Use of supercritical fluid extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to obtain amino acid profiles from several genetically modified varieties of maize and soybean

A method using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for obtaining the amino acid profiles of genetically modified maize and soybean is proposed. SFE is carried out in a homemade modular system where amino acids are extracted with carbon dioxide modified with 35% of methanol, in conditions optimized by a central composite design. Once extracted, the amino acids are determined by GC/MS. The method has been applied to three samples of maize derived from MON810, other from NK 603 and a Roundup ready soybean sample. The profiles are compared with those obtained from their corresponding isogenic non-transgenic varieties. Although differences are directly observed in some cases by visual comparison of the chromatograms, the application of ANOVA shows more significant differences. In general terms, isogenic varieties seem to have higher content of several amino acids.     

Characterization of cold spray titanium deposits by X-ray microscopy and microtomography.

Cold gas dynamic spray (cold spray) is a rapid deposition technology in which particles deposit at velocities above the speed of sound (approximately 340 ms-1). Generally, porosity forms in cold spray deposits due to insufficient deformation of particles. In this study, the unique capability of the X-ray microscopy and microtomography is utilized to visualize the internal structure of deposited material. The results show that this characterization technique successfully reveals porosities in the cold spray commercial purity (CP) titanium structure. Furthermore, microtomography images confirmed the experimental results for porosity measurements in which helium (compared with nitrogen) as carrier gas significantly decreases porosity in cold spray CP titanium.     

Aluminium(III) amidinates formed from reactions of `AlCl' with lithium amidinates

The disproportionation of AlCl(THF)_n (THF is tetrahydrofuran) in the presence of lithium amidinate species gives aluminium(III) amidinate complexes with partial or full chloride substitution. Three aluminium amidinate complexes formed during the reaction between aluminium monochloride and lithium amidinates are presented. The homoleptic complex tris(N,N′‐diisopropylbenzimidamido)aluminium(III), [Al(C₁₃H₁₉N₂)₃] or Al{PhC[N(i‐Pr)]₂}₃, (I), crystallizes from the same solution as the heteroleptic complex chloridobis(N,N′‐diisopropylbenzimidamido)aluminium(III), [Al(C₁₃H₁₉N₂)₂Cl] or Al{PhC[N(i‐Pr)]₂}₂Cl, (II). Both have two crystallographically independent molecules per asymmetric unit (Z′ = 2) and (I) shows disorder in four of its N(i‐Pr) groups. Changing the ligand substituent to the bulkier cyclohexyl allows the isolation of the partial THF solvate chloridobis(N,N′‐dicyclohexylbenzimidamido)aluminium(III) tetrahydrofuran 0.675‐solvate, [Al(C₁₉H₂₇N₂)₂Cl]·0.675C₄H₈O or Al[PhC(NCy)₂]₂Cl·0.675THF, (III). Despite having a twofold rotation axis running through its Al and Cl atoms, (III) has a similar molecular structure to that of (II).     

Noncooperatively optimized tolerance: decentralized strategic optimization in complex systems

We introduce noncooperatively optimized tolerance (NOT), a game theoretic generalization of highly optimized tolerance (HOT), which we illustrate in the forest fire framework. As the number of players increases, NOT retains features of HOT, such as robustness and self-dissimilar landscapes, but also develops features of self-organized criticality. The system retains considerable robustness even as it becomes fractured, due in part to emergent cooperation between players, and at the same time exhibits increasing resilience against changes in the environment, giving rise to intermediate regimes where the system is robust to a particular distribution of adverse events, yet not very fragile to changes.     

Resonant infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation of TiO2 nanoparticle films

The successful development of flexible, high performance thin films that are competitive with silicon-based technology will likely require fabricating films of hybrid materials that incorporate nanomaterials, glasses, ceramics, polymers, and thin films. Resonant infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (RIR-MAPLE) is an ideal method for depositing organic materials and nanoparticles with minimal photochemical or photothermal damage to the deposited material. Furthermore, there are many nonhazardous solvents containing chemical functional groups with infrared absorption bands that are accessible using IR lasers. We report here results of recent work in which RIR-MAPLE has been employed successfully to deposit thin films of TiO₂ nanoparticles on Si substrates. Using an Er:YAG laser (λ=2.94 μm), we investigated a variety of MAPLE matrices containing –OH moieties, including water and all four isomers of butyl alcohol. The alcohol isomers are shown to provide effective and relatively nontoxic solvents for use in the RIR-MAPLE process. In addition, we examine the effects of varying concentration and laser fluence on film roughness and surface coverage.     

Imaging cytoplasmic cAMP in mouse brainstem neurons

Background  

cAMP is an ubiquitous second messenger mediating various neuronal functions, often as a consequence of increased intracellular Ca²⁺ levels. While imaging of calcium is commonly used in neuroscience applications, probing for cAMP levels has not yet been performed in living vertebrate neuronal tissue before.     

Protein dynamics using frequency-dependent order parameters from analysis of NMR relaxation data

A novel approach is described to analyze NMR relaxation data on proteins. This method introduces the frequency-dependent order parameter, S(2)(omega), in order to estimate contributions to the generalized order parameter S(2) from different motional frequencies occurring on the picosecond to nanosecond time scales. S(2)(omega) is defined as the sum of a specified set of weighting coefficients from the Lorentzian expansion of the spectral density function. 15N NMR relaxation data (500, 600, and 800 MHz) on protein GB1 exemplify the method. Using this approach provides information on motional restrictions over specific frequency or time scale ranges and provides a normalized comparison of motional restrictions between proteins having different overall tumbling correlation times.     

Fourth order accurate evaluation of integrals in potential theory on exterior 3D regions

We present two methods for the rapid, high order accurate evaluation of integrals in potential theory on general, unbounded 3D regions. Our methods allow for direct calculation of derivatives of the integrals as well. One of the methods uses a fourth order compact stencil, and the other uses a nonstandard variant of Richardson extrapolation. Both methods involve calculation of discontinuities in high order derivatives of the integrals across the boundary of the integration region. The extrapolation method, in addition, involves correction for the discontinuities in truncation error. The number of operations required for the methods is essentially equal to twice the number of operations needed to solve Poisson’s equation on a regular grid. Both methods avoid problems associated with using quadrature methods to evaluate integrals with singular kernels. Numerical results are presented for experiments on a variety of geometries in free space.