Naturally occurring antitubercular cyclic peptides

The antibiotic pipeline has failed to keep pace with the rise of multidrug resistant tuberculosis and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis pathogens. Naturally occurring peptides provide a rich source of lead compounds for developing novel pharmaceuticals with high selectivity and potency. Given the vast number of naturally-occurring bioactive cyclic peptides identified so far, the following digest highlights several cyclic peptides, discovered in the preceding decade, that exhibit promising activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.     

质谱法定量测定高密度脂蛋白结合蛋白的糖基化水平

采用质谱法对4种高密度脂蛋白(HDL)的结合蛋白重组人载脂蛋白血清淀粉样蛋白A(SAA)、 α1-抗胰蛋白酶(A1AT)、 α2-人体血清糖蛋白(A2HSG)和A载脂蛋白C3(Apo C3)从蛋白质含量(蛋白的绝对定量)、 位点特异性糖基化(糖肽的相对定量)及聚糖位点占有率等方面进行了研究. 利用四极杆-飞行时间质谱仪(Q-TOF)测量糖蛋白标样酶解产物的二级质谱碎片离子, 用Byonic软件发现了新的糖基化位点信息, 即增加了原位点处聚糖糖型的种类. 对于A2HSG, 新增了N-糖基化156位点上的4种糖型, N-糖基化176位点上的6种糖型, O-糖基化319位点的4种O-聚糖和O-糖基化346位点上的1种糖型. 对于Apo C3, 只有O-糖基化94一个位点, 在此位点上新增了9种糖型. 同时, 调整了用于定量蛋白的多肽, 使得定量更加准确. 采用三重四极杆串级质谱仪(UPLC-ESI-QQQ)研究了4种结合蛋白中多肽和糖肽的多反应监测(MRM)行为, 并重新计算了每种聚糖的位点占有率, 优化了现有的定量方法.     

Optical analysis of polymer powder materials for Selective Laser Sintering

This study increases the basic understanding of optical material properties of polymer powders used in selective laser sintering (SLS). Therefore, different polymer powder materials were analyzed regarding their optical material properties with an integration spheres measurement setup. By the measurements a direct connection between the absorption behavior of the solid material and the overall optical material characteristics of the same material in powdery form could be shown. The results were used to develop an advanced explanation model for the optical material properties of powders. At present, existing explanation models only consider the occurring of multiple reflections in the gaps between the particles to explain the overall optical material properties of powder materials. Thus, by also considering the absorption behavior of the single particles, the basic understanding of the beam-matter interaction and their effect on the optical material properties of powder materials can be expanded.     

Synthesis of 3-aminoindan-1-one derivatives from 2-acetylbenzaldehydes and secondary amines by Mannich annulation

An acid-promoted 2-component Mannich annulation reaction of readily available acetylbenzaldehydes and secondary amines has been reported. The approach provides a simple and efficient method under mild conditions to synthesize 3-aminoindan-1-one derivatives in moderate to good yields.     

A new approach to solve the one-dimensional Schrödinger equation using a wavefunction potential

A new approach to find exact solutions to one–dimensional quantum mechanical systems is devised. The scheme is based on the introduction of a potential function for the wavefunction, and the equation it satisfies. We recover known solutions as well as to get new ones for both free and interacting particles with wavefunctions having vanishing and non–vanishing Bohm potentials. For most of the potentials, no solutions to the Schrödinger equation produce a vanishing Bohm potential. A (large but) restricted family of potentials allows the existence of particular solutions for which the Bohm potential vanishes. This family of potentials is determined, and several examples are presented. It is shown that some quantum, such as accelerated Airy wavefunctions, are due to the presence of non–vanishing Bohm potentials. New examples of this kind are found and discussed.     

An efficient Fe(III)-catalyzed 1,6-conjugate addition of para-quinone methides with fluorinated silyl enol ethers toward β,β-diaryl α-fluorinated ketones

Reported here is a highly efficient 1,6-conjugate addition of fluorinated silyl enol ethers to para-quinone methides, allowing facile access to a range of β,β-diaryl α-fluorinated ketones with good to high yields. Fe(OTf)₃ was identified as the optimal catalyst, with the loading of 3?mol%. Notably, this represent the first 1,6-conjugate addition with fluorinated silyl enol ethers. The synthetic potential of the resulting adducts is also demonstrated.     

Histons: New Quasi-particles and Time-Resolved Fluorescence Shift of Polar Disordered Media

With statistical thermodynamics methods, it is shown that the evolution of a polar luminescence probe + polar disordered medium system after pulse excitation is described by an equation for damped vibrations. From this it follows that in the solvation shell of the excited solute probe, not only synchronous librations but also cooperative jump reorientations of solvent molecules take place, and their damping motion is caused by localized dielectric friction. This collective molecular dynamics is examined as the motion of a quasi-particle called a histon. The histon moment of inertia and mass are determined. The concept of l- and j-histons are also introduced. In terms of this model the full correlation functions for nonequilibrium solvent dynamics are derived. The behavior of steady-state and time-resolved spectra is examined and it is found that the limiting short-wavelength position of the steady-state spectrum at a low temperature and that for time-dependent fluorescence at t 0 are not identical. The histon model has been used for interpretation of the emission band collapse that is observed in long-time evolution experiments. Some other problems of spectral broadening are also discussed. As predicted, sharp expansion of the fluorescence band takes place on an ultrafast time scale due to dephasing of l-histons.     

The detection of cobalt by the microcosmic salt bead

I. The fact, that the blue violet colour of the microcosimic salt bead of cobalt is changed into blue by addition of Na₂CO₃ K₂CO₃, K₂CO₃ NA₂HPO₄ or NA₃PO₄is explained by the formation of pyrophosphate in the melt. II. K₂Na₂P₂O₇ if melted together with CoCl₂ forms blue porcelaneous masses, completely soluble in water.     

Supramolecular assemblies based on some new methyl-substituted cucurbit[5]urils through hydrogen bonding

Three supramolecular assemblies based on three new partial methyl-substituted cucurbit[5]urils, which are tetramethylcucurbit[5]uril (α,γ-TMeQ[5]), hexamethyl cucurbit[5]uril (α,β,δ-HMeQ[5]), Nonamethylcucurbit[5]uril (NMeQ[5]), were synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffractions. For the comparison with these new Q[5]s, crystal structure of an assembly constructing with normal Q[5] and K₂PtCl₆ was also reported. They are (α,γ-TMeQ[5])·15(H₂O) (1), (α,β,δ-HMeQ[5])·2Cl⁻·2(H₃O)⁺·7(H₂O) (2), (NMeQ[5])·14(H₂O) (3), (4). In the corresponding crystal structures, the molecular encapsulates included a water molecule and lidded water molecules at both of the portals were observed. Moreover, these molecular encapsulates are connected through hydrogen bonding and formed supramolecular chains or joined in pair.