Alpha-LNA (locked nucleic acid with alpha-D-configuration): synthesis and selective parallel recognition of RNA

Alpha-LNA is presented as a stereoisomer of LNA (locked nucleic acid) with alpha-D-configuration. Three different approaches towards the thymine alpha-LNA monomer as well as the 5-methylcytosine alpha-LNA monomer are presented. Different alpha-LNA sequences have been synthesised and their hybridisation with complementary DNA and RNA has been evaluated by means of thermal stability experiments and circular dichroism spectroscopy. In a mixed pyrimidine sequence, alpha-LNA displays unprecedented parallel-stranded and selective RNA binding. Furthermore, a remarkable selectivity for hybridisation with RNA over DNA is indicated.     

Effects of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation on expression of growth-associated genes by corticospinal neurons

Background  

Inflammation around cell bodies of primary sensory neurons and retinal ganglion cells enhances expression of neuronal growth-associated genes and stimulates axonal regeneration. We have asked if inflammation would have similar effects on corticospinal neurons, which normally show little response to spinal cord injury. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was applied onto the pial surface of the motor cortex of adult rats with or without concomitant injury of the corticospinal tract at C4. Inflammation around corticospinal tract cell bodies in the motor cortex was assessed by immunohistochemistry for OX42 (a microglia and macrophage marker). Expression of growth-associated genes c-jun, ATF3, SCG10 and GAP-43 was investigated by immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridisation.     

Beta-delayed proton emitter kr

The nucleide ⁷³Kr has been identified by on-line mass separation as a precursor of β-delayed proton emission. The proton branch is (6.8 ±1.2) × 10⁻³ proton/decay. The protons populate the ground state and also the first excited 2⁺ state at 866 keV in ⁷²Se with a relative intensity of (35±9) %. The value of Q_EC−B_p, where B_p is the proton separation energy for the nucleus ⁷³Br, is found to be 4.85 ±0.30 MeV based on the fraction of proton events preceded by positron decay.     

Correlated dipole polarizabilities and dipole moments of the halides HX and CH3X (X=F,Cl and Br)

Summary We report values of the correlated dynamic dipole polarizability for the halides HX and CH₃X (X = F, Cl and Br). The polarizabilities are calculated within the second-order polarization propagator approximation (SOPPA). The correlated results are in much better agreement with the available experimental results, compared to RPA. We also report the second-order dipole moments using both the relaxed and unrelaxed MP2 density matrices. The relaxed results are in better agreement with experiment.