Genetically Engineered Supercharged Polypeptide Fluids: Fast and Persistent Self‐Ordering Induced by Touch

Mechanically induced disorder–order transitions have been studied in fluid surfactant solutions or polymer thermotropic liquid crystals. However, isothermally induced ordered phases do not persist after cessation of shear, which limits their technological applicability. Moreover, no such stimuli‐responsive materials involving biomacromolecules have been reported although biopolymer liquids are gaining a lot of attention. A biological fluid system is introduced in which anionic polypeptides are complexed with cationic surfactants. The resulting fluids exhibited very sensitive isotropic–nematic transition triggered by shear. The formed liquid crystal was preserved after cessation of mechanical stimulus. Self‐ordering behavior of the material was achieved through water flow and finger pressing. The latter mechanical induction resulted in the formation of complex pattern that can be read out by birefringence, allowing the recording of fingerprint information.     

Enantioselective Cytotoxicity of Chiral Diphosphine Ruthenium(II) Complexes Against Cancer Cells

The chiral cationic complex [Ru(η¹-OAc)(CO)((R,R)-Skewphos)(phen)]OAc ( 2 ^R ), isolated from reaction of [Ru(η¹-OAc)(η²-OAc)(R,R)-Skewphos)(CO)] ( 1 ^R ) with phen, reacts with NaOPiv and KSAc affording [RuX(CO)((R,R)-Skewphos)(phen)]Y (X=Y=OPiv 3 ^R ; X=SAc, Y=OAc 4 ^R ). The corresponding enantiomers 2 ^S - 4 ^S have been obtained from 1 ^S containing (S,S)-Skewphos. Reaction of 2 ^R and 2 ^S with (S)-cysteine and NaPF₆ at pH=9 gives the diastereoisomers [Ru((S)-Cys)(CO)(PP)(phen)]PF₆ (PP=(R,R)-Skewphos 2 ^R -Cys; (S,S)-Skewphos 2 ^S -Cys). The DFT energetic profile for 2 ^R with (S)-cysteine in H₂O indicates that aquo and hydroxo species are involved in formation of 2 ^R -Cys. The stability of the ruthenium complexes in 0.9 % w/v NaCl solution, PBS and complete DMEM medium, as well as their n-octanol/water partition coefficient (logP), have been evaluated. The chiral complexes show high cytotoxic activity against SW1736, 8505 C, HCT-116 and A549 cell lines with EC₅₀ values of 2.8–0.04 μM. The (R,R)-Skewphos derivatives show higher cytotoxicity compared to their enantiomers, 4 ^R (EC₅₀=0.04 μM) being 14 times more cytotoxic than 4 ^S against the anaplastic thyroid cancer 8505 C cell line.     

An existence result for a class of shape optimization problems

Given a bounded open subset of R ⁿ, we prove the existence of a minimum point for a functional F defined on the family A() of all quasiopen subsets of , under the assumption that F is decreasing with respect to set inclusion and that F is lower semicontinuous on A() with respect to a suitable topology, related to the resolvents of the Laplace operator with Dirichlet boundary condition. Applications are given to the existence of sets of prescribed volume with minimal k ^th eigenvalue (or with minimal capacity) with respect to a given elliptic operator.     

A mathematical model of anorexia and bulimia

In this paper, we propose a mathematical model to study the dynamics of anorexic and bulimic populations. The model proposed takes into account, among other things, the effects of peers' influence, media influence, and education. We prove the existence of three possible equilibria that without media influences are disease‐free, bulimic‐endemic, and endemic. Neglecting media and education effects, we investigate the stability of such equilibria, and we prove that under the influence of media, only one of such equilibria persists and becomes a global attractor. Which of the three equilibria becomes global attractor depends on the other parameters. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the Ekman Equations for Ocean Currents Driven by a Stochastic Wind

The basic assumptions for the depth-dependent Ekman equations are presented. An analysis of three wind stress time series, from different geographical locations, is performed: The results lead to interpret the wind stress as a stochastic process, with components fluctuating with deterministic frequencies. The stochastic equations coupling wind stress and ocean currents are formulated; their solutions are stochastically bounded. Results of numerical simulations are given to show the main behaviors of the system.     

Fluxional rearrangement in congested ruthenium(II) complexes containing pyrimidine- and/or pyridine-based dithioether ligands

The solvento species obtained by the treatment of cis-RuCl₂(N,N-L)₂ [L = di-2-pyridyl sulfide (dps), di-2-pyrimidyl sulfide (dprs)] with AgPF₆, reacted with dithioethers L′ [L′ = 2,6-bis(2-pyridylthiomethyl)pyridine (pytmp), 2,6-bis(2-pyrimidylthiomethyl)pyridine (prtmp) and 2,6-bis{2-(4-methyl)pyrimidylthiomethyl} pyridine (mprtmp)] to afford the compounds [Ru(N,N-L)₂(N,S-L′)][PF₆]₂. The ¹H NMR spectra indicate that L′ is chelated through S and N atoms with the formation of a four-membered ring. As a consequence, the ruthenium and sulfur atoms are stereogenic centers with ∆ and Λ and (R) and (S) configurations, respectively. NMR spectra, at low temperatures, show that two invertomers, of similar abundance, as enantiomeric couples ∆S, ΛR and ∆R, ΛS are present. In the methylene region, four AB systems are observed that in both the species contain two non-equivalent methylene groups. Variable-temperature NMR spectra and EXSY experiments show that the sulfur inversion produces an exchange between the invertomers. The one-dimensional band-shape analysis of the exchanging methylene signals showed that the energy barriers for the process are in the 43–52 kJ mol⁻¹ range. The possible mechanisms of the sulfur inversion are discussed.     

Probing the internal environment of PVP networks generated by irradiation with different sources

Poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) hydrogels have been synthesised from the aqueous solutions of the same linear polymer by two different radiation sources: electron beams and UV rays. The present investigation couples conventional hydrogel characterisation techniques with the study of the partition equilibria, fluorescence behaviour and release of two different molecular probes, 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulphonate (ANS) and Thioflavin T (ThT). The two probes have comparable molecular weight and different structural and optical properties. The ‘chemical’ networks produced upon irradiation in different experimental conditions presented quite distinctive mechanical spectra, yielded to different porous solids upon freeze-drying and showed specific rehydration ratios when ‘equilibrated’ in water. More interestingly, they offered ‘hydrophobic pockets’ to host the ANS molecules in a way that the probe is completely occluded from water, making it fluoresce. Conversely, the generated PVP networks did not show any specific affinity towards the hydrophilic ThT that was only barely untaken.     

Well-defined transition metal complexes with phosphorus and nitrogen ligands for 1,3-dienes polymerization

This article provides an overview on recent progress in the polymerization of 1,3-dienes catalyzed by transition metal complexes with phosphorus and nitrogen ligands. Polymers having different microstructures (cis-1,4; 1,2; mixed cis-1,4/1,2) and tacticity (iso- or syndiotactic) were obtained from various 1,3-dienes (1,3-butadiene, isoprene, 1,3-pentadienes, 1,3-hexadienes) depending on the catalyst used, clearly suggesting that the catalyst structure (i.e. metal nature, type of ligand) strongly affects the polymerization chemo- and stereoselectivity. However, as indicated by the results obtained in the polymerization of substituted butadienes, a fundamental role in determining the selectivity is also played by the type of monomer: polymers with different structure, some of them completely new, were obtained from different monomers with the same catalyst. All these observations permitted to confirm, and in some cases to improve, the knowledge on the diene polymerization mechanism.