A theoretical study of electronic excited states of photosynthetic reaction center in Rhodopseudomonas viridis

The electronic singlet vertical excited states of photosynthetic reaction center (PSRC) in Rhodopseudomonas (Rps.) viridis were investigated by ZINDO and INDO/S methods. The effects of the interactions of pigment-pigment and pigment-protein on the electronic excitations were examined. The calculation results showed that the interactions of pigment-pigment and pigment-protein play an important role in reasonably assigning the experimental absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectra of PSRC in Rps. virids. By comparing the theoretically computed excited states with the experimental absorption and CD spectra, satisfactory assignments of the experimental spectroscopic peaks were achieved.     

Formatation of pore structure in tape-cast alumina membranes – effects of binder content and firing temperature

Disc type ceramic aluminium oxide membrane has been prepared by tape casting technique. Thickness of this single layer membrane is in the range 200–300 μm. Porosity and pore size distribution have been determined by mercury porosimetry. Polymeric binder content of the green tape and the firing temperature are found to have strong influence on the average pore size, pore size distribution and overall porosity. Higher binder content promotes agglomeration of the ceramic particles, which on firing leads to wider pore size distribution and formation of closed pores. Pore coarsening is observed with increasing firing temperature.     

Ab Initio (GIAO) Calculations of Absolute Nuclear Shieldings for Representative Compounds Containing 1(2)H, 6(7)Li, 11B, 13C, 14(15)N, 17O, 19F, 29Si, 31P, 33S,and 35Cl Nuclei

Two kinds of ab initio calculations (B3LYP and HF) using the GIAO approach have been carried out for fifteen H, three Li, three B, eleven C, seven N, nine O, four F, three Si, four P, six S and five Cl containing derivatives. The calculated absolute nuclear shieldings have been compared with experimental absolute values (either measured or estimated from relative chemical shifts) when available or with relative chemical shifts (¹¹B, ³⁵Cl). The correlations range from good to excellent and only three compounds (PN, P₂H₂, SO₂) deviate significantly.     

ELECTROSPRAYING/ELECTROSPINNING OF POLY(γ-STEARYL-L-GLUTAMATE): FORMATION OF SURFACES WITH SUPERHYDROPHOBICITY

  Electrospraying/electrospinning of poly(γ-stearyl-L-glutamate) (PSLG) was investigated on a series solutions with different concentrations in chloroform. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR/ATR) were used to characterize the morphology and structure of the electrosprayed/electrospun polypeptide mats. It was found that electrospraying of PSLG with concentrations lower than 16 wt% afforded beads, while microfibers could be electrospun at the concentration of 22 wt%. The hydrophobicity of the electrosprayed/electrospun PSLG mats was investigated with static water contact angle (WCA) and tilt angle measurements. It was demonstrated that the superhydrophobic surfaces of PSLG with WCAs and tilt angles in the ranges of 150°-170° and 16.5°-4.2°, respectively, were obtained through electrospraying/electrospinning process.     

碳氟链与碳氢链表面活性剂在固液界面上的吸附

全氟辛酸及其钠盐和十二烷基硫酸钠在R972上的吸附等温线均为S型或LS型，指示固液界面吸附过程中有表面疏水缔合物生成．碳氟表面活性剂的饱和吸附量显著高于碳氢表面活性剂的饱和吸附量．加电解质于液相使各体系吸附量上升．对于碳氟表面活性剂，甚至引起吸附等温线类型变化．例如，不加电解质时全氟辛酸在R972上的吸附等温线为S型，而加入HCl（c＝0．05mol·dm－3）使吸附等混线变成LS型．全氟辛酸比全氟辛酸钠在R972上的吸附更强．几种表面活性剂在R972上的吸附均随温度升高而减少。应用两阶段吸附模型及通用吸附等温线公式可以很好地解释所得实验结果．     

Electrochemical synthesis of π-indenyl-π-(3)-1,2-dicarbollyliron(III)

Co-electrolysis of potassium 1,2-dicarbadodecahydroundecaborate and indene in 0.1N sodium bromide solution in dimethylsulfoxide using iron electrodes afforded -indenyl--(3)-1,2-dicarbollyliron(III).Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 764–765, April, 1993.     

