A new affinity-HPLC packing for protein separation: Cibacron blue attached uniform porous poly(HEMA-<Emphasis Type="Italic">co</Emphasis>-EDM) beads

In this study, a new affinity high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) stationary phase suitable for protein separation was synthesized. In the first stage of the synthesis, uniform porous poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate), poly(HEMA-co-EDM), beads 6.2 μm in size were obtained. Homogeneous distribution of hydroxyl groups in the bead interior was confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The plain poly(HEMA-co-EDM) particles gave very low non-specific protein adsorption with albumin. The selected dye ligand Cibacron blue F3G-A (CB F3G-A) was covalently linked onto the beads via hydroxyl groups. In the batch experiments, albumin adsorption up to 60 mg BSA/g particles was obtained with the CB F3G-A carrying poly(HEMA-co-EDM) beads. The affinity-HPLC of selected proteins (albumin and lysozyme) was investigated in a 25 mm×4.0-mm inner diameter column packed with CB F3G-A carrying beads and both proteins were successfully resolved. By a single injection, 200 μg of protein was loaded and quantitatively eluted from the column. The protein recovery increased with increasing flow rate and salt concentration of the elution buffer and decreased with the increasing protein feed concentration. During the albumin elution, theoretical plate numbers up to 30,000 plates/m were achieved by increasing the salt concentration.     

Experimental investigation of radiocesium sorption on ceramic clay using a batch method

In this study, radiocesium sorption on ceramic clay was investigated as a function of particle size and initial ¹³⁷Cs concentration using a batch method. Ceramic clay samples taken from the Sö?üt(?nisar) clay deposit were composed of kaolinite, dickite and quartz. The equilibrium time and the liquid–solid ratio were determined as 60 min and 250 mL g^?1, respectively. The distribution coefficients (K _d) for variable liquid–solid ratio and the percentage adsorption (P _Ad) were calculated. The values of K _d and P _Ad ranged from 483 to 3165 mL g^?1 and 34–93%, respectively. The K _d and P _Ad values increased with increasing particle size, but decreased with increasing initial concentration. The sorption data were interpreted in terms of a Langmuir isotherm. The results indicated that the Sö?üt(?nhisar) ceramic clay has good sorption capacity for cesium.     

Rapid isocratic HPLC investigation of radiochemical purity for <Superscript>90</Superscript>Y-DOTATATE

DOTA-conjugated peptides, such as [DOTA⁰, Tyr³]ocreotide (DOTATOC) and [DOTA⁰, Tyr³]octreotate (DOTATATE) can be labeled with radionuclides such as ⁹⁰Y, ¹⁷⁷Lu and ¹¹¹In at high specific activities. These radiolabelled somatostatin analogues are used for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). Currently, radio-high performance liquid chromatography (radio-HPLC) and radio-thin layer chromatography (radio-TLC) are the methods of choice for the analysis of the labeled compounds. In literature, radiochemical purity of the radiolabelled DOTATATE was investigated using gradient reversed-phase radio-HPLC. However, these studies indicate long retention time of the radiolabelled compound of 14.52 min. In our study, a new simple and rapid reversed-phase isocratic system enables the radiochemical purity of the radiolabelled DOTATATE within a few minutes.     

Reconstruction and crosstalk of protein-protein interaction networks of Wnt and Hedgehog signaling in Drosophila melanogaster

In the last few years, researchers have an intense interest in the evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways which have crucial roles during embryonic development. The most intriguing factor of this interest is that malfunctioning of these signaling pathways (Hedgehog, Notch, Wnt etc.) leads to several human diseases, especially to cancer. This study deals with the β-catenin dependent branch of Wnt signaling and the Hedgehog signaling pathways which offer potential targeting points for cancer drug development. The identification of all proteins functioning in these signaling networks is crucial for the efforts of preventing tumor formation. Here, through integration of protein-protein interaction data and Gene Ontology annotations, Wnt/β-catenin and Hedgehog signaling networks consisting of proteins that have statistically high probability of being biologically related to these signaling pathways were reconstructed in Drosophila melanogaster. Next, by the structural network analyses, the crucial components functioning in these pathways were identified. The proteins Arm, Frizzled receptors (Fz and Fz2), Arr, Apc, Axn, Ci and Ptc were detected as the key proteins in these networks. Futhermore, the hub protein Mer having tumor suppressor function may be proposed as a putative drug target for cancer and deserves further investigation via experimental methods. Finally, the crosstalk analysis between the reconstructed networks reveals that these two signaling networks crosstalk to each other.     

