An approach to sequence-specific antibody proteases

We describe here a novel strategy for the isolation of antibodies with sequence-specific protease activity: the synthesis of dipeptide haptens in which the targeted peptide bond has been replaced by a ring-strained or torsionally strained hydroxyethylene transition-state analog. Thus, the analogs mimic both a peptide bond in a distorted, reactive conformation and the transition state for peptide bond hydrolysis. In order to obtain sequence-specific antibody proteases, these analogs have been flanked with additional amino acid residues in preparation for immunization. In particular, we have synthesized peptides containing analogs such as 2-cis-amino-3-cis-hydroxycyclobutane carboxylic acid andendo-(3-amino-2-hydroxy)bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-7-anti-carboxylic acid. We have also prepared a series of peptide derivatives containing analogs, such as 2-[3-amino-2-oxo-1-azetidinyl]-3-methylbutanoic acid, in which the targeted peptide bond has been incorporated into a β-lactam ring. Since the “peptide bond” has been left intact, these species mimic only a distorted ground state. At present, antibodies are being elicited against a number of the above peptide derivatives.     

OXYGEN QUENCHING OF TRYPAFLAVINE LUMINESCENCE

Abstract— The quenching by oxygen of the α- and β-phosphorescence of trypaflavine adsorbed on silica gel has been found to obey the simple Stern-Volmer relationship for oxygen partial pressures up to the point at which, for low temperatures, the β-phosphorescence becomes negligible. At room temperatures above this partial pressure the Stern-Volmer plot is no longer linear. An explanation is proposed, based on the formation of a triplet-oxygen complex, analogous to that proposed by Porter and Wright for paramagnetic quenching.     

The role of proficiency testing in the detection and resolution of calibration bias in the LeadCare® blood lead analyzer; limitations of peer-group assessment

Following implementation of the CLIA ‘88 laboratory regulations, the primary role of proficiency testing (external quality assessment, PT) in the U.S. has been widely viewed as one of assuring regulatory compliance. PT can also be an effective tool for detecting widespread analytical problems, subject to limitations based on the method of PT assigned value determination. A recent case study describes the role of two PT programs in detecting and resolving a calibration bias in the LeadCare blood lead analyzer, and illustrates the limitations of peer-group target determination in fulfilling that PT role.     

Achiral Calcium‐Oxalate Crystals with Chiral Morphology from the Leaves of Some Solanacea Plants

The leaves of some plants, particularly among the Solanacea, contain crystals of calcium oxalate with a peculiar chiral pseudo‐tetrahedral morphology, even though the calcium oxalate crystal structure is centrosymmetric, hence achiral. We studied the morphology of these crystals extracted from the leaves of three Solanacea plants: the potato, the hot pepper, and a species of wild Solanum. The crystal morphology was the same in all three species. Based on the examination of more than 100 crystals from each plant, we showed that the crystal morphology is chiral with invariant chirality. We suggest that morphological chirality is induced by macromolecules during nucleation from a specific, genetically encoded crystal plane, and is further established during subsequent controlled crystal growth. This is one of few examples where it is possible to deduce a molecular mechanism for biologically induced breaking of morphological symmetry in organisms. A very high level of recognition is required by the macromolecules to allow them to distinguish between symmetry‐related crystal planes. It is also surprising that this finely controlled mechanism of crystal formation, including the chiral morphology, has been conserved during evolution.     

A Fortran II Computer Program for Calculation of Concentration-Dependent Sedimentation Coefficients

A computer program for calculation of concentration-dependent sedimentation coefficients is presented. Provision is made for rejection of outlying experimental points. The method yields extremely rapid and precise results from original data without any intermediate steps.     

Interferometry from a scattering medium

A two-beam random interferometer is demonstrated where coupling is facilitated by a scattering medium. A modulation observed in the normalized second-order intensity frequency correlation of the transmitted light is attributed to the relative temporal delay of the two beams and is insensitive to beam alignment and spacing.     

Short TE in vivo (1)H MR spectroscopic imaging at 1.5 T: acquisition and automated spectral analysis

Spectral analysis of short TE in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) data are complicated by the presence of spectral overlap, low signal to noise and uncharacterized signal contributions. In this study, it is shown that an automated data analysis method can be used to generate metabolite images from MRSI data obtained from human brain at TE = 25 ms and 1.5 T when optimized pulse sequences and a priori metabolite knowledge are used. The analysis approach made use of computer simulation methods to obtain a priori spectral information of the metabolites of interest and utilized a combination of parametric spectral modeling and non-parametric signal characterization for baseline fitting. This approach was applied to data from optimized PRESS-SI and multi-slice spin-echo SI acquisitions, for which sample spectra and metabolite images are shown.     

Working group report: Collider Physics

This is summary of the activities of the working group on collider physics in the IXth Workshop on High Energy Physics Phenomenology (WHEPP-9) held at the Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar, India in January 2006. Some of the work subsequently done on these problems by the subgroups formed during the workshop is included in this report.     

On large minimal blocking sets in PG(2,q)

The size of large minimal blocking sets is bounded by the Bruen–Thas upper bound. The bound is sharp when q is a square. Here the bound is improved if q is a non‐square. On the other hand, we present some constructions of reasonably large minimal blocking sets in planes of non‐prime order. The construction can be regarded as a generalization of Buekenhout's construction of unitals. For example, if q is a cube, then our construction gives minimal blocking sets of size q^4/3 + 1 or q^4/3 + 2. Density results for the spectrum of minimal blocking sets in Galois planes of non‐prime order is also presented. The most attractive case is when q is a square, where we show that there is a minimal blocking set for any size from the interval . © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 13: 25–41, 2005.