Search

Soybean protein isolate (SPI) is a high-quality plant protein that is primarily used to process various soybean products coagulated by transglutaminase (TGase). In this study, the degree of hydrolysis (DH), sulfhydryl content (SH), surface hydrophobicity (

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is easily oxidized by environmental stress elements, including light, heat, and oxygen; thus, its biological activities can be reduced or even lost when exposed to a natural environment. Here, soluble soybean polysaccharide (SSPS) was successfully etherized by 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl trimethylammonium chloride (CHPTAC), positively charged to extract cationic SSPS (CSSPS). Nanoparticles based on CSSPS can improve the encapsulation efficiency (EE) and sustained bioactivity of EGCG. The EE of EGCG by CSSPS was improved significantly as compared with that of SSPS due to the electrostatic interactions. Furthermore, the protective and sustained-release effects of CSSPS on EGCG in the EGCG-CSSPS nanoparticles (EGCG-CSSPS-NPs) markedly improved the sustained antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of EGCG, which was confirmed by the results of a salmon-preservation experiment. In addition, cytotoxicity tests showed that EGCG-CSSPS-NPs could effectively inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells but had no obvious toxicity to normal cells.

Proteases are important for decomposition of proteins to generate peptides or amino acids and have a broad range of applications in different industries. Herein, a gene encoding an alkaline protease (AprBcp) from

Leisure dried tofu is a kind of small packaged food which is popular with consumers in China. However, during the storage of leisure dried tofu, moisture and fat may be lost and deteriorate. For their own benefit, bad business operators might forge or mark the production date and shelf life. Therefore, it is necessary to explore a method to determine simultaneously the moisture, fat content, and storage time of leisure dried tofu. Samples were measured for obtaining transverse relaxation data by using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) spectrometer. The experimental data were analyzed and modeled by methods including partial least squares (PLS) or back-propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN). The results show that the models can be used to predict the moisture, fat content, and storage time rapidly, nondestructively, accurately, and simultaneously. Furthermore, in order to explore the changes of nutrients in leisure dried tofu with the storage time, the storage dynamics of moisture and fat was considered by a using corresponding calibration model.

Chinese red sour soup is a traditional fermented product famous in the southwestern part of China owing to its distinguished sour and spicy flavor. In the present study, the effect of inoculation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the microbial communities and metabolite contents of the Chinese red sour soup was investigated. Traditional red sour soup was made with tomato and red chilli pepper and a live count (108 CFU/mL) of five bacterial strains (including Clostridium intestinalis: Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum: Lacticaseibacillus casei: Lactobacillus paracei) was added and fermented for 30 days in an incubator at 37 °C. Three replicates were randomly taken at 0 d, 5 d, 10 d, 15 d, 20 d, 25 d and 30 d of fermentation, with a total of 21 sour soup samples. Metabolomic analysis and 16S-rDNA amplicon sequencing of soup samples were performed to determine microbial diversity and metabolite contents. Results revealed that fermentation resulted in the depletion of native bacterial strains as LAB dominated over other microbes, resulting in differences in the relative abundance of bacteria, and types or contents of metabolites. A decrease (p < 0.01) in Shannon and Simpson indices was observed at different fermentation times. The metabolomic analyses revealed a significant increase in the relative content of 10 metabolites (particularly lactic acid, thymine, and ascorbic acid) in fermented samples as compared to the control. The correlation network revealed a positive association of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus with differentially enriched metabolites including lactic acid, ascorbic acid, and chlorogenic acid, which can desirably contribute to the flavor and quality of the red sour soup.

