Vapor deposition polymerization of vinyl compounds and fabrication of OLED having double emissive layers

Physical vapor deposition polymerization was achieved by evaporating vinyl monomers followed by heat treatment. This technique was utilized for preparing a hole-transport layer (HTL) and emissive layers (EMLs) of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Adivinyl derivative of tetraphenyldiaminobiphenyl, DvTPD, was used both for the HTL and for the host material of red phosphorescent EML. A vinyl derivative of bis(N-carbazolyl)benzene, vmCP, was used for the host material of blue phosphorescent EML. The ELMs were doped with red or blue-emitting phosphorescent iridium complexes modified with styril units. After characterizing the devices that have single EML of red or blue emission, an OLED having multilayered ELM was prepared by stacking these layers to achieve quasi-white emission. It was found that the deposition polymerization was effective to improve the emission efficiency. The improvement appeared to be related to the proper carrier balance in the EML.     

Imaging polarimetry and retinal blood vessel quantification at the epiretinal membrane

We evaluated a polarimetry method to enhance retinal blood vessels masked by the epiretinal membrane. Depolarized light images were computed by removing the polarization retaining light reaching the instrument and were compared with parallel polarized light images, average reflectance images, and the corresponding images at 514 nm. Contrasts were computed for retinal vessel profiles for arteries and veins. Contrasts were higher in the 514 nm images in normal eyes but higher in the depolarized light image in the eyes with epiretinal membranes. Depolarized light images were useful for examining the retinal vasculature in the presence of retinal disease.     

A cytoplasmic xylanase (XynX) of Aeromonas caviae ME-1 is released from the cytoplasm to the periplasm by osmotic downshock

Aeromonas caviae ME-1 is a multiple xylanase-producing gram-negative bacterium which was isolated from the gut contents of a wild silkworm, Samia cynthia pryeri. One of the xylanases produced by A. caviae ME-1, XynX (38 kDa, family 10 xylanase), hydrolyzes xylan to xylobiose and xylotetraose as final degradation products. Generally, xylanases are extracellular or cell surface enzymes. However, XynX is not exported to the extracellular fluid by A. caviae ME-1 and an Escherichia coli transformant harboring the xynX gene. In this study, we investigated the intracellular localization of XynX in A. caviae ME-1 and an E. coli transformant. XynX was found in the cytoplasm when the cells were grown under normal culture conditions. However, XynX was released from the cytoplasm to the periplasm during osmotic downshock. This release of XynX in the E. coli transformant was blocked in the presence of gadolinium chloride, which has been reported to be an inhibitor of bacterial mechanosensitive channels.     

Daily oscillation of gene expression associated with nacreous layer formation

Three major organic matrix components, nacrein, MSI60 and N16 have been reported from the nacreous layer of Japanese pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata. Though several in vitro experiments have been carried out to elucidate the functions of these molecules details have not yet been clarified. In this report, we tempt to clarify the gene expression levels encoding the above three proteins between samples of 1) summer and winter seasons and 2) ocean and aquarium environments by using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It was confirmed that the biomineralization process of P. fucata is mainly influenced by the circatidal rhythm of the ocean environment. The gene expressions coding for N16 and MSI60 increased at the time of high tide, while that of nacrein increased at the time of low tide. The similar tendency observed in N16 and MSI60 showed the possibility that both components are secreted simultaneously, supporting a hypothesis that N16 forms cross-linkage with MSI60 to form the membrane. The expressions of MSI60, N16 and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) genes were remarkable in winter season, while no variation was found in the expression level of the nacrein gene in summer and winter season. The study is the first attempt regarding the seasonal and circadian rhythms observed on gene expressions incorporated into molluscan shell formation. The results will give a new insight into the relationship between molluscan physiology and the mechanism of shell formation.     

Room Temperature Ambient Pressure (RTAP)‐Hydroformylation in Water Using a Self‐Assembling Ligand

We herein demonstrate a hydroformylation at room temperature and ambient pressure (RTAP) using our Rh/6‐DPPon ( 1 ) system in aqueous media. The hydrogen bonding network of the ligand backbone stays intact, exemplified by the excellent regioselectivity for the linear aldehyde. Various substrates with different functional groups (with some prone to hydrolysis) are stable under the applied conditions and can undergo hydroformylation resulting in good yields.