Change of concentrations of trace elements and protein contents in the liver of zinc deficient mice

The concentrations of essential trace elements and proteins in cytosolic fraction of hepatic cells of mice fed with Zn-deficient diet (Zn-def, mice) and control were determined by ICP-MS and BCA protein assay method, respectively, after division into forty fractions by gel filtration chromatography. The concentrations of zinc and proteins decreased in the 14–17th fractions of Zn-def, mice, whereas cobalt concentrations increased in the 14, 17, and 18th fractions. However, no significant differences were found on the gel after SDS-PAGE for the 12–21st fractions, although the BCA protein assay date showed the decrease of protein amounts in 13–15th fractions of Zn-def. mice.     

Vacancy ion-exclusion chromatography of carboxylic acids on a weakly acidic cation-exchange resin

In this preliminary study, a new approach to ion-exclusion chromatography is proposed to overcome the relatively poor conductivity detection response which occurs in ion-exclusion chromatography when acids are added to the eluent in order to improve peak shape. This approach, termed vacancy ion-exclusion chromatography, requires the sample to be used as eluent and a sample of water to be injected onto a weakly acidic cation-exchange column (TSKgel OApak-A). Vacancy peaks for each of the analytes appear at the retention times of these analytes. Highly sensitive conductivity detection is possible and sharp, well-shaped peaks are produced, leading to efficient separations. Retention times were found to be affected by the concentration of the analytes in the eluent, and also by the presence of an organic modifier such as methanol in the eluent. Detection limits for oxalic, formic, acetic, propionic, butyric and valeric acids were 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 microM, respectively, and linear ranges for some acids extended over two orders of magnitude. Precision values for retention times were 0.21% and for peak areas were <1.90%. The vacancy ion-exclusion chromatography method was found to give detection responses four to 10 times higher than conventional ion-exclusion chromatography using sulfuric acid eluent and two to five times higher than conventional ion-exclusion chromatography using benzoic acid eluent.     

Preparation and photochromism of diarylethene covalently bonded onto layered sodium-magadiite surfaces

Diarylethene derivatives (DE) covalently bonded to silanol oxygens of layered silicate surfaces, i.e., magadiite (Mag), were synthesized and investigated for their photochromic behavior. The DE-Mag layered hybrids were found to undergo reversible color change by alternating UV and visible light irradiation. A more highly efficient, reproducible photochromic behavior was realized with DE-Mag than with a corresponding DE-Si possessing silyl substituents on DE in place of the Mag surface. Moreover, the present covalently bonded DE exhibited an improvement over DE hybrids incorporated in layered double hydroxide (LDH) clays, in which the repetitive photochromic behavior decreased during alternating irradiation, due to the accumulation of the photochemically inert parallel isomers of DE.     

Guest shape-responsive fitting of porous coordination polymer with shrinkable framework

In situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction patterns of porous coordination polymers [[Cu(2)(pzdc)(2)(bpy)].G] have been measured (pzdc = pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylate, bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine) (where G = H(2)O for CPL-2 superset H(2)()O, G = benzene for CPL-2 superset benzene, and G = void for the apohost). The structures of apohost and CPL-2 superset benzene were determined from Rietveld analysis. Adsorption of benzene in the channels induced a remarkable contraction in the crystal (b axis; 6.8%, volume; 4.9%), although the channels were occupied by the benzene molecules. This crystal transformation provides a new pore structure that is well suited for benzene molecules, and we denote it as a "shape-responsive fitting" transformation. This type of pore gives rise to a new guideline: frameworks can be composed of flexible motifs that are linked via strong bond and/or stiff motifs that are connected via weaker bonds.     

Characterization of an avidin-bonded column for direct injection in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

An automatic method for the determination of metabolites of Ropivacaine in urine was set up. It utilizes supported liquid membrane extraction for sample clean-up and enrichment, followed by ion-pair chromatography determination using UV detection. The extraction was very selective with no observed interfering compounds from the urine matrix, permitting simple isocratic chromatographic analysis. The detection limits for spiked urine samples were 2–18 nM for the different compounds. The repeatability was 1–3% (RSD) with an internal standard that was also extracted, and about twice without this standard. A throughput of 3.3 samples per hour was achieved and the liquid membrane was stable for more than a week.     

