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Unique Possibility (unique + possibility)
Selected AbstractsTime-resolved Acoustic MicroscopyIMAGING & MICROSCOPY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 3 2007Dynamical Processes in Cell Biology Recent growth of interest in the mechanical properties of cells demands for the development of new techniques for the assessement of these atributes. Acoustic microscopy equipped with time-resolved signal analysis provides unique possibilities for the determination of dynamical processes in biological cells and allows probing biological specimen with submicrometre resolution. [source] Hydrogen bond-mediated self-assembly and supramolecular structures of diblock copolymer mixturesPOLYMER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 5 2009Shiao-Wei Kuo Abstract This review summarizes recent advances in the preparation of hydrogen bonding block copolymer mixtures and the supramolecular structures they form through multiple hydrogen bonding interactions. Hydrogen bonding in block copolymer mixtures that form nanostructures and have unusual electronic, photonic and magnetic properties is a topic of great interest in polymer science. Combining the self-assembly of block copolymers with supramolecular structures offers unique possibilities to create new materials with tunable and responsive properties. The self-assembly of structures from diblock copolymer mixtures in the bulk state is readily controlled by varying the weight fraction of the block copolymer mixture and the copolymer composition; in solution, the morphologies are dependent on the copolymer composition, the copolymer concentration, the nature of the common solvent, the amount of the selective solvent and, most importantly, the hydrogen bonding strength. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Synthesis, CD Spectra, and Enzymatic Stability of ,2 -Oligoazapeptides Prepared from (S)-2-Hydrazino Carboxylic Acids Carrying the Side Chains of Val, Ala, and LeuHELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA, Issue 12 2003Gérald Lelais , -Peptides offer the unique possibility to incorporate additional heteroatoms into the peptidic backbone (Figs.,1 and 2). We report here the synthesis and spectroscopic investigations of ,2 -peptide analogs consisting of (S)-3-aza- , -amino acids carrying the side chains of Val, Ala, and Leu. The hydrazino carboxylic acids were prepared by a known method: Boc amidation of the corresponding N -benzyl- L - , -amino acids with an oxaziridine (Scheme,1). Couplings and fragment coupling of the 3-benzylaza- ,2 -amino acids and a corresponding tripeptide (N -Boc/C -OMe strategy) with common peptide-coupling reagents in solution led to ,2 -di, ,2 -tri-, and ,2 -hexaazapeptide derivatives, which could be N -debenzylated (4,9; Schemes,2,4). The new compounds were identified by optical rotation, and IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR, and CD spectroscopy (Figs.,4 and 5) and high-resolution mass spectrometry, and, in one case, by X-ray crystallography (Fig.,3). In spite of extensive measurements under various conditions (temperatures, solvents), it was not possible to determine the secondary structure of the ,2 -azapeptides by NMR spectroscopy (overlapping and broad signals, fast exchange between the two types of NH protons!). The CD spectra of the N -Boc and C -OMe terminally protected hexapeptide analog 9 in MeOH and in H2O (at different pH) might arise from a (P)- 314 -helical structure. The N -Boc- ,2 -tri and N -Boc- ,2 -hexaazapeptide esters, 7 and 9, were shown to be stable for 48,h against the following peptidases: pronase, proteinase,K, chymotrypsin, trypsin, carboxypeptidase,A, and 20S proteasome. [source] Satellite species in lampreys: a worldwide trend for ecological speciation in sympatry?JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2003V. Salewski Amongst several theories of speciation, sympatric speciation has been the most controversial but it is now widely accepted that populations can become reproductively isolated without being separated geographically. One problem with the acceptance of the theory of sympatric speciation, however, has been the lack of supporting empirical data and it is still believed that geographical isolation is responsible for the majority of speciation events. Here the example of species pairs in lampreys suggests that sympatric speciation in a whole taxonomic group could occur throughout its worldwide range. Lampreys occur in two ecologically distinct forms: parasitic mostly anadromous species that forage on tissue and body fluids of host fishes, and non-parasitic forms that, apart from a short adult life when they cease feeding, spend their entire life as filter feeders in the substratum of stream beds. Both forms occur in sympatric species pairs throughout the range of lampreys that occur in Eurasia, North America and Australia and it is widely acknowledged that non-parasitic forms derive from parasitic forms. The larvae of both forms can be distinguished by their potential fecundity and therefore, it is argued that the mode of life is not a consequence of different ecological conditions. Furthermore, as lampreys prefer to