ac susceptibility and electrical resistivity in Fe80-xNixCr20 (21 \leq x \leq 30) alloys

ac susceptibility and electrical resistivity studies on polycrystalline Fe80-xNixCr20 (21 \leq x \leq 30) alloys, with x=21, 23, 26, and 30, between 4.2 and 80 K, are reported. A previous dc magnetization study indicated the presence of ferro-spin-glass mixed-phase behavior in x=23 and 26 alloys while the alloys with x=21 and 30 were found to be spin-glass and ferromagnetic, respectively. The present ac susceptibility results support the above picture. In the electrical resistivity study, a low-temperature minimum in the resistivity-temperature curve is observed in all the alloys except the ferromagnetic one.

Mode of inhibition of mitochondrial energy transduction by chlorophenoxyisobutyrate

1. a-p-Chlorophenoxyisobutyric acid, the ethyl ester of which is widely used as an antihypercholesterolaemic drug, is an inhibitor of energy-transfer reactions in isolated rat liver mitochondria. 2. The compound at lower concentrations (<4.0mmol/mg of mitochondrial protein) inhibits state 3 oxidation, stimulates state 4 oxidation, abolishes respiratory control and stimulates the latent adenosine triphosphatase activity of mitochondria. The inhibition imposed on state 3 oxidation is relieved by dinitrophenol. 3. At higher concentrations it inhibits coupled phosphorylation as well as dinitrophenol-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activity. The inhibition of state 3 oxidation under these conditions is not reversed by uncouplers. 4. The three coupling sites of phosphorylation exhibit differential susceptibility to inactivation by this compound. Coupled phosphorylation at the first site is abolished at a drug concentration of 3.0mmol/mg of protein. The third site is inactivated when the concentration of the drug reaches 5.0mmol/mg of protein. The second site is the most refractory and drug concentrations of the order of 10.0mmol/mg of protein are required effectively to inhibit phosphorylation at this site. 5. The compound also inhibits ATP-dependent reversal of electron transport as well as the adenosine triphosphatase activity in submitochondrial particles. 6. The oxidation of NADH and succinate in these particles is not inhibited. 7. These properties indicate that the compound acts as an `inhibitory uncoupler' of energy-transfer reactions in isolated mitochondria.

X-ray studies on crystalline complexes involving amino acids. IV. The structure of L-arginine L-ascorbate

L-Arginine ascorbate, C6HIsN40+.C6H706, a 1"1 crystalline complex between the amino acid arginineand the vitamin ascorbic acid, crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21 with two formula units in a cell of dimensions a = 5.060 (8), b = 9.977 (9), c = 15.330 (13) A, fl = 97.5 (2) °. The structure was solved by the symbolic addition procedure and refined to an R of 0.067 for 1501 photographically observed reflec- tions. The conformation of the arginine molecule in the structure is different from any observed so far. The present structure provides the first description of the ascorbate anion unaffected by the geometrical constraints and disturbances imposed by the requirements of metal coordination. The lactone group and the deprotonated enediol group in the anion are planar and the side chain assumes a conformation which appears to be sterically the most favourable. In the crystals, the arginine molecules and the ascorbate anions aggregate separately into alternating layers. The molecules in the arginine layer are held together by interactions involving a-amino and ~t-carboxylate groups, a situation analogous to that found in proteins. The two layers of unlike molecules are interconnected primarily through the interactions of the side-chain guanidyl group of arginine with the ascorbate ion. These involve a specific ion-pair interaction accompanied by two convergent hydrogen bonds and another pair of nearly parallel hydrogen bonds.

Damage assessment of structures with uncertainty by using mode-shape curvatures and fuzzy logic

Uncertainties associated with the structural model and measured vibration data may lead to unreliable damage detection. In this paper, we show that geometric and measurement uncertainty cause considerable problem in damage assessment which can be alleviated by using a fuzzy logic-based approach for damage detection. Curvature damage factor (CDF) of a tapered cantilever beam are used as damage indicators. Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) is used to study the changes in the damage indicator due to uncertainty in the geometric properties of the beam. Variation in these CDF measures due to randomness in structural parameter, further contaminated with measurement noise, are used for developing and testing a fuzzy logic system (FLS). Results show that the method correctly identifies both single and multiple damages in the structure. For example, the FLS detects damage with an average accuracy of about 95 percent in a beam having geometric uncertainty of 1 percent COV and measurement noise of 10 percent in single damage scenario. For multiple damage case, the FLS identifies damages in the beam with an average accuracy of about 94 percent in the presence of above mentioned uncertainties. The paper brings together the disparate areas of probabilistic analysis and fuzzy logic to address uncertainty in structural damage detection.

