The kerr effect in the vicinity of the transition from the isotropic to smectic a phase

The equilibrium electrooptical effect in the isotropic phase of seven liquid crystalline substances (4-n-decyloxy-4′-cyanobiphenyl, carbosilane dendrimer of the fourth generation with cyanobiphenyl terminal fragments, and the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and tenth members of the homologous series of 4-n-acylphenylene 4′-n-alkoxybenzoates) was studied. The smectic A phases were found to exhibit weaker divergence of the Kerr constant in the vicinity of the T _c isotropic melt-liquid crystal phase transition temperature compared with the nematic phases. The difference between T _c and the temperature T* of the virtual second-order phase transition varied from 3.2 to 19.0 K for the smectic A phases, which substantially exceeded the value (T _c-T*) ≤ 1 K for the nematic phases. A theory of the electrooptical properties of isotropic melts in the vicinity of the T _c temperature of the phase transition from the isotropic to smectic A phase is developed. An equation relating the T _c-T* difference to the phenomenological coefficients of the expansion of the Helmholtz energy of an isotropic melt into a series in powers of the coordination and orientational order parameters is obtained.     

Stereoselective synthesis of the both enantiomers of disparlure,the pheromone of the gypsy moth

The both enantiomers of disparlure [(7R, 8S)-(+)-epoxy-2-methyloctadecane and its (7S,8R)-(?)-isomer] were synthesized from (2R, 3R)-(+)-tartaric acid in a stereoselective manner. (+)-Disparlure was found to be biologically active.     

On the partial reversibility of the Β-lactoglobulin heat denaturation

The thermal behavior ofΒ-lactoglobulin (Β-lg) disperesed in distilled water (pH=3.2) is studied dy differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in the temperature range 20?C–120?C and within a concentration region of 3.5% to 24%. Recently [1] we have determined by DSC the kinetic parameters for the heat-denaturation ofΒ-lg. The effect of the protein concentration and of the thermal treatment on transition temperature (T _trs), half-widths of the peak (δT _1/2), of apparent enthalpy changes (δ_app H) and of Van't Hoff enthalpies (δ_VH H) have been examined for the concentrations of 8.8% and 24%. In this study we have undertaken complementary experiments for the concentrations 3.5% and 10.8%. The half-widths of the peaks, which depend on the cooperativity of the denaturation process [2], decrease with increasing concentration. The ratio δ_app H/δ_VH H tends to 1, with low values of the protein concentration and with high scanning rates. This implies the hypothesis of a reversible step for the denaturation process ofΒ-lg.     

Curcumin Inhibits the Sortase A Activity of the Streptococcus mutans UA159

Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) forms part of the commensal microflora and is deemed to be the major pathogen responsible for the generation of dental caries. The enzyme, sortase A enzyme, modulates the surface properties and cariogenicity of S. mutans. Curcumin has been reported to be an inhibitor of Staphylococcus aureus sortase A. In this study, inhibition of a purified S. mutans UA159 sortase A by curcumin was evaluated. Curcumin exerted strong inhibitory activity with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 10.2?±?0.7 μM which was lower than the minimum inhibitory concentration of 175 μM and the minimum bactericidal concentration of 350 μM. These results indicated that curcumin is a S. mutans UA159 sortase A inhibitor and therefore represents as a promising anticaries agent.     

On the system cerium-platinum-silicon

Phase relations in the ternary system Ce-Pt-Si have been established for the isothermal section at 800 °C based on X-ray powder diffraction, metallography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) techniques on about 120 alloys, which were prepared by various methods employing arc-melting under argon or powder reaction sintering. Nineteen ternary compounds were observed. Atom order in the crystal structures of τ₁₈-Ce₅(Pt,Si)₄ (Pnma; a=0.77223(3) nm, b=1.53279(8) nm c=0.80054(5) nm), τ₃-Ce₂Pt₇Si₄ (Pnma; a=1.96335(8) nm, b=0.40361(4) nm, c=1.12240(6) nm) and τ₁₀-CePtSi₂ (Cmcm; a=0.42943(2) nm, b=1.67357(5) nm, c=0.42372(2) nm) was determined by direct methods from X-ray single-crystal CCD data and found to be isotypic with the Sm₅Ge₄-type, the Ce₂Pt₇Ge₄-type and the CeNiSi₂-type, respectively. Rietveld refinements established the atom arrangement in the structures of Pt₃Si (Pt₃Ge-type, C2/m, a=0.7724(2) nm, b=0.7767(2) nm, c=0.5390(2) nm, β=133.86(2)°), τ₁₆-Ce₃Pt₅Si (Ce₃Pd₅Si-type, Imma, a=0.74025(8) nm, b=1.2951(2) nm, c=0.7508(1) nm) and τ₁₇-Ce₃PtSi₃ (Ba₃Al₂Ge₂-type, Immm, a=0.41065(5) nm, b=0.43221(5) nm, c=1.8375(3) nm). Phase equilibria in Ce-Pt-Si are characterised by the absence of cerium solubility in platinum silicides. Cerium silicides and cerium platinides, however, dissolve significant amounts of the third component, whereby random substitution of the almost equally sized atom species platinum and silicon is reflected in extended homogeneous regions at constant Ce content such as for τ₁₃-Ce(Pt_xSi_1−x)₂, τ₆-Ce₂Pt_3+xSi_5−x or τ₇-CePt_2−xSi_2+x.     

On the structures of the intermediate phases in the terbium oxide system

A high-resolution transmission electron microscope investigation of the ordered phases in the terbium oxide system in the range $\text{1.714 <}\text{O}\text{Tb}\text{< 2}$ has been performed. Two ordered phases belonging to the R_nO_2n?2 homologous series of defective fluorite phases have been examined, namely, the n = 11 and n = 12 members. Selected area electron diffraction has revealed two polymorphs of the n = 12 phase in the TbO_x system. In addition, a metastable n = 16 phase was identified by diffraction and imaging techniques. High-resolution (～3 Å) images of thin crystals of these phases are presented. Computer-simulated lattice images based on dynamical scattering theory with the incorporation of the appropriate instrumental parameters at through-focus and through-thicknesses for proposed defect structures of the intermediate terbium oxide phases are presented for comparison. Images calculated at optimum defocus and periodic thicknesses correspond to the projected crystal potential. The remarkably good match between experimental and calculated images at optimum defocus and in a through-focus series supports the choice of the structural models for the real defect structure of the intermediate phases.     

Theoretical and experimental analysis of the fine structure and hyperfine structure in the configurations 5p6s and 5p6p of the antimony II spectrum

From 17 transitions in the singly ionized Sb II spectrum the hyperfine structure (A andB splitting constants) of the complete excited configurations 5p6s and 5p6p were determined by means of optical interference spectroscopy. In addition, a theoretical analysis both of the fine structure and also of the hyperfine structure was carried out (in the case of 5p6p of the general typenpn′p for the first time in literature). For the 3 levels 5p6p ³ P ₁, 5p7p ³ D ₂ and 5p6p ¹ P ₁ a different classification was found and consistent values for the fine structure parameters, mixing coefficients and single electron hyperfine structure splitting parametersa _nl ^ik andb _nl ^ik were obtained. The three new determinations in Sb II of the quadrupole moment (in barn) of¹²¹Sb (Q(5p6s)=?0.55(5);Q(5p6p)=?0.57(5) from the 5p-electron andQ(5p6p)=?0.7(2) from the 6p-electron) are well agreeing with each other but differ to former values from SbI. The core polarization and isotope shift of the lines, however, are compatible with our former results in SbI.     

Minima and maxima in the generalized oscillator strengths for the lithium isoelectronic sequence

We have calculated the ionization generalized oscillator strengths (GOS) f(K,k) as a function of the momentum transfer K for the allowed dipole transitions ns → kp (with n = 2) in the lithium isoelectronic sequence through Z = 10, in the Hartree-Fock (HF) approximation. Our results clearly show (i) the regular and systematic trends of the occurrence of the extrema, (ii) the shift of their positions towards the higher values of K with increase of K, and finally, the gradual decrease of the magnitude of f(K,k) with increase of atomic number Z. The results are discussed qualitatively.     

