Serum concentrations of soluble 4-1BB and 4-1BB ligand correlated with the disease severity in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease whose etiopathogenesis is not well understood. Although soluble (s) forms of 4-1BB (s4-1BB) and 4-1BB legand (s4-1BBL) have been detected in the sera of RA patients, their significance is not known. We compared the serum levels of s4-1BB and s4-1BBL in RA patients with those in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Behcet's disease (BD) patients. Serum levels of s4-1BB and s4-1BBL were significantly higher in RA patients compared with healthy controls, SLE or BD patients, and the abundance was correlated with disease severity in patients with RA. The serum levels of s4-1BB in RA patients were inversely corroborated with 4-1BB expression levels on activated T lymphocytes. In addition, there was a correlation between serum levels of s4-1BB and s4-1BBL. The augmented secretion of s4-1BB and s4-1BBL levels into the serum may reflect the clinical symptoms of RA and levels of s4-1BB and s4-1BBL in sera at the time of diagnosis may be indicative of the severity and outcome of RA.     

FIR NH3 cascade laser excited by a Q-switch laser

Short FIR laser pulses of high repetition rate are obtained by pumping NH₃ with the pulses of a passively Q-switched IR laser. The two cascade laser transitions observed show coupled relaxation oscillations. The pulse shapes and delay times are qualitatively in agreement with a four-level rate-equation model.Partially supported by Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftOn leave from Korea Standards Research Institute, Dae Deog Dan Ji, P.O. Box 3, Choong Nam, Korea, supported by Korea Science and Engineering Foundation     

Determination of Caffeine Using a Simple Graphite Pencil Electrode with Square-Wave Anodic Stripping Voltammetry

A simple commercial graphite pencil electrode (GPE) was utilized for monitoring caffeine using the square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) method. This method was applied to determine the caffeine levels in several tea samples, which yielded a relative error of 1% in the concentrations. Caffeine was deposited at 0.0V (vs. Ag/AgCl), then reduced at +1.40V to strip it on the GPE. Optimal experimental conditions for the analysis were found to be as follows: pH value of 9 for the medium; deposition potential of 0.0V; deposition time of 120s; SW frequency of 25Hz; SW amplitude of 45mV, and step potential of 6mV. Given these optimum conditions, a linear range was observed within the concentration of 0500mgL^–1. At caffeine concentrations of 50.0, 250.0, and 500.0mgL^–1, the relative standard deviations in measured concentrations (n=12) were 0.19, 0.09, and 0.11%, respectively. The detection limit was found to be 9.2mgL^–1, which is comparable with the result obtained using a carbon paste electrode, equivalent to 8.2mgL^–1.     

Surface modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchannels

This review looks at the efforts that are being made to modify the surface of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchannels, in order to enhance applicability in the field of microfluidics. Many surface modifications of PDMS have been performed for electrophoretic separations, but new modifications are being done for emerging applications such as heterogeneous immunoassays and cell-based bioassays. These new modification techniques are powerful because they impart biospecificity to the microchannel surfaces and reduce protein adsorption. Most of these applications require the use of aqueous or polar solvents, which makes surface modification a very important topic.     

Hyperbranching polymerization of aziridine on silica solid substrates leading to a surface of highly dense reactive amine groups

Silica solid substrates such as fused silica, silicon wafers with a natural oxide layer, and glass were treated with aziridine to produce reactive primary amine groups on the top surface. We found that the hydroxyl group on the substrate was able to initiate the ring-opening polymerization of aziridine, resulting in highly branched poly(ethyleneimine) on the surface. In dichloromethane, the thickness of the organic film reached 25 A in 20 h and the absolute density of the primary amine group on the surface was 23 amines/nm(2). Atomic force microscopy shows an embossed morphology after the polymerization in dichloromethane, while use of toluene gives a rather smooth surface. The resulting organic layer shows high thermal and pH stability.     

Spectral characterization of self-assemblies of aldopyranoside amphiphilic gelators: what is the essential structural difference between simple amphiphiles and bolaamphiphiles?

An aldopyranoside-based gelators (dodecanoyl-p-aminophenyl-beta-D-aldopyranoside)s and [1,12-dodecanedicarboxylic-bis(p-aminophenyl-beta-D-aldopyranoside)]s 1-4 were synthesized, and their gelation ability was evaluated in organic solvents and water. Simple aldopyranoside amphiphiles 1 and 2 were found to gelate organic solvents as well as water in the presence of a small amount of alcoholic solvents. More interestingly, not only extremely dilute aqueous solutions (0.05 wt%) of the bolaamphiphiles 3 and 4, but solutions of 3 and 4 in several organic solvents could be gelatinized. These results indicate that 1-4 can act as versatile amphiphilic gelators. We characterized the superstructures of the aqueous gels and organogels prepared from 1-4 using SEM, TEM, NMR and IR spectroscopy, and XRD. The aqueous gels 1 and 2 formed a three-dimensional network of puckered fibrils diameters in the range 20-200 nm, whereas the aqueous gels 3 and 4 produced filmlike lamellar structures with 50-100 nm thickness at extremely low concentrations (0.05 wt%). Powder XRD experiments indicate that the aqueous gels 1 and 2 maintain an interdigitated bilayer structure with a 2.90 nm period with the alkyl chain tilted, while the organogels 1 and 2 take a loosely interdigitated bilayer structure with a 3.48 nm period. On the other hand, the aqueous- and the organogels 3 and 4 have 3.58 nm spacing, which corresponds to a monolayered structure. The XRD, 1H NMR and FT-IR results suggest that 1-4 are stabilized by a combination of the hydrogen-bonding, pi-pi interactions and hydrophobic forces.     

