Small molecule inhibitors that discriminate between protein arginine N-methyltransferases PRMT1 and CARM1

Protein arginine N-methyltransferases (PRMTs) selectively replace N-H for N-CH(3) at substrate protein guanidines, a post-translational modification important for a range of biological processes, such as epigenetic regulation, signal transduction and cancer progression. Selective chemical probes are required to establish the dynamic function of individual PRMTs. Herein, model inhibitors designed to occupy PRMT binding sites for an arginine substrate and S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) co-factor are described. Expedient access to such compounds by modular synthesis is detailed. Remarkably, biological evaluation revealed some compounds to be potent inhibitors of PRMT1, but inactive against CARM1. Docking studies show how prototype compounds may occupy the binding sites for a co-factor and arginine substrate. Overlay of PRMT1 and CARM1 binding sites suggest a difference in a single amino acid that may be responsible for the observed selectivity.     

Cobalt-doped cadmium selenide colloidal nanowires

Co(2+)-doped CdSe colloidal nanowires with tunable size and dopant concentration have been prepared by a solution-liquid-solid (SLS) approach for the first time. These doped nanowires exhibit anomalous photoluminescence temperature dependence in comparison with undoped nanowires.     

High-speed optical bit-pattern recognition employing fibre Bragg grating and Opto-VLSI processing

We propose a novel optical bit-pattern recognition employing an Opto-VLSI processor in conjunction with an array of fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) with different Bragg wavelengths and a coherent-to-incoherent light converter. The FBG array slices the spectrum of the incoherent optical header and provides wavelength-dependent time delays, whereas the Opto-VLSI processor generates wavelength intensity profiles that match specific bit patterns. The recognition of 8-bit optical patterns is experimentally demonstrated at 2.2 Gb/s by showing that the correlator produces an autocorrelation waveform of high peak whenever the input bit pattern matches the wavelength intensity profile.     

Characterisation of tri-ruthenium dihydride complexes through the computation of NMR parameters

Density functional theory has been used to provide atomic-level detail on the structures of metal hydride intermediates that have previously been proposed in the hydrogenation of phenylacetylene using Ru(3)(CO)(10)(PPh(3))(2). Based on a comparison of energetic data along with computed chemical shifts and coupling constants, we suggest that the detected species share a Ru(3)(μ-H)(μ-H) motif, with two distinct bridging hydride sites, rather than the terminal hydride proposed previously. The work illustrates how theory can be used as a complement to spectroscopy to enhance the accuracy of deductions, and to provide a basis for future rational design of second generation catalysts.     

The Essential Oil-Bearing Plants in the United Arab Emirates (UAE): An Overview

Essential Oils (EOs) are expensive hydrocarbons produced exclusively by specific species in the plant kingdom. Their applications have deep roots in traditional herbal medicine, which lacks scientific evidence. Nowadays, more than ever, there is a growing global interest in research-based discoveries that maintain and promote health conditions. Consequently, EOs became a much attractive topic for both research and industry, with revenues reaching billions of dollars annually. In this work, we provide key guidance to all essential oil-bearing plants growing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The comprehensive data were collected following an extensive, up-to-date literature review. The results identified 137 plant species, including indigenous and naturalized ones, in the UAE, citing over 180 published research articles. The general overview included plant botanical names, synonyms, common names (Arabic and English), families and taxonomic authority. The study acts as a baseline and accelerator for research, industry and discoveries in multiple disciplines relying on essential oil-bearing plants.     

Wavelength-encoded OCDMA system using opto-VLSI processors

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a 2.5 Gbits/sper user wavelength-encoded optical code-division multiple-access encoder-decoder structure based on opto-VLSI processing. Each encoder and decoder is constructed using a single 1D opto-very-large-scale-integrated (VLSI) processor in conjunction with a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) array of different Bragg wavelengths. The FBG array spectrally and temporally slices the broadband input pulse into several components and the opto-VLSI processor generates codewords using digital phase holograms. System performance is measured in terms of the autocorrelation and cross-correlation functions as well as the eye diagram.