Level-spacing distributions beyond the Wigner surmise

We introduce a dynamical system, for which it is possible to get such a large number of eigenvalues that deviations from Wigner's surmise are visible. The obtained level-spacing distribution agrees much better with the distribution derived from random matrix theory.     

Aortic elastin fluorescence afterin vivo labeling with Congo red

Congo red (CR) is an azo dye which not only preferentially binds to elastin, an extracellular matrix protein found in the media of arterial vessel walls, but also fluoresces when it binds to this protein. Protein solubilization data following laser irradiation of elastin:CR suspensions determined that the amount of elastin solubilized by laser irradiation increased with the increase in CR. The saturation point of CR to elastin was attained when 400 g CR was added to 20 mg elastin suspension. When 20 ml of a 5% CR solution in 5% dextrose was administered intravenously, the CR was absorbed in levels sufficient to produce fluorescence of the main arteries in rabbits. Layers of tissue both in the media of the vessels and at the endothelial/intimal interface were clearly differentiated. Therefore, the elastin:CR complex appears to be an ideal system in which the elastin fluorescence could aid in distinguishing between normal and diseased tissue in certain pathological conditions, such as atherosclerosis and some types of breast tumors.     

Kinetics of particle deposition in the oblique impinging jet cell

A new oblique impinging-jet (OBIJ) cell was developed, suitable for colloid deposition studies at various interfaces. In contrast to previously used orthogonal cells, the OBIJ construction makes possible direct microscope observations of particle deposition on nontransparent substrates. The cell performance was tested by studying kinetics of polystyrene latex particle deposition on mica. Two limiting cell configuration were used in the experiments: (i) the lower position (inverted microscope observation of substrate surface through air) and (ii) the upper position (observation of the substrate surface with adsorbed particles through the suspension layer). The dependence of local mass transfer rate (particle flux) on the position over the substrate surface was studied for various flow Reynolds numbers. It was demonstrated that deposition rate attained maximum at the flow stagnation point whose position was dependent on Re number. Moreover, it was shown that the local flux decreased at much slower rate when moving in the downstream direction, than for previously used impinging-jet cells. Consequently, the area of uniform transport conditions was larger, enabling more precise determination of the limiting particle flux at the stagnation-point. The dependence of the flux on Re number was systematically studied for various ionic strength of the suspension. It was demonstrated, in accordance with previous results for the ordinary impinging-jet, that the flux increased significantly for low ionic strength and high Re number. This phenomenon, referred to as the inverse salt effect, was interpreted in terms of the convective diffusion theory. The governing transport equation originating from this theory was solved numerically, for the region near the stagnation point, using the finite-difference method. These numerical solutions were used for nonlinear fitting of the flow intensity parameter dependence on the Re number. In this way the flow field in the vicinity of the stagnation point was fully characterized. It was concluded that the new cell can be exploited as an effective experimental tool for colloid deposition studies on various substrates.     

über einige Kondensationsreaktionen von dimerem Malonitril, dimerem Cyanessigs?ure?thyl- bzw.-methylester mit aromatischen Aldehyden

Aromatic aldehydes (1 a-g) yield linear condensation products (3 a-1) with dimeric ethyl and methyl cyanoacetate, resp., and dimeric malonitrile. Reduction of the condensation product of o-nitrobenzaldehyde with dimeric methyl cyanoacetate leads to methyl (3-methoxycarbonyl-1,2-dihydro-2-chinolinylidene)-cyanoacetate (4), with o-aminobenzaldehyde a carbostyril derivative5 a is obtained. In the presence of ammonium acetate aromatic aldehydes react with dimeric methyl and ethyl cyanoacetate, resp. to hexahydro-pyrimidinylidene cyanoacetates (8).     

THE EFFECTS OF NEAR-UV RADIATION ON HUMAN LENS β-CRYSTALLINS: PROTEIN STRUCTURAL CHANGES and THE PRODUCTION OF O2_ and H2O2

beta-Crystallins (beta 1-, beta 2- and beta 3-crystallin) comprise nearly half the protein of the human lens. The effect of near-UV radiation, which is one of the possible risk factors in cataract formation, on the beta-crystallins is investigated in this study. Protein intersubunit crosslinking, change in charge of the protein subunits to more acidic species and changes in protein tertiary structure (conformation) by 300 nm irradiation are reported. The fluorescence yield of protein tryptophan residues decreases by 300 nm irradiation. There is an increase in nontryptophan fluorescence (lambda cx 340 nm, lambda cm 400-600 nm), and in protein absorption at 340 nm, due to the formation of tryptophan photooxidation products. Both tryptophan and its oxidation products can be photoexcited by 300 nm irradiation and the latter are known to be good photosensitizers. The results provide evidence for the generation of H2O2 in the irradiated human beta-crystallin solutions by the Type I photosensitizing action of the chromophores absorbing at 300 nm. The H2O2 is generated via the intermediate production of O2 anion; the latter spontaneously dismutates to H2O2, presumably via O2- protein interactions. The amount of H2O2 generated per absorbed photon is compared for various solutions of beta 1-, beta 2- and beta 3-crystallins from human lenses of different age.     

