Enhanced conformational sampling method for proteins based on the TaBoo SeArch algorithm: Application to the folding of a mini‐protein,chignolin

The conformational samplings are indispensible for obtaining reliable canonical ensembles, which provide statistical averages of physical quantities such as free energies. However, the samplings of vast conformational space of biomacromolecules by conventional molecular dynamics (MD) simulations might be insufficient, due to their inadequate accessible time‐scales for investigating biological functions. Therefore, the development of methodologies for enhancing the conformational sampling of biomacromolecules still remains as a challenging issue in computational biology. To tackle this problem, we newly propose an efficient conformational search method, which is referred as TaBoo SeArch (TBSA) algorithm. In TBSA, an inverse energy histogram is used to select seeds for the conformational resampling so that states with high frequencies are inhibited, while states with low frequencies are efficiently sampled to explore the unvisited conformational space. As a demonstration, TBSA was applied to the folding of a mini‐protein, chignolin, and automatically sampled the native structure (C_α root mean square deviation < 1.0 Å) with nanosecond order computational costs started from a completely extended structure, although a long‐time 1‐µs normal MD simulation failed to sample the native structure. Furthermore, a multiscale free energy landscape method based on the conformational sampling of TBSA were quantitatively evaluated through free energy calculations with both implicit and explicit solvent models, which enable us to find several metastable states on the folding landscape. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Lanthanide‐Doped Nanocrystals: Strategies for Improving the Efficiency of Upconversion Emission and Their Physical Understanding

The fundamental understanding of lanthanide‐doped upconverted nanocrystals remains a frontier area of research because of potential applications in photonics and biophotonics. Recent studies have revealed that upconversion luminescence dynamics depend on host crystal structure, size of the nanocrystals, dopant concentration, and core–shell structures, which influence site symmetry and the distribution and energy migration of the dopant ions. In this review, we bring to light the influences of doping/co‐doping concentration, crystal phase, crystal size of the host, and core–shell structure on the efficiency of upconversion emission. Furthermore, the lattice strain, due to a change in the crystal phase and by the core–shell structure, strongly influences the upconversion emission intensity. Analysis suggests that the local environment of the ion plays the most significant role in modification of radiative and nonradiative relaxation mechanisms of overall upconversion emission properties. Finally, an outlook on the prospects of this research field is given.     

UV Emission of Gd3+ in the Presence of Cu2+: Towards Luminescence Quenching through Quantum Cutting?

The first investigation into the ultraviolet (UV) photoluminescence of gadolinium(III) in the presence of copper(II) is reported. A melt‐quenched barium phosphate glass was used as a model matrix. The optical spectroscopy assessment shows that with increasing CuO concentration the Cu²⁺ absorption band grows steadily, whereas the UV emission from Gd³⁺ ions is progressively quenched. The data, thus, suggests the existence of a Gd³⁺→Cu²⁺ energy‐transfer process ocurring through quantum cutting. A downconversion/cross‐relaxation pathway proceeding through a virtual state in Gd³⁺ is proposed. These findings suggest gadolinium(III) could potentially be used in the optical sensing of copper(II).     

电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)法测定离子吸附型稀土矿中的浸出稀土元素

对浙江某地大量的离子吸附型稀土样品进行了稀土元素(Y,La,Ce,Pr,Nd,Sm,Eu,Gd,Tb,Dy,Ho,Er,Tm,Yb,Lu)的浸提和测定实验,实验对比了氯化铵和硫酸铵溶液对矿石中稀土元素的浸出性能,选择了杂质浸出较少的硫酸铵溶液作为浸出剂,对不同稀土含量的吸附型稀土矿进行了实验,浸出方法稳定,符合工业开采要求。实验了电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定浸出液中稀土元素分量的方法,浸出液经大比例稀释并酸化后测定,精密度较好,能满足离子吸附型稀土矿评价的质量要求,方法检出限(6σ)0.005~0.26μg/g,单元素测定精密度(n=6,RSD≤6.0%),浸出稀土元素总量测定RSD≤4.0%。实际样品的实验及测定结果满意。     

Note on rare Z-boson decays to double heavy quarkonia

Within the standard model, we have investigated rare Z-boson decays into double heavy quarkonia, \begin{document}$ Z\to VV $\end{document} and \begin{document}$ Z\to VP $\end{document}, with V and P denoting vector and pseudoscalar quarkonia, respectively. It is assumed that the leading-order QCD diagrams would give the dominant contributions to these processes, and the corresponding branching fractions, for instance, \begin{document}$ {\cal B}(Z\to J/\Psi J/\Psi) $\end{document}, have been estimated to be approximately\begin{document}$ 10^{-13} $\end{document} in literature. However, these decays could also happen through electromagnetic transitions \begin{document}$ Z\to V\gamma^* $\end{document} and \begin{document}$ Z\to P\gamma^* $\end{document}, with the virtual photon transforming into V. Interestingly, the smallness of the vector quarkonium mass can give rise to a large factor \begin{document}$ m_Z^2/m_V^2 $\end{document} relative to the QCD contributions, which thus counteracts the suppression from the electromagnetic coupling. We systematically include these two types of contributions in our calculation to predict branching fractions for these decays. Particularly, owing to the virtual photon effects, it is found that \begin{document}$ {\cal B}(Z\to J/\Psi J/\Psi) $\end{document} will be significantly enhanced, up to \begin{document}$ 10^{-10} $\end{document}.     

