Preparation of α-galactooligoglycosides by cell walls from Cryptococcus laurentii using a novel α-galactosyl donor

The cell walls of an acapsular strain of the yeast Cryptococcus laurentii catalyze the regioselective formation of α-galactooligosaccharides through self-condensation of 4-nitrophenyl α-d-galactopyranoside and of a novel activated α-galactosyl donor 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl α-d-galactopyranoside. The latter substance can be easily prepared by several methods and is highly soluble in water and therefore can be used in higher initial concentrations suppressing secondary product hydrolysis. The preparative reaction catalyzed by cell walls provided 17.4% and 2% of corresponding 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl galactobioside and galactotrioside, respectively, while the reaction with 4-nitrophenyl α-d-galactopyranoside provided the corresponding 4-nitrophenyl galactobioside and galactotrioside in 6.6 and 2.5% yields, respectively. The reactions proceeded with strict α-(1 → 6)-regioselectivity.     

Specificities and origins of the Slovak nomenclature of inorganic chemistry

Nowadays the discussion on the symbiosis of the international and national nomenclature systems in different areas of science provides clear evidences that full implementation of conventional international (mainly English) nomenclature principles in the local ones is sometimes not only unnecessary, but even redundant or impossible. Rapid development of natural sciences necessitates creation of accurate, comprehensive and comprehensible nomenclature systems for objects and phenomena under research. This study outlines the origins and development of the Slovak chemical nomenclature which is based on the Czech model. We analyze the unique Slovak nomenclature items as well as the re-evaluation of linguistic means in the field of inorganic chemistry in the international context. A part of this work is devoted to the syntactical structure of the names of inorganic compounds. At the same time we draw a parallel between chemical nomenclature and the phenomenon of controlled language.     

Site-Selective Oxidation of Monolayered Liquid-Exfoliated WS2 by Shielding the Basal Plane through Adsorption of a Facial Amphiphile

In recent years, various functionalization strategies for transition-metal dichalcogenides have been explored to tailor the properties of materials and to provide anchor points for the fabrication of hybrid structures. Herein, new insights into the role of the surfactant in functionalization reactions are described. Using the spontaneous reaction of WS₂ with chloroauric acid as a model reaction, the regioselective formation of gold nanoparticles on WS₂ is shown to be heavily dependent on the surfactant employed. A simple model is developed to explain the role of the chosen surfactant in this heterogeneous functionalization reaction. The surfactant coverage is identified as the crucial element that governs the dominant reaction pathway and therefore can severely alter the reaction outcome. This study shows the general importance of the surfactant choice and how detrimental or beneficial a certain surfactant can be to the desired functionalization.     

A 3.3 Å-Resolution Structure of Hyperthermophilic Respiratory Complex III Reveals the Mechanism of Its Thermal Stability

Respiratory chain complexes convert energy by coupling electron flow to transmembrane proton translocation. Owing to a lack of atomic structures of cytochrome bc₁ complex (Complex III) from thermophilic bacteria, little is known about the adaptations of this macromolecular machine to hyperthermophilic environments. In this study, we purified the cytochrome bc₁ complex of Aquifex aeolicus, one of the most extreme thermophilic bacteria known, and determined its structure with and without an inhibitor at 3.3 Å resolution. Several residues unique for thermophilic bacteria were detected that provide additional stabilization for the structure. An extra transmembrane helix at the N-terminus of cyt. c₁ was found to greatly enhance the interaction between cyt. b and cyt. c₁, and to bind a phospholipid molecule to stabilize the complex in the membrane. These results provide the structural basis for the hyperstability of the cytochrome bc₁ complex in an extreme thermal environment.     

The Potential of the Diarsene Complex [(C5H5)2Mo2(CO)4(μ,η2-As2)] as a Connector Between Silver Ions

The reaction of the organometallic diarsene complex [Cp₂Mo₂(CO)₄(μ,η²-As₂)] ( B ) (Cp = C₅H₅) with Ag[FAl{OC₆F₁₀(C₆F₅)}₃] (Ag[FAl]) and Ag[Al{OC(CF₃)₃}₄] (Ag[TEF]), respectively, yields three unprecedented supramolecular assemblies [(η²- B )₄Ag₂][FAl]₂ ( 4 ), [(μ,η¹:η²- B )₃(η²- B )₂Ag₃][TEF]₃ ( 5 ) and [(μ,η¹:η²- B )₄Ag₃][TEF]₃ ( 6 ). These products are only composed of the complexes B and Ag^I. Moreover, compounds 5 and 6 are the only supramolecular assemblies featuring B as a linking unit, and the first examples of [Ag^I]₃ units stabilized by organometallic bichelating ligands. According to DFT calculations, complex B coordinates to metal centers through both the As lone pair and the As−As σ-bond thus showing this unique feature of this diarsene ligand.     

