Dose-dependent inhibition of ultrasound-induced cell killing and free radical production by carbon dioxide

Previous studies have shown that if a solution for cell suspension is saturated with CO(2), ultrasound-induced in vitro cell killing and free-radical production are inhibited. However, the dose dependency of this observation has not been explored. Here, we used NaHCO(3) and HCl to produce a predictable concentration of CO(2) within the culture medium. Using 1 MHz continuous wave 4 W/cm(2) ultrasound, we sonicated U937 cells suspension for 1 min at 37 degrees C with CO(2) at different concentrations. At 2 mM, reduced cell killing was observed that further decreased with increasing CO(2) concentration until 100% protection was attained at 20 mM. Ultrasound-induced free-radical production was significantly decreased at 1 mM and became undetectable at 2 mM CO(2). This finding shows that CO(2)-mediated inhibition is concentration dependent and that the threshold for free-radical production is one order of magnitude higher than the threshold for cell killing induced by ultrasound. In addition, it also cautions researchers when adding acids and acid-based agents to a culture medium, which almost always contains NaHCO(3), in experiments related to the bioeffects of ultrasound.     

Neutron electric dipole moment measurement with a buffer gas comagnetometer

A neutron EDM measurement with a comagnetometer is discussed. For magnetometry, polarized xenon atoms are injected into a cylindrical cell where a cylindrically symmetric magnetic field and an electric field are applied for the EDM measurement. The geometric phase effect (GPE), which originates from particle motion in a magnetic field gradient, is analyzed in terms of the Dyson series. The motion of the xenon atom is largely suppressed because of a small mean free path. The field gradient is controlled by means of NMR measurements, where the false effect of Earth?s rotation is removed. As a result, the GPE is reduced below 10⁻²⁸e cm${10}^{-28}e\text{cm}$.     

Exciton dynamics in nanostar dendritic systems using a quantum master equation approach: core monomer effects and possibility of energy transport control

The directional energy transport, i.e. exciton migration, in nanostar dendritic systems composed of two-state monomer units is studied using a quantum master equation approach. We examine the effects of the variation in the excitation energy of the monomer in the core region (core monomer) on the multistep exciton migration from the periphery to the core based on the relaxation factors among exciton states originating in weak exciton-phonon coupling. It turns out that when the core monomer possesses both an excitation energy slightly lower than that of the first generation and a partial exciton overlap with the first generation, more efficient and rapid exciton migration to the core is expected as compared with other core monomer cases with the energy level closer to or much lower than that of the first generation.     

Spallation ultracold neutron source of superfluid helium below 1 K

For the production of high-density ultracold neutrons (UCNs), we placed 0.8 K superfluid helium in a cold neutron moderator. We resolved previous heat-load problems in the spallation neutron source that were particularly serious below 1 K. With a proton-beam power of 400 MeV×1 μA, a UCN production rate of 4 UCN cm(-3) s(-1) at the maximum UCN energy of E(c)=210 neV and a storage lifetime of 81 s were obtained. A cryogenic test showed that the production rate can be increased by a factor of 10 with the same storage lifetime by increasing the proton-beam power as well as (3)He pumping speed.     

Nd2Fe14B/α-Fe双泪永磁合金快淬带的织构与形貌

利用X射线衍射仪和扫描探针显微镜研究了NeFeB系双相永磁合金快淬带的织构与形貌.结果表明,合金快淬带自由面存在择优取向.与三元NdFeB合金相比,复合添加Dy和Ga具有增加合金快淬带织构和细化组织形貌的作用. 关键词：     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Coupling Reaction of Perfluoroarenes with Diarylzinc Compounds

This report describes the first Pd⁰‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of hexafluorobenzene (C₆F₆) with diarylzinc compounds to give a variety of pentafluorophenyl arenes. This reaction could be applied to other perfluoroarenes, such as octafluorotoluene, pentafluoropyridine, and perfluoronaphthalene, to give the corresponding polyfluorinated coupling products. The optimal ligand in this catalytic reaction was PCy₃, and lithium iodide was indispensable as an additive for the coupling reaction. One of the roles of lithium iodide in this catalytic reaction was to promote the oxidative addition of one C?F bond of C₆F₆ to palladium. Stoichiometric reactions revealed that an expected oxidative‐addition product, trans‐[Pd(C₆F₅)I(PCy₃)₂], generated from the reaction of [Pd(PCy₃)₂] with C₆F₆ in the presence of lithium iodide, was not involved in the catalytic cycle. Instead, a transient three‐coordinate, monophosphine‐ligated species, [Pd(C₆F₅)I(PCy₃)], emerged as a potential intermediate in the catalytic cycle. Therefore, we isolated a novel Pd^II complex, [Pd(C₆F₅)I(PCy₃)(py)], in which pyridine (py) acted as a labile ligand to generate the transient species. In fact, in the presence of lithium iodide, this Pd^II complex was found to react smoothly with diphenylzinc to give the desired pentafluorophenyl benzene, whereas the same reaction conducted in the absence of lithium iodide resulted in a decreased yield of pentafluorophenyl benzene, which indicated that the other role of lithium iodide was to enhance the reactivity of the organozinc species during the transmetalation step.     

