SPECTROSCOPIC STUDIES OF CHLOROPHYLL a AGGREGATES FORMED BY AQUEOUS DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE

Characteristic chlorophyll (Chl) a aggregates formed in aqueous dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were investigated spectroscopically. Four chlorophyll forms were found with increasing DMSO concentration; they are called A-672, A-683, A-695 and A-665 according to the wavelengths of their absorption maxima. Transformation occurred only in this order. Reverse transformation could not be realized. A-683 and A-695 were apparently formed by the interaction of Chl a with DMSO in the linear dimer and linear polymer arrangements, respectively. Coordination of the Mg atom with a DMSO O atom and interaction between the S atom of one DMSO molecule and the O atom of an other DMSO molecule should lead to formation of a sandwich-type complex of partially overlapping chlorophyll macrocycles (Chl a-DMSO)_n. A-672 and A-665 were assigned to Chl a micelles and to dissolved monomeric Chl a in DMSO, respectively. Fluorescence spectra showed that the A-683 was highly fluorescent, while the A-695 was less fluorescent. Energy migration within the A-695 form to a trap with a low fluorescence yield might be responsible for this difference in the emission intensity.     

Intra-abdominal fat area is a predictor for new onset of individual components of metabolic syndrome: MEtabolic syndRome and abdominaL ObesiTy (MERLOT study)

Objective: To investigate the significance of intra-abdominal fat area (IAFA) on new onset of individual components of the metabolic syndrome: high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, or hyperglycemia. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study using checkup data of a hospital from 1994 to 2010. Of 25,255 subjects, we examined 1,380 Japanese, who underwent computed tomography to measure IAFA and had no metabolic syndrome components at baseline. Results: During 3.6 years of the mean follow-up period, one of metabolic syndrome components occurred in 752 subjects. Of three components, high blood pressure was more prevalent. The multiple Cox regression analysis disclosed that IAFA is significantly associated with onset of metabolic syndrome components (HR: 1.05 per 10 cm², 95%CI: 1.03–1.07). This finding was independent of BMI, and significant even in non-obese individuals with body mass index <25 kg/m². Conclusions: MERLOT study demonstrates that IAFA is an independent predictor for new onset of individual components of the metabolic syndrome, even in non-obese healthy Japanese.     

Electronic second hyperpolarizability of the carbon tetrachloride molecule

The electronic second hyperpolarizability γ of the carbon tetrachloride molecule is calculated by the ab initio molecular orbital method considering electron correlation with large basis sets. The static electronic γ value with the CCSD(T) method is 1.65 times the Hartree-Fock value, indicating a considerable electron correlation effect. Taking account of the frequency dispersion and vibrational effects, we estimate the most probable theoretical γ value at 800 nm to be around 17900au (9.0 × 10^?36 esu). On the other hand, the experimental value recently observed by optical Kerr effect method is 10.6 × 10^?36 esu at 800nm. It is concluded that the major part of the experimental χ⁽³⁾ value of carbon tetrachloride can account for the static electronic hyperpolarizability.     

Discovery of radioactive silver (110mAg) in spiders and other fauna in the terrestrial environment after the meltdown of Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant

Six months after the explosion of TEPCO’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, radioactive silver (^110mAg), was detected in concentrations of 3754 Bq/kg in Nephila clavata (the orb-web spider; Joro-gumo in Japanese) collected at Nimaibashi, Iitate village in Fukushima Prefecture, whereas ^110mAg in the soil was 43.1 Bq/kg. A survey of 35 faunal species in the terrestrial environment during the 3.5 years after the accident showed that most of Anthropoda had two orders higher ^110mAg in their tissues than soils, although silver is not an essential element for their life. However, tracing of the activity of ^110mAg detected in spider Atypus karschi collected regularly at a fixed location showed that it declined much faster than the physical half-life. These results suggest that ^110mAg was at once biologically concentrated by faunal species, especially Arthropoda, through food chain. The factors affecting the subsequent rapid decline of ^110mAg concentration in faunal species are discussed.     

Acyldesilylation of 5-Trimethylsilyl-2-furancarboxaldehyde

5－Acyl－2－furancarboxaldehydes2arelmpol－tantIntermedlateslforsynthesizingnaturallyoccuTTingfuranoldfattyacidswhichhaveantloxldanteffectsandantlneoplastlcactlvltlesInbiologicalsystems－．Nakayamaela尸reportedsuccessfulhalodesllylatlonofethyls－trlm...     

