New lariat ether carboxylic and hydroxamic acids: Synthesis and lanthanide ion complexation

Twenty-six new lariat ether carboxylic and hydroxamic acids based upon dibenzo-13-crown-4, dibenzo-14-crown-4, dibenzo-16-crown-5 and dibenzo-19-crown-6 ring systems are synthesized and the solid-state structure for a dibenzo-19-crown-6 lariat ether hydroxamic acid is determined. The efficiency and selectivity for lanthanide ion extraction into chloroform by these proton-ionizable lariat ethers is strongly influenced by the crown ether ring size, lipophilic group attachment site and identity of the acidic function. In general, the lariat ether hydroxamic acids were more efficient and selective lanthanide ion extractants than the corresponding lariat ether carboxylic acids. The ¹H nmr and ir binding studies indicate that both the macrocyclic polyether unit and the proton-ionizable group are involved in lanthanide ion complexation.     

Covalent Attachment of Cyclic TAT Peptides to GFP Results in Protein Delivery into Live Cells with Immediate Bioavailability

The delivery of free molecules into the cytoplasm and nucleus by using arginine‐rich cell‐penetrating peptides (CPPs) has been limited to small cargoes, while large cargoes such as proteins are taken up and trapped in endocytic vesicles. Based on recent work, in which we showed that the transduction efficiency of arginine‐rich CPPs can be greatly enhanced by cyclization, the aim was to use cyclic CPPs to transport full‐length proteins, in this study green fluorescent protein (GFP), into the cytosol of living cells. Cyclic and linear CPP–GFP conjugates were obtained by using azido‐functionalized CPPs and an alkyne‐functionalized GFP. Our findings reveal that the cyclic‐CPP–GFP conjugates are internalized into live cells with immediate bioavailability in the cytosol and the nucleus, whereas linear CPP analogues do not confer GFP transduction. This technology expands the application of cyclic CPPs to the efficient transport of functional full‐length proteins into live cells.     

The origin of the first and third generation fermion massesin a technicolor scenario

We argue that the masses of the first and third fermionic generations, which are respectively of the order of a few MeV up to a hundred GeV, originate from a dynamical symmetry breaking mechanism leading to masses of the order , where is a small coupling constant, and , in the case of the first fermionic generation, is the scale of the dynamical quark mass ( MeV). For the third fermion generation is the value of the dynamical techniquark mass ( GeV). We discuss how this possibility can be implemented in a technicolor scenario, and how the mass of the intermediate generation is generated.Received: 24 July 2003, Published online: 26 November 2003     

Frequency doubling of a fibre-amplified 1083 nm DBR laser

A good frequency standard is required at 1083 nm for measurements on the fine structure of helium and of the fine structure constant. Several milliwatts of CW frequency-doubled light offers the prospect of stabilisation to a Doppler-free hyperfine transition in molecular iodine. The 1083 nm emission of an extended-cavity DBR diode laser has been amplified using an ytterbium-doped fibre amplifier, and applied to a type-I phase matched Mg:LiNbO₃ crystal in a high-Q fundamental-resonant cavity for frequency doubling. The amplifier gain at 1083 nm under typical operating conditions was 13.8 dB, with a coherent output power up to 63 mW, limited by the maximum signal input power. The doubling cavity Q was , and about 70% of the incident power was coupled in. The maximum 2nd-harmonic conversion efficiency exceeded 20% and provided an output power of 3.7 mW for making continuous frequency scans of up to 600 MHz in the green. An optical spectrum analyser at 541.5 nm showed fringes of 4.6 MHz full width half maximum, close to the instrumental width. Received: 25 February 1998 / Revised and Accepted: 28 May 1998     

CAESAR models for developmental toxicity

Background

The new REACH legislation requires assessment of a large number of chemicals in the European market for several endpoints. Developmental toxicity is one of the most difficult endpoints to assess, on account of the complexity, length and costs of experiments. Following the encouragement of QSAR (in silico) methods provided in the REACH itself, the CAESAR project has developed several models.

Results

Two QSAR models for developmental toxicity have been developed, using different statistical/mathematical methods. Both models performed well. The first makes a classification based on a random forest algorithm, while the second is based on an adaptive fuzzy partition algorithm. The first model has been implemented and inserted into the CAESAR on-line application, which is java-based software that allows everyone to freely use the models.

Conclusions

The CAESAR QSAR models have been developed with the aim to minimize false negatives in order to make them more usable for REACH. The CAESAR on-line application ensures that both industry and regulators can easily access and use the developmental toxicity model (as well as the models for the other four endpoints).

     

Solvability of a Class of Braided Fusion Categories

We show that a weakly integral braided fusion category ${{\mathcal C}}$ such that every simple object of ${{\mathcal C}}$ has Frobenius-Perron dimension ≤?2 is solvable. In addition, we prove that such a fusion category is group-theoretical in the extreme case where the universal grading group of ${{\mathcal C}}$ is trivial.     

Hopf Algebras of Dimension 12

We conclude the classification of Hopf algebras of dimension 12 over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero.