Higher Order Fano Resonances and Electric Field Enhancements in Disk-Ring Plasmonic Nanostructures with Double Symmetry Breaking

Optical properties of disk-ring plasmonic nanostructures with double symmetry breaking are investigated theoretically. Tunable higher order Fano resonance is achieved, and it is sensitive to the degree of asymmetry of the nanoring, the offset and the dimension of the nanodisk. It is demonstrated that such higher order Fano resonances originate from the destructive interference between the bright mode of the displaced nanodisk and the dark mode of the asymmetric nanoring. By tunning the asymmetry degree of the nanoring, the offset, and the dimension of the nanodisk, certain higher order Fano resonances can be suppressed or enhanced. Double asymmetry breaking also allows the realization of the stronger electric field enhancement, resulting from the stronger interaction between the displaced nanodisk and the asymmetric nanoring.     

Partial activation of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: insights from molecular dynamics simulations

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are drug targets for neuronal disorders and diseases. Partial agonists for nAChRs are currently being developed as drugs for the treatment of neurological diseases for their relative safety originated from reduced excessive stimulation. In the current study, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations and binding energy calculations were performed to theoretically investigate the interactions between the partial agonists, 4-OH-DMXBA and tropisetron with α7-nAChR. The results suggest that the partial agonists 4-OH-DMXBA and tropisetron bind with α7-nAChR in a binding mode similar to that with AChBP. The non-conserved residues in the binding sites contribute to the orientation deviation of these partial agonists from their orientation in AChBP. Energy calculation and decomposition using MM-GB/SA suggests that the van der Waals term (ΔE_VDW) is the main driving force for the binding of the partial agonists to α7-nAChR. The molecular dynamics simulations showed that the opening of the C-loop binding with the partial agonists is in-between the openings for the binding with the full agonist and in the apo state. This conformation difference for the C-loop sheds light on the partial agonism of nAChR.     

Targeted endoradiotherapy using nucleotides

Increased cellular proliferation is an integral part of the cancer phenotype. Hence, the sustained and continued demand on supply of DNA building blocks during the DNA replication presents a potential target for therapeutic intervention. For this propose, the α and Auger electron emitting nucleotides analogs are attractive for targeted endoradiotherapy, given that DNA of malignant cells is selectively addressed. This review summarizes development and preclinical and clinical studies of endoradiotherapeutic acting nucleoside analogs with a special focus on thymidine analogs.     

Interactions between Clostridium beijerinckii and Geobacter metallireducens in co‐culture fermentation with anthrahydroquinone‐2, 6‐disulfonate (AH2QDS) for enhanced biohydrogen production from xylose

To enhance biohydrogen production, Clostridium beijerinckii was co‐cultured with Geobacter metallireducens in the presence of the reduced extracellular electron shuttle anthrahydroquinone‐2, 6‐disulfonate (AH₂QDS). In the co‐culture system, increases of up to 52.3% for maximum cumulative hydrogen production, 38.4% for specific hydrogen production rate, 15.4% for substrate utilization rate, 39.0% for substrate utilization extent, and 34.8% for hydrogen molar yield in co‐culture fermentation were observed compared to a pure culture of C. beijerinckii without AH₂QDS. G. metallireducens grew in the co‐culture system, resulting in a decrease in acetate concentration under co‐culture conditions and a presumed regeneration of AH₂QDS from AQDS. These co‐culture results demonstrate metabolic crosstalk between the fermentative bacterium C. beijerinckii and the respiratory bacterium G. metallireducens and suggest a strategy for industrial biohydrogen production. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 164–172. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

miR-24通过靶基因Sp1调控β-类珠蛋白表达

为了研究miR-24对于珠蛋白表达的调控作用,并明确其作用机制.首先采用定量PCR的方法确定miR-24在红系分化过程中的表达变化情况,以及miR-24过表达后珠蛋白的表达变化情况.进而通过报告基因实验以及Western blotting的方法确定miR-24的靶基因.通过表型回复实验证明miR-24是否通过靶基因调控珠蛋白的表达.结果发现在hemin诱导的K562细胞以及EPO诱导的造血干/祖细胞向红系分化过程中,miR-24表达上调,在K562细胞中过表达miR-24可以促进红系分化过程中ε-和γ-珠蛋白的表达上调,进一步的研究表明miR-24是通过靶基因Sp1来行使对珠蛋白的调控作用的.以上结果表明miR-24通过负调节其靶基因Sp1促进红系分化过程中珠蛋白的表达上调.     

无瓣海桑与乡土红树植物混交对林地大型底栖动物的影响

选择广东省雷州市附城镇和珠海市淇澳岛沿海1年生无瓣海桑人工林,分别在林下混种乡土红树植物红海榄或木榄幼苗,对混交林和无瓣海桑纯林林地大型底栖动物群落进行比较,探讨无瓣海桑与乡土红树植物混交对林地大型底栖动物的影响。结果显示,混交林和无瓣海桑纯林之间大型底栖动物群落的优势种存在差异;相似性分析检验(One-Way ANOSIM)、等级聚类和非参数多变量标序结果均表明1年无瓣海桑+红海榄混交林、1年无瓣海桑+木榄混交林和1年无瓣海桑纯林之间大型底栖动物群落结构差异显著。研究还发现在无瓣海桑人工林林下混交红海榄或木榄这两种乡土红树植物,可提高林地底栖动物的生物量和物种多样性。BIOENV分析说明大型底栖动物分布与红海榄或木榄这两种混交的乡土树种的凋落物量密切相关,这进一步证实了混交乡土红树植物对林地底栖动物多样性和分布的影响。两个研究地实验结果均显示,在无瓣海桑林下种植木榄的效果要优于红海榄,表现在木榄的平均苗高、凋落物量、凋落物量占群落凋落物总量百分比和幼苗成活率均高于红海榄,其对提高林地大型底栖动物生物量和物种多样性的效果也明显优于红海榄。     

Probing the flexibility of the DsbA oxidoreductase from Vibrio cholerae--a 15N - 1H heteronuclear NMR relaxation analysis of oxidized and reduced forms of DsbA

We have determined the structure of the reduced form of the DsbA oxidoreductase from Vibrio cholerae. The reduced structure shows a high level of similarity to the crystal structure of the oxidized form and is typical of this class of enzyme containing a thioredoxin domain with an inserted alpha-helical domain. Proteolytic and thermal stability measurements show that the reduced form of DsbA is considerably more stable than the oxidized form. NMR relaxation data have been collected and analyzed using a model-free approach to probe the dynamics of the reduced and oxidized states of DsbA. Akaike's information criteria have been applied both in the selection of the model-free models and the diffusion tensors that describe the global motions of each redox form. Analysis of the dynamics reveals that the oxidized protein shows increased disorder on the pico- to nanosecond and micro- to millisecond timescale. Many significant changes in dynamics are located either close to the active site or at the insertion points between the domains. In addition, analysis of the diffusion data shows there is a clear difference in the degree of interdomain movement between oxidized and reduced DsbA with the oxidized form being the more rigid. Principal components analysis has been employed to indicate possible concerted movements in the DsbA structure, which suggests that the modeled interdomain motions affect the catalytic cleft of the enzyme. Taken together, these data provide compelling evidence of a role for dynamics in the catalytic cycle of DsbA.