Chiral discrimination by ligand-exchange chromatography: A comparison between phenylalaninamide-based stationary and mobile phases

The copper(II) complexes of two new diastereomeric ligands, N²-(R)- and N²-(S)-2′-hydroxypropyl-(S)-phenylalaninamide [(R, S)-1 and (S, S)-1], have been used as additives to the eluent in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) reversed phase for the chiral separation of DNS-amino acids. The aim was that of comparing the separation process obtained by the chiral eluent with that obtained by an analogous bonded stationary phase containing (S)-phenylalaninamide, previously studied [CSP-(S)-Phe-NH₂]. The affinity of the ternary complexes for the C₁₈ column was determined by adsorption experiments in HPLC. It was shown that the two systems (chiral eluent, chiral stationary phase) work according to different mechanisms. Ternary complex formation in solution was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy. It was shown that chiral separation with the Cu(II) complexes added to the eluent was determined by the relative affinities of the ternary complexes for the column-stationary phase rather than by their stabilities in solution. With CSP-(S)-Phe-NH₂ the separation is accounted for by the relative stabilities of the ternary complexes, which depends mainly on the “allowed” geometry of the complex and on the steric repulsion of the amino acid side chain with the spacer. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

柴达木沙漠链霉菌S10T阿糖腺苷的大孔树脂分离工艺优化与结构鉴定

为了获得具有药用价值的活性天然产物,采用4种大孔吸附树脂对柴达木沙漠链霉菌(Streptomyces qaidemensis)S10^T发酵液进行静态吸附和解吸实验,优化分离工艺。结果显示,AB-8型树脂具有良好的吸附和解吸性能,该树脂对柴达木沙漠链霉菌S10^T发酵液中的活性天然产物吸附工艺为发酵液pH值9,吸附时间4 h,洗脱液70%甲醇溶液。经正向硅胶、反相硅胶和葡聚糖凝胶Sephadex LH-20分离得到了一个化合物,¹H-NMR和¹³C-NMR结合高分辨质谱(LC-HR-MS)鉴定该化合物为阿糖腺苷(vidarabine),是一种具有抗病毒活性的核苷类抗生素,并简单探究了其在柴达木沙漠链霉菌中的生物合成过程。     

镍钛聚髌器治疗髌骨骨折的电测分析

应用电阻测度应变技术,得到镍钛聚髌器这一记忆合金内固定器的应力－应变关系曲线,较为精确地测定了镍钛聚髌器动态聚合加压髌骨于解剖位的生物力学力值,结果表明：镍钛聚髌器可从9个方向产生向心聚合力,纵向为主,记忆加压力值为13．67Kg,侧向为辅,永加压力值为5．19Kg,并具有一定的耐疲劳性。本实验为临床使用及指导病人术后功能锻炼提供了科学的依据,并为研究动态记忆力学下的骨愈合机理提供了实验基础。     

Perspective on the status and behaviour of SARS-CoV-2 in soil

Soil contamination by SARS-CoV-2 is highly probable because soil can collect several transporters of the virus, such as fallout aerosols, wastewaters, relatively purified sludges, and organic residues. However, the fate and status of SARS-CoV-2 in soil and the possible risks for human health through contaminated food are unknown. Therefore, this perspective paper discusses the challenges of determining the SARS-CoV-2 in soil and the mechanisms concerning its adsorption, movement, and infectivity in soil, considering what has already been reported by perspective papers published up to May 2021. These issues are discussed, drawing attention to the soil virus bibliography and considering the chemical structure of the virus. The mechanistic understanding of the status and behavior of SARS-CoV-2 in soil requires setting up an accurate determination method. In addition, future researches should provide insights into i) plant uptake and movement inside the plant, ii) virus adsorption and desorption in soil with the relative infectivity, and iii) its effects on soil functions. Models should simulate spatial localization of virus in the soil matrix.     

Expanded bed adsorption as a unique unit operation for the isolation of bacteriocins from fermentation media

