High strength reversible adhesive closures

Closures such as buttons, clasps, zippers, and hook‐and‐loops find widespread use in daily life, and all work by mechanical interlocking. However, these traditional closures are often rigid, lose performance with age, and can produce a harsh sound during use. Here high strength (>50 N cm^?2), reusable, and nearly silent closure devices are fabricated based on recently developed fibril‐less gecko‐inspired adhesives. Guided by a reversible adhesion scaling law, the closure force capacity is tuned by modifying the closure materials and geometry. A simple analytical model is presented which accurately predicts system performance, based on the reversible adhesion scaling parameter. The force capacity of these adhesive closures is measured and compared to commercially‐available hook‐and‐loop closures, and it is found that the adhesive closures sustain forces that are 4.4 times greater for comparable geometry. The sound of release is also quantified and shown to be minimal for adhesive closures. This work provides motivation to develop new high strength, reusable closures for commercial and industrial applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55 , 1783–1790     

Charge-transfer luminescence from ruthenium(II) complexes containing tridentate ligands

Four complexes of the general formula Ru(NNN)²⁺₂ (N NN = tridentate N-heterocyclic ligand) were synthesized and studied spectroscopically. All exhibit visible absorption spectra that are charge-transfer-to-ligand in origin, are luminescent in glasses at 77 K, and display emission spectra that possess energies, structures, and decay tines that label them as charge transfer.     

MCAT is not required for in vitro polyketide synthesis in a minimal actinorhodin polyketide synthase from Streptomyces coelicolor

Background: It has been proposed that Streptomyces malonyl CoA:holo acyl carrier protein transacylases (MCATs) provide a link between fatty acid and polyketide biosynthesis. Two recent studies have provided evidence that the presence of MCAT is essential for polyketide synthesis to proceed in reconstituted minimal polyketide synthases (PKSs). In contrast to this, we previously showed that the holo acyl carrier proteins (ACPs) from type II PKSs are capable of catalytic self -malonylation in the presence of malonyl CoA, which suggests that MCAT might not be necessary for polyketide biosynthesis.Results: We reconstituted a homologous actinorhodin (act) type II minimal PKS in vitro, When act holo-ACP is present in limiting concentrations, MCAT is required by the synthase complex in order for polyketide biosynthesis to proceed. When holo-ACP is present in excess, however, efficient polyketide synthesis proceeds without MCAT, The rate of polyketide production increases with holo-ACP concentration, but at low ACP concentration or equimolar ACP:KS:CLF (KS, ketosynthase; CLF, chain length determining factor) concentrations this rate is significantly lower than expected, indicating that free holo-ACP is sequestered by the KS/CLF complex.Conclusions: The rate of polyketide biosynthesis is dictated by the ratio of holo-ACP to KS and CLF, as well as by the total protein concentration, There is no absolute requirement for MCAT in polyketide biosynthesis in vitro, although the role of MCAT during polyketide synthesis in vivo remains an open question. MCAT might be responsible for the rate enhancement of malonyl transfer at very low free holo-ACP concentrations or it could be required to catalyse the transfer of malonyl groups from malonyl CoA to sequestered holo-ACP.     

COMPARATIVE POTENCY OF BROAD-BAND AND NARROW-BAND PHOTOTHERAPY SOURCES TO INDUCE EDEMA, SUNBURN CELLS AND UROCANIC ACID PHOTOISOMERIZATION IN HAIRLESS MOUSE SKIN

The Philips TL01 narrow-band (311–313 nm) fluorescent lamp provides effective phototherapy for psoriasis and atopic eczema while emitting less erythemogenic radiation than conventional broad-band ( e.g . Philips TL12; 270–350 nm) sources. We studied the potency of TL01 and TL12 radiation to induce edema and sunburn cells (SBC) and to photoisomerize naturally occumng trans- urocanic acid (UCA) to cis -UCA in hairless mouse skin. Cis -UCA has immunosuppressive properties and is a putative mediator of UV-induced suppression of immune responses. For each source, there was UV dose dependence for all three responses. Within the dose ranges used, the potency ratio of TL12: TL01 radiation to induce equivalent edema and SBC was about 6:1. However, the potency ratio to induce cis-IJCA was less than 2.3:1. Therefore, at a given level of edema or SBC induction, TL01 was more efficient than TL12 at UCA photoisomerization. The TL01 induction of immunomodulating cis -UCA, while causing minimal skin injury, may relate to the therapeutic efficacy of this source in skin conditions with an immunological component.     

In silico targeting PAD4 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Structural Chemistry - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that causes chronic inflammation with periodic bursts of activity in multiple synovial joints which lead to irreversible...     

THE EFFECT OF CHRONIC LOW-DOSE UVB RADIATION ON LANGERHANS CELLS, SUNBURN CELLS, UROCANIC ACID ISOMERS, CONTACT HYPERSENSITIVITY and SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULINS IN MICE

Abstract— C3H mice were irradiated three times a week for up to 6 weeks with either 500 J/m² or 1000 J/m² broadband UVB (270–350 nm) or 3000 J/m² narrowband UVB (311–312 nm; TL01 source). Each dose was suberythemal to the mouse strain used. The number of Langerhans cells (LC) in the epidermis was reduced by over 50% after 2 weeks of irradiation with the UVB source and by 20% following TL01 irradiation. Continued irradiation for up to 6 weeks resulted in no further decrease in LC numbers in the case of the UVB source but a steady decline to 40% in the case of the TL01 source. Sunburn cells were detected following irradiation with both sources but the numbers were very low in comparison with acute exposure. Ultraviolet-B exposure resulted in doubling of the thickness of the epidermis throughout the 6 weeks of irradiation while TL01 exposure did not alter epidermal thickness. Conversion of trans- to ew-urocanic acid (UCA) was observed with both UVB and TL01 sources. The percentage of cis -UCA started to return to normal after 4 weeks of TL01 exposure despite continued irradiation. As observed following a single exposure, the contact hypersensitivity (CH) response was significantly reduced following 6 weeks of UVB irradiation but was unaffected by TL01 exposure, indicating no correlation between cis -UCA levels and CH response. Total serum immunoglobulin levels remained unchanged throughout the 6 weeks of UVB or TL01 irradiation but IgE titers significantly increased in all cases in the first 2 weeks of irradiation, indicating a possible shift to a T_H2 cytokine profile. The IgE levels started to return to normal at later times. Thus chronic broadband UVB exposure induces a number of cutaneous and systemic responses that are likely to be dose dependent, while chronic TL0I exposure induces only some of the these responses.     

The structural role of the carrier protein - active controller or passive carrier

Covering: 2007 to 2011. Previous review: Nat. Prod. Rep., 2007, 24, 750Common to all FASs, PKSs and NRPSs is a remarkable component, the acyl or peptidyl carrier protein (A/PCP). These take the form of small individual proteins in type II systems or discrete folded domains in the multi-domain type I systems and are characterized by a fold consisting of three major α-helices and between 60-100 amino acids. This protein is central to these biosynthetic systems and it must bind and transport a wide variety of functionalized ligands as well as mediate numerous protein-protein interactions, all of which contribute to efficient enzyme turnover. This review covers the structural and biochemical characterization of carrier proteins, as well as assessing their interactions with different ligands, and other synthase components. Finally, their role as an emerging tool in biotechnology is discussed.