Synergistic antibacterial and antibiotic effects of bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids on clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

The antibacterial activity of two bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids, tetrandrine (Tet) and demethyltetrandrine (d-Tet), alone and in combination with the antibiotics ampicillin (AMP), azithromycin (AZM), cefazolin (CFZ) and levofloxacin (LEV) against 10 clinical isolates of staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec (SCCmec) III type methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was studied. Susceptibility to each agent alone was tested using a broth microdilution method. The chequerboard and time-kill tests were used for the combined evaluations. The minimal inhibitory concentrations/minimal bactericidal concentrations (MICs/MBCs, μg/mL) ranges alone were 64-128/256-1,024 for both Tet and d-Tet. Significant synergies against 90% of the isolates were observed for the Tet/CFZ combination, with their MICs being reduced by 75-94% [fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICIs) ranged from 0.188 to 0.625], respectively. An additive bactericidal result was also observed for the Tet (d-Tet)/CFZ combination in the time-kill experiments. These results demonstrated that Tet and d-Tet enhanced the in vitro inhibitory efficacy of CFZ. Their potential for combinatory therapy of patients infected with MRSA warrants further pharmacological investigation.     

One-pot synthesis of Cu1.94S-CdS and Cu1.94S-Zn(x)Cd(1-x)S nanodisk heterostructures

Nanodisk heterostructures consisting of monoclinic Cu(1.94)S and wurtzite CdS have been colloidally synthesized for the first time. Initially, hexagonal-shaped nanodisks of Cu(1.94)S were produced upon thermolysis of a copper complex in a solvent mixture of HDA and TOA at 250 °C. Rapid addition of Cd precursor to the reaction mixture resulted in the partial conversion of Cu(1.94)S into CdS, yielding Cu(1.94)S-CdS nanoheterostructures. The original morphology of the Cu(1.94)S nanodisks was conserved during the transformation. When Zn precursor was added together with the Cd precursor, Cu(1.94)S-Zn(x)Cd(1-x)S nanodisks were generated. These two-component nanostructures are potentially useful in the fabrication of heterojunction solar cells.     

Bound states and scattering resonances of OH(A)-He

The OH-He complex has been observed using laser excitation of the A 2sigma+-X 2pi transition. The bands of the complex were close to the monomer rotational lines that terminate on the n = 0, 1, and 2 levels of OH(A). The unresolved band associated with He.OH (A,n=0) was redshifted from the OH parent line by 1.6 cm(-1), providing a direct measurement of D0'-D0". The complex features associated with n = 1 and 2 were identified as scattering resonances. They have been assigned by comparison with resonance structures derived from close-coupling calculations. The ab initio potential energy surface of H.-S. Lee, A.B. McCoy, R.R. Toczylowski, and S.M. Cybulski, [J. Chem. Phys. 113, 5736 (2000)] was used in these calculations. The level of agreement between the observed and predicted resonances indicated that the ab initio surface is reasonably accurate.     

Surface complexation mechanism and modeling in Cr(III) biosorption by a microalgal isolate, Chlorella miniata

The mechanism involved in the removal of Cr(III) by a green microalgal isolate, Chlorella miniata, was examined based on a series of batch experiments and microscopic analyses, and a mathematical model was proposed. Results showed that Cr(III) biosorption increased with the increase of pH from 2.0 to 4.5, and no significant changes in biosorption outside this pH range. Langmuir isotherm indicated that the maximum Cr(III) sorption capacity of Chlorella miniata was 14.17, 28.72, and 41.12 mg g(-1) biomass at pH 3.0, 4.0, and 4.5, respectively. Results from desorption studies, SEM (scanning electron microscopy), TEM (transmission electron microscopy), and EDX (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope) analyses confirmed that surface complexation was the main process involved in Cr(III) biosorption. Potentiometric titration revealed that carboxyl (pKa1 = 4.10), phosphonate (pKa2 = 6.36) and amine (pKa3 = 8.47) functional groups on the surface of Chlorella miniata were the possible sites for Cr uptake, and their average amounts were 0.53, 0.39, and 0.36 mmol g(-1) biomass, respectively. A surface complexation model further indicated that carboxyl group played the main role in Cr(III) complexation, with a binding constant of K11 = 1.87 x 10(-4) and K12 = 6.11 x 10(-4) for Cr3+ and Cr(OH)2+, respectively. This model also suggested that the hydroxy species was more easily to complex with the cell surface of Chlorella miniata.     

