Near-Ultraviolet Circular Dichroism and Two-Dimensional Spectroscopy of Polypeptides

A fully quantitative theory of the relationship between protein conformation and optical spectroscopy would facilitate deeper insights into biophysical and simulation studies of protein dynamics and folding. In contrast to intense bands in the far-ultraviolet, near-UV bands are much weaker and have been challenging to compute theoretically. We report some advances in the accuracy of calculations in the near-UV, which were realised through the consideration of the vibrational structure of the electronic transitions of aromatic side chains.     

A Pilot Survey of Vocal Health in Young Singers

The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of vocal problems in young choir singers and to correlate vocal problems with demographic and behavioral information. A questionnaire addressing vocal habits and hygiene was offered to 571 young choir singers, up to 25 years of age, who sing at least weekly; 129 (22.6%) responded. More than one-half of the respondents had experienced vocal difficulty, particularly older adolescents. Detrimental behaviors and circumstances surveyed were not reflective of the incidence of vocal difficulty, except for morning hoarseness, chronic fatigue, insomnia, and female gender after puberty. Voice care professionals should be aware that self-reported voice difficulties are common among young choral singers, especially postpubescent girls, and children with symptoms consistent with reflux (morning hoarseness) and emotional stress (insomnia). Laryngologists should communicate with choral conductors and singing teachers to enhance early identification and treatment of children with voice complaints, and to develop choral educational strategies that help decrease their incidence.     

Zur Trennung des Nickels von Eisen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Untersuchungen über Radium- und Bariumfällungen unter Anwendung von Thorium X als Indikator

Zusammenfassung Zunächst wird im Zusammenhang mit Messungen der Fällungsgeschwindigkeit von Thorium X in sulfathaltigen Lösungen eine Methode beschrieben, die es gestattet, während der Fällung, und zwar ohne Störung des Fällungsvorganges, diejenigen Mengen von Thorium X zu bestimmen, die sich jeweils zu bestimmten Zeitpunkten noch in Lösung befinden; dabei konnte der Gehalt an Th X mit Hilfe einer Emanationsmethode genau ermittelt werden.Die Versuchsergebnisse, die in Kurven wiedergegeben sind, lassen deutlich erkennen, daß die Fällung von Th X nicht momentan erfolgt, sondern eine gewisse Zeit beansprucht, die von der Konzentration der zugesetzten Sulfat- und Bariumchloridlösung sowie vom Zusatz anderer Fremdionen abhängig ist; es wird jedoch schließlich immer der gleiche Endzustand vollständiger Ausfällung erreicht, wenn mit äquivalenten Mengen gearbeitet wird.Die Annahme, daß die Fällung momentan erfolgt, daß aber das Fällungsprodukt sich im Laufe der Zeit von einem feinkristallinischen Zustand mit großer Emanierfähigkeit in einen grobkristallinen mit geringer Emanationsabgabe umwandelt, konnte durch besondere Experimente widerlegt werden.Schließlich wird noch eine Apparatur zur Messung des Thorongehalts angegeben, die auch für Untersuchungen des Thoriumgehalts von Quellwässern Anwendung finden kann.

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Summary A method has been worked out which makes it possible to determine the rate of precipitation of thorium X in solutions containing sulphate ion. The amount of thorium X is determined rapidly and accurately by the thorium emanation—thoron—evolved under fixed conditions. Determinations have been made every 5 minute during the time following precipitation, and the results are given graphically.They bring forward, very clearly, that the precipitation of thorium X requires a certain length of time, depending on the concentration of the sulphate and barium-chloride solutions used and on the presence of other ions. However, if equivalent quantities of barium- and sulphate ions are used, the same final result is always reached.It might have been supposed that the precipitation takes place instantaneously but that in course of time, the precipitate undergoes changes through recrystallisations and that the emanating power changes accordingly. That hypothesis, however, could be disproved by special experiments.At last an apparatus for measuring the thoron content is given which can also be applied for investigations of the thorium content of source waters.

