Quantifying Light and Ultraviolet Radiation in Plant Biology

Abstract— Fluence rate and irradiance, two parameters used to quantify light and ultraviolet radiation, do not have a constant relation under natural light conditions. A method is described for measuring fluence rate, the preferred parameter, using meters intended for irradiance measurements. Values measured under natural light conditions are compared to a daylight model.     

Recent Advances in the Chemical Biology of N-Glycans

Asparagine-linked N-glycans on proteins have diverse structures, and their functions vary according to their structures. In recent years, it has become possible to obtain high quantities of N-glycans via isolation and chemical/enzymatic/chemoenzymatic synthesis. This has allowed for progress in the elucidation of N-glycan functions at the molecular level. Interaction analyses with lectins by glycan arrays or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) using various N-glycans have revealed the molecular basis for the recognition of complex structures of N-glycans. Preparation of proteins modified with homogeneous N-glycans revealed the influence of N-glycan modifications on protein functions. Furthermore, N-glycans have potential applications in drug development. This review discusses recent advances in the chemical biology of N-glycans.     

共混聚合物辐射效应研究的进展

本文综述了近十几年来国内外共混聚合物辐射效应研究的进展情况.内容包括辐射交联理论在共混聚合物体系中的适用性、共混体系的相容性、相态结构对辐射效应的影响及共混组份间的辐射敏化及保护效应等.     

Recent Advances in the Chemistry and Biology of Naturally Occurring Antibiotics

Ever since the world‐shaping discovery of penicillin, nature's molecular diversity has been extensively screened for new medications and lead compounds in drug discovery. The search for agents intended to combat infectious diseases has been of particular interest and has enjoyed a high degree of success. Indeed, the history of antibiotics is marked with impressive discoveries and drug‐development stories, the overwhelming majority of which have their origin in natural products. Chemistry, and in particular chemical synthesis, has played a major role in bringing naturally occurring antibiotics and their derivatives to the clinic, and no doubt these disciplines will continue to be key enabling technologies. In this review article, we highlight a number of recent discoveries and advances in the chemistry, biology, and medicine of naturally occurring antibiotics, with particular emphasis on total synthesis, analogue design, and biological evaluation of molecules with novel mechanisms of action.     

New Advances in Protection Against Solar Ultraviolet Radiation in Textiles for Summer Clothing

Clothing is considered one of the most important tools for photoprotection against harmful solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR). The standard for sun‐protective clothing is based on erythema despite other biological effects of UVR on the skin. We analyzed the potential protection against UVR in fabrics destined for summer clothing based on several action spectra. We examined 50 garments classified by type of fabric composition, structure of the fiber yarn and color. The ultraviolet protection factor was calculated based on fabric ultraviolet transmittance corrected for erythema according to the EU standard E‐13758 as well as the UVA transmittance of fabrics. UVR protection was also analyzed in base of different action spectra as for previtamin D3, nonmelanoma skin cancer, photoimmunosuppression and photoaging. Most knitted fabrics used for sports T‐shirts offered excellent ratings for ultraviolet protection while normal shirts showed very low ratings, particularly against photoaging. The cover is the most influential variable in fabric photoprotection, having an exponential relationship with the UPF. The relation between cover and UVA protection was linearly negative. Information about ultraviolet protection in textiles used for summer clothing should be included in labeling as some types of fabrics, especially those used for shirts, offer very low UVR protection.     

Recent Advances in the Chemical Synthesis of Glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs): Expanding Synthetic Versatility for Investigating GPI Biology

Carbohydrate chemists have been remarkably successful at developing methods for the chemical synthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs), a highly complex and structurally diverse family of glycolipids that anchor proteins to eukaryotic cell surfaces. With the goal of generating new tools for GPI biological research, several groups in this field have recently shifted their attention from narrowly focused target-oriented total synthesis to the development of more versatile synthetic strategies that allow access to a broad variety of GPIs, GPI analogs, and GPI-anchored proteins. These recent efforts are the topic of this review article.     