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α is a crucial transcription factor that regulates the expression of target genes involved in angiogenesis. Prolyl hydroxylase 2 (PHD2) dominantly hydroxylates two highly conserved proline residues of HIF-1α to promote its degradation. This study was designed to construct an intrabody against PHD2 that can inhibit PHD2 activity and promote angiogenesis. Single-chain variable fragment (scFv) against PHD2, INP, was isolated by phage display technique and was modified with an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) sequence to obtain ER-retained intrabody against PHD2 (ER-INP). ER-INP was efficiently expressed and bound to PHD2 in cells, significantly increased the levels of HIF-1α, and decreased hydroxylated HIF-1α in human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK293) cells and mouse mononuclear macrophage leukaemia cell line (RAW264.7) cells. ER-INP has shown distinct angiogenic activity both in vitro and in vivo, as ER-INP expression significantly promoted the migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and enhanced angiogenesis of chick chorioallantoic membranes (CAMs). Furthermore, ER-INP promoted distinct expression and secretion of a range of angiogenic factors. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report an ER-INP intrabody enhancing angiogenesis by blocking PHD2 activity to increase HIF-1α abundance and activity. These results indicate that ER-INP may play a role in the clinical treatment of tissue injury and ischemic diseases in the future.

The technological applications utilized for tofu processing are diverse and complex, resulting in different yields and quality characteristics of tofu. The current study investigated the gel‐forming principle of soybean protein coagulated using fermented yellow whey (FYW) to produce tofu. The effects of several processing parameters (soybean‐to‐water ratio, boiling temperature, boiling time, and FYW content) on the yield and protein content of tofu produced by the boiling‐to‐filtering method (BFM) were studied and optimized using response surface methodology. Results indicated significant differences in yield and protein content of tofu using different processing parameters, with FYW content being the most significant (p, Response surface methodology was designed to determine optimal process parameters for producing tofu by boiling‐to‐filtering method. Under optimum parameters, the yield and protein content of tofu were 235.17 g/100 g and 10.60%, respectively, and these were 47.93 g/100 g and 4.16% higher than those before optimization. This study provides an effective technical support and theoretical basis for the standardized industrial production of high‐yield and high‐protein tofu.

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose has become the most common cause of drug-induced acute liver failure. Angiogenesis and redox homeostasis play an important role in liver protection and repair of APAP-induced acute liver injury (AILI). Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a transcription factor that plays a crucial role in regulating the expression of genes associated with angiogenesis, redox homeostasis and energy balance. Prolyl hydroxylase 2 (PHD2) predominantly hydroxylates proline residues in HIF-1α to promote its degradation. In our previous study, we reported an intrabody against PHD2 (ER-INP) that enhances angiogenesis by blocking PHD2 activity to increase HIF-1α abundance and activity. The present study was designed to explore the role and possible mechanisms of ER-INP in AILI in mice. Mice were pretreated intravenously with ER-INP before intraperitoneal injection of APAP to induce AILI. The results showed that pretreatment with ER-INP dramatically decreased the high ALT and AST activities and significantly ameliorated the centrilobular necrosis induced by APAP administration. ER-INP expression promoted angiogenesis in vivo by upregulating the mRNA and protein levels of HIF-1α target genes. Meanwhile, ER-INP pretreatment restored redox homeostasis, verified by reinforcement of PRDX4 activity and suppression of GSH depletion. This study demonstrated that ER-INP protects against AILI in part by increasing angiogenesis and maintaining redox homeostasis. These results indicate that ER-INP may provide a potential liver protection strategy against AILI in the future.

