COLLOIDS IN GLASS1

A discussion of the various elements and compounds found in a colloidal state in glass. Attention is called to the similarity of colloidal behavior in vitreous and aqueous media. Theories and experimental evidence are furnished to account for the formation and destruction of the colloidal state.     

Propagation properties of foreshock cavitons: Cluster observations

Foreshock cavitons are transient phenomena observed in the terrestrial foreshock region. They are characterized by a simultaneous depression of magnetic field magnitude and plasma density, which are bounded with enhancements of these two parameters and surrounded by ultralow frequency(ULF) waves. Previous studies focused on the interplanetary magnetic field(IMF) conditions, solar wind(SW) conditions, and the growth of the foreshock waves related to the generation of foreshock cavitons. Previously, a multipoint spacecraft analysis method using Cluster data was applied to analyze only two foreshock cavitons, and this method did not consider uncertainties. In this study, multipoint spacecraft analysis methods, including the timing method, the minimum directional derivative(MDD) method, and the spatiotemporal difference(STD) method are applied to determine the velocity in both spacecraft and solar wind frames. The propagation properties show good agreement with previous results from simulations and observations that most cavitons move sunward in the solar wind frame, with the velocities larger than the Alfvén speed. The propagation properties of foreshock cavitons support the formation mechanism of cavitons in previous simulations, which suggested that cavitons are formed due to the nonlinear evolution of compressive ULF waves. We find that there is clear decreasing trend between the size of cavitons and their velocity in the solar wind frame. In addition, the timing method considering errors has been applied to study the evolution properties by comparing the velocities with errors of the leading and trailing edges, and we identify three stable cavitons and one contracting caviton, which has not been studied before.Most cavitons should remain stable when they travel toward the Earth's bow shock. The relationship between the size of foreshock cavitons and their distance from the bow shock is also discussed.     

Ru-Containing Polymeric Catalysts for Cellulose Conversion to Polyols

In this paper Ru-containing catalysts based on hypercrosslinked polystyrene (MN-270) and its functional analogues (MN-100 and MN-500) were studied for the first time in cellulose hydrolytic hydrogenation. The catalysts were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution TEM, and porosity measurements. Catalytic studies demonstrated that the catalyst containing 1.0 % Ru and based on MN-270 is the most active. The total yield of sorbitol and mannitol was 50 % on the average at 85 % cellulose conversion.     

Clinical Evaluation of Extracellular ADMA Concentrations in Human Blood and Adipose Tissue

Circulating asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis, has been proposed as a biomarker for clinical outcome. Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) is the main enzyme responsible for ADMA metabolism and elimination. Adipose tissue ADMA concentrations and DDAH activity and their role in diabetes and obesity have not yet been investigated. In this study, we evaluated clinical microdialysis in combination with a sensitive analytical method (GC-MS/MS) to measure ADMA concentrations in extracellular fluid. Adipose tissue ADMA concentrations were assessed before and during an oral glucose tolerance test in lean healthy subjects and subjects with diabetes (n = 4 each), and in morbidly obese subjects before and after weight loss of 30 kg (n = 7). DDAH activity was determined in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue obtained during laparoscopic surgery (n = 5 paired samples). Mean interstitial ADMA concentrations did not differ between study populations (healthy 0.17 ± 0.03 μM; diabetic 0.21 ± 0.03 μM; morbidly obese 0.16 ± 0.01 and 0.17 ± 0.01 μM before and after weight loss, respectively). We did not observe any response of interstitial ADMA concentrations to the oral glucose challenge. Adipose tissue DDAH activity was negligible compared to liver tissue. Thus, adipose tissue ADMA plays a minor role in NO-dependent regulation of adipose tissue blood flow and metabolism.     

Cellular Scent of Influenza Virus Infection.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emanating from humans have the potential to revolutionize non‐invasive diagnostics. Yet, little is known about how these compounds are generated by complex biological systems, and even less is known about how these compounds are reflective of a particular physiological state. In this proof‐of‐concept study, we examined VOCs produced directly at the cellular level from B lymphoblastoid cells upon infection with three live influenza virus subtypes: H9N2 (avian), H6N2 (avian), and H1N1 (human). Using a single cell line helped to alleviate some of the complexity and variability when studying VOC production by an entire organism, and it allowed us to discern marked differences in VOC production upon infection of the cells. The patterns of VOCs produced in response to infection were unique for each virus subtype, while several other non‐specific VOCs were produced after infections with all three strains. Also, there was a specific time course of VOC release post infection. Among emitted VOCs, production of esters and other oxygenated compounds was particularly notable, and these may be attributed to increased oxidative stress resulting from infection. Elucidating VOC signatures that result from the host cells response to infection may yield an avenue for non‐invasive diagnostics and therapy of influenza and other viral infections.     

Rapid Total Synthesis of DARPin pE59 and Barnase

We report the convergent total synthesis of two proteins: DARPin pE59 and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens RNase (Barnase). Leveraging our recently developed fast‐flow peptide‐synthesis platform, we rapidly explored numerous conditions for the assembly of long polypeptides, and were able to mitigate common side reactions, including deletion and aspartimide products. We report general strategies for improving the synthetic quality of difficult peptide sequences with our system. High‐quality protein fragments produced under optimal synthetic conditions were subjected to convergent native chemical ligation, which afforded native full‐length proteins after a final desulfurization step. Both DARPin and Barnase were folded and found to be as active as their recombinant analogues.