Racemisation in Chemistry and Biology

The two enantiomers of a compound often have profoundly different biological properties and thus their liability to racemisation in aqueous solutions is an important piece of information. The authors reviewed the available data concerning the process of racemisation in vivo, in the presence of biological molecules (e.g., racemase enzymes, serum albumin, cofactors and derivatives) and under purely chemical but aqueous conditions (acid, base and other aqueous systems). Mechanistic studies are described critically in light of reported kinetic data. The types of experimental measurement that can be used to effectively determine rate constants of racemisation in various conditions are discussed and the data they provide is summarised. The proposed origins of enzymatic racemisation are presented and suggest ways to promote the process that are different from processes taking place in bulk water. Experimental and computational studies that provide understanding and quantitative predictions of racemisation risk are also presented.     

Diamond Quantum Devices in Biology

The currently available techniques for molecular imaging capable of reaching atomic resolution are limited to low temperatures, vacuum conditions, or large amounts of sample. Quantum sensors based on the spin‐dependent photoluminescence of nitrogen‐vacancy (NV) centers in diamond offer great potential to achieve single‐molecule detection with atomic resolution under ambient conditions. Diamond nanoparticles could also be prepared with implanted NV centers, thereby generating unique nanosensors that are able to traffic into living biological systems. Therefore, this technique might provide unprecedented access and insight into the structure and function of individual biomolecules under physiological conditions as well as observation of biological processes down to the quantum level with atomic resolution. The theory of diamond quantum sensors and the current developments from their preparation to sensing techniques have been critically discussed in this Minireview.     

金属在生物和医学中的作用

金属元素在整个生命体系中起着重要的作用。金属离子与核酸、蛋白质等生物大分子的作用以及对神经系统的不正常的影响可以直接或间接地损伤DNA从而引起细胞的变异,进而导致各种疾病;同时我们可以根据这些特性研究金属离子的药物用于各种疾病的诊断和治疗。本文着重介绍了几种重要的金属和无机药物。     

镍与生物

镍是一种稀有金属元素，也是动植物和人的必需营养微量元素。本文对镍的生物学功能及对有机体可能造成的损害进行了详细地阐述。     

Trends in Radiation Polymerization

Previously it was generally assumed that high energy radiation could only initiate radical polymerization in solutions of monomers. However, examples of radiation-induced polymerization have recently become known that proceed via an ionic mechanism. Thus, solutions of a monomer can be polymerized ionically, preferably in the presence of a solid, at low temperatures. Suprisingly, this may also be accomplished with ultra-pure, mainly anhydrous systems, even at room temperature. The nature of the ions has not yet been fully elucidated.     

我国化学生物学研究新进展

作为化学领域的一门新兴二级学科,化学生物学已经成为具有举足轻重作用的交叉研究领域,是推动未来生命和化学学科发展的重要动力。近年来,我国的化学生物学研究正在以前所未有的速度蓬勃发展,在基础建设、人才培养、研究经费支持等方面都有了长足的进步。尤其是以国家自然科学基金委"基于化学小分子探针的信号转导过程研究"重大研究计划为依托,我国的化学生物学工作者以小分子探针为工具,充分发挥化学与生命科学等多学科综合交叉的优势,对细胞信号转导中的重要分子事件和机理进行了深入的探索,在一些前沿方向上取得了突出的成绩,相关研究结果多次发表在顶级的国际期刊上。本文对近两年来我国化学生物学领域取得的突出进展加以归纳和介绍:(1)基于小分子化合物及探针的研究。利用有机化学手段,通过设计合成一系列多样化的小分子化合物,以这些探针为工具深入开展了细胞生理、病理活动的调控机制、细胞关键信号转导通路及重要靶标、抑制剂和标记物的发现、基于金属催化剂的活细胞生物分子激活等方面的研究;(2)以化学生物学技术为手段,着重发展了针对蛋白质、核酸和糖等生物大分子的合成、特异标记与操纵方法,用以揭示这些生物大分子所参与的生命活动的调控机制;(3)采用信号传导过程研究与靶标发现相结合,以实现"从功能基因到药物"的药物研发模式,发展了药物靶标功能确证与化合物筛选的联合研究策略;(4)以化学分析为手段,发展了在分子水平、细胞水平或活体动物水平上,获取生物学信息的新方法和新技术。这些研究成果极大地推动了我国化学生物学的进步。共引用63篇参考文献。     

纳米反应器的研究进展

介绍了近年来见诸于研究中的四种纳米反应器，分别是反相微乳液，嵌段共聚物，多孔材料和层状硅酸盐，总结了这些纳米反应器的研究进展并讨论了它们的应用前景。