Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of oligonucleotide complexes with drugs, metals, and proteins.

I. Introduction 61 II. Binding of Small Molecules to DNA 62 A. Covalent Binding 62 B. Reversible (Noncovalent) DNA-Binding Agents 65 III. DNA-Metal Ion Complexes 67 A. Platinum Complexes 70 B. Other Metal Ions 73 IV. DNA-Protein Complexes 74 A. Introduction 74 B. ESI-MS of DNA-Protein Complexes 76 C. ESI-MS Analysis of Proteolytic Products of DNA-Protein Complexes 79 D. ESI-MS of Ternary DNA-Protein-Ligand Complexes 80 V. Conclusions 80 Abbreviations 81 References 81 --Interactions of DNA with drugs, metal ions, and proteins are important in a wide variety of biological processes. With the advent of electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI), mass spectrometry (MS) is now a well-established tool for the characterization of the primary structures of biopolymers. The gentle nature of the ESI process, however, means that ESI-MS is also finding application for the study of noncovalent and other fragile biomolecular complexes. We outline here the progress, to date, in the use of ESI-MS for the study of noncovalent drug-DNA and protein-DNA complexes together with strategies that can be employed to examine the binding of small molecules and metal complexes to DNA. In the case of covalent complexes with DNA, sequence information can be derived from ESI-MS used in conjunction with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and/or enzymatic digestion. MS/MS can also be used to probe the relative binding affinities of drugs that bind to DNA via noncovalent interactions. Overall, the work in this area, to date has demonstrated that ESI-MS and MS/MS will prove to be valuable complements to other structural methods, offering advantages in terms of speed, specificity, and sensitivity. (c) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Warm homes: Drivers of the demand for heating in the residential sector in New Zealand

New Zealand houses are large, often poorly constructed and heated, by OECD standards, and consequently are colder and damper indoors than recommended by the World Health Organisation. This affects both the energy consumption and the health of households. The traditional New Zealand household pattern of only heating one room of the house has been unchanged for decades, although there has been substantial market penetration of unflued gas heaters and more recently heat pumps. This paper describes the residential sector and the results of two community-based trials of housing and heating interventions that have been designed to measure the impact of (1) retrofitting insulation and (2) replacing unflued gas heaters and electric resistance heaters with heat pumps, wood pellet burners and flued gas heaters. The paper describes findings on the rebound effect or ‘take-back’—the extent to which households take the gains from insulation and heating improvements as comfort (higher temperatures) rather than energy savings, and compares energy-saving patterns with those suggested by an earlier study. Findings on these aspects of household space heating are discussed in the context of the New Zealand government's policy drive for a more sustainable energy system, and the implications for climate change policy.     

Besonderer Kündigungsschutz für den angestellten Datenschutzbeauftragten?

Ob sich aus dem Bundesdatenschutzgesetz ein besonderer Kündigungsschutz für interne Datenschutzbeauftragte ergibt, wird kontrovers diskutiert. Der nachfolgende L?sungsvorschlag trennt Arbeitsverh?lttnis und Datenschutzfunktion konsequent. Ein hohes Schutzniveau für den (internen wie externen) Datenschutzbeauftragten ergibt sich aus der — bisher in diesem Kontext wenig beachteten — Vorschrift des § 4 f Abs. 5 Satz 1 BDSG.     

Predicting Flammable Material Classifications for the Selection of Electrical Equipment

There is a need for a reliable method of assigning group classifications to mixtures of flammable gases and liquids not covered by Section 500-2 of the National Electrical Code. A method of predicting group classifications for single components has been developed, and a procedure for extending this method to mixtures is suggested. If this procedure can be verified, a new tool will be available which will allow more accurate classification of the hazardous materials in process plants.     

Statistical and empirical examination of the chi-square test for homogeneity of correlations in meta-analysis.

This article statistically and empirically examines the chi-square test of homogeneity of effect sizes when that test is applied to correlation coefficients and to their Fisher's r-to-z transformation equivalents. Shows that the test on untransformed rs has excessively high Type I error rates as a result of distribution characteristics of r but that the test performs nominally for Fisher's r-to-z transformation values. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factors Influencing the Adhesion of Microorganisms to Surfaces

Starvation, growth phase, and carbon source influenced bacterial cell surface hydrophobicity. Both the number and kind of microorganisms that colonized metal surfaces depended on the type of metal and the presence of an imposed electrical potential. No significant differences in attachment and growth of a pure culture were observed when metal surfaces were dipped in an exogenous energy source. The chemical composition of naturally occurring adsorbed organic films on metal surfaces was shown to be independent of surface composition and polarization.     

Frequency Dependent Conductivity of the Fibonacci-Chain

A real-space-renormalization method for the frequency dependent conductivity of the periodic approximants of the Fibonacci chain is developed. This scheme is based on the known 2×2 transfer matrices and additional 5×5 matrices which allow an efficient numerical evaluation of the Kubo formula. Numerical results are presented.     

Epidemic Simulation for Training in Public Health Management

Epidemiological simulation models to be used primarily to augment the teaching of epidemiology to medical students and other individuals concerned with public health and control of epidemics are presented. Interactive simulations are used to expose students to ``realistic' epidemic situations and permit them to experiment with various control strategies. Criteria by which simulations for such teaching purposes may be evaluated are proposed and operating simulations, MEASLES and INFLU, are described in detail. Information is provided regarding user experience with the above simulations.     

Managing the Risks of Outsourcing Agreements

Outsourcing relieves an organization from the burden of carrying out complex activities. It also relieves an organization over its control of those activities. An organization can minimize this loss of control by managing certain risks associated with outsourcing before it enters into an outsourcing agreement.     

Compounding wood‐polymer composites with in‐line drying technology

Composite decking has moved into the mainstream of commercialization. Manufacturers must have a process that can achieve high rates for a reasonable capital investment. The equipment must also be able to process a variety of materials so as to take advantage of formulation changes that increase quality and/or reduce costs. A single‐step process is discussed that converts nondried cellulosic fibers and polyolefin resins into finished retail decking. The effect on process conditions, particularly moisture removal, is discussed. Technical as well as commercial issues are addressed. The focus of this article is the need for an integrated manufacturing system to provide the maximum economic return on investment. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 11:166–169, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers