Near-Ultraviolet Circular Dichroism and Two-Dimensional Spectroscopy of Polypeptides

A fully quantitative theory of the relationship between protein conformation and optical spectroscopy would facilitate deeper insights into biophysical and simulation studies of protein dynamics and folding. In contrast to intense bands in the far-ultraviolet, near-UV bands are much weaker and have been challenging to compute theoretically. We report some advances in the accuracy of calculations in the near-UV, which were realised through the consideration of the vibrational structure of the electronic transitions of aromatic side chains.     

Modified lattice Boltzmann solution for non-isothermal rarefied gas flow through microchannel utilizing BSR and second-order implicit schemes

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Thermal microscale gas flow was simulated into a coplanar microchannel was simulated at a broad range of Knudsen numbers. Attempts were made to improve...     

Self-bonding in an amorphous polymer below the glass transition: A T-peel test investigation

Films of amorphous polystyrene (PS) with a weight-average molecular weight (M_w) of 225 × 10³ g/mol were bonded in a T-peel test geometry, and the fracture energy (G) of a PS/PS interface was measured at the ambient temperature as a function of the healing time (t_h) and healing temperature (T_h). G was found to develop with (t_h)^1/2 at T_h = T_g-bulk − 33 °C (where T_g-bulk is the glass-transition temperature of the bulk sample), and log G was found to develop with 1/T_h at T_g-bulk − 43 °C ≤ T_h ≤ T_g-bulk − 23 °C. The smallest measured value of G = 1.4 J/m² was at least one order of magnitude larger than the work of adhesion required to reversibly separate the PS surfaces. These three observations indicated that the development of G at the PS/PS interface in the temperature range investigated (<T_g-bulk) was controlled by the diffusion of chain segments feasible above the glass-transition temperature of the interfacial layer, in agreement with our previous findings for fracture stress development at several polymer/polymer interfaces well below T_g-bulk. Close values of G = 8–9 J/m² were measured for the symmetric interfaces of polydisperse PS [M_w = 225 × 10³, weight-average molecular weight/number-average molecular weight (M_w/M_n) = 3] and monodisperse PS (M_w = 200 × 10³, M_w/M_n = 1.04) after healing at T_h = T_g-bulk − 33 °C for 24 h. This implies that the self-bonding of high-molecular-weight PS at such relatively low temperatures is not governed by polydispersity. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1861–1867, 2004     

A Pilot Survey of Vocal Health in Young Singers

The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of vocal problems in young choir singers and to correlate vocal problems with demographic and behavioral information. A questionnaire addressing vocal habits and hygiene was offered to 571 young choir singers, up to 25 years of age, who sing at least weekly; 129 (22.6%) responded. More than one-half of the respondents had experienced vocal difficulty, particularly older adolescents. Detrimental behaviors and circumstances surveyed were not reflective of the incidence of vocal difficulty, except for morning hoarseness, chronic fatigue, insomnia, and female gender after puberty. Voice care professionals should be aware that self-reported voice difficulties are common among young choral singers, especially postpubescent girls, and children with symptoms consistent with reflux (morning hoarseness) and emotional stress (insomnia). Laryngologists should communicate with choral conductors and singing teachers to enhance early identification and treatment of children with voice complaints, and to develop choral educational strategies that help decrease their incidence.     

An expedient synthesis of an isofervenulin analogue

An efficient approach has been developed for the synthesis of an isofervenulin analogue 1 employing a one‐pot condensation‐substitution reaction of a chlorocarboethoxytriazine (electrophile) with a urea (nucleophile). The resulting cyclization reaction resulted in the synthesis of a pyrimido‐heterocycle in good yield in either acidic or basic media. The former was assisted by utilizing trimethylsilyl chloride.     

