Miniaturized HPTLC of Vitamin B12 Compounds in Foods

High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) is a separation technique commonly used to identify and quantify compounds in chemical mixtures. Preliminary experiments indicated that Lichrospher silica gel 60 F254s HPTLC sheets were the most suitable for analyzing vitamin B₁₂ compounds. This study revealed the advantages of miniaturized Lichrospher HPTLC for analyzing authentic vitamin B₁₂ compounds as short migration distances (5 cm) and short development times (<45 min) in combination with high separation efficiency and sensitivity (>25 pmol at 254 nm). The practicability of using miniaturized HPTLC was demonstrated by the separation and identification of vitamin B₁₂ compounds purified from foods using an immunoaffinity column.     

Electron–hole states in the fractional quantum Hall regime probed by photoluminescence

The electron–hole states in the fractional quantum Hall regime is investigated with a back-gated undoped quantum well by photoluminesccence in magnetic fields. The evolution of the photoluminescence spectra is discussed depending on the electron density. We find anomalies of the photoluminescence at the integer as well as the fractional filling factors.     

One-pot preparation and activation of glycosyl trichloroacetimidates: operationally simple glycosylation induced by combined use of solid-supported, reactivity-opposing reagents

By the combined use of solid-supported reactivity-opposing reagents, that is, basic PTBD and acidic Nafion^®-SAC resins, sequential reactions consisting of glycosyl trichloroacetimidate formation and glycosylation can be effected in a one-pot operation starting from 1-O-unprotected sugars. The solid-supported reagents can be introduced into the reaction vessel either sequentially or, more conveniently, in a `one-shot' manner in comparable yields.     

Ultrafast All-Optical Serial-to-Parallel Conversion and Its Application to Optical Label Processing

A novel scheme for all-optical serial-to-parallel conversion (SPC) is proposed for label recognition of ultrafast asynchronous burst optical packets. Compact SP converter modules were developed using a fiber array or a surfaceemitting planar lightwave circuit, and 1-Tbit/s and 40-Gbit/s SPC for 16-bit optical packets is demonstrated using the modules. The key device in the converter is a spin-polarized surface-reflection all-optical switch (LOTOS) with an ultrafast switching time (250 fs) and an extremely high on/off ratio (>30 dB). Label recognition of 40-Gbit/s 16-bit burst-mode optical packets is experimentally confirmed using an optical clock-pulse generator and a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) electronics circuit as well as the all-optical SP converter. 1 x 4 self-routing is also demonstrated using 2-channel control signals generated from the CMOS circuit according to a routing table.     

Synthesis and In Vitro Behavior of Organically Modified Silicate Containing Ca Ions

Organically modified silicates containing calcium ion have a potential to bond to bone via an apatite layer deposited on their surfaces in the body environment. In this study, we examined the relationship between apatite deposition and the microstructure of the organically modified silicates synthesized from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) with a different amount of calcium nitrate tetrahydrate (Ca(NO₃)₂·4H₂O) and hydrochloric acid (HCl). Apatite deposition was evaluated in vitro using a simulated body fluid (Kokubo solution). Copolymerization was confirmed between TEOS and PDMS even if PDMS free from —SiOH termination are used as one of the starting materials. The porosity and Ca content incorporated in the structure depended on the amount of HCl, whereas analysis of ²⁹Si MAS NMR spectra indicates that it caused few effects on the local structure around Si atoms. Apatite-forming ability is enhanced by optimal amounts of HCl and Ca (NO₃)₂·4H₂O. The difference in apatite-forming ability among the hybrid gels was attributed to both Ca(II) contents in the structure and aggregation states of the Si—OH groups. Better bioactivity of the hybrid gels is achieved by the release of Ca(II) ions trapped in structure at gelation and the formation of hydrated silica rich in Si—OH.     

Synthesis of (22S, 23S)-homobrassinolide and brassinolide from stigmasterol

(22S, 23S)-Homobrassinolide (2α, 3α, 22S, 23S-tetrahydroxy-24S-etyl-B-homo-7-oxa-5α-cholestan-6-one) and brassinolide (2α, 3α 22R, 23R-tetrahydroxy-24S-methyl-B-homo-7-oxa-5α-cholestan-6-one) were synthesized from stigmasterol and shown to promote plant growth.     

Total synthesis of ent-cassa-12,15-diene, a putative precursor of rice phytoalexins, phytocassanes A-E

The first total synthesis of ent-cassa-12,15-diene, a putative precursor of diterpene phytoalexins, was accomplished.     

Facile distinction of neutral and acidic tetraether lipids in archaea membrane by halogen atom adduct ions in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Calditocaldarchaeol (neutral tetraether lipid) from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius (acidothermophilic archaea) and intact total lipid from the thermoacidophilic archaea Sulfolobus sp. was examined by electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry in the negative-ion mode using high resolution. When the sample was injected as a solution in a 3:1 mixture of methanol (MeOH) and chloroform (CHCl(3)) using an infusion system, the total ether lipid afforded molecular-related ions as [M - H](-) for acidic polar lipids containing a phosphoric or sulfuric group, and as [M + Cl](-) ion for neutral glycolipids. The attachment of chloride was confirmed by the observation of [M + Br](-) ion, instead of [M + Cl](-) ion, when a 3:1 mixture of MeOH and CHBr(3) was used in place of MeOH-CHCl(3) as the solvent. The composition of tetraether neutral glycolipids that are different from each other only in the number of five-membered rings in the isoprenoid chain was determined on the basis of the isotope-resolved mass spectrum of [M + Cl](-) ions. As for acidic tetraether lipids, molecular-related ions [M - H](-)) were not observed when the 3:1 MeOH-CHBr(3) mixture was used as the solvent. These results together afforded a facile method of distinguishing neutral from acidic tetraether lipids in intact total lipids of acidothermophilic archaea. This method was applied to determine the difference of the number of five-membered rings in isoprenyl chains of neutral tetraether glycolipids yielded by the Sulfolobus sp. grown at different temperatures. Discrimination of neutral tetraether glycolipids from acidic tetraether lipids in the total lipids obtained from Thermoplasma sp. was also achieved by this method.     

Shear-induced structural transformation of pentaethylene glycol <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-dodecyl ether and lithium perfluorooctane sulfonate mixed-surfactant lamellar solution

The viscoelastic behavior of the shear-induced structural transformation from the lamellar phase to multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) of a mixed-surfactant system was investigated. The transformation was divided into two processes on the basis of the strain dependence of the apparent viscosity. The first stage is a lamellar-to-intermediate structure transformation. It was found that a strain, not an applied shear rate, governed this process. The second stage is an intermediate-to-MLV phase transformation, which was not controlled by the strain. These structure developments were found in the shear-thickening viscosity regime. The MLV phase formed by applying shear flow exhibited shear-thinning viscosity behavior and reversible response to shear flow. The viscoelastic properties of the MLV phase were investigated by dynamic viscoelastic measurements. Under oscillating shear deformation, the amplitude dependence of the dynamic modulus indicated that the viscoelasticity of the MLV depended on the initial structure, such as the number of vesicle shells and the size of the MLV, which is governed by the preshear rate.