Hydrophilic molecularly imprinted polymers for bisphenol A prepared in aqueous solution

We have prepared a hydrophilic molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the hydrophobic compound bisphenol A (BPA) in aqueous solution using 3-acrylamido-N,N,N-trimethylpropan-1-aminium chloride (AMTC) as the functional monomer. Under redox-polymerization conditions, BPA forms an ion-pair with AMTC, which was confirmed by ¹H-NMR titration. The imprinting effect in aqueous solution was evaluated by comparison of this material with the corresponding non-imprinted polymer (NIP) and with a control polymer (CP) bearing no AMTC. The MIP showed the highest activity among the three polymers, and the imprinting factors as calculated from the amount of BPA bound to the MIP divided by the amounts bound to NIP and CP, respectively, are 1.8 and 6.0. The MIP was selective for BPA in aqueous solution, while structurally related compounds are not recognized. Such a selectivity for a hydrophobic compound is rarely observed in aqueous medium because non-specific binding of BPA inevitably leads to hydrophobic interaction.

Reducing hypothalamic AGRP by RNA interference increases metabolic rate and decreases body weight without influencing food intake

Background  

Several lines of evidence strongly suggest that agouti-related peptide (AGRP) plays a key role in the regulation of metabolic function but ablation of the AGRP gene has no apparent effect on metabolic function. Since specific pharmacological antagonists of AGRP do not presently exist, we assessed if reduction of hypothalamic AGRP mRNA by RNA interference (RNAI) would influence metabolic function, an outcome suggesting that pharmacological antagonists might constitute useful reagents to treat obesity.     

A note on the degree of normal approximation to the distribution function of the mean of samples from finite populations

Summary From the standpoint of asymptotic equivalence, a sufficient condition is obtained, under which the degree of normal approximation to the distribution function of the mean of samples from finite populations can be ascertained.     

Simultaneous chiral resolution of monosaccharides as 8-aminonaphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonate derivatives by ligand-exchange CE using borate as a central ion of the chiral selector

Six reducing monosaccharides (mannose, galactose, fucose, glucose, xylose, and arabinose) were derivatized with 8-aminonaphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonate (ANTS). Based on the chiral ligand-exchange principle using borate as a central ion of the chiral selector and (S)-3-amino-1,2-propanediol (SAP) as a chiral selector ligand, all of the six ANTS-monosaccharides were simultaneously enantioseparated using absorbance at 245 nm for detection. The optimum conditions for both high resolution and moderately short migration time consisted of 200 mM SAP-200 mM borate buffer (pH 9.2) containing 10% ACN as a BGE at 30 degrees C with an applied voltage of +30 kV. It was revealed that the proposed chiral ligand-exchange CE using the SAP-borate system was applicable to enantioseparation of not only diols but also polyols.     

"O-acyl isopeptide method" for peptide synthesis: synthesis of forty kinds of "O-acyl isodipeptide unit" Boc-Ser/Thr(Fmoc-Xaa)-OH

The O-acyl isopeptide method has recently received attention as an efficient synthetic method for peptides. Herein, forty kinds of "O-acyl isodipeptide unit" Boc-Ser/Thr(Fmoc-Xaa)-OH (1-40) were effectively synthesized in two-steps without epimerization. The O-acyl isodipeptide units are important building blocks to enable the routine use of the O-acyl isopeptide method.     

Effects of Hydrogen for Different Stereospecific Active Sites on Ultra Low TiCl3 Loading Supported Catalyst

The relationship between the stereospecificity of active sites and hydrogen effects on propylene polymerization was investigated for MgCl₂‐supported TiCl₃ catalysts at ultra‐low Ti contents. Hydrogen had no effect on the catalyst activities for isospecific sites and for aspecific sites. The efficiency of hydrogen as a chain‐transfer agent was found to depend on the stereospecificity of the active sites. Hydrogen was effective for isospecific sites but was not effective for aspecific sites. From the viewpoint of hydrogen dissociation, isospecific sites should have hydrogen dissociation sites in their surroundings. Therefore, isospecific sites may be in the island to be affected by hydrogen and isolated sites may be aspecific or have low isospecificity.

     

Direct enantioseparation of lipoic acid in dietary supplements by capillary electrophoresis using trimethyl-β-cyclodextrin as a chiral selector

Lipoic acid, an antioxidant, naturally occurs as the (R)-enantiomer, while synthetic lipoic acid is racemic. It is thus of interest to know the (R)-enantiomer content of lipoic acid supplements. Here, we used capillary electrophoresis to directly enantioseparate lipoic acid in dietary supplements by using a sulfonated capillary with an effective voltage of +18 kV and direct detection at 200 nm. Factors affecting migration time and resolution of lipoic acid were investigated. The optimum background electrolyte was found to be 100 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) containing 8 mM trimethyl-β-cyclodextrin as a chiral selector at 20°C. Under the proposed conditions, direct chiral resolution of lipoic acid in dietary supplements was conducted successfully.     

Growth of ZnTe layers on (111) GaAs substrates by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

ZnTe layers were grown on (111) GaAs substrates by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy using dimethylzinc and diethyltelluride as the source materials. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that epitaxial ZnTe layers can be obtained on (111) GaAs substrates. X-ray rocking curves, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence measurements showed that the crystal quality of ZnTe layers depends on the substrate temperature during the growth. A high-crystalline quality (111) ZnTe heteroepitaxial layer with strong near-band-edge emission at 550 nm was obtained at a substrate temperature of 440 °C.     

New description of structural disorder in silica glass

Structural changes in cristobalite and silica glass and melt are investigated at high temperatures by molecular dynamics simulations. The calculated interaction energies are analyzed employing a new method called ‘atomistic energy distribution analysis’. Each pair-interaction energy is divided into equal halves which are allocated to each atom. Therefore, each atom has the summed-up value (‘atomistic potential energy’) of half the pair-interaction energies. First, an analysis of atomistic energy distribution functions show a correspondence with structural changes such as α–β phase transition, cristobalite melting and glass transition of SiO₂, in harmony with the results obtained in our preceding study. Moreover, this study demonstrates the different roles of oxygen and silicon in terms of structural changes. Finally, newly defined order parameters offer the possibility of distinguishing structures resulting from different thermal histories through introduction of higher moments.     

Heteroepitaxial growth of InN layers on (1 1 1) silicon substrates

Indium nitride (InN) layers were grown on (1 1 1) silicon substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering using an indium target. Atomic force microscope, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy analysis revealed that highly c-axis preferred wurtzite InN layers with very smooth surface can be obtained on (1 1 1) silicon substrates at a substrate temperature as low as 100 °C. The results indicate that the reactive sputtering is a promising growth technique for obtaining InN layers on silicon substrates at low substrate temperature with low cost and good compatibility with microelectronic silicon-based devices.