Binding Characteristics Study of DNA based Aptamers for E. coli O157:H7

E. coli O157:H7 is a pathogenic bacterium producing verotoxins that could lead to serious complications such as hemolytic uremia syndrome. Fast detection of such pathogens is important. For rapid detection, aptamers are quickly gaining traction as alternative biorecognition molecules besides conventional antibodies. Several DNA aptamers have been selected for E. coli O157:H7. Nonetheless, there has not been a comparative study of the binding characteristics of these aptamers. In this work, we present a comprehensive analysis of binding characteristics including binding affinity (K_d) and binding capacity (B_max) of DNA-based aptamers for E. coli O157:H7 using qPCR. Our results show that aptamer E18R has the highest binding capacity to E. coli 157:H7 and the highest specificity over non-pathogenic E. coli strains K12 and DH5α. Our study also finds that the common biotin-tag modification at 5′ end typically changes the binding capacity significantly. For most of the selected aptamers, the binding capacity after a biotin-tag modification decreases. There exists a discrepancy in the binding capability between the selected aptamer and the aptamer used for detection. Our study also shows that a lower concentration of Mg²⁺ ions in the binding buffer leads to a decrease in the binding capacity of E17F and E18R, while it does not affect the binding capacity of S1 and EcoR1.     

Convergent synthesis of carbonic anhydrase inhibiting bi-heterocyclic benzamides: Structure–activity relationship and mechanistic explorations through enzyme inhibition,kinetics, and computational studies

By using a convergent methodology, a novel series of N-arylated 4-yl-benzamides containing a bi-heterocyclic thiazole–triazole core was synthesized, and the structures of these hybrid molecules, 9a–k , were corroborated through spectral analyses. The in vitro studies of these multifunctional molecules demonstrated their potent carbonic anhydrase inhibition relative to the standard used. The kinetics mechanism was exposed by Lineweaver–Burk plots, which revealed that 9j inhibited carbonic anhydrase non-competitively by forming an enzyme-inhibitor complex. The inhibition constants K_i calculated from Dixon plots for this compound was 1.2 μM. The computational study was also persuasive with the experimental results, and these molecules disclosed good results of all scoring functions and interactions, which suggested a good binding to carbonic anhydrase. So, it was predicted from the inferred results that these molecules might be considered as promising medicinal scaffolds for various diseases related to the uncontrolled production of this enzyme.     

Structural,Magnetic and Catalytic Properties of a New Vacancy Ordered Perovskite Type Barium Cobaltate BaCoO2.67

A new vacancy ordered, anion deficient perovskite modification with composition of BaCoO_2.67 (Ba₃Co₃O₈□₁) has been prepared via a two-step heating process. Combined Rietveld analysis of neutron and X-ray powder diffraction data shows a novel ordering of oxygen vacancies not known before for barium cobaltates. A combination of neutron powder diffraction, magnetic measurements, and density functional theory (DFT) studies confirms G-type antiferromagnetic ordering. From impedance measurements, the electronic conductivity of the order of 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ is determined. Remarkably, the bifunctional catalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is found to be comparable to that of Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3–y, confirming that charge-ordered anion deficient non-cubic perovskites can be highly efficient catalysts.     

Solving mixed-integer robust optimization problems with interval uncertainty using Benders decomposition

Uncertainty and integer variables often exist together in economics and engineering design problems. The goal of robust optimization problems is to find an optimal solution that has acceptable sensitivity with respect to uncertain factors. Including integer variables with or without uncertainty can lead to formulations that are computationally expensive to solve. Previous approaches for robust optimization problems under interval uncertainty involve nested optimization or are not applicable to mixed-integer problems where the objective or constraint functions are neither quadratic, nor linear. The overall objective in this paper is to present an efficient robust optimization method that does not contain nested optimization and is applicable to mixed-integer problems with quasiconvex constraints (? type) and convex objective funtion. The proposed method is applied to a variety of numerical examples to test its applicability and numerical evidence is provided for convergence in general as well as some theoretical results for problems with linear constraints.     

Stability-Indicating Densitometric High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatographic Method for the Quantitative Analysis of Biomarker Naringin in the Leaves and Stems of Rumex vesicarius L.

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - A simple, sensitive, and stability-indicating high-performance thinlayer chromatography (HPTLC)-densitometric method was developed...     

Stereoselective synthesis of beta-substituted phenylalanine-beta-phenylisoserine-derived tripeptides using N-cinnamoyl-L-proline as template: synthesis of structural analogues of HIV protease inhibitors

N-Cinnamoyl-L-proline can be used as a template on which beta-substituted phenylalanine and beta-phenylisoserine residues can be synthesized leading to tripeptide derivatives as structural analogues of HIV protease inhibitors.     

Micro and semi-micro determination of organic nitrogen by use of potassium bromate

After Kjeldahl digestion of an organic compound, nitrogen is determined by oxidation of the resultant ammonium sulphate with hypobromite produced in situ by the addition of an excess of potassium bromate and bromide in a special flask. The unreacted potassium bromate is determined iodometrically.     

Daturacin, a new withanolide from Datura innoxia

The methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Datura innoxia afforded a new withanolide, daturacin, the structure of which was elucidated as (20R, 22S)-21,24-epoxy-1,6-dioxo-14alpha-methoxy-5beta-witha-2,25(27)-dienolide (1) by an analysis of the spectroscopic data, including extensive NMR experiments.     

Phytochemical studies on the seed extract of Piper nigrum Linn

The petroleum ether extract of dried ground seeds of Piper nigrum Linn. and some column fractions of this extract were subjected to GC and GC-MS analysis, resulting in the identification of fourteen compounds (1-14) by using NIST Mass spectral search program 1998 and the Kovat's retention indices. Ten of the compounds (1, 2, 4-12) are reported for the first time from this plant. All the fractions showed insecticidal activity against the fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti and against the fourth instar larvae of Anopheles stephensi Liston, determined by the WHO method.     

New insecticidal amides from petroleum ether extract of dried Piper nigrum L. whole fruits

The petroleum ether extract of dried ground whole fruits of Piper nigrum L. afforded 20 compounds (1-20) including two new insecticidal amides named as pipnoohine (1), and pipyahyine (2), seven reported for the first time from this plant (12, 13, 15-17, 19, 20), and eleven known compounds (3-11, 14, 18). The structure of 1 has been elucidated as (2E,4E,12Z)-N-(4-methylpentyl)octadeca-2,4,12-trienamide and that of 2 as (2E,4E,11E)-12-(benzo[1,3]dioxol-5-yl)-N-(3-methylbutyl)dodeca-2,4,11-trien-amide through extensive ID-, 2D-NMR spectral studies and chemical reactions. The known compounds have been identified through comparison of their spectral data with those reported in literature. 1 and 2 exhibited toxicity at 35.0 and 30.0 ppm respectively against fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti L. by WHO method.