Anionic ligand effect on the nature of epoxidizing intermediates in iron porphyrin complex-catalyzed epoxidation reactions

We have studied an anionic ligand effect in iron porphyrin complex-catalyzed competitive epoxidations of cis- and trans-stilbenes by various terminal oxidants and found that the ratios of cis- to trans-stilbene oxide products formed in competitive epoxidations were markedly dependent on the ligating nature of the anionic ligands. The ratios of cis- to trans-stilbene oxides obtained in the reactions of Fe(TPP)X (TPP = meso-tetraphenylporphinato dianion and X(-) = anionic ligand) and iodosylbenzene (PhIO) were 14 and 0.9 when the X(-) of Fe(TPP)X was Cl(-) and CF(3)SO(3)(-), respectively. An anionic ligand effect was also observed in the reactions of an electron-deficient iron(III) porphyrin complex containing a number of different anionic ligands, Fe(TPFPP)X [TPFPP = meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphinato dianion and X(-) = anionic ligand], and various terminal oxidants such as PhIO, m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (m-CPBA), tetrabutylammonium oxone (TBAO), and H(2)O(2). While high ratios of cis- to trans-stilbene oxides were obtained in the reactions of iron porphyrin catalysts containing ligating anionic ligands such as Cl(-) and OAc(-), the ratios of cis- to trans-stilbene oxide were low in the reactions of iron porphyrin complexes containing nonligating or weakly ligating anionic ligands such as SbF(6)(-), CF(3)SO(3)(-), and ClO(4)(-). When the anionic ligand was NO(3)(-), the product ratios were found to depend on terminal oxidants and olefin concentrations. We suggest that the dependence of the product ratios on the anionic ligands of iron(III) porphyrin catalysts is due to the involvement of different reactive species in olefin epoxidation reactions. That is, high-valent iron(IV) oxo porphyrin cation radicals are generated as a reactive species in the reactions of iron porphyrin catalysts containing nonligating or weakly ligating anionic ligands such as SbF(6)(-), CF(3)SO(3)(-), and ClO(4)(-), whereas oxidant-iron(III) porphyrin complexes are the reactive intermediates in the reactions of iron porphyrin catalysts containing ligating anionic ligands such as Cl(-) and OAc(-).     

Supramolecular hydrogel formation based on inclusion complexation between poly(ethylene glycol)-modified chitosan and alpha-cyclodextrin

Supramolecular hydrogels have been prepared on the basis of polymer inclusion complex (PIC) formation between poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-modified chitosans and alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD). A series of PEG-modified chitosans were synthesized by coupling reactions between chitosan and monocarboxylated PEG using water-soluble carbodiimide (EDC) as coupling agent. With simple mixing, the resultant supramolecular assembly of the polymers and alpha-CD molecules led to hydrogel formation in aqueous media. The supramolecular structure of the PIC hydrogels was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction, and (13)C cross-polarized/magic-angle spinning (CP/MAS) NMR characterization. The PEG side-chains on the chitosan backbones were found to form inclusion complexes (ICs) with alpha-CD molecules, resulting in the formation of channel-type crystalline micro-domains. The IC domains play an important role in holding together hydrated chitosan chains as physical junctions. The gelation property was affected by several factors including the PEG content in the polymers, the solution concentration, the mixing ratio of host and guest molecules, temperature, pH, etc. All the hydrogels in acidic conditions exhibited thermo-reversible gel-sol transitions under appropriate conditions of mixing ratio and PEG content in the mixing process. The transitions were induced by supramolecular association and dissociation. These supramolecular hydrogels were found to have phase-separated structures that consist of hydrophobic crystalline PIC domains, which were formed by the host-guest interaction between alpha-CD and PEG, and hydrated chitosan matrices below the pK(a).The formation of inclusion complexes between alpha-cyclodextrin and PEG-modified chitosan leads to the formation of hydrogels that can undergo thermo-reversible supramolecular dissociation.     

Uncatalyzed partial oxidation of p-xylene in sub- and supercritical water

In sub- and supercritical water, partial oxidation of p-xylene was performed in a batch reactor without a catalyst at 240-500^oC, 220-300 bar. The loaded amount of hydrogen peroxide was set to 0-100% of the theoretically required oxygen amount. Conversion of p-xylene was reached over 99% within 15-20 min. In sub- and supercritical water, we propose two parallel pathways and major products that consist of p-tolualdehyde, p-toluic acid, terephthalic acid, toluene and benzaldehyde. Yields of major products in subcritical conditions were higher than in a supercritical conditions.     

Unique blue shift due to the formation of static pyrene excimer: highly selective fluorescent chemosensor for Cu

New binaphthyl derivatives bearing pyrene groups have been synthesized and studied as fluorescent chemosensors for Cu²⁺ ions. A unique blue shift along with fluorescent enhancement in pyrene excimer emission was observed, which were induced by the formation of a static pyrene excimer.