Differential inhibition of postnatal brain,spinal cord and body growth by a growth hormone antagonist

Background  

Growth hormone (GH) plays an incompletely understood role in the development of the central nervous system (CNS). In this study, we use transgenic mice expressing a growth hormone antagonist (GHA) to explore the role of GH in regulating postnatal brain, spinal cord and body growth into adulthood. The GHA transgene encodes a protein that inhibits the binding of GH to its receptor, specifically antagonizing the trophic effects of endogenous GH.     

Fusion around the barrier for 7Li+12C

Fusion cross-sections for the ⁷Li + ¹²C reaction have been measured at energies above the Coulomb barrier by the direct detection of evaporation residues. The heavy evaporation residues with energies below 3 MeV could not be separated out from the α-particles in the spectrum and hence their contribution was estimated using statistical model calculations. The present work indicates that suppression of fusion cross-sections due to the breakup of ⁷Li may not be significant for ⁷Li + ¹²C reaction at energies around the barrier.     

Quantum–chemical study of photo–excited states in tetragonal SrTiO3 lattice

The nature of photo-excited states in SrTiO₃ has been a topic of intense debate during the last few decades. Using a quantum-chemical method developed for crystals, we present a theoretical interpretation of the structural and electronic properties of triplet excitons in the tetragonal SrTiO₃ crystal. Our study demonstrates that the defect structure may correspond to the Mott–Wannier-type exciton having a considerable distance, 2.14Å, between the hole and the electron parts of the defect. The geometry optimization leads to an extensive defective region containing up to five atoms. However, the obtained magnitudes of atomic movements do not exceed 0.15Å. It is also observed that the self-trapped exciton polarizes the lattice around it. Using the so-called (ΔSCF method, the luminescence energy due to the exciton is found to be equal to 1.13 eV. As it corresponds to the infrared part of the spectrum, the experimentally detected green luminescence due to photo-excited states should be attributed to the singlet excitons.     

Detection of human and rodent 5-HT3B receptor subunits by anti-peptide polyclonal antibodies

Background  

The 5-HT₃ receptor is a member of a neurotransmitter-gated ion channel family which includes nicotinic acetylcholine, GABA_A, and glycine receptors. While antibodies specific for the 5-HT_3A receptor subunit are plentiful, and have revealed a wealth of structural and functional information, few antisera exist for the detection of 5-HT_3B receptor subunits. Here we describe the generation and characterisation of a rabbit polyclonal antiserum that specifically recognises 5-HT_3B receptor subunits     

Dibenzyl Structuresin a Macromolecular Chain. III. Dibenzyldiisocyanates Reactivity

The reactivity of the 2,2′-, 2,4′-, 4,4′-dibenzyldiisocyanate (2,2′-, 2,4′-, 4,4′-DBDI) with n-butanol in benzene has been studied. The concentrations of all species were monitored by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The reactivity of 4,4′-DBDI is similar to that of 4,4′-diphenylmethanediisocyanate (4,4′-MDI). Very strong intramolecular catalytic effects were noticed in the case of 2,2′-DBDI, probably due to the variable molecular geometry. These effects are responsible for the whole reaction pattern. The 2,4′-DBDI NCO ortho and para groups reactivities are different and comparable to that of 2,4-toluylenediisocyanate (2,4-TDI).     

Rovibrational characterization of X 2Sigma+ 11BH+ by the extrapolation of photoselected high Rydberg series in 11BH

Optical-optical-optical triple-resonance spectroscopy of (11)BH isolates high Rydberg states that form series converging to rotational state specific ionization potentials in the vibrational levels of (11)BH(+) from nu(+)=0 through 4. Limits defined by a comprehensive fit of these series to state-detailed thresholds yield rovibrational constants describing the X (2)Sigma(+) state of (11)BH(+). The data provide a first determination of the vibrational-rotational interaction parameter alpha(e)=0.4821 cm(-1) and a more accurate estimate of omega(e)=2526.58 cm(-1) together with the higher-order anharmonic terms omega(e)x(e)=61.98 cm(-1) and omega(e)y(e)=-1.989 cm(-1). The deperturbation and global fit of series to state-detailed limits also yield a precise value of the adiabatic ionization potential of (11)BH of 79 120.3+/-0.1 cm(-1), or 9.810 33+/-1x10(-5) eV. High precision is afforded here by the use of graphical analysis techniques, narrow-bandwidth laser systems, and an analysis of newly observed, high principal quantum number Rydberg states that conform well with Hund's case (d) electron-core coupling limit.     

