Conformational studies of poly(cis-5-ethyl-D-proline)

Two possible conformations for poly(cis-5-ethyl-D -proline) have been identified and characterized by using combinations of ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR, CD, and ORD spectroscopic techniques. Both forms have helical conformations similar to those of poly(L -proline) characterized by different amide bonds (cis and trans). However, the carbonyl group of the amide in poly(cis-5-ethyl-D -proline) form II (trans) seems to be closer to perpendicular orientation with respect to the helical axis than in poly(L -proline) form II. The pyrrolidine ring conformation of form I (cis) is probably β⁺γ^?-puckered, whereas for form II it is probably β⁺-puckered in nature. The side-chain ethyl groups prefer to adopt anti conformations to the C₅? H bond, or prefer to have χ = 180°, regardless which of the two forms poly(cis-5-ethyl-D -proline) may like to assume. The experimental results agree well with our previous theoretical conformational energy calculations.     

Growth,vibrational, optical,thermal, magnetic and dielectric behavior of organo-metallic tetramethylammonium cadmium chloride crystal

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Single crystals of tetramethylammonium cadmium chloride were grown by slow evaporation technique. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that...     

System Architecture and Cross-Layer Optimization of Video Broadcast over WiMAX

Video broadcast and mobile TV have received significant interests from both academia and industry recently. The emerging mobile WiMAX (802.16e) is capable of providing high data rate and flexible quality of service (QoS) mechanisms, making the support of mobile TV very attractive. However, how to efficiently deliver video broadcast over WiMAX is not straightforward, especially in the multi-BS mode. The multi-BS mode requires multiple BSs to be synchronized in the transmission of common multicast/broadcast data. In this paper, we first identify the key design issues for video broadcast over WiMAX in the multi-BS mode. Then, we present an end-to-end solution which fully addresses key issues such as synchronization, energy efficiency and robust video quality. Moreover, we propose a methodology to optimize the coverage, the spectrum efficiency and the video quality. Results show that our proposed scheme can significantly improve the coverage and spectrum efficiency while satisfying video quality requirements.     

Electrochemical reduction of 4-thienylquinazoline in dimethylformamide

Electrochemical reduction of 4-thienylquinazoline (4-TQ) at the dropping mercury electrode in dimethylformamide solutions containing 0.1 M tetrabutyl ammonium iodide supporting electrolyte gave two well-defined diffusion-controlled waves. The first wave was found to be quasi-reversible and the second irreversible, on the basis of the usual criteria. The controlled potential electrolysis experiments carried out at the limiting regions of the frist and the total waves of 4-TQ yielded the same number of electrons, namely two, in both cases. Mechanisms corresponding to the total wave and the first wave were proposed based on the results obtained.     

Fabrication of coaxial nanowire heterostructures: SiO x nanowires with conformal TiO2 coatings

Silica nanowires, grown via the active oxidation of a silicon substrate, have been coated with TiO₂ using two coating methods: solution-based deposition of Ti-alkoxides and atomic layer deposition. Analysis of as-deposited and annealed films shows that it is possible to produce stable conformal coatings of either the anatase or rutile phases of TiO₂ on nanowires with diameters greater than 100 nm when annealed between 500–600°C and 800–900°C, respectively, with annealing at higher temperatures (1050°C) producing coatings with a highly facetted rutile morphology. The efficacy of the process is shown to depend on nanowire diameter, with nanowires having diameters less than about 100 nm fusing together during solution-based coating and decomposing during TiO₂ atomic layer deposition. The use of a suitable buffer layer is shown to be an effective means of minimizing nanowire decomposition. Finally, annealing coated nanowires under active oxidation conditions (1100°C) is shown to be an effective technique for depositing additional conformal SiO _x coatings, thereby providing a means of fabricating multi-layered coaxial nanostructures.     

Cation‐Transporting Peptides: Scaffolds for Functionalized Pores?

Protein pores that selectively transport ions across membranes are among nature’s most efficient machines. The selectivity of these pores can be exploited for ion sensing and water purification. Since it is difficult to reconstitute membrane proteins in their active form for practical applications it is desirable to develop robust synthetic compounds that selectively transport ions across cell membranes. One can envision tuning the selectivity of pores by incorporating functional groups inside the pore. Readily accessible octapeptides containing (aminomethyl)benzoic acid and alanine are reported here that preferentially transport cations over halides across the lipid bilayer. Ion transport is hypothesized through pores formed by stable assemblies of the peptides. The aromatic ring(s) appear to be proximal to the pore and could be potentially utilized for functionalizing the pore interior.     

