A homobimetallic complex of chromium(0) with a sigma-borane component

The synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of a chromium(0) complex bearing an amine-borane moiety (eta(6)-C(6)H(5)CH(2)NMe(2)center dot BH(3))Cr(CO)(3) (2) is reported. Photolysis of complex 2 results in the elimination of a CO ligand followed by the formation of an intramolecular sigma-borane complex (eta(1)-(eta(6)- C(6)H(5)CH(2)NMe(2)center dot BH(2)-H))Cr(CO)(2) (3). This species was characterized in solution by NMR spectroscopy. Reaction of complex 2 with photochemically generated (OC)(5)Cr(THF) affords a novel homobimetallic sigma-borane complex (OC)(3)Cr(eta(6)-C(6)H(5)CH(2)NMe(2)center dot BH(2)-H-Cr(CO)(5)) (4), wherein one of the BH moieties is bound to the chromium center in an eta(1)-fashion. The sigma-borane complex 4 was isolated in moderate to good yield (72%). The BH(3) fragment in the complexes 3 and 4 are highly dynamic involving exchange of the BH hydrogen bound to the metal with the terminal BH hydrogen atoms. The dynamics has been studied using variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy. Complexes 2 and 4 have been characterized by X-ray crystallography.

Spectral Finite Element Modeling of Complex Structures for Applications in Real-time Structural Health Monitoring

In this paper we discuss the recent progresses in spectral finite element modeling of complex structures and its application in real-time structural health monitoring system based on sensor-actuator network and near real-time computation of Damage Force Indicator (DFI) vector. A waveguide network formalism is developed by mapping the original variational problem into the variational problem involving product spaces of 1D waveguides. Numerical convergence is studied using a h()-refinement scheme, where is the wavelength of interest. Computational issues towards successful implementation of this method with SHM system are discussed.

Structure of the Pyridine-Chloranil Complex in Solution: A Surprise from Depolarized Hyper-Rayleigh Scattering Measurements

In this article, we report the structure of a 1:1 charge transfer complex between pyridine (PYR) and chloranil (CHL) in solution (CHCl(3)) from the measurement of hyperpolarizability (beta(HRS)) and linear and circular depolarization ratios, D and D', respectively, by the hyper-Rayleigh scattering technique and state-of-the-art quantum chemical calculations. Using linearly (electric field vector along X) and circularly polarized incident light, respectively, we have measured two macroscopic depolarization ratios D = I(X,X)(2 omega)/I(X,Z)(2 omega) and D' = I(X,C)(2 omega)/I(Z,C)(2 omega) in the laboratory fixed XYZ frame by detecting the second harmonic (SH) scattered light in a polarization resolved fashion. The stabilization energy and the optical gap calculated through the MP2/cc-pVDZ method using Gaussian09 were not significantly different to distinguish between the cofacial and T-shape structures. Only when the experimentally obtained beta(HRS) and the depolarization ratios, D and D', were matched with the theoretically computed values from single and double configuration interaction (SDCI) calculations performed using the ZINDO-SCRF technique, we concluded that the room temperature equilibrium structure of the complex is cofacial. This is in sharp contrast to an earlier theoretical prediction of the T-shape structure of the complex.

Subdiffusion as a model of transport through the nuclear pore complex

Cargo transport through the nuclear pore complex continues to be a subject of considerable interest to experimentalists and theorists alike. Several recent studies have revealed details of the process that have still to be fully understood, among them the apparent nonlinearity between cargo size and the pore crossing time, the skewed, asymmetric nature of the distribution of such crossing times, and the non-exponentiality in the decay profile of the dynamic autocorrelation function of cargo positions. In this paper, we show that a model of pore transport based on subdiffusive particle motion is in qualitative agreement with many of these observations. The model corresponds to a process of stochastic binding and release of the particle as it moves through the channel. It suggests that the phenylalanine-glycine repeat units that form an entangled polymer mesh across the channel may be involved in translocation, since these units have the potential to intermittently bind to hydrophobic receptor sites on the transporter protein. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3651100]

Multiple garnet growth in garnet-kyanite-staurolite gneiss, Pangong metamorphic complex, Ladakh Himalaya: New constraints on tectonic setting

Garnet-kyanite-staurolite gneiss in the Pangong complex, Ladakh Himalaya, contains porphyroblastic euhedral garnets, blades of kyanite and resorbed staurolite surrounded by a fine-grained muscovite-biotite matrix associated with a leucogranite layer. Sillimanite is absent. The gneiss contains two generations of garnet in cores and rims that represent two stages of metamorphism. Garnet cores are extremely rich in Mn (X(Sps) = 0.35-038) and poor in Fe (X(Alm) = 0.40-0.45), whereas rims are relatively Mn-poor (X(Sps) =0.07-0.08), and rich in Fe (X(Alm), = 0.75-0.77). We suggest that garnet cores formed during prograde metamorphism in a subduction zone followed by abrupt exhumation, during early collision of the Ladakh arc and Karakoram block. The subsequent India-Asia continental collision subducted the metamorphic rocks to a mid-crustal level, where the garnet rims overgrew the Mn-rich cores at ca. 680 degrees C and ca. 8.5 kbar. PT calculations were estimated from phase diagrams calculated using a calculated bulk chemical composition in the Mn-NCKFMASHT system for the garnet-kyanite-staurolite-bearing assemblage. Muscovites from the metamorphic rocks and associated leucogranites have consistent K-Ar ages (ca. 10 Ma), closely related to activation of the Karakoram fault in the Pangong metamorphic complex. These ages indicate the contemporaneity of the exhumation of the metamorphic rocks and the cooling of the leucogranites. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of novel multiple quantummethodologies for the analyses of complex protonNMR spectra of scalar coupled spins

