Fluorometric study on the interaction between lomefloxacin and bovine lactoferrin.

The binding of lomefloxacin to bovine lactoferrin (BLf) in a dilute aqueous solution was studied using fluorescence spectra. The binding constant (K) and the number of binding sites (n) were obtained by a fluorescence quenching method. The binding distance (r) and energy-transfer efficiency (E) between lomefloxacin and bovine lactoferrin were also obtained according to the mechanism of Fo?rster-type dipole-dipole nonradiative energy-transfer. The effect of lomefloxacin on the conformation of bovine lactoferrin was also analyzed by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. The interaction between lomefloxacin and bovine lactoferrin is strong. Lomefloxacin can affect the conformation of bovine lactoferrin to some degree.     

Characterization of N-terminal processing of group VIA phospholipase A<Subscript>2</Subscript> and of potential cleavage sites of amyloid precursor protein constructs by automated identification of signature peptides in LC/MS/MS analyses of proteolytic digests

Dysregulation of proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) contributes to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease, and the Group VIA phospholipase A(2) (iPLA(2)beta) is the dominant PLA(2) enzyme in the central nervous system and is subject to regulatory proteolytic processing. We have identified novel N-terminal variants of iPLA(2)beta and previously unrecognized proteolysis sites in APP constructs with a C-terminal 6-myc tag by automated identification of signature peptides in LC/MS/MS analyses of proteolytic digests. We have developed a Signature-Discovery (SD) program to characterize protein isoforms by identifying signature peptides that arise from proteolytic processing in vivo. This program analyzes MS/MS data from LC analyses of proteolytic digests of protein mixtures that can include incompletely resolved components in biological samples. This reduces requirements for purification and thereby minimizes artifactual modifications during sample processing. A new algorithm to generate the theoretical signature peptide set and to calculate similarity scores between predicted and observed mass spectra has been tested and optimized with model proteins. The program has been applied to the identification of variants of proteins of biological interest, including APP cleavage products and iPLA(2)beta, and such applications demonstrate the utility of this approach.     

Effect of the homogeneity of the column set on the performance of a simulated moving bed unit. I. Theory

Although it is impossible to manufacture identical columns for use in a simulated moving bed (SMB) process, theoretical studies assume that all the columns in an SMB unit have identical characteristics. In practice, calculations in modeling and optimization studies are made with the average values of each column parameter set. In this report, the effects on SMB process performance caused by column-to-column fluctuations of the parameters are discussed. As a first step, we show how the differences in porosity of the columns may be taken into account with a revised set of separation conditions. Reductions in the purity of the extract and the raffinate streams are quantitatively related to the column-to-column fluctuations of the retention times of the two components arising from these porosity differences. For the sake of simplicity, the discussion first addresses the case of a four-column SMB operating under linear conditions. Then, the scope is extended to the cases of SMB units incorporating several columns in each section and to SMB units operating under nonlinear conditions.     

Systematic studies of fission fragment kinetic energy distributions by Langevin simulations

Fission fluctuation-dissipation dynamics of heavy nuclei has been studied using Langevin Monte Carlo simulations. The covariant form of the fission transport equation and the coefficients related to it are investigated. To learn about the influence of the dynamics from the ground state to the saddle point on the kinetic energy distributions we have studied various systems and compared the calculations both starting from the ground state and from the saddle point. Both the mean total kinetic energy of the fission fragments and its variances can fit with the experimental values in terms of a finite neck radius as scission condition.This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Resolution of the non-steady-state kinetics of the two-step mechanism for the Diels-Alder reaction between anthracene and tetracyanoethylene in acetonitrile

The Diels-Alder reaction between anthracene and tetracyanoethylene in acetonitrile does not reach a steady-state during the first half-life. The reaction follows the reversible consecutive second-order mechanism accompanied by the formation of a kinetically significant intermediate. The experimental observations consistent with this mechanism include extent of reaction-time profiles which deviate markedly from those expected for the irreversible second-order mechanism and initial pseudo first-order rate constants which differ significantly from those measured at longer times. It is concluded that the reaction intermediate giving rise to these deviations cannot be the charge-transfer (CT) complex, which is formed during the time of mixing, but rather a more intimate complex with a geometry favorable to the formation of the Diels-Alder adduct. The kinetics of the reaction were resolved into the microscopic rate constants for the individual steps. The rate constants, as shown in equation 1, at 293 K were observed to be 5.46 M(-)(1) s(-)(1) (k(f)), 14.8 s(-)(1) (k(b)), and 12.4 s(-)(1) (k(p)). Concentration profiles calculated under all conditions show that intermediate concentrations increase to maximum values early in the reaction and then continually decay during the first half-life. It is concluded that the charge-transfer complex may be an intermediate preceding the formation of the reactant complex, but due to its rapid formation and dissociation it is not detected by the kinetic measurements.     