Spectroscopic and theoretical optical properties of indoleninyl-substituted dibenzotetraaza[14]annulenes

Two new macrocyclic dibenzotetraaza[14]annulene (DBTAA) compounds with indolenine ( 5 ) and pyridoindolenine ( 6 ) moieties were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopy. Both DBTAAs exhibit strong UV-Vis absorption properties in the Soret band region. The theoretical second-order nonlinear optical property, electric dipole moment (μ), dispersion-free dipole polarizability (α) and first hyper-polarizability values were calculated by density functional theory and time dependent density functional theory. The ab-initio quantum mechanical calculation by time-dependent Hartree-Fock method was utilized to investigate the dynamic dipole polarizabilities, dynamic second-order, static, and dynamic third-order (γ) hyper-polarizabilities of the DBTAAs. The configuration interaction technique of all doubly occupied molecular orbitals possesses theoretically defined single-photon absorption (OPA) specifications for the examined structures. The computed maximum OPA wavelengths on both macrocyclic compounds coincide with the preceding measurement outcomes.     

A kinetic study on methylation of naphthalene over Fe/ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts

2,6-Dimethylnaphthalene is an important dimethylnaphthalene isomer which can be used in the production of polyethylene naphthalate. The novelty of this study is to reveal Langmuir–Hinshelwood and Eley–Rideal reaction rate equations for the methylation of naphthalene over Fe/ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts besides the proposed reaction rate equation. To investigate the kinetics and mechanisms of naphthalene methylation, the methylation experiments were carried out in a gas–solid catalytic fixed-bed reactor in the presence of Fe/ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts at two different temperatures (450 and 500 °C) and five different weight hourly space velocities (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 h^?1). A naphthalene:methanol:1,2,4-trimethyl benzene mixture having a 1:3:10 molar ratio was used as a feed stream. The methylation products were identified by using GC–MS. For the methylation kinetics of naphthalene, the reaction rates depending on the naphthalene and methanol concentration were determined. Furthermore, the effects of temperature and weight hourly space velocity on the conversion of naphthalene, the selectivity of 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene, and the ratio of 2-methylnaphthalene/1-methylnaphthalene were determined. The results of this study demonstrate that the Langmuir–Hinshelwood reaction mechanism for naphthalene methylation is more compatible at 450 °C and the Eley–Rideal reaction mechanism at 500 °C. Moreover, in addition to 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene, other dimethylnaphthalene and tri-methylnaphthalene isomers were formed in the methylation of naphthalene. The conversion of naphthalene reached approximately 70%. Moreover, the highest selectivity of 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene was almost 40%. The ratios of 2-methylnaphthalene/1-methylnaphalene demonstrate that the methylation of naphthalene to 2-methynaphthalene is much higher than to 1-methynaphthalene.     

The semismooth approach for semi-infinite programming under the Reduction Ansatz

We study convergence of a semismooth Newton method for generalized semi-infinite programming problems with convex lower level problems where, using NCP functions, the upper and lower level Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions of the optimization problem are reformulated as a semismooth system of equations. Nonsmoothness is caused by a possible violation of strict complementarity slackness. We show that the standard regularity condition for convergence of the semismooth Newton method is satisfied under natural assumptions for semi-infinite programs. In fact, under the Reduction Ansatz in the lower level and strong stability in the reduced upper level problem this regularity condition is satisfied. In particular, we do not have to assume strict complementary slackness in the upper level. Numerical examples from, among others, design centering and robust optimization illustrate the performance of the method.      

A convenient synthesis of 4-amino-3,5-dialkyl-4H-1,2,4-triazoles

Ester tert-butoxycarbonylhydrazones 2 were reacted with some carboxylic acid hydrazides to give 4 -terrtutoxycarbonylamino-3,5-dialkyl-4H-1,2,4-triazoles 3–6 . Treatment of 3–5 with 6 N hydrochloric acid under mild conditions resulted in the formation of 4-ammo-3,5-dialkyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole hydrochlorides 7–9 in good yields. Compound 7a was converted to the free 4 -amino compound 10a upon treatment with ethanolic sodium ethoxide solution.