Genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphism in γ-glutamyl hydrolase gene by capillary electrophoresis

The γ-glutamyl hydrolase (GGH) gene plays an important role in methotrexate (MTX) metabolism, ensuring that MTX polyglutamates (MTX-(Glu)(n)) could be converted back into MTX. Accumulation of MTX-(Glu)(n) is a problem in MTX therapy. SNP 452 C>T has been reported to associate with lower catalytic activity and higher accumulation of long-chain MTX-(Glu)(n) in patients treated with higher doses of MTX treatment. We propose and establish a simple and effective CE method for detecting SNP in GGH gene. The DNA samples after amplification were analyzed by SSCP-CE method. The CE conditions were generated by using 1× TBE buffer containing 1.5%?w/v hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose under reverse polarity at 25°C. This method was applied to detect genotyping of acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients receiving MTX treatment. The results were confirmed by DNA sequencing with good agreement. Concentrations of MTX-(Glu)(n) in whole blood were analyzed by on-line stacking CE method. MTX-(Glu)(n) levels and genotypes in GGH gene of acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients were evaluated. The SSCP-CE method was found to be feasible for SNP screening in the GGH gene.     

Electron- and Hole-Doping Effects in Manganites Studied by X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy

We investigate the electronic structures of hole-doped, La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃, and electron-doped, La_0.7Ce_0.3MnO₃, manganites by x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy at the O and Mn K-edges. While, the O K-edge XANES results indicate that Ca and Ce doping induce holes in O 2p derived states, the Mn K-edge XANES do not give any evidence for creation of the Mn⁴⁺ (or Mn²⁺) ions by Ca (or Ce) dopants. Such results further questions the validity of double exchange mechanism in understanding the anomalous properties of manganites.     

The quantitative analysis of a two-medium mixture using holographic interferometry: the determination of the size corresponding to circular- and rectangular-column voids in a two-medium mixture

The purpose of this paper is to extend the holographic technique to the optical measurement of a two-medium mixture. Assume there exists a void in medium A and the void contains medium B, an experimental technique and the corresponding theories are proposed in this paper, in order to quantitatively determine the size of void in the two-medium mixture. Then the amount of medium B can be determined. An empty glass container was simulated as a void in the mixture. Two different types of glass containers were used and the corresponding theories were derived. The test results show that the errors were in a reasonable range and support the application of holography in the quantitative optical measurement of a two-medium mixture.     

Solution Models for Binary Components of Significantly Different Molecular Sizes

As a solution theory, Raoult’s law is commonly used to estimate the activities of solutes and solvents of comparable molecular sizes while the Flory–Huggins (F–H) model is used for the activities of small liquids in high polymers. For a great many systems where the solute and solvent differ only moderately in molecular size (e.g., by 4–10 times), there has been no confirmed choice of a preferred model; examples of such systems are those of ordinary organic compounds in liquid triolein (MW = 885.4 g·mol^?1) and poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) (MW = ~1,000 g·mol^?1). The observed nearly athermal solubilities of many nonpolar organic solids in these solvents provide unique experimental data to examine the merit of a solution model. As found, Raoult’s law underestimates widely, and the F–H model underestimates slightly, the solid solubilities in triolein and PPG because these models underestimate the solution entropy for these solute–solvent pairs. To rectify this problem, the molecular segments of a large sized liquid solvent (e.g., triolein) are assumed to act as independent mixing units to increase the solute–solvent mixing entropy. This adjustment leads to a modified F–H model in which the “ideal” or “athermal” solubility of a solid in volume fraction, at a particular temperature, is equal to the solid’s activity at that temperature. Results from other studies give further support for the modified F–H model to interpret the partition data of compounds with organic solvents.     

Human and Limulus Blood: Opportunity for Development of A Medical Biotechnology Project in Taiwan

