Syntheses of chitin-based imprinting polymers and their binding properties for cholesterol

A novel chitin derivative, cholesteryl chitin carbonate (Chitin-Chol), was synthesized from chitin and cholesteryl chloroformate. This product was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C NMR), and was used as a covalently bound template precursor for imprinting cholesterol. After cross-linking with toluene 2,4-diisocyanate, it was efficiently cleaved hydrolytically to afford a guest-binding site accompanying the easy and efficient removal of a sacrificial spacer. The selectivity and efficacy of a chitin-based imprinting polymer for steroid binding were assessed by a chromatographic screening process. The results of binding experiments showed that this molecular imprinting polymer (MIP) has a high binding capacity with cholesterol. The target discrimination towards cholesterol over its close structural analogue suggested that the polymer recognition site was possible on the basis of the inversion of configuration of a single hydroxyl group. In addition, non-covalent imprinting was done using chitin as a precursor and its binding properties for cholesterol were also evaluated.     

Effects of Adding Alkaline Material on the Heavy Metal Chemical Fractions in Soil under Flooded and Non-Flooded Conditions

We investigated the effect of adding an alkaline material (containing calcium carbonate and gypsum) on the immobilization of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in a paddy soil slightly contaminated with Cd and Zn under flooded and non-flooded conditions in the laboratory. Adding the alkaline material increased the soil pH and significantly decreased the exchangeable fraction of all of the metals, especially for Cd (>75% decrease) and Zn (ca. 90% decrease), under both flooded and non-flooded conditions. Drying the flooded soil samples increased the ratio of exchangeable fraction to the total fraction, particularly for Cd. The exchangeable fraction ratio was lower in the dried, previously flooded samples that contained the alkaline material than in the samples that did not contain the alkaline material, indicating that adding the alkaline material would be an effective way of immobilizing heavy metals during the oxidation of anoxic soils. These results show that the alkaline material can be used to immobilize heavy metals under both anoxic and oxic conditions, and that the effects of flooding and amending a paddy soil with alkaline material on the chemical forms will be different between heavy metals.     

微生物水泥相关酶的研究进展

微生物诱导碳酸钙沉积(microbial induced calcium carbonate precipitation,MICP)是微生物通过新陈代谢在其周围微环境中形成碳酸钙沉积的一种自然现象,根据其原理目前研发出了"微生物水泥".因其具有绿色环保、经济高效的特点,已成为生物、土木、环境等领域的研究热点.文中就与微...     

A correlation study on optimum conditions of microbial precipitation and prerequisites for self-healing concrete

Microbial induced CaCO₃ precipitation (MICP) based upon enzymatic urea hydrolysis has been verified as an effective way for crack treatment, especially for self-healing of concrete cracks. This paper aimed at correlating optimum conditions of MICP with prerequisites for self-healing concrete. Orthogonal experiments on a combination of factors contributing to the MICP process were firstly performed. Initial cell density and Ca²⁺ concentration were highly significant factor and significant factor respectively. High initial cell density (1×10⁸ cells·mL^-1) together with relatively low Ca²⁺ concentration (50 mM) favored microbial precipitation. The second part of this study was associated with dissolution tests to simulate the dissolving behavior of urea and calcium, since the dissolving of healing agents in cracks is a prerequisite of self-healing. By an addition of urea and Ca(NO₃)₂ with constant mass ratio of 2:3 in concrete, the highest values of the estimated urea concentration (345 mM) and Ca²⁺ concentration (44 mM) dissolved in cracks were close to the optimal values found by orthogonal studies. Although the addition of urea and Ca(NO₃)₂ would not have a negative impact on the mechanical properties of concrete, direct mixing is not recommended due to the low utilization efficiency of incorporating healing agents for self-healing.     

