Luminescent N-isopropylacrylamide–surfmer copolymer hydrogels prepared upon electrostatic self-assembly of 1-pyrenesulfonate

The preparation of luminescent hydrogels based on the electrostatic self-assembly of 1-pyrenesulfonate (PyS) anions in a positively charged N-isopropylacrylamide (NiPAAm)/surfmer copolymer gel is described. The hydrogels were prepared from a micellar aqueous solution of 11-acryloyloxyundecyltrimethylammonium bromide and NiPAAm upon ⁶⁰Co-gamma irradiation. For assembly of PyS, the gel was shrunken at 50 °C and re-swollen at 20 °C in an aqueous solution of sodium 1-pyrenesulfonate. Re-swelling was accompanied by electrostatic assembly of PyS anions within the gel. Subsequently, the excess non-bound PyS ions were removed by repeatedly swelling and shrinking the gel in pure water at 20 °C and 50 °C, respectively. Incorporation of PyS ions in the hydrogel was studied using UV/Vis spectroscopy and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) measurements. The amount of electrostatically adsorbed PyS was found to be proportional to the amount of copolymerized surfmer. EDX studies indicated that 20% of the bromide counterions were replaced for PyS. The PyS counterions could be released again if the functionalized hydrogel was immersed in acidified water. At a pH of 1, an almost complete release of PyS was found after 250 h. The preparation method can be used to introduce a variety of functional properties in thermoresponsive charged copolymer gels.     

Quantitative Structure—Retention Relationships Study of the Retention Data of 5,5-Disubstituted Hydantoins

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - The behavior of 5,5-disubstituted hydantoin derivatives has been studied using four chromatographic systems, two normal-phase...     

Certification of reference materials for ochratoxin A analysis in coffee and wine

Mycotoxins are important non-anthropogenic food and feed contaminants, which can be present on almost every agricultural commodity. Effective consumer protection therefore essentially depends on food surveillance by reliable quantitative analysis enabled by appropriate quality control. Certified (matrix) reference materials (CRMs) are versatile tools to support quality assurance. However, in the case of ochratoxin A (OTA), a hepato- and nephrotoxic mycotoxin, which is regulated in various foods, there is a lack of suitable CRMs. This lack has now been overcome by the development of two European Reference Materials (ERM^?) for the determination of OTA in roasted coffee (ERM^?-BD475) and red wine (ERM^?-BD476). This article discusses the material preparation process as well as the results of homogeneity and stability testing. Furthermore, the results of the in-house certification studies carried out at BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing are presented and discussed. Interlaboratory comparison studies involving selected expert laboratories with documented expertise in the field of mycotoxin analysis were conducted to confirm the certified values determined by BAM. The certified ochratoxin A values and their corresponding expanded uncertainties (k?=?2) were assigned in full compliance with the requirements of ISO Guide 35 and are as follows: (6.0?±?0.6)???g?kg^?1 for roasted coffee, ERM^?-BD475, and (0.52?±?0.11)???g?L^?1 for red wine, ERM^?-BD476.     

A Hot‐Segment‐Based Approach for the Design of Cross‐Amyloid Interaction Surface Mimics as Inhibitors of Amyloid Self‐Assembly

The design of inhibitors of protein–protein interactions mediating amyloid self‐assembly is a major challenge mainly due to the dynamic nature of the involved structures and interfaces. Interactions of amyloidogenic polypeptides with other proteins are important modulators of self‐assembly. Here we present a hot‐segment‐linking approach to design a series of mimics of the IAPP cross‐amyloid interaction surface with Aβ (ISMs) as nanomolar inhibitors of amyloidogenesis and cytotoxicity of Aβ, IAPP, or both polypeptides. The nature of the linker determines ISM structure and inhibitory function including both potency and target selectivity. Importantly, ISMs effectively suppress both self‐ and cross‐seeded IAPP self‐assembly. Our results provide a novel class of highly potent peptide leads for targeting protein aggregation in Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes, or both diseases and a chemical approach to inhibit amyloid self‐assembly and pathogenic interactions of other proteins as well.     

The existence of a positive solution for nonlinear fractional differential equations with integral boundary value conditions

In this paper, first, we consider the existence of a positive solution for the nonlinear fractional differential equation boundary value problem where 0≤λ < 1,^CD^α is the Caputo's differential operator of order α, and f:[0,1] × [0,∞)→[0,∞) is a continuous function. Using some cone theoretic techniques, we deduce a general existence theorem for this problem. Then, we consider two following more general problems for arbitrary α, 1≤n < α≤n + 1: Problem 1: where , 0≤λ < k + 1; Problem 2: where 0≤λ≤α and D^α is the Riemann–Liouville fractional derivative of order α. For these problems, we give existence results, which improve recent results in the literature. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Liquid-phase epitaxy of multicomponent layer-based porous coordination polymer thin films of [M(L)(P)0.5] type: importance of deposition sequence on the oriented growth