Phase separation of poly(γ-benzyl L-glutamate) to liquid crystal and isotropic solution in various helicogenic solvents

Solvent effects on the phase separation of poly(-benzyl L-glutamate) to liquid crystal and isotropic solution have been observed in various helicogenic solvents. The temperature-composition phase diagrams have been determined for each solution. The critical concentrations, ₂ ^* , at which the phase separation occours have been compared in various solvents. In dimethylformamide in which the polymer is molecularly dispersed, the observed ₂ ^* value has agreed with that calculated by Flory's theory. In some solvents in which the polymer aggregates in a head-to-tail mode such as chloroform, the observed ₂ ^* values have been considerably small. It is assumed that the polymer aggregates behave as longer particles than the original particles. In dioxane in which the polymer aggregates highly both in a head-to-tail and a side-by-side modes, the ₂ ^* value has been a little larger than that in chloroform. In this case the relationship between the aggregation and the liquid crystal formation is so complicated that further investigation is necessary. In aromatic solvents such asm-cresol that dissolves the polymer almost molecularly, the ₂ ^* is smaller than that in dimethylformamide. Therefore, the intermolecular interactions between the phenyl groups in the side groups of the polymer and those in solvent molecules must be considered.The author is grateful to Mr. K. Sano and Mr. M. Watanabe for their observation of the liquid crystal formation.     

Solid-solute phase equilibria in aqueous solution. VI. Solubilities,complex formation,and ion-interaction parameters for the system Na+−Mg2+−ClO 4 − −CO2−H2O at 25°C

The stoichiometric solubility constant of eitelite (NaMg _0.5 CO ₃ +2H⁺ ⇄ Na⁺+0.5Mg ²⁺ +CO ₂ (g)+H ₂ O, log^*K _pso ^I =14.67±0.03 was determined at I=3 m (mol kg⁻¹) (NaClO ₄ ) and 25°C. The stability of magnesium (hydrogen-)carbonato complexes in this ionic medium was explicitely taken into account. Consequently, trace activity coefficients of free ionic species, calculated from the Pitzer model with ion-interaction parameters from the literature, were sufficient for an evaluation of the thermodynamic solubility constants and Gibbs energies of formation for eitelite (−1039.88±0.60), magnesite (−1033.60±0.40), hydromagnesite (−1174.30±0.50), nesquehonite (−1724.67±0.40), and brucite (−835.90±0.80 kJ-mol ⁻¹ ). The increasing solubilities of nesquehonite and eitelite at higher sodium carbonate molalities were explained by invoking a magnesium dicarbonato complex (Mg²⁺+2CO ₃ ²⁻ ⇄ Mg(CO₃) ₂ ²⁻ , log β_z = 3.90 ± 0.08). A set of ion-interaction parameters was obtained from solubility and dissociation constants for carbonic acid in 1 to 3.5 m NaClO ₄ media which reproduce these constants to 0.02 units in log K. The following Pitzer parameters are consistent with the previously studied formation of magnesium (hydrogen-)carbonato complexes in 3m NaClO ₄ . The model and Gibbs functions of solid phases derived here reproduce original solubility data (−log [H⁺], [Mg ²⁺ ] _tot ) measured in perchlorate medium within experimental uncertainty. Presented at the XXII International Conference on Solution Chemistry, July 14–19, 1991, Linz, Austria.     

Microwave-assisted efficient synthesis of spiro-fused heterocycles under solvent-free conditions

Spiro-fused heterocycles were synthesized in good to high yields by a pseudo four-component reaction of an aldehyde, urea and a cyclic β-diester or a β-diamide such as Meldrum’s acid or barbituric acid derivatives using microwave irradiation under solvent-free conditions.     

Lysophosphatidic acid induces astrocyte proliferation in hippocampus slices partially through activating extracellular signal-regulated kinases

The goal of the present study is to test the hypothesis that LPA induces proliferation of astrocytes in hippocampus in vivo via phosphorylation of ERK 1/2. We first characterized the expression of GFAP, a special marker fiber protein of astrocytes, in brain slices after direct injection of LPA into hippocampus by immunohistochemistry, and found that LPA induced a remarkable proliferation of astrocytes. Then double-lablled immunofluorescence was used to detect GFAP and phosphorylation ERK 1/2 (p-ERK 1/2), LPA induced an immediate (10 min) and transient (<30 min) phosphorylation of ERK 1/2, and sequence sustained activation of ERK 1/2 was observed, which last for at least 3 weeks after injection of LPA. Reactions are inhibited by U0126, a specific pharmacological mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitor. Laser confocal scanning was used to study spatial relationship of p-ERK and astrocytes. Amazingly, the early (<7 days) phosphorylation of ERK 1/2 is not expressed in astrocytes but in area where neurons and/or in other cell type(s) occupied, expression of p-ERK 1/2 in astrocytes is not detected until 14 days after LPA injection and lasts for at least 3 weeks. Taken together, these data suggest that LPA play an important role in proliferation of astrocytes through phosphorylation of ERK 1/2 in hippocampus. It provides further proof for the functions of LPA in CNS injury, and may contribute to clinical therapy for relative diseases.