A facile synthesis of the basic steroidal skeleton using a Pauson-Khand reaction as a key step

A high-yield synthesis of steroid-type molecules under mild reaction conditions is achieved in two steps involving nucleophilic addition of alkynyl cerium reagent to an easily enolizable carbonyl compound (beta-tetralone) followed by an intramolecular Pauson-Khand reaction.     

Reduced data acquisition time in multi-dimensional NMR spectroscopy using multiple-coil probes

A new hardware-based approach is presented to reduce data acquisition times in multi-dimensional NMR spectroscopy using a multiple-coil probe. Using a four-coil setup, two-dimensional COSY and TOCSY spectra were acquired in one-quarter the time of conventional spectra by simultaneous acquisition of different effective t1 evolution times for each coil. Data processing consists of simple phase-shifting and intensity normalization of the individual data sets, and results in spectra almost identical to those acquired in a conventional manner. This method can potentially be integrated with other new data acquisition and processing schemes for further increases in data acquisition speed.     

Torsional wave experiments with a new magnetostrictive transducer configuration

For the efficient long-range nondestructive structural health inspection of pipes, guided waves have become widely used. Among the various guided wave modes, the torsional wave is most preferred since its first branch is nondispersive. Our objective in this work is to develop a new magnetostrictive transducer configuration to transmit and receive torsional waves in cylindrical waveguides. The conventional magnetostrictive transducer for the generation and measurement of torsional waves consists of solenoid coils and a nickel strip bonded circumferentially to test pipes. The strip must be premagnetized by a permanent magnet before actual measurements. Because of the premagnetization, the transducer is not suitable for the long-term on-line monitoring of pipes buried underground. To avoid the cumbersome premagnetization and to improve the transduction efficiency, we propose a new transducer configuration using several pieces of nickel strips installed at 45 degrees with respect to the pipe axis. If a static bias magnetic field is also applied, the transducer output can be substantially increased. Several experiments were conducted to study the performance of the proposed transducer configuration. The proposed transducer configuration was also applied for damage detection in an aluminum pipe.     

Catalytic one-pot synthesis of [5.5.5.6]fenestrane systems via a dicobalt octacarbonyl-catalyzed tandem cycloaddition of dienediynes

Catalytic one-pot synthesis of fenestrane derivatives from dienediynes was developed: fenestranes were synthesized in high yields by a dicobalt octacarbonyl-catalyzed tandem cycloaddition of dienediynes.     

Quincunx fundamental refinable functions and quincunx biorthogonal wavelets

We analyze the approximation and smoothness properties of quincunx fundamental refinable functions. In particular, we provide a general way for the construction of quincunx interpolatory refinement masks associated with the quincunx lattice in . Their corresponding quincunx fundamental refinable functions attain the optimal approximation order and smoothness order. In addition, these examples are minimally supported with symmetry. For two special families of such quincunx interpolatory masks, we prove that their symbols are nonnegative. Finally, a general way of constructing quincunx biorthogonal wavelets is presented. Several examples of quincunx interpolatory masks and quincunx biorthogonal wavelets are explicitly computed.

     

Incoherent coincidence imaging and its applicability in X-ray diffraction

Entangled-photon coincidence imaging is a method to nonlocally image an object by transmitting a pair of entangled photons through the object and a reference optical system, respectively. The image of the object can be extracted from the coincidence rate of these two photons. From a classical perspective, the image is proportional to the fourth-order correlation function of the wave field. Using classical statistical optics, we study a particular aspect of coincidence imaging with incoherent sources. As an application, we give a proposal to realize lensless Fourier-transform imaging, and discuss its applicability in x-ray diffraction.