Altered protein synthesis in rat kidney cells exposed to semiconductor materials

It is thought that the extensive industrial use of arsenic, gallium and indium, which have applications as the materials for III–V semiconductors, will increase human exposure to these compounds in the near future. We have undertaken the development of new biological indicators for assessing exposure to these elements. Element-specific alterations in protein synthesis patterns were expected to occur following exposure to arsenic compounds. We examined alterations in protein synthesis in primary cultures of rat kidney proximal tubule epithelial cells by sodium arsenite, gallium chloride and indium chloride, utilizing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. After incubation with the chemicals for 20 h, newly synthesized proteins were labeled with [³⁵S]methionine. A protein with a molecular weight (M_r) of 30 000 was markedly induced on exposure to 10 μM arsenite or 300 μM gallium chloride, and synthesis of proteins with M_r values of 85 000, 71 000, 65 000, 51 000, 38 000 and 28 000 were also increased by exposure to arsenite and gallium chloride. No significant changes were observed upon exposure to indium. Some of these increased proteins could be heat-shock proteins.     

Synthesis of poly-yne polymers containing transition metals,disilane, disiloxane and phosphine groups in the main chain

The synthesis and characterization of metal poly-yne polymers containing disilane, disiloxane and phosphine groups in the main chain are described. The platinum and palladium poly-yne polymers were synthesized by polycondensation reactions between a metal chloride and an α, ω-bisethynyl complex in amines in the presence of cuprous iodide as a catalyst. The nickel poly-yne polymers were synthesized by an alkynyl ligand exchange reaction between a nickel acetylide and an α, ω-bisethynyl complex in diethylamine in the presence of cuprous iodide as a catalyst. The reaction of the platinum poly-yne polymer, containing disiloxane groups in the main chain, with copper (I) salts afforded adducts of η-²-bonded σ-acetylide polymer complexes. The reactions of the palladium poly-yne polymer, containing phosphine groups in the main chain, with transition-metal carbonyl complexes afforded polymer complexes which have phosphorus in the main chain-transition-metal bonds. A concentrated solution of the platinum poly-yne polymer containing disiloxane groups in the main chain forms a lyotropic liquid crystal in dichloromethane or 1, 2-dichloroethane.     

Size distribution of fractured areas in one-dimensional systems

We study a one-dimensional model for fracture, identifying fractured areas with intervals on which a stress field exceeds a threshold value. When is a diffusion process, the cumulative numberN(l) of fractured areas whose length is greater thanl obeys a power lawCl ^–p asl0 with probability one. The exponentp and the constantC are determined. The exponentp agrees with the Hausdorff dimension of the end points of fractured areas, i.e., ^–1(). Even if is self-similar with parameterH>0, i.e.,(cx)– is equivalent toc ^H {(x)–} for anyc>0, the exponentp does not depend solely onH;p=H, where(0, 1/H) is another parameter characterizing. Non-diffusion processes are given whereN(l) does not follow a power law.     

Evaluation of Photocatalytic Activity of Transparent Anatase Nanocrystals-Dispersed Silica Films Prepared by the Sol-Gel Process with Hot Water Treatment

Anatase nanocrystals were precipitated mainly at the surface of the silica-titania gel films with hot water treatment, whereas the addition of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) in the films led to the dispersion of anatase nanocrystals in the whole of the films after the treatment. Both films with and without PEG showed high photocatalytic activities for acetaldehyde, NO _x and stearic acid in the gas-solid system, and for methylene blue and potassium iodide in the liquid-solid system. The addition of PEG improved the photocatalytic activities of the resultant films due to the smaller anatase crystallites and the porous film structure. The residual silica under-layer of the superficially anatase-precipitated films is expected to act as a protective one for an organic polymer substrate against the photocatalytic degradation.     

Photopolymerization of cyclohexene oxide by use of o-nitrobenzyl triphenylsilyl ether/aluminum compound catalyst. Dependence of catalyst activity on the structure of the silyl ether

o-Nitrobenzyl triphenylsilyl ehther/aluminum compound has been previously shown by the authors to act as catalyst in the photopolymerization of epoxides. The dependence of the structure of the silyl ether on the catalyst activity was examined. There were two steps in the photopolymerization. The first step (“Step 1”) is photodecomposition of the silyl ether to silanol. The second step (“Step 2”) is the initiation of polymerization by silanol and the aluminum compound. The introduction of an electron withdrawing group, Cl, CF₃, on the benzene ring bonded to Si made the quantum yield of Step 1 low, however, the rate of Step 2 was increased. The low quantum yield of Step 1 was explained in terms of the rate of electron transfer that is controlled by the relative electron density between the CH₂ and NO₂ in the o-nitrobenzyl group. The acceleration of Step 2 was explained in terms of an increase in silanol acidity that was promoted by the introduction of an electron withdrawing group. The overall rate of the photopolymerizatiol depends to a greater degree on the rate of Step 2 than on that of Step 1.     

A racemization test in peptide synthesis using 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium chloride (DMT-MM)

Racemization of the C-terminal amino acid (Ala) has been studied in various solvents during coupling between 4-methoxybenzyloxycarbonyl (Z(OMe))-Gly-L-Ala-OH and phenylalanine benzyl ester (H-Phe-OBzl) with 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-thiazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium chloride (DMT-MM). The reaction occurred without substantial racemization in AcOEt, tetrahydrofuran (THF), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), CH3CN, and 2-PrOH, while a slight racemization was observed in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), EtOH, and MeOH. The extent of racemization may correlate with the polarity of the solvents.     

