Construction and evaluation of nagR-nagAa::lux fusion strains in biosensing for salicylic acid derivatives

The NagR protein is a response regulatory protein found in the bacterium Ralstonia sp. U2 that is involved in sensing for salicylic acid and the subsequent induction of the operaon just upstream of its gene. The genes encoded for in this operon are involved in the degradation of salicylic acid. Escherichia coli strain RFM443 carrying a fusion of the Photorhabdus luminesscens luxCDABE operon with the nagR gene and upstream region of the nagAa gene was constructed and characterized with respect to its optimum temperature, its response time and kinetics, and its ability to deterctnumerous benzoic acid derivatives. Although capable of detecting 0.5 mM salicylic acid at any temperature between 28 and 40°C, this E. coli strain, labeled DNT5, showed its greatest relative activity at 30°C, i.e., the temperature at which the largest induction was seen. Furthermore, experiments done with numerous benzoic acid derivatives found the NagR protein to be responsive to only a few of the compounds tested, including salicylic acid and 3-methyl salicylic acid and 3-methyl saliyclic acid, and acetyl salicylic acid was the strongest inducer. The lower limits of detection for these compounds with E. coli strain DNT5 were also established, wit the native inducer, salicylic acid, giving the most sensitive response and detectable down to a concentration of about 2 μM. A second lux fusion plasmid was also constructed and transformed into an NahR background, Pseudomonas putida KCTC1768. Within this strain, NAGK-1768, the supplemental activity of the NahR protein on the nagAn promoter, was shown to extend both the range of chemicals detected and the sensitivity.     

Simple Extraction and HPLC Determination of UV-A and UV-B Filters in Sunscreen Products

The determination of 11 organic UV filters, worldwide authorised in sunscreen formulations, was performed by HPLC with UV spectrophotometric detection. The filters determined were: phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid, benzophenone-4, benzophenone-3, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, octocrylene, methylene bis-benzotriazolyl tetramethylbutyl phenol, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyltriazine, ethylhexyl triazone, and diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate. Three analytical methods were developed which were based on an ultrasonic extraction of the sample in methanol/1% aqueous acetic acid (70:30, v/v) or dimethylacetamide/propan-2-ol (1:1, v/v) in dependence of the water or fat-solubility of the filter, followed by HPLC separation and quantitation. HPLC was carried out using three different columns and eluting conditions. Standard calibration curves were linear for all the analytes over the concentration range 0.5–100 μg mL^?1. UV measurements were carried out at 280, 300, 310 or 360 nm with the aid of a diode array detector in dependence on the maximum absorption of each filter. Quantitative recoveries were obtained for all sunscreen compounds determined in homemade formulations. The proposed analytical procedure has been successfully applied for the analysis of commercial samples in order to check the presence of UV filters and to determine their concentration.     

压力流驱动电色谱分析方法及其若干色谱行为

压力流驱动电色谱分析方法是一种新型色谱技术。它组合了ＨＰＬＣ和电泳两种技术，为分离提供了更多可控制的因素。介绍了压力流驱动电色谱的装置和毛细管电色谱柱的装置方法，从理论上讨论了影响电色谱分离的因素并用实验数据加以证明。最后尝试性地将电色谱法用于测定香蕉样品中萨索啉（Ｓａｌｓｏｌｉｎｏｌ）等的含量。     

富烯碳原子簇的石墨层间闭合形成机理

本文提出了富烯碳原子簇的石墨层间闭合形成机理，由该机理推出的许多结果与实验事实符合很好。我们认为碳原子簇自由基的快速淬灭及其淬灭速度是富烯碳原子簇形成及其丰度的决定因素。由此得出富烯碳原子簇在给定实验条件下产生的必然性，并预言不同大小的富烯碳原子簇可以通过优化实验条件选择性地合成。     

Synthesis of Novel Dendrimers Containing Amino Acids and Peptides

Dendrimers are known for their well-defined, regular, highly branched architectures with a large number of functional groups1. Recently, dendrimers have been widely researched in different fields, such as molecular light havesting, catalysts, liquid cryst…     

Self-assembled multivalent vancomycin on cell surfaces against vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)

A vancomycin (Van) derivative self-assembles in a phosphate buffer as a divalent Van and on cell surfaces as a multivalent Van, which offers potent activity against VRE.     