Phosphate and calcium carbonate saturation in a stratified coastal lagoon

Seasonal variation of phosphate concentration and saturation index for calcite in water of a small stratified coastal lagoon have been studied. In surface waters, where salinity was low and pH high, the saturation index increased to values near 20, whereas in bottom water, with high salinity and low pH, they were usually lower. The ionic product for H₃PO₄ was strongly correlated with the ionic product of Ca(OH)₂ in surface and bottom waters, and with the ionic product of CaCO₃ in bottom, which suggested that chemical composition was mainly controlled by a calcium-phosphate solid phase.The low concentrations of phosphate in surface were due to chemical precipitation and organic sedimentation, whereas in bottom, calcium phosphate redissolved and organic matter was mineralized producing high concentrations of soluble phosphate (> 60 µmol l^–1).Decrease of calcium-bound phosphate in the upper layers of sediment was in agreement with a diminution of calcium-phosphate precipitation, probably due to a lower influence of seawater in the past.     

Conversion of iodine to fluorine-18 based on iodinated chalcone and evaluation for β-amyloid PET imaging

In the amyloid cascade hypothesis, β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques is one of the major pathological biomarkers in the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain. We report the synthesis and evaluation of novel radiofluorinated chalcones, [¹⁸F]4-dimethylamino-4′-fluoro-chalcone ([¹⁸F]DMFC) and [¹⁸F]4′-fluoro-4-methylamino-chalcone ([¹⁸F]FMC), as Aβ imaging probes. The conversion of iodine directly introduced to the chalcone backbone into fluorine was successfully carried out by ¹⁸F-labeling via the corresponding boronate precursors, achieving the direct introduction of fluorine-18 into the chalcone backbone to prepare [¹⁸F]DMFC and [¹⁸F]FMC. In a biodistribution study using normal mice, [¹⁸F]DMFC and [¹⁸F]FMC showed a higher initial uptake (4.43 and 5.47% ID/g at 2?min postinjection, respectively) into and more rapid clearance (0.52 and 0.66% ID/g at 30?min postinjection, respectively) from the brain than a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved Aβ imaging agent ([¹⁸F]Florbetapir), meaning the improvement of the probability of detecting Aβ plaques and the reduction of non-specific binding in the brain. In the in vitro binding studies using aggregates of recombinant Aβ peptides, [¹⁸F]DMFC and [¹⁸F]FMC showed high binding affinity to recombinant Aβ aggregates at the K_d values of 4.47 and 6.50?nM, respectively. In the in vitro autoradiography (ARG) experiment with AD brain sections, [¹⁸F]DMFC and [¹⁸F]FMC markedly accumulated only in a region with abundant Aβ plaques, indicating that they clearly recognized human Aβ plaques in vitro. These encouraging results suggest that [¹⁸F]DMFC and [¹⁸F]FMC may be promising PET probes for the detection of an amyloid pathology and the early diagnosis of AD with marked accuracy.     

An experimental study on a beta-cyclodextrin carbonate membrane reactor in PNPA hydrolysis

Flat sheet membranes made of polyetheretherketone, known as PEEK-WC, and O-octyloxycarbonyl beta-cyclodextrins were prepared by the phase inversion method. The cyclodextrins were entrapped in the polymeric membranes easily and simply in a single operation. Such functionalized membranes were tested for their catalytic activity. PNPA hydrolysis in a cyclodextrin membrane reactor was carried out as a model reaction. A significant improvement of reaction rate in comparison with the batch hydroxide ions catalyzed reaction was observed. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Micro precipitation of lead on the surface of crab shell particles

Crab shell particles were used as a biosorbent to remove lead from aqueous solutions. The equilibrium isotherm showed that crab shell particles took up lead to the extent of 1300 mg Pb g⁻¹ crab shell. The optimum pH range for maximum lead removal was increased to 5·5–11·0 compared to the shell-free control pH of 8·5–11·0. pH values of solutions with crab shell material added were increased spontaneously to about 10 as a result of the CaCO₃ present, which formed complexes with lead according to pH. Electron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction results confirmed that -NHCOCH₃ and CO₃² were involved in binding of lead. In addition, the removal of lead occurred mainly through dissolution of CaCO₃ followed by precipitation of Pb₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂ and PbCO₃ near the surface of crab shell. Micro precipitates formed were then adsorbed to the chitin on the surface of the crab shell particles.