微波消解-电感耦合等离子体发射光谱(ICP-OES)法测生物质中的碱金属和碱土金属

为研究并解决测试生物质样品中碱金属和碱土金属含量的干扰,采用微波消解-电感耦合等离子体发射光谱(ICP-OES)法对生物质中的碱金属和碱土金属钾、钙、钠、镁元素进行测定,考察了样品消解后不同的酸体系,共存元素干扰对钾、钠、钙、镁含量测定的干扰研究。经过研究表明,接近分析标准曲线酸浓度的样品干扰小,铅、铟、钛、锰元素对钠元素测定造成干扰,砷、铜、镉对钙元素测定干扰,铝对钾元素测定有干扰,镁测定不受共存元素干扰影响,运用干扰系数法可以减少共存元素对测定元素的误差。各待测元素标准曲线相关系数大于0.9996,检出限为0.0014~0.023 mg/L,玉米芯各元素的相对标准偏差为0.98%~1.9%,加标回收率为80.2%~106%;西瓜皮的各元素相对标准偏差为0.91%~2.3%,加标回收率为85.3%~106%。方法用于测定国家标准物质GBW07603,各元素结果均在标准值参考范围内。方法用于测定生物质中碱金属和碱土金属的结果,用t检验法与离子色谱测定值进行比对,结果无显著性差异。     

微波消解-电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)法测定板栗中的矿物元素及稀土元素

为了准确测定板栗中矿物元素和稀土元素的含量水平,采用冷冻干燥方式预处理样品,选用硝酸和过氧化氢体系微波消解样品,结合电感耦合等离子体质谱技术,建立了板栗中钠(Na)、钾(K)、镁(Mg)、锰(Mn)、铁(Fe)、钒(V)、钴(Co)等19种矿物元素及镧(La)、铈(Ce)、镨(Pr)、钕(Nd)、钐(Sm)、铕(Eu)、钆(Gd)、铽(Tb)、镝(Dy)、钬(Ho)、铒(Er)、铥(Tm)、镱(Yb)、镥(Lu)、钇(Y)等15种稀土元素的同时分析测定方法。方法检出限为0.0027~0.78μg/L,相对标准偏差为1.4%~6.3%。通过国家标准物质GBW10019苹果的准确度实验验证,测定结果均在标准证书值范围内。实验结果表明,方法适用于板栗中矿物元素及稀土元素的同时测定。     

d-f跃迁发光稀土配合物研究进展

稀土配合物独特的发光性质使其在众多领域有很大的应用价值。其中, d-f跃迁发光稀土配合物具有跃迁宇称允许、激发态寿命短和光谱可调等特点,但相关研究还有待进一步深入。本文介绍了稀土配合物的发光机制,综述了具有d-f跃迁发光性质的稀土配合物(主要是Ce³⁺, Eu²⁺, Yb²⁺和Sm²⁺配合物)的研究进展,并初步总结了配合物分子结构对d-f跃迁发光性质的影响规律。     

稀土金属-有机框架在同分异构体传感材料中的应用

基于稀土金属离子独特的电子结构,稀土金属-有机框架的光致发光具有发射峰尖锐、量子产率高和发光寿命长等特点,可应用于针对特定功能化学物种的光学传感材料。稀土金属离子高的配位数和丰富的配位模式,使得稀土金属-有机框架具有结构多样性和可调性,可与不同的化学物种在结构和能级两个方面相匹配,是其具有传感功能的基础。关于同分异构体的识别,尤其是针对同类同分异构体的快速识别,在化工和制药等领域均具有重要的价值。本文综述了稀土金属-有机框架针对具有特定功能同分异构体的传感性质,并讨论了其相关传感机制。     

Application of the Redox-Transmetalation Procedure to Access Divalent Lanthanide and Alkaline-Earth NHC Complexes**

Divalent lanthanide and alkaline-earth complexes supported by N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands have been accessed by redox-transmetalation between air-stable NHC-AgI complexes and the corresponding metals. By using the small ligand 1,3-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene (IMe), two series of isostructural complexes were obtained: the tetra-NHC complexes [LnI₂(IMe)₄] (Ln=Eu and Sm) and the bis-NHC complexes [MI₂(IMe)₂(THF)₂] (M=Yb, Ca and Sr). In the former, distortions in the NHC coordination were found to originate from intermolecular repulsions in the solid state. Application of the redox-transmetalation strategy with the bulkier 1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene (IMes) ligand yielded [SrI₂(IMes)(THF)₃], while using a similar procedure with Ca metal led to [CaI₂(THF)₄] and uncoordinated IMes. DFT calculations were performed to rationalise the selective formation of the bis-NHC adduct in [SrI₂(IMe)₂(THF)₂] and the tetra-NHC adduct in [SmI₂(IMe)₄]. Since the results in the gas phase point towards preferential formation of the tetra-NHC complexes for both metal centres, the differences between both arrangements are a result of solid-state effects such as slightly different packing forces.