Effect of Interventions for Improving Lumbar Motor Control on Low Back Pain in Sedentary Office Workers: A Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective: To clarify the effect of intervention with dynamic motor control exercise (DMCE) for the lumbar region on low back pain in sedentary office workers (SOWs). Methods: The participants comprised 32 SOWs with low back pain who were randomly categorized into two groups: the DMCE group and the normal trunk exercise (NTE) group. Both groups performed each exercise for three days per week for 8 weeks. The primary endpoints were evaluated for the lumbar and hip flexion angles during trunk forward bending, effect of low back pain on activities of daily living (using the Oswestry Disability Index), and intensity of low back pain (using the Visual Analog Scale) pre- and post-intervention. The extent of changes was calculated by subtracting the pre-intervention value from the post-intervention value and was compared between the two groups using an unpaired t-test. Results: The extent of changes in the lumbar flexion and hip flexion angles at 10° of trunk forward bending were significantly greater in the DMCE group than in the NTE group, and no significant differences were noted between the two groups at other angles of trunk forward bending. The extent of changes in the Oswestry Disability Index and the Visual Analog Scale scores were significantly greater in the DMCE group than in the NTE group. Conclusion: DMCE is effective in improving motor control in the lumbar region and hip joints, thereby ameliorating low back pain in SOWs.     

Novel plasma biomarker surrogating cerebral amyloid deposition

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common and devastating dementia. Simple and practical biomarkers for AD are urgently required for accurate diagnosis and to facilitate the development of disease-modifying interventions. The subjects for the study were selected on the basis of PiB amyloid imaging by PET. Forty PiB-positive (PiB+) individuals, including cognitively healthy controls (HC), and mild cognitive impairment and AD individuals, and 22 PiB-negative (PiB−) HC participated. Employing our novel highly sensitive immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry, we measured plasma amyloid β-proteins (Aβs; Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42) and Aβ-approximate peptides (AβAPs), which were cleaved from amyloid precursor protein (APP). Among the AβAPs, APP669-711 appeared to be a good reference for deciphering pathological change of Aβ1-42. We evaluated the performance of the ratio of APP669-711 to Aβ1-42 (APP669-711/Aβ1-42) as a biomarker. APP669-711/Aβ1-42 significantly increased in the PiB+ groups. The sensitivity and specificity to discriminate PiB+ individuals from PiB− individuals were 0.925 and 0.955, respectively. Our plasma biomarker precisely surrogates cerebral amyloid deposition.     

离子排斥色谱结合光度检测的水质监测系统用于测定离子型营养物（英文）

A unified ion-exclusion chromatography(IEC) system for monitoring anionic and cationic nutrients like NH + 4,NO 2,NO 3,phosphate ion,silicate ion and HCO 3 was developed and applied to several environmental waters.The IEC system consisted of four IEC methodologies,including the IEC with ultraviolet(UV) detection at 210 nm for determining NH + 4 on anion-exchange separation column in OH form connected with anion-exchange UV-conversion column in I form in tandem,the IEC with UV-detection at 210 nm for determining simultaneously NO 2 and NO 3 on cation-exchange separation column in H + form,the IEC with UV-detection at 210 nm for determining HCO 3 on cation-exchange separation column in H + form connected with anion-exchange UV-conversion column in I form in tandem,and the IEC with visible-detection based on molybdenum-blue reaction for determining simultaneously silicate and phosphate ions on cation-exchange separation column in H + form.These IEC systems were combined through three manually-driven 6-port column selection valves to select each separation column to determine selectively the ionic nutrients.Using this sequential water quality monitoring system,the analytical performances such as calibration linearity,reproducibility,detection limit and recovery were also tested under the optimized chromatographic conditions.This novel water quality monitoring system has been applied successfully for the determination of the ionic eutrophication components in sub-urban river waters.     

流动电位/胶体滴定法测定聚电解质电荷密度的研究

探讨了应用粒子电荷测定仪的流动电位判定胶体滴定终点的可行性。结果表明流动电位曲线能在样品浓度大于 0 .6× 1 0 - 5mol· L- 1的溶液中准确指示胶体滴定的终点 ,较常用指示剂邻甲胺兰的使用极限浓度低一个数量级。观察到由阳离子聚电质滴定阴离子聚电质能减少盐干扰的现象。叔胺型阳离子淀粉应在酸性下滴定