New diagnostic spray reagents for detecting precarthamin in aqueous extracts from dyer''s saffron flowers

Summary Potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide were found to be useful chromo-specific spray reagents for detecting precarthamin on air-dried chromatograms. Upon spraying them at relatively low levels, a royal red colour developed almost instantly without perceptible effect from traces of organic solvents on the chromatograms. The data proved that potassium permanganate is superior to hydrogen peroxide in its efficacy.

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Neue Sprühreagentien zum Nachweis von Precarthamin in wäßrigen Extrakten von Safranblüten

Zusammenfassung Kaliumpermanganat und Wasserstoffperoxid eignen sich zum chromatographischen Nachweis von Precarthamin auf luftgetrockneten Chromatogrammen. Schon beim Besprühen mit relativ geringen Reagenzmengen entwickeln sich unverzüglich leuchtendrote Flecken, wobei organische Lösungsmittelreste ohne Einfluß sind. Permanganat ist noch effizienter als Wasserstoffperoxid.

     

Photocatalytic Cancer (HeLa) Cell-Killing Enhanced with Cu–TiO2 Nanocomposite

The metallic Cu nanoparticles have been successfully deposited on the heterogeneous TiO₂ surface by the borohydride reduction of copper nitrate in water/CH₃CN mixture under Ar atmosphere. The catalytic activity of the Cu–TiO₂ nanocomposite was evaluated by the application to a photocatalytic cancer cell-killing under UV–visible light irradiation. Based on the obtained results, a plausible mechanism was proposed.     

Antifungal Abietane-Type Diterpenes from the Cones of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taxodium distichum</Emphasis> Rich

The chemical composition of Taxodium distichum cones and the antifungal activities of twelve diterpenoids against two wood decay fungi, Trametes versicolor (white-rot) and Fomitopsis palustris (brown-rot) were examined. The chemical composition of the major extractive fraction, the n-C₆H₁₄ extract, was evaluated and its antifungal properties were identified. Twelve diterpenoids including ten abietane-type components were isolated from the n-C₆H₁₄ extract: 6,7-dehydroferruginol (1), ferruginol (2), 6,7-dehydroroyleanone (3), sandaracopimaric acid (4), taxodione (5), taxodal (6), taxodone (7), sugiol (8), xanthoperol (9), salvinolone (10), 5,6-dehydrosugiol (11), and 14-deoxycoleon U (12). Compounds 5 and 12 were highly active against both wood-decay fungi. In particular, the activities of these compounds against F. palustris were potent. The results suggest that the position and the number of hydroxyl groups on abietane-type structures may be related to antifungal activities against T. versicolor and F. palustris.     

Electrical and mechanical properties of nano-structured TiN coatings deposited by vacuum cold spray

Titanium nitride (TiN) coatings were fabricated by vacuum cold spray (VCS) process at room temperature with nano-sized starting powder (about 20 nm in size). The microstructure of the powder and coating was examined by scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. The porosity and pore distribution of the VCS TiN coatings were measured by the N₂ adsorption-desorption method. The microhardness and fracture toughness of the coatings were evaluated by using the micro-indentation technique. The sheet resistance and electrical resistivity of the coatings were characterized by the four-point probe method. The results show that the sheet resistance of coatings is significantly reduced from 13565 to 127 Ω with increasing the coating thickness. A minimum electrical resistivity of 1.8 × 10⁻³ Ω m is achieved. The VCS TiN coatings with high porosity ranging from 58.3 to 67.6% exhibit low hardness of 279-490 HV and relatively good fracture toughness of about 3.12 MPa m^1/2.     

Effect of Nano-Sized TiN Additions on the Electrical Properties of Vacuum Cold Sprayed SiC Coatings

Three different contents of nano-sized TiN powers of 20 nm in size were added to nano-sized SiC powders of 40 nm. Vacuum cold spray (VCS) process was used to deposit SiC-TiN composite coatings on Al₂O₃ substrates. Microstructure and phase structure analysis of the samples was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Sheet resistance of the VCS coatings was measured using a four-point probe method. The influences of TiN additions on the electrical resistivity of SiC-TiN composite coatings and the conductive mechanisms were investigated. The electrical resistivity of SiC-TiN coatings decreases with increasing TiN contents, reaching a minimum of 1.82 Ω m with 50 mol% TiN.     

