Analysis of tetracycline antibiotics using HPLC with pulsed amperometric detection.

The analysis of tetracycline, oxytetracyline, chlortetracycline and doxycycline by high-performance liquid chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection using an anodized boron-doped diamond thin film (BDD) electrode is originally reported. The analyses were carried out using the mobile phase, phosphate buffer (0.01 M, pH 2.5)-acetonitrile (80:20; v/v), on a C18 column (250 x 4.6 mm i.d., 5 microm) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The optimal PAD waveform parameters at the anodized BDD were 1.5 V (versus Ag/AgCl) detection potential (E(det)) for 290 ms (200 ms delay time and 90 ms integration time), 2.0 V (versus Ag/AgCl) oxidation potential (E(oxd)) for 200 ms oxidation time (t(oxd)) and 0.4 V (versus Ag/AgCI) reduction potential (E(red)) for 200 ms reduction time (t(red)). The proposed method showed the simultaneous determination of tetracycline, oxytetracyline, chlortetracycline and doxycycline with a linear range of 0.1 - 100 microg/mL, detection limits of 0.05 - 0.1 microg/mL and recoveries of 70.8 - 96.0%. The application of this method to real samples was demonstrated and validated using a shrimp sample.     

Lightness Change as Perceived in Relation to the Size of Recognized Visual Space of Illumination

According to the concept of the recognized visual space of illumination (RVSI) the lightness of an object surface is perceived in relation to its conceptualized size. To prove this proposition the lightness of gray test patches was judged when they were located at various positions inside an illuminated space composed of two rooms in the depth direction from a subject. No retinal image arrangement was changed in the test patch and its immediate surroundings, but the front room had walls, floors and furniture lower in lightness by the amount of N1.5 than the back room to make the RVSI of the former smaller despite the illuminance in the entire space being the same. The results showed that the apparent lightness of the patches was perceived higher by amount of about 13 in L units for the N4 test patch and about 20 for N6 when the patches were located in the front room, in accordance with the prediction. It was stressed that the experiment of lightness judgment should be conducted in a three dimensional space rather than two dimensional plane as done by several investigators.     

Synthesis of pyrimidinopurinophanes

Synthesis and structures of the title compounds 2a–d are described. In spite of non-parallel orientation of the two base rings, fairly large hypochromism was observed for 2a–d.     

Frequency measuring system using mirror gap stabilized Fabry-Perot interferometer

The mirror gap of a Fabry-Perot interferometer was stabilized with two laser diodes; one locked to the line frequency 385,243,555.14445 MHz of the F=3<--1 in 5D(3/2)<--5S(1/2) (87Rb) and the other to the 385,284,566.3663 MHz of the F=4<--2 in 5D(5/2)<--5S(1/2) (87Rb) [Opt. Commun. 102 (1993) 432]. The length of the mirror gap was adjusted to generate the zero-cross points simultaneously at both of the two line positions. The fringe signals obtained from an interferometer thus stabilized can be used as frequency markers having accuracies of the order of 10(10) depending on the finesse of the interferometer used. Based on measurement using Cs D1 hyperfine lines reported by Udem et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 82 (1999) 3568], the uncertainty of markers in the region 50 THz apart from the reference lines is +/- 5 MHz.     

Cation binding properties of crown ether-modified polyethylenimines

Crown ether-modified polyethylenimines (PEI-CR) were prepared to elucidate their cation binding efficiency and selectivity by liquid-liquid and solid-liquid extraction methods. With alkali metal cations it was found that polyethylenimines containing benzo-15-crown-5 moieties (Ia and Ib) extracted all cations examined more efficiently than their monomeric analogs, especially in the cases of K⁺ and Rb⁺ cations. The solid-liquid extraction revealed clearly that the polymers complexed with K⁺ and Rb⁺ cations according to a 1:2 cation-to-crown stoichiometry. The high selectivities of the polymers for K⁺ and Rb⁺ were interpreted in terms of the favourable conformation of the polymer chain for the formation of intramolecular 1:2 complexes. On the contrary, these polymers bound alkali earth cations less effectively with low selectivities.     

Pharmacokinetics of brain natriuretic peptide in rats.

The pharmacokinetics of rat brain natriuretic peptide (rBNP) was compared with that of alpha-rat atrial natriuretic peptide (alpha-rANP) in rats. After intravenous infusion in rats (600 pmol min-1kg-1 for 2 min), the disappearance of plasma rBNP was 4-fold slower than that of alpha-rANP. The estimated mean plasma clearance rates for rBNP and alpha-rANP were 45.9 ml min-1kg-1 and 74.4 ml min-1kg-1, respectively. The affinity of rBNP for the clearance receptor or degradation enzyme was considered to be lower than that of alpha-rANP.     

Vibrational spectra and molecular conformations of 1,5-dichloro- and 1,5-dibromopentanes and 1,6-dichloro-and 1,6-dibromohexanes

The Raman and IR spectra of 1,5-dichloro- and 1,5-dibromopentanes and 1,6-dichloro-and 1,6-dibromohexanes have been measured. The normal coordinates have been calculated for these molecules using a consistent set of force constants and the molecular conformations studied by analysing the spectra with reference to the results of the calculations. In the crystalline solid state, 1,5-dichloropentane assumes the trans-trans-trans-gauche form and 1,5-dibromopentane, 1,6-dichloro- and 1,6-dibromohexanes assume the all-trans form. The normal coordinate treatment with the well-established force field was of great help in determining the whole molecular form of the relatively large chain molecules.     

CHANGES IN THE PATTERNS OF BIOSYNTHESIS and COMPOSITION OF AMINO ACIDS IN A MARINE PHYTOPLANKTER EXPOSED TO ULTRAVIOLET-B RADIATION: NITROGEN LIMITATION IMPLICATED

Abstract— The impact of ultraviolet-B radiation (UVBR) on the biosynthesis and the composition of intracellular dissolved free and combined amino acids was examined in nitrate-replete and nitrate-deficient cultures of Tetraselmis sp. Several similarities were observed in the response of Tetraselmis sp. to nitrogen deficiency and exposure to UVBR, in support of a view that UVBR affects amino acid synthesis in phytoplankton via its inhibitory effects on nitrogen assimilation into the cells. At levels that still permitted the uptake of carbon into the cells, both nitrogen deficiency and UVBR exposure resulted in a reduction in the overall rates of carbon incorporated into amino acids, an increase in the absolute concentrations of amino acids within the intracellular dissolved free amino acid (INDFAA) pool and a decrease in the total cellular amino acid (TCAA) pool. An examination of the patterns of carbon assimilation into individual amino acids in cells exposed to UVBR revealed similarities with the patterns in cells subject to nitrogen deficiency. The most conspicuous changes from the controls included an increased incorporation of ¹³C into glutamic' acid (glutamic acid + glutamine) and aspartic acid and a marked reduction into alanine and valine. Changes in the concentrations of amino acids within the INDFAA and TCAA pools were also similar in nitrate-deficient and UVBR-exposed cells and resembled the carbon assimilation patterns. These results strongly suggest that UVBR-induced changes in the biosynthesis and composition of amino acids are probably via its suppression of nitrogen assimilation into the cells.