Waveguide lasers in Er:Yb-doped phosphate glass fabricated by femtosecond laser writing

Advanced waveguide lasers, operating both in continuous wave and pulsed regimes, have been realized in an active phosphate glass by direct writing with femtosecond laser pulses. Stable single mode operation was obtained; the laser provided more than 50 m W in single longitudinal and transverse mode operation with 21% slope efficiency. Furthermore, by combining a high gain waveguide and an innovated fiber-pigtailed saturable absorber based on carbon nanotubes, a mode-locked ring laser providing transform limited 1.6 ps pulses was demonstrated. © 2007 IEEE.

Mode-locked and single-longitudinal-mode waveguide lasers fabricated by femtosecond laser pulses in Er:Yb-doped phosphate glass

Mode-locked and single-longitudinal-mode waveguide lasers, manufactured by femtosecond laser writing in Er-Yb-doped phosphate glasses, are presented. Transform-limited 1.6-ps pulses and a cw output power exceeding 50 mW have been obtained in the two regimes. © 2007 Optical Society of America.

Molecular modeling on human CCR5 receptors and complex with CD4 antigens and HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120

AIM: To investigate the interaction between human CCR5 receptors (CCR5) and HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 (HIV-1 gp120) and HIV-1 receptor CD4 antigens (CD4). METHODS: The structurally con served regions (SCR) of human CCR5 was built by the SYBYL/Biopolymer module using the corresponding transmembrane (TM) domain of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) as the template. The coordinates for amino-ter minal residue sequence, and carboxyl-terminal residue sequence, extracellular and cytoplasmic loops were generated using LOOP SEARCH algorithm. Subsequently the structural model was merged into the complex with HIV-1 gp120 and CD4. RESULTS: Human CCR5 interacted with both an HIV-1 gp120 and CD4. The N-terminal residues (especially Met1 and Gln4) of human CCR5, contacted with CD4 residues, mainly 7Nith one span (56 - 59) of CD4 in electrostatic interaction and hydrogen-bonds. The binding sites of human CCR5 were buried in a hydrophobic center surrounded by a highly basic periphery. On the other hand, direct interatomic contacts were made between ? CCR5 residues and 6 gp120 amino-acid residues, which included van der Waals contacts, hydrophobic interaction, and hydrogen bonds. CONCLUSION: The interaction model should be helpful for rational design of novel anti-HIV drugs.

Comparative studies on photosynthesis and phosphate metabolism of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii with Microcystis aeruginosa and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae

The physiological differences for three bloom-forming cyanobacteria (Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Microcystis aeruginosa, and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) were investigated. In comparison with M. aeruginosa and A. flos-aquae, C. raciborskii exhibited a significantly higher concentration of carotenoids, higher values in maximum photosynthesis rate (P-m), apparent photosynthetic efficieny (a), and maximum electron transport rate (ETRmax) during the growth period. In addition, higher extracellular alkaline phosphatase activities and lower light compensation point (I-c) were also detected in C raciborskii (p < 0.05, ANOVA). Therefore, it is suggested that the higher photosynthetic activities, more effective uptake and utilization to phosphate, and low light requirements might play important roles in the occurrence and invasive behavior of C. raciborskii. Crown Copyright (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of arsenate on the growth and microcystin production of Microcystis aeruginosa isolated from Taiwan as influenced by extracellular phosphate

Arsenic pollution and eutrophication are both prominent issues in the aquaculture ponds of Taiwan. It is important to study the effects of arsenic on algal growth and toxin production in order to assess the ecological risk of arsenic pollution, or at least to understand naturally occurring ponds. The sensitivity of algae to arsenate has often been linked to the structural similarities between arsenate and phosphate. Thus, in this study we examined the effects of arsenate (10(-8) to 10(-4) M) on Microcystis aeruginosa TY-1 isolated from Taiwan, under two phosphate regimes. The present study showed that M. aeruginosa TY-1 was arsenate tolerant up to 10(-4) M, and that this tolerance was not affected by extracellular phosphate. However, it seems that extracellular phosphate contributed to microcystin production and leakage by M. aeruginosa in response to arsenate. Under normal phosphate conditions, total toxin yields after arsenate treatment followed a typical inverted U-shape hormesis, with a peak value of 2.25 +/- 0.06 mg L-1 in the presence of 10(-7) M arsenate, whereas 10(-8) to 10(-6) M arsenate increased leakage of similar to 75% microcystin. Under phosphate starvation, total toxin yields were not affected by arsenate, while 10(-6) and 10(-5) M arsenate stimulated microcystin leakage. It is suggested that arsenate may play a role in the process of microcystin biosynthesis and excretion. Given the arsenic concentrations in aquaculture ponds in Taiwan, arsenate favors survival of toxic M. aeruginosa in such ponds, and arsenate-stimulated microcystin production and leakage may have an impact on the food chain.

