Evaluation of parameters critical to observing proteins inside living Escherichia coli by in-cell NMR spectroscopy

Our recently developed in-cell NMR procedure now enables one to observe protein conformations inside living cells. Optimization of the technique demonstrates that distinguishing the signals produced by a single protein species depends critically on protein overexpression levels and the correlation time in the cytoplasm. Less relevant is the selective incorporation of (15)N. Poorly expressed proteins, insoluble proteins, and proteins that cannot tumble freely due to associations within the cell cannot yet be observed. We show in-cell NMR spectra of bacterial NmerA and human calmodulin and discuss limitations of the technique as well as prospects for future applications.     

Diene Condensation of Cyclopentadiene with Dienophiles of Allylacetylene Series

Diene condensation of cyclopentadiene with 2-substituted allylacetylenes occurs nonselectively at a double and triple bonds; therewith the dienophile activity grows in parallel with the electron-withdrawing properties of the substituent. Depending on electronic character of functional groups the reaction proceeds as neutral diene synthesis. The relative activity of cyclopentadiene and 1,3-cyclohexadiene in reactions with allylacetylenes is essentially governed by the different distance between the 1,4-reactive sites in these systems.     

Some inequalities for partial orders

We establish some inequalities connecting natural parameters of a partial order P. For example, if every interval [a,b] contains at most maximal chains, if some antichain has cardinality v, and if there are ₁ chains whose union is cofinal and coinitial in P, then the chain decomposition number for P is ₁v (Theorem 2.2), and the inequality is sharp in a certain sense (Section 3).This paper was written while the authors were visitors at the Laboratoire d'algèbre ordinale, Département de Mathématiques, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon 1, France.Research supported by NSERC grant # A5198.     

Some features of solar wind protons, α particles and heavy ions behaviour: The Prognoz 7 and Prognoz 8 experimental results

The paper describes the results of investigations of the solar wind ions, carried out on board the high apogee Prognoz 7 and Prognoz 8 Earth's satellites with the aid of an SKS instrument (USSR) and a Monitor instrument (USSR-SSR). Behaviour of proton and that of components on the front of Earth's bow and interplanetary shock waves were compared by means of the energoanalysis and energy-mass analysis techniques. In several long-term periods of observation the solar wind heavy ions — oxygen, silicon and iron were determined. It enabled us to estimate the solar corona chemical composition and electron temperature.Presented at the 5th General Assembly IAGA/IAMAP August 5–17, 1985, Prague, Czechoslovakia.     

Study of diffusion creep accompanying superplastic deformation of the alloy ZhS6KP

The development of diffusion creep (DC) accompanying superplastic deformation (SPD) of the highly doped nickel alloy ZhS6KP is studied based on an investigation of the redistribution of dispersed intragrain deposits of the phase of Ni₃(Al, Ti). Deposit-free zones (DFZ) are formed in the alloy, held at the temperature of SPD and accompanying deformation at the grain boundaries. The contribution of DC to the deformation was determined from a comparative analysis of the width of the DFZ in the deformed and undeformed parts of the samples for different grain sizes and rates of DC taking into account diffusion accommodation. It was established that for the optimum rate of SPD the upper limit of the contribution of DC to deformation for 2-m grains does not exceed 11%. It is concluded, based on the distribution of DFZ, that the effect of DC accompanying SPD is determined by diffusion fluxes, associated with the local concentration of stress accompanying the development of grain-boundary slipping.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 6, pp. 40–45, June, 1986.In conclusion, we thank Yu. M. Mishin for a useful discussion of the results.     

Phosphorus-containing podands 7. Complexing properties of ortho-diphenylphosphinyl-substituted diphenyl ethers of oligoethylene glycols with respect to alkali-metal cations

Stability constants of complexes of alkali-metal cations with oligoethylene glycol diethers RO(CH₂CH₂O)_nR (n=1–5), where R=2-Ph₂P(O)C₆H₄ and 2-Ph₂(O)-4-t-BuC₆H₃P, have been determined conductometrically in a tetrahydrofuran-chloroform mixture (41 by volume). The dependence of complexing ability on a number of monopodand donor centers for Li⁺ and Na⁺ has multiple extrema. For K⁺, Rb⁺, and Cs⁺ the complexing abilities steadily increase with the length of the ligand polyether chain. Monopodands based on triethylene glycol and its pyrocatechol analog are highly effective (log K=6.7–7.0) with respect to Li⁺. The synthesis of ligands with a lipophilic tert-butyl substituent in the terminal group is described.For previous communication, see [1]. The number of the communication in [2] is 5, not 4 as printed in error.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1992–2000, September, 1991.     

NdFeO3 as a new electrocatalytic material for the electrochemical monitoring of dopamine

A new electrochemical sensor, based on NdFeO₃ nanoparticles as electrocatalytic material, was proposed here for the detection of dopamine (DA). NdFeO₃ nanoparticles were first synthesized by a simple thermal treatment method and subsequent annealing at high temperature (700 °C). The prepared electrocatalytic material has been characterized in detail by SEM-EDX, XRD, and Raman techniques. Characterization results display its sheet-like morphology, constituted by a porous network of very small orthorhombic NdFeO₃ nanoparticles. NdFeO₃ electrocatalytic material was then used to modify the working electrode of screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs). Electrochemical tests demonstrated that NdFeO₃– modified screen-printed carbon electrode (NdFeO₃/SPCE) exhibited a remarkable enhancement of the dopamine electrooxidation, compared to the bare SPCE one. The analytical performance of the developed sensor has been evaluated for the detection of this analyte by means of the square-wave voltammetry (SWV) technique. The modified electrode showed two linear concentration ranges, from 0.5 to 100 μM and 150 to 400 μM, respectively, a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.27 μM (at S/N = 3), and good reproducibility, stability, and selectivity. Additionally, we also report an attempt made to propose the modified sensor for the simultaneous detection of dopamine and uric acid (UA). The procedure was also applied for the determination of dopamine in spiked real samples. So, this paper reports for the first time the use of a modified NdFeO₃ screen-printed electrode for developing an electrochemical sensor for the quantification of important biomolecules.

Graphical abstract

     

Strong adhesion and smooth conductive surface via graft polymerization of aniline on a modified glass fiber surface

The goal of this paper is to prepare surface-conductive glass fibers. The fibers were first hydroxylated, after which they were reacted with 3-bromopropyltrichlorosilane to form a bromopropylsilane monolayer, which was further reacted with aniline to substitute the bromine atoms. The surface-bound aniline molecules were used as active sites for the graft polymerization of polyaniline (PANI). The composition, structure and the morphology of the modified glass fiber surface were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The method generated a smooth and homogenous thin layer of PANI on the surface of the glass fiber with a surface conductivity of about 6 S/cm, hence larger than the usual value ( approximately 1 S/cm) of the bulk polyaniline.