Lissoclibadins 8-14, polysulfur dopamine-derived alkaloids from the colonial ascidian Lissoclinum cf. badium

Seven new polysulfur alkaloids, lissoclibadins 8 (1)-14 (7), were isolated from an ascidian, Lissoclinum cf. badium, collected in Indonesia. The structures were assigned on the basis of their spectroscopic data and computational modeling study. Lissoclibadin 8 (1) had four identical dopamine-derived units, and this is the first instance of a tetramer. Lissoclibadin 9 (2) was the second example of trimers next to lissoclibadin 1 (8). Lissoclibadins 10 (3)-12 (5) were symmetric dimers, and 13 (6) had a dopamine and ethyl units connected by sulfide and disulfide bonds. Lissoclibadin 14 (7) was a varacin-type monomer. These compounds inhibited the colony formation of Chinese hamster V79 cells and cell proliferation of murine leukemia L1210 cells.     

Solvent-responsive structural colored balloons

The structural colored balloons (SCBs) consisting of polymer microcapsules showed several structural colors developed by optical thin-layer interference. The SCBs were prepared using a mixture of low- and high-molecular-weight polystyrene to give solvent responsiveness. When the surrounding solvent was transferred from water to the acetone/water mixture using a flow cell, the SCBs swelled at first and shrunk subsequently. The gradual color change of the SCBs was observed along with the size change. The color change accompanying the size change was successfully reproduced by assuming that the total amount of polymer in the thin film does not change. The swelling rate was rationalized by the diffusion of solvent through the shell polystyrene film to the inside of the balloons.     

Electronic states near fermi level in superconductors La2 − x Sr x CuO4 by means of x-ray absorption spectra near Cu-K and La-L edges

The electronic states of La_{2? x} Sr _x CuO₄ with 0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.20 are studied by means of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES, EXAFS) near the K-edge of Cu²⁺ ion and the L-edges of La³⁺ ion. It is found that characteristic white lines occurring near L _II and L _III edges of La³⁺ ion show a slight energy shift depending on substituted Sr²⁺ ions, x and temperature. The white lines suggest that unoccupied high-density 5dπ and 5dδ bands of La³⁺ ion just above a Fermi level transform to a hybridized single band of 5dπδ at 78?K in the superconductors with x = 0.10, 0.16 and 0.20. On the other hand, the XANES spectra near the Cu-K edge including a pre-edge region do not depend on x and temperature in the region of 0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.20. It is considered that there is no reconstruction of electronic states at the Fermi level in a Mott–Hubbard band gap between an O 2p valence band and a Cu 3d conduction band. The electronic states at the Fermi level are probably consisted of the unoccupied 5dπδ band and an empty charge-transfer 3d?⁹ L band at low temperature, bands of which occur in a band gap between a filled O 2p valence band and an unoccupied O 2p conduction band. The insulator–superconductor–metal transitions in La_{2? x} Sr _x CuO₄ are related to the 5dπδ and 3d?⁹ L bands and holes, which site at a top region of the O 2p valence band near the Fermi level produced by a substitution of La³⁺ with Sr²⁺ ions.     

Function of membrane protein in silica nanopores: incorporation of photosynthetic light-harvesting protein LH2 into FSM

A high amount of functional membrane protein complex was introduced into a folded-sheet silica mesoporous material (FSM) that has nanometer-size pores of honeycomb-like hexagonal cylindrical structure inside. The photosynthetic light-harvesting complex LH2, which is a typical membrane protein, has a cylindrical structure of 7.3 nm diameter and contains 27 bacteriochlorophyll a and nine carotenoid molecules. The complex captures light energy in the anoxygenic thermophilic purple photosynthetic bacterium Thermochromatium tepidum. The amount of LH2 adsorbed to FSM was determined optically and by the adsorption isotherms of N2. The FSM compounds with internal pore diameters of 7.9 and 2.7 nm adsorbed LH2 at 1.11 and 0.24 mg/mg FSM, respectively, suggesting the high specific affinity of LH2 to the interior of the hydrophobic nanopores with a diameter of 7.9 nm. The LH2 adsorbed to FSM showed almost intact absorption bands of bacteriochlorophylls, and was fully active in the capture and transfer of excitation energy. The LH2 complex inside the FSM showed increased heat stability of the exciton-type absorption band of bacteriochlorophylls (B850), suggesting higher circular symmetry. The environment inside the hydrophobic silica nanopores can be a new matrix for the membrane proteins to reveal their functions. The silica-membrane protein adduct will be useful for the construction of new probes and reaction systems.     

