Adult neurogenesis and specific replacement of interneuron subtypes in the mouse main olfactory bulb

Background  

New neurons are generated in the adult brain from stem cells found in the subventricular zone (SVZ). These cells proliferate in the SVZ, generating neuroblasts which then migrate to the main olfactory bulb (MOB), ending their migration in the glomerular layer (GLL) and the granule cell layer (GCL) of the MOB. Neuronal populations in these layers undergo turnover throughout life, but whether all neuronal subtypes found in these areas are replaced and when neurons begin to express subtype-specific markers is not known.     

Schatten class Toeplitz operators on generalized Fock spaces

In this paper we characterize the Schatten p   class membership of Toeplitz operators with positive measure symbols acting on generalized Fock spaces for the full range 0<p<∞$0<p<\infty$.     

The development and assessment of high‐throughput mass spectrometry‐based methods for the quantification of a nanoparticle drug delivery agent in cellular lysate

The safe use of lipid‐based drug delivery agents requires fast and sensitive qualitative and quantitative assessment of their cellular interactions. Many mass spectrometry (MS) based analytical platforms can achieve such task with varying capabilities. Therefore, four novel high‐throughput MS‐based quantitative methods were evaluated for the analysis of a small organic gene delivery agent: N,N‐bis(dimethylhexadecyl)‐1,3‐propane‐diammonium dibromide (G16‐3). Analysis utilized MS instruments that detect analytes using low‐resolution tandem MS (MS/MS) analysis (i.e. QTRAP or linear ion trap in this work) or high‐resolution MS analysis (i.e. time of flight (ToF) or Orbitrap). Our results indicate that the validated fast chromatography (FC)‐QTRAP‐MS/MS, FC‐ LTQ‐Orbitrap‐MS, desorption electrospray ionization‐collision‐induced dissociation (CID)‐MS/MS and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization‐ToF/ToF‐MS MS methods were superior in the area of method development and sample analysis time to a previously developed liquid chromatography (LC)‐CID‐MS/MS. To our knowledge, this is the first evaluation of the abilities of five MS‐based quantitative methods that target a single pharmaceutical analyte. Our findings indicate that, in comparison to conventional LC‐CID‐MS/MS, the new MS‐based methods resulted in a (1) substantial reduction in the analysis time, (2) reduction in the time required for method development and (3) production of either superior or comparable quantitative data. The four new high‐throughput MS methods, therefore, were faster, more efficient and less expensive than a conventional LC‐CID‐MS/MS for the quantification of the G16‐3 analyte within tissue culture. When applied to cellular lysate, no significant change in the concentration of G16‐3 gemini surfactant within PAM212 cells was observed between 5 and 53 h, suggesting the absence of any metabolism/excretion from PAM212 cells. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tuning Thiophene with Phosphorus: Synthesis and Electronic Properties of Benzobisthiaphospholes

1,4‐Dimercapto‐2,5‐diphosphinobenzene and 3,6‐bis(hexyloxy)‐1,4‐dimercapto‐2,5‐diphosphinobenzene were synthesized and combined with various acid chlorides to obtain a series of benzobisthiaphospholes. Electrochemical and photophysical properties of the substituted benzobisthiaphospholes have been evaluated, and the observed reductions are more facile than the related benzothiaphospholes and 2,6‐diphenylbenzobisthiazole. A benzobisthiaphosphole with C₆H₄‐p‐CN substituents was reduced at E_1/2=?1.08 V (vs. saturated calomel electrode (SCE)). X‐ray diffraction data for several of these phosphorus heterocycles has been obtained, and DFT calculations at the B3LYP level have been performed.     

Charge transport and dipolar relaxations in an alkali metal oligoether carboxylate ionic liquid

Charge transport and dipolar relaxations in a sodium-based oligoether carboxylate ionic liquid are investigated in a wide frequency and temperature range by means of broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS). The dielectric spectra are described at lower temperatures in terms of dipolar relaxations whereas hopping conduction in a random spatially varying energy landscape is quantitatively shown to dominate the spectra at higher temperatures. Based on detailed analysis of the dielectric relaxation strength in its temperature dependence, the slower secondary relaxation process is attributed to molecular fluctuation of ion pairs (sodium and carboxylate ions) while the localized motion of the carboxylate anion gives rise to the faster process observed.     

A Memristive Element Based on an Electrically Controlled Single-Molecule Reaction

The exponential proliferation of data during the information age has required the continuous exploration of novel storage paradigms, materials, and devices with increasing data density. As a step toward the ultimate limits in data density, the development of an electrically controllable single-molecule memristive element is reported. In this device, digital information is encoded through switching between two isomer states by applying a voltage signal to the molecular junction, and the information is read out by monitoring the electrical conductance of each isomer. The two states are cycled using an electrically controllable local-heating mechanism for the forward reaction and catalyzed by a single charge-transfer process for the reverse switching. This single-molecule device can be modulated in situ, is fully reversible, and does not display stochastic switching. The I–V curves of this single-molecule system also exhibit memristive character. These features suggest a new approach for the development of molecular switching systems and storage-class memories.     

铂合金氧还原催化剂:合成、结构和性能

质子交换膜燃料电池是一种将燃料中的化学能直接转化为电能的装置,它具有转化效率高、能量密度高、低温启动、易于操作等优点,因而被认为是最具发展前景的新能源利用方式,在电动汽车、便携电源及分散式电站有着广泛应用.但是,目前质子交换膜燃料电池技术的发展面临着巨大挑战,主要问题包括高成本、低功率密度和低寿命.众所周知,质子交换膜燃料电池中的阴极氧还原反应在酸性条件下是一个复杂的四电子过程,动力学速度缓慢,限制了电池的最终性能.目前大量使用的阴极氧还原催化剂是细小的铂或铂合金纳米颗粒负载在碳载体上,其成本占燃料电池总成本的比例最大.制约燃料电池商业化发展的另一个重要问题是电池寿命低,其中氧还原催化剂的稳定性是决定电池寿命的主要因素.在这样的研究背景下,如何降低催化剂中铂的用量、提高催化剂活性和稳定性显得尤为重要,这也是近年来国内外学者研究的热点.在铂基合金催化剂中,通常采用过渡金属元素作为掺杂元素,由于原子半径不匹配(几何效应)以及电子结构不同(电子效应),合金催化剂表现出优于纯铂催化剂的催化性能.近几年,对于铂基合金催化剂的研究已取得重大进展,以合金组成和结构研究为基础,通过精确控制原子结构、调控表面电子状态以及制备工艺,获得了各种特殊形貌的催化剂,大大提高了催化活性.本文深入综述了近年来铂基合金氧还原催化剂制备、形貌和性能,特别关注了催化剂形貌和催化活性之间的关系.值得注意的是,具有有序原子排列的铂合金催化剂不仅在半电池中表现出优异活性,在实际质子交换膜燃料电池中也显示了很好的活性和稳定性.另一方面,碳载体的形貌及微观结构也对提高催化活性和稳定性起到决定性作用,通过化学手段加强金属纳米颗粒与碳载体之间的相互作用也是提高催化剂稳定性的重要途径.尽管铂基氧还原催化剂在近几年取得了重要进展,但在实际商业化过程中还存在诸多挑战,本文在综述进展的基础上,对铂基催化剂的发展提出了展望.首先,对于氧还原反应机理仍需要深入研究,采用更加精确的理论模型模拟氧还原动力学过程,以获得影响催化活性的关键因素.其次,提高催化剂在膜电极中的催化活性和利用率.目前,氧还原催化剂在半电池测试中性能优异,但是实际燃料电池操作条件下其性能远不能达到要求,这与膜电极、催化剂层及扩散层结构相关.因此,基于不同铂基催化剂的特性,合理设计膜电极组件的结构是将催化剂进行实际应用的基础.最后,催化剂的稳定性仍需进一步提高,尽管目前大部分催化剂在实验室半电池研究中表现了很好的稳定性,但在实际燃料电池中的稳定性研究还不足,而且对催化剂在膜电极中性能衰退机理的研究也非常有限.因此,对于铂基氧还原催化剂的研发仍需要国内外科研工作者不懈的努力.     

Membrane Proteins Have Distinct Fast Internal Motion and Residual Conformational Entropy

The internal motions of integral membrane proteins have largely eluded comprehensive experimental characterization. Here the fast side‐chain dynamics of the α‐helical sensory rhodopsin II and the β‐barrel outer membrane protein W have been investigated in lipid bilayers and detergent micelles by solution NMR relaxation techniques. Despite their differing topologies, both proteins have a similar distribution of methyl‐bearing side‐chain motion that is largely independent of membrane mimetic. The methyl‐bearing side chains of both proteins are, on average, more dynamic in the ps–ns timescale than any soluble protein characterized to date. Accordingly, both proteins retain an extraordinary residual conformational entropy in the folded state, which provides a counterbalance to the absence of the hydrophobic effect. Furthermore, the high conformational entropy could greatly influence the thermodynamics underlying membrane‐protein functions, including ligand binding, allostery, and signaling.     

Total Synthesis of (±)‐Phyllantidine: Development and Mechanistic Evaluation of a Ring Expansion for Installation of Embedded Nitrogen‐Oxygen Bonds

The development of a concise total synthesis of (±)‐phyllantidine ( 1 ), a member of the securinega family of alkaloids containing an unusual oxazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane core, is described. The synthesis employs a unique synthetic strategy featuring the ring expansion of a substituted cyclopentanone to a cyclic hydroxamic acid as a key step that allows facile installation of the embedded nitrogen‐oxygen (N?O) bond. The optimization of this sequence to effect the desired regiochemical outcome and its mechanistic underpinnings were assessed both computationally and experimentally. This synthetic approach also features an early‐stage diastereoselective aldol reaction to assemble the substituted cyclopentanone, a mild reduction of an amide intermediate without N?O bond cleavage, and the rapid assembly of the butenolide found in ( 1 ) via use of the Bestmann ylide.