Magnetooptical Property of Sodium Borosilicate Gel-Glass Containing Bi-YIG Fine Particles

Composite materials which consist of ferro- or ferrimagnetic fine particles in a glass matrix are expected to have a large residual magnetization and coercive force because of their fine magnetic domain structure, and has potential for superior magneto-optical properties compared with single or polycrystalline materials. In this study, the sodium borosilicate (NBS) glass containing Bi-substituted yttrium iron garnet (Bi _x Y_3–x Fe₅O₁₂: BiYIG) fine particles, which show a superior magneto-optical effect, was prepared by the sol-gel method. BiYIG fine particles were stable in NBS gel-glass matrix during densification because the sintering temperature (580°C) of NBS gel was low enough to avoid pyrolysis of BiYIG and the reaction between BiYIG fine particles and the matrix. The Faraday rotation angle spectrum of the composite after deducting the contribution of the NBS glass matrix was intermediate between the reported ones of YIG and Bi_0.25YIG polycrystalline thin films. The change of the Faraday rotation angles of the composite with imposing magnetic field showed a hysteresis loop. It was in good agreement with that of the magnetization curve of the composite.     

Novel Wormlike Nanostructures Self‐Assembled in a Well Defined Liquid Crystalline Diblock Copolymer with Azobenzene Moieties

Novel wormlike nanostructures were self‐assembled in bulk films of a well defined diblock copolymer with azobenzene moieties, which was prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). For comparison, a homopolymer with almost the same repeat units of azobenzene as those in the copolymer was also prepared. They both had well defined structures and exhibited a smectic liquid crystalline phase. Upon annealing the copolymer films, poly(methyl methacrylate) formed a matrix with excellent optical properties, and the azobenzene segment in the minority phase self‐assembled into a wormlike mesogenic domain in the bulk films. Such block copolymer films exhibited stability and transparency by eliminating the scattering of visible light, indicating their potential application as photoresponsive functional materials. Although wormlike morphologies have been obtained in micelles from block copolymer solutions, to the best of our knowledge, such wormlike nanostructures have never been explored in bulk films.

     

Evaluation of the Intracellular Signaling Activities of κ-Opioid Receptor Agonists,Nalfurafine Analogs; Focusing on the Selectivity of G-Protein- and β-Arrestin-Mediated Pathways

Opioid receptors (ORs) are classified into three types (μ, δ, and κ), and opioid analgesics are mainly mediated by μOR activation; however, their use is sometimes restricted by unfavorable effects. The selective κOR agonist nalfurafine was initially developed as an analgesic, but its indication was changed because of the narrow safety margin. The activation of ORs mainly induces two intracellular signaling pathways: a G-protein-mediated pathway and a β-arrestin-mediated pathway. Recently, the expectations for κOR analgesics that selectively activate these pathways have increased; however, the structural properties required for the selectivity of nalfurafine are still unknown. Therefore, we evaluated the partial structures of nalfurafine that are necessary for the selectivity of these two pathways. We assayed the properties of nalfurafine and six nalfurafine analogs (SYKs) using cells stably expressing κORs. The SYKs activated κORs in a concentration-dependent manner with higher EC₅₀ values than nalfurafine. Upon bias factor assessment, only SYK-309 (possessing the 3S-hydroxy group) showed higher selectivity of G-protein-mediated signaling activities than nalfurafine, suggesting the direction of the 3S-hydroxy group may affect the β-arrestin-mediated pathway. In conclusion, nalfurafine analogs having a 3S-hydroxy group, such as SYK-309, could be considered G-protein-biased κOR agonists.     

SVG+Ajax+R: a new framework for WebGIS

This paper first proposes a method of establishing a Web-based system that can visualize statistical data that are accompanied by geographical information and analyze it interactively using dynamic graphics. In terms of the graphics format, our proposed system uses XML-based 2D vector graphics, known as Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). To install an enhanced interactive function, we adopted a technique of server–client asynchronous communication using JavaScript, called Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (Ajax) and R, which perform statistical analysis on the server side. This enables Web developers to construct a lightweight system including statistical computing rapidly. Furthermore, many users get possible to utilize such data effectively and efficiently anywhere anytime. The latter half of this paper introduces the WebGIS realized by this framework. We then discuss the possibility and advantages of applying this new method to the dynamic graphics proposed previously.     

Visual enantiomeric recognition of amino acid derivatives in protic solvents

Various types of chiral host molecules 2-7 based on a phenolphthalein skeleton and two crown ethers were prepared for use in visual enantiomeric recognition, and we examined their enantioselective coloration in complexation with chiral amino acid derivatives 9-22 in methanol solution. Methyl-substituted host (S,S,S,S)-3 showed particularly prominent enantiomer selectivity for the alanine amide derivatives 11 and 12. A combination of methyl-substituted host (S,S,S,S)-3 with guest (R)-11 or (R)-12 developed a purple color, whereas no color development was observed with (S)-11 or (S)-12. On the other hand, phenyl-substituted host (S,S,S,S)-6 showed deeper coloration with a wide range of (S)-beta-amino alcohols compared to that seen with host (S,S,S,S)-6 and the corresponding (R)-beta-amino alcohols at 0 degrees C. Furthermore, absorbance inversion temperatures (AIT) were observed within the range of 0-50 degrees C in many cases.     

