Phase Characterization and Study of Molecular Order of a Three-Ring Mesogen by (13)C NMR in Smectic C and Nematic Phases

Molecules exhibiting a thermotropic liquid-crystalline property have acquired significant importance due to their sensitivity to external stimuli such as temperature, mechanical forces, and electric and magnetic fields. As a result, several novel mesogens have been synthesized by the introduction of various functional groups in the vicinity of the aromatic core as well as in the side chains and their properties have been studied. In the present study, we report three-ring mesogens with hydroxyl groups at one terminal. These mesogens were synthesized by a multistep route, and structural characterization was accomplished by spectral techniques. The mesophase properties were studied by hot-stage optical polarizing microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and small-angle X-ray scattering. An enantiotropic nematic phase was noticed for lower homologues, while an additional smectic C phase was found for higher homologues. Solid-state high-resolution natural abundance (13)C NMR studies of a typical mesogen in the solid phase and in the mesophases have been carried out. The (13)C NMR spectrum of the mesogen in the smectic C and nematic phases indicated spontaneous alignment of the molecule in the magnetic field. By utilizing the two-dimensional separated local field (SLF) NMR experiment known as SAMPI4, (13)C-(1)H dipolar couplings have been obtained, which were utilized to determine the orientational order parameters of the mesogen.

Role of the Ribosomal P-Site Elements of m(2)G966, m(5)C967, and the S9 C-Terminal Tail in Maintenance of the Reading Frame during Translational Elongation in Escherichia coli

The ribosomal P-site hosts the peptidyl-tRNAs during translation elongation. Which P-site elements support these tRNA species to maintain codon-anticodon interactions has remained unclear. We investigated the effects of P-site features of methylations of G966, C967, and the conserved C-terminal tail sequence of Ser, Lys, and Arg (SKR) of the S9 ribosomal protein in maintenance of the translational reading frame of an mRNA. We generated Escherichia coli strains deleted for the SKR sequence in S9 ribosomal protein, RsmB (which methylates C967), and RsmD (which methylates G966) and used them to translate LacZ from its +1 and -1 out-of-frame constructs. We show that the S9 SKR tail prevents both the +1 and -1 frameshifts and plays a general role in holding the P-site tRNA/peptidyl-tRNA in place. In contrast, the G966 and C967 methylations did not make a direct contribution to the maintenance of the translational frame of an mRNA. However, deletion of rsmB in the S9 Delta 3 background caused significantly increased -1 frameshifting at 37 degrees C. Interestingly, the effects of the deficiency of C967 methylation were annulled when the E. coli strain was grown at 30 degrees C, supporting its context-dependent role.

Annual report 2001 - North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES). Tenth meeting, Victoria, B.C., Canada, October 5-13, 2001

Report of Opening Session (pdf 42 KB) Report of Governing Council Meeting (pdf 89 KB) Reports of Science Board and Committees: Science Board (pdf 88 KB) Study Group on North Pacific Ecosystem Status Report and Regional Analysis Center Biological Oceanography Committee (pdf 57 KB) Working Group 14: Effective sampling of micronekton Advisory Panel on Marine Birds and Mammals Fishery Science Committee (pdf 37 KB) Working Group 16: Climate change, shifts to fish production, and fisheries management Marine Environmental Quality Committee (pdf 62 KB) Working Group 15: Ecology of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the North Pacific Physical Oceanography and Climate Committee (pdf 34 KB) Working Group 13: CO2 in the North Pacific Technical Committee on Data Exchange (pdf 24 KB) Implementation Panel on the CCCC Program (pdf 39 KB) BASS Task Team (pdf 32 KB) Advisory Panel on Iron Fertilization Experiment MODEL Task Team (pdf 22 KB) MONITOR Task Team (pdf 32 KB) Advisory Panel on Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey in the North Pacific REX Task Team (pdf 21 KB) Report of the Finance and Administration Committee (pdf 53 KB) List of Participants (pdf 67 KB) List of Acronyms (pdf 13 KB)

The incidence of Nypa fruticans (Wurmb) and its impact on fisheries production in the Niger Delta mangrove ecosystem

