New anti-HIV aptamers based on tetra-end-linked DNA G-quadruplexes: effect of the base sequence on anti-HIV activity

This communication reports on the synthesis and biophysical, biological and SAR studies of a small library of new anti-HIV aptamers based on the tetra-end-linked G-quadruplex structure. The new aptamers showed EC(50) values against HIV-1 in the range of 0.04-0.15 μM as well as affinities for the HIV-1 gp120 envelope in the same order of magnitude.     

Consistent predictable patterns in the hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios of animal proteins consumed by modern humans in the USA

Published datasets of proteinaceous animal tissues suggest that co‐variation between amino acid hydrogen (δ²H) and oxygen (δ¹⁸O) isotope ratios is a common feature in systems where isotopic variation is driven by geographic or temporal variation in the δ²H and δ¹⁸O values of environmental water. This has led to the development of models relating tissue δ²H and δ¹⁸O values to those of water, with potential application in a number of fields. However, the strength and ubiquity of the influence of environmental water on protein isotope ratios across taxonomic groups, and thus the relevance of predictive models, is an open question. Here we report strong co‐variation of δ²H and δ¹⁸O values across a suite of terrestrial and aquatic animal meats purchased in American food markets, including beef, poultry (chicken and turkey), chicken eggs, pork, lamb, freshwater fish, and marine fish. Significant isotope co‐variation was not found for small collections of marine bivalves and crustaceans. These results imply that isotopic signals from environmental water were propagated similarly through most of the diverse natural and human‐managed foodwebs represented by our samples. Freshwater fish had the largest variation in δ²H and δ¹⁸O values, with ranges of 121 ‰ and 19.2 ‰, respectively, reflecting the large isotopic variation in environmental freshwaters. In contrast marine animals had the smallest variation for both δ²H (7 ‰ range, crustaceans) and δ¹⁸O (3.0 ‰ range, bivalves) values. Known‐origin beef samples demonstrated direct relationships between the variance of environmental water isotope ratios and that of collected meats. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solution structures and dynamic behaviour of some iron chalcogen derivatives

Summary ¹³C-n.m.r. spectra of (-SR)₂Fe₂(CO)₆, (-SR)₂Fe₂(CO)₅P(n-Bu)₃ and (-X)₂Fe₂(CO)₆ (X=S or Se) show that the solid state structure is maintained in solution. N.m.r. evidence indicates that two isomeric species, not separable by means of the usual physicochemical methods, are present for (-SPh)₂Fe₂(CO)₆ with an overwhelming predominance of theanti form. The phosphine substitutes a COtrans to the iron-iron bond. For any of the iron chalcogen derivatives examined, variable temperature¹³C-n.m.r. spectra show that carbonyl exchange occur in one step. The energy barrier for the exchange of carbon monoxide in the phosphine derivative is lower than that in the unsubstituted complex.     

Diisopropylethylamine: An effective catalyst for the introduction of the t-butyldimethylsilyl group

The rapid reaction of t-butyldimethylchlorosilane with alcohols catalysed by diisopropylethylamine at room temperature gave high isolated yields of the t-butyldimethylsilyl ethers.     

Construction of a singular elliptic-harmonic measure

The authors study an example, suggested by E. De Giorgi, of a second-order uniformly elliptic partial differential operator in divergence form with continuous coefficients on a smooth domain in the plane such that the associated harmonic measure on the boundary is not absolutely continuous with respect to the ordinary surface measure.