Structural analysis of Alzheimer's beta(1-40) amyloid: protofilament assembly of tubular fibrils

Detailed structural studies of amyloid fibrils can elucidate the way in which their constituent polypeptides are folded and self-assemble, and exert their neurotoxic effects in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have previously reported that when aqueous solutions of the N-terminal hydrophilic peptides of AD beta-amyloid (A beta) are gradually dried in a 2-Tesla magnetic field, they form highly oriented fibrils that are well suited to x-ray fiber diffraction. The longer, more physiologically relevant sequences such as A beta(1-40) have not been amenable to such analysis, owing to their strong propensity to polymerize and aggregate before orientation is achieved. In seeking an efficient and inexpensive method for rapid screening of conditions that could lead to improved orientation of fibrils assembled from the longer peptides, we report here that the birefringence of a small drop of peptide solution can supply information related to the cooperative packing of amyloid fibers and their capacity for magnetic orientation. The samples were examined by electron microscopy (negative and positive staining) and x-ray diffraction. Negative staining showed a mixture of straight and twisted fibers. The average width of both types was approximately 70 A, and the helical pitch of the latter was approximately 460 A. Cross sections of plastic-embedded samples showed a approximately 60-A-wide tubular structure. X-ray diffraction from these samples indicated a cross-beta fiber pattern, characterized by a strong meridional reflection at 4.74 A and a broad equatorial reflection at 8.9 A. Modeling studies suggested that tilted arrays of beta-strands constitute tubular, 30-A-diameter protofilaments, and that three to five of these protofilaments constitute the A beta fiber. This type of structure--a multimeric array of protofilaments organized as a tubular fibril--resembles that formed by the shorter A beta fragments (e.g., A beta(6-25), A beta(11-25), A beta(1-28)), suggesting a common structural motif in AD amyloid fibril organization.     

Cleavage planes in frog eggs are altered by strong magnetic fields

Early cleavages of Xenopus embryos were oriented in strong, static magnetic fields. Third-cleavage planes, normally horizontal, were seen to orient to a vertical plane parallel with a vertical magnetic field. Second cleavages, normally vertical, could also be oriented by applying a horizontal magnetic field. We argue that these changes in cleavage-furrow geometries result from changes in the orientation of the mitotic apparatus. We hypothesize that the magnetic field acts directly on the microtubules of the mitotic apparatus. Considerations of the length of the astral microtubules, their diamagnetic anisotropy, and flexural rigidity predict the required field strength for an effect that agrees with the data. This observation provides a clear example of a static magnetic-field effect on a fundamental cellular process, cell division.     

Detection of GTP and Pi in wild-type and mutated yeast microtubules: implications for the role of the GTP/GDP-Pi cap in microtubule dynamics

Microtubule dynamics are believed to be controlled by a stabilizing cap of tubulin dimers at microtubule ends that contain either GTP or GDP and Pi in the exchangeable nucleotide site (E-site) of the beta-subunit. However, it has been difficult to obtain convincing evidence to support this hypothesis because the quantity of GTP and Pi in the E-site of assembled brain tubulin (the tubulin used in most studies thus far) is extremely low. In this study, we have measured the amount of GTP and Pi in the E-site of wild-type and mutated yeast assembled tubulins. In contrast to brain microtubules, 6% of the tubulin in a wild-type yeast microtubule contains a combination of E-site GTP and Pi. This result indicates that GTP hydrolysis and Pi release are not coupled to dimer addition to the end of the microtubule and supports the hypothesis that microtubules contain a cap of tubulin dimers with GTP or Pi in their E-sites. In addition, we have measured the E-site content of GTP and Pi in microtubules assembled from two yeast tubulins that had been mutated at residues T107 and T143 in beta-tubulin, sites thought to interact with the nucleotide bound in the E-site. Previous studies have shown that microtubules containing these mutated tubulins have modified dynamic behavior in vitro. The results from these experiments indicate that the GTP or GDP-Pi cap model does not adequately explain yeast microtubule dynamic behavior.     

