Sensitivity analysis for generalized strongly monotone variational inclusions based on the -resolvent operator technique

Sensitivity analysis for generalized strongly monotone variational inclusions based on the (A,η)-resolvent operator technique is investigated. The results obtained encompass a broad range of results.     

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a potent, PKC selective, B-ring analog of bryostatin

[structure: see text] The first member of a new class of five-membered B-ring analogs of bryostatin has been synthesized and tested for its ability to bind and translocate protein kinase C (PKC). This synthesis extends the utility of our previously introduced macrotransacetalization strategy to the formation of five-membered dioxolane B-ring analogs. This analog exhibits potent, single-digit nanomolar affinity to PKC and selectively translocates novel PKC isozymes.     

Fast electron transport in metal organic vapor deposition grown dye-sensitized ZnO nanorod solar cells

The electron transport in dye-sensitized solar cells with a MOCVD (metal organic vapor deposition)-grown ZnO nanorod array (ZnO-N) or a mesoporous film prepared from ZnO colloids (ZnO-C) as the working electrode was compared. The electrodes were of similar thickness (2 mum) and sensitized with zinc(II) meso-tetrakis(3-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin, while the electrolyte was I(-)/I(3)(-) in 3-methoxypropionitrile. Electron transport in the ZnO-C cells was comparable with that found for colloidal TiO(2) films (transport time approximately 10 ms) and was light intensity dependent. Electron transport in solar cells with ZnO-N electrodes was about 2 orders of magnitude faster ( approximately 30 mus). Thus, the morphology of the working ZnO electrode plays a key role for the electron transport properties.     

A 2-Tyr-1-carboxylate Mononuclear Iron Center Forms the Active Site of a Paracoccus Dimethylformamidase

N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) is an extensively used organic solvent but is also a potent pollutant. Certain bacterial species from genera such as Paracoccus, Pseudomonas, and Alcaligenes have evolved to use DMF as a sole carbon and nitrogen source for growth via degradation by a dimethylformamidase (DMFase). We show that DMFase from Paracoccus sp. strain DMF is a halophilic and thermostable enzyme comprising a multimeric complex of the α₂β₂ or (α₂β₂)₂ type. One of the three domains of the large subunit and the small subunit are hitherto undescribed protein folds of unknown evolutionary origin. The active site consists of a mononuclear iron coordinated by two Tyr side-chain phenolates and one carboxylate from Glu. The Fe³⁺ ion in the active site catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of the amide bond in DMF. Kinetic characterization reveals that the enzyme shows cooperativity between subunits, and mutagenesis and structural data provide clues to the catalytic mechanism.     

A Physiologically Regulated Multidomain Cystatin of Wheat Shows Stage-Dependent Immunity Against Karnal Bunt (Tilletia indica)

To identify novel components of basal resistance against the Tellitia indica of wheat, breeding for disease resistance was carried out on resistant and susceptible genotype of Karnal Bunt. The different members of wheat cystatin gene families were cloned, and their role in triggering differential resistance through co-expression was analyzed in our lab. The multidomain wheat cystatin (WCM) is a proteinase inhibitor characterized by cloning the gene from susceptible (WH542) and resistant genotype (HD 29). A WCM cDNA was isolated from both genotypes and sequenced. The WCM had a highly conserved N-terminal cystatin domain and a long C-terminal extension containing a second region, which exhibited similarity to the cystatin domain. The expression level was significantly (P?>?0.001) higher in resistant compared to susceptible genotype at all the physiological stages of wheat spikes. In order to characterize the biochemical properties of WCM, the coding sequence was expressed in Escherichia coli using pET expression vector. The recombinant WCM was purified from soluble fraction of the cell extract by using affinity chromatography. WCM, with 23 KDa molecular mass, showed cysteine proteinase inhibitory activity against papain (Ki 3.039?×?10^?7?M) as determined by using BAPNA as substrate. Furthermore, it was able to arrest the fungal mycelial growth of T. indica. Hyphae growth was inhibited, and morphological changes such as swelling and fragmentation of the fungus were observed. Overall, these observations suggest an endogenous high expression of cystatin, possibly associated with the resistance of wheat against Karnal bunt.     