Synthesis of 1,1-difluoroethylsilanes and their application for the introduction of the 1,1-difluoroethyl group

1,1-Difluoroethysilanes (R₃SiCF₂CH₃, R = Me or Et) were synthesized from 1,1-difluoroethyl phenyl sulfone and chlorosilanes using magnesium metal via reductive 1,1-difluoroethylation. It was confirmed that 1,1-difluoroethylsilanes were effective 1,1-difluoroethylating reagents for carbonyl compounds.     

Studies on polyyne polymers containing transition metals in the main chain. VII. Synthesis and characterization of palladium-polyyne polymers

Metal-polyyne polymers consisting of palladium and conjugated acetylenic systems, where P_D and R represent the —Pd(PBu₃)₂—moiety and alkyl groups, respectively, were prepared by polycondensation between palladium chlorides and α,ω-diethynyl compounds in amines using a catalytic amount of cuprous iodide. The molecular weights of the polymers formed were greatly affected by the basicity of the amines and the addition of free phosphines to the polymerization system. Under the optimum conditions, i.e., in the presence of CuI and PBu₃ (in molar ratio 1/4) in piperidine at room temperature, polymer Ia (R¹ = R² = H) having M?_w = 29,000 was obtained.     

Polymers having stable radicals. II. Synthesis of nitroxyl polymers from 4-methacryloyl derivatives of 1-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine

Polymers having stable pendant . radicals were synthesized through their precursor polymers by oxidizing them in air or by H₂O₂–Na₂WO₄. Hydrochlorides and sulfates of 4-methacryloylamino- and 4-methacryloyloxy-1-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidines were synthesized as precursor monomers and polymerized by using α,α′-azobisisobutyronitrile under appropriate conditions to precursor polymers of high molecular weight: poly-4-methacryloylamino-/oxy-1-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinehydrochlorides and sulfates. The precursor polymers were converted to polymers having nitroxyl stable radicals, i.e., poly-4-methacryloylamino-/oxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyls, by oxidation in air or with H₂O₂–Na₂WO₄ without any main-chain scission. The structure of the resultant stable radical polymers was determined by infrared, ultraviolet, and ESR spectroscopy. Based on the results of spectroscopic analysis and Kjeldahl analysis, the transformation from precursors to nitroxyl stable radical polymers was found to be quantitative. Investigations on the applicability of polymeric nitroxyl radicals to oxidation-reduction reactions were attempted by means of polarography; the reduction half-wave potential was found to be ?1.16 V for the mercury pool.     

Direct observation of the multistep helix formation of poly-L-glutamic acids

The helix formation dynamics of poly-L-glutamic acids (PGAs) were observed by the microsecond-resolved Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies. The helix formation of 34-residue PGA from random coil at pH (or pD for FTIR) 8.0 was initiated by a pH jump to 4.9 using the rapid solution mixer whose mixing dead time is 50 micros. The amide I' line in the time-resolved FTIR spectra exhibited the fast (<100 micros) increase of the total helical content. The time-resolved CD spectra of the same process also showed the fast (<150 micros) formation of short helical segments (5 +/- 1 residues), which was followed by the slower (<1 ms) elongation of the short helices to longer helices (>10 residues). Similar dynamics were observed for the same pH jump of approximately 190-residue PGA, although there were additional steps that made the helix formation of approximately 190-residue PGA more complex. The observed multistep helix formation is likely caused by the strong hydrogen-bonding interactions between the protonated side chains of PGAs.     

Enthalpies of mixing of <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>-isomers at 298.15 K

Excess enthalpies (H ^E) of 17 binary mixtures of o- and m-isomers of dichlorobenzene, difluorobenzene, methoxymethylbenzene, dimethylbenzene, dimethoxybenzene, aminofluorobenzene, fluoronitrobenzene, diethylbenzene, chlorofluorobenzene, fluoroiodobenzene, bromofluorobenzene, chloromethylbenzene, fluoromethylbenzene, bromomethylbenzene, iodomethylbenzene, fluoromethoxybenzene, dibromobenzene at 298.15 K were measured. All excess enthalpies measured were very small, and those of o-+m-isomers of aminofluorobenzene, dibromobenzene and iodomethylbenzene were negative but 14 other binary mixtures of isomers were positive over the whole range of mole fractions. H ^E of o-+m-isomers of dimethoxybenzene showed the largest enthalpic instability and those of aminofluorobenzene showed the largest enthalpic stability. There was a correlation between dipole–dipole interaction, dipole–induced dipole interaction or entropies of vaporization and excess partial molar enthalpies at infinite dilution.