Oxidase/peroxidase bilayer-modified electrodes as sensors for lactate,pyruvate, cholesterol and uric acid

Enzyme heterobilayer-modified electrodes were fabricated by successively covalently binding to the surface of a tin(IV) oxide plate horseradish peroxidase (HRP), then an oxidase (lactate, pyruvate or cholesterol oxidase or uricase), which liberates hydrogen peroxide by reaction with the respective substrate. The cooperative action of oxidase-HRP leads to an efficient amperometric sensor system with the minimum amount of enzyme immobilized on an electrode.     

New organosols of nickel sulfides,palladium sulfides,manganese sulfide,and mixed metal sulfides and their use in preparation of semiconducting polymer-metal sulfide composites

Organosols of NiS, PdS, and MnS in N,N-dimethylformamide were prepared by reaction of the metal acetate with H₂S. Organosols of mixed-metal sulfides (Zn _x Cd_1–x S, Hg _x Cd_1–x S, Hg _x Cu_1–x S, Cd _x Mn_1–x S, Hg _x Mn_1–x S, Hg _x Cd_1–x S, and Mn _x Zn_1–x S) were similarly obtained by reaction of mixtures of the metal salts with H₂S. The organosol of Zn_0.5Cd_0.5S contained particle with two particle size distributions centered at 6.5 nm and 29 nm, as revealed by Ar laser-scattering analysis. The metal sulfides are recovered by addition of Et₂O to the organosols. Zn _x Cd_1–x S thus obtained shows magnetic susceptibility in the range 0.5×10^–6–2.3×10^–6 emug^–1 depending on thex value. Addition of polymers to the organosols affords semiconducting films of metal sulfide-polymer composites.     

Stereoselective acid-catalyzed homoallylic rearrangement of cyclopropylsilylmethanols: an efficient route to Z-homoallyl derivatives

Treatment of cyclopropylsilylmethanols derived from cyclopropyl silyl ketones with acid catalyst gives the corresponding silyl-substituted homoallyl derivatives in high yields with good stereoselectivity, independent of the substituents on the cyclopropyl ring. Cyclopropylsilylmethanols having a n-, s-butyl or phenyl group on the carbinyl carbon react to afford the E-homoallyl derivatives selectively. On the other hand, the reaction of cyclopropylsilylmethanols having a tert-butyl group gives Z-isomers exclusively. The following protiodesilylation of the resulting homoallyl derivatives proceeds with retention of configuration.     

Cloning and sequence analysis of the poly(3-hydroxyalkanoic acid)-synthesis genes ofPseudomonas acidophila

Pseudomonas acidophila can grow with CO₂ as a sole carbon source by the possession of a recombinant plasmid that clones genes that confer chemolithoautotrophic growth ability derived from the H₂-oxidizing bacteriumAlcaligenes hydrogenophilus. H₂-oxidizing bacteria produce poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) (PHB) from CO₂, but recombinant P.acidophila can produce the more useful biopolymer poly(3-hydroxyalkanoic acid) (PHA). In this study, thepha genes ofP. acidophila were cloned and a sequence analysis was carried out. A gene library was constructed using the cosmid vector pVK102. A recombinant cosmid carrying thepha genes was selected by the complementation of a PHB-negative mutant ofAlcaligenes eutrophus H16. The resulting recombinant cosmid pIK7 contained a 14.8-kb DNA insert. Subcloning was done, and the recombinant plasmid pEH74 was selected by hybridization with theA. eutrophus H16pha genes.Escherichia coli possessing pEH74 produced PHB, indicating that pEH74 contained thepha genes ofP. acidophila. The nucleotide sequences of the PHA-synthesis genesphaA (3-ketothiolase),phaB (acetoacetyl-CoA reductase), andphaC (PHA synthase) in pEH74 were determined. The homologies ofphaA, phaB, andphaC betweenP. acidophila andA. eutrophus H16 were 64.7, 76.1, and 56.6%, respectively.

     

Syntheses and electrical conductivity of polyamides containing tetrathiafulvalene moieties in the main chain

Novel polyamides that contain tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) moieties were synthesized by direct polycondensation of Δ^2,2′ -bi-1,3-dithiole-4,4′(5′)-dicarboxylic acid with aromatic diamines in the presence of triphenylphosphine, hexachloroethane, and pyridine. Complexes of these polyamides with bromine were TTF cation radical () salts which resulted from the charge transfer of TTF moieties to bromine. The electrical conductivity of undoped polyamides increased with a decrease in diamine length. By doping the bromine the conductivity of the polyamides was enhanced by 3–5 orders of magnitude and reached 10^?5–;10^?9S cm^?1. Maximum conductivity was observed at the doping ratio of [Br]/[repeat unit] < 1. The electrical conduction in the bromine complexes may be attributed to the hopping of odd electrons of between TTF moieties.     

Rapid fermentation of beer using an immobilized yeast multistage bioreactor

The characteristics of yeast sulfite metabolism in a multistage bioreactor system for beer fermentation were investigated. No sulfite was produced in the continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR). However, large amounts were produced in the packed-bed reactor (PBR). Production of sulfite in the PBR seems to be inevitable when it is operated continuously. In order to control the sulfite level in the young beer, the yeast needs to be reactivated into the growth phase. One possible strategy to achieve this is to aerate and periodically remove yeast clogged in the reactor once every 6–7 months before the sulfite level exceeds a given concentration (e.g., 20 mg/L). It was confirmed that sulfite production is closely related to the growth condition of the yeast and is therefore important to consider in the control strategy for sulfite when using the immobilized yeast reactor for beer production.     

Electron correlations and transport effective mass in narrow-band systems and the Hubbard model

The Hubbard model is rederived from a tight-binding band calculation, showing that, as long as parameters are properly chosen, the model is justified for calculating electronic properties of narrow-band systems. The treatment is extended by including correlations and it was found that bound solutions called dimers exist. The concept of dimers is found to be very powerful for understanding the unusual properties of heavy fermion systems. However, a Mott-Hubbard-like model may be required to calculate properties of high T_c cuprates. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A new microbial electrode for BOD estimation

A new microbial electrode using immobilizedClostridium butyricum was prepared for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) estimation of wastewaters. The current of the electrode was decreased with time until a steady state was reached. The steady state current was in all cases attained within 30-40 min at 37°C, and the maximum current output was obtained at 37°C and pH between 6.2 and 7.0. A linear relationship was obtained between the steady state current and BOD. The steady state current values were reproducible within ±7% of the relative error. The BOD of industrial wastewaters can be estimated by using the microbial electrode. Relative error of the BOD estimation of industrial wastewaters was within ± 10%. The current output of the microbial electrode was almost constant for 30 days.     

Catalyzed cycloaddition reactions of α-silyloxy-α,β-unsaturated ketone and aldehyde

The reactions of α-silyloxy-ga,β-unsaturated ketone and aldehyde with diene afforded [4+2] and [4+3] cycloadducts respectively in the presence of a catalyst.