Coupling of electron orbital motion with rotation in the high Rydberg states of BH

We have applied optical-optical-optical triple resonance spectroscopy to resolve a system of high Rydberg states in BH that serves quantitatively to characterize a fundamental example of electron-orbital-cation core rotational coupling. The third-color ionization-detected absorption spectrum originating from the photoselected 3s B1Sigma+ Rydberg state with vibrational and total angular momentum quantum numbers, v'=1 and N'=0 consists entirely of vibrationally autoionizing resonances for which final N=1 that converge in series to the BH+v+=1 rotational limits, N+=0, 1, and 2. For series with l=1 converging to N+=0 and 2, Rydberg orbital and rotational angular momenta couple to systematically perturb level energies and distribute lifetime in a well-isolated two-channel rotronic interaction that spans hundreds of wave numbers.     

Probing the dynamic guest-host interactions in sol-gel films using single molecule spectroscopy

Organic dyes usually exhibit enhanced photostability when trapped inside sol-gel silicates. The enhanced photostability is attributed to the reduction of intramolecular motions that facilitate photodegradation. We report the simultaneous detection of mobility and photostability of sol-gel encapsulated didodecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine (DiI) using single molecule spectroscopy. Fluorescence from DiI was resolved into parallel and perpendicular polarization components and separately detected. On the basis of the calculated fluorescence polarization, single DiI molecules were classified into "tumbling" and "fixed". Out of 212 molecules investigated, 52% were found to be fixed. For the first time, the mobility of a guest molecule in sol-gel silicate can be directly correlated with its own photostability. Both tumbling and fixed molecules have shown to exhibit nonuniform photostability, indicative of the very heterogeneous guest-host interactions within each subgroup. The survival lifetimes for the majority of the tumbling and fixed molecules were found to be 4.3 and 13.1 s, respectively, demonstrating unequivocally that fixed molecules exhibit a higher photostability than tumbling molecules. These results are in accordance with a recent study on rhodamine B encapsulated in dried sol-gel silicates.     

Dynamics of dissociative recombination versus electron ejection in single rovibronic resonances of BH

Optical-optical-optical triple resonance spectroscopy isolates transitions to vibrationless Rydberg states of BH with principal quantum numbers from n=7 to 50. Corresponding resonances appear in the excitation spectrum of excited boron atoms produced by the dissociative relaxation of these states. The decay to neutral products occurs on a nanosecond time scale. Yet, corresponding resonances show Fano coupling widths that approach 1 cm-1. Above threshold, spontaneous ionization dominates, but line shapes match for resonances with the same electron orbital quantum numbers built on v+=0 and v+=1 cores. This striking feature-for-feature similarity in predissociation and autoionization line shapes affirms that inelastic electron-cation scattering pathways leading to electron ejection and dissociative recombination proceed through a common continuum.     

Ethanol adsorption on SrTiO3 surfaces

Using a quantum chemical method developed for crystalline systems and a periodic large unit cell (LUC) model, ethanol, CH₃CH₂OH, adsorption on the SrTiO₃ (001) surfaces is studied, considering both cubic and tetragonal lattices of the crystal. The investigation is carried out for the ethanol molecule as a whole complex and considering its decomposition into the ethylene and water. The structural and electronic effects involved in the adsorption are discussed. The obtained results predict a higher possibility of ethanol adsorption on the Ti? O₂ face of the SrTiO₃ (001) surfaces for both crystallographic lattices. The favored ethanol adsorption as a whole complex testifies the possibility of the ethanol molecule formation from the ethylene and water on the SrTiO₃ (001) surface with the former acting as a catalyst. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006