Nypa fruticans occurs in Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River State, Nigeria; invading an estimated area of 821 Km super(2) mangrove dominated swamps. Human activities such as tree felling, urbanization, oil and gas exploration and exploitation and other activities led to the interference in the normal mangrove by the Nypa palm. Lack of utilization by the local population of the Nypa palm as in into-pacification has increased the population over the years. The effect includes the reduction in primary and secondary productivity, disruption of food chain and erosion of riverbanks. The eradication of the Nypa palm from the Niger delta mangrove ecosystem and replacement with red and white mangroves will restore the ecosystem health and enhance biological diversity

Charge symmetry in ^(13)N and ^(13)C a coupled-channel model

A set of coupled-channel differential equations based on a rotationally distorted optical potential is used to calculate the wave functions required to evaluate the gamma ray transition rate from the first excited state to the ground state in ^(13)C and ^(13)N. The bremsstrahlung differential cross section of low energy protons is also calculated and compared with existing data. The marked similarity between the potentials determined at each resonance level in both nuclei supports the hypothesis of the charge symmetry of nuclear forces by explaining the deviation of the ratios of the experimental E1 transition strengths from unity.

An experimental study of a stellar neutron source: ^(13)C(α, n)^(16)O

Described in this thesis are measurements made of the thick-target neutron yield from the reaction ¹³C(α, n)¹⁶O. The yield was determined for laboratory bombarding energies between 0.475 and 0.700 MeV, using a stilbene crystal neutron detector and pulse-shape discrimination to eliminate gamma rays. Stellar temperatures between 2.5 and 4.5 x 10^{8 o}K are involved in this energy region. From the neutron yield was extracted the astrophysical cross-section factor S(E), which was found to fit a linear function: S(E) = [(5.48 ± 1.77) + (12.05 ± 3.91)E] x 10⁵ MeV-barns, center-of-mass system. The stellar rate of the ¹³C(α, n)¹⁶O reaction if calculated, and discussed with reference to helium burning and neutron production in the core of a giant star.

Results are also presented of measurements carried out on the reaction ⁹Be(α, n)¹²C, taken with a thin Be target. The bombarding energy-range covered was from 0.340 to 0.680 MeV, with excitation curves for the ground- and first excited-state neutrons being reported. Some angular distributions were also measured. Resonances were found at bombarding energies of E_LAB = 0.520 MeV (E_CM = 0.360 MeV, Γ ~ 55 keV CM, ωγ = 3.79 eV CM) and E_LAB = 0.600 MeV (E_CM = 0.415 MeV, Γ ˂ 4 keV CM, ωγ = 0.88 eV CM). The astrophysical rate of the ⁹Be(α, n)¹²C reaction due to these resonances is calculated.

Avaliação do efeito anti-inflamatório e antiasmático da 15-deoxy-delta-12,14-prostaglandina J2 em modelos murinos de asma