磁场形式及参数对单纤维捕集钢铁行业粉尘中PM2.5性能影响

目前钢铁行业已成为大气污染防治的重点,为解决现有钢铁行业对于PM_2.5细颗粒难以捕集的难题,实现粉尘的超低排放。基于CFD-DPM（computational fluid dynamics-discrete phase model）方法对磁性纤维产生的磁场以及高梯度磁场等不同磁场形式下单纤维对钢铁行业捕集PM_2.5性能的影响进行研究,通过X射线衍射图谱分析可知钢铁行业生产过程产生的粉尘因含有Fe₃O₄以及单质Fe而具有磁特性,进而提出了利用磁场来增强单纤维捕集PM_2.5性能的方法. 计算结果表明,在运动轨迹方面,磁性纤维产生的磁场会在纤维周围形成引力区,高梯度磁场会在纤维周围形成2个引力区和2个斥力区;在捕集性能方面,当粉尘粒径d_p为0.5～1.0 μm,入口风速v≤0.2 m·s?1时,高梯度磁场下磁性纤维的捕集能力要强于单一磁性纤维的捕集能力,若磁场强度H=0.5 T,磁感应强度B=0.01 T,v=0.1 m·s?1,高梯度磁场可以使单纤维的捕集效率提高为传统单纤维捕集的28.32倍,若B=0.01 T,v=0.1 m·s?1,磁性纤维产生的磁场可以使捕集效率提高为传统单纤维捕集的4.037倍;在磁性纤维产生的磁场中,当磁感应强度B≥0.03 T时,磁性单纤维对PM_2.5的捕集效率随着入口风速的增加而减小,后趋于稳定,当B<0.03 T时,捕集效率随入口风速逐渐减小;捕集效率随粉尘粒径的增加而增大. 而对于高梯度磁场,单纤维对PM_2.5捕集效率同样随着入口风速的增加而减小,当v>0.4 m·s?1时,捕集效率为0,B越大,捕集效率下降越快;捕集效率随着粉尘粒径增大呈现先增加后减小的趋势.      

Cold stable microtubules in brain studied in fractions and slices

Microtubules were shown to remain intact in brain slices and subfractions maintained at 0 degrees C for 1 h. Under the same conditions, microtubules isolated from brain by warm assembly-cold disassembly methods, disassemble into their constituent subunit proteins. No selective depletions of microtubules were seen when brain slices were incubated in homogenizing buffer at either 0 degrees C or 37 degrees C. The response of native microtubules in brain slices in incubation in other solutions showed that their properties were otherwise the same as those of assembled microtubules. The separated alpha and beta subunits of isolated cold labile and cold stable microtubules were compared by electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing and were shown to possess the same mobilities. The results suggest that native microtubules are temperature insensitive and that isolated microtubules are assembled from pre-existing pools of subunit proteins. The results further suggest that native microtubules possess a factor, lacking in isolated assembled microtubules, which confers temperature stability on the former.     

Effects of Magnetic Field Direction on γ‐fiber Texture Evolution in Cold‐rolled Interstitial‐free Steel Sheet during Annealing

The effects of magnetic field direction on γ‐fiber texture evolution in as‐annealed interstitial‐free (IF) steel sheet were investigated by means of X‐ray diffraction ODF analysis. Specimens cut from cold‐rolled IF steel sheets were placed at the center of a 12‐T magnetic field, tilted by different angles to the magnetic field direction respectively, and annealed at 750 °C for 30 min. The results show that altering the specimen orientation to the magnetic field direction during annealing does not change the final annealing textures. The average intensity of the γ‐fiber texture of specimens annealed under the magnetic field is higher compared to conventionally annealed specimens. The intensity of the main γ‐fiber texture components presents a similar periodic variation with respect to the specimen orientation to the magnetic field, i.e., it is weakened as the tilt angle increases from 0°, and subsequently strengthened to a maximum value at 45°, and then weakened again as the tilt angle continues to increase. When the magnetic field is applied in the direction perpendicular to the specimen's rolling plane, the intensity of the main γ‐fiber texture components of specimens annealed in the magnetic field is close to that of the specimen annealed without field. This phenomenon might be attributed to the demagnetic effect.     

Computer model for magnetic fields in electrolytic cells including the effect of steel parts

The computer model described in this paper calculates magnetic fields in electrolytic cells from an input of constructional data and known current distribution. Conventional formulas are used for the magnetic field from the current carrying system of the cell and its surroundings. A special method has been developed for the representation of steel parts in the model, in order to include their magnetic effect with reasonable accuracy. Principles are described and examples of calculations are given.     

