Photon activation analysis of trace metals in the livers and spleens of pigs

Nondestructive photon activation analysis with 30 MeV bremsstrahlung was applied to determine trace element concentrations in the livers and spleens of five pigs. Samples were freeze-dried, pulverized and fractionated into four groups corresponding mesh size; smaller than 60 mesh, 60–100 mesh, 100–200 mesh and larger than 200 mesh. Up to 9 elements in each fraction were analyzed. The concentrations of Br, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Rb and Zn in each liver fractions were almost constant, as were concentrations of Mg and Rb in spleens.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of antiangeogenic pentaketide dimers, epoxyquinols A and B, through an asymmetric aldol approach to their common monomeric precursor

A new enantioselective total synthesis of epoxyquinols A and B possessing unique pentaketide dimeric structures and potent antiangeogenic activity was achieved by oxidative dimerization of a monomeric pentaketide precursor obtained by the Evans asymmetric aldol reaction and a series of operationally simple transformations.     

Mechanism and elimination of interferences in flame photometry

Summary The mechanism of the suppressing effects of aluminium, borate, phosphate, sulphate upon calcium radiation has been investigated. A very stable long flame was used with a specially designed Meker Burner. Variations in the interferences were observed when Ca and those interfering substances were separately atomized into one and same flame, and also when the point in the flame from which the light was drawn was changed by the use of a specially designed optical system attached to a Hitachi-EPU-2 A spectrophotometer. It is concluded that the suppression of Ca radiation is caused by hindering of the vaporization process because of the formation of non-volatile compounds of Ca with those interfering substances.A method of eliminating the suppressing effects of borate, phosphate and sulphate on alkaline earth radiations has been suggested.

---

Zusammenfassung Die durch Aluminium, Borat, Phosphat und Sulfat hervorgerufene Intensitätsminderung der durch Calcium bedingten Flammenfärbung wurde untersucht. Bin besonders konstruierter Meker-Brenner wurde zur Erzeugung einer sehr konstanten und langen Flamme verwendet. Versprüht man das Calcium und die erwähnten Störstoffe in dieselbe Flamme oder wechselt man die zur Lichtmessung gewählte Flammenregion unter Verwendung eines dafür geeigneten, an einem Hitachi-EPU-2 A-Spektrophotometer angebrachten optischen Systems, so zeigen sich jeweils verschieden starke Störungen. Daraus ergibt sich, daß die Unterdrückung der Calcium-Strahlung durch eine Beeinträchtigung des Verdampfungsvorganges infolge Bildung nichtflüchtiger Verbindungen verursacht wird, die sich aus Calcium und den angeführten Störstoffen bilden.Ein Verfahren zur Beseitigung des durch Borat, Phosphat und Sulfat herbeigeführten Unterdrückungseffektes auf alkalische Erden wurde vorgeschlagen.

---

Résumé Recherche sur le mécanisme des effets de suppression de l'aluminium, des borates, des phosphates, des sulfates sur la radiation du calcium. A cette fin, l'auteur a employé une flamme longue, trés stable d'un brûleur Meker spécialement prévu. Des variations de ces effets ont pu être constatées lorsque le calcium et les substances gênantes étaient atomisés séparément dans un flamme unique et lorsqu'on faisait varier le point de la flamme émetteur de la lumière observée; ces mesures ont été rendues possibles par l'emploi d'un système optique spécialement conçu fixé à un spectrophotomètre Hitachi-EPU-2 A. La conclusion de ce travail est que la suppression de la radiation du calcium est dûe à un processus d'empêchement de la vaporisation inhérent, à la formation de composés non volatils du calcium avec les substances gênantes.L'auteur suggère une méthode permettant l'élimination des effets de suppression des borates, des phosphates et des sulfates sur les radiations des alcalino-terreux.

---

---

This work was precented before The Eleventh Annual Meeting of The Chemical Society of Japan, in Tokyo, April, 1958.     

Synthesis of substituted polymethylenes by radical polymerization of N,N,N′,N′-tetraalkylfumaramides and their characterization

Radical polymerization of N,N,N′,N′-tetraalkylfumaramides (TRFAm) bearing methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, and isobutyl groups as N-substituents (TMFAm, TEFAm, TnPFAm, TIPFAm, and TIBFAm, respectively) was investigated. In the polymerization of TEFAm initiated with 1,1′-azobiscyclohexane-1-carbonitrile (ACN) in benzene, the polymerization rate (R_p) was expressed as follows: R_p = k [ACN]^0.28 [TEFAm]^1.26, and the overall activation energy was 102.1 kJ/mol. The introduction of a bulky alkyl group into N-substituent of TRFAm decreased the R_p in the following order: TMFAm > TEFAm > TnPFAm > TIBFAm > TIPFAm ～ 0. The relative reactivities of these monomers were also investigated in radical copolymerization with styrene (St) and methyl methacrylate (MMA). In copolymerization of TRFAm (M₂) with St (M₁), monomer reactivity ratios were determined to be r₁ = 1.07 and r₂ = 0.20 for St–TMFAm, and r₁ = 1.88 and r₂ = 0.11 for St–TEFAm, from which Q₂ and e₂ values were estimated to be 0.35 and 0.44 for TMFAm, and 0.19 and 0.47 for TEFAm, respectively. The other TRFAm were also copolymerized with St, but copolymerization with MMA gave polymers containing a small amount of TRFAm units. The polymer from TRFAm consists of a less-flexible poly(N,N-dialkylaminocarbonylmethylene) structure. The solubility and thermal property of the polymers were also investigated.     