A asma é um distúrbio crônico pulmonar caracterizado por inflamação, obstrução e remodelamento brônquico, levando a sintomas como sibilo, tosse e falta de ar. A terapia antiasmática consiste em corticosteroides inalados e agonistas β2 de curta ou longa duração. O tratamento é limitado por efeitos colaterais e refratariedade de alguns pacientes, justificando a necessidade de novas terapias. Estudos demonstram que a 15-deoxy-delta- 12,14-prostaglandina J2 (15d-PGJ2), um ligante endógeno de receptores ativados por proliferadores de peroxissomos do tipo gama (PPAR-γ), é capaz de reduzir a expressão de citocinas pró-inflamatórias, o que pode resultar em benefícios no tratamento de doenças com esse perfil. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o potencial anti-inflamatório e antiasmático da 15d-PGJ2 em modelos experimentais de asma. Camundongos A/J machos foram sensibilizados nos dias 0 e 7 através de injeção subcutânea (s.c.), contendo ovoalbumina (OVA) e Al(OH)3, e desafiados com 4 instilações intranasais (i.n.) de OVA em intervalos semanais. O tratamento com 15d-PGJ2 (30 e 100 g/Kg, s.c.) foi realizado 30 min antes dos desafios a partir da terceira provocação antigênica. Em outro modelo, camundongos A/J foram desafiados intranasalmente com extrato de ácaro 3 vezes por semana durante 3 semanas. As administrações de 15d-PGJ2 (30, 70 e 100 g/Kg, s.c. e 0,65; 1,5 e 2,3 g/animal, i.n.) foram realizadas a partir da 3 semana, 30 min antes dos desafios. As análises ocorreram 24 h após o último desafio. Nossos resultados mostraram que, em camundongos previamente sensibilizados e desafiados com OVA, a administração de 15d-PGJ2 limitou significativamente o influxo peribrônquico de eosinófilos e neutrófilos, bem como a produção de muco por células caliciformes e fibrose sub-epitelial, além da hiperreatividade das vias aéreas e produção de IL-5. A redução do epitélio brônquico e das citocinas IL-13 e TNF-α foram observadas somente na maior dose administrada. No modelo HDM a inflamação e o remodelamento foram atenuados em todas as doses administradas do composto, enquanto que a hiperresponssividade brônquica foi inibida apenas nas doses de 70 e 100 μg/Kg (via sistêmica) e na dose intermediária dada topicamente (1,5 μg/animal, i.n.). Os níveis de citocinas foram atenuados pelo tratamento subcutâneo, porém somente os níveis de IL-17, eotaxina-1 e TNF-α foram inibidos com a dose intranasal de 0,65 g/animal. O aumento da expressão de NF-κB, induzido por provocação com HDM também foi reduzido significativamente pela administração de 15d-PGJ2. Em conjunto, nossos dados indicam que o tratamento com 15d-PGJ2 inibe alterações cruciais associadas à patogênese da asma, em modelos experimentais distintos da doença, demonstrando possuir grande potencial para controlar e reverter inflamação, hiperreatividade e remodelamento pulmonar desencadeados por provocação alérgica.

Pseudospin in Si delta-doped InAlAs/InGaAs/InAlAs single quantum well

Magneto-transport measurements have been carried out on double/single-barrier-doped In0.52Al0.48As/In0.53Ga0.47As/In0.52Al0.48As quantum well samples from 1.5 to 60 K in an applied magnetic field up to 13 T. Beating Shubnikov-de Haas oscillation is observed for the symmetrically double-barrier-doped sample and demonstrated due to a symmetric state and an antisymmetric state confined in two coupled self-consistent potential wells in the single quantum well. The energy separation between the symmetric and the antisymmetric states for the double-barrier-doped sample is extracted from experimental data, which is consistent with calculation. For the single-barrier-doped sample, only beating related to magneto-intersubband scattering shows up. The pesudospin property of the symmetrically double-barrier-doped single quantum well shows that it is a good candidate for fabricating quantum transistors. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

含硒抗体酶及酶法合成~（13）C尿苷二磷酸葡萄糖

胞质谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（cGPX）是生物体内重要的抗氧化含硒酶，在保护机体免受活性氧损伤方面起着重要作用，因此利用抗体酶技术进行cGPX的人工模拟具有重要意义。本文在疏水腔修饰法指导下，设计合成了两种新的具有GSH特征的半抗原Hp4和Hp5。通过单克隆抗体及化学诱变技术制备得到三种针对半抗原Hp4的含硒抗体酶和两种针对Hp5 特异的含硒抗体酶。其中SeHB5(1867 U/μmol)和SeIA7（3567U/μmol）活力达到和天然酶同一数量级，进一步验证了疏水腔修饰法。本文还对含硒抗体酶SeHB5和SeIA7的酶学性质进行了系统的研究。生物活性实验表明含硒抗体酶对不同浓度H_2O_2损伤的小鼠心肌细胞均有一定程度的保护作用。本文同时报道了三种硒代β-环糊精作为cGPX模拟物的活力，其中6,6'-(O-亚苯基）二硒基桥联-β-环糊精二聚体的活力超过目前被认为最理想的补硒试剂Ebselen。~（13）C标记UDPG在利用核磁手段发现新的UDPG依赖糖基转移酶和检测新的糖基化合物，确定糖基间连接方式，合成同位素标记寡糖和多糖等方面具有广阔的应用前景。本文首次从植物培养细胞Rauvolfia serpentina经四步纯化得到具有一定纯度的UDPG焦磷酸化酶，并应用该酶建立了经济，简便，高产率的从葡萄糖出发，酶法大量合成UDPG的方法。利用该方法首次合成得到0.5克级的UDP-[4-~（13）C]-glucose，产率高达～70%。在NMR谱学方面确定了UDPG中葡萄糖基上4位C的归属，从而纠正了文献中关于UDPG核磁谱归属中的部分错误。

