Siladenoserinols M–P,sulfonated serinol derivatives from a tunicate

Four new sulfonated serinol derivatives, siladenoserinols M–P (1–4), were isolated from a tunicate of the family Didemnidae collected in Indonesia. Their chemical structures were elucidated by the interpretation of NMR and mass spectroscopic data. Two of them (2 and 4) were revealed to be disulfonate serinol derivatives, and the others were monosulfonates. Siladenoserinols A (5) and B (6), which we previously isolated from the same tunicate, inhibited the p53–Hdm2 interaction with an IC₅₀ value of 2.0?μM. However, 1–4 did not inhibit the activity. The result suggested that the acetyl group in the bicyclic ketal unit and/or the glycerophospholipid moiety in 5 and 6 were responsible for the inhibition of the p53–Hdm2 interaction.     

Spectroscopic measurements of excited particles in a N2 gas RF plasma-assisted carbon laser ablation

In this work, we investigated a carbon plasma plume produced by laser ablation of a graphite target in a nitrogen gas environment. The spatial distributions of C and N atoms were measured by time-resolved absorption spectroscopy. The spatial distributions of the relative densities of CN radicals, C₂, and C₃ molecules were measured using time-resolved emission spectroscopy. We determined that nitrogen gas produced an increase in carbon atom and molecule densities in the ablation plume. It was observed that the addition of RF plasma to the plume increased the CN radicals and C atom densities, and decreased the C₂ and C₃ molecule densities. The RF plasma changed the evolution of various fractional species of C, N, CN, C₂, and C₃ in the ablation plume. The chemical reactions with and without RF plasma were explained using the evolution and density of the fractional species of C, N, CN, C₂, and C₃in the plume. PACS 52.38.Mf; 42.62.Fi; 33.20.-t; 81.05.Uw     

Preparation of gold colloid using pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid and characterization of its particle growth

Gold colloid was prepared by reduction of tetrachloroaurate using pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid in the presence of α-methoxy-ω-mercaptoethyl-poly(ethylene glycol). The shape and size of the obtained gold colloids were monitored by absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy during the reduction reaction. In the early stage of the reducing reaction, large fluffy particles with diameters >100 μm were observed. Some of these large particles had rectangular parallelepiped shapes. However, the mean particle size decreased with increasing time. Eventually, these large, non-round-shaped particles disappeared almost completely, and uniform round-shaped particles with a mean diameter of 10.5 nm became dominant.     

Development of a low-frequency-vibration calibration system

Experimental Mechanics - The development of the low-frequency-vibration apparatus described in this report was done in response to a need to establish and verify vibration-pickup performance at...     

Probing of energy gap distribution in superconducting tunnel junctions by low temperature scanning electron microscopy

A two-dimensional voltage image of the energy gap distribution of a superconducting tunnel junction was obtained by scanning the current biased junction with an electron beam and detecting the voltage change δV. The value of the energy gap at the point of irradiation was determined quantitatively from the δV σ(V) curves, where σ(V) is the electric conductance of the junction. Further the quasiparticle diffusion length was found by measuring the length of the transition between a high- and low-gap region generated by a double tunnel junction configuration. The theoretical predictions could be verified by investigating a double tunnel junction configuration, where the energy gap could be changed deliberately by quasiparticle injection.     

Numerical modelling and analysis of external gear pumps by applying generalized control volumes

Components in gear pumps usually involve complex geometrical arrangements in order to achieve the desired performance. The use of lumped parametric models is considered the most accurate and effective method for investigation of the associated design issues. In this study, the numerical modelling approach based on the lumped parameters and control volume concepts is reviewed, especially for gear teeth within the meshing zone. To apply the approach to the entire gear pump, control volume concepts are generalized to all gear pockets and flow orifices with some reasonable assumptions. The assumptions include instantaneous angular positions, orifice transitions and imagined control volumes with internal flows. The fluid dynamics and pump performance, which even have the measurement difficulties, can be estimated to investigate and optimize the design parameters of gears by the model. A simulation example and its experimental results of a gear machine are presented to validate the proposed approach in this article.     

Ozone reactions with alkaline-earth metal cations and dications in the gas phase: room-temperature kinetics and catalysis

Room-temperature rate coefficients and product distributions are reported for the reactions of ozone with the cations and dications of the alkaline-earth metals Ca, Sr, and Ba. The measurements were performed with a selected-ion flow tube (SIFT) tandem mass spectrometer in conjunction with either an electrospray (ESI) or an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) ionization source. All the singly charged species react with ozone by O-atom transfer and form monoxide cations rapidly, k = 4.8, 6.7, and 8.7 x 10(-10) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) for the reactions of Ca+, Sr+, and Ba+, respectively. Further sequential O-atom transfer occurs to form dioxide and trioxide cations. The efficiencies for all O-atom transfer reactions are greater than 10%. The data also signify the catalytic conversion of ozone to oxygen with the alkaline-earth metal and metal oxide cations serving as catalysts. Ca2+ reacts rapidly with O3 by charge separation to form CaO+ and O2+ with a rate coefficient of k = 1.5 x 10(-9) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1). In contrast, the reactions of Sr2+ and Ba2+ are found to be slow and add O3, (k >/= 1.1 x 10-11 cm3 molecule-1 s-1). The initial additions are followed by the rapid sequential addition of up to five O3 molecules with values of k between 1 and 5 x 10(-10) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1). Metal/ozone cluster ions as large as Sr2+(O3)5 and Ba2+(O3)4 were observed for the first time.     

Synthesis of phenyl furyl sulfides and phenyl furyl ethers by nucleophilic substitution of nitrofurans

Phenyl furyl sulfides ( 3a‐j ) and phenyl furyl ethers ( 3k‐n ), which are useful in synthesizing furocondensed 3‐ring compounds, can be synthesized by nucleophilic substitution of nitrofurans having electron withdrawal groups. In our experiments using 5‐nitrofurans having electron withdrawal groups ( 2a‐i ), nucleophilic substitution readily occurred with the benzenethiolate anion of thiosalicylic acid ( 1a ), the benzenethiolate anion of thiosalicylate ester ( 1b ), and the phenylate anions of salicylate esters ( 1c‐d ) to yield phenyl furyl sulfides ( 3a‐j ) and phenyl furyl ethers ( 3k‐n ).