Insight into the pathway for biosynthesis of sesquarterpenes in nonpathogenic Mycobacterium species: identification of heptaprenylcycli-14E,18E-diene

A new sesquarterpene, heptaprenylcycli-14E,18E-diene, was isolated from Mycobacterium chlorophenolicum cells grown up to the stationary phase. The absence of heptaprenylcycli-14Z,18E-diene indicates that only (E,E,E)-geranylgeranyl diphosphate may be utilized as an intermediate of sesquarterpene biosynthesis in the stationary phase, in contrast with the logarithmic growth phase in which both (E,E)-farnesyl diphosphate and (E,E,E)-geranylgeranyl diphosphate are used. Further, our findings suggest that the stepwise reduction of the polyprenyl group in sesquarterpene biosynthesis might proceed in a different order from that in chlorophyll biosynthesis.     

[1,6‐Bis(2‐pyridyl­methyl)‐2,5‐di­aza­hexane‐κ4N]­chlorocopper(II) per­chlorate

The title mononuclear copper(II) compound, [CuCl(C₁₆H₂₂­N₄)]­ClO₄, shows a slightly tetrahedrally distorted square‐pyramidal coordination with the chlorine ligand at the apical position. The directions of the two N—Me bond axes are syn to the Cu—Cl bond.     

Atomic force microscopy of cubic Pt nanoparticles in electrochemical environments

Real structure of cubic Pt nanoparticle has been studied at various potentials in 0.1 M NaClO₄ with the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM). Cubic Pt nanoparticles in 10 nm height are clearly imaged from 0.10 V to 1.10 V (Ag/AgCl). The height of the nanoparticle increases 1.2 ± 0.7 nm (10.4 ± 6.8%) around the onset potential of oxygen evolution (1.20 V (Ag/AgCl)). The height increase is attributed to the formation of the oxide species at the inner layers of the nanoparticle. Dissolution of the nanoparticle starts from the upper terrace, not from the edge above 1.40 V (Ag/AgCl).     

Selective 6-endo cyclization of the acyl radicals onto the nitrogen of imine and oxazoline C-N bonds

Acyl radicals generated by the addition of alkyl or vinyl radicals to carbon monoxide cyclized onto the C-N bonds of imines and oxazoline with perfect 6-endo selectivity, driven by a preference for attack at nitrogen.     

Comparative investigation of elastic properties in a trabecula using micro-Brillouin scattering and scanning acoustic microscopy

Micro-Brillouin scattering (μ-BR) and a 200 MHz scanning acoustic microscope (SAM) with similar spatial resolutions were applied to evaluate tissue elastic properties in two directions in a trabecula. Acoustic impedance measured by SAM was in the range of 5-9 Mrayl. Wave velocities determined by μ-BR were in the range of (4.75-5.11) × 10(3) m/s. Both exhibited a similar trend of variation across the trabecula and were significantly correlated (R(2) = 0.63-0.67, p < 0.01). μ-BR is useful for the evaluation of tissue stiffness within a trabecula. Combined with SAM or nanoindentation, it can provide additional information to assess elastic anisotropy at the micro-scale.     

Specific Interaction Between Negative Atmospheric Ions and Organic Compounds in Atmospheric Pressure Corona Discharge Ionization Mass Spectrometry

The interaction between negative atmospheric ions and various types of organic compounds were investigated using atmospheric pressure corona discharge ionization (APCDI) mass spectrometry. Atmospheric negative ions such as O₂^–, HCO₃^–, COO^–(COOH), NO₂^–, NO₃^–, and NO₃^–(HNO₃) having different proton affinities served as the reactant ions for analyte ionization in APCDI in negative-ion mode. The individual atmospheric ions specifically ionized aliphatic and aromatic compounds with various functional groups as atmospheric ion adducts and deprotonated analytes. The formation of the atmospheric ion adducts under certain discharge conditions is most likely attributable to the affinity between the analyte and atmospheric ion and the concentration of the atmospheric ion produced under these conditions. The deprotonated analytes, in contrast, were generated from the adducts of the atmospheric ions with higher proton affinity attributable to efficient proton abstraction from the analyte by the atmospheric ion.     

Self-assembly of discotic liquid crystalline molecule-modified gold nanoparticles: control of 1D and hexagonal ordering induced by solvent polarity

Gold nanoparticles fully coated with discotic liquid crystalline molecules of hexaalkoxy-substituted triphenylene (Au-TP) have been synthesised, the self-assembled structure of which could be controlled (hexagonal or 1D nanochain) just by altering the ratio of methanol to toluene in the solvent.     

Sol-gel synthesis of a new composition of bioactive glass in the quaternary system SiO2-CaO-Na2O-P2O5: Comparison with melting method

New sol-gel experimental conditions were tested to prepare a new SiO₂-based bioactive glass with high Na₂O content. The aim of this work is to investigate the real influence of the synthesis route (sol-gel versus melting) on the glass intrinsic properties and then, later, on the glass behavior and particularly on bioactivity. The obtained glass and its melt derived counterpart were characterized from structural and morphological (porosity, specific surface area) point of view. It could be noticed that the synthesis mode has no significant influence on glass structure. Conversely, the synthesis mode greatly influences the glass texture. The sol-gel derived glass exhibits a greatly higher specific surface area and pore volume than melt derived glass. This parameter may be a key factor of glass bioactivity.     

Propagation of two longitudinal waves in a cancellous bone with the closed pore boundary

Ultrasound propagation in cancellous bone (porous media) under the condition of closed pore boundaries was investigated. A cancellous bone and two plate-like cortical bones obtained from a racehorse were prepared. A water-immersion ultrasound technique in the MHz range and a three-dimensional elastic finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method were used to investigate the waves. The experiments and simulations showed a clear separation of the incident longitudinal wave into fast and slow waves. The findings advance the evaluation of bones based on the two-wave phenomenon for in vivo assessment.     

Analytic general solutions of nonlinear difference equations

There is no general existence theorem for solutions for nonlinear difference equations, so we must prove the existence of solutions in accordance with models one by one. In our work, we found theorems for the existence of analytic solutions of the following nonlinear second order difference equation,