Direct electrochemical assay of glucose using boron-doped diamond electrodes

We report linear sweep and square wave voltammetric studies on glucose oxidation at boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes in an alkaline medium in efforts to evaluate the techniques for electrochemically assaying glucose. The bare BDD electrode showed good linear responses to glucose oxidation for a concentration range from 0.5 to 10 mM glucose, which well encompasses the physiological range of 3-8 mM. The BDD electrodes did not experience interferences from ascorbic acid or uric acid during glucose detection. This method, when applied to real blood samples, gave results similar to those obtained by a commercial glucose monitor.     

Kinesin superfamily protein member 4 (KIF4) is localized to midzone and midbody in dividing cells

In association with microtubules, a variety of kinesins play important roles in cellular functions such as intracellular transport of organelles or vesicles, signal transduction, and cell division. In a previous study we revealed that human kinesin superfamily protein member 4 (KIF4) is a chromokinesin that binds to chromosomes. Since localization of several kinds of kinesin at midzone called central spindle, or midbody that connects two daughter cells, or both, suggests their implication in cell division, we investigated KIF4 localization of during mitosis and cytokinesis in Hela cells. In addition to association with segregating chromosomes through entire mitosis, it also localized to the midzone and to midbody at ana/telophase through cytokinesis. Especially in cells at cytokinesis, KIF4 appeared as a doublet facing each other at the apical ends of two daughter cells. Three- dimensional analysis of architectural relationship between microtubule bundles and KIF4 indicated that KIF4 forms a ring structure wrapping around the microtubule bundles. These results suggest that KIF4 is involved in cytokinesis, although direct evidence was not provided in this study.     

Spectroscopy with sound on superfluid 3He B

Collective modes of superfluid ³He B have been studied by means of sound attenuation and sound velocity studies. A new sound attenuation peak has been observed in superfluid ³He B at ?ω ≈ Δ(T). This peak has been identified with the real squashing mode. Pulse time of flight methods has been used in these studies. At high sound amplitudes, interesting transient effects have been observed which have been tentatively identified with solitonlike behavior.     

On the constancy of the velocity of light

We point out that the acceptance of the relativity principle together with the homogeneity and isotropy of space and the homogeneity of time inevitably leads to the Lorentz spacetime transformation with a universal limiting speed . Speculations on possible new four-dimensional symmetries involving a variable speed of light such as that proposed by Hsu must therefore be dismissed on such a basis alone. In this paper we draw attention to some logical inconsistencies in Hsu's attempt at establishing a new space-light transformation law, and follow with a discussion on why such an attempt must necessarily fail.     

Gradient corrections in density functional theory calculations for surfaces: Co on Pd{110}

Ab initio total energy calculations have been performed for CO chemisorption on Pd{110}. Local density approximation (LDA) calculations yield chemisorption energies which are significantly higher than experimental values but inclusion of the generalised gradient approximation (GGA) gives better agreement. In general, sites with higher coordination of the adsorbate to surface atoms lead to a larger degree of overbinding with LDA, and give larger corrections with GGA. The reason is discussed using a first-order perturbation approximation. It is concluded that this may be a general failure of LDA for chemisorption energy calculations. This conclusion may be extended to many surface calculations, such as potential energy surfaces for diffusion.     

Aminocyclodextrins to facilitate the deprotonation of 4-tert-butyl-alpha-nitrotoluene

6A-Amino-6A-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin enhances the rate of the deprotonation of 4-tert-butyl-alpha-nitrotoluene. The rate constants for reaction of the cyclodextrin-bound species, kinc = 4 x 10(-3), 9 x 10(-3) and 19 x 10(-3) s(-1), at pH 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0, respectively, in 0.1 mol dm(-3) aqueous phosphate buffer containing 1% methanol at 298 K. These rate constants correspond to a rate acceleration (kinc/kun) of ca. 10 times at each pH. Under the same conditions, 6A-dimethylamino-6A-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin and 6A-(2-aminoethylamino)-6A-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin are more effective; at pH 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0, for the former, kinc = 3 x 10(-2), 7 x 10(-2) and 12 x 10(-2) s(-1), whilst for the latter, kinc = 4 x 10(-2), 5 x 10(-2) and 9 x 10(-2) s(-1), respectively. Each cyclodextrin also decreases the pKa of the nitrotoluene, from 6.8 in free solution, to 6.2 when bound. The accelerated deprotonation by 6A-amino-6A-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin is reflected in the enhanced rates of hydrogen-deuterium exchange of the nitrotoluene in deuterium oxide, and in the conjugate addition of the nitrotoluene to methyl vinyl ketone in aqueous solution.     

Thermal properties of bio flour-filled polypropylene bio-composites with different pozzolan contents

In this study, the thermal properties of bio-flour-filled, polypropylene (PP) bio-composites with different pozzolan contents were investigated. With increasing pozzolan content, the thermal stability, 5% mass loss temperature and derivative thermogravimetric curve (DTG_max) temperatures of the bio-composites slightly increased. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and thermal expansion of the bio-composites decreased as the pozzolan content increased. The glass transition temperature (T _g), melting temperature (T _m) and percentage of crystallinity (X _c) of the bio-composites were not significantly changed. The thermal stability, thermal expansion and X _c of the maleic anhydride-grafted PP (MAPP)-treated bio-composites were much higher than those of non-treated bio-composites at 1% pozzolan content due to enhanced interfacial adhesion. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the crystallinity of pozzolan-added bio-composites. From these results, we concluded that the addition of pozzolan in the bio-composites was an effective method for enhancing the thermal stability and thermal expansion.     

Reaction dynamics of Cl+CH3SH: rotational and vibrational distributions of HCl probed with time-resolved Fourier-transform spectroscopy

Rotationally resolved infrared emission spectra of HCl(v=1-3) in the reaction of Cl+CH3SH, initiated with radiation from a laser at 308 nm, are detected with a step-scan Fourier-transform spectrometer. Observed rotational temperature of HCl(v=1-3) decreases with duration of reaction due to collisional quenching; a short extrapolation to time zero based on data in the range 0.25-4.25 micros yields a nascent rotational temperature of 1150+/-80 K. The rotational energy averaged for HCl(v=1-3) is 8.2+/-0.9 kJ mol(-1), yielding a fraction of available energy going into rotation of HCl, fr=0.10+/-0.01, nearly identical to that of the reaction Cl+H(2)S. Observed temporal profiles of the vibrational population of HCl(v=1-3) are fitted with a kinetic model of formation and quenching of HCl(v=1-3) to yield a branching ratio (68+/-5):(25+/-4):(7+/-1) for formation of HCl(v=1):(v=2):(v=3) from the title reaction and its thermal rate coefficient k(2a)=(2.9+/-0.7)x10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). Considering possible estimates of the vibrational population of HCl(v=0) based on various surprisal analyses, we report an average vibrational energy 36+/-6 kJ mol(-1) for HCl. The fraction of available energy going into vibration of HCl is f(v)=0.45+/-0.08, significantly greater than a value fv=0.33+/-0.06 determined previously for Cl+H2S. Reaction dynamics of Cl+H(2)S and Cl+CH3SH are compared; the adduct CH3S(Cl)H is likely more transitory than the adduct H(2)SCl.