Tea polyphenols (TP), as common antioxidants, have been widely used to mitigate for the protection and preservation of aquatic animals, but the protective effect of TP against the deterioration of shrimp muscle quality induced by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) has not been reported. This study was designed to analyse the root cause of AFB1 induced declines in shrimp muscle quality and the protective mechanisms of TP at the molecular level. Shrimp were exposed to AFB1 and TP for 20 d following a dose-escalating trial, and changes to the muscle histopathology, basic nutrient composition, and protein composition were determined. Non-labelled quantitative proteomics was used to screen and identify differential marker proteins associated with AFB1 and TP. After 20 d of AFB1 exposure, the water content, crude protein content and crude fat content of the shrimp muscle decreased to 68.66%, 18.27% and 1.01%, respectively, while the ash content was positively correlated with AFB1 dose (R2 = 0.955). AFB1 caused damage to the shrimp muscle microstructure in a dose-dependent manner, such as significant enlargement of muscle fibre spaces, rupture of the sarcomere, inflammation and so on. AFB1 induced changes in muscle protein composition, resulting in a decrease in the content of myofibrillar, sarcoplasmic and stroma proteins, while the alkali-soluble protein content increased significantly. TP can effectively protect against the damage to shrimp muscle caused by AFB1 by inhibiting the expansion of muscle fibre spaces and inflammation. TP (0.04–0.16% feed) also had a significant protective effect against the decrease of muscle nutrients and changes in protein composition of shrimp caused by exposure to AFB1 (1.2–2.7 mg/kg feed) in the early and middle period (4–12 d), but the protective effect was weak or not noticeable in the late period (16–20 d). Eleven proteins were identified and screened as biomarker proteins of AFB1 induced quality decline and TP protection, which were involved in energy metabolism (fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase; transaldolase; fructose-bisphosphate aldolase; arginine kinase), redox reaction (hydroxyphenylpyruvate reductase; prostaglandin reductase 1; protein arginine N-methyltransferase 8), anti-inflammatory responses (5′-nucleotidase; actin-depolymerizing factor) and protein translation/folding (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3; peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase). This study provides a better understanding of AFB1 induced damage to shrimp quality and technical guidance for the use of TP to prevent the damage during the culture and processing of Penaeus vannamei.

Cyclin D1 is a key regulatory factor of the G1 to S transition during cell cycle progression. Aberrant cyclin D gene amplification and abnormal protein expression have been linked to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumorigenesis. Intrabodies, effective anticancer therapies that specifically inhibit target protein function within all intracellular compartments, may block cyclin D1 function. Here, a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody against cyclin D1 (ADκ) selected from a human semi-synthetic phage display scFv library is expressed in Escherichia coli as soluble ADκ. Purified ADκ specifically binds to recombinant and endogenous cyclin D1 with high affinity. To enable blocking of intracellular cyclin D1 activity, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal sequence is added to the ADκ sequence to encode anti-cyclin D1 intrabody ER-ADκ. Transfection of HepG2 cells with expression vector encoding ER-ADκ elicited intracellular ER-ADκ expression leading to cyclin D1 binding, significant G1 phase arrest, and apoptosis that are mechanistically tied to decreased intracellular phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (Rb) levels. Meanwhile, ER-ADκ dramatically inhibited subcutaneous human HCC xenografts growth in nude mice in vivo after injection of tumors with expression vector encoding ER-ADκ. These results demonstrate the potential of intrabody-based cyclin D1 targeting therapy as a promising treatment for HCC.

The multifunctional glycoprotein cluster of differentiation (CD)147 is highly expressed on the cell surface of the majority of cancer cells, and promotes tumor invasion, metastasis and growth. However, the role of CD147 in autophagy has not yet been explored in prostrate cancer cells. In the present study, prostate cancer PC-3 cells were cultured under starvation conditions, and the expression level of CD147 gradually increased. Therefore, RNA interference was used to inhibit CD147 expression, in order to investigate the biological role of this glycoprotein in autophagy progression. Autophagic activity was monitored by the changes in green fluorescent protein-light chain 3 (GFP-LC3) location and the expression of the autophagy-associated protein LC3-II. It was found that downregulation of CD147 significantly promoted GFP-LC3 puncta formation and the expression of LC3-II. Furthermore, the levels of phosphorylated serine/threonine protein kinase B (p-Akt) and phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) were significantly decreased, and the level of LC3-II was inversely associated with levels of p-Akt and p-mTOR in cells with downregulated expression of CD147. The results of a trypan blue exclusion assay revealed that starvation-induced cell death was increased in PC-3/shCD147 cells compared with control PC-3/Scramble cells (37.7±6.4 vs. 21.7±5.5%). Together, these results indicate that CD147 may be important in the inhibition of autophagy via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, which prevents cell death from unrestrained autophagy.