Low temperature oxidation of methane over Pd/SnO2 catalyst

Catalytic activities of supported Pd were investigated for low temperature oxidation of methane. Pd/SnO₂ catalysts demonstrated excellent activity for methane oxidation in spite of their low surface area. The catalytic activity of Pd/SnO₂ was strongly affected by the preparation procedure. Impregnation of Pd on SnO₂ using aqueous solution of Pd(CH₃COO)₂ was most effective in enhancing the catalytic activity. The catalytic activity was also improved when well-crystallized SnO₂ was employed as a support material. TEM observations revealed that catalytic activity is strongly influenced by the dispersion state of Pd. For the active catalysts, strong interaction between Pd and SnO₂ support was observed in the adsorption of oxygen.     

UV-visible absorption spectra of silicon CVD intermediates

Transient absorption in 394-435 nm wavelength range following 193 nm photolysis of disilane has been measured by using cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS). A broad and continuum absorption band was observed. Time profiles of the absorption measured at several wavelengths were similar and found to have at least two components. The decaying part of the absorption can be attributed to Si(H₂)Si based on the kinetic consideration and available information from the literature. The absorption was also measured in the hot wire CVD (HW-CVD) of SiH₄. A broad and continuum band was observed.     

Solid state reaction of bifunctional bicyclo orthoesters and carboxylic acids and their metal adhesive properties

Five kinds of novel bifunctional bicyclo orthoesters (BOEs) were synthesized and copolymerized with multi-functional carboxylic acids, having plural carboxyl and hydroxyl groups, to develop functional materials usable as non-volatile adhesives. In a solid-state reaction of BOEs with the carboxylic acids, mechanical mixing converted the BOE moiety to a corresponding hydrolyzed form via ring-opening and isomerization reactions. The solid-state reaction, requiring moisture and mechanical stress, was accelerated by the higher reactivity given by the α-hydroxyl group in the acids. Superior adhesive bonding to the Ni-Cr alloyed metal substrate was achieved via a heating process at 150 °C, and high average tensile strengths of ∼80 MPa were obtained by using mixtures of BOEs and dl-tartaric acid. This highly adhesive property was achieved not only by polycondensation of BOE-hydrolyzates and the carboxylic acids, but also by polyaddition of BOEs and the carboxylic acids.     

A case report of jejunal carcinoma in a patient with tuberous sclerosis]

It remains uncertain if law enforcement officers experience an elevated cardiovascular disease morbidity and, if so, whether their profession contributes to this incidence. Consequently, the self-reported incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) (coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, angioplasty) and CVD risk factors (age, diabetes, elevated body mass index (> or = 27.8 kg.m-2), hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, tobacco use) in 232 male retirees, > or = 55 years of age, from the Iowa Department of Public Safety were compared with 817 male Iowans of similar age. CVD incidence was higher in the law enforcement officers than the general population (31.5% vs 18.4%, P < 0.001). Using multiple logistic regression, factors found to be associated with CVD included the law enforcement profession (odds ratio [OR] = 2.34; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.5-3.6), hypercholesterolemia (OR = 2.37; 95% CI = 1.7-3.3); diabetes (OR = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.4-3.6), hypertension (OR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.3-2.5), tobacco use (OR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.07-2.6), and age (OR = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.03-1.08). These results suggest that employment as a law enforcement officer is associated with an increased cardiovascular disease morbidity and this relationship persists after considering several conventional risk factors.     

Precisely Programmed and Robust 2D Streptavidin Nanoarrays by Using Periodical Nanometer‐Scale Wells Embedded in DNA Origami Assembly

A new punched DNA origami assembly with periodic nanometer‐scale wells has been successfully designed and constructed. Through the attachment of two biotins at the two edges of each well, just one streptavidin (SA) tetramer (d=5 nm) was size‐selectively captured in each 6.8×12×2.0 nm well; this allowed formation of a 28 nm‐period SA nanoarray of individual molecules. The position of SA capture can be fully controlled by placement of biotins in the nanoarray well. Moreover, construction of a 2D nanoarray of individual SA tetramers through selective positioning of SA tetramers in any desired wells in a complex of such punched origami motifs is also possible. The stability of the SA captured by this fixation strategy (DNA wells and two biotin linkers) was directly compared on the same molecule with the stability of SA captured with other possible strategies that do not employ wells or two linkers. In this way, the robustness of this means of fixation was clearly established.