Luminescence switch-on detection of protein tyrosine kinase-7 using a G-quadruplex-selective probe

A series of luminescent iridium(iii) complexes were synthesised and evaluated for their ability to act as luminescent G-quadruplex-selective probes. The iridium(iii) complex 9 [Ir(pbi)₂(5,5-dmbpy)]PF₆ (where pbi = 2-phenyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazole; 5,5-dmbpy = 5,5′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine) exhibited high luminescence for G-quadruplex DNA compared to dsDNA and ssDNA, and was employed to construct a G-quadruplex-based assay for protein tyrosine kinase-7 (PTK7) in aqueous solution. PTK7 is an important biomarker for a range of leukemias and solid tumors. In the presence of PTK7, the specific binding of the sgc8 aptamer sequence triggers a structural transition and releases the G-quadruplex-forming sequence. The formation of the nascent G-quadruplex structure is then detected by the G-quadruplex-selective iridium(iii) complex with an enhanced luminescent response. Moreover, the application of the assay for detecting PTK7 in cellular debris and membrane protein extract was demonstrated. To our knowledge, this is the first G-quadruplex-based assay for PTK7.     

Constitutive equation of a gas-filled two-phase medium

A set of equations governing the consolidation of a two-phase medium consisting of a porous elastic skeleton saturated with a highly compressible liquid (gas), is described. The homogenization method was utilized to deduce the equations. For the equivalent macroscopic medium, mass and momentum conservation equations and the flow equation of pore liquid are presented. Sample material constants were calculated using laboratory test results which were carried out at the Institute of Geotechnics, Technical University of Wroclaw.     

Non-gaussian diffusion modeling in composite porous media by homogenization: Tail effect

In the paper anomalous diffusion appearing in a porous medium composed of two porous components of considerably different diffusion characteristics is examined. The differences in diffusivities are supposed to result either from two medium types being present or from variations in pore size (double porosity media). The long-tail effect is predicted using the homogenization approach based on the application of multiple scale asymptotic developments. It is shown that, if the ratio of effective diffusion coefficients of two porous media is of the order of magnitude smaller or equal O( ²), where is a homogenization parameter, then the macroscopic behaviour of the composite may be affected by the presence of tail-effect. The results of the theoretical analysis were applied to a problem of diffusion in a bilaminate composite. Analytical calculations were performed to show the presence of the long-tail effect in two particular cases.Notations c _i the concentration of chemical species in water within the medium i - D _i the effective diffusion coefficient for the medium i - D _ij ^eff the macroscopic (or effective) diffusion tensor in the composite - ERV the elementary representative volume - h the thickness of the period - l a chracteristic length of the ERV or the periodic cell - L a characteristic macroscopic length - n the volumetric fraction of the material 2 - 1–n the volumetric fraction of the material 1 - N the unit vector normal to - t the time variable - x the macroscopic (or slow) space variable - y the microscopic (or fast) space variable - c _1c ,C _2c ,D _1c ,D _2c the characteristic quantities - T,T _1L ,T _2L ,T _1l ,T _2l the characteristic times - c ₁ ^* ,c ₂ ^* ,D ₁ ^* ,D ₂ ^* ,t ^* the non-dimensional variables - the homogenization parameter - ₁ the domain occupied by the material 1 - ₂ the domain occupied by the material 2 - the interface between the domains 1 and 2 - the total volume of the periodic cell - /x_i the gradient operator - the gradient operator