Tuning the Reactivity of a Substrate for SNAP-Tag Expands Its Application for Recognition-Driven DNA-Protein Conjugation

Recognition-driven modification has been emerging as a novel approach to modifying biomolecular targets of interest site-specifically and efficiently. To this end, protein modular adaptors (MAs) are the ideal reaction model for recognition-driven modification of DNA as they consist of both a sequence-specific DNA-binding domain (DBD) and a self-ligating protein-tag. Coupling DNA recognition by DBD and the chemoselective reaction of the protein tag could provide a highly efficient sequence-specific reaction. However, combining an MA consisting of a reactive protein-tag and its substrate, for example, SNAP-tag and benzyl guanine (BG), revealed rather nonselective reaction with DNA. Therefore new substrates of SNAP-tag have been designed to realize sequence-selective rapid crosslinking reactions of MAs with SNAP-tag. The reactions of substrates with SNAP-tag were verified by kinetic analyses to enable the sequence-selective crosslinking reaction of MA. The new substrate enables the distinctive orthogonality of SNAP-tag against CLIP-tag to achieve orthogonal DNA-protein crosslinking by six unique MAs.     

On the Hamming distances of repeated-root constacyclic codes of length 4ps

Let $p$ be an odd prime, $s$, $m$ be positive integers, $\gamma ,\lambda$ be nonzero elements of the finite field ${\mathbb{F}}_{p^m}$ such that ${\gamma }^{p^s}=\lambda$. In this paper, we show that, for any positive integer $\eta$, the Hamming distances of all repeated-root $\lambda$-constacyclic codes of length $\eta p^s$ can be determined by those of certain simple-root $\gamma$-constacyclic codes of length $\eta$. Using this result, Hamming distances of all constacyclic codes of length $4p^s$ are obtained. As an application, we identify all MDS $\lambda$-constacyclic codes of length $4p^s$.     

Maximal Elements Under Reference-Dependent Preferences with Applications to Behavioral Traps and Games

We study reference-dependent preference relations defined by a real-valued bivariate function and prove an existence criterion for maximal elements. Then we formulate a generalized version of the well-known Brondsted maximum principle and apply it to behavioral traps and Nash equilibrium in games with preference relations that are not necessarily partial orders.     

Estimation of radon and thoron caused dose at exraction and processing sites of mineral sand mining area in Vietnam (HA TINH province)

Mineral sands are mined in several countries to supply to the titanium and zircon producing industries. Coastal black mineral sands usually contain, besides ilmenite (FeTiO₃) and rutile (TiO₂), radioactive minerals such as zircon (ZrSiO₄) and monazite (RePO₄). Radon and thoron activity concentration originated from natural radioactive contents of the black mineral sand was monitored at the extraction and processing for black minerals in the coastal areas of Ha Tinh Province, one of the around 40 coastal mineral sand deposits in Vietnam. The survey was carried out with the Raduet chambers made by Radosys Ltd—Hungary. The obtained results for 25 investigated points show that the measured values are not high in the residential houses and in case of the sand extraction site as well. At the titanium processing plant the measured values were higher than outside the facility (Radon: 18–55 Bq/m³ with average of 34 Bq/³ and Thoron 33–118 Bq/m³ with average of 58 Bq/m³) but still comparable to the average concentration of the world published by UNSCEAR. The typical outdoor levels of radon and thoron gas are each of the order of 10 Bq/m³. Although the radon concentrations were low in the zircon and titanium processing plants, the thoron concentrations in the houses for separating rutile and zircon were very high. At zircon processing factory, the thoron concentration could reach 2,931 Bq/m³ and the estimated annual effective dose would be 21.4 mSv/a. Intervention has to be taken in order to reduce the thoron level in this factory since the level of thoron and its progenies corresponding to an annual occupational effective dose is beyond the action level of 6 mSv/a.     

Efficient solutions and optimality conditions for vector equilibrium problems

Necessary optimality conditions for efficient solutions of unconstrained and vector equilibrium problems with equality and inequality constraints are derived. Under assumptions on generalized convexity, necessary optimality conditions for efficient solutions become sufficient optimality conditions. Note that it is not required here that the ordering cone in the objective space has a nonempty interior.     

Toward efficient catalysts for electrochemical CO2 conversion to C2 products

With impressive progress in carbon capture and renewable energy, carbon dioxide (CO₂) conversion into useful chemicals has become a potential tool against climate change. Electrochemical CO₂ conversion into C₂ products (ethylene and ethanol) is an especially economically promising approach and an active research area. Nonetheless, catalyst layer design for CO₂ conversion is challenging because of the complex CO₂-to-C₂ reaction pathways. In this review, we highlight key ideas in catalyst layer design for CO₂ conversion to C₂ in the past few years. We identify three fundamental principles to control catalyst selectivity—local CO₂ and CO concentration, local pH, and intermediate–catalyst interaction. To achieve these goals, we introduce design strategies for both catalytic materials and overall catalyst layer morphology.     

Secondary Metabolites from the Fruiting Bodies of Coriolopsis aspera in Vietnam and their Bioactivities

Chemistry of Natural Compounds -