A series of para-alkoxy phenyl-β-ketoaldehyde derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for antimicrobial activities. Preliminary results showed that some compounds had moderate antibacterial activities, especially, 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxopropanal O-methyl oxime (4) showed more potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and resistant Helicobacter pylori than the other compounds. Compound 4 showed more active antibacterial activities against methicillin-resistant S. aureus than Houttuynin and levofloxacin. Compound 4 was also investigated and its antibacterial activities against the strains clinical separated of Staphylococcus aureus. The preliminary structure–activity relationships were obtained. The maximum tolerance dose value for acute toxicity of compound 4 was 5,000 mg/kg. It indicated that compound 4 should be safe in clinical treatment. A series of para-alkoxy phenyl-β-ketoaldehyde derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for antimicrobial activities. 3-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-3-oxopropanal O-methyl oxime (4) showed more potent antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and resistant Hp than the other compounds. The maximum tolerance dose values for acute toxicity of compound 4 was 5,000 mg/kg. It indicated that compound 4 should be safe in clinical treatment.

The androgen signaling pathway serves an important role in the development of prostate cancer. β-Catenin is an androgen receptor (AR) cofactor and augments AR signaling. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), a target of phosphorylated serine/threonine protein kinase B (p-Akt), regulates β-catenin stability. In addition, β-catenin, a coregulator of AR, physically interacts with AR and enhances AR-mediated target gene transcription. The multifunctional glycoprotein cluster of differentiation (CD) 147 is highly expressed on the cell surface of the majority of cancer cells, and it promotes tumor invasion, metastasis and growth. In the present study, the molecular effects of CD147 on the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin/AR signaling network were investigated in LNCaP cells. Using short hairpin-mediated RNA knockdown of CD147 in LNCaP cells, it was demonstrated that downregulation of CD147 resulted in inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK-3β, and then promoted degeneration of β-catenin and reduced nuclear accumulation of β-catenin. In addition, immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that CD147 downregulation decreased the formation of a complex between β-catenin and AR. It was shown that CD147 knockdown suppressed the expression of the AR target gene prostate-specific antigen and the growth of AR-positive LNCaP cells. Furthermore, inhibition of PI3K/Akt with LY294002 augmented CD147-mediated function. The present study indicates that the PI3K/Akt pathway may facilitate CD147-mediated activation of the AR pathway.

Functionalized isoreticular metal–organic framework-3 (IRMOF-3) was developed as a novel heterogeneous catalyst for the solventless synthesis of cyclic carbonates without any co-catalyst. The results showed that functionalized IRMOF-3 performed excellent activity, selectivity and reusability. The effects of reaction temperature, pressure, and time on the yield of propylene carbonate were tested. And the reaction mechanism was also discussed.

A series of dihydropyrimidin-(2H)-one analogues and rhodanine derivatives were synthesized and their inhibitory effects on the diphenolase activity of mushroom tyrosinase were evaluated. The results showed that some of the synthesized compounds exhibited significant inhibitory activities. Especially, compound 15 bearing a hydroxyethoxyl group at position-4 of phenyl ring exhibited most potent tyrosinase inhibitory activity with IC(50) value of 0.56 mM. The inhibition mechanism analysis of compound 15 demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of the compound on the tyrosinase was irreversible. These results suggested that such compounds might be served as lead compounds for further designing new potential tyrosinase inhibitors.

The chemical states of Bi in BiI 3 –nylon 11 nanocomposites during X-ray irradiation were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It has been found that with prolonging exposure to soft X-rays, Bi 4f peak of Bi metallic state emerged at lower binding energy side and the peak intensity continuously increased, while Bi 4f peak intensity of BiI 3 gradually decreased. The valence band spectra of BiI 3 –nylon 11 nanocomposites show that the density of states near Fermi level increases with increasing the X-ray irradiation time due to the formation of metallic Bi, which is favorable to the conductivity. Besides, we have observed that BiI 3 –nylon 11 nanocomposites show a new photochromic effect, changing color from orange-red to black after prolonged exposure to the soft X-rays. The color turns to orange-red after air exposure. It has been found that the color change is intimately related to redox behavior of Bi atoms in BiI 3 –nylon 11 nanocomposites. We have also observed that the XPS charging shift and the resistance of BiI 3 –nylon 11 nanocomposites decrease with increasing X-ray exposure time. This phenomenon may be used to inspect the X-ray photoconductivity preliminary.