Study of synchronously mode-locked and internally frequency-doubledcw dye laser

The analysis of the characteristics of a synchronously mode-locked and internally frequency-doubled dye laser is presented. Dependence of dye laser pulse characteristics on the cavity length mismatch of the pump laser and dye laser is studied. Variation of the minimum pulsewidth with intracavity bandwidth and the harmonic conversion efficiency is presented in the form of graphs.

X-Pro peptides. A theoretical study of the hydrogen bonded conformations of (a-aminoisobutyryl-L -prolyl)n sequences

Intramolecularly hydrogen bonded conformations of (Aib-Pro)n sequences have been analysed theoretically. Both 4�1 (C10 and 3�1 (C7 hydrogen bonded regular structures are shown to be stereochemically feasible. Conformational energies for the helical structures have been estimated using classical potential energy methods. Both C10 and C7 conformations have very similar energies. Pyrrolidine ring puckering has a pronounced effect on the energies, and only Cγ-endo puckered Pro residues can be accommodated. The theoretical calculations using spectroscopic data suggest that the recently proposed novel 310 helical conformation for benzyloxycarbonyl(Aib-Pro)4-methyl ester is in solution, is indeed energetically and stereochemically favourable.

Preparation and thermal stability of trioxalatocobaltates of bivalent metals KM2+ [Co(C2O4)3]·xH2O

Trioxalatocobaltates of bivalent metals KM2+[Co(C2O4)3]·x H2O, with M2+ = Ba, Sr, Ca and Pb, have been prepared, characterized and their thermal behaviour studied. The compounds decompose to yield potassium carbonate, bivalent metal carbonate or oxide and cobalt oxide as final products. The formation of the final products of decomposition is influenced by the surrounding atmosphere. Bivalent metal cobaltites of the types KM2+CoO3 and M2+CoO3—x are not identified among the final products of decomposition. The study brings out the importance of the decomposition mode of the precursor in producing the desired end products.

Chemical ordering in As-Se glasses: X-ray absorption edge and XPES studies

X-ray absorption edge and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies of As-Se glasses seem to support a chemical ordering model.

Characterization of Mycobacterium leprae RecA intein, a LAGLIDADG homing endonuclease, reveals a unique mode of DNA-binding, helical distortion and cleavage, compared to a canonical LAGLIDADG homing endonuclease

Mycobacterium leprae, which has undergone reductive evolution leaving behind a minimal set of essential genes, has retained intervening sequences in four of its genes implicating a vital role for them in the survival of the leprosy bacillus. A single in-frame intervening sequence has been found embedded within its recA gene. Comparison of M. leprae recA intervening sequence with the known intervening sequences indicated that it has the consensus amino acid sequence necessary for being a LAGLIDADG-type homing endonuclease. In light of massive gene decay and function loss in the leprosy bacillus, we sought to investigate whether its recA intervening sequence encodes a catalytically active homing endonuclease. Here we show that the purified M. leprae RecA intein (PI-MleI) binds to cognate DNA and displays endonuclease activity in the presence of alternative divalent cations, Mg2+ or Mn2+. A combination of approaches including four complementary footprinting assays such as DNase I, Cu/phenanthroline, methylation protection and KMnO4, enhancement of 2-aminopurine fluorescence and mapping of the cleavage site revealed that PI-MleI binds to cognate DNA flanking its insertion site, induces helical distortion at the cleavage site and generates two staggered double-strand breaks. Taken together, these results implicate that PI-MleI possess a modular structure with separate domains for DNA target recognition and cleavage, each with distinct sequence preferences. From a biological standpoint, it is tempting to speculate that our findings have implications for understanding the evolution of LAGLIDADG family of homing endonucleases

X-ray absorption spectroscopic study of the mixed valence system CePd3

Mixed valency in CePd3 has been examined by a study of the LIII (Ce) absorption edge in this compound as well as other model compounds. In CePd3, peaks characteristic of 3+ and 4+ states of Ce are found to be separated by 2 eV.

