Mechanical unfolding revisited through a simple but realistic model

Single-molecule experiments and their application to probe the mechanical resistance and related properties of proteins provide a new dimension in our knowledge of these important and complex biological molecules. Single-molecule techniques may not have yet overridden solution experiments as a method of choice to characterize biophysical and biological properties of proteins, but have stimulated a debate and contributed considerably to bridge theory and experiment. Here we demonstrate this latter contribution by illustrating the reach of some theoretical findings using a solvable but nontrivial molecular model whose properties are analogous to those of the corresponding experimental systems. In particular, we show the relationship between the thermodynamic and the mechanical properties of a protein. The simulations presented here also illustrate how forced and spontaneous unfolding occur through different pathways and that folding and unfolding rates at equilibrium cannot in general be obtained from forced unfolding experiments or simulations. We also study the relationship between the energy surface and the mechanical resistance of a protein and show how a simple analysis of the native state can predict much of the mechanical properties of a protein.     

Water extraction times for plant and soil materials used in stable isotope analysis

Stable isotopic analysis of water for many ecological applications commonly requires extractions of water from dozens to hundreds of plant and soil samples. With recent advances in mass spectrometry, water extraction, rather than the isotopic analysis itself, is the bottleneck in sample processing. Using cryogenic vacuum distillation, we have created extraction timing curves to determine how much time (T(min)) is required to extract an unfractionated water sample. Our results indicated that T(min) values are 60 to 75 min for stems, 40 min for clay soils, 30 min for sandy soils and 20 to 30 min for leaves. While the extraction times reported here may allow for some reductions relative to times reported in the literature, the extraction process will continue to be a rate-limiting step in plant water analyses. Ultimately, technological advances eliminating the need for extraction are required to greatly increase throughput rates in water isotope analysis for ecological research.     

Possibility of predicting separations in supercritical fluid chromatography with the solvation parameter model

In order to obtain a selection of optimal chromatographic columns for the separation of chlorotriazine pesticides in packed column supercritical fluid chromatography (pSFC), a multi-criteria approach is applied. For this purpose, prediction of the separations is carried out, based on quantitative structure–retention relationships, then Derringer's desirability function is proposed to determine the stationary phase that will result in the most desirable separation. The best SFC separation obtained was then optimized using a mobile phase gradient. Besides, the accuracy of the solvation parameter model as SFC retention predictive model is assessed.     

PbMn(SO4)2: A new chiral antiferromagnet

PbMn(SO₄)₂ has been synthesized in an evacuated quartz tube. The nuclear and magnetic crystal structures have been determined using powder X-ray and neutron diffraction. This material crystallizes in the enantiomorphic space group pair P4₁2₁2(92) and P4₃2₁2(96), forming a double-helical arrangement of Pb²⁺ and Mn²⁺ cations. The Mn²⁺O₆ octahedra are distorted. Each 3d⁵ Mn²⁺ has four nearest-neighbors and four next-nearest-neighbors adopting a frustrating arrangement. The compound orders antiferromagnetically at 5.5 K. Field dependent specific heat and magnetization measurements show that T_N is suppressed to 3.3 K when μ₀H=9 T.     

Separation,preconcentration and determination of Pb(Ⅱ) in water samples using microcrystalline triphenylmethane loaded with quinolin-8-olate

This paper described a novel method for the preconcentration of Pb(Ⅱ) using microcrystalline triphenylmethane loaded with quinolin-8-olate prior to the determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.Pb(Ⅱ) could be enriched by controlling appropriate condition.The preconcentration factor could reach to 200 and the detection limit of Pb(Ⅱ) was 0.074μg/L.The recovery was in a range of 93.5-103%with relative standard deviation of 1.0-2.2%.The proposed method had been successfully applied to the determ...     

A new monoterpenoid indole alkaloid from Rauvolfia yunnanensis

One new monoterpenoid indole alkaloid, 11-methoxyburnamine-17-O-3′,4′,5′-trimethoxybenzoate (1), was isolated from Rauvolfia yunnanensis Tsiang. Its structure was identified by spectroscopic evidences.     

Study on synthesis and distribution in vivo of 5-Fu-cholic acid conjugate

A series of hepatic targeting drugs,5-Fu-cholic acid conjugate T1-T5,were synthesized.5-Fu and cholic acid was selected as starting material,after N-hydroxymethylation,condensation,hydrogenolysis to obtain carboxylated 5-Fu 5a--e.Carboxylated 5-Fu 5a--e were eondensated with intermediate 3-hydroxyethyl cholic acid benzyl ester 6 to get 7a-e,7a-e were deproteeted to get T1-T5.     

Synthesis of （S） and （R）-tilisolol hydrochloride

Tilisolol hydrochloride 1,a non-selectiveβ-adrenoceptor blocker,was developed as a drug for the treatment of hypertension and angina pectoris.The optical active forms of 1,1a and 1b were synthesized from inexpensive phthalic anhydride 2 in eight steps with 13%(S) and 15%(R) overall yield.     

Plasma stencilling methods for cell patterning

In this paper we describe plasma stencilling techniques for patterning 10 mammalian cell lines on hydrophobic and cell repellent poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), methylated glass and bacterial grade polystyrene surfaces. An air plasma produced with a Tesla generator operating at atmospheric pressure was used with microengineered stencils for patterned surface oxidation, selectively transforming the surface to a hydrophilic state to enable cell adhesion and growth. Plasma stencilling obviates the need for directly patterning cell adhesion molecules. Instead, during cell culture, adhesion proteins from the media assemble in a bioactive form on the hydrophilic regions. Critically, the removal of protein patterning prior to cell culture provides the option to also use PDMS–PDMS plasma bonding to incorporate cell patterns within microfluidic systems. Linear patterns were generated using PDMS microchannel stencils, and polyimide stencils with through holes were used for the production of cellular arrays. For the production of smaller cellular arrays, a novel microcapillary-based dielectric barrier discharge system was developed. A numerical method to characterise the cell patterns is also introduced and was used to demonstrate that plasma stencilling is highly effective, with complete patterns confined during long term cell culture (>10 days). In summary, plasma stencilling is simple, rapid, inexpensive, reproducible and a potentially universal cell line patterning capability.

Generalised space–time and duality

In this Letter we consider the previously proposed generalised space–time and investigate the structure of the field theory upon which it is based. In particular, we derive a SO(D,D)$\mathit{SO}(D,D)$ formulation of the bosonic string as a non-linear realisation at lowest levels of E₁₁s_⊗l₁$E_{11}{\otimes }_s{l}_1$ where l₁$l_1$ is the first fundamental representation. We give a Hamiltonian formulation of this theory and carry out its quantisation. We argue that the choice of representation of the quantum theory breaks the manifest SO(D,D)$\mathit{SO}(D,D)$ symmetry but that the symmetry is manifest in a non-commutative field theory. We discuss the implications for the conjectured E₁₁$E_{11}$ symmetry and the role of the l₁$l_1$ representation.