choose mates of similar sizes and fertilization success decreases with increasing difference in body size, there is a strong disruptive selection between the two forms and they are therefore reproductively isolated. Besides theoretical aspects, the similarity of the species pairs, together with their occurrence in sympatry, the occurrence of forms with intermediate characteristics, and examples where speciation might be in progress, hints at the possibility that speciation also occurred in sympatry. The difference between lampreys and other examples of sympatric speciation is that there seems to be a trend towards sympatric speciation events throughout the worldwide range of lampreys which is neither restricted to relatively small localities nor caused by human disturbance. Species pairs in lampreys therefore offer a unique possibility of studying the process of sympatric speciation on a large scale. [source] Determination of intrathyroidal iodine by X-ray fluorescence analysis in 60- to 65-year olds living in an iodine-sufficient areaJOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2006M. MILAKOVIC Abstract. Objectives., X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is a non-invasive method for determining the iodine content of the thyroid gland in vivo. In spite of the obvious clinical value of such a method in situations of iodine deficiency or iodine overload, the method has not so far been widely used. The objective was to investigate the applicability of the XRF method in a larger number of subjects. Design and subjects., The study comprised 37 individuals, aged 60,65 years, who had spent their entire life with iodine supplementation through iodinated table salt. Individuals with (previous) thyroid disease were excluded. The individual thyroid function had previously been evaluated by measurements of thyroid-related hormones, thyroid volume and 131-Iodine (131I) uptake which indicated a sufficient iodine intake of the population in the area. Iodine in the right thyroid lobe in each subject was examined using XRF. Results., The mean thyroid iodine concentration was 0.4 mg mL,1, corresponding to a mean total iodine content of 5.2 mg (range 0.9,20.2). There was a pronounced difference between individuals. No correlation was found between iodine concentration and 131I uptake or thyroid volume. Neither was iodine content and 131I uptake correlated. Conclusions., In a population living under iodine-sufficient conditions, a large variation of iodine stored in the thyroid is compatible with euthyroidism. Determination of the iodine pool by XRF investigation is feasible in a clinical setting and the method offers a unique possibility to study the intrathyroidal iodine pool in subjects with thyroid disease. The low radiation dose enables the use of the method in pregnant women and also in young individuals. [source] Application of kinoform lens for X-ray reflectivity analysisJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 2 2010M. K. Tiwari In this paper the first practical application of kinoform lenses for the X-ray reflectivity characterization of thin layered materials is demonstrated. The focused X-ray beam generated from a kinoform lens, a line of nominal size ,50,µm × 2,µm, provides a unique possibility to measure the X-ray reflectivities of thin layered materials in sample scanning mode. Moreover, the small footprint of the X-ray beam, generated on the sample surface at grazing incidence angles, enables one to measure the absolute X-ray reflectivities. This approach has been tested by analyzing a few thin multilayer structures. The advantages achieved over the conventional X-ray reflectivity technique are discussed and demonstrated by measurements. [source] Photothermal antimicrobial nanotherapy and nanodiagnostics with self-assembling carbon nanotube clustersLASERS IN SURGERY AND MEDICINE, Issue 7 2007Jin-Woo Kim PhD Abstract Background and Objectives Unique properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) would open new avenues for addressing challenges to realize rapid and sensitive antimicrobial diagnostics and therapy for human pathogens. In this study, new CNTs' capabilities for photothermal (PT) antimicrobial nanotherapy were explored in vitro using Escherichia coli as a model bacterium. Study Design/Materials and Methods Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were incubated with E. coli K12 strain. CNTs' locations in bacteria and laser-induced thermal and accompanied effects around CNTs were estimated with TEM and PT microscopy, respectively. Multi-pulse lasers at 532 and 1064 nm with 12-ns pulse duration were used for irradiating sample mixtures at different laser fluences. Cell viability was evaluated using a bacterial viability test kit and epi-fluorescence microscopy. Results This study revealed CNTs' high binding affinity to bacteria, their capability to self-assemble as clusters at bacteria surfaces, and their inherent near-infrared (NIR) laser responsiveness. Cell viability was affected neither by CNTs alone nor by NIR irradiations alone. Notable changes in bacteria viability, caused by local thermal and accompanied bubble-formation phenomena, were observed starting at laser fluences of 