On the condensate values in QCD

Conclusions The sets (3) and (4) of condensates have been compared using the QCD sum rules (2) with indefinite weight functions. A bad matching between both sets of condensates and experimental data has been obtained. The standard values (3) appear to be closer to data but some increase ofQ is necessary to improve the agreement. Only higher values ofm ₀ ² could change the results of this analysis. It is interesting that negative values ofm ₀ ² considerably improve the agreement with data; note that this quantity cannot be determined with a sufficient accuracy. We conclude that the QCD sum rules (2) cannot definitely determine a privileged set of condensates.Dedicated to Academician Václav Votruba on the occasion of his eightieth birthday.     

Influence of the conditions of manufacture of nanomeric zirconium dioxide,stabilized with yttrium oxide,on its catalytic properties in the oxidation of CO

The morphological and catalytic properties of samples of nanomeric zirconium dioxide, stabilized with yttrium oxide, manufactured via the effect of a UHF field during the process of drying precipitated zirconium hydroxide and calcination at temperatures from 300 to 1000 °C, were studied. It was shown that the highest activity in the oxidation of CO occurred with 40 nm particles of zirconium dioxide prepared at 1000 °C. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 96–101, March–April, 2007.     

Sequestration within biomolecular condensates inhibits Aβ-42 amyloid formation

Biomolecular condensates are emerging as an efficient strategy developed by cells to control biochemical reactions in space and time by locally modifying composition and environment. Yet, local increase in protein concentration within these compartments could promote aberrant aggregation events, including the nucleation and growth of amyloid fibrils. Understanding protein stability within the crowded and heterogeneous environment of biological condensates is therefore crucial, not only when the aggregation-prone protein is the scaffold element of the condensates but also when proteins are recruited as client molecules within the compartments. Here, we investigate the partitioning and aggregation kinetics of the amyloidogenic peptide Abeta42 (Aβ-42), the peptide strongly associated with Alzheimer''s disease, recruited into condensates based on low complexity domains (LCDs) derived from the DEAD-box proteins Laf1, Dbp1 and Ddx4, which are associated with biological membraneless organelles. We show that interactions between Aβ-42 and the scaffold proteins promote sequestration and local increase of the peptide concentration within the condensates. Yet, heterotypic interactions within the condensates inhibit the formation of amyloid fibrils. These results demonstrate that biomolecular condensates could sequester aggregation-prone proteins and prevent aberrant aggregation events, despite the local increase in their concentration. Biomolecular condensates could therefore work not only as hot-spots of protein aggregation but also as protective reservoirs, since the heterogenous composition of the condensates could prevent the formation of ordered fibrillar aggregates.

Biomolecular condensates sequester an aggregation-prone peptide and prevent its aggregation, showing that heterotypic interactions within the condensates can prevent the formation of amyloid fibrils, despite the local increase in concentration.     

ICP-MS determination of heavy metals in submerged cultures of wood-rotting fungi

Accumulation of five heavy metal ions by five species of wood-rotting basidiomycetes during a 9-day cultivation was studied. Contents of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn were measured using ICP-MS; the amount of mercury was determined directly in solid samples using the Advanced Mercury Analyser. A standard operation procedure for the sample preparation and determination of metal content was developed and validated. Presence of Cd, Cu, Hg, and Pb decreased the accumulation of zinc by the fungi. The basidiomycete Pycnoporus cinnabarinus exhibited the highest metal binding capacity of all fungi tested.     

Selective mono-N-alkylation of 3-amino alcohols via chelation to 9-BBN

[reaction: see text] A method for selective mono-N-alkylation of amino alcohols is introduced. This method relies on formation of a stable chelate with 9-BBN, which serves in the dual roles of protecting and activating the amine group. Three prototypical amino alcohols featuring various three-carbon bridging units led selectively to the monoalkylated derivatives in very high yields. The straightforward synthesis of the N-CD3 derivatives demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach.     

Glass capillary columns for separation of free organic acids

Glass capillary columns have been prepared without acidic additive in the stationary phase, from which free organic acids elute as sharp and symmetrical peaks. The required surface in the borosilicate glass capillary was generated by a combination of leaching with aqueous HCl and deposition of colloidal silica particles; it can be coated with stationary phases have a broad range of polarity. Aqueous samples containing free organic acids can also be analyzed in such columns in an isothermal mode.     

Air/polymer distribution coefficients for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by solid-phase microextraction sampling

Two methods to estimate distribution coefficients (K) between air and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) coating of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers for eight low molecular polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) there are presented. The PDMS phases were used for determination of the coefficients according to equilibrium theory with help of a developed static calibration system (SCS). Another way to estimate the coefficients is based on the use of a linear relationship between the logarithm of the coefficients (log K) and linear temperature-programmed retention indexes (LTPRI) of the compounds without necessity to calibrate. The log K values for both of methods ranged from 5.2 (naphthalene) to 8.9 (pyrene) at 22 degrees C. Relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of log K for each compound determined by static calibration was no more than 5.3%. R.S.D. of retention times for LTPRI indices did not exceed 0.28% for repeated injection. All experiments were implemented on a GC-MS system.     

Beitrag zur mikroskopischen Identifizierung organischer Stoffe nach L. Kofler. V

Zusammenfassung In Fortsetzung früherer Untersuchungen zum Zweck der Ergänzung und Erweiterung der Identifizierungs-Tabelle nachKofler werden für 62 Substanzen die thermomikroskopischen Konstanten mitgeteilt und die gegebenenfalls notwendigen Zusatzreaktionen beschrieben. Bei Nicotinamid, das auf Grund seiner Fähigkeit, mit vielen Stoffen wie organischen Säuren, Säureestern, Phenolen u. a. Komplexverbindungen zu bilden, häufig als Reagens in Betracht kommt, wird das polymorphe Verhalten erläutert und das Auftreten von sieben Modifikationen beschrieben.

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Contribution to the microscopic identification of organic materials after L. Kofler. V

Summary In continuation of earlier investigations for the purpose of supplementing and extending the identification tables ofKofler, the thermomicroscopic constants are given for 62 substances and when necessary the supplementary reactions are described. In the case of nicotinamide, which because of its ability to yield among other things complex compounds with organic acids, acid esters, phenols, is frequently considered as reagent, the complex behavior is illustrated and the occurrence of 7 modifications is described.

     

Affinity chromatography of porcine pepsin A using quinolin-8-ol as ligand

Stationary phase containing quinolin-8-ol immobilized on macroporous methacrylate support for the affinity chromatography of porcine pepsin A is described. Optimized chromatographic conditions for separation of porcine pepsin A on this stationary phase were found investigating the influence of pH, concentration, ionic strength and chemical composition of the used mobile phases. The stationary phase shows a good reproducibility of chromatographic analyses (relative standard deviation, +/-2%), a high recovery (ca. 93%) and a satisfactory capacity (13 mg pepsin A/1 mL stationary phase) for porcine pepsin A. The obtained findings confirm the applicability of affinity chromatography on the stationary phase with immobilized quinolin-8-ol to the isolation and determination of porcine pepsin A.