Effect of photothermal therapy on breast tumor vascular contents: noninvasive monitoring by near-infrared spectroscopy

The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of photothermal laser irradiation on rat breast tumor (DMBA-4) vascular contents. An 805-nm diode laser was used in our experiment with a power density ranging from 0.32 to 1.27 W/cm2. The dynamic changes of oxygenated hemoglobin and total hemoglobin concentrations, delta[HbO2] and delta[Hb]total, in rat tumors during photothermal irradiation were noninvasively monitored by a near-infrared spectroscopy system. A multichannel thermal detection system was also used simultaneously to record temperatures at different locations within the tumors. Our experimental results showed that: (1) photoirradiation did have the ability to induce hyperthermic effects inside the rat breast tumors in a single exponential trend; (2) the significant changes (P < 0.005) of delta[HbO2] and delta[Hb]total in response to a low dosage of laser irradiation (0.32 W/cm2) have a single exponential increasing trend, similar to that seen in the tumor interior temperature; and (3) the increase in magnitude of delta[HbO2] is nearly two times greater than that of delta[Hb]total, suggesting that photoirradiation may enhance tumor vascular oxygenation. The last observation may be important to reveal the hidden mechanism of photoirradiation on tumors, leading to improvement of tumor treatment efficiency.     

Determination of the double-bond position in hexadecenols by mass spectrometry without prior chemical modification

Fourteen isomers of chemically unmodified hexadecenol were analysed by two types of quadrupole mass spectrometer, coupled with a gas chromatograph, for the location of the double-bond position. A series of spectra were interpreted in terms of mass spectral patterns on a fuzzy classification, in which the intensity ratios of six diagnostic pairs of the predominant ions were preferred in devising similarity indices. The accuracy of the method in the location of double-bond position was confirmed by testing with other series of spectra.     

Preparation of [5,6]- and [6,6]-oxahomofullerene derivatives and their interconversion by Lewis acid assisted reactions of fullerene mixed peroxides

[60]Fullerene mixed peroxides C60(O)(OOtBu)4 exhibit chemo- and regioselective reactions under mild conditions. The epoxy moiety is opened by ferric chloride to form vicinal hydroxy chloride C60Cl(OH)(OOtBu)4. BF3 is also effective in opening the epoxy moiety. The O-O bond of the fullerene mixed peroxide is cleaved by aluminum chloride to form both [5,6]- and [6,6]-fullerene hemiketals (oxohomo[60]fullerenes). A Hock-type rearrangement is proposed for the formation of the hemiketals, in which a fullerene C-C bond is cleaved. Lewis acids and/or visible light can initiate isomerization of the hemiketal isomers. Single-crystal X-ray analysis and theoretical calculations confirmed the results.     

Rapid method for determination of phenylurea herbicides in milk

Summary A method has been developed for the determination of thirteen phenylurea herbicide residues in milk. It involves one-step solvent extraction of the milk with methanol by ultrasonication. The extract is cleaned up on an Amberchrom resin cartridge. Reversed-phase, gradient elution, high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection at 242 nm is used to analyse the residues. The recovery of thirteen phenylurea pesticides is quantitative, ranging from 71.4% to 97.9% for the individual herbicides investigated at concentrations around 0.05 mg kg^–1 and from 65.1% to 95.6% around 0.005 mg kg^–1. The method is not associated with any of the emulsion problems common to conventional solvent extraction, which considerably reduce the sample clean-up process compared with existing methods.