A survey of ochratoxin A and aflatoxins in domestic and imported beers in Japan by immunoaffinity and liquid chromatography.

Analyses of ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxins (AFs) in 94 imported beer samples from 31 producing countries and in 22 Japanese beer samples were performed by immunoaffinity column and reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) with fluorescence detection. Recoveries of OTA from beer samples spiked at 25 and 250 pg/mL were 86.1 and 88.2%, respectively. Recoveries of AFs were 98.4 and 98.9%, 95.4 and 95.5%, 101.2 and 97.8%, and 98.9 and 96.0%, respectively, from beer samples spiked at 4.1 and 41 pg AF B1, 4.45 and 44.5 pg AF B2, 4.7 and 47 pg AF G1, and 4.65 and 46.5 pg AF G2/mL. Detection limits were 1.0 pg/mL for OTA, 0.5 pg/mL for AFs B1 and B2, and 1.0 pg/mL for AFs G1 and G2. OTA was detected in 86 (91.5%) of 94 imported beer samples at a mean level of 10.1 pg/mL and in 21 (95.5%) of 22 Japanese beer samples at a mean level of 12.5 pg/mL. AF B1 was detected in 11 of 94 imported beer samples at a level of 0.5-83.1 pg/mL and in 2 of 22 Japanese beer samples at 0.5 and 0.8 pg/mL. Except for one beer sample from Peru, the samples contaminated with AFs were also contaminated with OTA. Although OTA was detected in most samples from various countries, AFs were detected in the beer samples from only a limited number of countries where AF contamination might be expected to occur because of their warm climate.     

Copper(I) tert-butoxide-promoted stereospecific alkylation of β-hydroxymethylvinylsilanes with alkyl halides

Stereospecific alkylation of (Z)-β-hydroxymethylvinylsilanes proceeded by treatment with copper(I) tert-butoxide and alkyl halides. Tri- and tetra-substituted allylic alcohols were obtained with complete retention of configuration.     

Spectrophotometric assay of superoxide anion formed in Maillard reaction based on highly water-soluble tetrazolium salt.

A novel highly water-soluble tetrazolium salt, WST-1 (4-[3-(4-iodophenyl)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)-2H-5-tetrazolio]-1,3-benzene disulfonate sodium salt), can be reduced to water-soluble formazan with a superoxide anion. Here, the WST-1 assay was applied to detect the superoxide anion generated during the Maillard reaction. A sample solution containing carbonyl compounds such as glyceraldehyde and glycolaldehyde (5 mM) and Na-acetyl-L-lysine (10 mM) was incubated for 2 days at 37 degrees C. The detection of a superoxide anion generated in the sample was performed by the WST-1 assay, and the result was compared with the cytochrome c assay. The reduction of WST-1 was almost perfectly (86-96%) inhibited by the addition of the superoxide dismutase (SOD). On the contrary, the reduction of cytochrome c was slightly (20-25%) inhibited by the addition of SOD. A similar result was observed for the addition of 4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzene disulfonic acid (Tiron). These results mean that the specificity of WST-1 to the superoxide anion was superior to that of cytochrome c. It was also possible to continuously monitor superoxide anion generation during the Maillard reaction by the coexistence of WST-1 in the reaction solution.     

Regio- and stereoselective synthesis of 1,4-dienes

Titanocene(II)-promoted cross-coupling between (Z)-alkenyl methyl sulfones and terminal allenes produced 1,4-dienes regioselectively via the formation of 2-alkylidenetitanacyclopentanes. Preferential formation of E,Z-dienes was observed in the reaction using aryl-, amino-, and phosphinylallenes.     

Terahertz tomography of a photo-induced carrier based on pump-probe spectroscopy using counterpropagation geometry

A novel technique for the terahertz (THz) tomography of a photo-induced carrier that is based on optical-pump THz-probe time-resolved reflection spectroscopy using counterpropagation geometry of the pump and probe pulses has been proposed. Transient reflection due to the photo-induced carrier provides information about the physical properties and spatial distribution separately. We have experimentally demonstrated this method using a silicon wafer. The obtained complex reflection can be reproduced by the exact solution of Maxwell's equations, assuming an exponential distribution of the photo-induced carrier density.     

Photoelectron imaging on time-dependent molecular alignment created by a femtosecond laser pulse

Rotational wave packet revivals on an excited electronic state have been measured by femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron imaging for the first time. The first full revival at 82 ps of S1 (n,pi*) pyrazine was clearly observed in the time dependencies of the photoelectron intensity and the photoelectron angular distribution (PAD). The PAD, measured for laser aligned pyrazine, clearly reflects the different characters of pi* and 3s molecular orbitals.     

Titanocene(II)-promoted, one-pot, three-component coupling of thioacetals, alkynyl sulfones, and carbonyl compounds: highly stereoselective formation of tert-homopropargyl alcohols

Titanocene alkylidene complexes, generated by desulfurizative titanation of thioacetals with Cp2Ti[P(OEt)3]2, reacted with alkynyl methyl sulfones to produce organotitanium species, which gave tert-homopropargyl alcohols with high diastereoselectivity on treatment with aromatic and alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones.     

Generation of acidity of silica monolayer by network of SI-O-SI on alumina

Structures of materials deposited from various Si alkoxides on alumina were determined based on gravimetry, product analysis and coverage measurement. The activity for double-bond isomerization of l-butene was observed over the silica monolayer with a network of siloxanes (Si-O-Si) deposited from Si(OCH₃)₄ at 493 and 593 K. However, the isolated silica species deposited from Si(OCH₃)₄ at low temperatures (≤ 423 K) and those deposited from Si(OCH₃)_n(CH₃)_4-n (n ≥ 3) showed almost no activity. Based on these findings, the species — Al-O-SiOH in the network of Si-O-Si was suggested to be the Bronsted acid site.     

Vinyltitanium as an initiator for the polymerization of acetylene

The preparation of lustrous conducting polyacetylene films by the polymerization of acetylene with vinyltitanium species as initiators was studied. Organotitanium species were generated by the alkylation of titanium vinylcarbene complexes with tert‐butyl chloride. Solid‐state ¹³C NMR and IR analyses of the obtained polyacetylene indicated that polyacetylene with a trans configuration was produced. The use of titanocene(II) species Cp₂Ti[P(OEt)₃]₂ and titanium vinylcarbene complexes for the preparation of polyacetylene films was also studied. The morphology of the films and the mechanisms of polymerization are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2663–2669, 2002