Achievement of a 920-MHz high resolution NMR

We have developed a 920-MHz NMR system and performed the proton NMR measurement of H(2)O and ethylbenzene using the superconducting magnet operating at 21.6 T (920 MHz for proton), which is the highest field produced by a superconducting NMR magnet in the persistent mode. From the NMR measurements, it is verified that both homogeneity and stability of the magnet have a specification sufficient for a high resolution NMR.     

Podophyllotoxin aza-analogue, a novel DNA topoisomerase II inhibitor

The pendant E-ring moiety of the podophyllotoxin aza-analogue 1 that is a potent inhibitor of microtubule assembly was modified in order to acquire inhibitory activity of DNA topoisomerase II. The monophenolic analogue 2 did not exhibit human topoisomerase II inhibition, while the ortho-quinone 3 that was obtained by oxidation of 2 inhibited its catalytic activity (decatenation) in a dose-dependent manner and stimulated double strand DNA breaks in supercoiled circular plasmid DNA, resulting in the production of linear DNA. These results showed that the topoisomerase II inhibition of the ortho-quinone 3 is due to stabilization of the topoisomerase II-DNA covalent binary complex. On the other hand, the ortho-quinone 3 did not inhibit the relaxation process of supercoiled DNA by topoisomerase I at concentrations up to 400 microM, nor was intercalation observed in unwinding measurements of 3. Therefore, the ortho-quinone 3 was shown to be a novel nonintercalative topoisomerase II specific inhibitor that stabilizes the cleavable complex. The present results suggest that the 4'-free hydroxyl group on the E-ring and the sugar moiety on the C-ring are not a prerequisite for topoisomerase II inhibition by podophyllotoxin derivatives.     

Hochtemperaturphosphidierung von Eisen-Nickellegierungen mittels Phosphordampf

High Temperature Phosphidation of Iron-Nickel Alloys by Phosphorus Vapor A study was undertaken concerning the products and kinetics in the phosphidation of iron-nickel alloys with various ratios of metallic constituents at 700° in phosphorus vapor at 1 atm by a sealed-tube method. X-ray diffraction patterns and an electron microprobe analysis of the products showed that the phosphide-layer structure reaches the expression of NiP₂ ～ Ni₆P₅/Ni₂P, Fe₂P/(Fe? Ni alloy). The phosphidations proceeded according to a parabolic rate law for all the compositions of the alloy. A marker experiment indicated that the diffusing species was not phosphorus but metals. The rate constant decreased with an increase in the content of iron in the alloy.     

Avenic acid,a new amino acid possessing an iron chelating activity

A new amino acid derivative possessing an iron chelating activity was isolated from root washings of water cultured $\text{Avena sativa}$ under iron deficient conditions. The structure of this compound, avenic acid A has been determined as 2(S),3′(S),3″(S)-N-[3-(3-hydroxy-3-carboxypropylamino)-3-carboxypropyl]-homoserine (1) on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence.     

Electrical and optical properties of chalcogenide amorphous semiconductors modified with Ni

The electrical and optical properties of the chalcogenide semiconductor (Se₃₂Te₃₂As₄Ge₃₂)_100?xNixitx have been studied. As the Ni concentration is increased the electrical dc conductivity is drastically increased and variable range hopping conduction becomes dominant even above room temperature. The optical energy gap decreases with the Ni concentration from 1.18–0.95 eV. Ni-atoms in the chalcogenide semiconductor donate free electrons which occupy the gap state. This occupation causes the shift of the Fermi level toward the conduction band. It is an effect of this shift that the thermal activation energy is decreased. The decrease in optical energy gap is independent of the shift of the Fermi level and is ascribable to the appearance of the additional level located at 0.95 eV above the top of the valence band. This level originates from the 3d-level of the Ni-atom.     

Spatial study on a multibubble system for sonochemistry by laser-light scattering

Volumetric oscillation of multiple cavitation bubbles in an ultrasonic standing-wave field is investigated spatially through the intensity measurements of scattered light from bubbles changing the measuring position in the direction of sound propagation. When a thin light sheet finer than half of wavelength of sound is introduced into the cavitation bubbles, at an antinode of sound pressure the scattered light intensity oscillates. The peak-to-peak light intensity corresponds to the number of the bubbles which contribute to the sonochemical reaction because the radius for oscillating bubbles at pressure antinodes is restrictive in a certain range due to the shape instability and the action of Bjerknes force that expels from the antinode bubbles that are larger than the resonant size. The experimental results show that the intensity waveform of oscillating scattered light measured at the side near the sound source is similar to the waveform as seen in a single-bubble experiment. The peak-to-peak light intensity for the scattered light waveform is low at the side near the sound source where the progressive wave is dominant, while at the side near the water surface far from the sound source the intensity is relatively high and has periodic structure corresponding to the periodicity of half wavelength from the standing wave. These tendencies of high intensity near the water surface and the periodicity correspond to the periodic luminescent stripes seen in images of luminescence in an ultrasonic standing wave as reported by Hatanaka et al. [Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 39 (2000) 2962]. The present method of light scattering is promising for evaluating spatial distribution of violently oscillating cavitation bubbles which effect sonochemical reactions.     

Possible one-dimensional 3He quantum fluid formed in nanopores

Heat capacity measurements have been made down to 5 mK for 3He fluid films adsorbed in one-dimensional (1D) nanometer-scale pores, 28 A in diameter, preplated with 4He of 1.47 atomic layers. At low 3He density, the heat capacity shows a density-dependent, Schottky-like peak near 150 mK asymptoting to the value corresponding to a 2D Boltzmann gas at high temperatures. The peak behavior is attributed to the crossover from a 2D gas to a 1D state at low temperatures. The degenerate state of the 1D 3He fluid is indicated by a predominantly linear temperature dependence below about 30 mK.