Enantiomeric separation of chiral peptide nucleic acid monomers by capillary electrophoresis with charged cyclodextrins

Direct chiral separation of chiral peptide nucleic acid (PNA) monomers has been achieved for the first time by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with charged cyclodextrins as chiral selectors added to the electrophoretic buffer. Selectively modified 6-deoxy-6-N-histamino-beta-cyclodextrin and sulfobutyl ether-beta-CD were successfully used as chiral selectors for the enantiomeric separation of chiral monomers based on different aminoethylamino acids bearing thymine or adenine as nucleobases. Chiral separations were obtained at low selector concentrations (1-3 mM) with good enantioselectivity and resolution factors. Separations were optimized as a function of pH in order to exploit the effect of the electrostatic interactions between the oppositely charged selector and selectand. The method has been applied to the analysis of the enantiomeric excess of chiral monomers used for the solid phase synthesis of chiral PNA oligomers. CE chiral analysis showed that a very high enantiomeric purity was generally achieved in the synthesis of all monomers, except for histidine and aspartic acid based monomers in which ca. 10% of the "wrong" enantiomer was always present.     

Low n-6/n-3 Gestation and Lactation Diets Influence Early Performance,Muscle and Adipose Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Content and Deposition,and Relative Abundance of Proteins in Suckling Piglets

Elevated omega-6 (n-6) and omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) ratios in swine diets can potentially impose a higher risk of inflammatory and metabolic diseases in swine. A low ratio between the two omega PUFAs has beneficial effects on sows’ and piglets’ production performance and immunity status. At present, there are few studies on how sow nutrition directly affects the protein and fat deposition in suckling piglets. Two groups of sows were fed diets with high or low n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated ratios of 13:1 (SOY) and 4:1 (LIN), respectively, during gestation and lactation. Longissimus dorsi muscle and adipose tissue from newborn piglets, nourished only with sow’s milk, were subjected to fatty acid profiling by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and to proteomics assays based on nano-liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-HRMS). Fatty acid profiles on both muscle and adipose tissues resembled the magnitude of the differences between fatty acid across diets. Proteomic analysis revealed overabundance of 4 muscle and 11 adipose tissue proteins in SOY compared to LIN in both piglet tissues. The detected overabundance of haptoglobin, an acute-phase protein, and the stimulation of protein-coding genes and proteins related to the innate immune response and acute inflammatory response could be associated with the pro-inflammatory role of n-6 PUFAs.     

Direct evidence for muonium radicals in water solutions

The precession frequencies of muonium in a molecular radical state have been observed by μSR technique in diluted solutions of 2,6-dihydroxy-5-methyl-pyrimidine (thymine) in water. The conditions for the observation of the radicals are discussed in terms of the interdependent roles played by the chemical reaction time for muonium and by the external magnetic field. A comparison with the known ESR data on solid thymine confirms that the observed product of the muonium's reaction is an adduct radical with an hyperfine interaction reduced to 7% ± 1% of the muonium value     

Selective organic functionalization of polycrystalline silicon-germanium for bioMEMS applications

We selectively immobilized organofunctional silanes on top of polycrystalline silicon-germanium (poly-SiGe) layers, as a first step towards the fabrication of poly-SiGe-based bioMEMS (biomedical MicroElectroMechanicalSystems) by means of standard UV photolithography. 3-aminopropyl-dimethyl-ethoxysilane (APDMES) and 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APTES) molecules were immobilized onto resist-patterned poly-SiGe surfaces. The protocols for surface hydroxylation and silane immobilization were designed to be CMOS-compatible and to avoid damage to photoresist. Silanized surfaces were investigated both by means of fluorescence microscopy, and by FEG-SEM observation after labeling with 30 nm-diameter gold nanoparticles (NPs). We report the silanization protocols, together with the results indicating successful organic functionalization of the samples.     

On the order of global branches

We give both a topological and an algebraic definition of the order of a global branch of a variety along a subvariety. Then we show that these two definitions agree. Finally we compare this order with the orders of the related local branches.

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Sunto Diamo due definizioni, una topologica e una algebrica, di ordine di un ramo globale di una varietà lungo una sottovarietà. Poi mostriamo che queste due definizioni coincidono. Infine confrontiamo questo ordine con gli ordini dei relativi rami locali.

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Partially supported by CNR funds.     

Permanganate oxidation of 3-methyl-4-nitro-5-styrilisoxazole: a correction

In contrast with a previous report, permanganate oxidation of the title compound $\text{3}$ gives the nitroisoxazolone $\text{8}$ and not 3-methyl-4- nitroisoxazole-5-carboxylic acid $\text{2}$; a reaction pathway, involving the spirocyclisation of the carboxylate $\text{10}$, is suggested.     

New derivatives of 3-methylisoxazolo[5,4-b]pyridine

The synthesis and properties of 4,6-dichloro- (IV), 4-chloro- (XII) and 6-chloro-3-methyl-isoxazolo[5,4-b]pyridine (XI) are described. Depending on the reaction conditions compound IV with hydrazine or methoxide gave mono- or bi-substituted products. The halogen atom at the 4-position was shown to be the more mobile.     

Interaction of muonium with molecules of biological interest in water solution

Muonium's reaction constants with DNA and its constituents in water solutions are reported and compared with the available data for hydrogen. The low frequency spectrum of the resulting muonic radicals in low magnetic fields is recognized.This work was supported by Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, contract n^o 75.00862.02 and by CERN, Experimental Physycs Division. Data analysis performed at CINECA computation facilities.