Nylon11 film immersed in BiI3–ethanol solution was used for in situ generation of transparent BiOI/nylon11 X-ray photochromic composite materials via integration of the hydrolyzate (BiOI) of BiI3 into nylon11. The obtained BiOI/nylon11 composite film shows a reversible photochromic effect, changing the color from orange-red to brownish black under soft X-ray irradiation and back to orange-red after air exposure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show that the oxidation state of Bi atoms in BiOI/nylon11 composite film does not change before and after changing the color. Angle-resolved XPS analysis reveals that BiOI in nylon11 film is well distributed within an infiltration depth of about 10 nm. The source of the X-ray photochromic effect for transparent BiOI/nylon11 composite film may be related to oxygen as well as the interaction between BiOI and the amide groups. The oxygen AT% in the composite film decreases with increasing X-ray irradiation time. The present method for preparing transparent BiOI/nylon11 X-ray photochromic composite materials is facile and low cost. The X-ray photochromic effect has potential applications in some technology fields. For example, it can be used to create temporary patterning in a colored composite material surface.

In continuing our program aimed to search for potent drugs for bacterial infections, a series of 3-(4-halophenyl)-3-oxopropanal and their derivatives were designed, synthesized and their antibacterial activities in vitro against both Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were evaluated. Compounds 7, 8, 13-16, 21 and 22 had moderate antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus (minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC)16 microg/ml), suggesting that the introduction of mono-methoxyamine or ethoxyamine moiety might play an important role in determining the potent antibacterial activities. Furthermore, the antibacterial activities of select compounds 7, 15 and 16 against the clinically important pathogenic bacteria-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were also investigated. Results showed that these compounds exhibited more potent activities than the well-known antibacterial agents Houttuynin and Levofloxacin.

Nanoscale materials have attracted great interest because of their distinct properties. By means of XPS, the present work investigated the difference of reduction behavior between nanocrystalline and microcrystalline ceria on condition of Ar+ bombardment or X-ray irradiation. For the first time, the results indicate that the reduction level of Ce4+ to Ce3+ is lower for nanocrystalline ceria than for microcrystalline ceria although the experimental conditions are identical. These differences have been attributed to the differences in the concentration of oxygen vacancies in the bulk and the diffusion ability of oxygen atoms between them. Besides, the key factor for the reduction of ceria produced by X-ray exposure is discussed.

The thicknesses of intermediate oxides at the interface between ultrathin SiO2 and Si substrates have been measured via XPS elemental quantitative analysis for some SiO2/Si(100) and SiO2/Si(111) samples with the silicon oxide thickness less than 2 nm. The measurements involve XPS determination of the Si relative atomic ratio, calculation of Si atomic densities for the intermediate oxide, etc. and then the intermediate oxide thicknesses and the number of monolayers are obtained by referencing the thickness data from two international comparisons for these samples. The results show that the thickness of the intermediate oxides is in the range 0.14–0.16 nm with an average value of 0.15 nm. The number of monolayers for the intermediate oxides at the interface is less than one monolayer with an average value of 0.60. In the present work, there are a series of approximations. By making these approximations many parameters, including L and R0, used in the conventional calculation method are removed to give a simpler equation, which is valid when the thicknesses of SiO2 overlayer and the intermediate oxides are very small. This, therefore, appears to be a simple and quick method to obtain approximate oxide thicknesses of modest accuracy. The present work does not in any way replace or improve on Eqns (2–6) cited in the text. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A series of chalcones and their derivatives were synthesized, and their inhibitory effects on the diphenolase activity of mushroom tyrosinase were evaluated. The results showed that some of the synthesized compounds exhibited significant inhibitory activity, and four compounds exhibited more potent tyrosinase inhibitory activity than the reference standard inhibitor kojic acid (5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4H-pyran-4-one). Specifically, 1-(-1-(4-methoxyphen- yl)-3-phenylallylidene)thiosemicarbazide (18) exhibited the most potent tyrosinase inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ value of 0.274 μM. The inhibition mechanism analysis of 1-(-1-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-phenylallylidene) thiosemicarbazide (16) and 1-(-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-phenylallylidene) thiosemicarbazide (18) demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of the two compounds on the tyrosinase were irreversible. Preliminary structure activity relationships' analysis suggested that further development of such compounds might be of interest.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Acanthopanax senticosus , classified into the family of Araliaceae, has been known for thousands of years as a remedy and is used to treat various diseases in traditional Chinese medicine system including hypertension, ischemic heart disease and hepatitis. Aim of the study This study aimed to examine the protective effects of aqueous extract from Acanthopanax senticosus (ASE) on corticosterone-induced neurotoxicity and its possible mechanisms, using PC12 cells as a suitable in vitro model of depression. Materials and methods In this paper, PC12 cells were treated with 200 μM of corticosterone in the absence or presence of ASE in varying concentrations for 24 h. Then, cell viability was measured by MTT assay. The release amount of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was quantified using LDH assay kit. Apoptosis of PC12 cells was measured by Annexin V-FITC and PI labeling. The intracellular Ca 2+ content was tested by fluorescent labeling. The mRNA level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was examined by real-time RT-PCR, and the expression of cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) was determined by western blotting. Results The results showed that treatment with 200 μM of corticosterone could induce cytotoxicity in PC12 cells. However, different concentrations of ASE (50, 100, 200, and 400 μg/mL) significantly increased the cell viability, decreased the LDH release, suppressed the apoptosis of PC12 cells, attenuated the intracellular Ca 2+ overloading, up-regulated the BDNF mRNA level and CREB protein expression compared with the corresponding corticosterone-treated group. Conclusion The present results suggest that ASE exerts a neuroprotective effect on corticosterone-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells, which may be one of the acting mechanisms that accounts for the in vivo antidepressant activity of ASE.

