Multiple Keys for a Single Lock: The Unusual Structural Plasticity of the Nucleotidyltransferase (4′)/Kanamycin Complex

The most common mode of bacterial resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics is the enzyme‐catalysed chemical modification of the drug. Over the last two decades, significant efforts in medicinal chemistry have been focused on the design of non‐ inactivable antibiotics. Unfortunately, this strategy has met with limited success on account of the remarkably wide substrate specificity of aminoglycoside‐modifying enzymes. To understand the mechanisms behind substrate promiscuity, we have performed a comprehensive experimental and theoretical analysis of the molecular‐recognition processes that lead to antibiotic inactivation by Staphylococcus aureus nucleotidyltransferase 4′(ANT(4′)), a clinically relevant protein. According to our results, the ability of this enzyme to inactivate structurally diverse polycationic molecules relies on three specific features of the catalytic region. First, the dominant role of electrostatics in aminoglycoside recognition, in combination with the significant extension of the enzyme anionic regions, confers to the protein/antibiotic complex a highly dynamic character. The motion deduced for the bound antibiotic seem to be essential for the enzyme action and probably provide a mechanism to explore alternative drug inactivation modes. Second, the nucleotide recognition is exclusively mediated by the inorganic fragment. In fact, even inorganic triphosphate can be employed as a substrate. Third, ANT(4′) seems to be equipped with a duplicated basic catalyst that is able to promote drug inactivation through different reactive geometries. This particular combination of features explains the enzyme versatility and renders the design of non‐inactivable derivatives a challenging task.     

Origin of dc and ac electric transport phenomena in carbon/manganese oxide nanocomposite

Hybrid organic/inorganic nanocomposites based on manganese oxide nanoparticles enriched pyrogallol-formaldehyde matrix (PF/MnO) were synthesized by sol-gel technique. After a drying step, the samples were heated during 2 h at different pyrolysis temperatures between 600 and 1000 °C in tubular furnace under open nitrogen atmosphere. The obtained nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electrical technics in the measurement temperature range between 80 and 300 K. The XRD spectra show that PF/MnO nanocomposites are crystallized with the appearance of different phases: the graphite (C), the manganese oxide (MnO), the metallic manganese (Mn) and the manganese dioxide (MnO₂) with proportions depending on pyrolysis temperature. The measurement temperature dependence conductivity can be explained by Godet-Variable Range Hopping (3D-GVRH) conduction model in all samples with the presence of an exponential distribution of localized states. The voltage-current V(I) characteristics show the presence of negative differential resistance (NDR) in some samples. The ac conductance exhibits the dominance of hopping conduction mechanism and the Small Polaron Hopping (SPH) model. The Nyquist plots for the PF/MnO-650 °C nanocomposite obey at Cole-Cole model. The impedance spectra were fitted by an equivalent circuit involving two contributions attributed to grains and grain boundaries.     

Influence of thermal and UV treatment on the polypropylene/graphite composite

Electrically conductive polypropylene/graphite (PP/graphite) composites were prepared via blending granulated PP with maleic anhydride grafted PP and natural graphite. Electrical conductivity of prepared samples containing either 65, 70, or 75 wt% of graphite was measured and the most conductive sample containing 75 wt% of graphite was exposed to UV irradiation for 1 and 24 h or thermally treated at 170 °C for 1 h. The influence of thermal and UV exposure on the structural and electrical changes in such treated samples was studied. Local current measurements on the surface were made using scanning spreading resistance microscopy and morphology of the surface was studied by atomic force microscopy. X-ray diffraction analysis, infrared and Raman spectroscopy were also used for the structural characterization. Properties of treated and untreated samples are compared and differences are discussed.     

