Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University

About: Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University is a education organization based out in Paris, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Raman spectroscopy. The organization has 34448 authors who have published 56139 publications receiving 2392398 citations.

Mechanism of deposition of gold precursors onto TiO2 during the preparation by cation adsorption and deposition–precipitation with NaOH and urea

Abstract: Gold on TiO2 prepared by cation adsorption (CA) and deposition–precipitation with urea (DP urea) and NaOH (DP NaOH) were characterized by various techniques during the preparation in order to determine the nature of the species deposited and the chemical phenomena occurring during these preparations. In the case of cationic adsorption of the [Au(en)2] 3+ complex, we showed that the preparation has to be performed at room temperature to avoid the decomposition of the complex and the reduction of gold. In such a way, small gold particles are obtained after calcination, but the gold loading is low. The methods of deposition–precipitation (DP NaOH and DP urea) involve both the deposition of a gold(III) species on the TiO2 surface, but the nature of these species is different. For the DP NaOH, we propose that [AuCl(OH)3] � , the main species present at the pH 8 of the preparation, reacts with hydroxyl groups of the TiO2 surface, and forms a grafted hydroxy-gold compound. This may explain the limited amount of gold deposited on TiO2 by this method. For the DP urea method, all the gold present in solution is deposited on the TiO2 surface as a gold(III) precipitate, which is not gold(III) hydroxide, but an amorphous compound containing nitrogen, oxygen and carbon. This compound arises from a reaction between the gold precursor and the products of decomposition of urea. The metallic gold particles obtained after calcination exhibit a decreasing size when the time of DP urea increases. We propose that the progressive increase of pH, due to urea decomposition at 80 8C, results in changes in the surface charge density of the gold precipitate particles, and leads to a fragmentation of the particles. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Yeast Pif1 Helicase Prevents Genomic Instability Caused by G-Quadruplex-Forming CEB1 Sequences In Vivo

Abstract: In budding yeast, the Pif1 DNA helicase is involved in the maintenance of both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, but its role in these processes is still poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence for a new Pif1 function by demonstrating that its absence promotes genetic instability of alleles of the G-rich human minisatellite CEB1 inserted in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome, but not of other tandem repeats. Inactivation of other DNA helicases, including Sgs1, had no effect on CEB1 stability. In vitro, we show that CEB1 repeats formed stable G-quadruplex (G4) secondary structures and the Pif1 protein unwinds these structures more efficiently than regular B-DNA. Finally, synthetic CEB1 arrays in which we mutated the potential G4-forming sequences were no longer destabilized in pif1Δ cells. Hence, we conclude that CEB1 instability in pif1Δ cells depends on the potential to form G-quadruplex structures, suggesting that Pif1 could play a role in the metabolism of G4-forming sequences.

The 2009 edition of the GEISA spectroscopic database

Abstract: The updated 2009 edition of the spectroscopic database GEISA (Gestion et Etude des Informations Spectroscopiques Atmospheriques; Management and Study of Atmospheric Spectroscopic Information) is described in this paper. GEISA is a computer-accessible system comprising three independent sub-databases devoted, respectively, to: line parameters, infrared and ultraviolet/visible absorption cross-sections, microphysical and optical properties of atmospheric aerosols. In this edition, 50 molecules are involved in the line parameters sub-database, including 111 isotopologues, for a total of 3,807,997 entries, in the spectral range from 10−6 to 35,877.031 cm−1. The successful performances of the new generation of hyperspectral sounders depend ultimately on the accuracy to which the spectroscopic parameters of the optically active atmospheric gases are known, since they constitute an essential input to the forward radiative transfer models that are used to interpret their observations. Currently, GEISA is involved in activities related to the assessment of the capabilities of IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer; http://smsc.cnes.fr/IASI/index.htm) on board the METOP European satellite through the GEISA/IASI database derived from GEISA. Since the Metop-A (http://www.eumetsat.int) launch (19 October 2006), GEISA is the reference spectroscopic database for the validation of the level-1 IASI data. Also, GEISA is involved in planetary research, i.e., modeling of Titan's atmosphere, in the comparison with observations performed by Voyager, or by ground-based telescopes, and by the instruments on board the Cassini–Huygens mission. GEISA, continuously developed and maintained at LMD (Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique, France) since 1976, is implemented on the IPSL/CNRS (France) “Ether” Products and Services Centre WEB site (http://ether.ipsl.jussieu.fr), where all archived spectroscopic data can be handled through general and user friendly associated management software facilities. More than 350 researchers are registered for on line use of GEISA.