聚丁二烯的序列结构Ⅰ. ~(13)C-NMR研究聚丁二烯的序列结构 Ⅱ. 1,2-聚丁二烯的构象分析

本文详细分析了聚丁二烯分子链的序列结构，以聚丁二烯的(13)C-NMR波谱测试为依据，划分聚丁二烯分子链为三种序列、十七类脂碳碳核。在此基础上发现并论证了T_4碳核的存在，同时在聚丁二烯的~(13)C-NMR谱图上确认了与之对应的共振吸收峰－T_4峰。通过处理谱峰化学位移数据，得到一组计算聚丁二烯~(13)C-NMR谱图脂碳部分各谱峰化学位移的经验参数。应用这一组参数于聚丁二烯的~(13)C-NMR谱图（脂碳部分），各谱峰化学位移的计算值和实验值有良好的一致性。但是，与聚丁二烯分子链的1,2－序列两端的四类碳核：C_4、T_4、V_2和V_8相对应之谱峰的化学位移，其实验值一致地大于计算值而趋向低场方面，为深入研究聚丁二烯的链结构提供了有价值的情报。本文还讨论了对于4'峰和8'峰的归属，并对定量表征聚丁二烯分子链的序列结构进行了初步尝试。

全同1，2－聚丁二烯的合成及用~(13)C-NMR方法研究1，2－聚丁二烯的序列结构

采用Cr／Al催化体系，成功地合成了全同1，2－聚丁二烯（PBD），并用DSC方法、X－射线衍射、红外光谱及~(13)C－NMR的方法进行结构与物性测定，得如下结果：全同1，2－PBD的熔点为124.3℃；三角晶系中，分子链成了螺旋，晶胞参数为a＝17.3A，c＝ 6.5A；在红外光谱中，其特征谱带出现在694.4 cm~(-1)处；在~(13)C－NMR谱中仅出现四条谱峰，其化学位移分别为142.51、111.56、39.26、37.43 ppm。全同1，2－PBD的~(13)C－NMR谱提供的实验数据表明，在~(13)C－NMR谱中1，2－PBD－CH二碳十个五元组谱峰的归属是有别于Elgert、Kumar已有的归属。它属于一种新的归属，与半经验方法所推演的结果相符。它恰巧同聚丙烯侧甲基五元组谱峰的归属一致。采用半经验方法研究了1，2－PBD的~(13)C－NMR增中CH二碳五元组、CH_2－碳四元组及六元组共振谱峰，同时讨论了模型链的链长、温度以及立构序列的排列对各立构序列键概率的影响，求得了相应的r值。同时采用经验方法对1，2－PBD的~(13)C－NMR谱中CH_2=碳、CH－碳五元组及CH_2－碳四元组谱峰做了归属。两种方法对CH_2－碳谱峰的归属得到了一致的结果。

EV共聚物序列结构的~(13)C NMR研究

本工作以EV共聚物为研究对象，明确地提出了共聚物的序列结构与其~(13)C NMR谱，包括符号表示在内的一致性问题。通过对EVAc共聚物~(13)C NMR谱的分析认为，共聚物的序列结构与其~(13)C NMR谱之间存在着某种内在的联系。我们从EV共聚物序列结构的符号表示和Bovey关系出发，阐述了它们之间的一致性，即一一对应关系，并发现了EV共聚物~(13)C NMR谱的两种类型，提出了利用取代基参数进行EV共聚物~(13)C NMR谱分类的判别标准及其衍生出的两种判别方法，阐述了关于EV共聚物~(13)C NMR谱峰分布的预见性。