Experimental evidence of magnetic training effect of electronic phase in Nd-Ca half-doped manganite

Cooling and heating modes are shown to be able to significantly modify the magnetic and electrical properties of the half-doped perovskite manganite.The present paper reports on a precise investigation of this phenomenon(the so-called training effect) carried out on Nd_(0.5)Ca_(0.5)MnO_3 manganite,which allow a fine tuning of the magnetic ground state.Refinement of the X-ray diffraction pattern shows that the synthesized sample is single phase and crystallizes in the orthorhombic structure with Pnma space group.Using magnetometry measurements,we have found that the sample is the seat of interesting phenomena like charge ordering,magnetic phase separation,spin-glass and inverse magnetocaloric effect.Magnetic-field-driven magnetization(M(μ_0 H)) measurements evidence the metamagnetic transition which not only depends on field value,but also on the thermal process(cooling or heating).Metamagnetic irreversibility in the magnetic field range(±5 T) and memory effect are observed at low temperatures due to the kinetic arrest phenomenon.It is worthwhile to mention that the coercive field increases with decreasing temperature and reaches 955 Oe at 20 K,which is sufficiently large compared with that one in the soft magnetic and makes the material quite interesting for spintronic applications.The electrical resistivity in a zero field was measured on both cooling and warming modes,and the data obtained were fitted by using different theoretical models.At low temperatures,the resistivity shows the presence of insulator-metal transition and is found to be in conformity with the magnetization data.A magnetic training effect due to the thermo-magnetic history dependent behavior is observed,where the resistivity is consistently irreversible.     

Magnetically aligned phospholipid bilayers with positive ordering: a new model membrane system

A stable smectic phospholipid bilayer phase aligned with the director parallel to the magnetic field can be generated by the addition of certain trivalent paramagnetic lanthanide ions to a bicellar solution of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dihexanoylphosphatidylcholine (DHPC) in water. Suitable lanthanide ions are those with positive anisotropy of their magnetic susceptibility, namely Eu3+, Er3+, Tm3+, and Yb3+. For samples doped with Tm3+, this phase extends over a wide range of Tm3+ concentrations (6-40 mM) and temperatures (35-90 degrees C) and appears to undergo a transition from a fluid nematic discotic to a fluid, but highly ordered, smectic phase at a temperature that depends on the thulium concentration. As a membrane mimetic, these new, positively ordered phospholipid phases have high potential for structural studies using a variety of techniques such as magnetic resonance (EMR and NMR), small-angle x-ray and neutron diffraction, as well as optical and infrared spectroscopy.     

Tubulin-nucleotide interactions during the polymerization and depolymerization of microtubules

The interactions of nucleotides and their role in the polymerization of tubulin have been studied in detail. GTP promotes polymerization by binding to the exchangeable site (E site) of tubulin. The microtubules formed contain only GDP at the E site, indicating that hydrolysis of E site GTP occurs during or shortly after polymerization. Tubulin prepared by several cycles of polymerization and depolymerization will polymerize in the presence of ATP as well as GTP. Polymerization in ATP is preceded by a distinct lag period which is shorter at higher concentrations of ATP. As reported by others ATP will transphosphorylate bound GDP to GTP. Under polymerizing conditions the maximum level of GTP formation occurs at about the same time as the onset of polymerization, and the lag probably reflects the time necessary to transphosphorylate a critical concentration of tubulin. The transphosphorylated protein can be isolated and will polymerize without further addition of nucleotide. The transphosphorylated GTP is hydrolyzed and the phosphate released during polymerization. About 25% of the phosphate transferred from ATP is noncovalently bound to the subunit as inorganic phosphate and this fraction is also released during polymerization. The nonhydrolyzable analogue of GTP, GMPPNP, will promote microtubule assembly at high concentration. GMPPNP assembled microtubules do not depolymerize in Ca concentrations several fold greater than that which will completely depolymerize GTP assembled tubules; however, addition of Ca prior to inducing polymerization in GMPPNP prevents the formation of microtubules. Thus GTP hydrolysis appears to promote depolymerization rather than polymerization. GDP does not promote microtubule assembly but can inhibit GTP binding and GTP induced polymerization. GDP does not, however, induce the depolymerization of formed microtubules. These experiments demonstrate that tubulin polymerization can not be treated as a thermodynamically reversible process, but must involve one or more irreversible steps. Exchange experiments with [3H]GTP indicate that the "E" site on both microtubules and ring aggregates of tubulin is blocked and does not exchange rapidly. However, during polymerization and depolymerization induced by raising or lowering the temperature, respectively, all the E sites become transiently available and will exchange their nucleotide. This observation does not suggest a direct morphological transition between rings and microtubules. The presence of a blocked E site on the rings explains the apparent transphosphorylation and hydrolysis of "N" site nucleotide reported by others.     