0.1,0.5 J/cm2 with complete bacteria disintegration at 2,3 J/cm2 at both wavelengths. Furthermore, ethanol in reaction mixtures significantly (more than one order) enhanced bubble formation phenomena. Conclusion This first application of laser-activated CNTs as PT contrast antimicrobial agents demonstrated its great potential to cause irreparable damages to disease-causing pathogens as well as to detect the pathogens at single bacterium level. This unique integration of laser and nanotechnology may also be used for drinking water treatment, food processing, disinfection of medical instrumentation, and purification of grafts and implants. Furthermore, the significant ethanol-induced enhancement of bubble formation provides another unique possibility to improve the efficiency of selective nanophotothermolysis for treating cancers, wounds, and vascular legions. Lesers Surg. Med. 39:622,634, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Laserstrahlschweißen von Titanwerkstoffen unter Berücksichtigung des Einflusses des SauerstoffesMATERIALWISSENSCHAFT UND WERKSTOFFTECHNIK, Issue 9 2004J. P. Bergmann titanium; colorations; laser welding; shielding device Abstract Im Rahmen dieses Aufsatzes wird erstmalig ein innovatives Konzept zum Laserstrahlschweißen von Titan für die Serienfertigung dargestellt und validiert. Durch den neuartigen Einsatz eines 6-lagigen Metallgewebes ist es möglich, die Strömung vom Schutzgas so stark zu beruhigen, dass die beim Schweißen schädlichen Verwirbelungen vermieden werden können. Der Einbau eines derartigen Gewebes als Boden einer offenen Schweißkammer ermöglicht sowohl das mechanisierte als auch das vollautomatisierte Schweißen von hochreaktiven Werkstoffen, wie zum Beispiel Titanwerkstoffen, unter atmosphärischen Druckbedingungen und unter inerter Abdeckung. Damit wird der für eine industrielle Fertigung, insbesondere für Industrieroboter, notwendige Freiheits- und Zugänglichkeitsgrad zur Fügestelle im Vergleich zu konventionellen geschlossenen WIG-Schweißhauben gewährleistet. Von weitgehender Bedeutung für die Schweißtechnik von Titanwerkstoffen ist es, dass auch die Bereiche, die in der Praxis mittels einer Nachschleppdüse vom Schutzgas nicht erreichbar wären, wie z.,B. die Überlappgebiete bei der Überlappnaht, erfolgreich durch das Prinzip der wirbelfreien Schweißkammer geschützt werden können. Mit Hilfe dieser neuartigen Vorgehensweise und eines modernen Fügeverfahrens, wie dem Nd:YAG-Laserschweißen, konnten erstmalig systematische Grundlagenuntersuchungen zum Einfluss von Sauerstoff in der Schweißumgebung auf die Mikrostruktur und auf die mechanisch-technologischen Eigenschaften einer Modellschweißverbindung durchgeführt werden. Durch die Validierung des gesamten Systems konnte bewiesen werden, dass im Vergleich zum konventionellen WIG-Verfahren geringere Anforderungen an die Reinheit des Schutzgases, um Anlauffarben und unzulässige Aufhärtungen zu vermeiden, gerichtet werden können. Für das Laserstrahlschweißen kann ein maximaler Restsauerstoffgehalt von 1000 ppm in der Schweißumgebung unbedenklich toleriert werden. Für das WIG-Schweißen gilt dagegen ein Höchstwert von etwa 30 ppm. Ferner konnte nachgewiesen werden, dass die Qualitätsmerkmale der derzeitigen Regelwerke für das WIG-Schweißen für die Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik auf das Verfahren Laserstrahlschweißen mit Nd:YAG-Quellen übertragen werden können. Influence of the oxygen content in the shielding gas on microstructure and mechanical properties of laser welds of titanium and titanium alloys In the present work, a new tool concept for laser welding of titanium in high volume production has been presented and evaluated. Through the innovative application of a six-layer metal web it is possible to calm the argon gas flow and avoid pernicious turbulences during welding. The integration of the mentioned metal web at the base of an open welding chamber allows the automated welding of highly reactive materials, such as titanium, under atmospheric pressure and inert shielding conditions. The higher density of argon relative to air offers the unique possibility to leave the chamber open on the top, so that a higher degree of flexibility than gas shielding devices for TIG welding, especially for industrial robots, is attained and can be successfully used for industrial mass production. Furthermore this device is important for welding three-dimensional contours or to shield the regions of overlap (in overlapped joints) where shielding gas trailers are unsuccessful. By means of the presented gas shielding procedure and a modern laser welding process such as Nd:YAG laser welding, systematic investigations on the effect of oxygen on the microstructure as well as on the mechanical properties of reference bead-on-plate weldments could be performed for the first time. As a result of these welding trials it can be concluded that in order to avoid discolorations and hardness increase, lower restrictions to the purity of the shielding gas, in comparison to TIG welding condition, can be allowed. The maximum tolerable value of oxygen in the welding atmosphere was found to be approximately 1000 ppm for laser welding. On the contrary the maximum value for