Isolation of a potent anti-MRSA sesquiterpenoid quinone from Ulmus davidiana var. japonica

A highly potent anti-MRSA sesquiterpenoid has been isolated from Ulmus davidiana var. japonica, which has been traditionally used to treat infectious diseases in Korea. This naturally occurring antibiotic was identified as mansonone F (1). This compound has been found to be highly active specifically against MRSA and showed an MIC range of 0.39-3.13 microg/ml which is comparable to that of vancomycin.     

Application of Liquid Crystalline NMR Solvents to a Mixture of Ketones

A series of dilute liquid crystalline solvents are used to study the effect of slight anisotropy caused by partial alignment on chemical shift and residual dipolar coupling (RDC) in small molecules. The residual dipolar couplings between protons in solutes are found to be almost independent of the local environment. It is also found that the chemical shift does not change over the concentration range observed. A linear relationship between residual dipolar coupling and liquid crystal concentration is observed at relatively low concentrations, but is severely violated at high concentrations.     

氯化血红素催化新型荧光反应测定葡萄糖的研究

本文用流动注射分析了研究了过氧化物模拟酶催化过氧新型荧光底物（Ｎ，Ｎ－二氰甲基邻苯二胺，ＤＣＭＯＰＡ）的最优条件。结果表明，该系统可用于定量测定氧化氢及催化氯化血红素的浓度。     

Synthesis and reactivity of hydrazido(2-) and imido derivatives of titanium(IV) tetratolylporphyrin

Titanium porphyrin hydrazido complexes (TTP)Ti = NNR2 (TTP = meso-tetra-p-tolylporphyrinato dianion; R = Me (1), Ph (2)) were synthesized by treatment of (TTP)TiCl2 with 1,1-disubstituted hydrazines H2NNR2 (R = Me, Ph) in the presence of piperdine. The nucleophilic character of the hydrazido moiety was demonstrated in the reactions of complexes 1 and 2 with p-chlorobenzaldehyde, which yielded the titanium oxo complex (TTP)-Ti = O and the respective hydrazones. Protonation of complexes 1 and 2 with phenol or water produced the 1,1-disubstituted hydrazine along with (TTP)Ti(OPh)2 or (TTP)Ti = O, respectively. Similar reactivity of p-chlorobenzaldehyde and phenol with (TTP)Ti = NiPr, 3, was observed. The reaction of complex 3 with nitrosobenzene cleanly formed the azo compound iPrN = NPh and the terminal oxo product (TTP)Ti = O.     

Structure and magnetic properties of Ca14MnP11

The compound Ca₁₄MnP₁₁ crystallizes in the Ca₁₄AlSb₁₁ structure type with the tetragonal space group I4₁/acd (Z=8) and lattice parameters of , c=20.7565(9) at 90 K. The structure consists of MnP₄⁹⁻ tetrahedron, P₃⁷⁻ trimer, 4 P³⁻ isolated anions and 14 Ca²⁺ cations. Similar to other compounds of this structure type containing phosphorous, the P₃⁷⁻ trimer has a central P atom that is best modeled in the structure as being equally split between two sites. In addition, there is no additional distortion of the manganese-containing tetrahedron compared with the main group analog, Ca₁₄GaP₁₁, suggesting that the Mn oxidation state is Mn²⁺. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility shows that the compound is paramagnetic over the entire temperature range measured (2-300 K). The data can be fit with a modified Curie-Weiss law and provide an effective magnetic moment of 5.80 (2) B.M. with a Weiss constant of −2.13(2) K and . This moment is significantly higher than those measured for any of the Mn-containing analogs and is consistent with Mn²⁺. This result will be discussed in light of the electron counting scheme for Mn compounds of the Ca₁₄AlSb₁₁ structure-type.     