High pressure studies on the electrical resistivity of As–Te–bond Si glasses and the effect of network topological thresholds

The variation of resistivity in an amorphous As₃₀Te_70?x Si _x system of glasses with high pressure has been studied for pressures up to 8 GPa. It is found that the electrical resistivity and the conduction activation energy decrease continuously with increase in pressure, and samples become metallic in the pressure range 1.0–2.0 GPa. Temperature variation studies carried out at a pressure of 0.92 GPa show that the activation energies lie in the range 0.16–0.18 eV. Studies on the composition/average co-ordination number ? r? dependence of normalized electrical resistivity at different pressures indicate that rigidity percolation is extended, the onset of the intermediate phase is around ? r?=2.44, and completion at ? r?=2.56, respectively, while the chemical threshold is at ? r?=2.67. These results compare favorably with those obtained from electrical switching and differential scanning calorimetric studies.     

Stability‐indicating ultra‐performance liquid chromatography method for the estimation of thymoquinone and its application in biopharmaceutical studies

Thymoquinone (THQ) is known for its neuroprotective and anti‐convulsant properties in preclinical studies. We herewith describe a simple, rapid, selective, sensitive and stability‐indicating UPLC method for the estimation of THQ and its application to biopharmaceutical studies such as in vitro release from nanoparticulate system and in vivo pharmacokinetic study. The method employed gradient elution using a Waters Acquity HSS‐T3 C₁₈ (100 × 2.1 mm, 1.8 µm) UPLC column. The mobile phase consisted of water and acetonitrile, pumped at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The injection volume was 5 µL and THQ was monitored at 294 nm wavelength with a total run time of 6 min. In solution as well as in plasma, the method was found to be linear (r ≥ 0.998), precise (CV ≤ 2.45%) and accurate (recovery ≥ 84.8%) in the selected concentration range of 0.1–0.8 µg/mL. Forced degradation studies revealed that THQ undergoes degradation under acidic, basic, oxidation and UV light stress conditions. However, the developed UPLC method could effectively resolve degradation product peaks from THQ. Further, no interference was found at the retention time of THQ from any plasma components, indicating selectivity of the developed method. For solutions, the limits of detection and quantitation of the method were found to be 0.001 and 0.0033 µg/mL, respectively; while in plasma they were 0.006 and 0.02 µg/mL, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied to quantify THQ in dissolution medium as well as oral in vivo pharmacokinetic study of THQ suspension and THQ‐ solid lipid nanoparticle (THQ‐SLN) formulation. A 2‐fold increase in the relative bioavailability was observed with the THQ‐SLN compared with THQ. The results indicate that the SLN significantly increased plasma concentrations and retention within the systemic circulation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hybrid inexact proximal point algorithms based on RMM frameworks with applications to variational inclusion problems

A new application-oriented notion of relatively A-maximal monotonicity (RMM) framework is introduced, and then it is applied to the approximation solvability of a general class of inclusion problems, while generalizing other existing results on linear convergence, including Rockafellar’s theorem (1976) on linear convergence using the proximal point algorithm in a real Hilbert space setting. The obtained results not only generalize most of the existing investigations, but also reduce smoothly to the case of the results on maximal monotone mappings and corresponding classical resolvent operators. Furthermore, our proof approach differs significantly to that of Rockafellar’s celebrated work, where the Lipschitz continuity of M ^?1, the inverse of M:X→2 ^X , at zero is assumed to achieve a linear convergence of the proximal point algorithm. Note that the notion of relatively A-maximal monotonicity framework seems to be used to generalize the classical Yosida approximation (which is applied and studied mostly based on the classical resolvent operator in the literature) that in turn can be applied to first-order evolution equations as well as evolution inclusions.     

Chemoselective and Chemospecific Protection and Deprotection of a Carbonyl Group Using Polystyrene Divinylbenzene Sulfonic Acid

Chemospecific protection of one carbonyl group of two identical carbonyls of 2,2-dialkyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione and chemoselective protection of aliphatic or aromatic carbonyls in the presence of conjugated carbonyl compounds using cross-linked polystyrene divinyl benzene sulfonic acid (SPS) as a heterogeneous catalyst has been demonstrated.