Diarrhetic shellfish toxins

As the causative agents of a new type of shellfish poisoning, named diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, okadaic acid, 35(S)-methylokadaic acid, 7-O-acyl derivatives of 35(S)-methylokadaic acid, two novel polyether lactones named pectenotoxin-1 and -2 have been isolated and had their structures determined. Three pectenotoxin analogues were also present. In addition to the previously identified Dinophysis fortii, D. acuminata was newly suggested as a source of toxins.     

Studies of molecular motions in the three phases of 1,1′,2,2′-tetrachloroferrocene by Mössbauer and1H-NMR spectroscopy

The molecular motions in the three phases of 1,1′,2,2′-tetrachloroferrocene below m.p. were studied by using⁵⁷Fe-Mossbauer and¹H FT-NMR spectroscopy. In the plastic phase at the low temperature, a rotational mode around the pseudo C₅ molecular axis was found to be activated with activation energy of 15 kJ/mol and in the higher temperature phase the rotational mode of the pseudo C₅ axis itself was found to be activated with activation energy of 23 kJ/mol in addition to the rotational mode around the pseudo C₅ axis. On the⁵⁷Fe-Mossbauer spectra, a steep decrease of the areal intensity was observed above the first transition temperature. The areal intensity in the lower plastic phase was estimated to be less than a few percent relative to that at 298 K. The results were discussed in terms of different possibilities for the movement of the molecules.     

Raman scattering from GaAs-InxGa1−xAs strained-layer superllatices

Measurements of Raman scattering were performed on GaAs-In_xGa_1?xAs strained-layer superlattices, grown by molecular beam epitaxy, with lattice periods ranging from 30 ～ 250 Å and In concentrations x, 0.22 and 0.37. Only one GaAs-like longitudinal optical phonon peak was observed in each strained-layer superlattice, in contrast to the well-known result that two peaks were observed in GaAs-Al_xGa_1?xAs superlattices. The GaAs-like phonon frequencies shifted from those of bulk GaAs to those of bulk In_xGa_1?xAs alloys as the ratio of the one-layer thickness of In_xGa_1?xAs to the lattice period increases from zero to one. We conclude that the GaAs-like phonon mode is a uniform mode of the whole strained-layer superlattice and the phonon frequency is determined by the averaged In concentration.     

Radiative and nonradiative recombination processes in hydrogenated amorphous silicon as elucidated by optically detected magnetic resonance

Radiative and nonradiative recombination processes have been investigated by measurements of optically detected magnetic resonance at 2 K in hydrogenated anorphous silicon. Relevant processes are discussed on the basis of the experimental results.     

Stability of nuclear rotational states

The stability of rotational states described by using a procedure of the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov method is discussed. The stability condition is obtained in a general form and some of its properties are examined with the aid of simplifying approximations. It is pointed out in conclusion that the Coriolis force might lead to the instability of rotational states for sufficiently large angular momenta. The instability of rotational states is caused by the instability of the pairing density, and also by that of the nuclear density distribution. In the former case it is shown that below the critical angular momentum, a first-order phase transition takes place and in some cases the rotational band breaks off. In the latter case, it might be considered that the assumption of an axially symmetric deformation is broken or large change of the equilibrium deformation is brought suddenly. Then discontinuous change of the rotational level might be seen at the unstable point.     

Specificity and biomineralization activities of Ti-binding peptide-1 (TBP-1)

Numerous peptide aptamers that recognize inorganic materials have been isolated using in vitro peptide evolution systems. However, it remains unknown how peptides interact with inorganic materials or how specific those interactions are. We, therefore, assessed the target specificities of the peptide aptamer TBP-1 (RKLPDAPGMHTW) by monitoring its ability to bind 10 different metals. We found that phages displaying TBP-1 bound to Ti, Si, and Ag surfaces but not to Au, Cr, Pt, Sn, Zn, Cu, or Fe. As previously seen with Ti, binding to Si and Ag was diminished by R1A, P4A, or D5A mutation, suggesting that the same molecular mechanism underlies TBP-1 binding to all three materials. We also observed that a synthetic TBP-1 peptide mediated mineralization of both silica and Ag. It, thus, appears that although the overall chemical characteristics of Ti, Si, and Ag surfaces are dissimilar, they share a common subnanometric structure that is recognized by TBP-1.     

A facile synthesis of novel chiral phosphonoacetates bearing a stereogenic phosphorus atom

Novel chiral phosphonoacetates bearing a stereogenic phosphorus atom were successfully synthesized by enzyme-catalyzed kinetic resolution of racemic phosphonoacetates.