Chromatic numbers of quadrangulations on closed surfaces

It has been shown that every quadrangulation on any nonspherical orientable closed surface with a sufficiently large representativity has chromatic number at most 3. In this paper, we show that a quadrangulation G on a nonorientable closed surface N_k has chromatic number at least 4 if G has a cycle of odd length which cuts open N_k into an orientable surface. Moreover, we characterize the quadrangulations on the torus and the Klein bottle with chromatic number exactly 3. By our characterization, we prove that every quadrangulation on the torus with representativity at least 9 has chromatic number at most 3, and that a quadrangulation on the Klein bottle with representativity at least 7 has chromatic number at most 3 if a cycle cutting open the Klein bottle into an annulus has even length. As an application of our theory, we prove that every nonorientable closed surface N_k admits an eulerian triangulation with chromatic number at least 5 which has arbitrarily large representativity. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 37: 100–114, 2001     

A two-plasmid system for the glycosylation of polyketide antibiotics: bioconversion of -rhodomycinone to rhodomycin D

Background: The biological activity of many microbial products requires the presence of one or more deoxysugar molecules attached to agylcone. This is especially prevalent among polyketides and is an important reason that the antitumor anthracycline antibiotics are avid DNA-binding drugs. The ability to make different deoxyaminosugars and attach them to the same or different aglycones in vivo would facilitate the synthesis of new anthracyclines and the quest for antitumor drugs. This is feasible using the numerous bacterial genes for deoxysugar biosynthesis that are now available. Results: Production of thymidine diphospho (TDP)- -daunosamine (dnm), the aminodeoxysugar present in the anthracycline antitumor drugs daunorubicin (DNR) and doxorubicin (DXR), and its attachment to -rhodomycinone to generate rhodomycin D has been achieved by bioconversion with a strain of Streptomyces lividans that bears two plasmids. One contained the Streptomyces peucetius dnmJVUZTQS genes plus dnmW (previously named dpsH and considered to be a polyketide cyclase gene), dnrH, which is not required for the formation of rhodomycin D, and dnrl, a regulatory gene required for expression of the dnm and drr genes. The other plasmid had genes encoding glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase and TDP-glucose-4,6-dehydratase (dnmL and dnmM, respectively, or mtmDE, their homologs from Streptomyces agrillaceus) plus the drrAB DNR/DXR resistance genes. Conclusions: The high-yielding glycosylation of the aromatic polyketide -rhodomycinone using plasmid-borne deoxysugar biosynthesis genes proves that the minimal information for -daunosamine biosynthesis and attachment in the heterologous host is encoded by the dnmLMJVUTS genes. This is a general approach to making both known and new glycosides of anthracyclines, several of which have medically important antitumor activity.     

Highly selective directed assembly of functional actomyosin on Au surfaces

The capability of assembling biomotors onto specific locations of solid substrates is a key for development of biomotor-based nanomechanical systems. We developed a method to direct the assembly of the heavy meromyosin fragment from rabbit skeletal muscle myosin onto specific locations of Au substrates utilizing surface molecular patterns. In this strategy, chemically directed patterns of streptavidin were achieved to direct highly specific assembly of biotinylated heavy meromyosin on the substrates--a strategy applicable for patterning a variety of biotinylated molecules--while BSA was utilized to avoid nonspecific adsorption. In vitro motility assays of filament sliding were used to confirm functionality of assembled actomyosin.     

New fluorinated hydroxamic acid reagents for the extraction of metal ions with supercritical CO2

Research to date on the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of metal ions has focused on the use of dithiocarbamates and β-diketones. Hydroxamic acids are well known as effective chelating agents for a broad range of transition metal ions. Much attention has centred in inorganic chemistry on the effect of N-substitution on metal chelate stability and selectivity, and in analytical chemistry on the immobilisation of the chelating agents to the chosen solid supports such as silica. In this paper, the synthesis of selected fluorinated mono hydroxamic acids and their N-substituted derivatives is reported. The new reagents are applied in the SFE of metal ions in particular Fe(III) using unmodified supercritical CO₂. Metal extraction is monitored using atomic absorption spectroscopy and visible spectrophotometry. The extraction efficiencies were determined as a function of pressure and temperature. The new ligands synthesised and applied were perfluorooctanohydroxamic acid (PFOHA), heptafluorobutyrichydroxamic acid (HFBHA) and their N-methylhydroxamic acid derivatives. Of the synthesised reagents, PFOHA was the most soluble and effective extractant of Fe(III) from spiked filter paper, reaching 97% extraction of the metal ion under optimised conditions. The selectivity of this ligand for Fe(III) in the presence of Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) is also demonstrated.     

266 nm photolysis of CF3I and C2F5I studied by diode laser gain FM spectroscopy

Frequency modulated diode laser based absorption at 1.315 microm has been used to measure the Doppler lineshapes of the I((2)P(1/2)-(2)P(3/2)) transition in atomic iodine produced from the 266 nm photolysis of both CF(3)I and C(2)F(5)I. Wavelength resolved laser gain is seen following photolysis as excited iodine atoms ((2)P(1/2)) are produced with a quantum yield close to unity from photolysis of both parent molecules. Time resolved measurements were made and the nascent speed distribution and translational anisotropy parameter, beta were determined. Mean atomic speeds of 800 and 850 ms(-1), which correspond to 83 and 68% of the maximum possible kinetic energy release into the iodine photofragment, were determined for photolysis of CF(3)I and C(2)F(5)I, respectively. The nascent translational anisotropy parameter was found to be beta = 1.77 +/- 0.05 for CF(3)I and beta = 1.69 +/- 0.05 for C(2)F(5)I. These values are explicable in terms of parent rotational motion and non-adiabatic processes in the exit channel.     

The application of modulated differential scanning calorimetry to the glass transition

The modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) technique superimposes upon the conventional DSC heating rate a sinusoidally varying modulation. The result of this modulation of the heating rate is a periodically varying heat flow, which can be analysed in various ways. In particular, MDSC yields two components (reversing and non reversing) of the heat flow, and a phase angle. These each show a characteristic behaviour in the glass transition region, but their interpretation has hitherto been unclear. The present work clarifies this situation by a theoretical analysis of the technique of MDSC, which introduces a kinetic response of the glass in the transition region. This analysis is able to describe all the usual features observed by MDSC in the glass transition region. In addition, the model is also able to predict the effects of the modulation variables, and some of these are discussed briefly.Financial support has been provided by the DGICYT (Project no.PB93/1241). J.M.H. wishes to acknowledge financial assistance for a sabbatical period from the Generalitat de Catalunya.