Studies on polymers and composites from lignin and fiber derived from sugar cane

Sugarcane fiber (i.e. bagasse) lignin has a larger fraction of aromatics unsubstitution in the ortho position than hardwood or softwood lignin and hence has the greater ability to be derivatized. Furthermore, organosolv lignin has a higher purity than sulfonated and kraft lignins. This work examines the purification of organosolv lignin derived from bagasse and the physico‐chemical properties of the lignin and lignin‐phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin coatings, and composites. The wetability tests have shown that lignin and lignin‐PF resin films are effective water barrier coatings, though the contact angles of lignin‐PF resin films were considerably less than the wax films. The overall mechanical properties (i.e. peak stress, peak strain and modulus) of the bagasse fiber composites were lower than the values obtained with the composites without the inclusion of bagasse fiber. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Theoretical Study of Weakly Bound Dimers between Hydrogen Fluoride and Some Polar Molecules

Weakly bound linear and bent dimers, FH—X (where X = CO, OC, CNH, NCH, N₂O and ON₂), are investigated using the DFT B3LYP and ab initio MP2 methods with the same basis sets (6–311++G(3df,2pd)). The strengths of the H—C or H—N H‐bonds in dimers FH—CO, FH—CNH, and FH—N₂O are compared with those of the H—O or H—N H‐bonds in dimers FH—OC, FH—NCH, and FH—ON₂. The results obtained for the H‐bond distances, the elongation effect of the HF bond, the red shift of the HF stretching frequency, and the energy difference between the dimer and the charge transfer reveal that the H‐bonds of the first group of dimers are stronger than those of the second. The Gibbs energies calculated for the six dimer formations indicate that the weakly bound dimers are unstable at room temperature (T = 298 K) (FH—X's → FH + X's, ΔG < 0).     

Hydrodynamic simulation of cell docking in microfluidic channels with different dam structures

The immobilization of biological cells in micro-devices requires high efficiency and easy control while maintaining cell viability. One approach for cell immobilization is to utilize constriction structures such as dams to trap cells in microfluidics. In this paper, we present a comprehensive hydrodynamic analysis of two different types of constriction structures for cell immobilization: dams either in perpendicular or in parallel to the main flow route. Various structural models and experimental conditions were compared for cell docking and alignment, and the pressure and velocity profiles of the flow in the micro-channels and the hydrodynamic force and shear stress on the docked cells were calculated based on fluid dynamic theory and numerical simulation. The effects of the dam structures and cell docking on the flow properties, the transportation efficiency, and the induced stress on the docked cells were analyzed. Improved hydraulic pressure profiles in the auxiliary inlets were discussed for the modulation of the flow characteristics and attenuation of hydrodynamic forces exerted on the cells. Furthermore, a new design combining the advantages of perpendicular and parallel dam structures was proposed for cell-based microfluidics.     

Protofilaments, filaments, ribbons, and fibrils from peptidomimetic self-assembly: implications for amyloid fibril formation and materials science

Deciphering the mechanism(s) of β-sheet mediated self-assembly is essential for understanding amyloid fibril formation and for the fabrication of polypeptide materials. Herein, we report a simple peptidomimetic that self-assembles into polymorphic β-sheet quaternary structures including protofilaments, filaments, fibrils, and ribbons that are reminiscent of the highly ordered structures displayed by the amyloidogenic peptides Aβ, calcitonin, and amylin. The distribution of quaternary structures can be controlled by and in some cases specified by manipulating the pH, buffer composition, and the ionic strength. The ability to control β-sheet-mediated assembly takes advantage of quaternary structure dependent pK(a) perturbations. Biophysical methods including analytical ultracentrifugation studies as well as far-UV circular dichroism and FT-IR spectroscopy demonstrate that linked secondary and quaternary structural changes mediate peptidomimetic self-assembly. Electron and atomic force microscopy reveal that peptidomimetic assembly involves numerous quaternary structural intermediates that appear to self-assemble in a convergent fashion affording quaternary structures of increasing complexity. The ability to control the assembly pathway(s) and the final quaternary structure(s) afforded should prove to be particularly useful in deciphering the quaternary structural requirements for amyloid fibril formation and for the construction of noncovalent macromolecular structures.