An estimation of the temperature dependence of the excluded-volume integral

Lower critical solution temperatures (LCST) of trans-decalin solutions of polystyrene were measured on a newly built electric thermostat, the theta point Θ_L associated with the LCST being determined as 662 K. By use of this result together with the literature data for the ordinary theta point (Θ_U) and the entropy of dilution parameter, the excluded-volume integral B(T) was estimated in terms of the Eichinger method over the temperature range Θ_U to Θ_L. This enabled us to calculate the excluded-volume variable $\text{z}\text{as}\text{0.770 C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>M</mtext>}}\text{′ B(T)}\text{M}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>w</mtext>}}{}^{0.5}$. Here, C_M′ is a numerical factor specific for a given polymer-solvent system and $\text{M}$_w is the weight-average molecular weight. Using the z values calculated from the above expression, we analysed the data on dilute solution properties of polystyrene reported by Berry and by Inagaki et al. It was found that the Domb-Barrett and the Suzuki equations for α_s (the linear expansion factor for the radius of gyration) were in good agreement with Berry's data of light scattering. The first coefficient k₁ in the series α_ν³ = 1 + k₁z + … (α_ν: the hydrodynamic expansion factor) was experimentally evaluated as 1.70. Furthermore, a conversion of the Suzuki equation for α₅ into that for α_ν with this k₁ value was found to account quite satisfactorily for the viscosity behaviour observed by Inagaki et al.     

Microcalorimetry study on the microbial activity of permafrost on the Tibetan plateau of China

Microcalorimetric techniques had been used to study the influence of different physicochemical parameters on microbial growth in different permafrosts on the Tibetan plateau. The total heat evolution of the permafrost samples amended with glucose, Q _T , the values of microbial growth rate constant, k, and the heat output power, P _t , were calculated from the power–time (P–t) curves. It is observed that the same coverage vegetation show similar P–t curves, which strongly suggest that the permafrost microorganisms of the homology vegetation coverage have similar structures of community. Furthermore, the vegetation degradation turns out to have significant influence, that is, the better the status of vegetation is, the higher the values of k, CFU and Q _T are.     

Computing the distribution of the Robinson-Foulds distance

With the exponential growth of genome databases, the importance of phylogenetics has increased dramatically over the past years. Studying phylogenetic trees enables us not only to understand how genes, genomes, and species evolve, but also helps us predict how they might change in future. One of the crucial aspects of phylogenetics is the comparison of two or more phylogenetic trees. There are different metrics for computing the dissimilarity between a pair of trees. The Robinson-Foulds (RF) distance is one of the widely used metrics on the space of labeled trees. The distribution of the RF distance from a given tree has been studied before, but the fastest known algorithm for computing this distribution is a slow, albeit polynomial-time, O(l⁵) algorithm. In this paper, we modify the dynamic programming algorithm for computing the distribution of this distance for a given tree by leveraging the number-theoretic transform (NTT), and improve the running time from O(l⁵) to O(l³ log l), where l is the number of tips of the tree. In addition to its practical usefulness, our method represents a theoretical novelty, as it is, to our knowledge, one of the rare applications of the number-theoretic transform for solving a computational biology problem.     

Studies into the preparation of 1-deoxy-1-thiocyanato-d-glycopyranosyl cyanides and the anomeric effect of the thiocyanate group

The reaction of per-O-acetylated 1-bromo-1-deoxy-α-d-arabinopyranosyl cyanide with thiocyanate ions gave the corresponding 1-deoxy-1-thiocyanato-α- and β-d-arabinopyranosyl cyanides. In the reaction of the per-O-acetylated 1-bromo-1-deoxy-β-d-xylopyranosyl cyanide and its per-O-benzoylated β-d-glucopyranosyl analogue the corresponding 2-hydroxy-glycal esters formed in addition to the anomeric pair of thiocyanato-cyanides. The formation of 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-α-d-glucopyranosyl thiocyanate was demonstrated in the reaction of benzobromoglucose with thiocyanate ions. The equilibrium constant between 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-1-deoxy-1-thiocyanato-α- and β-d-galactopyranosyl cyanides was determined. Based on this value, the equilibrium ratio for the 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α- and β-d-galactopyranosyl thiocyanates was calculated to be 94:6, and the anomeric effect of the SCN group was estimated to exceed 3 kcal/mol. X-Ray crystallographic data support endo- and exo-anomeric effects of the SCN moiety.     

Calculation of the rotational magnetic moments of the ammonia and water molecules

We calculate the rotational magnetic moments and the corresponding g-factors for water and ammonia. Our results are g_xx = 0.397, g_yy = 0.769 and _zz = 0.345 for water and g_xx = g_yy = 0.69 and g_zz = 0.51 for ammonia. The experimental values are g_xx = 0.585, g_yy = 0.742 and g_zz = 0.666 for water and g_xx = g_yy = 0.56 and g_zz = 0.484 for ammonia.     

