Guiding in the visible with "colorful" solid-core Bragg fibers

We report on the fabrication and characterization of solid-core all-polymer Bragg fibers consisting of a large-diameter polymethyl methylacrylate (PMMA) core surrounded by 50 alternating PMMA/Polystyrene (PS) polymer layers. By modifying the reflector layer thickness we illustrate that bandgap position can be adjusted at will in the visible. Moreover, such fibers are intensely colored in both the transmission and the outside reflection modes. Potential applications of such fibers are discussed.     

Acetoxy Meldrum's acid: a versatile acyl anion equivalent in the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation

Acetoxy Meldrum's acid can serve as a versatile acyl anion equivalent in the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation. The reaction of this nucleophile with various meso and racemic electrophiles afforded alkylated products in high yields and enantiopurities. These enantioenriched products are versatile intermediates that can be further functionalized using nitrogen- and oxygen-centered nucleophiles, affording versatile scaffolds for the synthesis of nucleoside analogues. These scaffolds were used to complete formal syntheses of the anti-HIV drugs carbovir, abacavir, and the antibiotic aristeromycin.     

Transmembrane potential across single conical nanopores and resulting memristive and memcapacitive ion transport

Memristive and memcapacitive behaviors are observed from ion transport through single conical nanopores in SiO(2) substrate. In i-V measurements, current is found to depend on not just the applied bias potential but also previous conditions in the transport-limiting region inside the nanopore (history-dependent, or memory effect). At different scan rates, a constant cross-point potential separates normal and negative hysteresis loops at low and high conductivity states, respectively. Memory effects are attributed to the finite mobility of ions as they redistribute within the negatively charged nanopore under applied potentials. A quantative correlation between the cross-point potential and electrolyte concentration is established.     

Two-dye and one- or two-quencher DNA probes for real-time PCR assay: synthesis and comparison with a TaqMan? probe

A typical TaqMan? real-time PCR probe contains a 5'-fluorescent dye and a 3'-quencher. In the course of the amplification, the probe is degraded starting from the 5'-end, thus releasing fluorescent dye. Some fluorophores (including fluorescein) are known to be prone to self-quenching when located near each other. This work is aimed at studying dye-dye and dye-quencher interactions in multiply modified DNA probes. Twenty-one fluorogenic probes containing one and two fluoresceins (FAM), or a FAM-JOE pair, and one or two BHQ1 quenchers were synthesized using non-nucleoside reagents and "click chemistry" post-modification on solid phase and in solution. The probes were tested in real-time PCR using an ~300-bp-long natural DNA fragment as a template. The structural prerequisites for lowering the probe background fluorescence and increasing the end-plateau fluorescence intensity were evaluated and discussed.     

Zero-one k-law

In this article we study asymptotical behavior of the probabilities of some properties of Erd?s–Rényi random graphs $G(N,p)$. We consider the first-order properties and the probabilities $p=N^{?\alpha }$ for rational $\alpha$. The zero-one law in ordinary sense for these graphs doesn’t hold. We weakened the law by considering the formulas with quantifier depth bounded by a fixed number. To prove our results we used theorems on estimates for the number of extensions of small subgraphs in the random graph. Such an approach was first used by Spencer and Shelah in 1988. We also used our recent results from this area.     

Ab initio calculation of the ground and first excited states of the lithium dimer

Based on a high level ab initio calculation which is carried out with the multireference configuration interaction method under the aug-cc-pVXZ (AVXZ) basis sets, X=T, Q, 5, the accurate potential energy curves (PECs) of the ground state ${\rm{X}}{}^{{\rm{1}}}{\rm{\Sigma }}_{g}^{+}$ and the first excited state ${\rm{A}}{}^{{\rm{1}}}{\rm{\Sigma }}_{u}^{+}$ of Li₂ are constructed. By fitting the ab initio potential energy points with the Murrell–Sorbie potential function, the analytic potential energy functions (APEFs) are obtained. The molecular bond length at the equilibrium (R_e), the potential well depth (D_e), and the spectroscopic constants (B_e, ω_e, α_e, and ω_eχ_e) for the ${\rm{X}}{}^{{\rm{1}}}{\rm{\Sigma }}_{g}^{+}$ state and the ${\rm{A}}{}^{{\rm{1}}}{\rm{\Sigma }}_{u}^{+}$ state are deduced from the APEFs. The vibrational energy levels of the two electronic states are obtained by solving the time-independent Schrödinger equation with the Fourier grid Hamiltonian method. All the spectroscopic constants and the vibrational levels agree well with the experimental results. The Franck–Condon factors (FCFs) corresponding to the transitions from the vibrational level (v′=0) of the ground state to the vibrational levels (v″=0–74) of the first excited state have been calculated. The FCF for the vibronic transition of ${\rm{A}}{}^{{\rm{1}}}{\rm{\Sigma }}_{u}^{+}$(v″=0) ←${\rm{X}}{}^{{\rm{1}}}{\rm{\Sigma }}_{g}^{+}$(v′=0) is the strongest. These PECs and corresponding spectroscopic constants provide reliable theoretical references to both the spectroscopic and the molecular dynamic studies of the Li₂ dimer.     

Tetrazine ligation: fast bioconjugation based on inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder reactivity

Described is a bioorthogonal reaction that proceeds with unusually fast reaction rates without need for catalysis: the cycloaddition of s-tetrazine and trans-cyclooctene derivatives. The reactions tolerate a broad range of functionality and proceed in high yield in organic solvents, water, cell media, or cell lysate. The rate of the ligation between trans-cyclooctene and 3,6-di-(2-pyridyl)-s-tetrazine is very rapid (k2 2000 M-1 s-1). This fast reactivity enables protein modification at low concentration.     

Triplet NOAH supersequences optimised for small molecule structure characterisation

A series of NMR supersequences are presented for the time-efficient structure characterisation of small molecules in the solution state. These triplet sequences provide HMBC, HSQC, and one homonuclear correlation experiment of choice according to the NMR by Ordered Acquisition using ¹H detection principle. The experiments are demonstrated to be compatible with non-uniform sampling schemes and may be acquired and processed under full automation.