Colorimetric chemosensor for ATP based on phthalimide-appended poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline)

We have designed a colorimetric conjugated polymer (PDMAp) for selective ATP sensing based on poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline) bearing phthalimide which can form hydrogen bonds with adenine. PDMAp have been synthesized via chemical oxidative polymerization with CSA and DDQ and dedoping with an aqueous ammonia solution. PDMAp was displayed to signal the colorimetric selective detection for ATP over various nucleotides such as ADP, AMP, CTP, TTP, and GTP in DMSO–water (9:1, v/v) mixture. The absorption spectral change can be attributed to a doping process of ATP to PDMAp through hydrogen bonds between phthalimide and adenine as well as electrostatic interactions between the phosphate group of ATP and the backbone of PDMAp.     

A novel coding method for genetic algorithms based on redundant binary numbers

This article proposes a novel genetic algorithm (GA) which switches the expression of the solution from a redundant binary number to a usual binary number. Furthermore, a GA which switches the expression from the Gray code to the usual binary number is proposed and compared. Comparisons of the performances among five GAs (binary number, redundant binary number, Gray code, switching from redundant binary number to binary number, switching from Gray code to binary number) are illustrated. The performances are evaluated by solving some equations. It is confirmed that the proposed GA effectively decreases the error rate.     

Energy-level alignment at model interfaces of organic electroluminescent devices studied by UV photoemission: trend in the deviation from the traditional way of estimating the interfacial electronic structures

The electronic structures of model interfaces of organic electroluminescent (EL) devices were investigated with UV photoemission spectroscopy (UPS). Interfaces of TTN (tetrathianaphthacene) and TCNQ (tetracyanoquinodimethane) were also studied as extreme cases for hole transport and electron transport material, respectively. For all organic/metal interfaces studied, the work function of metal electrode was changed by deposition of organic layer, i.e., the vacuum level was shifted at the interface, indicating the invalidity of the traditional energy level alignment model where a common vacuum level was assumed at organic/metal interface. At TCNQ/Au, DP-NTCI/Al, which are acceptor/metal interfaces, upward shift of the vacuum level of organic layer relative to that of metal was observed, suggesting the formation of interfacial dipole due to electron-transfer from metal to acceptor. At other organic/metal interfaces, TPD(N, N'-diphenyl-N, N'-(3-methylphenyl)-1, 1'-biphenyl-4, 4'-diamine)/Au or ITO (indium tin oxide), ALq/sub 3/ (tris(8-hydroxyquinolino) aluminum)/Al, DP-NTCl(N, N'-diphenyl-1,4,5,8- naphthyltetracarboxylimide)/Al or Au, downward shift of the vacuum level was observed. Such downward shift has been also observed in our previous study for porphyrin/metal interfaces, and seems to be a trend for organic/metal interfaces at which no electron-transfer from metal to organic layer occurs. This trend suggests that the traditional model tends to underestimate (overestimate) the barrier height for hole (electron) injection. On the other hand, the vacuum level shift at ALq/sub 3//TPD interface was less than 0.1 eV, leading to an apparent applicability of the traditional model. However, it is not always the case for organic/organic interfaces: finite shift of 0.2 eV was observed at TTN/TCNQ interface due to electron-transfer from TTN to TCNQ. Possible origins of vacuum level shift at organic/metal interfaces were also discussed.     

Use of multivariate analysis for the improvement in prediction accuracy of bacterial aerobic plate count by flow cytometry

Flow cytometry (FCM) and aerobic plate count (APC) by the culture method were performed on green tea samples spiked with Escherichia coli type strain NCTC9001 (ATCC11775) solutions of different concentrations. In FCM, fluorescence signals from multiple stained bacteria and other fluorophores are detected using detector channels, and recorded as events with a voltage at each channel. FCM data were analyzed in two ways: conventional and multivariate analysis. In the former, the number of events with voltages larger than the defined threshold values was regarded as the predicted APC. In the latter, voltage histograms of all channels were obtained and merged horizontally to serve as explanatory variables. Then a partial least squares regression (PLSR) model was built to predict APC from the histogram data. The coefficient of determination (R²) and the root mean square error (RMSE) between APC by the culture method and that predicted by conventional FCM were 0.916 and 1.08 cfu/ml². The APC values predicted by the PLSR model and those measured were in good agreement with R² of 0.982 and RMSE of 0.417 cfu/ml, which verified the potential of the proposed method for improving APC prediction accuracy by FCM.     

Programmed High‐Hole‐Mobility Supramolecular Polymers from Disk‐Shaped Molecules

In this paper a simple, casting solution technique for the preparation of two‐dimensional (2D) arrays of very‐high molecular weight (MW) 1D‐Pc supramolecular inorganic polymers is described. The soluble fluoroaluminium tetra‐tert‐butylphthalocyanine (ttbPcAlF) is synthesized and characterized, which can be self‐assembled to form 2D arrays of very‐high‐MW 1D‐Pc supramolecular inorganic polymers. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) demonstrates that the 1D‐ttbPcAlF, having a cofacial ring spacing of ～0.36 nm and an interchain distance of ～1.7 nm, self‐assembles into 2D‐nanosheets (～140 nm in length, ～20 nm in width, and equivalent to MW of 3.2 × 10⁵ g mol^?1). The film cast from a 1,2‐dichloroethane (DCE) solution shows a minimum hole‐mobility of ～0.3 cm² V^?1 s^?1 at room temperature by flash‐photolysis time‐resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) measurements and a fairly high dark dc‐conductivity of ～1 × 10^?3 S cm^?1.     

