Photocyclization reactions. Part 3 . Synthesis of naphtho[1,8-bc]-furans and Cyclohepta[cd]benzofurans using photocyclization of 8-alkoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthalenones and 4-alkoxy-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-benzocyclohepten-5-ones

Photocyclization reactions were carried out on 8-alkoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthalenones (six-membered ring ketones) 4a-g and 4-alkoxy-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-benzocyclohepten-5-ones (seven-membered ring ketones) 5a -e in acetonitrile. Irradiation of 4a-f gave rearranged naphthyl alcohols 8a-f as major products. In the case of 4g , 2a,3,4,5-tetrahydronaphtho[1,8-bc]furan-2a-ol 6g was obtained. In contrast, irradiation of 5a-e afforded 2,2a,3,4,5,6-hexahydrocyclohepta[cd]benzofuran-2a-ols 9a-e in good yields. The difference in reactivities between 4a-g and 5a-e is attributed to the conformation of six- and seven-membered rings. Conformational and substituent effects in cyclization step of 1,5-biradicals are discussed along with reaction pathways.     

Selective isolation of N-terminal peptides from proteins and their de novo sequencing by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry without regard to unblocking or blocking of N-terminal amino acids

We have developed a new method to determine the N-terminal amino acid sequences of proteins, regardless of whether their N-termini are modified. This method consists of the following five steps: (1) reduction, S-alkylation and guanidination for targeted proteins; (2) coupling of sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin to N(alpha)-amino groups of proteins; (3) digestion of the modified proteins by an appropriate protease followed by oxidation with performic acid; (4) specific isolation of N-terminal peptides from digests using DITC resins; (5) de novo sequence analysis of the N-terminal peptides by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) using the CAF (chemically assisted fragmentation) method or tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) analysis according to unblocked or blocked peptides, respectively. By employing DITC resins instead of avidin resins used in our previous method (Yamaguchi et al., Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 2007; 21: 3329), it has been possible to isolate selectively N-terminal peptides from proteins regardless of modification of N-terminal amino acids. Here we propose a universal method for N-terminal sequence analysis of proteins.     

pH-dependent self-assembly of copper(II) complexes with a new imidazole-containing polyamine ligand: Synthesis,structure and magnetic property

Four copper(II) complexes were synthesized by reactions of new imidazole-containing polyamine ligand N¹-(2-aminoethyl)-N¹-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-ethane-1,2-diamine (HL) with Cu(ClO₄)₂ · 6H₂O under different pH and their structures were characterized by X-ray crystallography. Interestingly, the complexes have diverse structures from protonated ligand [H₃(HL)][CuCl₄] · Cl (1), dinuclear [Cu₂(HL)₂Cl](ClO₄)₃ · H₂O (2), one-dimensional chain polynuclear {[Cu(L)](ClO₄)}_n (3) to cyclic-tetranuclear [Cu₄(L)₄](ClO₄)₄ · 3CH₃CN (4) coordination compounds by varying reaction pH from acidic to basic. The results indicate that the reaction pH has great impact on the formation and structure of the complexes. The magnetic measurements show that there are antiferromagnetic interactions between the Cu(II) centers with g = 2.09, J = −39.0 cm⁻¹ and g = 2.17, J = −36.8 cm⁻¹ for 3 and 4, respectively.     

Strong inclusion of inorganic anions into β-cyclodextrin immobilized to gold electrode

The inclusion of inorganic anions such as SO(4)(2-), NO(3)(-), and HPO(4)(2-) into the cavity of β-cyclodextrin monolayers on Au was examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and chronocoulometric measurements of the competitive inclusion with ferrocene. The inclusion amounts of ferrocence in 0.2 M Na(2)SO(4), NaNO(3), and Na(2)HPO(4) solutions were less than 6% of the adsorption amount of β-cyclodextrin on Au, resulting in the apparent inhibition of the ferrocene redox reaction. The surface association constants of these anions reached about 10 on a logarithmic scale and were much higher than those for the inclusion of common organic guest compounds. A stronger anion inclusion was also demonstrated by the QCM response corresponding to the replacement of a preincluded organic guest with sulfate upon the injection of the sulfate solution. Quantitative analysis of the XPS data suggested a 1:1 association for each of these anions per surface β-cyclodextrin. There was no detectable inclusion for ClO(4)(-), Cl(-), and Br(-).     

