Dynamics of Bacteriorhodopsin in the Dark-Adapted State from Solution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

To achieve efficient proton pumping in the light-driven proton pump bacteriorhodopsin (bR), the protein must be tightly coupled to the retinal to rapidly convert retinal isomerization into protein structural rearrangements. Methyl group dynamics of bR embedded in lipid nanodiscs were determined in the dark-adapted state, and were found to be mostly well ordered at the cytosolic side. Methyl groups in the M145A mutant of bR, which displays only 10 % residual proton pumping activity, are less well ordered, suggesting a link between side-chain dynamics on the cytosolic side of the bR cavity and proton pumping activity. In addition, slow conformational exchange, attributed to low frequency motions of aromatic rings, was indirectly observed for residues on the extracellular side of the bR cavity. This may be related to reorganization of the water network. These observations provide a detailed picture of previously undescribed equilibrium dynamics on different time scales for ground-state bR.     

Selective Catalytic Isomerization of β-Pinene Oxide to Perillyl Alcohol Enhanced by Protic Tetraimidazolium Nitrate

A series of tetraimidazolium salts with different anions was prepared and applied in the isomerization of β-pinene oxide. After examining the activity of different catalysts, a remarkable enhancement of the selectivity of perillyl alcohol (47 %) was obtained over [PEimi][HNO₃]₄ under mild reaction conditions and using DMSO as the solvent. Furthermore, noncovalent interactions between solvent molecules and the catalyst were found by FT-IR spectroscopy and confirmed by computational chemistry. The homogeneous catalyst showed excellent stability and was reused up to six times without significant loss.     

A Promising MoO_x-based Catalyst for n-Heptane Isomerization

The increasing demand for higher-octane gasoline and the regulations limiting the amount of aromatics in the fuel motivate the interest in catalytic isomerization of n-alkanes. In the last ten years, transition metal oxides or oxycarbides based on molybdenum or tungstate have attracted much attention due to their high activity and isomerization selectivity compared to the conventional bifunctional supported platinum catalyst and high resistance to sulphur and nitrogen catalyst poisons1-5. Ma…     

Implementation of an integrated glucose POCT system

In response to a change of the Belgian National Directives whereby hospital laboratories became responsible for all point-of-care testing (POCT) performed within hospital walls a standardized and automated POC glucose-testing system was implemented in our hospital. The system consists of 50 AccuCheck Inform instruments (Roche Diagnostics, Vilvoorde, Belgium), 50 docking stations, a DataCare Server, and connections to the medical laboratory information system (MOLIS, Sysmex, Barchon, Belgium) and to the hospital information system. Implementation involved many parties and extensive preparation and communication. Key issues were bar-coded patient and user identification, training, and responsibilities. One year after the hospital wide implementation of this system the quality of POC glucose testing has significantly increased, thereby improving patient safety. This study describes a stepwise change over involving the medical laboratory and with a focus on hands-on quality.Presented at the ninth conference on Quality in the Spotlight, 18–19 March 2004, Antwerp, Belgium.     

Chemiluminescence upon isomerization of dimethyldioxirane in the gas phase and on a sorbent surface

Chemiluminescence (CL) was found upon the isomerization of dimethyldioxirane in the gas phase under argon atmosphere. The intensity of CL increases as temperature increases and decreases with time at constant temperature. If Silipor is placed in a cell containing the dimethyldioxirane vapor in argon, the intensity of CL sharply increases (more than 10 times) and then decreases following the exponential law. In all cases tripletly excited methyl acetate is the emitter of chemiluminescence.[/ p]Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2582–2583, October 1996.     

Synthesis and cyclization of 1-arylalk-1-ene-3,5-diynylamines

An investigation of the reaction of 1-lithio-1,3-diynes, generated in situ, with nitriles has been carried out. In the case of aromatic nitriles 1-arylalk-1-ene-3,5-diynylamines are formed, which undergo dimerization and cyclization on isolation, giving 3-(alka-1,3-diynyl)-4-(alk-2-ynyl)-2,6-diarylpyridines. The effect of the nature of the substituent in the benzonitrile molecule on the selectivity of the reaction and the yield of the products has been determined. A scheme is proposed for the conversions and the structures of the intermediates have been established. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 701–710, May, 2006.     

吡罗红为底物的辣根过氧化物酶催化荧光反应测定葡萄糖

吡罗红在辣根过氧化物酶催化下可被过氧化氢氧化而使其荧光猝灭。在pH 7.2中性介质中,稳态催化速率由酶和底物浓度决定,催化体系服从Michaelis-Menten方程,用Lineweaver-Burk作图法求得米氏常数、最大反应速度、催化常数分别为2.4×10~(-5)mol·L-1,2.5×10~(-6)mol·L-1s-1,75.8 s-1。在最佳反应条件下,荧光F0/F的猝灭程度与过氧化氢浓度在0-3.6×10~(-7)mol·L-1范围内成线性关系,检测限为6.3×10~(-9)mol·L-1;当与葡萄糖氧化酶联用时,可定量检测葡萄糖,线性关系为0-8.0×10~(-7)mol·L-1,检测限为3.4×10~(-8)mol·L-1。方法用于分析人血清中葡萄糖含量,分析结果与苯酚-4-氨基安替比林法基本一致。