Zur Trennung des Nickels von Eisen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Untersuchungen über Radium- und Bariumfällungen unter Anwendung von Thorium X als Indikator

Zusammenfassung Zunächst wird im Zusammenhang mit Messungen der Fällungsgeschwindigkeit von Thorium X in sulfathaltigen Lösungen eine Methode beschrieben, die es gestattet, während der Fällung, und zwar ohne Störung des Fällungsvorganges, diejenigen Mengen von Thorium X zu bestimmen, die sich jeweils zu bestimmten Zeitpunkten noch in Lösung befinden; dabei konnte der Gehalt an Th X mit Hilfe einer Emanationsmethode genau ermittelt werden.Die Versuchsergebnisse, die in Kurven wiedergegeben sind, lassen deutlich erkennen, daß die Fällung von Th X nicht momentan erfolgt, sondern eine gewisse Zeit beansprucht, die von der Konzentration der zugesetzten Sulfat- und Bariumchloridlösung sowie vom Zusatz anderer Fremdionen abhängig ist; es wird jedoch schließlich immer der gleiche Endzustand vollständiger Ausfällung erreicht, wenn mit äquivalenten Mengen gearbeitet wird.Die Annahme, daß die Fällung momentan erfolgt, daß aber das Fällungsprodukt sich im Laufe der Zeit von einem feinkristallinischen Zustand mit großer Emanierfähigkeit in einen grobkristallinen mit geringer Emanationsabgabe umwandelt, konnte durch besondere Experimente widerlegt werden.Schließlich wird noch eine Apparatur zur Messung des Thorongehalts angegeben, die auch für Untersuchungen des Thoriumgehalts von Quellwässern Anwendung finden kann.

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Summary A method has been worked out which makes it possible to determine the rate of precipitation of thorium X in solutions containing sulphate ion. The amount of thorium X is determined rapidly and accurately by the thorium emanation—thoron—evolved under fixed conditions. Determinations have been made every 5 minute during the time following precipitation, and the results are given graphically.They bring forward, very clearly, that the precipitation of thorium X requires a certain length of time, depending on the concentration of the sulphate and barium-chloride solutions used and on the presence of other ions. However, if equivalent quantities of barium- and sulphate ions are used, the same final result is always reached.It might have been supposed that the precipitation takes place instantaneously but that in course of time, the precipitate undergoes changes through recrystallisations and that the emanating power changes accordingly. That hypothesis, however, could be disproved by special experiments.At last an apparatus for measuring the thoron content is given which can also be applied for investigations of the thorium content of source waters.

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Résumé Les auteurs décrivent une méthode qui leur a permis de déterminer la vitesse de précipitation du thorium X en solutions contenant de l'ion sulfurique. Le thorium X est dosé par son émanation — le thoron — sous des conditions fixées, et les dosages peuvent se faire à intervalles régulières pendant le temps que demande la précipitation.Les résultats montrent que la précipitation du thorium X ne se fait point à l'instant, mais demande un certain temps, dépendant de la concentration des solutions de sulfate et de chlorure de baryum ajoutées et aussi de la présence d'ions étrangers.Les auteurs réfutent par leurs expériences la théorie que la précipitation se fait momentanément et que le précipité change peu à peu son état cristallin et par cela même, sa faculté de dégager l'émanation.Enfin les auteurs décrivent un appareil pour les dosages de thoron, qui pourra servir de même pour déterminer la teneur en thorium dans les eaux vives.

     

Zur Thermodynamischen Begründung der Kovats'schen Retentionsindizes

Chromatographia - Ausgehend von den thermodynamischen Grundlagen wird die Siedepunktsabhängigkeit der Retentionszeiten diskutiert. Über eine Formel vonKlages, nach der sich das Quadrat...     

Self-assembled luminescent CdSe-ZnS quantum dot bioconjugates prepared using engineered poly-histidine terminated proteins

We report a simple and versatile approach for the conjugation of luminescent CdSe-ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) to proteins through coordination of engineered C-terminal oligohistidine sequences. Several histidine tail containing proteins were self-assembled onto the QD surface using this method. A recombinant antibody specific for the high explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was conjugated to QDs through a carboxy terminal histidine tail and the bioconjugate used to detect TNT by competitive immunoassay. TNT was detected over the range of 10 μg/ml down to 41 ng/ml using the scFv conjugated to QDs. These results open up the possibility to conjugate luminescent QDs to a whole range of proteins to form QD bioconjugates that can be effectively used in bio-oriented applications, such as sensing, imaging, immunoassay and other diagnostics.