Structural determination of hexadecanoic lysophosphatidylcholine regioisomers by fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry

The structural determination of sn-1 and sn-2 hexadecanoic lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) regioisomers was carried out using fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry (FAB-MS/MS). The collision-induced dissociation (CID) of protonated and sodiated molecules produced diverse product ions due mainly to charge remote fragmentations. Based on the information obtained from the CID spectra of protonated and sodiated molecules, sn-1 and sn-2 hexadecanoic LPC isomers could be discriminated. Especially, the abundance ratio of the diagnostic ion pair [m/z 224/226] in the CID spectra of [M + H](+) ions was shown to be greatly different. Moreover, the CID-MS/MS spectra of sodium-adducted molecules for hexadecanoic LPC isomers showed characteristic product ions such as [M + Na - 103](+), [M + Na - 85](+), and [M + Na - 59](+), by which their regio-specificity can be differentiated.     

THE ULTRAVIOLET DOSE DEPENDENCE OF NON-MELANOMA SKIN CANCER INCIDENCE

Abstract— We correlate annual ultraviolet dose estimates with age specific and age adjusted incidence data for non-melanoma skin cancer in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. We first examine (1) a reciprocity or photographic model in which incidence rates (R) are related to exposure (E) which is the product of age (T) and annual dose (D). We also test several models which violate reciprocity including models identified by the labels: (2) Dose potency; (3) Double cause; (4) Age-exposure and (5) separable. Our analyses together with the recent National Cancer Institute study favors the age-exposure model and/or the double cause models. All models lead to biological amplification factors (defined as the ratio of the percent increase in skin cancer incidence due to a 1% increase in dose) greater than unity. For the U.S. we find the biological amplification to be approximately 1.8 for the population center but greater in regions of higher UV annual dose, and less in regions of lower annual UV dose.     

Classification of cultivation area of ginseng by near infrared spectroscopy and ICP-AES

A rapid and nondestructive near infrared (NIR) method using soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) for the classification of cultivation area (Korea and China) was evaluated and confirmed. Raw, first, and second derivative NIR spectra were compared to develop a robust classification rule. The chemical properties of ginseng samples were also investigated to find out the differences between Korean samples and Chinese samples. These differences make NIR spectroscopic method viable. The average value of each Korean and Chinese ginseng sample for crude fiber, crude protein, starch, and 10 inorganic constituents were measured and compared with F-test and t-test. The inorganic constituents were also measured by induced coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). It could be found that the amount of starch and ten inorganic elements for example Na, Mg, P, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn in ginseng samples are considerably different based on cultivation area. SIMCA has been applied to the inorganic data to investigate the possibility of ICP-AES as classification tool. However, it was observed that the result was not equal to than NIR spectra data. The overall results showed the availability of NIR method using SIMCA would be adequate for classification of cultivation of ginseng, since NIR spectra includes useful and various information on chemical properties in spite of broad and overlapped bands.     

Photoactivation of pheophorbide a induces a mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in Jurkat leukaemia cells

The mechanism of cell death by pheophorbide a (Pba) which has been established to be a potential photosensitizer was examined in experimental photodynamic therapy (PDT) on Jurkat cells, a human lymphoid tumor cell line. In 30-60 min after irradiation, Pba treated cells exhibited apoptotic features including membrane blebbing and DNA fragmentation. Pba/PDT caused a rapid release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytosol. Sequentially, activation of caspase-3 and the cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) were followed. Meanwhile, no evidence of activation of caspase-8 was indicated in the cells. In experiments with caspase inhibitors, it was found that caspase-3 alone was sufficient initiator for the Pba-induced apoptosis of the cells. Pba specific emission spectra were confirmed in the mitochondrial fraction and the light irradiation caused a rapid change in its membrane potential. Thus, mitochondria were entailed as the crucial targets for Pba as well as a responsible component for the cytochrome c release to initiate apoptotic pathways. Taken together, it was concluded that the mode of Jurkat cell death by Pba/PDT is an apoptosis, which is initiated by mitochondrial cytochrome c release and caspase-3-pathways.     

SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, METAL-UPTAKE BEHAVIOR OF BIS（BENZIMIDAZOLE） RESIN SUPPORTED ON EPOXIDE POLYMER

The new chelate resins, abbreviated as PNBMZs and PBBMZs based on epoxide polymer, were synthesized by polycondensation of N,N-diglycidyl-4-glycidyloxyaniline or 1,4-bis（2,3-epoxypropyl）benzene with the primary amine group of 1,3-bis（benzimidazol-2yl）propylamine （BBPAH）. The ion exchangers contain 2.71-3.23 mmol of the ligand contents per gram of the resin. Batch extraction capacities were determined for the metal chloride salts in buffer solutions in the pH range from -1 to 6.0. The chelate resins were very selective for Cu^2＋, Zn^2＋, Cd^2＋ in the presence of other divalent transition metal ions. The maximum uptake capacities of PNBMZ （synthetic molar ratio = 1：1.5） under non-competitive condition were found to be 0.94 mmol/g for Cu^2＋ at pH = 2, 1.3 mmol/g for Cd^2＋ at pH = 1 and 1.75 mmol/g for Zn^2＋ at pH = -1 respectively. While in the case of PBBMZ, it was 1.39 mmol/g for Cd〉 at pH = 1. The metal-uptake behaviors for both of them showed strong pH dependence, and their extraction capacities increase with decreasing pH. The uptake of Cu^2＋ by the resin PNBMZs at pH = 1 was found to be rather fast with t1/2 = 18 min. Metal-uptake experiments under competitive conditions also confirm that the chelate resins have a high selectivity for Cu^2＋, Zn^2＋, Cd^2＋ and the contrary pH dependence.     