Improved Electrical Insulation of Rare Earth Permanent Magnetic Materials With High Magnetic Properties

 Rare earth permanent magnetic materials are typical electrical conductor, and their magnetic properties will decrease because of the eddy current effect, so it is difficult to keep them stable for a long enough time under a high frequency AC field. In the present study, as far as rare earth permanent magnets are concerned, for the first time, rare earth permanent magnets with strong electrical insulation and high magnetic performance have been obtained through experiments, and their properties are as follows: (1) Sm2TM17: Br=062 T, jHc=8037 kA/m, (BH)m=5897 kJ/m3, ρ=7 Ω·m; (2) NdFeB: Br=0485 T, jHc=76633 kA/m, (BH)m=3796 kJ/m3, ρ=9 Ω·m. The magnetic properties of Sm2TM17 and NdFeB are obviously higher than those of ferrite permanent magnet, and the electric insulating characteristics of Sm2TM17 and NdFeB applied have in fact been approximately the same as those of ferrite. Therefore, Sm2TM17 and NdFeB will possess the ability to take the place of ferrite under a certain high frequency AC electric field.     

Approach to saturation in textured soft magnetic materials

A model has been developed for calculating the anisotropic magnetic properties of soft magnetic materials with the objective of accounting for variations in permeability in textured materials. The model in its current form takes account of the rotation of the magnetization direction in each domain of a textured polycrystal and, thus, is applicable to large applied fields. The magnetization direction is determined by minimizing the sum of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy and the energy of interaction between the applied field and local magnetization. Examples are given of the application to idealized textures, such as fiber textures, in which all grains share a common axis parallel to the sheet normal (ND). The cube fiber (〈100〉‖ND) has the highest permeability at any applied field, followed by a randomly oriented polycrystal, with the gamma fiber (〈111〉‖ND) having the lowest permeability. Two further examples are given of textured steel sheets, often referred to as “nonoriented electrical steels,” intended for use as laminations in rotating electrical machinery. In one case, the two samples show that a random texture is preferable to one in which the rolling texture is retained. The second example demonstrates the importance of a particular texture component, the Goss or 〈001〉{110}, for producing an anisotropic permeability.     

双喷嘴雾化水冷法制备磁性磨料及研磨性能

采用气固两相流双喷嘴雾化水冷法制备出球形、近球形的磁性磨料,并用场发射扫描电子显微镜(FESEM)和能谱仪(EDS)分别进行磁性磨料表面形貌的观察和表面元素的定量定性分析,在XK7136C型数控铣床平面磁力研磨装置上进行研磨性能分析。结果表明:气固两相流双喷嘴雾化水冷法制备的球形磁性磨料具有良好的研磨光整效果,磁性磨料在使用40 min后仍然具有良好的精密光整加工能力。     

The effect of a uniform direct current magnetic field on the stability of a stratified liquid flux/molten steel system

In continuous slab casting, the instability of the interface between the liquid flux and molten steel is very important, as it is related to the entrapment of liquid flux into molten steel. The entrapment of liquid flux springs up when the velocity under the meniscus exceeds the critical velocity.^[1] This situation is the same as the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, which is the instability of the interface between two fluids with relative motion. However, few studies of the continuous casting process have related the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability to the entrapment of the liquid flux, and there has been little focus on this instability in metallurgical processes. In addition, the effect of direct current (DC) magnetic field on the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability has not been reported in metallurgical processes. Many researches in other parts for the effect of the DC magnetic field have assumed that the conductivity of fluid is infinite. However, real conducting fluids in metallurgical processes such as molten steel have finite conductivity, and especially, the liquid flux has a very small conductivity compared with molten steel. In this study, the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability of a stratified liquid flux-molten steel system and the effect of DC magnetic field on the instability of the interface between liquid flux and molten steel are studied assuming the conductivity of liquid flux is zero. The results show that when the instability does not occur, the DC magnetic field dampens the fluctuation of the interface between flux and molten steel more than the case with no magnetic field. However, when the instability occurs, the DC magnetic field could not dampen the fluctuation. In addition, the DC magnetic field expands the range of wave numbers of the instability.     

Novel chelate-induced magnetic alignment of biological membranes

A phospholipid chelate complexed with ytterbium (DMPE-DTPA:Yb3+) is shown to be readily incorporated into a model membrane system, which may then be aligned in a magnetic field such that the average bilayer normal lies along the field. This so-called positively ordered smectic phase, whose lipids consist of less than 1% DMPE-DTPA:Yb3+, is ideally suited to structural studies of membrane proteins by solid-state NMR, low-angle diffraction, and spectroscopic techniques that require oriented samples. The chelate, 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, which strongly binds the lanthanide ions and serves to orient the membrane in a magnetic field, prevents direct lanthanide-protein interactions and significantly reduces paramagnetic shifts and line broadening. Similar low-spin lanthanide chelates may have applications in field-ordered solution NMR studies of water-soluble proteins and in the design of new magnetically aligned liquid crystalline phases.     

