Validation of protein structural models using THz spectroscopy: a promising approach to solve three-dimensional structures

Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is a promising technique for the study of protein structure and internal flexibility. Here, we used THz spectroscopy and molecular modeling for bovine serum albumin (BSA) structure investigation. BSA molecule was built using homology modeling methods and 30 different more relaxed models were obtained by molecular dynamics simulations of the hydrated protein. As the experimental and simulated THz spectra are linear, we compared them by comparing the slopes of the lines that fit them. Six BSA structures had slope values in the range given by the slope of the experimental spectrum $\pm $  0.2 and a total of sixteen BSA structures had slope values in the 0.6 interval near the experimental slope value. BSA average structures were calculated over the six and the sixteen identified BSA molecules. Based on the similarity with the crystal structure of BSA, we validated the average structure calculated over the sixteen BSA conformations. The comparison with the crystal structure showed that the structure validated using THz spectroscopy is a coarse model of BSA, as its root-mean-square deviation relative to the crystal structure is 1.9 Å. The regions from our model that present the highest deviation from the crystal structure are exterior loops. The results presented here show that using THz spectroscopy and molecular modeling is a promising approach to determine the structure of proteins.     

Immobilized TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles produced by flame spray for photocatalytic water remediation

Anatase/rutile mixed-phase titanium dioxide (TiO₂) photocatalysts in the form of nanostructured powders with different primary particle size, specific surface area, and rutile content were produced from the gas-phase by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) starting from an organic solution containing titanium (IV) isopropoxide as Ti precursor. Flame spray-produced TiO₂ powders were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and BET measurements. As-prepared powders were mainly composed of anatase crystallites with size ranging from 7 to 15 nm according to the synthesis conditions. TiO₂ powders were embedded in a multilayered fluoropolymeric matrix to immobilize the nanoparticles into freestanding photocatalytic membranes. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO₂-embedded membranes toward the abatement of hydrosoluble organic pollutants was evaluated employing the photodegradation of rhodamine B in aqueous solution as test reaction. The photoabatement rate of best performing membranes significantly overcomes that of membranes produced by the same method and incorporating commercial P25-TiO₂.     

Association Phenomena of Poly(arylene ether sulfone)s in Dimethylformamide

Three poly(arylene ether sulfone)s (two polymers and one copolymer) containing diphenylfluorene, phenolphthalein and 2,4-bis[(4-chlorophenyl)sulfonyl]-1-(phenyltio) benzene)] units were synthesized by the classical Williamson polyetherification reaction. The association phenomenon in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) was investigated by different methods: gel permeation chromatography (GPC), viscosity, atomic force microscopy (AFM), fluorescence spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Both AFM and DLS measurements evidenced the formation of aggregates with spherical or ellipsoidal shape at a concentration around 0.05 wt.%. This behavior could be explained by dipole-dipole interactions between macromolecular chains, probably with the participation of solvent molecules, and by H-bonds involving hydroxyl end groups.     

Entanglement as a Semantic Resource

The characteristic holistic features of the quantum theoretic formalism and the intriguing notion of entanglement can be applied to a field that is far from microphysics: logical semantics. Quantum computational logics are new forms of quantum logic that have been suggested by the theory of quantum logical gates in quantum computation. In the standard semantics of these logics, sentences denote quantum information quantities: systems of qubits (quregisters) or, more generally, mixtures of quregisters (qumixes), while logical connectives are interpreted as special quantum logical gates (which have a characteristic reversible and dynamic behavior). In this framework, states of knowledge may be entangled, in such a way that our information about the whole determines our information about the parts; and the procedure cannot be, generally, inverted. In spite of its appealing properties, the standard version of the quantum computational semantics is strongly “Hilbert-space dependent”. This certainly represents a shortcoming for all applications, where real and complex numbers do not generally play any significant role (as happens, for instance, in the case of natural and of artistic languages). We propose an abstract version of quantum computational semantics, where abstract qumixes, quregisters and registers are identified with some special objects (not necessarily living in a Hilbert space), while gates are reversible functions that transform qumixes into qumixes. In this framework, one can give an abstract definition of the notions of superposition and of entangled pieces of information, quite independently of any numerical values. We investigate three different forms of abstract holistic quantum computational logic.     