One of the significant advancements in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR) in combating the problem of spectral complexity for deriving the structure and conformational information is the incorporation of additional dimension and to spread the information content in a two dimensional space. This approach together with the manipulation of the dynamics of nuclear spins permitted the designing of appropriate pulse sequences leading to the evolution of diverse multidimensional NMR experiments. The desired spectral information can now be extracted in a simplified and an orchestrated manner. The indirect detection of multiple quantum (MQ) NMR frequencies is a step in this direction. The MQ technique has been extensively used in the study of molecules aligned in liquid crystalline media to reduce spectral complexity and to determine molecular geometries. Unlike in dipolar coupled systems, the size of the network of scalar coupled spins is not big in isotropic solutions and the MQ 1H detection is not routinely employed,although there are specific examples of spin topology filtering. In this brief review, we discuss our recent studies on the development and application of multiple quantum correlation and resolved techniques for the analyses of proton NMR spectra of scalar coupled spins.

The Structure of the Thioredoxin-Triosephosphate Isomerase Complex Provides Insights into the Reversible Glutathione-Mediated Regulation of Triosephosphate Isomerase

Protein-protein interactions are crucial for many biological functions. The redox interactome encompasses numerous weak transient interactions in which thioredoxin plays a central role. Proteomic studies have shown that thioredoxin binds to numerous proteins belonging to various cellular processes, including energy metabolism. Thioredoxin has cross talk with other redox mechanisms involving glutathionylation and has functional overlap with glutaredoxin in deglutathionylation reactions. In this study, we have explored the structural and biochemical interactions of thioredoxin with the glycolytic enzyme, triosephosphate isomerase. Nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shift mapping methods and molecular dynamics-based docking have been applied in deriving a structural model of the thioredoxin-triosephosphate isomerase complex. The spatial proximity of active site cysteine residues of thioredoxin to reactive thiol groups on triosephosphate isomerase provides a direct link to the observed deglutathionylation of cysteine 217 in triosephosphate isomerase, thereby reversing the inhibitory effect of S-glutathionylation of triosephosphate isomerase.

The Structure of the Thioredoxin−Triosephosphate Isomerase Complex Provides Insights into the Reversible Glutathione-Mediate Regulation of Triosephosphate Isomerase

Protein−protein interactions are crucial for many biological functions. The redox interactome encompasses numerous weak transient interactions in which thioredoxin plays a central role. Proteomic studies have shown that thioredoxin binds to numerous proteins belonging to various cellular processes, including energy metabolism. Thioredoxin has cross talk with other redox mechanisms involving glutathionylation and has functional overlap with glutaredoxin in deglutathionylation reactions. In this study, we have explored the structural and biochemical interactions of thioredoxin with the glycolytic enzyme, triosephosphate isomerase. Nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shift mapping methods and molecular dynamics-based docking have been applied in deriving a structural model of the thioredoxin−triosephosphate isomerase complex. The spatial proximity of active site cysteine residues of thioredoxin to reactive thiol groups on triosephosphate isomerase provides a direct link to the observed deglutathionylation of cysteine 217 in triosephosphate isomerase, thereby reversing the inhibitory effect of S-glutathionylation of triosephosphate isomerase.

A meta-analysis of the traits affecting dispersal ability in butterflies: can wingspan be used as a proxy?

1. Dispersal ability of a species is a key ecological characteristic, affecting a range of processes from adaptation, community dynamics and genetic structure, to distribution and range size. It is determined by both intrinsic species traits and extrinsic landscape-related properties. 2. Using butterflies as a model system, the following questions were addressed: (i) given similar extrinsic factors, which intrinsic species trait(s) explain dispersal ability? (ii) can one of these traits be used as a proxy for dispersal ability? (iii) the effect of interactions between the traits, and phylogenetic relatedness, on dispersal ability. 3. Four data sets, using different measures of dispersal, were compiled from published literature. The first data set uses mean dispersal distances from capture-mark-recapture studies, and the other three use mobility indices. Data for six traits that can potentially affect dispersal ability were collected: wingspan, larval host plant specificity, adult habitat specificity, mate location strategy, voltinism and flight period duration. Each data set was subjected to both unifactorial, and multifactorial, phylogenetically controlled analyses. 4. Among the factors considered, wingspan was the most important determinant of dispersal ability, although the predictive powers of regression models were low. Voltinism and flight period duration also affect dispersal ability, especially in case of temperate species. Interactions between the factors did not affect dispersal ability, and phylogenetic relatedness was significant in one data set. 5. While using wingspan as the only proxy for dispersal ability maybe problematic, it is usually the only easily accessible species-specific trait for a large number of species. It can thus be a satisfactory proxy when carefully interpreted, especially for analyses involving many species from all across the world.