Nitrate and phosphate supplementation to increase toxin production by the marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense

Alexandrium tamarense toxins have great value in biotechnology research as well as important in connection with shellfish poisoning. The influence of nitrate or nitrate and phosphate supplementation on cell biomass and toxin content were investigated in batch cultures. When cultures at low nitrate (88.2 mu M NaNO3) Were supplemented with 793.8 mu M NaNO3 at day 10 the cell density and cellular toxin contents were increased by 6-29% and 20-76%, respectively, compared with controls, and maximal values were 43,600 cells/ml (day 38) and 0.91 pg/cell (day 31). Supplementation with nitrate at day 14 or with nitrate and phosphate at day 10/14 to the cultures did not increase the cell density compared with the non-supplemented middle nitrate or high phosphate (108 mu M NaH2PO4) cultures, respectively, but increased the cellular toxin contents by an average of 52%. The results showed that supplementation with nitrate or with nitrate and phosphate at different growth phases of the cultures increased toxin yield by an average of 46%. Supplementation with nitrate at selected times to maintain continuous low level of nitrate might contribute to the effective increase of toxin yield of A. tamarense. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mode-locked and single-longitudinal-mode waveguide lasers fabricated by femtosecond laser pulses in Er: Yb-doped phosphate glass

Mode-locked and single-longitudinal-mode waveguide lasers, manufactured by femtosecond laser writing in Er-Yb-doped phosphate glasses, are presented. Transform-limited 1.6-ps pulses and a cw output power exceeding 50 mW have been obtained in the two regimes. © 2007 Optical Society of America.

Water-soluble phosphate-functionalized polyfluorene as fluorescence biosensors toward cytochrome c

An anionic water-soluble polyfluorene derivative, poly(9,9-bis(6'-phosphatehexyl)fluorene-alt-1,4-phenylene) sodium salt (PFHPNa), was synthesized by Suzuki coupling reaction in DMF/water. Polymer PFHPNa was well soluble in water with a strong blue fluorescence emission. Effect of the side chain length on fluorescence sensory properties was studied by comparing quenching efficiencies toward different quenchers of PFHPNa with a reported polymer poly(9,9-bis(3'-phosphatepropyl)fluorene-alt-1,4-phenylene) sodium salt (PFPPNa), which have different side chains in length. For small molecular quenchers (methylviologen, MV2+) and meso-5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphine (TMPyP4), polymer PFHPNa had lower sensitivity due to the much longer side chain length. The positively charged metalloprotein cytochrome c could quench fluorescence of conjugated polymers via energy transfer and electron transfer.

Enhanced affinochromism of polydiacetylene monolayer in response to bacteria by incorporating US nano-crystallites

By incorporating bio-specific receptors, such as p-10,12-pentacosadiyne-1-N-(3,6,9-trioxaundecylamide)-alpha-D-mannopyranoside (MPDA), into 10,12-pentacosadiyonic acid (PDA) monolayer, the MPDA/PDA monolayer underwent affinochromatic transition in response to the bacteria binding to the receptor. Here, we described a new method to study the membrane/macromolececular interaction between Escherichia coli (E coli) and mannose and its relative affinochromism by modifying MPDA/PDA with CdS nano-crystallites (MPDA/PDA-CdS). CdS not only triggered the strong tropism of the bacteria but also reduced the rigidity of the MPDA/PDA backbone, resulting in the enhanced affinochromism. This discovery might be of significance in basic biophysical studies of membrane/macromolececular and designing novel biosensor.