The function of blood is to deliver nourishments to and remove wastes from all parts of the body. It is made up of different kinds of cells bathed in a fluid called plasma. The major cellular components of blood include (1) red blood cells for carrying oxygen to the various tissues, (2) white blood cells for providing defense against infectious agents and cancer, and (3) platelets for inducing a cascade of events leading to blood clot formation that stops bleeding. The plasma also contains numerous proteins for maintaining normal balance in our body, and include (1) clotting factors such as factor VIII, factor IX, fibrinogen, and thrombin, (2) protease inhibitors and anticoagulants that regulate the coagulation pathway, the complement system, or the fibrinolytic system, (3) immunoglobulin which are antibodies directed against different infectious agents, and (4) albumin which functions as a volume expander to maintain our blood volume and is essential when threatened with severe blood loss. The plasma of the invertebrate horseshoe crab, contains three major proteins: hemocyanin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and α₂-macroglobulin. Hemocyanin functions as an oxygen-carrying protein. CRP is a lectin that binds to phosphocholine of the pneumococcus C-polysaccharide, to the chromatins of damaged cells, and to the galactose moiety of desialylated glycoprotein as a membrane-associated protein on liver marcrophages. CRP exists, however, as a normal component of the invertebrate hemolymph. α₂-macroglobulin exhibits proteinase inhibitory activity with a broad specificity that can block the activities of protease secreted from invading microorganisms. The Limulus CRP, along with the C3 homologue α₂-macroglobulin, participates in a complement - like hemolytic activity in horseshoe crab hemolymph. Whereas the vertebrate evolved to use both the innate and the adaptive immunity, the invertebrate only uses the innate immunity. The innate immunity uses germ-line encoded receptors to recognize conserved molecular constituents of infectious microorganisms, is phylogenetically older, with some of its form presumably presents in all multicellular organisms. The adaptive immunity is mediated by highly specific antigen receptors that are distributed clonally on the two types of lymphocytes, the T-cells and the B-cells. Evidence has accumulated in recent years to suggest that the innate immune system provides signals that are essential for the adaptive immune response to generate information on the origin of the antigen and the type of response to be induced. This linkage invites renewed interest in the study of the innate immune system of the horseshoe crab.     

A non-smooth model for signalized road network design problems

A signalized road network is considered where the set of link capacity expansions and signal setting variables are simultaneously determined. This paper addresses a new optimization scheme for a signalized road network design problem (SRNDP). A SRNDP can be formulated as a mathematical program with equilibrium constraints (MPEC) where user equilibrium is expressed as a variational inequality problem. Due to non-differentiability of the perturbed solutions in equilibrium constraints, a non-smooth model is established. A bundle subgradient projection (BSP) method is presented with global convergence. Numerical calculations are conducted on a real data city road network and large-scale grid networks where promising results are obtained.     

The Electronic Properties of Nanomaterials Elucidated by Synchrotron Radiation–Based Spectroscopy

The use of synchrotron radiation–based spectroscopy to investigate electronic and bonding structures of nanostructured materials is reviewed with focuses on the X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), valence-band photoemission spectroscopy (VB-PES), and scanning photoelectron microscopy (SPEM) measurements. This review addresses the current status of synchrotron radiation–based nanoscale characterization of carbon-based and ZnO nanomaterials. Current research works that are relevant to this rapidly evolving experimental area and implications in nanoscience and nanotechnology are emphasized.     

A hybrid optimization algorithm for area traffic control problem

For an area traffic control road network subject to equilibrium flows, the maximum possible increase in travel demands is considered while total delays for travellers are minimized with respect to the common cycle time, the starts and durations of green times and the offsets. Using the concept of reserve capacity of signal-controlled junctions, the problem of finding the maximum increase in traffic demands can be formulated as a mathematical program with equilibrium constraints. In this paper, we present a hybrid optimization algorithm to simultaneously solve the maximum increase in travel demands and minimizing total delays of travellers. Numerical computations are made for the values of performance index and the reserve capacity achieved at various sets of initial signal settings on a variety of signal-controlled networks. Encouraging results are obtained when compared with other alternatives.     

Enhancement of Chemical Reactions by Microwave Irradiation

Microwaves are low electromagnetic energy which induce molecular perturbation by stimulation of ionic diffusion and by enhancement of dipole rotation without causing rearrangement of molecular structures. Microwave energy irradiated on the samples in various liquid media is lost or absorbed to the samples by the following two mechanisms: ionic conduction and dipole rotation. These two effects take place simultaneously to account for the phenomenon of rapid heating associated with many practical applications of microwave irradiation. In contrast to conventional heating, the salient feat ure of “dipole rotation” constitutes one efficient form of “molecular agitation” or “molecular stirring” which can be explored for many aspects in chemical reactions. We will discuss some of the useful application of “molecular agitation” by means of microwave irradiation such as: 1. rapid hydrolysis of proteins and peptides, 2. selective hydrolysis of aspartyl peptide bond, 3. the racemization of amino acids, 4. rapid hydrolysis of sugars, 5. continuous-flow process of microwave reactions, and 6. the enhancement of coupling reactions in peptide synthesis.