One-step synthesis of hierarchical porous γ-alumina with high surface area

Hierarchical porous γ-alumina is successfully fabricated from a precursor solution consisting of surfactants, polystyrene (PS) spheres, inorganic salts and solvents. After calcinations, uniform macropores are closely packed. The macropore size coincides with the original PS sphere size. These macropores are connected by small windows. In addition, the macropore walls have mesoporous structures, as confirmed by SAXS measurement and TEM observation. After calcination at 900 °C, the amorphous alumina frameworks are converted to the crystallized γ-alumina phase. Even after crystallization, the existence of uniform mesopores and high surface are well retained, though the mesoporous ordering is lower.     

Generation of a novel monoclonal antibody against cortisol-[C-4]-bovine serum albumin conjugate: application to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for urinary and serum cortisol.

Measurement of cortisol levels in body fluids is important for monitoring pituitary gland and adrenal functions. To develop a specific and standardized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), a novel monoclonal anti-cortisol antibody has been generated using a reasonably designed haptenic derivative. Spleen cells were prepared from the BALB/c or A/J mouse, which had repeatedly been immunized with a conjugate of 4-(2-carboxyethylthio)cortisol (CET) and bovine serum albumin, to be fused with P3/NS1/1-Ag4-1 myeloma cells. After four fusion experiments, one hybridoma clone secreting a practical antibody has been established. The resulting monoclonal antibody CS#38 (isotype gamma1, kappa) showed an affinity constant (K(a)) for cortisol of 1 x 10(9) M(-1) and provided a practical calibration curve (detection limit, 0.26 ng per assay) in a homologous ELISA system employing horseradish peroxidase-labeled CET as a labeled antigen. Cross-reactivities with related C-21 steroids were acceptably low: 11-deoxycortisol (4.3%), cortisone (4.0%), corticosterone (1.9%), progesterone (1.6%), 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (12%), 6beta-hydroxycortisol (8.4%), and tetrahydrocortisol (< 0.1%). Urinary and serum cortisol levels of healthy volunteers were determined by this method after methylene chloride extraction to be 39.0 +/- 17.0 microg/day (n = 7) and 80.8 +/- 38.9 ng/mL (n = 10), respectively, both of which are in the reference range.     

Gasanalyse

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Optically driven actuators using poly(vinylidene difluoride)

Optically driven actuators have a feature of a non-contact method supplied by light energy. A new method is proposed with three poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) cantilevers as the legs and a polymer film as the body. The PVDF cantilevers are coated with silver on one surface. When one side of the cantilever is irradiated by a laser beam, an electric field is produced along a cross-section of the cantilever by the pyroelectric effect and a mechanical displacement occurs by the piezoelectric effect. Its response time and its generated force are measured experimentally. Two types of optically driven actuators using PVDF film are proposed to move using different characteristics.     

Mesostructured organosilica with a 9-mesityl-10-methylacridinium bridging unit: photoinduced charge separation in the organosilica framework

Polycondensation of 9-mesityl-10-methylacridinium-bridged organosilane in the presence of a nonionic surfactant yielded a mesostructured organosilica solid with a functional framework that exhibited long-lived photoinduced charge separation.     

Development and validation of a hydrophilic interaction chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for quantification of nicotine and its metabolites in human maternal and cord sera

A selective and sensitive HILIC‐MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of nicotine and its metabolites in human maternal and cord sera was developed and validated. After solid‐phase extraction, LC separation was achieved on a hydrophilic interaction chromatography. The validated method is capable of selective identification as well as accurate and sensitive quantification. Analyte recovery ranged from 86.2 to 107.7% and intra‐ and inter‐day assay precision were less than 15% relative standard deviation. This sensitive HILIC‐MS/MS method can be used to determine nicotine and its metabolic profile in smokers. This validated method is useful for the determination of nicotine and its metabolites in human serum in future studies of the effects of nicotine exposure on neonatal outcome. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mechanical Characterization Measurement of Polymer Material under Stress by Birefringence Microscope

Some polymer materials under tensile stress provide us interesting information. Internal structure changes of polymer materials must be observed by external stress. Birefringence shows the orientation characteristic in molecular orientation. A microscopic measurement system for birefringence distribution is proposed to analyze the relation between applied stress and birefringence distribution of an internal structure. Birefringence distributions of gelatin such as phase difference and azimuthal angle are shown in cases of loading and unloading stress as a demonstration. The phase difference increased nonlinearly with each process, and change of birefringence in the elastic domain was different from that in the plastic domain.