Roles of the textural and surface chemical properties of activated carbon in the adsorption of acid blue dye

This study has demonstrated the use of empirical modeling in resolving the effects of individual carbon properties on acid blue dye adsorption. Acid blue dye adsorption tests were conducted on activated carbons prepared from bagasse by physical (CO2) and chemical (ZnCl2, MgCl2 and CaCl2) techniques. Empirical models based on the carbon textural (surface area and pore size) properties and the surface chemistry inferred from heteroatom (C,H, N, and S) concentration and carbon surface pH were used to resolve the effects of individual carbon properties on acid blue dye adsorption. This form of analysis was conducted to optimize carbon preparation properties, forming the foundation for tailor-making adsorbents from bagasse suitable for acid dye adsorption. A series of statistical analyses (partial F-tests to establish the parameter significance) measured variants including the mean square error, r2 and adjusted r2, normality, and randomness of residuals, and formed the basis for testing the adequacy of these models. The empirical models suggest that a combination of suitable pore structure and distinct basic surface chemistry generated by sulfur- and nitrogen-based groups, which were also elucidated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, is necessary to promote acid dye adsorption.     

Maoecrystal Z, a cytotoxic diterpene from Isodon eriocalyx with a unique skeleton

[structure: see text] A novel diterpene with an unprecedented tetracyclic 6,7:8,15-di-seco-7,20-olide-6,8-cyclo-ent-kaurane skeleton, named maoecrystal Z (1), has been isolated from the leaves of a Chinese medicinal herb, Isodon eriocalyx (Labiatae). Its structure was determined by comprehensive NMR and MS spectroscopic analysis coupled with single-crystal X-ray crystallographic diffraction. Compound 1 exhibited comparable inhibitory effect against human K562 leukemia, MCF7 breast, and A2780 ovarian tumor cells with IC(50) = 2.90, 1.63, and 1.45 microg/mL and with camptothecin and paclitaxel as the positive controls.     

Analytical model for studying how environmental factors influence protein conformational stability in solution

We introduce an analytical modeling strategy for probing the conformational stability of globular proteins in aqueous solution. In this approach, the intrinsic (i.e., infinite dilution) thermodynamic stability and coarse structural properties of the proteins, as well as the effective protein-protein interactions, derive from a heteropolymer collapse theory that incorporates predicted temperature- and pressure-dependent hydrophobic interactions. Protein concentration effects are estimated by integrating this information into a molecular thermodynamic model, which is an ad hoc generalization of the exact equilibrium theory of a one-dimensional binary mixture of square-well particles that interconvert through an isomerization (i.e., folding) reaction. The end result is an analytical multiscale modeling approach which, although still schematic, can predict that folded proteins exhibit a closed-loop region of stability in the pressure-temperature plane and that protein concentration has a nonmonotonic effect on protein stability, results consistent with qualitative trends observed in both experiments of protein solutions and simulations of coarse-grained protein models.     

Synthesis of chiral cyclic oligothiazolines: a novel structural motif for a macrocyclic molecule

The synthesis of chiral cyclic oligo(4-beta-methyl)thiazolines is described; linear oligothiazolines were efficiently prepared by the iterative formation of a thiazoline ring and a two-directional block condensation, and construction of 24- to 36-membered cyclic oligothiazoline systems could be achieved by the head-to-tail cyclooligomerization of doubly deprotected linear fragments and subsequent thiazoline formation.     

Physical controls on directed virus assembly at nanoscale chemical templates

Viruses are attractive building blocks for nanoscale heterostructures, but little is understood about the physical principles governing their directed assembly. In situ force microscopy was used to investigate organization of Cowpea Mosaic Virus engineered to bind specifically and reversibly at nanoscale chemical templates with sub-30 nm features. Morphological evolution and assembly kinetics were measured as virus flux and inter-viral potential were varied. The resulting morphologies were similar to those of atomic-scale epitaxial systems, but the underlying thermodynamics was analogous to that of colloidal systems in confined geometries. The 1D templates biased the location of initial cluster formation, introduced asymmetric sticking probabilities, and drove 1D and 2D condensation at sub-critical volume fractions. The growth kinetics followed a t(1/2) law controlled by the slow diffusion of viruses. The ability of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to induce the lateral expansion of virus clusters away from the 1D templates suggests a significant role for weak interactions.     

Arsenic trioxide targets Hsp60, triggering degradation of p53 and survivin

The mechanisms of action of arsenic trioxide (ATO), a clinically used drug for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), have been actively studied mainly through characterization of individual putative protein targets. There appear to be no studies at a system level. Herein, we integrate metalloproteomics through a newly developed organoarsenic probe, As-AC (C₂₀H₁₇AsN₄O₃S₂) with quantitative proteomics, allowing 37 arsenic binding and 250 arsenic regulated proteins to be identified in NB4, a human APL cell line. Bioinformatics analysis reveals that ATO disrupts multiple physiological processes, in particular, chaperone-related protein folding and cellular response to stress. Furthermore, we discover heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) as a vital target of ATO. Through biophysical and cell-based assays, we demonstrate that ATO binds to Hsp60, leading to abolishment of Hsp60 refolding capability. Significantly, the binding of ATO to Hsp60 disrupts the formation of Hsp60-p53 and Hsp60-survivin complexes, resulting in degradation of p53 and survivin. This study provides significant insights into the mechanism of action of ATO at a systemic perspective, and serves as guidance for the rational design of metal-based anticancer drugs.

A highly selective organoarsenic fluorescent probe As-AC and quantitative proteomics were employed to track arsenic-binding and regulating proteins in live leukemia cells. Hsp60 was validated as a new target of ATO.     

Silkworm silk/poly(lactic acid) biocomposites: Dynamic mechanical, thermal and biodegradable properties

Silkworm silk/Poly(lactic acid) (silk/PLA) biocomposites with potential for environmental engineering applications were prepared by using melting compound methods. By means of Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Coefficient of thermal expansion test, Enzymatic degradation test and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the effect of silk fiber on the structural, thermal and dynamic mechanical properties and enzymatic degradation behavior of the PLA matrix was investigated. As silk fiber was incorporated into PLA matrix, the stiffness of the PLA matrix at higher temperature (70-160 °C) was remarkably enhanced and the dimension stability also was improved, but its thermal stability became poorer. Moreover, the presence of silk fibers also significantly enhanced the enzymatic degradation ability of the PLA matrix. The higher the silk fiber content, the more the weight loss.     

Positive periodic solution of second-order neutral functional differential equations

In this paper, we consider two types of second-order neutral functional differential equations. By choosing available operators and applying Krasnoselskii’s fixed point theorem, we obtain sufficient conditions for the existence of periodic solutions to such equations.     

Fabrication of Monodisperse Toroidal Particles by Polymer Solidification in Microfluidics

Microdoughnuts: Polymer toroidal particles such as the one shown in the left picture have been prepared by a capillary microfluidic technique. Droplets of polymer solution undergo non‐uniform solidification to form the anisotropic polymer particles. By incorporating functional materials inside the polymer network, functional toroidal particles (center and right images) can be tailor‐made for specific applications such as magnetic actuation.