A fluorimetric determination of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase in blood plasma

A fluorimetric assay for lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase in human plasma (normal and pathological) is described. The lowered cholesterol concentration in the enzyme reaction is determined fluorimetrically by using the cholesterol oxidase—peroxidase —tyramine system. The assay requires only 10 μl of plasma.     

Synthesis and fluorescence spectra of oxa[3.n]phenanthrenophanes

[reaction: see text]. Novel photostable oxa[3.n](3,9)- and [3.3](3,10)phenanthrenophanes (n = 3, 4) bearing trimethylene-type linkage(s) were successfully synthesized by the intramolecular acid-catalyzed etherification of the corresponding precursor diols. syn-Oxa[3.3](3,10)phenanthrenophane afforded the most red-shifted excimer fluorescence (lambda(max) = 432 nm) among the phenanthrenophanes so far prepared.     

Common-path achromatic interferometer-coronagraph: nulling of polychromatic light

A three-dimensional common-path interferometer is proposed, which can achromatically null out an on-axis source while it maintains the detectability of an off-axis source. A geometric phase in the three-dimensional interferometer introduces an achromatic pi-phase shift to the light from the on-axis source, such that destructive interference nulls out the axial light at one of the ports of the interferometer. Light from the off-axis source, which is exempt from the pi-phase shift, comes out from both ports with equal intensity. The common-path scheme makes the system highly immune to environmental disturbances.     

Surface reaction of alkynes and alkenes with H-Si(111): a density functional theory study

Recent experiments on the addition of alkene and alkyne molecules to H-terminated silicon surfaces have provided evidence for a surface chain reaction initiated at isolated Si dangling bonds and involving an intermediate carbon radical state, which, after abstraction of a hydrogen atom from a neighboring Si-H unit, transforms into a stable adsorbed species plus a new Si dangling bond. Using periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations, together with an efficient method for determining reaction pathways, we have studied the initial steps of this chain reaction for a few different terminal alkynes and alkenes interacting with an isolated Si dangling bond on an otherwise H-saturated Si(111) surface. Calculated minimum energy pathways (MEPs) indicate that the chain mechanism is viable in the case of C(2)H(2), whereas for C(2)H(4) the stabilization of the intermediate state is so small and the barrier for H-abstraction so (relatively) large that the molecule is more likely to desorb than to form a stable adsorbed species. For phenylacetylene and styrene, stabilization of the intermediate state and decrease of the H-abstraction barrier take place. While a stable adsorbed species exists in both cases, the overall heat of adsorption is larger for the alkyne molecules.     

Total synthesis of leustroducsin B

A convergent total synthesis of leustroducsin B (1), which is known to exhibit a variety of biological activities, was successfully carried out. Notable features of our synthesis include construction of the C8 stereocenter by lipase-mediated desymmetrization of meso-diol 4 (90.2% ee) and preparation of the C9-C11 anti-diol moiety by the addition of alkynylzinc reagent 20 to the aldehyde 19. Furthermore, a new diol protecting group, p-silyloxybenzylidene, was developed for the deprotection from densely functionalized substrates under weakly acidic conditions. The protecting group was easily removed in a two-step procedure ((HF)3.Et3N; AcOH-THF-H2O).     

Practical optical frequency measurement system around 1.5 μm based on an acetylene-stabilized laser-locked optical frequency comb

We have developed a practical and precise frequency measurement system at 1.5 μm telecommunication band. An electro-optic-modulator based optical frequency comb is phase-locked to a dither-free acetylene-stabilized laser to realize an optical frequency comb with frequency uncertainty of 10 kHz (5 × 10⁻¹¹) and the linewidth of 15 kHz. The present frequency comb can be also used as an optical frequency reference grid defined by ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union, Telecommunication Standardization Sector). Using the present frequency measurement system, we have demonstrated the first optical frequency measurement of ¹²C¹⁶O overtone absorption lines around 1.56 μm with the uncertainty of lower than 900 kHz.     

Synthesis of [60]fullerene-containing [2]rotaxanes using axle molecules bearing donor moiety

[2]Rotaxanes, consisting of a fullerene derivative bearing an electron-donating 1,5-dialkoxynaphthalene moiety and a macrocycle containing electron-deficient naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide moieties, were first successfully synthesized and characterized.     

Determination of free and total catecholamines in human urine by HPLC with fluorescence detection

A simple and highly sensitive method for the determination of free and total (free + conjugated) catecholamines (norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine) in human urine is described which employs HPLC with fluorescence detection. Conjugated catecholamines (sulfate form) are hydrolyzed by a sulfatase-mediated reaction to the corresponding free amines. After cation exchange chromatography on a Toyopak IC-SP S cartridge, catecholamines and isoproterenol (internal standard) in urine samples were converted into the corresponding fluorescent compounds by reaction with 1,2-diphenylethylenediamine. These compounds were separated within 8 min on a reversed phase column with isocratic elution using a mixture of water, methanol and acetonitrile containing a Tris-hydrochloric acid buffer (pH 7.0). The detection limit for each catecholamine is ca 2 fmol per 100 microL injection volume.     

Localized solutions to the nonlinear wave equation for flexural motions of an elastic beam traveling in an air-filled tube

Steady-progressive-wave solutions are sought to the nonlinear wave equation derived previously [J. Fluids Struct. 16 (2002) 597] for flexural motions of an elastic beam traveling in an air-filled tube along its center axis at a subsonic speed. Fluid-structure interactions are taken into account through aerodynamic loading on the lateral surface of the beam subjected to small but finite deflection but end effects and viscous effects are neglected. Linear dispersion characteristics are first examined by exploiting the small ratio of the induced mass to the mass of the beam per unit length. Centered around the traveling speed of the beam, there exists such a narrow range of propagation velocity that the linear steady propagation is prohibited. In this range, it is revealed that some interesting nonlinear solutions exist. The periodic wavetrain is found to exist as the exact solution. Asymptotic analysis is then made by applying the method of multiple scales and the stationary nonlinear Schrödinger equation is derived for a complex amplitude. A monochromatic solution to this equation corresponds to the exact periodic solution. Imposing undisturbed boundary conditions at infinity, it is revealed that the localized solution exists as a result of balance between the linear instability and the nonlinearity. This solution is checked by solving the nonlinear equation numerically. It is further revealed that the amplitude-modulated wavetrain exists not only in the range of the velocity mentioned above but also outside of it.