Hierarchical Self‐Assembly of Poly‐Pseudorotaxanes into Artificial Microtubules

Hierarchical self‐assembly of building blocks over multiple length scales is ubiquitous in living organisms. Microtubules are one of the principal cellular components formed by hierarchical self‐assembly of nanometer‐sized tubulin heterodimers into protofilaments, which then associate to form micron‐length‐scale, multi‐stranded tubes. This peculiar biological process is now mimicked with a fully synthetic molecule, which forms a 1:1 host‐guest complex with cucurbit[7]uril as a globular building block, and then polymerizes into linear poly‐pseudorotaxanes that associate laterally with each other in a self‐shape‐complementary manner to form a tubular structure with a length over tens of micrometers. Molecular dynamic simulations suggest that the tubular assembly consists of eight poly‐pseudorotaxanes that wind together to form a 4.5 nm wide multi‐stranded tubule.     

Expression patterns of antioxidant proteins in brains of patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease

Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and Western blot analysis, we were able to identify and quantify six antioxidant proteins, peroxiredoxin (Prx) I, Prx II, Prx III, 1-Cys Prx, putative peroxisomal antioxidant enzyme (PLP), and mitochondrial Mn superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) in two individual brain regions, cerebellum and frontal cortex of patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jacob (sCJD). Among six antioxidant proteins, 1-Cys Prx showed significant increase (P > 0.05) in sCJD frontal cortex whereas Prx I was decreased (P > 0.01). In cerebellum, levels of all antioxidant proteins studied were comparable to those of controls. Our findings provide evidence for the link between aberrant expression of antioxidant proteins, 1-Cys Prx and Prx I and CJD neuropathogenesis and we discuss the neuropathological meaning of these dysregulated antioxidant proteins in sCJD brain.     

Spirometallodendrimers: terpyridine-based intramacromolecular cyclization upon complexation

The first examples of metallodendritic spiranes have been obtained via incorporation of single terpyridine units within each dendritic quadrant.     

The free surface on a liquid between cylinders rotating at different speeds. Part III

Summary This paper is a further contribution to our work on the Weissenberg effect. One goal of our work is to show how the free-surface deformations on a viscoelastic fluid which is sheared between two concentric rotating cylinders can be used to determine rheological data about the fluid. In this paper we report the results of an experimental program in which free surface shapes have been measured on three viscoelastic fluids undergoing shearing in an apparatus consisting of a stationary outer cylinder and four interchangeable rotating inner cylinders. Experimentally-measured profiles are compared with profiles predicted from second-order theory, and found to be in excellent agreement for STP and TLA-227 in the range of applicability of the second-order theory, but there is some disagreement in the results for a 2% solution of polyacrylamide in 49% water –49% glycerin.

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Zusammenfassung Diese Arbeit stellt einen weiteren Beitrag zu unseren Untersuchungen über den Weissenberg-Effekt dar. Ein Ziel dieser Untersuchungen ist es zu zeigen, wie die Deformation der freien Oberfläche einer zwischen zwei konzentrischen Zylindern gescherten viskoelastischen Flüssigkeit dazu verwendet werden kann, rheologische Kenngrößen der Flüssigkeit zu gewinnen. In dieser Arbeit wird über die Ergebnisse einer experimentellen Untersuchung berichtet, in der die Gestalt der freien Oberfläche bei drei viskoelastischen Flüssigkeiten gemessen wurde, die in einem Apparat geschert wurden, der aus einem stationären Außenzylinder und vier auswechselbaren rotierenden Innenzylindern bestand. Die experimentell bestimmten Profile werden mit solchen verglichen, die aufgrund einer Theorie zweiter Ordnung vorausgesagt worden sind. Man findet im Bereich der Anwendbarkeit dieser Theorie für STP und TLA-227 eine ausgezeichnete Übereinstimmung, wohingegen die Ergebnisse bei einer 2%igen Polyacrylamid-Lösung in einer 1:1-Wasser-Glycerin-Mischung gewisse Diskrepanzen aufweisen.

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With 12 figures and 1 table     

Nanomanipulator-assisted fabrication and characterization of carbon nanotubes inside scanning electron microscope

We have installed two nanomanipulators, which can travel about 20mm with a minimum increment of 1 nm, for manipulation of nanostructured materials inside field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Both manipulators render motions in x, y, and z directions, providing various manipulation freedoms such as moving, bending, cutting, and biasing. In addition, we have conducted in situ characterization of the electrical breakdown of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Our results demonstrate the possibility that MWCNTs can be used as a gas sensor.