Correlation between oxygen consumption and photobleaching during in vitro photodynamic treatment with ATX-S10.Na(II) using pulsed light excitation: dependence of pulse repetition rate and irradiation time

We revealed that in ATX-S10.Na(II)(13,17-bis (1-carboxypropionyl) carbamoylethyl-8-etheny-2-hydroxy-3-hydroxyiminoethylidene-2,7,12,18-tetraethyl porphyrin sodium)-mediated photodynamic therapy using 667 nm nanosecond-pulsed light excitation at a peak intensity of 2.0 MW/cm(2), phototoxicity increased with decreasing pulse repetition rate in the range of 5-30 Hz for A549 cell cultures. To examine the relation between the reaction mechanism and measured phototoxicity, we carefully measured the kinetics of photochemical oxygen consumption and photobleaching during irradiation of ATX-S10.Na(II)-sensitized A549 monolayer cultures. Measurements of oxygen consumption with a microelectrode, which was performed just above the cells, showed that there was no significant difference between the magnitudes of decrease in oxygen at the three repetition rates at the same cumulative fluence. Loss of ATX-S10.Na(II) fluorescence intensity also exhibited little repetition rate dependence when compared at the same cumulative fluence. We investigated the correlation between oxygen consumption and photobleaching during irradiation and obtained "fluorescence-oxygen diagrams." The diagrams showed dynamic changes between oxygen-dependent and oxygen-independent photobleaching at the higher repetition rates of 10 and 30 Hz, whereas such change was not clearly seen over the whole irradiation time at 5 Hz. These results suggest that the reduced phototoxicity at high repetition rates might be due to an oxygen-independent reaction. We presumed that the change in the reaction mechanism was associated with the local concentrations of the photosensitizer and oxygen in cells during irradiation.     

Kinetic pathway to double-gyroid structure

We have investigated the structural development during order-order transitions to the double-gyroid (DG) phase of nonionic surfactant/water systems based on two-dimensional small-angle x-ray scattering patterns from highly oriented ordered mesophases. The lamellar (L) to DG transition proceeds through two intermediate structures, a fluctuating perforated layer structure having ABAB stacking and a hexagonal perforated lamellar structure with ABCABC stacking (HPLABC). For a hexagonally packed cylinder (H) to DG transition, we also observed the HPLABC structure as the intermediate phase, thus the HPLABC is an entrance structure for the DG phase. The hexagonal perforated lamellar (HPL) structure consists of hexagonally packed holes surrounded by the planar tripods, and the transition from HPL structure to the DG phase proceeds by rotation of the dihedral angle of connected tripods. A geometrical consideration shows that large deformations of HPL planes are necessary to form the DG structure from the HPLABC structure, whereas the transition from a HPL structure with ABAB stacking (HPLAB) to the DG structure is straightforward. In spite of the topological constraints, the HPLABC structure is observed in the kinetic pathway to the DG structure.     

Studies on the constituents of Lonicera species. XVII. New iridoid glycosides of the stems and leaves of Lonicera japonica THUNB

Four new iridoid glycosides, named L-phenylalaninosecologanin (1), 7-O-(4-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy-3-methoxybenzoyl)secologanolic acid (2), 6'-O-(7alpha-hydroxyswerosyloxy)loganin (3) and (Z)-aldosecologanin (5), were isolated, together with a known one, newly named (E)-aldosecologanin (4), from the stems and leaves of Lonicera japonica. Their structures were established on the basis of chemical and spectral data.     

Five new sesquiterpenoids and a new diterpenoid from Erigeron annuus (L.) PERS., Erigeron philadelphicus L. and Erigeron sumatrensis RETZ

The aerial parts of Erigeron annuus (L.) PERS., E. philadelphicus L. and E. sumatrensis RETZ. (Compositae) have been investigated chemically. A new sesquiterpenoid, 6beta,14-epoxyeudesm-4(15)-en-1beta-ol (1), and a new diterpenoid, philadelphinone (6), have been isolated from E. philadelphicus. Four new sesquiterpenoids, (7R*)-opposit-4(15)-ene-1beta,7-diol (2), 11-methoxyopposit-4(15)-en-1beta-ol (3), 15-methoxyisodauc-3-ene-1beta,5alpha-diol (4) and 10alpha-hydroxycadin-4-en-15-al (5), have been isolated from E. annuus. Compounds 2 and 4 were also isolated from E. sumatrensis. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of their spectral data.     

