Darobactin B Stabilises a Lateral-Closed Conformation of the BAM Complex in E. coli Cells

The β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM complex) is essential for outer membrane protein (OMP) folding in Gram-negative bacteria, and represents a promising antimicrobial target. Several conformational states of BAM have been reported, but all have been obtained under conditions which lack the unique features and complexity of the outer membrane (OM). Here, we use Pulsed Electron-Electron Double Resonance (PELDOR, or DEER) spectroscopy distance measurements to interrogate the conformational ensemble of the BAM complex in E. coli cells. We show that BAM adopts a broad ensemble of conformations in the OM, while in the presence of the antibiotic darobactin B (DAR-B), BAM′s conformational equilibrium shifts to a restricted ensemble consistent with the lateral closed state. Our in-cell PELDOR findings are supported by new cryoEM structures of BAM in the presence and absence of DAR-B. This work demonstrates the utility of PELDOR to map conformational changes in BAM within its native cellular environment.     

Evaluation of the Effect of Citronellol Group on Functionalized Mesogenic Materials by Capillary GC

In this paper, the effects of functionalization with terpenes on two new liquid-crystalline stationary phases for gas chromatography (GC) are described. Citronellol was used as the terminal group in the first material, and tetrahydrogeraniol was used with a second material. Inverse GC showed that the new materials have wide liquid-crystalline ranges (mesophases), 371–500 and 395–501 K, respectively. Moreover, they show good thermal stability up to 523 K and good potential as stationary phases for capillary GC. To clarify the effects of the liquid crystal structures and functional groups on retention and separation, the chromatographic behaviors of the two stationary phases were compared by eluting alkylbenzenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic compounds, and terpenoids. The selectivities for a wide range of analytes achieved using the citronellol column were significantly better than those obtained using the tetrahydrogeraniol column. The columns showed different retention behaviors and fine resolutions for some of the main constituents of essential oils. Introduction of the double bond of citronellol greatly improved the polarization interactions involved in the shape recognition of the liquid-crystalline state for isomers. The new citronellol liquid-crystalline stationary phase, therefore, has a high affinity for natural compounds.

     

Recursive polynomial interpolation algorithm (RPIA)

Two difference schemes are derived for numerically solving the one-dimensional time distributed-order fractional wave equations. It is proved that the schemes are unconditionally stable and convergent in the \(L^{\infty }\) norm with the convergence orders O(τ ² + h ²+Δγ ²) and O(τ ² + h ⁴+Δγ ⁴), respectively, where τ,h, and Δγ are the step sizes in time, space, and distributed order. A numerical example is implemented to confirm the theoretical results.     

Rheology and gelation kinetics of PVC plastisols

Oscillatory rheological experiments at different temperatures and over a wide range of frequencies have been used to investigate the gelation process and, more particularly, the sol–gel transition of various poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) plastisols. The sol–gel transition process was found to be universal with respect to the temperature and solid volume fraction according to the similarity of the fractal structure in PVC plastisols. The variation of the gel time (t _gel) with temperature for any composition of PVC plastisols was predicted from the Dickinson’s model (E. Dickinson, J Chem Soc Faraday Trans, 93:111–114, 1997). Dynamic viscoelastic properties of PVC plastisols have also been studied as a function of temperature that allowed us to follow the gelation process of various plastisols. Thus, the influence of the type and concentration of PVC resins in gelation process was investigated. The variation of the complex shear modulus at a constant frequency was depicted by a master curve regarding the dependence of the moduli on PVC concentrations.     

Generalization of the $${\varvec{lq}}$$lq-modular closure theorem and applications

Archiv der Mathematik - Let k be a field of characteristic $$ p\not =0 $$. For a (purely) inseparable extension K / k the notion of modularity, defined by M.E. Sweedler in the...     

Synthesis and evaluation of some new hydrazones as corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in acidic media

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Mild steel corrosion in HCl solution is an example of corrosion in acidic mediums. The ongoing research efforts to develop novel environmentally friendly...     

Study of the inhibiting effect of a quaternary ammonium surfactants mixture synthesized from petroleum fraction (reformate) against the carbon steel corrosion in HCl 1 M

Quaternary ammonium cationic surfactants were synthesized from reformate, a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons (aromatics, naphthenes and paraffins), via chloromethylation/quaternization sequences. The petroleum surfactants thus obtained were evaluated as corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel in 1 M HCl, by gravimetry, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The corrosion inhibiting efficiency was assessed as functions of surfactant concentration. The results showed that the inhibiting efficiency increased with surfactant concentration; its optimal value of 70 % was for a surfactant concentration of 320 mg/L at 25 °C. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements showed that the mixture acts as a mixed type inhibitor. The corrosion inhibiting mechanism is thought to proceed via an adsorption of the surfactant molecules on the steel surface, generating a film and hindering the active sites. Our experimental adsorption data were found to obey the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. SEM images of the treated specimens, revealing the likely formation of a protective film, demonstrated the inhibiting capacity of the petroleum quaternary ammonium surfactants against the carbon steel corrosion.     

Versatile synthesis of 4-spiro-β-lactam-3-carbonitriles via the intramolecular nucleophilic cyclization of N-(p-hydroxyphenyl)cyanoacetamides

A series of 4-spiro-cyclohexadienonyl-β-lactam-3-carbonitriles, 2,7-dioxo-1-azaspiro[3.5]nona-5,8-diene-3-carbonitriles, was synthesized in satisfactory to excellent yields via the intramolecular nucleophilic cyclization of N-(p-hydroxyphenyl)cyanoacetamides with iodobenzene diacetate (IBD) as oxidant and potassium hydroxide as base. Acetic 4-spiro-cyclohexadienonyl-β-lactam-3-carbimidic anhydrides were obtained when organic base triethylamine was applied instead of potassium hydroxide. The mechanisms of the intramolecular nucleophilic cyclization and formation of acetic β-lactam-3-carbimidic anhydrides were proposed. The cyclization is a sequence of nucleophilic ipso addition and oxidative dearomatization. The formation of acetic carbimidic anhydrides is an acid-catalyzed acetate addition to the nitriles.     

Borohydride Exchange Resin,a New Reducing Agent for Reductive Amination

A system consisting of tosyl chloride-dimethyl formamide-pyridine was found to ensure oxidation of poly(vinyl alcohol) and some molecular alcohols.