Graphene Oxide as an Enhancer of Fluorescence

Solvent‐dependent switching of graphene oxide (GO) as fluorescence quencher or enhancer was observed. In some solvents, GO increases the fluorescence yield of a hydrophilic molecule 7‐(diethylamino)‐coumarin‐3‐carboxylic acid (7‐DCA), and in some solvents GO act as a quencher of fluorescence.     

Zn Nanoparticles Modified Screen Printed Carbon Electrode as a Promising Sensor for Insulin Determination

Screen printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) modified by a combination of chitosan, multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs) were studied for the first time as a suitable candidate for non-enzymatic insulin determination. In an effort to find the most suitable modification for electrochemical insulin determination, the stability, analytical characteristics, and selectivity were determined. The results confirmed that the ZnNPs/chitosan-MWCNTs prepared with the Zn deposition time of 45 s displayed the best electrocatalytic activity towards insulin oxidation in a wide linear concentration range (0.5 μM to 5 μM), with low limit of detection and high sensitivity.     

Entropy analysis of unsteady magneto-nanofluid flow past accelerating stretching sheet with convective boundary condition

The unsteady laminar magnetohydrodynamics(MHD) boundary layer flow and heat transfer of nanofluids over an accelerating convectively heated stretching sheet are numerically studied in the presence of a transverse magnetic field with heat source/sink. The unsteady governing equations are solved by a shooting method with the Runge-KuttaFehlberg scheme. Three different types of water based nanofluids, containing copper, aluminium oxide, and titanium dioxide, are taken into consideration. The effects of the pertinent parameters on the fluid velocity, the temperature, the entropy generation number, the Bejan number, the shear stress, and the heat transfer rate at the sheet surface are graphically and quantitatively discussed in detail. A comparison of the entropy generation due to the heat transfer and the fluid friction is made with the help of the Bejan number. It is observed that the presence of the metallic nanoparticles creates more entropy in the nanofluid flow than in the regular fluid flow.     

Effort dynamics of a delay-induced prey–predator system with reserve

This paper describes a prey?Cpredator fishery system with prey dispersal in a two-patch environment, one of which is a free fishing zone and the other a protected zone. The proposed system reflects the dynamic interaction between the net economic revenue and the fishing effort used to harvest the population in presence of a suitable tax. Local as well as global stability of the system is analyzed. The optimal taxation policy is formulated and solved with the help of Pontryagin??s maximal principle. The objective of the paper is to achieve the sustainability of the fishery, keeping the ecological balance, and maximize the monetary social benefit. The dynamical behavior of the delay system is further analyzed through incorporating discrete type gestational delay of predators, and the existence of Hopf bifurcation phenomenon is checked at the interior equilibrium point. Moreover, we use normal form method and center manifold theorem to examine the nature of the Hopf bifurcation. Theoretical results are verified with the help of numerical examples and graphical illustrations.     

2‐(6‐Bromo­pyridin‐2‐yl)‐6‐methyl‐[1,3,6,2]­diox­aza­borocane,a new stable (pyridin‐2‐yl)­boronic acid derivative

The crystal structure of the first reported non‐substituted N‐methyl­diox­aza­borocane confirms that the presence of a methyl group attached to the N atom introduces an NB bond length that is longer than that in a simple diox­aza­borocane ring. The presence of more N atoms in the vicinity of the B atom in the title compound [systematic name: 6a‐(6‐bromo­pyridin‐2‐yl)‐3a‐methyl‐2,3,4,5‐tetra­hydro‐1,6‐dioxa‐3a‐aza‐6a‐borapentalene], C₁₀H₁₄BBrN₂O₂, does not modify significantly any structural parameter in the diox­aza­borocane ring. On the other hand, a small asymmetry appears in the bond angles of the pyridine C atom next to the B atom.