Studies on the stability of polyazamacrocycle-Eu (Tb) by potentiometry and its catalytic hydrolysis on phosphate diester

The stability constants and species distributions of complexes of two lanthanide ions, Eu (III) and Tb(III), with a macrocyclic ligand, 3,6, 9, 17 20, 23-hexaazo-29, 30-dihydroxy-13, 27-dimethyl-tricylco-[23,3,1,1(11,15)] triaconta-1 (28) 11,13,15 (30), 25 26-hexane (BDBPH), in 1: 1 and 2: 1 system, were determined potentiometrically in 50% ethanol solution, at 35.0 degrees C and I = 0.100 mol/L (KCl). The two metal ions could form deprotonated mono- or dinuclear complexes with BDBPH with high stability after the three protons of the ligand completely neutralized. At higher pH values, Eu(M) could not form hydroxo complexes with BDBPH, while Tb(III) could form hydroxo complexes in the types of M2L(OH) M2L(OH)(2) and M2L (OH)(2). The kinetic study on the hydrolysis reaction of his (4-nitrophenyl) phosphate (BNPP) catalyzed by Tb-BDBPH system (2:1) was carried out in aqueous solution (pH 7.0 similar to 10.0) at 35 degrees C with I = 0.1000 mol/L (KCl). The second-order rate constant k(BNPP) (2.3 x 10(-3) (mol/L)(-1)center dot s(-1)) was determined. The dinuclear monohydroxo species, L-Tb-2-OH, is kinetically active species.

Hydrothermal synthesis and structural characterization of a novel P-V-O layered compound [H(2)en](2)[H3O](6)[Co(H2O)(2)(VO)(8)(OH)(4)(PO4)8]

A new compound [H(2)en](2)[H3O](6)[Co(H2O)(2)(VO)(8)(OH)(4)(PO4)(8)] has been hydrothermally synthesized. Single crystal X-ray analysis indicates that this compound crystallizes in a monoclinic system, space group P2(1)/n with a=1.438 5(3) nm, b=1.012 2(2) nm, c=1.832 5(4) nm, beta=90.21degrees, V=2.668 2 (9) nm(3), Z = 2, D-c = 2.112 g/cm(3), R = 0.055, wR = 0.149 7, S = 1.037. The structure of [H(2)en](2)[H3O](6)[Co(H2O)(2)(VO)(8)(OH)(4)(PO4)(8)] is characterized by P-V-O layers constructed by [(VO)4 (OH)(2)(PO4)(4)](6-) non-symmetric units. The P-V-O layers are pillared by [Co(H2O)(2)](2+) group, resulting in the channels within which the protonated diaminoethane and H3O+ are located.

Heptairon bis(phosphate) tetrakis(hydrogenphosphate)

A new iron hydrogen phosphate, heptairon bis(phosphate) tetrakis(hydrogenphosphate), Fe-7(PO4)(2)(HPO4)(4), has been prepared hydrothermally and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound has one Fe atom on an inversion centre and is isostructural with Mn-7(PO4)(2)(HPO4)(4) and Co-7(PO4)(2)(HPO4)(4). The structure is based on a framework of edge- and corner-sharing FeO6, Fe-5 and PO4 polyhedra, isotypic with that found in the mixed-valence iron phosphate Fe-7(PO4)(6). The Fe atoms in the title compound are purely in the divalent state, just like the Co atoms in Co-7(PO4)(2)(HPO4)(4), the necessary charge balance being maintained by the addition of H atoms in the form of bridging Fe-OH-P groups.

A novel one-dimensional manganese phosphomolybdate with rectangular cavities: [H3N(CH2)(4)NH3] (H3O)(2){[Mn(phen)(2)](4) [(MnMo12O30)-O-v(HPO4)(6)(H2PO4)2} center dot 4H(2)O

A novel manganese phosphomolybdate, [H3N(CH2)(4)NH3](H3O)(2){[Mn(phen)(2)](4)[(MnMovO30)-O-12(HPO4)(6)(H2PO4)(2)]} . 4H(2)O 1, has been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal data: triclinic, P (1) over bar, a = 14.172(7) Angstrom, b = 16.547(2) Angstrom, c = 16.679(3) Angstrom, alpha = 62.881(12)degrees, beta = 73.83(3)degrees, gamma = 88.81(3)degrees. X-ray crystallography shows that the [Mn(phen)(2)] fragments are covalently bonded to the [Mn(Mo6P4)(2)] dimers leading to a one-dimensional chain with rectangular cavities occupied by tetramethylene-diamine cations and water molecules. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.