Foams and surface rheological properties of β-casein, gliadin and glycinin

Interfacial rheological properties and their suitability for foam production and stability of two vegetable proteins were studied and compared to β-casein. Proteins used ranged from flexible to rigid/globular in the order of β-casein, gliadin and soy glycinin. Experiments were performed at pH 6.7. Network forming properties were characterised by the surface dilational modulus (determined with the ring trough) and the critical falling film length (L_still) at which a stagnant protein film will break. Gliadin had the highest dilational modulus, followed by glycinin and β-casein, whereas glycinin formed the strongest film against fracture in the overflowing cylinder. The rate of decrease in the surface tension was studied at the air–water (Wilhelmy plate method) and the oil–water interface (bursting membrane) and the dynamic surface tension during compression and expansion in the caterpillar. Gliadin had the lowest equilibrium interfacial tensions and β-casein the lowest dynamic surface tension during expansion. Hardly any foam could be formed at a concentration of 0.1 g/l by shaking. At a concentration of 1.4 g/l most foam was formed by β-casein, followed by gliadin and glycinin. It seems that in the first place the rate of adsorption is important for foam formation. For the vegetable proteins, adsorption was slow. This resulted in lower foamability, especially for glycinin.     

Range convexity,continuity, and strategy-proofness of voting schemes

A voting scheme assigns to each profile of alternatives reported byn individuals a compromise alternative. A voting scheme is strategy-proof if no individual is better off by lying, i.e., not reporting a best alternative. In this paper the main results concern the case where the set of alternatives is the Euclidean plane and the preferences are Euclidean. It is shown that for strategy-proof voting schemes continuity is equivalent to convexity of the range of the voting scheme. Using a result by Kim and Roush (1984), this leads to characterizations of surjective or unanimous, anonymous, strategy-proof voting schemes.Furthermore, the paper contains an extensive discussion of related results in the area.     

On non-stationary Navier-Stokes flows with vanishing viscosity associated with a variational inequality

Let g is a positive increasing function with 1?g(0). The existence of a unique solution of the Navier-Stokes flow associated with K_ε,γ and the convergence of the solution to that of the Euler equations as the viscosity goes to zero are established.     

Optimization of the TLC Separation of Seven Amino Acids

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - A ternary mobile phase for thin-layer chromatographic separation and identification of seven amino acids on microcrystalline...     

An azo dye for photodynamic therapy that is activated selectively by two-photon excitation

Two-photon photodynamic therapy (TP-PDT) is a promising approach for the treatment of cancer because of its better penetration depth and superior spatial selectivity. Here, we describe an azo group containing cyclized-cyanine derivatives (ACC1 and ACC2) as a two-photon activated, type I based photosensitizer (PS). These small-molecule and heavy atom-free organic dyes showed marked reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating ability under physiological conditions, as well as fast loading ability into the cells and negligible dark toxicity. Live cell analyses with one- and two-photon microscopy revealed that these dyes showed higher ROS generation ability upon two-photon excitation than upon one-photon excitation via the type I process. The PSs have superior PDT properties compared to conventional Visudyne and 5-ALA under mild conditions. These characteristics allowed for precise PDT at the target region in mimic tumor spheroids, demonstrating that the developed TP PS could be useful in efficient PDT applications and in designing various PSs.

Azo containing dyes as a two-photon selective and type I based photosensitizers (PSs) were developed that exhibit excellent photodynamic therapy properties under mild condition.     

Fluoride-facilitated deuterium exchange from DMSO-d6 to polyamide-based cryptands

Multiple deuterium exchange between DMSO-d6 and amide hydrogens in two hexaamido cryptand fluoride receptors has been verified by 19F and 2H NMR and FAB mass spectral studies. Structural results for one of the complexes indicate a tricapped trigonal prism hydrogen bond coordination geometry around an encapsulated fluoride, with hydrogen bonds from fluoride to six amide and three phenyl hydrogens.     

Improved expression by cytomegalovirus promoter/enhancer and behavior of vascular endothelial growth factor gene after myocardial injection of naked DNA

Direct injection of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene plasmid DNA into the myocardium was shown to induce development of new blood vessels to increase the circulation in the heart of patients with coronary artery diseases. However, such angiogenic gene therapy (via naked DNA) was limited by low level of gene expression. Furthermore, the temporal and spatial characteristics of VEGF gene transfer in the heart are not known. In this study, we demonstrated that a plasmid vector, containing the human cytomegalovirus immediate early (HCMV IE) promoter and enhancer, induces greater expression of gene in the rat heart monitored by gene fused to the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter, than four different viral and cellular promoters. Interestingly, expression of VEGF121 protein showed an earlier peak, a shorter duration, and a wider distribution than that of CAT only. Therefore, a plasmid vector with an HCMV IE promoter/enhancer provides clear advantages over other previously developed plasmids. Furthermore, expression profile of VEGF121 gene may provide useful information in the design of angiogenic gene therapy in the heart.     

Mixed-metal tellurites: synthesis, structure, and characterization of Na1.4Nb3Te4.9O18 and NaNb3Te4O16

Two new mixed-metal tellurites, Na1.4Nb3Te4.9O18 and NaNb3Te4O16, have been synthesized by standard solid-state techniques using Na2CO3, Nb2O5, and TeO2 as reagents. The structures of Na1.4Nb3Te4.9O18 and NaNb3Te4O16 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both of the materials exhibit three-dimensional structures composed of NbO6 octahedra, TeO4, and TeO3 polyhedra. The Nb5+ and Te4+ cations are in asymmetric coordination environments attributable to second-order Jahn-Teller (SOJT) effects. The Nb5+ cations undergo an intraoctahedral distortion toward a corner (local C4 direction), whereas the Te4+ cations are in distorted environments owing to their nonbonded electron pair. Infrared and Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and dielectric measurements were also performed on the reported materials. Crystal data: Na1.4Nb3Te4.9O18, monoclinic, space group C2/m (No. 12), with a = 32.377(5) A, b = 7.4541(11) A, c = 6.5649(9) A, beta = 95.636(5) degrees, V = 1576.7(4) A3, and Z = 4; NaNb3Te4O16, monoclinic, space group P2(1)/m (No. 11), with a = 6.6126(13) A, b = 7.4738(15) A, c = 14.034(3) A, beta = 102.98(3) degrees, V = 675.9(3) A3, and Z = 2.     

Reversed-phase liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of aminoglycoside antibiotics using pre-column derivatization with phenylisocyanate

A pre-column derivatization liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the analysis of aminoglycoside antibiotics using phenylisocyanate as a derivatization reagent. Derivatives including kanamycin, neomycin and gentamicin were formed by reaction of the analytes with phenylisocyanate in the presence of triethylamine. Phenylisocyanato groups were attached to corresponding amino groups of aminoglycoside and their molecular mass was confirmed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS). The experimental conditions for derivatization and separation of aminoglycoside derivatives were optimized and validated. A simple liquid chromatographic method for the determination of aminoglycoside antibiotics was demonstrated.     

Mononuclear nonheme ferric-peroxo complex in aldehyde deformylation

A mononuclear nonheme ferric-peroxo complex bearing a macrocyclic tetradentate N4 ligand, [(TMC)Fe(III)-O2]+, was prepared and used in mechanistic studies of aldehyde deformylation; a catalytic aldehyde deformylation by a nonheme iron(II) complex, [Fe(II)(TMC)]2+, and molecular oxygen is reported as well.