Regulation of dynamic structure of cyclophanes by their complexation with the porphyrin

Dithia[3.3]metacyclophanes which consist of the pyridine unit connecting to the different positions of the parent cyclophane skeleton have been prepared. Conformational change has been observed for the cyclophane having a 4-substituted pyridine unit by binding to the porphyrin. In contrast the porphyrin binding has no influence on conformational behavior of the cyclophane having a 3-substituted pyridine unit

Regulation of dynamic structure of cyclophanes by their complexation with the porphyrin

Dithia[3.3]metacyclophanes which consist of the pyridine unit connecting to the different positions of the parent cyclophane skeleton have been prepared. Conformational change has been observed for the cyclophane having a 4-substituted pyridine unit by binding to the porphyrin. In contrast the porphyrin binding has no influence on conformational behavior of the cyclophane having a 3-substituted pyridine unit

Localization Analysis of Natural Toxin of Solanum tuberosum L. via Mass Spectrometric Imaging

The use of mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) revealed the localization of alpha-solanine and alpha-chaconine as natural toxins for Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). The content of Potato glycoalkaloids, alpha-solanine and alpha-chaconine, were quantitatively determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-based tandem mass spectrometry (MS) could determine alpha-solanine and alpha-chaconine from raw potato extraction and section. After budbreak, alpha-solanine and alpha-chaconine were produced and localized at periderm and germ compared with that before budbreak. At germ region, these glycoalkaloids did not exist whole germ region but eccentrically localize at germ surface and central region. The amount of alpha-chaconine was twofold higher than alpha-solanine at periderm. At germ region, there was no difference between these toxins

Relationship between Financial Development and Foreign Direct Investment

This study examines the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and financial development (FD) based on a sample of 93 countries including high-income, upper middle-income and low-income countries. The estimation results for the entire sample indicate that FDI is beneficial instrument to enhance the speed of FD. The empirical results for the high-income countries indicate that FDI stimulates only the loan sector and does not have a significant effect on domestic credit for the private sector. The empirical results for upper middle-income countries show that FDI can speed up the FD of upper middle-income countries. Finally, the results for low-income countries indicate that the effects of both FDI on both the domestic credit sector and domestic credit for private financial sector of FD are unclear and inconsistent

Mass spectrometry imaging of the capsaicin localization in the capsicum fruits

We succeeded in performing mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) of the localization of capsaicin in cross-sections of the capsicum fruits at a resolution of 250 µm using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Post source decay of protonated capsaicin ion revealed structural information of the corresponding acid amide of vanillylamide and C9 chain fatty acid. MALDI-TOF-MSI confirmed that localization of capsaicin in the placenta is higher than that in the pericarp. In addition, it revealed no localization of capsaicin in seed and the higher localization of capsaicin at placenta surface compared with that in the internal region. A quantitative difference was detected between localizations of capsaicin at placenta, pericarp and seed in the capsicum fruits. This imaging approach is a promising technique for rapid quality evaluation general food as well as health food and identification of medicinal capsaicin in plant tissues

Polarized Emission of Wholly Aromatic Bio-Based Copolyesters of a Liquid Crystalline Nature

A novel thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers poly{3-benzylidene amino-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-BAHBA)-co-trans-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (4HCA: trans-coumaric acid)} (Poly(3,4-BAHBA-co-4HCA)), was synthesized by the thermal polycondensation of 4HCA and 3,4-BAHBA, which was synthesized by a reaction of 3-amino-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-AHBA) with benzaldehyde. When the 4HCA compositions of Poly(3,4-BAHBA-co-4HCA)s were above 55 mol%, the copolymers showed a nematic, liquid crystalline phase. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements of the copolymers showed a high glass transition temperature of more than 100 °C, sufficient for use in engineering plastics. Furthermore, the copolymers showed photoluminescence in an N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) solution under ultraviolet (UV) light with a wavelength of 365 nm. Oriented film of Poly(3,4-BAHBA-co-4HCA) with a 4HCA composition of 75 mol% emitted polarized light, which was confirmed by fluorescent spectroscopy equipped with parallel and crossed polarizers

Macroscopic birefringence in liquid crystals from novel cyanobacterial polysaccharide with an extremely high molecular weight

We report an efficient method for extraction of anionic polysaccharides (PS) from cyanobacteria, Aphanothece sacrum; we used a hot alkaline solution (0.01 N NaOH) as an elution solvent in the first step of the extraction and isopropanol as a precipitation solvent in the last step. Thin fibers of PS were obtained at a high yield (50-80 % to the weight of the raw cyanobacterial sample). The spectroscopy and elemental analyses indicated the PS contains fucose, uronic acids (14.2 % by a carbazole-sulfuric acid method), a sugar unit containing amides. The solution of PS with a concentration of 1 wt% showed a very high viscosity (80 000cps) implying a high molecular weight, and a strong macroscopic birefringence with a texture typical of nematic liquid crystals was confirmed by crossed-polarizing microscopy (more than 0.5 wt%). The PS from A. sacrum may form a special structure rigid-rod enough to show LC phase and macroscopic birefringence

Current status of the Brazilian ethanol program : Report on Hiroshima University-IDEC's mission to Brazil. <Report>

This article reports the results of a research mission of the Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation (IDEC) faculty to Brazil in September 2009. The purpose of the mission was to strengthen the understanding about the relation between ethanol policy, the local development and current importance of ethanol program as strategy to emission mitigation in Brazil. Relevant notes on discussions carried out with specialists from government and private organizations are presented and afterwards jointly evaluated by the mission's participants. Among the main results it was observed a consensus on the necessary increment of sugarcane crops and ethanol production in Brazil in order to attend both domestic and international demands. Several evidences of diversification on the usage of ethanol indicate that demand for the fuel will keep the growing consumption records observed over the last decade what also generates concerns on the supplying capacity and the policies regarding the land usage and sugarcane cultivation. A subsection dedicated to post-mission research activities are presented followed by general conclusions and recommendations for further researches

Syntheses of hyperbranched liquid-crystalline biopolymers with strong adhesion from phenolic phytomonomers

A novel thermotropic liquid-crystalline (LC) biocopolymer, poly{trans-3-methoxyl-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (MHCA: ferulic acid)-co-trans-3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid (DHCA: caffeic acid)}, was synthesized by a thermal acidolysis-polycondensation of MHCA and DHCA, efficiently catalyzed by Na_2HPO_4. When the MHCA composition of poly(MHCA-co-DHCA) was 60, 75, and 90 mol %, the copolymers showed a nematic LC phase although individual homopolymers such as polyMHCA and polyDHCA did not exhibit LC phase. Poly(MHCA-co-DHCA)s showed high molecular weight (M_w) ranged between M_n 2.6 × 10^4 to 3.7 × 10^4 and M_w 8.2 × 10^4 to 13.1 × 10^4, respectively, high glass-transition temperature (T_g) with the range of 115 to 140 °C and high degradation temperature T_, from 315 to 356 °C. In the adhesive test of copolymers against the surface of carbon substrate, the copolymers showed high shear strength at fracture