Release characteristics of a free polyunsaturated fatty acid from an oily lymphographic agent

The release profiles of a free polyunsaturated fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, from solutions in an oily lymphographic agent Lipiodol-Ultra-Fluid (Lipiodol), to rabbit and human plasma, phosphate buffer solution (PBS), and PBS containing bovine serum albumin (BSA) were examined in vitro. The times required for 50% release of alpha-linolenic acid from Lipiodol were about 1 and 1.5 h in the rabbit and human plasma, respectively. Although only a slight amount of alpha-linolenic acid was released from Lipiodol to PBS after 24 h incubation at 37 degrees C, release was markedly enhanced by the addition of BSA to PBS. The amount of alpha-linolenic acid released from Lipiodol into PBS containing 5% BSA increased as the alpha-linolenic acid content in Lipiodol was increased. In all experiments, the release had stopped before all alpha-linolenic acid had been released. The prolongation of alpha-linolenic acid release from Lipiodol is considered a requisite for a selective anticancer effect of Lipiodol containing a free fatty acid on liver cancer.     

PEGylated polyplex micelles from triblock catiomers with spatially ordered layering of condensed pDNA and buffering units for enhanced intracellular gene delivery

An A-B-C type triblock copolymer, tandemly aligning two types of polycations with different pKa values in a single polymer strand, was developed for the construction of novel polyplex micelles, satisfying a high DNA condensing ability as well as a proton buffering activity directed to elevating gene transfection. The micelle might feature the distinctive three-layered structure, where an inner polyplex layer of condensed pDNA with poly(l-lysine) (pKa approximately 9.4) as the C segment is successively wrapped with an intermediate layer of poly[(3-morpholinopropyl)aspartamide] (B segment) with a comparatively low pKa of approximately 6.2, to provide a buffering effect, and an outer PEG layer (A segment) as a biocompatible palisade.     

Electronic polarizability and crystallization of K2O-TiO2-GeO2 glasses with high TiO2 contents

Some K₂O-TiO₂-GeO₂ glasses with a large amount of TiO₂ contents (15-25 mol%) such as 25K₂O-25TiO₂-50GeO₂ have been prepared, and their electronic polarizability, Raman scattering spectra, and crystallization behavior are examined to clarify thermal properties and structure of the glasses and to develop new nonlinear optical crystallized glasses. It is proposed that the glasses consist of the network of TiO₆ and GeO₄ polyhedra. The glasses show large optical basicities of Λ=0.88-0.92, indicating the high polarizabity of TiO_n (n=4-6) polyhedra in the glasses. K₂TiGe₃O₉ crystals are formed through crystallization in all glasses prepared in the present study. In particular, 20K₂O-20TiO₂-60GeO₂ glass shows bulk crystallization and 18K₂O-18TiO₂-64GeO₂ glass exhibits surface crystallization giving the c-axis orientation. The crystallized glasses show second harmonic generations (SHGs), and it is suggested that the distortion of TiO₆ octahedra in K₂TiGe₃O₉ crystals induces SHGs.     

Novel and efficient method for esterification, amidation between carboxylic acids and equimolar amounts of alcohols, and amines utilizing Me2NSO2Cl and N,N-dimethylamines; its application to the synthesis of coumaperine, a natural chemopreventive dieneamide

Various carboxylic esters or amides were prepared in good to excellent yield between carboxylic acids and equimolar amounts of alcohols or amines under very mild conditions (0-45°C; within 3 h) using dimethylsulfamoyl chloride (Me₂NSO₂Cl; 1) combined with N,N-dimethylamines (Me₂NR: 2a; R=Me, 2b; R=Bu). The choice of the sulfamoyl chloride and the amine is crucial for the reaction; that is, sterically uncrowded amines accelerated the present esterification and amidation. This agent had some advantages over methanesulfonyl chloride (3)/amines as for the atom-economy, avoidance of side reactions, and had very high chemoselectivity toward the carboxyl group vs the hydroxyl group; the experiment was performed by the addition of 1 to the mixture of carboxylic acids and alcohols. Application of this method to the synthesis of coumaperine, a chemopreventive natural product, was performed using the present amidation as a key step.     

Stereoblock poly(lactic acid): synthesis via solid-state polycondensation of a stereocomplexed mixture of poly(L-lactic acid) and poly(D-lactic acid)

Stereoblock poly(lactic acid) consisting of D- and L-lactate stereosequences can be successfully synthesized by solid-state polycondensation of a 1:1 mixture of poly(L-lactic acid) and poly(D-lactic acid). In the first step, melt-polycondensation of L- and D-lactic acids is conducted to synthesize poly(L-lactic acid) and poly(D-lactic acid) with a medium-molecular-weight, respectively. In the next step, these poly(L-lactic acid) and poly(D-lactic acid) are melt-blended in 1:1 ratio to allow formation of their stereocomplex. In the last step, this melt-blend is subjected to solid-state polycondensation at temperature where the dehydrative condensation is allowed to promote chain extension in the amorphous phase with the stereocomplex crystals preserved. Finally, stereoblock poly(lactic acid) having high-molecular-weight is obtained. The stereoblock poly(lactic acid) synthesized by this way shows a higher melting temperature in consequence of the controlled block lengths and the resulting higher-molecular-weight. The product characterization as well as the optimization of the polymerization conditions is described. Changes in M(w) of stereoblock poly(lactic acid) (sb-PLA) as a function of the reaction time.     

Capacity and quantum mechanical tunneling

We connect the notion of capacity of sets in the theory of symmetric Markov process and Dirichlet forms with the notion of tunneling through the boundary of sets in quantum mechanics. In particular we show that for diffusion processes the notion appropriate to a boundary without tunneling is more refined than simply capacity zero. We also discuss several examples in ^d .