Selected Species of the Cucurbitaceae Family Used in Mexico for the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

In Mexico, Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious health problem, and although the current pharmacological treatments for DM such as insulin and oral hypoglycemics are available, the Mexican population continues to use medicinal plants in the treatment of DM. The antidiabetic properties of the plant species that belong to the Cucurbitaceae family has already been recognized worldwide. Since Mexico is one of the most important centers of diversity of Cucurbitaceae, the present work contributes to the review of the most used species of Cucurbitaceae in the treatment of DM in Mexico. The reviewed species (Cucurbita ficifolia, C. maxima, C. moschata, C. pepo, Ibervillea sonorae, Sechium edule, Citrullus lanatus, Cucumis melo, and C. sativus) revealed that the antidiabetic effects exerted are effective in a number of mechanisms involved in the complex pathogenesis of DM: hypoglycemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, protective effects on diverse organs and cells, as well as in the control of dyslipidemias; furthermore, the select species of the Cucurbitaceae family could also be essential components of diets for the control of DM in patients with the disease. Thus, the Cucurbitaceae species selected in the present work represent a source of antidiabetic agents that perhaps establish the bases for novel clinical treatments.     

On the hyperfine structure in the yttrium ion

Experimental data on the hyperfine structure in the 4d5s, 4d ² and 4d5p configurations of the yttrium ion have been analysed by means of the effective operator formalism. The effective radial parameters of the magnetic dipole interaction are determined. A comparison with relativistic calculations gives an estimate of the effects due to configuration interaction.     

Total synthesis of the proposed structure of `brahol' and the structural revision

Proposed structure of brahol, a natural product, has been disproved by total synthesis of the proposed molecule from myo-inositol. Readily available 1,2;4,5-di-O-isopropylidene-myo-inositol, 3 was converted to 2,5-di-O-acetyl-1,6;3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-allo-inositol by epimerization of the di-triflate of 3. The acetyl group at O-5-position was selectively deprotected by aminolysis or methanolysis enabling the total synthesis of 5-O-methyl-allo-inositol, the proposed structure of brahol in six steps from myo-inositol. A comparison of spectral data of synthetic 5-O-methyl-allo-inositol with that reported for natural brahol revealed that the proposed structure of brahol is incorrect. A detailed structural revision revealed that brahol is nothing but quebrachitol. This study contradicts the first and only report on the natural occurrence of allo-inositol derivative.     

Studies on the nongrowth metabolism of the different strains of Tetrahymena cells by isothermal microcalorimetry

The nongrowth metabolic processes of Tetrahymena strains with the different cell densities were monitored by isothermal microcalorimetry, including Tetrahymena thermophila BF₁, Tetrahymena thermophila SB210, Tetrahymena pyriformis GL, the mixed cells of T. thermophila BF₁ and T. thermophila SB210, and the mixed cells of T. thermophila BF₁ and T. pyriformis GL. All the typical power–time curves showed a decreasing trend on the whole. It was found that total heat production (Q _t) and maximum heat output (P _m) decreased significantly with the decrease of cell density. Cell density did not influence significantly the maximum heat output per cell (P _cell) of Tetrahymena cells, which was probably due to enough oxygen. The P _cell and metabolic decrease rate constant (K) values for the mixture of T. thermophila BF₁ and T. pyriformis GL, and that of T. thermophila BF₁ and T. thermophila SB210 were similar to the mean values of P _cell and K for the corresponding single Tetrahymena strain, respectively. It was speculated that the cell mixing did not possibly influence significantly their P _cell and K values because of no competition for nutrition, oxygen, and room, and the low conjunction percentages.     

Assigning the absolute configuration of fumonisins by the circular dichroism exciton chirality method

Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced by Fusarium moniliforme (Sheldon) and other related fungi that are common contaminants of corn and other grains throughout the world. The circular dichroism (CD) exciton chirality method was applied to determine the absolute configuration of the terminal part of the backbone of fumonisins. Using the p-dimethylaminobenzoate chromophore, the structure of FB₁ was confirmed to be 2S, 3S and 5R, while that of FB₃ is described for the first time to be 2S and 3S.