The Ribosome Comes Alive

This essay is a reflection on the ways the X-ray structures of the ribosome are helping in the interpretation of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) density maps showing the translating ribosome in motion. Through advances in classification methods, cryo-EM and single-particle reconstruction methods have recently evolved to the point where they can yield an array of structures from a single sample ("story in a sample"), providing snapshots of an entire subprocess of translation, such as translocation or decoding.     

Prediction of biological response for large combinatorial libraries of biodegradable polymers: Polymethacrylates as a test case

A large virtual combinatorial library of polymethacrylates was, for the first time, designed for computer-aided prediction of biorelevant and material properties and focused polymer synthesis. The distinguishing features of this virtual library include its size (about 40 000 compounds), its explicit representation of relatively long polymer chains, and its accounting for different compositions in the case of copolymers and terpolymers. A subset of 79 polymers taken from a representative sub-library of 2000 polymethacrylates was employed to build initial QSPR-based polynomial neural network models, which were then deployed to predict cell attachment, cell growth, and fibrinogen adsorption on polymer surfaces for these 2000 polymethacrylates. The agreement between predicted and experimentally measured property values for the 50 polymethacrylate copolymers within this virtual polymer space encourages further pursuit of polymethacrylate-based biomaterials, and justifies more extensive deployment of computational models derived from larger experimental data sets for the rational design of biorelevant polymers endowed with targeted performance properties.     

A new approach to meet the growing demand of professional training for the operating and management staff of desalination plants

For the expected installation and operation of additional seawater desalination plants, manpower is needed. Besides the financing and the manufacturing of these plants, the training of the future staff is a big challenge. It is assumed that in the MENA region each year more than 1000 people will have to be trained. The present and future problem at seawater desalination plants, i.e. the lack of experienced personnel, is also a lack of instructors. There are already existing institutions and facilities in various countries carrying out well-organized training programs at site. In addition, there are many excellent short courses and workshops organized by organisations like EDS or MEDRC — nevertheless, the crucial question remains whether these structures are strong enough to meet the growing demand for professional training in the future. When talking about training programs, the question of how to finance these measurements emerges directly. The solution can be found in an improvement of the availability of the plants. A higher availability resulting in a higher fresh water production rate could be obtained by well-trained staff able to react in a proper way to any disturbances or unstable operation modes of the plant. The so-called “Twinning-Model” could be a suitable approach to meet the demand for professional training. A central training facility called TFEU (based in Europe and affiliated to an existing university or a technical school) is one of the twins and plays the part as developer of training programs (curricula), as instructor for the trainers and as trainer for advanced and simulator courses. Following the curricula, additional experts from other universities or companies are integrated in the team. After an initial phase needed for the training of the trainers, the local “twin” called TFLO is responsible for the fundamental and main training program. A board comprised of participants from all parties involved (i.e. TFEU and TFLO, the manufacturers as well as the operators) surveys the curricula and examination procedures.     

Inhibition of HIV-1 by a peptide ligand of the genomic RNA packaging signal Psi

The interaction of the nucleocapsid NCp7 of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag polyprotein with the RNA packaging signal Psi ensures specific encapsidation of the dimeric full length viral genome into nascent virus particles. Being an essential step in the HIV-1 replication cycle, specific genome encapsidation represents a promising target for therapeutic intervention. We previously selected peptides binding to HIV-1 Psi-RNA or stem loops (SL) thereof by phage display. Herein, we describe synthesis of peptide variants of the consensus HWWPWW motif on membrane supports to optimize Psi-RNA binding. The optimized peptide, psi-pepB, was characterized in detail with respect to its conformation and binding properties for the SL3 of the Psi packaging signal by NMR and tryptophan fluorescence quenching. Functional analysis revealed that psi-pepB caused a strong reduction of virus release by infected cells as monitored by reduced transduction efficiencies, capsid p24 antigen levels, and electron microscopy. Thus, this peptide shows antiviral activity and could serve as a lead compound to develop new drugs targeting HIV-1.     