Size-dependent carrier dynamics in CdS nanoparticles by femtosecond visible-pump/IR-probe measurements

Ultrafast photoexcited carrier dynamics in CdS nanoparticles prepared by an AOT/n-heptane reversed micelle system were investigated by a femtosecond visible-pump/mid-IR probe technique. A mid-IR probe beam was found to mainly probe the ultrafast dynamics of photoexcited electrons in the conduction band. Dispersions of CdS nanoparticles with 8 different mean diameters from 2.9 to 4.1 nm were prepared by tuning the mole ratio between water and AOT (W = [H(2)O]/[AOT]) in the reversed micelle systems. The excited state lifetime strongly depended on the mean size of CdS nanoparticles with a maximum around a mean diameter of 3.5 nm. This result was explained by considering the balance between the carrier recombination rates via surface states and those via interior states. The relationship between the excited state lifetime and the size of CdS nanoparticles was drastically changed when the surface was terminated by thiol molecules.     

Dynamic and 2D NMR studies on hydrogen-bonding aggregates of cholesterol in low-polarity organic solvents

Self-diffusion coefficients (D) are measured for normal (nondeuterated) and deuterated cholesterol-d(6) (C26 and C27 methyl groups deuterated) in 1-octanol, chloroform, and cyclohexane at concentrations of 1-700 mM by varying the impurity water concentration (>2 mM) and temperature (30-50 degrees C). The pulsed field gradient spin-echo (PGSE) (1)H and (2)H NMR were used, respectively, at 600 and 92 MHz. At 30 degrees C, the hydrodynamic radius (R) obtained at 20 mM from the D value and solvent viscosity is 5.09, 7.07, and 6.17 A, respectively, in 1-octanol, chloroform, and cyclohexane when the impurity water is negligible. The R value in 1-octanol is the smallest and comparable with the average length of the molecular axes for the cholesterol molecule. In 1-octanol, R is invariant against the concentration variation, whereas in chloroform, R is larger and increases almost linearly with cholesterol concentration. At the highest concentration, 700 mM, the R in chloroform is 13.5 and 16.7 A, respectively, when the impurity water is at negligible and saturated concentrations. The R value larger than that in hydrogen-bonding 1-octanol indicates that cholesterol forms an aggregate through hydrogen bonding. The aggregate structure is confirmed by comparing NOESY spectra in chloroform and 1-octanol. The NOESY analysis reveals the presence of one extra cross peak (C4-C19) in chloroform compared to 1-octanol. Because the carbon atoms related to the cross peak are close to the hydroxyl group (C3-OH), cholesterol molecules are considered to be not piled but are found to be OH-centered in the aggregate. This is supported also by larger rotational hydrodynamic radii measured on cholesterol deuterated at positions C2, C3, C4, and C6. This shows that the aggregate formation is driven by the hydrogen-bonding between cholesterol molecules.     

Computer-controlled elastic-plastic fatigue crack growth testing using multi-task programming

Experimental Techniques - The automated test system for computer-controlled low-cycle fatigue crack growth can be achieved using multi-task programming. The results of constant ΔJ test show...     

Phase type approximation for optimal auto-sleep scheduling

This paper addresses the problem of how to determine optimal sleep timing when the computer user should turn the hard disk or the display off in order to save electric power after the computer has not been used. We propose a stochastic model to obtain an optimal sleep timing strategy which minimizes the expected power consumed per unit time in the steady state, where access requirements of the system occur in a renewal process and processing is described by a general service time. Phase type approximation is proposed to represent the expected power consumed per unit time. We investigate the performance of this approximation through a simulation study, and design an optimal auto-sleep schedule for a computer workstation system using real data.     

Local State and Sector Theory in Local Quantum Physics

We define a new concept of local states in the framework of algebraic quantum field theory (AQFT). Local states are a natural generalization of states and give a clear vision of localization in the context of QFT. In terms of them, we can find a condition from which follows automatically the famous DHR selection criterion in DHR-DR theory. As a result, we can understand the condition as consequences of physically natural state preparations in vacuum backgrounds. Furthermore, a theory of orthogonal decomposition of completely positive (CP) maps is developed. It unifies a theory of orthogonal decomposition of states and order structure theory of CP maps. Using it, localized version of sectors is formulated, which gives sector theory for local states with respect to general reference representations.     

Radiation-induced polymerization at high dose rate. IV. Chloroprene in bulk

Bulk polymerization of chloroprene was studied at 25°C in a wide does rate range. Variations of the rate of polymerization (R_p) and molecular weight as a function of does rate were essentially the same as those in several monomers that are capab;e of radical and cationic polymerizations. The polymerization proceeds with radical mechanism at low dose rate ans with radical and cationic mechanism concurrently at high dose rate. The number-average molecular weight of the high-dose-rate was ca. 2400. Microstructure of the polymers was mainly of trans-1,4 unit with small fraction of cis-1,4 and 3,4-vinyl unit. Fractions of the vinyl unit and the inverted unit in trans-1,4 sequence which increased at high does rate inflected the change of dominant mechanism of polymerization.