Preparation and separation of all possible rotamers of a stereochemical analog of meso-tartaric acid: optically inactive and optically active isomers of (R,S)-2,2′-bis(methoxycarbonyl)-6,6′-dimethyl-9,9′-bitriptycyl

All the three possible rotamers of the title compound were separated by chromatography, and unambiguously identified by NMR and X-ray analysis. One of the isomers was optically inactive C_i conformation. The other optical active forms were resolved to give a pair of enantiomers, which were characterized by optical rotation and CD spectra. Thus the optical inactivity of a compound such as meso-tartaric acid that can take C_i conformation in solution, is now ascribed to that the molecule has an optically inactive C_i conformer and equal amounts of optically active conformers, that are enantiomers, in solution.     

Mononuclear oxovanadium complexes of tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine

Mononuclear oxovanadium(IV) and dioxovanadium(V) complexes of tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (tpa) have been prepared for the first time. Crystal structure determinations of three oxovanadium(IV) complexes, [VO(SO4)(tpa)], [VOCl(tpa)]PF6, or [VOBr(tpa)]PF6, and a dioxovanadium(v) complex [V(O)2(tpa)]PF6 disclosed that the tertiary nitrogen of the tpa ligand always occupies the trans-to-oxo site. The structures of an oxo-peroxo complex [VO(O2)(tpa)]Cl that was prepared previously and of a mu-oxo vanadium(III) complex [{VCl(tpa)}2(mu-O)](PF6)2 have also been determined. The tertiary nitrogen is located at a trans site to the peroxo and chloride ligands, respectively. The total sums of the four V-N bond lengths from the tpa ligand are remarkably similar among the six complexes, indicating that the vanadium oxidation states become less influential in tpa bonding due primarily to the coordination of electron-donating oxo ligand(s). Absorption spectra of [VOCl(tpa)]+ in acetonitrile showed a significant change upon addition of p-toluenesulfonic acid and HClO4, but not on addition of benzoic acid. Protonation at the oxo ligand by the former two acids is suggested. Cyclic voltammetric studies in acetonitrile verified the proton-coupled redox behavior of the V(III)/V(IV) process involving the oxo ligand for the first time. From the dependence of the added p-toluenesulfonic acid to the CV, redox potentials for the following species have been estimated: [V(IV)OCl(tpa)]+/[V(III)OCl(tpa)](E1/2=-1.59 V vs. Fc+/Fc), [V(IV)(OH)Cl(tpa)]2+/[V(III)(OH)Cl(tpa)]+(Epc=-1.34 V), [V(IV)(OH2)Cl(tpa)]3+/[V(III)(OH2)Cl(tpa)]2+(Epa=-0.49 V), and [V(IV)Cl2(tpa)]2+/[V(III)Cl2(tpa)]+(E1/2=-0.89 V). The reduction of [V(V)(O)2(tpa)]+ in 0.05 M [(n-Bu)4N]PF6 acetonitrile showed a major irreversible reduction wave V(V)/(IV) at -1.48 V. The metal reduction potentials of the oxovanadium(IV) and dioxovanadium(V) species are very close, reinforcing the significant influence of the oxo ligand(s).     

Prediction of measurement precision of apparatus using a chemometric tool in electrochemical detection of high-performance liquid chromatography

The relative standard deviation (RSD) of measurements in high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) was predicted by a chemometric tool based on the 1/f fluctuation model which is made up of white noise and a Markov process, called the Function of Mutual Information (FUMI) theory. FUMI theory can provide aprecise and reliable detection limit from a single measurement of noise and signal in HPLC-ECD. To obtain RSD (n = 5) for determination of (-)-epicatechin at five concentrations required 12.5 h, while the predicted RSD by FUMI theory required only 0.5 h (one measurement). Moreover, to trace the source of instrumental noise, power spectra of chromatographic baseline were used. Selection of a suitable apparatus in HPLC-ECD system, acquisition of RSD, and detection limits for determination of catechins by HPLC-ECD were simply and easily made by this chemometric tool within a very short time. The use of the FUMI theory for the prediction of measuring precision was more efficient and the optimization was less time-consuming to be suited for determination.     

Optimization of HPLC-ECD conditions for determination of catechins with precision and efficiency based on the FUMI theory.

A chemometric tool based on the Function of Mutual Information (FUMI) theory can provide a relative standard deviation (RSD) without repetitive measurements in high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD). Two parameters: precision (= information content) phi and efficiency (= information content/time) theta, which were calculated from predicted RSD based on the FUMI theory, were used to optimize HPLC-ECD conditions, such as applied potential, flow rate, column length, and size of ODS porous packing. We selected catechins as analytes, and found that the most optimum applied potential and flow rate were +600 mV vs. SCE and 0.9 mL/min, respectively, because they gave the largest phi and theta values. Buffer concentration in mobile phase is less effective for giving large phi and theta values. Since the FUMI theory makes it possible to predict RSD without repetitive measurements, the present method saves considerable amounts of chemicals and experimental time, and was found to be useful for the optimization of experimental conditions for determination by HPLC-ECD.