IR, MS studies on (+/-)-1-[3-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-2-hydroxypropyl]-4-[(2,6-dimethylphenyl)aminocarbonylmethyl]piperazine dihydrochloride salt

The vibration spectrum and FAB mass spectrum of (+/-)-1-[3-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-2-hydroxypropyl]-4-[(2,6-dimethylphenyl)aminocarbonylmethyl]piperazine dihydrochloride salt was studied. By comparing with the spectra of free base, different bands of IR were found in the NH+ stretching, the NH+ deformation motion, the CH2 of NCH2 group symmetric stretching, the CH2 of N-CH2 group twisting and the CN stretching. FAB shows the basic peak is M + H. Other m/e peaks are consistent with the structure.     

Mass spectrometry-based chemical mapping and profiling toward molecular understanding of diseases in precision medicine

Precision medicine has been strongly promoted in recent years. It is used in clinical management for classifying diseases at the molecular level and for selecting the most appropriate drugs or treatments to maximize efficacy and minimize adverse effects. In precision medicine, an in-depth molecular understanding of diseases is of great importance. Therefore, in the last few years, much attention has been given to translating data generated at the molecular level into clinically relevant information. However, current developments in this field lack orderly implementation. For example, high-quality chemical research is not well integrated into clinical practice, especially in the early phase, leading to a lack of understanding in the clinic of the chemistry underlying diseases. In recent years, mass spectrometry (MS) has enabled significant innovations and advances in chemical research. As reported, this technique has shown promise in chemical mapping and profiling for answering “what”, “where”, “how many” and “whose” chemicals underlie the clinical phenotypes, which are assessed by biochemical profiling, MS imaging, molecular targeting and probing, biomarker grading disease classification, etc. These features can potentially enhance the precision of disease diagnosis, monitoring and treatment and thus further transform medicine. For instance, comprehensive MS-based biochemical profiling of ovarian tumors was performed, and the results revealed a number of molecular insights into the pathways and processes that drive ovarian cancer biology and the ways that these pathways are altered in correspondence with clinical phenotypes. Another study demonstrated that quantitative biomarker mapping can be predictive of responses to immunotherapy and of survival in the supposedly homogeneous group of breast cancer patients, allowing for stratification of patients. In this context, our article attempts to provide an overview of MS-based chemical mapping and profiling, and a perspective on their clinical utility to improve the molecular understanding of diseases for advancing precision medicine.

An overview of MS-based chemical mapping and profiling, indicating its contributions to the molecular understanding of diseases in precision medicine by answering "what", "where", "how many" and "whose” chemicals underlying clinical phenotypes.     

A coupled electron diffraction and rigid unit mode (RUM) study of the crystal chemistry of some zeotypic AlPO4 compounds

Electron diffraction and lattice dynamical calculations are used to investigate the unit cells, space group symmetries and inherent displacive flexibility of the room-temperature average structures of AlPO₄-8, AlPO₄-16 and AlPO₄-tridymite. The zero-frequency rigid unit modes (RUMs) of the idealized high-symmetry polymorphs thereof are also investigated along with their relationship to the lower-temperature polymorphism of these zeotypic aluminophosphates. The clear presence of satellite reflections in addition to the Bragg reflections (G) of the underlying Cmc2₁ parent structure in the case of AlPO₄-8 shows that the true unit cell of the room-temperature polymorph has a doubled c-axis due to a condensed RUM mode. Structured diffuse scattering is also observed which can be related to the thermal excitation of RUM modes. In the case of AlPO₄-tridymite, a complex F1 triclinic polymorph is observed and related to soft RUM modes while, in the case of AlPO₄-16, a soft q=0 RUM mode is shown to be responsible for an observed phase transition in the case of the all SiO₂ analogue of AlPO₄-16. A large number of additional zero-frequency RUM modes also exist in the case of AlPO₄-16.     

Comparison of the structures of an atomic three-valence-electron system with a nuclear three-valence-neutron system

A comparison has been made between the states of a 3-valence-electron system and a 3-valence-neutron system. The fermions are supposed to move in a sphere. The structures and internal motions of the head-states (the lowest of a given^2S+1 L ) of these systems havingL=0,S=1/2 and 3/2, and even and odd parity have been investigated. We have found that the symmetry governing the particular quantum system plays an essential role. In particular, all the nodal surfaces in the head-states originate from symmetry but not from dynamics. Consequently, the head-states of different dynamic systems have similar structures and similar internal motions.