XANES speciation of mercury in three mining districts – Almadén,Asturias (Spain), Idria (Slovenia)

The mobility, bioavailability and toxicity of mercury in the environment strongly depend on the chemical species in which it is present in soil, sediments, water or air. In mining districts, differences in mobility and bioavailability of mercury mainly arise from the different type of mineralization and ore processing. In this work, synchrotron‐based X‐ray absorption near‐edge spectroscopy (XANES) has been taken advantage of to study the speciation of mercury in geological samples from three of the largest European mercury mining districts: Almadén (Spain), Idria (Slovenia) and Asturias (Spain). XANES has been complemented with a single extraction protocol for the determination of Hg mobility. Ore, calcines, dump material, soil, sediment and suspended particles from the three sites have been considered in the study. In the three sites, rather insoluble sulfide compounds (cinnabar and metacinnabar) were found to predominate. Minor amounts of more soluble mercury compounds (chlorides and sulfates) were also identified in some samples. Single extraction procedures have put forward a strong dependence of the mobility with the concentration of chlorides and sulfates. Differences in efficiency of roasting furnaces from the three sites have been found.     

Spin Label Studies of the Hemoglobin–Membrane Interaction During Sickle Hemoglobin Polymerization

An enhanced hemoglobin–membrane association has been previously documented in sickle cell anemia. However, it is not known how this interaction is modified during the hemoglobin S polymerization process. In this work, we use a model of reconstituted erythrocytes from ghost membranes whose cytoskeleton proteins had been previously labeled with the 4-maleimido Tempo spin label, and that were subsequently resealed with hemoglobin S or A solutions. Using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, we studied the time dependence of the spectral W/S parameter, indicative of the conformational state of cytoskeleton proteins (mainly spectrin) under spontaneous deoxygenation, with the aim of detecting the eventual effects due to hemoglobin S polymerization. The differences observed in the temporal behavior of W/S in erythrocytes reconstituted with both hemoglobins were considered as experimental evidence of an increment in hemoglobin S–membrane interaction as a result of the polymerization process of hemoglobin S under spontaneous deoxygenation.     

Nickel nanostructured materials from liquid phase photodeposition

Liquid Phase Photo-Deposition (LPPD) technique has been used to obtain both colloidal particles and thin films of metallic and chloride nickel from solutions of only precursor Ni(acac)₂ (acac=2,4-pentandionato). Metallic nickel was obtained from ethanol solutions by direct nickel(II) photoreduction at 254 nm and by acetone sensitised reaction at 300 nm. In this latter process the rate was higher than in the first one. NiCl₂ was formed from CCl₄ solution by a solvent-initiated reaction. TEM analysis, performed on colloidal particles of nickel, showed that their dimensions are in the range 2–4 nm. The films did not present carbon contamination and were characterized by AFM, XPS and GIXRD. Metallic films consisted of particles of 20–40 nm that are the result of the aggregation of smaller crystallites (4–5 nm). Larger agglomerations (around 200 nm) have been observed for NiCl₂ films.     

Magnetic silica colloids for catalysis

Monodisperse magnetizable colloidal silica particles in a stable dispersion have been functionalized with a homogeneous catalyst: a PCP–pincer Pd-complex. In a proof-of-principle experiment we demonstrate the catalytic activity of the colloids in a C–C bond formation reaction. Advantages of the magnetic silica carriers are the large surface-to-volume ratio and the easy recovery by magnetic separation. After magnetic separation, the catalyst-loaded particles are readily redispersed for further use.     

Functional impact of nodules: A case-comparison study

Patients diagnosed with nodules (NO = 40) in a large university hospital clinic and an age-stratum matched nondiseased group (ND = 200) described adverse outcomes of vocal impairment on work and work-related communications. NOs were significantly more likely than NDs to report symptoms of hoarseness (73% vs. 26%), high-note difficulty (70% vs. 20%), difficulty speaking with a lower voice (53% vs. 13%) and a tired voice (50% vs. 10%), and their greatest source of physical discomfort was associated with scratchiness (61% vs. 3%). The average number of symptoms was four in NOs and less than one in NDs. Nodule patients were most concerned about the effects their voice problem would have on their future career (78% vs. 24%) and 49% of NOS reported their voice problem had an adverse work effect in the past compared with 4% of NDs. Having a voice condition limited current job performance in 39% of the NO group but only in 2% of the ND group. The results suggest that a diagnosis of nodules plays a major role in disrupting careers and work activities and that available educational programs and additional research are needed for improving their functional ability and preventing adverse outcomes in the lives of individuals with voice disorders.