Biomimetic oxidation of alcohols by coenzyme PQQ-trimethyl ester

Oxidation of alcohols to corresponding carbonyl compounds by coenzyme PQQ-trimethyl ester was performed in the presence of aluminum t-butoxide or aluminum chloride under anaerobic conditions. Reduced PQQTME (PQQTMEH₂) was obtained by acidification of an aluminum complex of reduced PQQTME which was isolated in the reaction.     

Recent progress of high-power negative ion beam development for fusion plasma heating

A negative-ion-based neutral beam injector (N-NBI) has been constructed for JT-60U. The N-NBI is designed to inject 500 keV, 10 MW neutral beams using two ion sources, each producing a 500 keV, 22 A D⁻ ion beam. In the preliminary experiment using one ion source, a D⁻ ion beam of 13.5 A has been successfully accelerated with an energy of 400 keV (5.4 MW) for 0.12 s at an operating pressure of 0.22 Pa. This is the highest D⁻ beam current and power in the world. Co-extracted electron current was effectively suppressed to the ratio of Ie/I_D⁻ < 1. The highest energy beam of 460 keV, 2.4 A, 0.44 s has also been obtained. To realize 1 MeV class NBI system for ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), demonstration of ampere class negative ion beam acceleration up to 1 MeV is an important mile stone. To achieve the mile stone, a prototype accelerator and a 1 MV, 1 A test facility called MeV Test Facility (MTF) were constructed. Up to now, an H⁻ ion beam was accelerated up to the energy of 805 keV with an acceleration drain current of 150 mA for 1 s in a five stage electrostatic multi-aperture accelerator.     

Stability and vibrational spectra of toroidal isomers of C 240

To study the thermodynamic and mechanical stability of toroidal isomers of C ₂₄₀, we use a semi-empirical tight-binding theory and calculate their electronic structure, cohesive energy and vibrational spectra within the harmonic approximation. From these, we deduce their free energy at temperatures up to 1500K. The results are also compared to the isomer with icosahedral symmetry. Finally, we discuss within this approach, their stability and abundance.     

A High Sensitivity Fluorescent Chemo-sensory System Based on β-Cyclodextrin Dimer Modified with Dansyl Moieties

-Cyclodextrin dimer linked with ethylenediamine at the upper rim of the cyclodextrin has been synthesized and then modified with two dansyl moieties inthe presence of N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The sensing ability and bindingproperty of the title compound were investigated for steroids and terpenoids. Thefluorescence intensity of this dimer was decreased when a host–guest complex was formed. The value I/I⁰, where I⁰ and I are fluorescence intensitiesin the absence and presence of a guest and I is I⁰- I, was used as a parameter of sensitivity. This host exhibited a much higher sensitivity and selective molecular recognition ability for bile acids such as ursodeoxycholic acid andchenodeoxycholic acid and terpenoids such as (-)-borneol than the dansyl-modifiedcyclodextrins reported previously including -cyclodextrin dimer. The behaviors of the appended moieties of the host during the formation of host–guest complexes were studied using induced circular dichroism (ICD) and fluorescence spectra. The ICD intensityof this dimer was decreased on accommodation of a guest and this spectral pattern of the title dimer was opposite to that of bis dansyl-modified -cyclodextrin monomer. Theguest-induced variations in the fluorescence and ICD intensities suggest that this dimer formed a 1 : 1 host–guest complex and the appended moieties act as a hydrophobic cap.     

N-linked oligosaccharide analysis of rat brain Thy-1 by liquid chromatography with graphitized carbon column/ion trap-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry in positive and negative ion modes

We have previously described the site-specific glycosylation analysis of rat brain Thy-1 by LC/multistage tandem mass spectrometry (MS(n)) using proteinase-digested Thy-1. In the present study, detailed structures of oligosaccharides released from Thy-1 were elucidated by mass spectrometric oligosaccharide profiling using LC/MS with a graphitized carbon column (GCC-LC/MS). First, using model oligosaccharides, we improved the oligosaccharide profiling by ion trap mass spectrometry (IT-MS) coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). Sequential scanning of a full MS(1) scan with FT-ICR-MS followed by data-dependent MS(n) with IT-MS in positive ion mode, and a subsequent full MS(1) scan with FT-ICR-MS followed by data-dependent MS(n) with IT-MS in negative ion mode enabled the monosaccharide composition analysis as well as profiling and sequencing of both neutral and acidic oligosaccharides in a single analysis. The improved oligosaccharide profiling was applied to elucidation of N-linked oligosaccharides from Thy-1 isolated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It was demonstrated that Thy-1 possesses a significant variety of N-linked oligosaccharides, including Lewis a/x, Lewis b/y, and disialylated structure as a partial structure. Our method could be applicable to analysis of a small abundance of glycoproteins, and could become a powerful tool for glycoproteomics.     

Significant enhancement of monooxygenase activity of oxygen carrier protein hemocyanin by urea

Oxygenation of a series of p-substituted phenols to the corresponding catechols (phenolase activity) by the (mu-eta2:eta2-peroxo)dicopper(II) species of Octopus hemocyanin has been directly examined for the first time by using a UV-vis spectroscopic method in a 0.5 M borate buffer solution containing 8 M urea under anaerobic conditions. Preliminary kinetic studies have indicated that the reaction involves an electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism as in the case of phenolase reaction of tyrosinase. The oxygenation of phenols by hemocyanin also proceeded catalytically when the reaction was carried out under aerobic conditions.     

Lembehsterols A and B,novel sulfated sterols inhibiting thymidine phosphorylase,from the marine sponge Petrosia strongylata

Lembehsterols A (1) and B (2), two novel sulfated sterols, were isolated from the marine sponge Petrosia strongylata. Both sterols showed inhibitory activity against thymidine phosphorylase, which is an enzyme related to angiogenesis in solid tumors. The structures of these sulfated sterols were established on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence.     

Thermal analysis graphite intercalation compounds with dichlorides of some d-elements: A.S. Skoropanov,G.S. Petrov,A.A. Vecher,Yu.N. Novikov and M.E. Vol'pin,Thermochim. Acta, 90 (1985) 339-342

Kinetic and thermodynamic aspects of the axial base dissociation of solid Co(salen) (X-py) complexes, X = H (1), 3-Me (2), 4-Me (3), 3,4-Me₂ (4), 3,5-Me₂ (5), 3-NH₂ (6), 3-Cl (7), 3-CN (8), 4-CN (9), have been investigated by means of TG-DSC and isothermal weight-loss measurements. These adducts endothermically dissociate the axial base giving rise to the oxygen-active Co(salen) complex. The axial base dissociation reactions fit the contracting disc equation and the kinetic compensation effect is observed for all the adducts excepting Adducts 4–6. For the remaining adducts the kinetic and thermodynamic stabilities of the Co-(X-py) bond are found to increase linearly with increasing Hammett's substitution constants of X except for Adducts 3 and 9. These results are discussed in terms of the σ and π interactions between cobalt(II) and substituted pyridine. Factors dominating the kinetic bond stability are briefly discussed.