Preparation and evaluation of solid dispersion for nitrendipine-carbopol and nitrendipine-HPMCP systems using a twin screw extruder

In the present study, we prepared solid dispersions of the poorly water-soluble drug nitrendipine (NIT) using the twin screw extruder method with high-molecular-weight substances, hydroxypropylmethylcellulosephthalate (HPMCP) and Carbopol (CAR), as carriers. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) evaluation showed that solid dispersions can be formed when NIT-HPMCP and NIT-CAR mixtures are treated with the twin screw extruder method. Fourier Transformation IR Spectroscopy (FT-IR) obtained with NIT-HPMCP and NIT-CAR solid dispersions indicated the presence of hydrogen bonding between the drug and the carriers. NIT-CAR solid dispersions were found to give somewhat higher dissolution than crystalline NIT and physical mixtures, while the dissolution of NIT-HPMCP solid dispersions was markedly decreased compared with the crystalline NIT and physical mixtures. These findings indicated that CAR has a greater ability to improve the dissolution of NIT than HPMCP when a twin screw extruder was employed to prepare the solid dispersions. The twin screw extruder method can be used as a simple and effective method for the preparation of solid dispersions to improve the dissolution properties of poorly water-soluble drugs when choosing proper polymers as carriers.     

Novel and stereocontrolled synthesis of (+/-)-tetrodotoxin from myo-inositol

[reactions: see text] The novel and stereocontrolled synthesis of (+/-)-tetrodotoxin from myo-inositol is described. The key steps involve the stepwise oxidation of hydroxyl groups to the carbonyl function, followed by the addition of specific nucleophiles, including the successive spiro alpha-chloroepoxide formation and its ring-opening with the azide anion, to give the desired branched chain structures (5-->6, 17-->18-->19-->20 and 23-->24-->25) with the desired regio- and stereoselectivities in high yields. The stepwise conversion of the alpha-azido aldehyde 25 to the delta-lactone 29, followed by reduction of the azide, introduction of a guanidine moiety, aldehyde formation, and deprotection, produced the (+/-)-tetrodotoxin.     

Selective Ni-P electroless plating on photopatterned cationic adsorption films influenced by alkyl chain lengths of polyelectrolyte adsorbates and additive surfactants

We demonstrated that the photopatterned single-layer adsorption film of poly(1-dodecyl-4-pyridinium bromide) on a silica surface was available for a template of nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) electroless plating through sensitization with a SnCl(2) aqueous solution and activation with a PdCl(2) aqueous solution. Four kinds of poly(1-alkyl-4-vinylpyridinium halide)s bearing methyl, propyl, hexyl, and dodecyl groups were prepared. The cationic polymers were adsorbed by a negatively charged silica surface from their solutions, to form single-layer adsorption films exhibiting desorption-resistance toward deionized water and ethanol. The organic adsorption films could be decomposed completely by exposure to 172 nm deep-UV light. The formation and decomposition of the single-layer films were confirmed by deep-UV absorption spectral measurement and zeta-potential measurement. Ni-P electroless plating was carried out on the photopatterned adsorption films, using three types of SnO(x) colloidal materials without and with cationic or anionic surfactant as catalyst precursors in the sensitization step. In the case of the negatively charged SnO(x) colloids surrounded by anionic surfactant, Ni-deposition took place preferentially on the cationic adsorption films remaining in unexposed regions. The Ni-deposition was accelerated significantly on the cationic adsorption film bearing dodecyl groups. It was obvious by ICP-AES analyses that the hydrophobic long-chain dodecyl groups in the adsorption film could promote the adsorption of the negative SnO(x) colloids on the film surface, followed by much nucleus formation of zerovalent Pd catalysts useful for the electroless plating. The result of our experiment clearly showed that, in addition to electrostatic interaction, van der Waals interaction generating between the hydrophobic long-chain hydrocarbons of the adsorption film and the surfactant improved significantly the adsorption stability of the SnO(x) colloids, resulting in highly selective Ni-deposition in accord with the photopattern shape of the cationic single-layer adsorption film.     

Synthesis of gold nanoparticles from an organometallic compound in supercritical carbon dioxide

This article presents the synthesis of gold nanoparticles in a single-phase supercritical fluid carbon dioxide solvent. The gold nanoparticles were formed by the reduction of triphenylphosphine gold(I) perfluorooctanoate with dimethylamineborane. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy reveal the formation of gold nanoparticles of 1 nm in diameter. A high dispersion stability of the gold nanoparticles in supercritical carbon dioxide can be obtained by binding both triphenylphosphine and fluorocarbon ligands on the surface of the gold nanoparticles.