Fast folding of RNA pseudoknots initiated by laser temperature-jump

RNA pseudoknots are examples of minimal structural motifs in RNA with tertiary interactions that stabilize the structures of many ribozymes. They also play an essential role in a variety of biological functions that are modulated by their structure, stability, and dynamics. Therefore, understanding the global principles that determine the thermodynamics and folding pathways of RNA pseudoknots is an important problem in biology, both for elucidating the folding mechanisms of larger ribozymes as well as addressing issues of possible kinetic control of the biological functions of pseudoknots. We report on the folding/unfolding kinetics of a hairpin-type pseudoknot obtained with microsecond time-resolution in response to a laser temperature-jump perturbation. The kinetics are monitored using UV absorbance as well as fluorescence of extrinsically attached labels as spectroscopic probes of the transiently populated RNA conformations. We measure folding times of 1-6 ms at 37 °C, which are at least 100-fold faster than previous observations of very slow folding pseudoknots that were trapped in misfolded conformations. The measured relaxation times are remarkably similar to predictions of a computational study by Thirumalai and co-workers (Cho, S. S.; Pincus, D.L.; Thirumalai, D. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2009, 106, 17349-17354). Thus, these studies provide the first observation of a fast-folding pseudoknot and present a benchmark against which computational models can be refined.     

Eco‐friendly HClO4–SiO2 catalyzed synthesis of mono‐ and bis‐diaryl‐2h‐1,4 benzothiazines

Mono‐ and bis‐diaryl‐2H‐1,4‐benzothiazines were obtained in quantitative yields through silica‐supported perchloric acid catalyzed reaction cascade of double condensation and 1,4 addition of diaroylacetylenes with 2‐aminothiophenol at room temperature. The structures were confirmed by spectroscopic analyses and X‐ray crystallographic studies. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011)     

Green's function of two-dimensional time-fractional diffusion equation using addition formula of Wright function

In this paper, using the Mellin transform of Wright function we derive an addition formula for the Wright function. In some special cases, addition formulas for the Hermite, Bessel and Mittag-Leffler functions are also given and the Green's function of two-dimensional time-fractional diffusion equation is presented in the whole plane.     

Vibration analysis of two-dimensional structures using micropolar elements

Based on the micropolar theory(MPT), a two-dimensional(2 D) element is proposed to describe the free vibration response of structures. In the context of the MPT, a 2 D formulation is developed within the ABAQUS finite element software. The user-defined element(UEL) subroutine is used to implement a micropolar element. The micropolar effects on the vibration behavior of 2 D structures with arbitrary shapes are studied. The effect of micro-inertia becomes dominant, and by considering the micropolar effects, the frequencies decrease. Also, there is a considerable discrepancy between the predicted micropolar and classical frequencies at small scales, and this difference decreases when the side length-to-length scale ratio becomes large.     

Robust Necessary Optimality Conditions for Nondifferentiable Complex Fractional Programming with Uncertain Data

Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications - In this paper, we study robust necessary optimality conditions for a nondifferentiable complex fractional programming with uncertain data. A robust...     

Synthesis and Characterization of a Biologically Active Lanthanum(III)–Catechin Complex and DNA Binding Spectroscopic Studies

A lanthanum(III) complex of catechin has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, UV-Vis spectra, infrared spectra, thermal analysis, and ¹H NMR. The complex behaves as a nonelectrolyte in methanol solvent. The spectral and thermal properties of the complex are examined. A thermogravimetric (TGA) study showed the hydrated nature of the complex. ¹H NMR spectra of the lanthanum and the catechin (CT) ligands measured in CD₃OD-d₄ also show metal ligand coordination. The lanthanum–catechin complex shows bright luminescence in methanol solution. The interaction of the complex with calf thymus DNA has been investigated by absorption and emission spectroscopic measurements. Experimental spectral results suggest CT–DNA binding with catechin complex via an intercalative mode.     

Spectrophotometric determination of tranexamic acid in pharmaceutical bulk and dosage forms.

In this study, a simple, fast, accurate and sensitive spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of tranexamic acid in bulk and pharmaceutical preparations. The method is based on the reaction of ninhydrin with the primary amino group of tranexamic acid in the basic medium at pH 8.0. The reaction produces a bluish-purple color which absorbs maximally at 565 nm. Beer's law was obeyed in the range of 3-40 microg ml(-1) with molar absorptivity of 5.093 x 10(3) L mol(-1) cm(-1). The effects of various factors such as temperature, heating time, concentration of reagent, color stability and interferences were investigated to optimize the procedure. The results have been validated analytically and statistically. The proposed method has been applied for the determination of tranexamic acid in bulk and pharmaceutical preparations with good results.     

Torsion pendulum automation by a single microcomputer

A new automated torsional pendulum is described. It uses a single photocell for the measurement of the period of oscillation and the logarithmic decrement. Data acquisition, data processing and temperature control are all performed by a single microcomputer. The result is that the instrument can be produced and operated more cheaply than before.The principles behind the design, the method of determining the shape factor, the calibration procedure and the software are discussed. Examples are given to illustrate the use of this instrument. A practical limitation is that the loss tangent should not exceed about 3.     

The back-bending phenomenon in 158Er

The results of a variation after angular momentum projection calculation with axial Nilsson-BCS-like intrinsic wave functions and a cranked Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov calculation for the back-bending region in ¹⁵⁸Er are reported. The moment-of-inertia values in the former are closer to the experimental results.