基于有限元法的汽车变速器齿轮与轴承优化

采埃孚集团开发和生产了种类繁多的传动齿轮。对于齿轮的优化和可靠设计,有限元法是尤为适合的。而且,这种方法能容易集成于采埃孚的程序系统。本文展示了在开发过程中如何运用该方法进行齿轮优化。此外,文中多处演示了齿轮和轴承之间的相互作用。这也是采埃孚集团致力于开发轴承计算的原因。文中实例展现了如何优化滚动轴承以达到理想的齿轮接触印痕。当然,这些优化方法也适用于传动齿轮。     

2‐(1‐Ethynylpyrene)‐Adenosine as a Folding Probe for RNA—Pyrene in or out

A series of short RNA duplexes containing one or two 1‐ethynylpyrene‐modified adenine bases was synthesised. The melting behaviour of these duplexes was examined by monitoring temperature‐dependent pyrene fluorescence. In the singly modified RNA duplexes, the bases flanking the ethynylpyrene‐rA were varied to examine the sequence specificity of the fluorescence change of pyrene upon RNA hybridisation. Because an increase in pyrene fluorescence upon melting of the duplex can be correlated with intercalation of pyrene, and a decrease is usually associated with the position of pyrene outside the strand, a relationship between the flanking bases and the tendency of the dye to intercalate has been established. It was found that pyrene intercalation is less likely to take place if the modified base is flanked only by A–U base pairs. Flanking G–C base pairs, even only in the 5′‐direction of the modified base, will favour intercalation. In addition, we examined a doubly modified compound that had a pyrene located on each strand. The spectra indicated that the two pyrenes were close enough for interaction. Upon melting of the strand, a fluorescence blue shift corresponding to the dissociation of the pyrene–pyrene complex could be observed in addition to the intensity effect already known from the singly modified compounds. Two melting curves based on the different properties of the fluorophore could be extracted, leading to different melting points corresponding to the global duplex melting and to the change of local pyrene environment, respectively.     

Modification of EPDM with Alkylphenol Polysulfide for Use in Tire Sidewalls, 2 – Mechanistic and Morphological Characterizations

It has been shown that the mechanical properties of NR/BR/EPDM blends can be improved by using APPS as a modifier. In this paper, it is demonstrated that modification of EPDM with APPS takes place and saturation occurs when the APPS amount reaches 5 wt.‐%. It is shown that the rubber/carbon black affinity improves by using APPS‐grafted EPDM in the blend. TEM and STEM images clearly show that the NR/BR/APPS‐EPDM blend contains a significantly higher content of homogeneous rubber phase than the unmodified NR/BR/EPDM blend. The much better distribution of the carbon black in the APPS‐EPDM phase is considered the main reason for the improvement in properties of the blend.

     

Polymer-Derived SiOC/ZrO2 Ceramic Nanocomposites with Excellent High-Temperature Stability

Polymer-derived SiOC/ZrO₂ ceramic nanocomposites have been prepared using two synthetic approaches. A commercially available polymethylsilsesquioxane (MK Belsil PMS) was filled with nanocrystalline zirconia particles in the first approach. The second method involved the addition of zirconium tetra( n -propoxide), Zr(OⁿPr)₄, as zirconia precursor to polysilsesquioxane. The prepared materials have been subsequently cross-linked and pyrolyzed at 1100°C in argon atmosphere to provide SiOC/ZrO₂ ceramics. The obtained SiOC/ZrO₂ materials were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, Raman spectroscopy as well as transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, annealing experiments at temperatures from 1300° to 1600°C have been performed. The annealing experiments revealed that the incorporation of ZrO₂ into the SiOC matrix remarkably increases the thermal stability of the composites with respect to crystallization and decomposition at temperatures exceeding 1300°C. The results obtained within this study emphasize the enormous potential of polymer-derived SiOC/ZrO₂ composites for high-temperature applications.     

Fluidized bed spray granulation: Analysis of the system behaviour by means of dynamic flowsheet simulation

Nowadays, software tools for the flowsheet simulation of industrial processes are commonly used for design, simulation, balancing, troubleshooting and optimization purposes. Most of the tools are applicable to fluid processes only and cannot be effectively used for processes which involve solids.In this contribution we want to present the conceptual design of a new system applicable for the dynamic flowsheet simulation of complex solids processes. This system is developed as an enhancement to the existing simulation program.The novel software is able to simulate the unsteady behaviour of complex circuits of granulation processes. The transient behaviour during the start-up and changing of the process or material parameters can also be examined.As flowsheet examples, a typical spray granulation process with different schemes consisting of fluidized bed granulators, screens, mill and splitters was used. The mathematical model of the fluidized bed granulator is described by a one-dimensional population balance equation and coupled with heat and mass transfer and simple fluid dynamics.Received simulation results have shown that the proposed concept of the dynamic flowsheet simulation of granulation processes can be used effectively and has the potential to be generalized for other types of solids processes.