Expanded bed adsorption using a strong cation exchanger allowed the direct isolation of amylovorin L471, a bacteriocin from Lactobacillus amylovorusDCE 471, from the fermentation medium. The pH of the loading and elution buffer were optimised in a packed bed with cell-free culture supernatant. Bound bacteriocin was eluted with 1.0 M NaCl. The highest recovery (30%) was obtained at the lowest pH (3.6). At higher pH values the recovery was lower, namely 12%, 15% and 7% at pH 4.5, 6.5 and 8.0, respectively. In expanded bed mode, direct isolation of the bacteriocin from the fermentation medium at pH 3.6 (loading and elution) initially resulted in a recovery of 12%. After optimisation of the pH (loading and elution at pH 3.6 and 6.5, respectively), the recovery for amylovorin L471 increased up to 30% and higher. Recovery of enterocin A from Enterococcus faeciumCTC 492 fermentation medium averaged 15% (loading and elution at pH 3.6 and 6.0, respectively). With pediocin, produced by Pediococcus acidilactici ATCC 8042, 26% recovery was obtained at a pH of 6.5 during loading and elution. Low recoveries can be ascribed to non-optimal operation conditions (pH of loading and elution buffer), inactivation of the bacteriocin on a cationic resin, and the formation of more insoluble and less active, strongly hydrophobic bacteriocin aggregates upon further purification.     

Physical and biochemical characterization of a simple intermediate between fluidized and expanded bed contactors

Physical and biochemical comparison has been made of the performance of a simple fluidised bed contactor and a commercial expanded bed contactor, characterised by identical dimensions, and operated at various settled bed heights with two anion exchange adsorbents. The contactors were tested with various feedstocks comprising bovine albumin in the absence and presence of 20 g dry cell weight biomass litre^-1. Earlier classification of the simple contactor as a single-stage, well mixed fluidised bed is reviewed. The relative merits of STREAMLINE DEAE and DEAE Spherodex LS as fluidisable, anion exchange adsorbents are discussed.     

Dynamic energy budget models with size-dependent hazard rates

We formulate and analyze two dynamic energy budget models, a net assimilation model with constant allocation strategy and a net production model with a 2-stage allocation strategy, with the objective of determining strategies that maximize the expected lifetime reproductive energy. The per capita death rate depends on the organisms size, as for example when the main cause of death is predation. In the analysis of the net production model, the size at maturity is calculated along with the probability of reaching that size. We show that a small probability of survival to maturity is incompatible with the simple assumption of an exponential survival probability. We demonstrate that when the hazard rate is significantly greater for small individuals than large ones, it is possible for the optimum strategy to be for an individual to grow to a large size in spite of an arbitrarily small probability of survival to maturity. Numerical simulations indicate how the optimal allocation strategies depend on the parameter values.     

Balance control during an arm raising movement in bipedal stance: which biomechanical factor is controlled?

In order to obtain new insight into the control of balance during arm raising movements in bipedal stance, we performed a biomechanical analysis of kinematics and dynamical aspects of arm raising movements by combining experimental work, large-scale models of the body, and techniques simulating human behavior. A comparison between experimental and simulated joint kinematics showed that the minimum torque change model yielded realistic trajectories. We then performed an analysis based on computer simulations. Since keeping the center of pressure (CoP) and the projection of the center of mass (CoM) inside the support area is essential for equilibrium, we modeled an arm raising movement where displacement of one or the other variable is limited. For this optimization model, the effects of adding equilibrium constraints on movement trajectories were investigated. The results show that: (a) the choice of the regulated variable influences the strategy adopted by the system and (b) the system was not able to regulate the CoM for very fast movements without compromising its balance. Consequently, we suggest that the system is able to maintain balance while raising the arm by only controlling the CoP. This may be done mainly by using hip mechanisms and controlling net ankle torque.     

Spectroscopic characterization and structural modeling of prolamin from maize and pearl millet

Biophysical methods and structural modeling techniques have been used to characterize the prolamins from maize (Zea mays) and pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum). The alcohol-soluble prolamin from maize, called zein, was extracted using a simple protocol and purified by gel filtration in a 70% ethanol solution. Two protein fractions were purified from seed extracts of pearl millet with molecular weights of 25.5 and 7 kDa, as estimated by SDS-PAGE. The high molecular weight protein corresponds to pennisetin, which has a high -helical content both in solution and the solid state, as demonstrated by circular dichroism and Fourier transform infrared spectra. Fluorescence spectroscopy of both fractions indicated changes in the tryptophan microenvironments with increasing water content of the buffer. Low-resolution envelopes of both fractions were retrieved by ab initio procedures from small-angle X-ray scattering data, which yielded maximum molecular dimensions of about 14 nm and 1 nm for pennisetin and the low molecular weight protein, respectively, and similar values were observed by dynamic light scattering experiments. Furthermore, ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of zein and pennisetin do not show any signal below 0.9 ppm, which is compatible with more extended solution structures. The molecular models for zein and pennisetin in solution suggest that both proteins have an elongated molecular structure which is approximately a prolate ellipsoid composed of ribbons of folded -helical segments with a length of about 14 nm, resulting in a structure that permits efficient packing within the seed endosperm.