Synthetic erythropoietic proteins: tuning biological performance by site-specific polymer attachment

Chemical synthesis in combination with precision polymer modification allows the systematic exploration of the effect of protein properties, such as charge and hydrodynamic radius, on potency using defined, homogeneous conjugates. A series of polymer-modified synthetic erythropoiesis proteins were constructed that had a polypeptide chain similar to the amino acid sequence of human erythropoietin but differed significantly in the number and type of attached polymers. The analogs differed in charge from +5 to -26 at neutral pH and varied in molecular weight from 30 to 54 kDa. All were active in an in vitro cell proliferation assay. However, in vivo potency was found to be strongly dependent on overall charge and size. The trends observed in this study may serve as starting points for the construction of more potent synthetic EPO analogs in the future.     

A field theoretical approach to calculate electronic Born-Oppenheimer coupling terms

In this paper we suggest to consider the spatial distribution of the Born-Oppenheimer nonadiabatic coupling terms as fields which are created by sources, located at degeneracy points, and which can be derived using the ordinary mathematical tools of field theory. It is shown that the curl-divergence equations as formed within a given Hilbert space [M. Baer, Chem. Phys. Lett. 35, 112 (1975)] can be converted into a set of inhomogeneous coupled Poisson equations which are solved for a given set of boundary conditions. The method is applied to the three-state Hilbert subspace of the H(3) system. The numerical results are compared with ab initio calculations for which a very encouraging fit is found.     

Properties and analytical applications of the heteropolymolybdates of phosphorus, arsenic, silicon and germanium-IV Determination of phosphomolybdic and silicomolybdic acids via the molybdenum content, with phenylfluorone

Procedures are proposed for the determination of phosphorus and silicon in the ppM range, by extraction of phosphomolybdic and silicomolybdic acids with organic solvent, decomposition of the complex and spectrophotometric determination of its molybdenum content.     

Oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butenes: Product effect in the reactions over tin-antimony mixed oxides

The addition of possible oxidation and/or isomerization products (butadiene, water, isomeric n-butenes) resulted in neither promotion nor inhibition in the oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butenes over tin-antimony mixed oxide catalysts. On the basis of these and other information on the influence of products an interpretation has been given to complete the reaction mechanism more realistic than those based on previous experimental results.

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Comparative Mössbauer study of high Tc superconductors

¹⁵¹Eu,¹¹⁹Sn and⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to study high T_c superconductors. Mössbauer spectra of Sn substituted EuBa₂Cu₃O_7–y, YBa₂Cu₃O_7–y and TlBaCaCuO_4.5+y as well as of Fe Substituted TlBaCaCuO_4.5+y were compared. The Sn and Fe ions replace the regular Cu positions in the YBa₂Cu₃O_7–y and in TlBaCaCuO_4.5+y materials, fespectively, while the localization of tin atoms in both the¹¹⁹Sn doped EuBa₂Cu₃O_7–y and TlBaCaCuO_4.5+y superconductors is different from that of previous cases. Up to our knowledge, this is the first publication on a Mössbauer study of a Tl-containing superconductor.     

Synthesis,optical, and electrochemical properties of novel copolymers on the basis of benzothiadiazole and electron‐rich arene units

Novel alternating conjugated copolymers ( P1–P6 ) consisting of an electron‐deficient benzothiadiazole and a variety of electron‐rich thiophene‐arene‐thiophene units were synthesized by palladium‐catalyzed polycondensations (Stille and Suzuki reactions), aiming at processable materials with a reduced optical band gap. The structures of P1–P6 were confirmed by ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR, and their molecular weights were determined by size exclusion chromatography. In the Suzuki polycondensation, the role of the catalyst [Pd(PPh₃)₄ and Pd(OAc)₂] on the resulting molecular weight was investigated. Pd(OAc)₂ enhances the molecular weight of the polymers for both thiophene and phenylene bis‐boronic esters as compared with Pd(PPh₃)₄. The optical properties of the polymers were examined in solution and the solid state. The polymers with n‐octyl substituents ( P1 , P4 , P5 , and P6 ) on the thiophene rings possessed less‐planar structures as a result of torsional steric hindrance, and their absorption spectra appeared blueshifted as compared with their unsubstituted analogues ( P2 and P3 ). The electrochemical properties of the polymers were studied using cyclic voltammetry. Although the alkyl substitution affects the oxidation potential, only marginal differences in the reduction potentials were observed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2360–2372, 2002     

Affinity interactions between phenylboronic acid-carrying self-assembled monolayers and flavin adenine dinucleotide or horseradish peroxidase

A method is provided for the recognition of glycated molecules based on their binding affinities to boronate-carrying monolayers. The affinity interaction of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with phenylboronic acid monolayers on gold was investigated by using voltammetric and microgravimetric methods. Conjugates of 3-aminophenylboronic acid and 3,3'-dithiodipropionic acid di(N-hydroxysuccinimide ester) or 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid were prepared and self-assembled on gold surfaces to generate monolayers. FAD is bound to this modified surface and recognized by a pair of redox peaks with a formal potential of -0.433 V in a 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution, pH 6.5. Upon addition of a sugar to the buffer, the bound FAD could be replaced, indicating that the binding is reversible. Voltammetric, mass measurements, and photometric activity assays show that the HRP can also be bound to the interface. This binding is reversible, and HRP can be replaced by sorbitol or removed in acidic solution. The effects of pH, incubation time, and concentration of H(2)O(2) were studied by comparing the catalytic reduction of H(2)O(2) in the presence of the electron-donor thionine. The catalytic current of the HRP-loaded electrode was proportional to HRP concentrations in the incubation solution in the range between 5 microg mL(-1) and 0.1 mg mL(-1) with a linear slope of 3.34 microA mL mg(-1) and a correlation coefficient of 0.9945.     

Bioaccumulation study of acrylates in algae (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorella kessleri</Emphasis>) by Py-GC and Py-GC/MS

Acrylate monomers methylmethacrylate (MMA) and cyclohexylmethacrylate (CHMA) bioaccumulation has been determined in aquatic organism, algae (Chlorella kessleri). Algae were collected in amount of 0.4 mg and directly injected to the pyrolytical cell. In algae bodies accumulated monomers were analysed by pyrolysis gas chromatography (Py-GC) and pyrolysis gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Traces of the accumulated monomers in algae body can be determined after 1-, 2-, 3-weeks of incubation. Maximum content of MMA was determined after 3-week of experiment, contrariwise in the case of CHMA after 2-week exposition. Relationship with pyrolysis temperature has also been studied.     

Diffusion-averaged molecular weights of «nonboiling» crude oil fractions

Summary The successful application of the formerly presented concept of diffusion-averaged molecular weight, M_d, to vacuum residues of crude oils, or their fractions, is described. The samples for establishing the calibration curve, logDvs. logM, were crude oil fractions with polydispersities smaller than 1.1. In a surprisingly good approximation the calibration curve is independent of the origin of these fractions if 500<M<10000. The validity of our calibration curve was demonstrated with more than 10 crude oil residues and with some of their hydrogenation residues [2].