Spermine-Induced Morphogenesis and Effect of Partial Immersion System on the Shoot Cultures of Banana

Contribution of exogenous polyamines (PAs) and polyamine-inhibitors on plantlet regeneration patterns of banana (cv. Nanjanagudu Rasabale-AAB) was studied and the performance of regenerated shoots in temporary immersion system was evaluated. The rhizome explants (without shoot bud) of in vitro shoots produced a mixture of embryogenic and nonembryogenic calli on modified MS medium. The analyses of endogenous pools of polyamines showed higher levels of PAs in embryogenic than in nonembryogenic calli. Supplementation of various levels of (10-50 microM) spermine (Spm), spermidine (Spd), and putrescine (Put) to cultures with secondary embryogenesis showed that about 50% of embryogenic calli rapidly produced secondary embryos only in the presence 40 microM Spm but not in other treatments. The crucial role of Spm was further confirmed by the use of 0.1 mM each of alpha-DL-Difluromethylornithine and alpha-DL-Difluromethylarginine along with Spm where the presence of inhibitors concomitantly inhibited the secondary embryogenesis. The shoots obtained from the embryogenic cultures were checked for their performance on solid medium (SM) and partial immersion system (PIS). The rate of shoot multiplication was higher in PIS than in SM throughout 6 weeks culture period. Uniformity in elongation of all the shoot buds was observed in PIS but not in SM. Evaluation for the acclimatization, survival under greenhouse conditions revealed the better performance of PIS-derived plants than those from SM.     

Selection and regeneration of groundnut plants resistant to the pathotoxic culture filtrate ofCercosporidium personation through tissue culture technology

Callus cultures were established from immature leaf expiants ofArachis hypogaea on MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/L of NAA and 0.5 mg/L of BAP of the susceptible cultivars namely VRI-2 and TMV-7. Three-week-old calli were subjected to mutagenic treatments (gamma rays: 50–250 Gy and EMS: 5–25 mM). Mutagen-treated calli were subcultured to fresh medium containing various concentrations (25–100% v/v) of pathotoxic culture filtrates. Calli were challenged in vitro with pathotoxic culture filtrate of the fungal pathogen and were assessed by visible growth ratings expressed as the percent response to the doses/concentrations of mutagen. Selected mutagen-treated calli showed resistance in vitro on media containingCercosporidium personatum pathotoxic culture filtrate. Resistance calli were then transferred to MS regeneration medium supplemented with BAP (2.0 mg/L) and NAA (0.5 mg/L) for shoot bud regeneration. The progeny of the plants produced 13 disease-resistant plants (R₂) in both the cultivars. Among the eight R₂ populations studied, 70.2–82.5% of the plants exhibited enhanced resistance. This study suggested that groundnut plants with resistance to C.personatum can be selected     

Effect of auxins and cytokinins on efficient plant regeneration and multiple-shoot formation from cotyledons and cotyledonary-node expiants of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) by in vitro culture technology

Tissue cultures were established from cotyledon and cotyledonarynode segments ofArachis hypogaea L. on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of auxins (IAA, NAA, IBA, and 2, 4-D) and cytokinins (KIN and BAP). For callus initiation, high concentration of auxins and low concentration of cytokinins were used, whereas high concentration of cytokinins and low concentration of auxins were used for shoot-bud differentiation. Callus induction and shoot-bud regeneration frequency, however, varied with genotype, expiant, and the different plant-growth regulators combination in the medium. The shoot-bud multiplication was also influenced by genotype, explant type, and growth regulators. The combination of BAP and NAA produced more shoots than other combinations. The maximum number of shoots was obtained from cotyledonary-node segments on a medium containing BAP (5.0 mg/L) and IBA (1.0 mg/L). Rooting of regenerated shoots was achieved on a medium augmented with NAA or IBA (2.0 mg/L) in combination with KIN (0.5 mg/L). Rooted plantlets were successfully established in the soil, where 95% of them survived. Tissue-culture studies of these expiants suggests the shoots to be ofde nova origin, which would make the system suitable for gene-transfer technology.