There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

다중혈관 관상동맥 환자에서 y-문합을 이용하여 양쪽 내흉동맥만을 사용한 우회술의 조기 성적

[신간의 별자리x] 우리/미술, 그리고 ‘슬픔의 박물관’

: The unpolarized absorption and circular dichroism spectra of the fundamental vibrational transitions of the chiral molecule, 4-methyl-2-oxetanone, are calculated ab initio. Harmonic force fields are obtained using Density Functional Theory (DFT), MP2, and SCF methodologies and a 5S4P2D/3S2P (TZ2P) basis set. DFT calculations use the Local Spin Density Approximation (LSDA), BLYP, and Becke3LYP (B3LYP) density functionals. Mid-IR spectra predicted using LSDA, BLYP, and B3LYP force fields are of significantly different quality, the B3LYP force field yielding spectra in clearly superior, and overall excellent, agreement with experiment. The MP2 force field yields spectra in slightly worse agreement with experiment than the B3LYP force field. The SCF force field yields spectra in poor agreement with experiment.The basis set dependence of B3LYP force fields is also explored: the 6-31G* and TZ2P basis sets give very similar results while the 3-21G basis set yields spectra in substantially worse agreements with experiment. jg

Ab initio calculation of vibrational absorption and circular dichroism spectra using density functional force fields

Discovered in 2005, cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbenes (CAACs) are among the most nucleophilic (σ donating) and also electrophilic (π-accepting) stable carbenes known to date. These properties allow them to activate a variety of small molecules and enthalpically strong bonds, to stabilize highly reactive main-group and transition-metal diamagnetic and paramagnetic species, and to bind strongly to metal centers, which gives rise to very robust catalysts. The most important results published up to the end of 2013 are briefly summarized, while the majority of this Review focuses on findings reported within the last three years.

Cyclic (Alkyl)(amino)carbenes (CAACs): Recent Developments

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their hybrids have gained major attention in the field of wastewater remediation strategies Hybrids of AgNPs with materials like cellulose, activated carbons, chitosan, alginate, graphene oxides, titanium dioxides, silicon dioxide, etc have been used extensively in wastewater treatment Dyes such as rhodamine, Congo red, and methyl orange are common contaminants of water Heavy metal toxicity is another serious concern for water contamination Additionally, the presence of harmful bacteria and their toxins pose a significant threat to the aquatic ecosystem and human health AgNPs have desirable antibacterial properties and enhanced adsorption capacities that make them valuable alternatives in removing contaminants from wastewater bodies Despite the advantages of AgNPs in water remediation, reckless use of these materials could result in the augmentation of major environmental pollution Hence, careful exploitation of the unique properties of AgNPs is necessary for the effective use of these nanoparticles in wastewater management

Silver nanoparticles for wastewater treatment

Cellulose nanocrystals vs. cellulose nanospheres: A comparative study of cytotoxicity and macrophage polarization potential.

Naturally-derived proteins or peptides are promising biopolymers for tissue engineering applications owing to their health-promoting activity. Herein, we extracted proteins (~90%) from two-spotted cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) and evaluated their osteoinductive potential in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) under in vitro conditions. The extracted protein isolate was analyzed for the amino acid composition and the mass distribution of the constituent peptide fraction. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to determine the presence of biologically significant functional groups. The cricket protein isolate (CPI) exhibited characteristic protein peaks in the FTIR spectrum. Notably, an enhanced cell viability was observed in the presence of the extracted proteins, showing their biocompatibility. The CPI also exhibited antioxidant properties in a concentration-dependent manner. More significant mineralization was observed in the CPI-treated cells than in the control, suggesting their osteoinductive potential. The upregulation of the osteogenic marker genes (Runx2, ALP, OCN, and BSP) in CPI treated media compared with the control supports their osteoinductive nature. Therefore, cricket-derived protein isolates could be used as functional protein isolate for tissue engineering applications, especially for bone regeneration.

/pdf/naturally-derived-protein-extract-from-gryllus-bimaculatus-1z6v2vpq1o.pdf

Naturally-derived protein extract from Gryllus bimaculatus improves antioxidant properties and promotes osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs.

Abstract Controlling regioselectivity in C−H functionalizations is a key challenge in chemical method development. In arenes, functionalizations are most difficult to direct towards the C−H group furthest away from a substituent, in its para position. We herein demonstrate how the para‐C−H arylation of anilines with non‐activated aryl halides, elusive to date, is achieved by a base‐assisted “metalla‐tautomerism” approach. A proton is abstracted from the aniline substrate and replaced by an arylpalladium species, generated from the aryl halide coupling partner. In this step, the palladium is directed away from the N‐ to the tautomeric para‐C−H position by a large phosphine ligand combined with a triphenylmethyl shielding group. The triphenylmethyl group is easily installed and removed, and can be recycled.

Palladium‐Catalyzed para‐C−H Arylation of Anilines with Aromatic Halides

During disease, cells experience various stresses that manifest as an accumulation of misfolded proteins and eventually lead to cell death. To combat this stress, cells activate a pathway called UPR (Unfolded Protein Response) that functions to maintain ER (endoplasmic reticulum) homeostasis and determines cell fate. We recently reported a hitherto unknown mechanism of regulating ER stress via a novel post-translational modification (PTM) called Fic-mediated Adenylylation/AMPylation. Specifically, we showed that the human Fic (filamentation induced by cAMP) protein, HYPE/FicD, catalyzes the addition of an AMP (adenosine monophosphate) to the ER chaperone, BiP, to alter the cell’s UPR-mediated response to misfolded proteins. Here, we report that we have now identified a second target for HYPE - alpha-Synuclein (αSyn), a presynaptic protein involved in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Aggregated αSyn has been shown to induce ER stress and elicit neurotoxicity in PD models. We show that HYPE adenylylates αSyn and reduces phenotypes associated with αSyn aggregation in vitro, suggesting a possible mechanism by which cells cope with αSyn toxicity. HIGHLIGHTS Aggregated forms of the presynaptic protein αSyn cause neurotoxicity and induce ER stress in cellular and animal models of Parkinson’s disease. We have identified αSyn as a novel target for the human Fic protein, HYPE, a key regulator of ER homeostasis. HYPE adenylylates αSyn and reduces the aggregation of recombinant αSyn Fic-mediated adenylylation/AMPylation is a possible mechanism by which cells cope with αSyn toxicity. Graphic Abstract

https://biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2019/01/21/525659.full-text.pdf

Sayan Dutta

Papers

Silver nanoparticles for wastewater treatment

Cellulose nanocrystals vs. cellulose nanospheres: A comparative study of cytotoxicity and macrophage polarization potential.

Naturally-derived protein extract from Gryllus bimaculatus improves antioxidant properties and promotes osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs.

Palladium‐Catalyzed para‐C−H Arylation of Anilines with Aromatic Halides

Alpha-Synuclein is a Target of Fic-mediated Adenylylation/AMPylation: Implications for Parkinson\'s Disease