Nonlinear mode coupling of surface acoustic waves on an isotropic solid

The nonlinear mode coupling between two co-directional quasi-harmonic Rayleigh surface waves on an isotropic solid is analysed using the method of multiple scales. This procedure yields a system of six semi-linear hyperbolic partial differential equations with the same principal part governing the slow variations in the (complex) amplitudes of the two fundamental, the two second harmonic and the two combination frequency waves at the second stage of the perturbation expansion. A numerical solution of these equations for excitation by monochromatic signals at two arbitrary frequencies, indicates that there is a continuous transfer of energy back and forth among the fundamental, second harmonic and combination frequency waves due to mode coupling. The mode coupling tends to be more pronounced as the frequencies of the interacting waves approach each other.

Mode of action of antitumour antibiotics: Spectrophotometric studies on the interaction of chromomycin A3 with DNA and chromatin of normal and neoplastic tissue

The binding of chromomycin A3, an antitumour antibiotic, to various DNA and chromatin isolated from mouse and rat liver, mouse fibrosarcoma and Yoshida ascites sarcoma cells was studied spectrophotometrically at 29°C in 10−2 M Tris-HCl buffer, pH 8.0, containing small amounts of MgCl2 (4.5 · 10−5−25 · 10−5 M). An isobestic point at 415 nm was observed when chromomycin A3 was gradually titrated with Image and its spectrum shifted towards higher wavelength. The rates and extent of these spectral changes were found to be dependent on the concentration of Mg2+. The change in absorbance at 440 nm was used to calculate apparent binding constant (Ka p M−1) and sites per nucleotide (n) from Scatchard plots for various DNA and chromatins. As expected, values of n for chromatin (0.06–0.10) were found to be lower than that found for corresponding DNA (0.10–0.15). Apparently no such correlation exists between binding constants (Ka p M−1 · 10−4) of DNA (6.4–11.2) and of chromatin (3.1–8.3), but Ka p M−1 of chromatin isolated from mouse fibrosarcoma and Yoshida ascites sarcoma are 1.5–3 times higher than that found for mouse and rat liver chromatin. These differences may be taken to indicate structural difference in nucleoprotein complexes caused by neoplasia. The relevance of this finding to tumour suppressive action of chromomycin A3 is discussed.

A new mode of ring cleavage of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid in Tecoma stans (L.). Partial purification and properties of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate 2,3-oxygenase.

2,3-Dihydroxybenzoic acid has been shown to be oxidized via the 3-oxoadipate pathway in the leaves of Tecoma stans. The formation of 2-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid, a muconolactone, 3-oxoadipic acid and carbon dioxide during its metabolism has been demonstrated using an extract of Tecoma leaves. The first reaction of the pathway, viz., the conversion of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate to 2-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid has been shown to be catalysed by an enzyme designated as 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate 2,3-oxygenase. The enzyme has been partially purified and a few of its properties studied. The enzyme is very labile with a half-life of 3--4 h. It is maximally active with 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate as the substrate and does not exhibit any activity with catechol, 4-methyl catechol, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, etc. However, 2,3-dihydroxy-p-toluate and 2,3-dihydroxy-p-cumate are also oxidized by the enzyme by about 38% and 28% respectively, compared to 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate. Sulfhydryl reagents inhibit the enzyme reaction and the inhibition can be prevented by preincubation of the enzyme with the substrate. Substrate also affords protection to the enzyme against thermal inactivation. Sulfhydryl compounds strongly inhibit the reaction and the inhibition cannot be prevented by preincubation of the enzyme with its substrates. Data on the effect of metal ions as well as metal chelating agents suggest that copper is the metal cofactor of the enzyme. Evidence is presented which suggests that iron may not be participating in the overall catalytic mechanism.

The nonplanar peptide unit III. Quantum chemical calculations for related compounds and experimental X-ray diffraction data

The possible nonplanar distortions of the amide group in formamide, acetamide, N-methylacetamide, and N-ethylacetamide have been examined using CNDO/2 and INDO methods. The predictions from these methods are compared with the results obtained from X-ray and neutron diffraction studies on crystals of small open peptides, cyclic peptides, and amides. It is shown that the INDO results are in good agreement with observations, and that the dihedral angles N and defining the nonplanarity of the amide unit are correlated approximately by the relation N = -2, while C is small and uncorrelated with . The present study indicates that the nonplanar distortions at the nitrogen atom of the peptide unit may have to be taken into consideration, in addition to the variation in the dihedral angles (,), in working out polypeptide and protein structures.