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Résumé Les auteurs décrivent une méthode qui leur a permis de déterminer la vitesse de précipitation du thorium X en solutions contenant de l'ion sulfurique. Le thorium X est dosé par son émanation — le thoron — sous des conditions fixées, et les dosages peuvent se faire à intervalles régulières pendant le temps que demande la précipitation.Les résultats montrent que la précipitation du thorium X ne se fait point à l'instant, mais demande un certain temps, dépendant de la concentration des solutions de sulfate et de chlorure de baryum ajoutées et aussi de la présence d'ions étrangers.Les auteurs réfutent par leurs expériences la théorie que la précipitation se fait momentanément et que le précipité change peu à peu son état cristallin et par cela même, sa faculté de dégager l'émanation.Enfin les auteurs décrivent un appareil pour les dosages de thoron, qui pourra servir de même pour déterminer la teneur en thorium dans les eaux vives.

     

The hyperbolic n-space as a graph in Euclidean (6n−6)-space

We construct for each n2 an isometric C-imbedding HⁿE^6n–6 of the n-dim. hyperbolic space into the Euclidean space E^6n–6 whose image is the graph of a C-map RⁿR^5n–6. This generalizes a well known result of D. Blanusa 1955 (the case n=2).     

Self-assembled luminescent CdSe-ZnS quantum dot bioconjugates prepared using engineered poly-histidine terminated proteins

We report a simple and versatile approach for the conjugation of luminescent CdSe-ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) to proteins through coordination of engineered C-terminal oligohistidine sequences. Several histidine tail containing proteins were self-assembled onto the QD surface using this method. A recombinant antibody specific for the high explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was conjugated to QDs through a carboxy terminal histidine tail and the bioconjugate used to detect TNT by competitive immunoassay. TNT was detected over the range of 10 μg/ml down to 41 ng/ml using the scFv conjugated to QDs. These results open up the possibility to conjugate luminescent QDs to a whole range of proteins to form QD bioconjugates that can be effectively used in bio-oriented applications, such as sensing, imaging, immunoassay and other diagnostics.     

Mesomorphism,isomerization, and dynamics in a new series of pyramidic liquid crystals

Nona-alkanoyloxy tribenzocyclononene (CTV-n, where n is the number of carbons in the side chains) were prepared for n = 2 to 14. The homologues of this series appear in two stable isomeric forms, rigid crown and flexible saddle. We report on their isomerization equilibria and dynamics in solution and on their mesomorphic properties in the neat state. The crown-saddle equilibrium and interconversion kinetics of the CTV-8 isomers were studied in dimethyl formamide solutions using high-resolution (1)H NMR in the temperature range from 50 to 130 degrees C. At lower temperatures, the isomerization is too slow to measure. In this range the equilibrium saddle fraction increases from approximately 0.40 to approximately 0.65, whereas the isomerization rate increases from approximately 10(-)(4) to approximately 1 s(-)(1). The saddle isomer undergoes fast pseudorotation at room temperature, but below about -50 degrees C, it becomes slow enough to affect the NMR line width. The rate parameters for this process were estimated from the carbon-13 spectra in methylene chloride solutions to be, k(p)(-100 degrees C) approximately 1.7 x 10(3) s(-)(1) and E(a) approximately 9.6 kJ/mol. The slow crown-saddle isomerization at room temperature (half-life of about one year) allows quantitative separation (by chromatography) of the two isomers and their separate investigation. When the alkanoyloxy side chains are sufficiently long both isomers are mesogenic (n >or= 4 for the saddle and n >or= 5 for the crown), exhibiting hexagonal columnar mesophases. The structure, dynamics, and mesomorphic properties of these mesophase were investigated by X-ray diffraction, optical polarizing microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and NMR. The lattice parameters of the crown and saddle mesophases of corresponding homologues are almost identical and increase monotonically with increasing length of the side chains. The clearing temperatures of the saddle isomers are consistently lower than those of the corresponding crowns. Within each series, the clearing temperatures are almost independent of the length of the side chains (156 to 170 degrees C for the crown and 115 to 148 degrees C for the saddle). The thermal and kinetic properties of the neat compounds lead to peculiar phase sequences, as observed in the polarizing microscope and in the DSC thermogram, involving repeated, back and forth, interconversion between the two isomers. Carbon-13 MAS NMR measurements of the crown and saddle mesophases of several homologues were carried out. The spectra of the crown mesophase exhibit dynamic features consistent with planar 3-fold molecular jumps about the column axes. A quantitative analysis for the CTV-8 crown homologue yielded the following Arrhenius parameters, A = 3.1 x 10(22)s(-)(1) and E(a) = 130.1kJ/mol. These unusually high values suggest that the barrier to the jump process is temperature dependent, decreasing with increasing temperature. The rate of this 3-fold jump process is slower for the lower homologues and faster for the higher ones. In contrast, the saddle isomers in the mesophase do not show dynamic effects in their carbon-13 MAS spectra. They do not undergo pseudorotation, and it appears that the molecules remain locked within the columns in a saddle conformation, up to the clearing temperature. However, on (super-)cooling to room temperature and below, selective line broadening is observed in their carbon-13 MAS spectra. This suggests that the saddle conformation is twisted in the mesophase and undergoes fast high-amplitude jumps between the twisted forms. On cooling, these high-amplitude librations freeze out to give an orientationally disordered state. On a very long time scale (of the order of days at 100 degrees C), the saddle mesophase transforms into that of the crown, apparently by sublimation.     