饱和磁性分析法快速测定闪速吹炼炉渣中磁性四氧化三铁含量

探讨了饱和磁性分析仪快速测定闪速吹炼炉渣中磁性四氧化三铁含量的方法。通过选择试验发现了采用自制四氧化三铁合成标准物质绘制校准曲线时适用的局限性,改用实际闪速吹炼炉渣标准样品系列绘制校准曲线,得到了很好的应用。研究了试样量、试样粒度、共存磁性物质等各种因素的影响,确定了最佳实验条件。方法测定闪速吹炼炉渣中磁性四氧化三铁的含量范围为2409%～6662%,方法检出限为014%,相对标准偏差（RSD,n=12）在064%～079%之间,样品的分析结果与X射线衍射分析法（XRD）结果吻合较好,能完全满足生产控制快速分析的需要。     

The effect of small additions of yttrium,lanthanum, and cerium oxides on some magnetic characteristics of magnesium-manganese ferrites and the X-ray spectra of transition metals in them

Summary We have studied the effect of lanthanum, cerium, and yttrium oxide admixtures on the magnetic characteristics of manganese and magnesium-manganese ferrites. We have shown that this effect differs for various rare earths and depends on their content in the ferrite.We have studied the fine structure of x-ray absorption spectra of iron and manganese in ferrites with varying content of rare earth additions. On the basis of an analysis of the experimental material we have drawn preliminary conclusions on the possible mechanism of the effect of admixtures on the energy state of the atoms of the main components in the ferrites.     

Development of rapidly solidified 6.5 wt% silicon steel for magnetic applications

The 6.5wt% Silicon steel has always a technological importance owing to its soft magnetic properties and low core losses. In this research, this steel is prepared in the form of continuous ribbons of 25 mm width and 35 mm thickness by rapid solidification technique using melt spinner. The as-cast ribbons show single phase of α-FeSi as observed from x-ray diffraction. By transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the alloy shows disordered A2 structure in as-cast ribbon while B2 ordered phase forms from the A2 matrix at annealed condition. Two magnetization temperatures are observed at 670 and 760°C due to the phase transformation of B2 and A2 structures, respectively. The alloy showed enhancement in the soft magnetic properties with reduction in coercivity from 1.90Oe in the as-cast state to 0.58Oe when annealed at 850°C. The lowering of coercivity is due to the formation of ordered B2 phase during annealing.     

强磁场在材料科学中的应用现状及理论分析

在电磁加工的研究过程中,强磁场在材料科学中应用一直是关注的热点,虽然还处于初级的研究阶段,但是已取得可喜的成果.在施加强磁场的条件下,发现了大量的有价值的磁现象,建立了相关的强磁场理论,为工业的应用提供依据.介绍了强磁场在取向、抑制对流、磁分离和热处理方面的应用,并分析了其原理,对强磁场的发展进行了总结.     

Assembly of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) brain microtubules at different temperatures: dependency of microtubule-associated proteins is relative to temperature

Isolated cod (Gadus morhua) brain microtubules were found to have a broad temperature interval for assembly. In contrast to mammalian microtubules they assembled even at as low temperatures as 14 degrees C. Evidence was found that temperature alters the dependency of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) for assembly. The assembly was MAPs-dependent at low, but not at higher temperatures. Assembly at +18 degrees C was inhibited by both NaCl and estramustine phosphate. These compounds are well known to inhibit the binding of MAPs to tubulin. At higher temperatures there was no MAPs dependency for assembly, despite that MAPs bound to the microtubules. Cow MAPs had the same effect as cod MAPs, suggesting that despite differences in MAP composition, the effect is not caused by the unusual composition of cod MAPs. The results therefore suggest that these differences in MAPs dependency are due to intrinsic properties of cod tubulin or tubulin-to-tubulin interactions. Small temperature-induced conformational changes of tubulin and a slight enrichment of acetylated and detyrosinated tubulin in microtubules assembled at +30 degrees C as compared to +15 degrees C, were observed. The ability to alter the assembly stimulating effect of MAPs may be important for the cell to regulate microtubule dynamics and stability. In addition, changes in tubulin conformation and composition of tubulin isoforms may reflect adaptations for microtubule assembly at low temperatures.