The progressive liquid-phase layer-by-layer (LbL) growth of anisotropic multicomponent layer-based porous coordination polymers (PCPs) of the general formula [M(L)(P)(0.5)] (M: Cu(2+), Zn(2+); L: dicarboxylate linker; P: dinitrogen pillar ligand) was investigated by using either pyridyl- or carboxyl-terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold substrates as templates. It was found that the deposition of smooth, highly crystalline, and oriented multilayer films of these PCPs depends on the conditions at the early growth cycles. In the case of a two-step process with an equimolar mixture of L and P, growth along the [001] direction is strongly preferred. However, employing a three-step scheme with full separation of all components allows deposition along the [100] direction on carboxyl-terminated SAMs. Interestingly, the growth of additional layers on top of previously grown oriented seeding layers proved to be insensitive to the particular growth scheme and full retention of the initial orientation, either along the [001] or [100] direction, was observed. This homo- and heteroepitaxial LbL growth allows full control over the orientation and the layer sequence, including introduction of functionalized linkers and pillars.     

Further results on the least eigenvalue of connected graphs

In this paper, we identify within connected graphs of order n and size n+k (with and ) the graphs whose least eigenvalue is minimal. It is also observed that the same graphs have the largest spectral spread if n is large enough.     

Hydrolysis of serine-containing peptides at neutral pH promoted by [MoO4]2- oxyanion

Hydrolysis of the dipeptides glycylserine (GlySer), leucylserine (LeuSer), histidylserine (HisSer), glycylalanine (GlyAla), and serylglycine (SerGly) was examined in oxomolybdate solutions by means of (1)H, (13)C, and (95)Mo NMR spectroscopy. In the presence of a mixture of oxomolybdates, the hydrolysis of the peptide bond in GlySer proceeded under neutral pD conditions (pD = 7.0, 60 °C) with a rate constant of k(obs) = 5.9 × 10(-6) s(-1). NMR spectra did not show evidence of the formation of paramagnetic species, excluding the possibility of Mo(VI) reduction to Mo(V), indicating that the cleavage of the peptide bond is purely hydrolytic. The pD dependence of k(obs) exhibits a bell-shaped profile, with the fastest cleavage observed at pD 7.0. Comparison of the rate profile with the concentration profile of oxomolybdate species implicated monomolybdate MoO(4)(2-) as the kinetically active complex. Kinetics experiments at pD 7.0 using a fixed amount of GlySer and increasing amounts of MoO(4)(2-) allowed for calculation of the catalytic rate constant (k(2) = 9.25 × 10(-6) s(-1)) and the formation constant for the GlySer-MoO(4)(2-) complex (K(f) = 15.25 M(-1)). The origin of the hydrolytic activity of molybdate is most likely a combination of the polarization of amide oxygen in GlySer due to the binding to molybdate, followed by the intramolecular attack of the Ser hydroxyl group.     

Polyoxomolybdate promoted hydrolysis of a DNA-model phosphoester studied by NMR and EXAFS spectroscopy

Hydrolysis of (p-nitrophenyl)phosphate (NPP), a commonly used phosphatase model substrate, was examined in molybdate solutions by means of (1)H, (31)P, and (95)Mo NMR spectroscopy and Mo K-edge Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. At 50 °C and pD 5.1 the cleavage of the phosphoester bond in NPP proceeds with a rate constant of 2.73 × 10(-5) s(-1) representing an acceleration of nearly 3 orders of magnitude as compared to the hydrolysis measured in the absence of molybdate. The pD dependence of k(obs) exhibits a bell-shaped profile, with the fastest cleavage observed in solutions where [Mo(7)O(24)](6-) is the major species in solution. Mixing of NPP and [Mo(7)O(24)](6-) resulted in formation of these two intermediate complexes that were detected by (31)P NMR spectroscopy. Complex A was characterized by a (31)P NMR resonance at -4.27 ppm and complex B was characterized by a (31)P NMR resonance at -7.42 ppm. On the basis of the previous results from diffusion ordered NMR spectroscopy, performed with the hydrolytically inactive substrate phenylphosphonate (PhP), the structure of these two complexes was deduced to be (NPP)(2)Mo(5)O(21)(4-) (complex A) and (NPP)(2)Mo(12)O(36)(H(2)O)(6)(4-) (complex B). The pH studies point out that both complexes are hydrolytically active and lead to the hydrolysis of phosphoester bond in NPP. The NMR spectra did not show evidence of any paramagnetic species, excluding the possibility of Mo(VI) reduction to Mo(V), and indicating that the cleavage of the phosphomonoester bond is purely hydrolytic. The Mo K-edge XANES region also did not show any sign of Mo(VI) to Mo(V) reduction during the hydrolytic reaction. (95)Mo NMR and Mo K-edge EXAFS spectra measured during different stages of the hydrolytic reaction showed a gradual disappearance of [Mo(7)O(24)](6-) during the hydrolytic reaction and appearance of [P(2)Mo(5)O(23)](6-), which was the final complex observed at the end of hydrolytic reaction.