Effect of polycondensation methods on molecular weight distribution of nylon 610

Polycondensation methods greatly influence the molecular weight distribution of poly(hexamethylene sebacamide) (nylon 610) as determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The ratio of weight average molecular weight to number average molecular weight (M_w/M_n) was used as a measure for estimating the molecular weight distribution. The M_w/M_n ratios of nylon 610 obtained from melt, solid phase, and high temperature polycondensation methods were 2 to 3.5, which were expected values for the most probable distribution. However, those for polymers obtained from the direct polycondensation in the presence of triphenylphosphine, interfacial polycondensation and low temperature polycondensation using an acid chloride varied over a wide range from 3.5 to 8.5. The effect of the kind of organic solvents in the interfacial method on the M_w/M_n ratios was especially large, and the molecular weight distribution could be controlled to some extent by selecting an appropriate solvent.     

Efficient routes to optically active azido-, amino-, di-azido- and di-amino-cyclitols with chiro- and allo-configuration from myo-inositol

Efficient routes to hitherto unknown 1d-2,5-di-azido-di-deoxy-allo-inositol, 1d-2,5-di-amino-di-deoxy-allo-inositol, 1l-1-azido-1-deoxy-chiro-inositol and 1l-1-amino-1-deoxy-chiro-inositol were developed by using cheaply available myo-inositol as the starting material. Preliminary investigations on the enzyme inhibitory properties were done. The methodology reported is amenable to gram scale synthesis and thus can find application in natural product synthesis.     

Simultaneous determination of hypoxanthine,inosine, inosine-5′-phosphate and adenosine-5′-phosphate with a multielectrode enzyme sensor

A multielectrode enzyme sensor for the simultaneous determination of adenosine-5′-phosphate (AMP), inosine-5′-phosphate (IMP), inosine (HXR) and hypoxanthine (HX)in fish meat was developed by assembling four enzyme sensors for AMP, IMP, HXR and HX in a flow cell. These compounds were determined from oxygen consumption according to the following reactions: AMP $\text{AD}$ IMP $\text{NT}$ HXR $\text{NP, PO}{}^{\mathrm{3?}}{}_4$ HX $\text{XO, O}{}_2$ Uric acid where AD is AMP deaminase, NT is 5′-nucleotidase, NP is nucleoside phosphorylase and XO is xanthine oxidase. Enzymes were covalently bound to a membrane prepared from cellulose triacetate, 1,8-diamino-4-aminomethyloctane and glutaraldehyde. Sensors for HX, HXR, IMP and AMP were prepared by attaching membranes of XO, XONP, XO NPNT, and of XONPNT and AD, respectively, to four oxygen electrodes. Samples extracted from sea bass, bream, flounder, abalone and arkshell were analyzed within 5 min, from the simultaneous response curves of the four electrodes. Results obtained by the multisensor system were in good agreement with those determined by each single electrode.     

Measurement of regional cerebral blood flow by 133Xe inhalation method in patients with ruptured aneurysm

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured in 20 patients with ruptured aneurysm. rCBF images are obtained by 133Xe inhalation method using a ring type gamma camera (SET-020, Shimazu Co.) with high sensitivity collimator. Examinations are performed at acute stage (1-7 days after onset) and at subacute stage (8-14 days after onset). In acute stage, rCBF in the affected cerebral hemisphere has tendency to be low in 12 patients with angiospasm after the aneurysmal rupture comparing to those in patients without angiospasm. Low rCBF areas in cerebral hemisphere at acute stage were apt to become normal in subacute stage. rCBF measurement by 133Xe inhalation method seemed to be an useful method to evaluate rCBF in patients with ruptured aneurysm.     

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.     

Ab initio MO Calculations of benzene + TCNE and naphthalene + TCNE complexes with STO-3G π-split basis set

Ab initio SCF MO calculations have been carried out on benzene + TCNE (tetracyanoethylene) and naphthalene + TCNE complexes with the STO -3G, STO -3G π-split (STO -3G for π orbitals and a split basis for π orbitals), and 4–31G basis sets. The interaction energy, gross charges, dipole moment, and the electron density in the middle plane of the complexes have also been evaluated. The STO -3G π-split basis set is appropriate for the calculation of large π–π stacking complexes from two points of view, production of reliable results and ease of computations. The approximation scheme based on the semiorthogonalized orgitals is revealed to be very efficient to save CPU time and storage in such calculations. The stable conformation and the charge-transfer interaction of the two complexes are discussed on the basis of the calculated quantities.     