Effect of surface attachment on synthesis of bacterial cellulose

Gluconacetobacter spp. synthesize a pure form of hydrophilic cellulose that has several industrial specialty applications. Literature reports have concentrated on intensive investigation of static and agitated culture in liquid media containing high nutrient concentrations optimized for maximal cellulose production rates. The behavior of these bacteria on semisolid and solid surfaces has not been specifically addressed. The species Gluconacetobacter hansenii was examined for cellulose synthesis and colony morphology on a range of solid supports, including cotton linters, and on media thickened with agar, methyl cellulose, or gellan. The concentration and chemical structure of the thickening agent were found to be directly related to the formation of contiguous cellulose pellicules. Viability of the bacteria following freezer storage was improved when the bacteria were frozen in their cellulose pellicules. This article was authored by a contractor of the US government under contract no. DEAC05-00OR22725. Accordingly, the US government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to publish or reproduce the published form of this contribution, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes.     

Classification of Polish Natural Bee Honeys Based on Their Chemical Composition

The targeted quantitative NMR (qNMR) approach is a powerful analytical tool, which can be applied to classify and/or determine the authenticity of honey samples. In our study, this technique was used to determine the chemical profiles of different types of Polish honey samples, featured by variable contents of main sugars, free amino acids, and 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on concentrations of selected compounds to determine significant differences in their levels between all types of honey. For pattern recognition, principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted and good separations between all honey samples were obtained. The results of present studies allow the differentiation of honey samples based on the content of sucrose, glucose, and fructose, as well as amino acids such as tyrosine, phenylalanine, proline, and alanine. Our results indicated that the combination of qNMR with chemometric analysis may serve as a supplementary tool in specifying honeys.     

The Small Molecule PPARγ Agonist GL516 Induces Feeding-Stimulatory Effects in Hypothalamus Cells Hypo-E22 and Isolated Hypothalami

PPARγ agonists are implicated in the regulation of diabetes and metabolic syndrome and have therapeutic potential in brain disorders. PPARγ modulates appetite through its central effects, especially on the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC). Previous studies demonstrated that the small molecule GL516 is a PPARγ agonist able to reduce oxidative stress and apoptosis with a potential neuroprotective role. Herein, we investigated the effects of GL516, in vitro and ex vivo, on the levels of hypothalamic dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT). The gene expressions of neuropeptide Y, CART, AgRP, and POMC, which play master roles in the neuroendocrine regulation of feeding behavior and energy balance, were also evaluated. HypoE22 cells were treated with H₂O₂ (300 μM) for 2 h e 30’ and with different concentrations of GL516 (1 nM-100 µM). The cell viability was evaluated after 24 and 48 h of culturing using the MTT test. DA and 5-HT levels in the HypoE22 cell supernatants were analyzed through HPLC; an ex vivo study on isolated hypothalamic specimens challenged with scalar concentrations of GL516 (1–100 µM) and with pioglitazone (10 µM) was carried out. The gene expressions of CART, NPY, AgRP, and POMC were also determined by a quantitative real-time PCR. The results obtained showed that GL516 was able to reduce DA and 5-HT turnover; moreover, it was effective in stimulating NPY and AgRP gene expressions with a concomitant reduction in CART and POMC gene expressions. These results highlight the capability of GL516 to modulate neuropeptide pathways deeply involved in appetite control suggesting an orexigenic effect. These findings emphasize the potential use of GL516 as a promising candidate for therapeutical applications in neurodegenerative diseases associated with the reduction in food intake and stimulation of catabolic pathways.     

Photo-Induced Reactions between Glyoxal and Hydroxylamine in Cryogenic Matrices

In this paper, the photochemistry of glyoxal–hydroxylamine (Gly–HA) complexes is studied using FTIR matrix isolation spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. The irradiation of the Gly–HA complexes with the filtered output of a mercury lamp (λ > 370 nm) leads to their photoconversion to hydroxyketene–hydroxylamine complexes and the formation of hydroxy(hydroxyamino)acetaldehyde with a hemiaminal structure. The first product is the result of a double hydrogen exchange reaction between the aldehyde group of Gly and the amino or hydroxyl group of HA. The second product is formed as a result of the addition of the nitrogen atom of HA to the carbon atom of one aldehyde group of Gly, followed by the migration of the hydrogen atom from the amino group of hydroxylamine to the oxygen atom of the carbonyl group of glyoxal. The identification of the products is confirmed by deuterium substitution and by MP2 calculations of the structures and vibrational spectra of the identified species.