Environmentally Stable Polymer Gels with Super Deformability and High Recoverability Enhanced by Sub‐5 nm Particles in the Nonvolatile Solvent

It remains challenging to satisfy the combined performances for hydrogels with excellent mechanical behavior, high deformability, and super recoverability under harsh environmental conditions. In this study, we first established a strong polymer network via the crosslinking of polymer chains on the surfaces of sub‐5‐nm calcium hydroxide nanospherulites in ethylene glycol solvent. The organic gel expressed excellent mechanical properties such as a recoverable compressive engineering stress of 249 MPa and an elongation stress of 402 KPa, which was attributed to the uniform nanosized crosslinking structure as characterized by SEM. Moreover, the nonvolatile solvent remained in the gel, meaning that the sample can resist a wide temperature range of ?56 to 100 °C without losing the elastic properties. This novel organic gel could provide promising routes to develop the ideal elastic carriers for wearable devices, smart skin sensors, and damping materials. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 713–721     

Assessment of Nematic Guest-Host Systems for Application to Integrated Liquid Crystal Displays

An optimized configuration of the nematic guest-host effect is described in which a 90° twist cell is used. In order to assess the suitability of nematic guest-host systems for use in integrated displays in which a significant dc voltage may appear across the liquid crystal, several dye/host systems were tested with up to 1.5V dc superimposed on the normal 5V r.m.s. drive signal. Degradation was monitored by measurement of tilt, clearing point and absorbance. One system tested showed no significant degradation after 9 × 10³ hr. Excellent correlation was observed between stability of a dye/host system in a driven display and the reversibility of the reduction of the dye in acetonitrile solution at a platinum electrode.     

衰减振荡电流下火花电阻的光谱诊断

气体开关是脉冲功率系统的关键部件,开关的火花通道阻抗直接影响负载电压的陡度及其能量传输效率。提出一种光谱学诊断方法,通过对火花通道成像光谱的时空分辨测量,获得通道半径及电导率,从而计算时变的火花电阻。光谱测量结果表明,氮气间隙火花放电通道电子温度为2~3eV,通道电导率先增大后减小,最大值约16 000S,随着放电发展,火花通道电阻从绝缘状态快速跌落并趋于稳定值,时变趋势与电学计算结果基本吻合。3~100kPa范围内,随着气压增大,放电通道半径减小,火花通道电阻增大。     

Modeling and numerical simulation of the resistance spot welding of zinc coated steel sheets using rounded tip electrode: Analysis of required conditions

This paper investigates the essential conditions to improve the accuracy of a resistance spot welding computational study of advanced zinc coated steel sheets using rounded tip electrode. An experimental analysis is performed to highlight the required considerations for a suitable simulation. A sequential Electrical-Thermal-Metallurgical and Mechanical (ETMM) finite element analysis with appropriate precautions of the contact conditions enables to accurately simulate the nugget development during the welding. A critical smooth evolution of the contact radius is required. A fine meshing with an interfacial mesh size of at least 0.05 × 10⁻³ m combined with a coupling time step of 0.0025 s between the electrical-thermal-metallurgical and the mechanical analysis allows a regular incrementation of the contact radius, without burdening the time computing. Accurate values of the contact resistance depending on the interfacial pressure and temperature are essential for a good simulation of the nugget size. The ETMM calculation is successfully extended to the simulation of the welding of a typical two sheets assembly.     

Effect of transition elements on dispersoid formation and elevated-temperature mechanical properties in 6082 aluminum alloy

ABSTRACT

The effect of transition elements, specifically Mn, Cr, V, and Mo, on dispersoid formation and mechanical properties in 6082 aluminum alloy was studied. The elevated-temperature mechanical properties were evaluated based on the compressive yield strength and creep resistance. The results indicated that the addition of Mn to the 6082 alloy resulted in the formation of a large number of the thermally stable α-Al(MnFe)Si dispersoids, thereby significantly improving the elevated-temperature mechanical properties of the alloy. Subsequent additions of Cr, V, and Mo increased the amount of Mn-bearing intermetallic phases, which decreased the supersaturation levels of Mn and Si in the α-Al, and consequently decreased the volume fraction of the dispersoids. The alloys containing Cr, V, and Mo exhibited similar yield strengths at 300°C and higher yield strengths at room temperature compared to the alloy containing only Mn. The size effect of the smaller dispersoids containing Cr, V, and Mo together with the solid-solution hardening of these elements could balance out the strength decrease resulting from the decreased volume fraction of the dispersoids. The additions of Cr, V, and Mo significantly increased the creep resistance of the Mn-containing 6082 alloy. Vanadium induced the highest creep resistance followed by Cr and Mo. Solute atoms of these elements with low diffusivity in the aluminum matrix contributed significantly to increasing the creep resistance at 300°C.