Synthetic alpha-mannosyl ceramide as a potent stimulant for an NKT cell repertoire bearing the invariant Valpha19-Jalpha26 TCR alpha chain

A NKT cell repertoire is characterized by the expression of the Valpha19-Jalpha26 invariant TCR alpha chain (Valpha19 NKT cell). This repertoire, as well as a well-established Valpha14-Jalpha281 invariant TCR alpha(+) NKT cell subset (Valpha14 NKT cell), has been suggested to have important roles in the regulation of the immune system and, thus, is a major therapeutic target. Here, we attempted to find specific antigens for Valpha19 NKT cells. Valpha19 as well as Valpha14 NKT cells exhibited reactivity to alpha-galactosyl ceramide (alpha-GalCer). Thus, a series of monoglycosyl ceramides with an axially oriented glycosidic linkage between the sugar and ceramide moiety were synthesized and their antigenicity to Valpha19 NKT cells was determined by measuring their immune responses in culture with glycolipids. Comprehensive examinations revealed substantial antigenic activity for Valpha19 NKT cells by alpha-mannosyl ceramide.     

Carrier generation process on photoconductive polymer films as studied by magnetic field effects on the charge-transfer fluorescence and photocurrent

We have studied the magnetic field effects (MFEs) on the charge-transfer fluorescence and transient photocurrent of a 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene-doped poly(N-vinylcarbazole) film, which reflect the recombination and escape yields of the carriers, respectively. The recombination yield dependence of the external magnetic field (B) clearly shows two types of the MFEs, growth with increasing B due to the hyperfine mechanism (HFM) and a negative dip due to the level-crossing mechanism (LCM). On the other hand, the escape yield indicates complementary MFEs with a sharp decrease in yield with increasing B and then a positive dip. Simultaneous observation of the HFM- and LCM-MFEs proves the stepwise hole-hopping mechanism rather the long-range hole-jumping one. The quantitative analysis of the recombination and escape MFEs is performed using the stochastic Liouville equations (SLE) for a one-dimensional lattice model in which the stepwise hole hops take place between the nearest neighbor carbazole units with spin conservation. The SLE analysis provides the recombination and hole transfer rate constants of 7.0 x 10(7) and 4.5 x 10(8) s(-1), respectively. The boundary site number for the ion pairs in the one-dimensional model is estimated by the best fit to the experimental results. The interionic distance of the boundary ion pair in the one-dimensional model including eight sites agrees with the thermalization distance in the Onsager model. Hence, it is concluded that the elementary processes in the Onsager model applied to molecular amorphous solids are the stepwise hole hops rather than a long-range hole jump.     

Structural studies of the carbon monoxide complex of [NiFe]hydrogenase from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Miyazaki F: suggestion for the initial activation site for dihydrogen

The carbon monoxide complex of [NiFe]hydrogenase from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Miyazaki F has been characterized by X-ray crystallography and absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopy. Nine crystal structures of the [NiFe]hydrogenase in the CO-bound and CO-liberated forms were determined at 1.2-1.4 A resolution. The exogenously added CO was assigned to be bound to the Ni atom at the Ni-Fe active site. The CO was not replaced with H(2) in the dark at 100 K, but was liberated by illumination with a strong white light. The Ni-C distances and Ni-C-O angles were about 1.77 A and 160 degrees, respectively, except for one case (1.72 A and 135 degrees ), in which an additional electron density peak between the CO and Sgamma(Cys546) was recognized. Distinct changes were observed in the electron density distribution of the Ni and Sgamma(Cys546) atoms between the CO-bound and CO-liberated structures for all the crystals tested. The novel structural features found near the Ni and Sgamma(Cys546) atoms suggest that these two atoms at the Ni-Fe active site play a role during the initial H(2)-binding process. Anaerobic addition of CO to dithionite-reduced [NiFe]hydrogenase led to a new absorption band at about 470 nm ( approximately 3000 M(-1)cm(-1)). Resonance Raman spectra (excitation at 476.5 nm) of the CO complex revealed CO-isotope-sensitive bands at 375/393 and 430 cm(-1) (368 and 413 cm(-1) for (13)C(18)O). The frequencies and relative intensities of the CO-related Raman bands indicated that the exogenous CO is bound to the Ni atom with a bent Ni-C-O structure in solution, in agreement with the refined structure determined by X-ray crystallography.