Biomimetic formation of gramicidin S by dimerization-cyclization of pentapeptide precursor on solid support

The biomimetic formation of gramicidin S, cyclo(-d-Phe-Pro-Val-Orn-Leu-)₂, by the dimerization and cyclization of pentapeptide precursor without the protection of δ-amino group of the Orn residue was examined on a solid support. The cyclization of H-d-Phe-Pro-Val-Orn-Leu-oxime on a resin with an oxime group of 0.62 mmol/g in 1,4-dioxane directly gave gramicidin S in a 50% yield. The dimerization-cyclization mode on the solid support was similar to that of the biosynthesis of gramicidin S on an enzyme.     

Investigation of the crystal structure and the structural and magnetic properties of SrCu2(PO4)2

SrCu2(PO4)2 was prepared by the solid-state method at 1153 K. Its structure was solved by direct methods in the space group Pccn (No. 56) with Z = 8 from synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data measured at room temperature. Structure parameters were then refined by the Rietveld method to obtain the lattice parameters, a = 7.94217(8) A, b = 15.36918(14) A, and c = 10.37036(10) A. SrCu2(PO4)2 presents a new structure type and is built up from Sr2O16 and Cu1Cu2O8 units with Cu1...Cu2 = 3.256 A. The magnetic properties of SrCu2(PO4)2 were investigated by magnetic susceptibility, magnetization up to 65 T, Cu nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR), electron-spin resonance, and specific heat measurements. With spin-dimer analysis, it was shown that the two strongest spin-exchange interactions between Cu sites result from the Cu1-O...O-Cu2 and Cu2-O...O-Cu2 super-superexchange paths with Cu1...Cu2 = 5.861 A and Cu2...Cu2 = 5.251 A, and the superexchange associated with the structural dimer Cu1Cu2O8 is negligible. The magnetic susceptibility data were analyzed in terms of a linear four-spin cluster model, Cu1-Cu2-Cu2-Cu1 with -2J(1)/kB = 82.4 K for Cu1-Cu2 and -2J(2)/k(B) = 59 K for Cu2-Cu2. A spin gap deduced from this model (Delta/kB = 63 K) is in agreement with that obtained from the Cu NQR data (Delta/kB = 65 K). A one-half magnetization plateau was observed between approximately 50 and 63 T at 1.3 K. Specific heat data show that SrCu2(PO4)2 does not undergo a long-range magnetic ordering down to 0.45 K. SrCu2(PO4)2 melts incongruently at 1189 K. We also report its vibrational properties studied with Raman spectroscopy.     

Convergence of a penalty-finite element approximation for an obstacle problem

Summary This study establishes an error estimate for a penalty-finite element approximation of the variational inequality obtained by a class of obstacle problems. By special identification of the penalty term, we first show that the penalty solution converges to the solution of a mixed formulation of the variational inequality. The rate of convergence of the penalization is where is the penalty parameter. To obtain the error of finite element approximation, we apply the results obtained by Brezzi, Hager and Raviart for the mixed finite element method to the variational inequality.     

Structural confirmation of oligosaccharides newly isolated from sugar beet molasses

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Sugar beet molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar beets into sugar. The molasses is known to contain sucrose and raffinose, a typical trisaccharide, with a well-established structure. Although sugar beet molasses contains various other oligosaccharides as well, the structures of those oligosaccharides have not been examined in detail. The purpose of this study was isolation and structural confirmation of these other oligosaccharides found in sugar beet molasses. RESULTS: Four oligosaccharides were newly isolated from sugar beet molasses using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and carbon-Celite column chromatography. Structural confirmation of the saccharides was provided by methylation analysis, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionaization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. CONCLUSION: The following oligosaccharides were identified in sugar beet molasses: beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1- > 6)-beta-D-fructofuranosyl-(2 <-> 1)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (named beta-planteose), alpha-D-galactopyranosyl-(1- > 1)-beta-D-fructofuranosyl-(2 <-> 1)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (named1-planteose), alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1- > 6)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 <-> 2)-beta-D-fructofuranoside (theanderose), and beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1- > 3)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 <-> 2)-beta-D-fructofuranoside (laminaribiofructose). 1-planteose and laminaribiofructose were isolated from natural sources for the first time.     

Preliminary communication:Novel method for uniform orientation of liquid crystal molecules by a polyimide surface exposed to a water flow

A novel technique for surface-induced orientation of liquid crystal (LC) molecules is proposed, using a polyimide surface exposed to a unidirectional water flow. The LC molecules director was unidirectionally oriented along the water flow direction on the polyimide surface. The orientational state of the LC director was strongly dependent upon whether the water flow exposure was carried out before or after thermal curing for imidization, and also upon the temperature of water flow.     

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