Migration of 4-nonylphenol from polyvinyl chloride food packaging films into food simulants and foods.

Migration of 4-nonylphenol (NP) from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) films for food packaging into food simulants and foods has been studied in domestic applications such as wrapping of food and reheating in a microwave oven. The migration of NP from the PVC films was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical coulometric-array detection (LC/ED). Twelve PVC films intended for commercial use and ten for domestic applications (total: 22 samples) were analysed. Some of the PVC films (two home-use and ten retail-use) contained NP at concentrations of between 500 and 3300 microg/g. Migration of NP from the films was influenced by the test conditions (n-heptane at 25 degrees C for 60 min, distilled water at 60 degrees C for 30 min and 4% acetic acid at 60 degrees C for 30 min). The amount of NP migrating from the PVC films into n-heptane (0.33-1.6 microg/cm2) was higher than the amount migrating into distilled water or 4% acetic acid (up to 9.7 ng/cm2) for the 11 films in which NP was detected. Up to 0.23% of the NP migrated into distilled water and 4% acetic acid and up to 62.5% into n-heptane. In addition, we investigated NP migration into cooked rice samples wrapped in PVC film. Using spiked samples the method gave an average recovery of 83.7% (n = 5) with a standard deviation of 2.5%. Migration of NP ranged from not detectable (< 1.0 ng/g) to 410.0 ng/g by reheating samples in a microwave oven for 1 min and from not detectable to 76.5 ng/g by keeping samples at room temperature for 30 min.     

Structural motif of phosphate-binding site common to various protein superfamilies: all-against-all structural comparison of proteinmononucleotide complexes

In order to search for a common structural motif in the phosphate-bindingsites of protein–mononucleotide complexes, we investigatedthe structural variety of phosphate-binding schemes by an all-against-allcomparison of 491 binding sites found in the Protein Data Bank.We found four frequently occurring structural motifs composedof protein atoms interacting with phosphate groups, each ofwhich appears in different protein superfamilies with differentfolds. The most frequently occurring motif, which we call thestructural P-loop, is shared by 13 superfamilies and is characterizedby a four-residue fragment, GXXX, interacting with a phosphategroup through the backbone atoms. Various sequence motifs, includingWalker's A motif or the P-loop, turn out to be a structuralP-loop found in a few specific superfamilies. The other threemotifs are found in pairs of superfamilies: protein kinase andglutathione synthetase ATPase domain like, actin-like ATPasedomain and nucleotidyltransferase, and FMN-linked oxidoreductaseand PRTase.     

Direct Electroplating of Lithium Cobalt Oxide Film on Platinum Substrate in 100°–200°C Aqueous Solution

Well crystallized, shape-formed, and electrochemically active lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO₂) films are electroplated directly on an electron-conducting substrate in an aqueous solution using a soft solution processing that is economical, consumes less energy consuming, and is environmentally friendly. Although LiCoO₂ films are easily and economically prepared without any post-synthesis heat treatment, the estimated film properties show a possibility of using the deposited films as a cathode film for lithium rechargeable microbatteries. In addition, the soft solution processing reveals that an exact understanding of chemical reactions and the proper combination of the chemical reactions can create an advanced synthetic procedure.     

Self-organized lightwave network based on waveguide films for three-dimensional optical wiring within boxes

This paper presents core technologies for a self-organized microoptical system (SELMOS) within optoelectronic computers; mass-productive fabrication processes of waveguide films and new types of self-organized lightwave networks (SOLNETs) for three-dimensional (3-D) optical wiring with optical Z-connections. Waveguide films are fabricated by the built-in mask method, which is reusable and can construct surface-normal mirrors/filters at one time within photolithographic accuracy. Beveled core edge walls are made by the tilted ultraviolet (UV) exposure through the built-in mask using a photodefinable material. Near- and far-field patterns reveal that the walls act as micromirrors for optical Z-connections. SOLNET is a network consisting of self-organized coupling waveguides between misaligned optical devices. The self-organization is generated in a photorefractive material by self-focusing of the two write beams from the two devices. Direct SOLNET, where wavelengths of the write beam and the signal beam are the same, is demonstrated using a laser diode. Reflective SOLNET, where one of the two write beams is replaced with a reflected write beam from the edge of the coupled device, realizes two-beam-writing SOLNET in a one-beam-writing configuration. It is especially effective when the coupled device cannot transmit write beams. The proof-of-concept is demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally. These results indicate a possibility to form 3-D optical wiring simply in SELMOS.