Comparison of consensus scoring strategies for evaluating computational models of protein-ligand complexes

Here, the comparisons of performance of nine consensus scoring strategies, in which multiple scoring functions were used simultaneously to evaluate candidate structures for a protein-ligand complex, in combination with nine scoring functions (FlexX score, GOLD score, PMF score, DOCK score, ChemScore, DrugScore, PLP, ScreenScore, and X-Score), were carried out. The systematic naming of consensus scoring strategies was also proposed. Our results demonstrate that choosing the most appropriate type of consensus score is essential for model selection in computational docking; although the vote-by-number strategy was an effective selection method, the number-by-number and rank-by-number strategies were more appropriate when computational tractability was taken into account. By incorporating these consensus scores into the FlexX program, reasonable complex models can be obtained more efficiently than those selected by independent FlexX scores. These strategies might also improve the scoring of other docking programs, and more-effective structure-based drug design should result from these improvements.     

Development of dual gradient column in liquid chromatography

The dual gradient column, in which both the chemical property of the stationary phase and the flow velocity in the mobile phase are heterogeneous longitudinally along the column, is developed to obtain the mobile phase gradient-like elution in an isocratic condition. Here, the step-wise dual gradient columns were prepared by connecting an inlet column (I.D. 50 microm, packed with ODS) serially to an outlet column (I.D. 100-200 microm, packed with the mixture of ODS and C1 [9:1]). The retention behavior of alkylbenzenes was able to be controlled in the dual gradient column depending on the variation in the flow velocity. Moreover, the change in retention behavior induced by the flow velocity variation for the dual gradient columns was quite different from that by the variation in organic modifier content of the mobile phase in isocratic elution for a single gradient column and can induce the similar effect with an ordinary gradient elution in a mobile phase composition.     

Fabrication and characterization of C60/tetrathiafulvalene solar cells

Fabrication and characterization of C₆₀/tetrathiafulvalene solar cells was carried out. Photovoltaic properties of bulk-hetero and heterojunciotn solar cells were investigated by light-induced current vs. voltage curves and optical absorption. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image, X-ray and electron diffraction showed that the bulk-heterojunction film had the microstructure of C₆₀ crystal structure with TTF phase. Heat treatment of the heterojunction film with tetraethylsilane improved the photovoltaic performance, yielding a slight increase of conversion efficiency. This result would be originated in improvement of microstructure around inner interface between the both crystal phases. Mechanisms of the photovoltaic properties were discussed on the basis of the experimental results.     

A novel total synthesis of isocryptolepine based on a microwave-assisted tandem Curtius rearrangement and aza-electrocyclic reaction

A new entry to the total synthesis of isocryptolepine (cryptosanguinolentine), isolated from Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, was achieved by constructing a tetracyclic ring system through a microwave-assisted tandem Curtius rearrangement and electrocyclic reaction of an aza 6π-electron system. The tetracyclic lactam was converted to isocryptolepine in a four-step sequence.     

A note on two geometric paths with few crossings for points labeled by integers in the plane

Let $S$ be a set of $n$ points in the plane in general position such that the integers $1,2,\dots ,n$ are assigned to the points bijectively. Set $h$ be an integer with $1\le h<n(n+1)∕2$. In this paper we consider the problem of finding two vertex-disjoint simple geometric paths consisting of all points of $S$ such that the sum of labels of the points in one path is equal to $h$ and the paths have as few crossings as possible. We prove that there exists such a pair of paths with at most two crossings between them.