Mass transfer and benzene removal from air using latex rubber tubing and a hollow-fiber membrane module

A dense-phase latex rubber tube and a polyporous propylene hollow-fiber membrane module (HFMM) were investigated for control of benzene-contaminated gas streams. The abiotic mass flux observed through the latex tube was 3.9–13 mg/(min·m²) for 150 ppm of benzene at various gas and liquid flow rates, while a 100-fold lower mass flux was observed in the HFMM. After seeding with an aromatic-degrading culture enriched from activated sludge, the observed removal was 80% of 150 ppm, corresponding toa mass flux of 45 mg/(min·m²). The observed mass flux through the HFMM during biofiltration also rose, to 0.4 mg/(min·m²). Because the HFMM had a 50-fold higher surface area than the latex tube, the observed ben zene removal was 99.8%. Compared to conventional biofilters, the two reactors had modest elimination capacities, 2.5–18 g/(m³·h) in the latex tube membrane bioreactor and 4.8–58 g/(m³·h) in the HFMM. Although the HFMM had a higher elimination capacity, the gas-phase pressure drop was much greater.     

Incorporation of FT-IR spectral data in a computer-assisted prediction of globular protein structure

Currently, much effort is being directed to the determination of the three-dimensional structure of proteins. Two classes of research are of interest; spectrometric techniques which include Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry, and non-spectrometric prediction schemes. The spectra obtained using FT-IR spectrometry, are analyzed to determine the percentages of alpha-helices, beta-pleated sheets, and non-structured coils in a protein. Unfortunately, FT-IR, as well as other spectrometric techniques, cannot be used to determine the exact secondary structure of a protein reliably. Non-spectrometric prediction methods yield information on the exact secondary structure, but are not always accurate. Most prediction methods relate the primary amino acid sequence to the secondary structure of a protein, allowing sequential secondary structure information for the protein examined to be obtained. The goal of this research is to incorporate FT-IR with a prediction method, resulting in an improvement in the accuracy of the prediction.     

Theory of bulk, surface and interface phase transition kinetics in thin films

We report a theoretical study of phase transition kinetics in confined two-dimensional systems, motivated by recent experimental results on the amorphous-to-crystalline transition in supported, thin amorphous water films [E.H.G. Backus, M.L. Grecea, A.W. Kleyn, and M. Bonn, Phys. Rev. Lett. (to be published)]. We generalize and extend existing theories to simultaneously describe the converted (crystalline) fractions in the bulk, at the sample-vacuum surface, and at the sample-support interface as a function of time. The general approach presented here results in expressions for the time-dependent converted bulk, surface, and interface fractions, for arbitrary desorption rate from the thin film, nucleation and growth rates and also includes finite nucleation grain size. The converted bulk, surface, and interface fractions are calculated for nucleation of the new phase occurring (i) in the bulk, (ii) at the support-sample interface, and (iii) at the sample surface (sample-vacuum interface), resulting in nine expressions. The results demonstrate the advantage of monitoring bulk, surface and interface fractions simultaneously to make definite statements regarding the location of the nucleation, and to reliably determine the values of the relevant crystallization parameters.