraction to measurement of HPLC-ESI-MS whereas the previous method using isolation procedures required about two weeks to complete. The usefulness of the present method has been demonstrated by identifying Stx1, Stx2 and a variant of Stx2 (Stx2e) in the immunoprecipitates prepared from STEC strains.     

Colorimetric assay for lysozyme using Micrococcus luteus labeled with a blue dye, Remazol brilliant blue R, as a substrate.

Micrococcus luteus (M. lysodeikticus) labeled with Remazol brilliant blue R (blue ML) was prepared as a novel substrate for the colorimetric assay of lysozyme. The treatment of the labeled substrate with lysozyme resulted in the release of soluble blue products which can be easily measured spectrophotometrically at 600 nm. The blue color was most efficiently released at pH 7 and ionic strength of 0.2 on incubation with hen lysozyme at 40 degrees C. A new colorimetric method for the assay of lysozyme using this substrate was developed. The assay system gave a linear dose-response curve, and as little as 0.1 microgram of human lysozyme (1 microgram/ml, 100 microliters) can be detected. The present method is more convenient and reproducible than the conventional lysozyme assay with bacterial cells. Application of the system to the determination of lysozyme in human serum is described.     

Evaluation of dissociation constants of ammonium ion in aqueous lithium perchlorate and lithium chloride-sodium chloride mixed solutions

The Pitzer approach has been applied to the evaluation of dissociation constants of ammonium ion in lithium perchlorate and lithium chloride-sodium chloride mixed solutions at 25°C. The calculated values showed good agreement with the observed values, provided all the higher-order interaction terms ('s and 's) concerned were introduced. The unknown (NH₄LiClO₄) value was determined from the isopiestic measurements of NH₄ClO₄–LiClO₄ mixed solutions. Parameters in the Pitzer formalism for ammonia-ion interactions involved in LiCl and NaCl media were determined by use of the activity coefficients of ammonia measured in LiCl–NaCl mixed solutions by a transpiration method.     

Ageladine A: an antiangiogenic matrixmetalloproteinase inhibitor from the marine sponge Agelas nakamurai

A novel MMP inhibitor, ageladine A (1) with antiangiogenic activity was isolated from a marine sponge Agelas nakamurai. Structure 1 was determined by a combination of spectroscopic and chemical methods to be an unprecedented structure of 4-(4,5-dibromo-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)]-1H-imidazo[4,5-c]pyridin-2-amine.