Charge transfer complex states in diketopyrrolopyrrole polymers and fullerene blends: Implications for organic solar cell efficiency

The spectral photocurrent characteristics of two donor-acceptor diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based copolymers (PDPP-BBT and TDPP-BBT) blended with a fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl C-61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) were studied using Fourier-transform photocurrent spectroscopy (FTPS) and monochromatic photocurrent (PC) method. PDPP-BBT: PCBM shows the onset of the lowest charge transfer complex (CTC) state at 1.42 eV, whereas TDPP-BBT: PCBM shows no evidence of the formation of a midgap CTC state. The FTPS and PC spectra of P3HT:PCBM are also compared. The larger singlet state energy difference of TDPP-BBT and PCBM compared to PDPP-BBT/P3HT and PCBM obliterates the formation of a midgap CTC state resulting in an enhanced photovoltaic efficiency over PDPP-BBT: PCBM. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3670043]

Differential Reaction Kinetics, Cleavage Complex Formation, and Nonamer Binding Domain Dependence Dictate the Structure-Specific and Sequence-Specific Nuclease Activity of RAGs

During V(D)J recombination, RAG (recombination-activating gene) complex cleaves DNA based on sequence specificity. Besides its physiological function, RAG has been shown to act as a structure-specific nuclease. Recently, we showed that the presence of cytosine within the single-stranded region of heteroduplex DNA is important when RAGs cleave on DNA structures. In the present study, we report that heteroduplex DNA containing a bubble region can be cleaved efficiently when present along with a recombination signal sequence (RSS) in cis or trans configuration. The sequence of the bubble region influences RAG cleavage at RSS when present in cis. We also find that the kinetics of RAG cleavage differs between RSS and bubble, wherein RSS cleavage reaches maximum efficiency faster than bubble cleavage. In addition, unlike RSS, RAG cleavage at bubbles does not lead to cleavage complex formation. Finally, we show that the ``nonamer binding region,'' which regulates RAG cleavage on RSS, is not important during RAG activity in non-B DNA structures. Therefore, in the current study, we identify the possible mechanism by which RAG cleavage is regulated when it acts as a structure-specific nuclease. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae NineTeen Complex (NTC)-associated Factor Bud31/Ycr063w Assembles on Precatalytic Spliceosomes and Improves First and Second Step Pre-mRNA Splicing Efficiency

Pre-mRNA splicing occurs in spliceosomes whose assembly and activation are critical for splice site selection and catalysis. The highly conserved NineTeen complex protein complex stabilizes various snRNA and protein interactions early in the spliceosome assembly pathway. Among several NineTeen complex-associated proteins is the nonessential protein Bud31/Ycr063w, which is also a component of the Cef1p subcomplex. A role for Bud31 in pre-mRNA splicing is implicated by virtue of its association with splicing factors, but its specific functions and spliceosome interactions are uncharacterized. Here, using in vitro splicing assays with extracts from a strain lacking Bud31, we illustrate its role in efficient progression to the first catalytic step and its requirement for the second catalytic step in reactions at higher temperatures. Immunoprecipitation of functional epitope-tagged Bud31 from in vitro reactions showed that its earliest association is with precatalytic B complex and that the interaction continues in catalytically active complexes with stably bound U2, U5, and U6 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins. In complementary experiments, wherein precatalytic spliceosomes are selected from splicing reactions, we detect the occurrence of Bud31. Cross-linking of proteins to pre-mRNAs with a site-specific 4-thio uridine residue at the -3 position of exon 1 was tested in reactions with WT and bud31 null extracts. The data suggest an altered interaction between a similar to 25-kDa protein and this exonic residue of pre-mRNAs in the arrested bud31 null spliceosomes. These results demonstrate the early spliceosomal association of Bud31 and provide plausible functions for this factor in stabilizing protein interactions with the pre-mRNA.

Synthesis, spectroscopic properties and biological evaluation of transition metal complexes of salicylhydrazone of anthranilhydrazide: X-ray crystal structure of copper complex

The transition metal complexes of salicylhydrazone of anthranilhydrazide (H2L) were synthesised. The structures of metal complexes were characterized by various spectroscopic [IR, NMR, UV-Vis, EPR], thermal and other physicochemical methods. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of [Cu(HL)Cl]center dot H2O reveal its orthorhombic system with space group P2(1)2(1)2 and Z=4. The copper center has a distorted square planar geometry with ONO and Cl as the donor atoms. The ligand and its metal chelates have been screened for their antimicrobial and anti-tubercular activities using serial dilution method. Metal complexes in general have exhibited better antibacterial and antifungal activity than the free ligand and in few cases better than the standard used. Among the bacterial strains used, the complexes are highly potent against Gram-positive strains compared to Gram-negative. Anti-tubercular activity exhibited by the Co(II) complex is comparable with the standard used. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.