Multiparameter Polynomial Adaptive Stabilizers

In 1983 Morse proved, for unknown scalar one-dimensional linearsystems, the nonexistence of rational or polynomial universalstabilizers (UAS). In 1983, Nussbaum gave an example of an analyticUAS. In our paper, it is shown that there exist time-invariantpolynomial UAS's with multidimensional gain adaptation. Thedesign procedure is developed for linear, minimum-phase systemsof relative degree one. Convergence of the closed-loop systemis proved. Some numerical simulations are provided.     

Electron capture dissociation of polypeptides using a 3 Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer

Electron capture dissociation (ECD) of polypeptides has been demonstrated using a commercially available 3 Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) instrument. A conventional rhenium filament, designed for high-energy electron impact ionisation, was used to effect ECD of substance P, bee venom melittin and bovine insulin, oxidised B chain. A retarding field analysis of the effective electron kinetic energy distribution entering the ICR cell suggests that one of the most important parameters governing ECD for this particular instrument is the need to employ low trapping plate voltages. This is shown to maximise the abundance of low-energy electrons. The demonstration of ECD at this relatively low magnetic field strength could offer the prospect of more routine ECD analysis for the wider research community, given the reduced cost of such magnets and (at least theoretically) the greater ease of electron/ion cloud overlap at lower field.     

Analysis of low oxidation state transition metal clusters by laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A variety of homonuclear and heteronuclear transition metal carbonyl clusters have been analyzed by ultraviolet laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The spectra were recorded in negative and positive ion modes, using both linear and reflective techniques. A range of different clusters based on different nuclearities, geometries, and ligand types, which include hydrides, phosphines, nitriles, and cyclopentadienyl ligands and naked main group atoms, were studied. These experiments have allowed us to construct a detailed picture of the technique for the analysis of transition metal carbonyl clusters and their derivatives. In general, extensive reactions are observed, cluster aggregation reactions in particular, and from a comparison of the spectra obtained, some mechanistic inferences concerning the aggregation processes have been drawn.     

Inert site in a protein zinc cluster: isotope exchange by high resolution mass spectrometry

Using electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, we show that one Zn2+ ion in the Zn4 cluster of cyanobacterial metallothionein is inert to exchange with 67Zn2+. We suggest that this is zinc in site A, which together with the surrounding alpha and beta secondary structure forms a zinc-finger fold.     

Asymmetric synthesis of pedamide using I_2-induced heterocyclization to construct the skeleton

An alternative approach to synthesize pedamide,a key building block of pederin was described.Iodine-induced asymmetric heterocyclization was used as the key step to construct the skeleton,a tetrahydropyran ring with three chiral centers.Brown's asymmetric allylation and Lewis acid-mediated allylation were investigated to introduce chains and chiral alcohols.Sharpless dihydroxylation decorated the side chain.And high optically pure target was obtained by removing the epimers formed in these reactions on c...     

Microwave-assisted one-pot synthesis of 3-substituted-3,4-dihydrocoumarins via tendem Konevenagel and Hantzsch reactions

A convenient route for the synthesis of 3,4-dihydrocoumarin derivates from salicylaldehyde derivates and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds under solvent-free microwave irradiation conditions was described. In this way, a range of compounds was obtained in moderate to good yields in a short reaction time.     

Top-down protein sequencing by CID and ECD using desorption electrospray ionisation (DESI) and high-field FTICR mass spectrometry

We report high resolution spectra for the medium molecular weight proteins myoglobin and cytochrome-c obtained using a custom desorption electrospray ionisation (DESI) source coupled to a Bruker Daltonics 12 T Apex Qe Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FTICR-MS). The DESI source was designed for accurate alignment and reproduction of critical geometric variables. A two axis motorised stage was included to enable automated rastering of the sample under the DESI plume. Spectra for the intact proteins have been obtained under single-acquisition conditions and a top-down analysis of cytochrome-c was performed using both collision induced dissociation (CID) and electron capture dissociation (ECD) of the isolated [M+15H]¹⁵⁺ charge state. The sequence coverage is comparable to that obtained using electrospray ionisation, demonstrating the utility of top-down protein analysis by DESI FTICR-MS.     

Self-injection length in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3-YBa2Cu3O7-δ ferromagnet-superconductor multilayer thin films

We have carried out extensive studies on the self-injection problem in barrierless heterojunctions between La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃ (LCMO) and YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) thin films. The heterojunctions were formed in situ by sequentially growing LCMO and YBCO films on 〈100〉 LaAlO₃ (LAO) substrate using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) system. YBCO micro-bridges with 64 μm width were patterned both on the LAO (control) and LCMO side of the substrate. Critical current, I _c, was measured at 77 K on both the control side as well as the LCMO side for different YBCO film thickness. It was observed that while the control side showed a J _c of ∼ 2 × 10⁶ A/cm², the LCMO side showed about half the value for the same thickness (1800 ?). The difference in J _c indicates that a certain thickness of YBCO has become ‘effectively’ normal due to self-injection. From the measurement of J _c at two different thicknesses (1800 ? and 1500 ?) of YBCO films both on the LAO as well as the LCMO side, the value of self-injection length (at 77 K) was estimated to be ∼ 900 ?. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first time that self-injection length has been quantified. A control experiment carried out with LaNiO₃ deposited by PLD on YBCO did not show any evidence of self-injection.     

Mapping a Noncovalent Protein–Peptide Interface by Top-Down FTICR Mass Spectrometry Using Electron Capture Dissociation

Noncovalent protein–ligand and protein–protein complexes are readily detected using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS). Furthermore, recent reports have demonstrated that careful use of electron capture dissociation (ECD) fragmentation allows covalent backbone bonds of protein complexes to be dissociated without disruption of noncovalent protein–ligand interactions. In this way the site of protein–ligand interfaces can be identified. To date, protein–ligand complexes, which have proven tractable to this technique, have been mediated by ionic electrostatic interactions, i.e., ion pair interactions or salt bridging. Here we extend this methodology by applying ECD to study a protein–peptide complex that contains no electrostatics interactions. We analyzed the complex between the 21 kDa p53-inhibitor protein anterior gradient-2 and its hexapeptide binding ligand (PTTIYY). ECD fragmentation of the 1:1 complex occurs with retention of protein–peptide binding and analysis of the resulting fragments allows the binding interface to be localized to a C-terminal region between residues 109 and 175. These finding are supported by a solution-phase competition assay, which implicates the region between residues 108 and 122 within AGR2 as the PTTIYY binding interface. Our study expands previous findings by demonstrating that top-down ECD mass spectrometry can be used to determine directly the sites of peptide–protein interfaces. This highlights the growing potential of using ECD and related top-down fragmentation techniques for interrogation of protein–protein interfaces.