A series of coumarin derivatives were synthesised and their inhibitory effects on the diphenolase activity of mushroom tyrosinase were evaluated. The results showed that some of the synthesised compounds exhibited significant inhibitory activities. Especially, 2-(1-(coumarin-3-yl)ethylidene)hydrazinecarbothioamide bearing thiose-micarbazide group exhibited the most potent tyrosinase inhibitory activity with IC(50) value of 3.44μM. The inhibition mechanism analysis of 2-(1-(coumarin-3-yl)-ethylidene)hydrazinecarbothioamide and 2-(1-(6-chlorocoumarin-3-yl)ethylidene)-hydrazinecarbothioamide demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of the compounds on the tyrosinase were irreversible. Preliminary structure activity relationships' (SARs) analysis suggested that further development of such compounds might be of interest.

Crystals of K–Pb–Tl–O complex oxides were electrodeposited on the anode from molten salts by using the constant-current electrolysis method. The resulting crystals show a multilayer structure with resolvable layer thicknesses of about 50 nm. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses indicate that the elemental composition of the anodic crystals is K, Pb, Tl and O. The preliminary X-ray diffraction results show that the major K–Pb–Tl–O phase has an orthorhombic structure. Resistivity measurements reveal that the K–Pb–Tl–O complex oxides have high conductivity. The valence band spectra of the K–Pb–Tl–O oxides show that the center of the valence band is at about 2.5–3 eV, and the density of states at the Fermi level can be observed.

Title compounds (I) and their precursors are tested for antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Chemical doping or substitutions were carried out in both the Ba site and Bi site in Ba-K-Bi-O superconductor. The large single crystals of Ba-K-M-Bi-O (M=Ca, Eu, In and Tl) were prepared by using the electrocrystallization method. The resulting crystalline materials were characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and magnetic method. The results show that partial substitutions of Ca or Eu in the Ba site suppress Tc more drastically than that of Tl in the Bi site. All the present chemical substitutions result in a decrease in Tc.

(4) Two new spin labeled metal complexes; cobalt(II) bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-oxyl-4-piperidyl p-salicylaldiminobenzoate) (3), copper(II) bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-oxyl-4-piperidyl-p-salicylaldiminobenzoate) were prepared. The synthesis of amino derivatives of nitroxide compounds were improved by a simplified synthetic route. The XPS spectra of 3 and 4 were determined. The observed N Is, Cu 2p and Co 2p spectra of spin labeled metal complex are discussed.