Synthesis of end‐functionalized polyethers by phosphazene base‐catalyzed ring‐opening polymerization of 1,2‐butylene oxide and glycidyl ether

For the living ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of epoxy monomers, the catalytic activity of organic superbases, tert‐butylimino‐tris(dimethylamino)phosphorane, 1‐tert‐butyl‐2,2,4,4,4‐pentakis(dimethylamino)‐2Λ⁵,4Λ⁵‐catenadi(phosphazene), 2,8,9‐triisobutyl‐2,5,8,9‐tetraaza‐1‐phosphabicyclo[3.3.3]undecane, and 1‐tert‐butyl‐4,4,4‐tris(dimethylamino)‐2,2‐bis[tris(dimethylamino)phosphoranylidenamino]‐2Λ⁵,4Λ⁵‐catenadi(phosphazene) (t‐Bu‐P₄), was confirmed. Among these superbases, only t‐Bu‐P₄ showed catalytic activity for the ROP of 1,2‐butylene oxide (BO) to afford poly(1,2‐butylene oxide) (PBO) with predicted molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution. The results of the kinetic, post‐polymerization experiments, and MALDI‐TOF MS measurement revealed that the t‐Bu‐P₄‐catalyzed ROP of BO proceeded in a living manner in which the alcohol acted as the initiator. This alcohol/t‐Bu‐P₄ system was applicable to the glycidol derivatives, such as benzyl glycidyl ether (BnGE) and t‐butyl glycidyl ether, to afford well‐defined protected polyglycidols. The α‐functionalized polyethers could be obtained using different functionalized initiators, such as 4‐vinylbenzyl alcohol, 5‐hexen‐1‐ol, and 6‐azide‐1‐hexanol. In addition, the well‐defined cyclic‐PBO and PBnGE were successfully synthesized using the combination of t‐Bu‐P₄‐catalyzed ROP and click cyclization. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Synthesis of poly(succinimide) by bulk polycondensation of L‐aspartic acid with an acid catalyst

The bulk polycondensation of L ‐aspartic acid (ASP) with an acid catalyst under batch and continuous conditions was established as a preparative method for producing poly(succinimide) (PSI). Although sulfuric acid, p‐toluenesulfonic acid, and methanesulfonic acid were effective at producing PSI in a high conversion of ASP, o‐phosphoric acid was the most suitable catalyst for yielding PSI with a high weight‐average molecular weight (M_w) in a quantitative conversion; that is, the M_w value was 24,000. For the continuous process using a twin‐screw extruder at 3.0 kg · h⁻¹ of the ASP feed rate, the conversion was greater than 99%, and the M_w value was 23,000 for the polycondensation with 10 wt % o‐phosphoric acid at 260°C. Sodium polyaspartate (PASP‐Na) originating from the acid‐catalyzed polycondensation exhibited high biodegradability and calcium‐ion‐chelating ability. The total organic carbon value was 86 ∼ 88%, and 100 g of PASP‐Na chelated with 5.5 ∼ 5.6 g of calcium ion, which was similar to the value for PASP‐Na from the acid‐catalyzed polycondensation with a mixed solvent © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 117–122, 2000     

Cationic ring‐opening polymerization of 1,6‐anhydro‐2,3,4‐tri‐O‐allyl‐β‐D‐glucopyranose as a convenient synthesis of dextran

For the convenient synthesis of (1→6)‐α‐D ‐glucopyranan, i. e., dextran ( 4 ), ring‐opening polymerization of 1,6‐anhydro‐2,3,4‐tri‐O‐allyl‐β‐D ‐glucopyranose ( 1 ) has been carried out using BF₃·OEt₂. With a ratio of [BF₃·OEt₂]/[ 1 ] = 0.5 at 0 °C for 140 h, the yield and M_n of the obtained polymer are 84.0% and 21 700, respectively. The polymer consists of (1→6)‐α‐linked 2,3,4‐tri‐O‐allyl‐D ‐glucopyranose ( 2 ) which is similar to the results for the cationic ring‐opening polymerization of 1,6‐anhydro‐2,3,4‐tri‐O‐methyl‐β‐D ‐glucopyranose and 1,6‐anhydro‐2,3,4‐tri‐O‐ethyl‐β‐D ‐glucopyranose. Polymer 2 was isomerized using tris(triphenylphosphine)‐chlororhodium as the catalyst in toluene/ethanol/water to yield polymeric 2,3,4‐tri‐O‐propenyl‐(1→6)‐α‐D ‐glucopyranan ( 3 ). Deprotection of the propenyl ether linkage of 3 was then performed using hydrochloric acid in acetone to give 4 .