Forms of vibrations and structural changes in liquid state

Summary The forms of vibrations and displacements of particles in amorphous structures have been investigated. The particles, moving on highly non-linear amplitude, are responsible for the creation of disordered structures of amorphous bodies. The non-linear oscillators, even if 'few' in concentration, are characterized by unpredictable trajectories in phase space. The non-linear oscillators are fully developed in the liquid state above the crossover temperature T_cr and between T_cr and T_g their number decreases. Under T_g they completely disappear. The interconnection between the linear oscillators in blocks plays the most important role in the characteristic time spectra in liquid state. Using the additive properties of elements polarizibilities, the number of acoustical units in individual blocks at T_cr is estimated to be about 600 units. The diameter of blocks at T_cr was estimated to be about 1.8 nm. Even if the non-linear high amplitude motions disappear at solidification, the remnants of structural irregularity remain and the disordered structure of glass is formed.     

A climatology of solar erythema dose

Abstract —Semi-empirical formulas for the ultraviolet erythema dose derived in an earlier paper are used to deduce an ultraviolet photoclimatology. We calculate the climatology of daily erythema radiation doses for the northern hemisphere at 5d? latitude intervals. Similar dose calculations are also performed specifically for ten metropolitan areas. Effects of seasonal and geographic variations of ozone, turbidity, and cloudiness on the local erythema doses are also investigated. We present a simple approximate analytic formula for the annual erythema dose as a function of latitude, cloud cover, and ground albedo for use in connection with studies of the epidemiology of skin cancer. The implications of possible ozone depletion due to a future fleet of supersonic aircraft in the stratosphere are discussed. These calculations are made for a normal ozone thickness of 0.32 cm and for a 5, 10, 20, and 50 per cent ozone reduction.     

Energy funneling of IR photons captured by dendritic antennae and acceptor mode specificity: anti-stokes resonance raman studies on iron(III) porphyrin complexes with a poly(aryl ether) dendrimer framework

A series of poly(aryl ether) dendrimer chloroiron(III) porphyrin complexes (LnTPP)Fe(III)Cl (number of aryl layers [n]=3 to 5) were synthesized, and their Boltzmann temperatures under IR irradiation were evaluated from ratios of Stokes to anti-Stokes intensities of resonance Raman bands. While the Boltzmann temperature of neat solvent was unaltered by IR irradiation (LnTPP)Fe(III)Cl (n=3 to 5), all showed a temperature rise that was larger than that of the solvent and greater as the dendrimer framework was larger. Among vibrational modes of the metalloporphyrin core, the temperature rise of an axial Fe-Cl stretching mode at 355 cm-1 was larger than that for a porphyrin in-plane mode at 390 cm-1. Although most of the IR energy is captured by the phenyl nu8 mode at 1597 cm-1 of the dendrimer framework, an anti-Stokes Raman band of the phenyl nu8 mode was not detected, suggesting the extremely fast vibrational relaxation of the phenyl mode. From these observations, it is proposed that the energy of IR photons captured by the aryl dendrimer framework is transferred to the axial Fe-Cl bond of the iron porphyrin core and then relaxed to the porphyrin macrocycle.     

Selective oxidation of hydrogen sulfide to ammonium thiosulfate and sulfur over vanadium-bismuth oxide catalysts

The selective oxidation of hydrogen sulfide containing excess water and ammonia was studied over vanadium-bismuth mixed oxide catalysts. The investigation was focused on understanding the complex reaction steps and the roles of each metal oxide. Therefore, supported V₂O₅/TiO₂, V-Bi-O/TiO₂ catalysts and a mechanical mixture of V₂O₅ + Bi₂O₃ were tested in the reaction. Ammonia reacted either with H₂S or SO₂, produced from the oxidation of H₂S. Water vapor promoted the reaction of ammonia and SO₂. Strong synergistic phenomena in catalytic activity were observed for the mechanically mixed catalyst of V₂O₅ and Bi₂O₃. V-Bi-O/TiO₂ catalyst showed very high H₂S conversion without any considerable emission of SO₂. Temperature-programmed studies (TPR and TPO), XRD and Raman analyses revealed that the high catalytic performance of V-BiO/TiO₂ catalyst originated from the high redox capacity of the bismuth vanadate phase.