TIG welding is about 30 ppm. Further investigations on the microstructural and mechanical properties of the joints confirm that the optical quality assurance criteria for TIG welding due to the standards of aircraft construction transferable to Nd:YAG welding are. [source] Signal transduction downstream of salicylic and jasmonic acid in herbivory-induced parasitoid attraction by Arabidopsis is independent of JAR1 and NPR1PLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 9 2003R. M. P. VAN POECKE ABSTRACT Plants can defend themselves indirectly against herbivores by emitting a volatile blend upon herbivory that attracts the natural enemies of these herbivores, either predators or parasitoids. Although signal transduction in plants from herbivory to induced volatile production depends on jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA), the pathways downstream of JA and SA are unknown. Use of Arabidopsis provides a unique possibility to study signal transduction by use of signalling mutants, which so far has not been exploited in studies on indirect plant defence. In the present study it was demonstrated that jar1-1 and npr1-1 mutants are not affected in caterpillar (Pieris rapae)-induced attraction of the parasitoid Cotesia rubecula. Both JAR1 and NPR1 (also known as NIM1) are involved in signalling downstream of JA in induced defence against pathogens such as induced systemic resistance (ISR). NPR1 is also involved in signalling downstream of SA in defence against pathogens such as systemic acquired resistance (SAR). These results demonstrate that signalling downstream of JA and SA differs between induced indirect defence against herbivores and defence against pathogens such as SAR and ISR. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that herbivore-derived elicitors are involved in induced attraction of the parasitoid Cotesia rubecula [source] Prenatal diagnosis of free sialic acid storage disorders (SASD)PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS, Issue 8 2006Nina Aula Abstract Free sialic acid storage disorders, Salla disease (SD) and Infantile sialic acid storage disease (ISSD), are lysosomal storage diseases due to impaired function of a sialic acid transporter, sialin, at the lysosomal membrane. Several mutations of the sialin gene, SLC17A5, are known, leading either to the severe neonatal/infantile disease or to the milder, adult-type developmental disorder, Salla disease. Free sialic acid accumulation in lysosomes causes increased tissue concentration and consequently elevated urinary excretion. Prenatal diagnosis of SASD is possible either by determination of free sialic acid concentration or by mutation analysis of the SLC17A5 gene in fetal specimen, in chorionic villus biopsy particularly. Both techniques have been successfully applied in several cases, sialic acid assay more often in ISSD cases but mutation analysis preferentially in SD. Sialic acid assay of amniotic fluid supernatant or cultured amniotic fluid cells may give erroneous results and should not be used for prenatal diagnosis of these disorders. The present comments are mainly based on our experience of prenatal diagnosis of SD in Finnish families. A founder mutation in SLC17A5 gene, 115C-> T, represents 95% of the disease alleles in the Finnish SD patients, which provides a unique possibility to apply mutation analysis. Therefore, molecular studies have successfully been used in 17 families since the identification of the gene and the characterization of the SD mutations. Earlier, eight prenatal studies were performed by measuring the free sialic acid concentration in chorionic villus samples. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Proteomics reveal tissue-specific features of the cress (Lepidium sativum L.) endosperm cap proteome and its hormone-induced changes during seed germinationPROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 3 2010Kerstin Müller Abstract Mature angiosperm seeds consist of an embryo surrounded by the endosperm and the testa. The endosperm cap that covers the radicle plays a regulatory role during germination and is a major target of abscisic acidinduced inhibition of germination. Cress (Lepidium sativum) is a close relative of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis). Cress seeds offer the unique possibility of performing tissue-specific proteomics due to their larger size while benefiting the genomic tools available for Arabidopsis. This work provides the first description of endosperm cap proteomics during seed germination. An analysis of the proteome of the cress endosperm cap at key stages during germination and after radicle protrusion in the presence and absence of abscisic acid led to the identification of 144 proteins, which were clustered by the changes in their abundances and categorized by function. Proteins with a function in energy production, protein stability and stress response were overrepresented among the identified endosperm cap proteins. This strongly suggests that the cress endosperm cap is not a storage tissue as the cereal endosperm but a metabolically very active tissue regulating the rate of radicle protrusion. [source] Vibrational spectroscopic studies to acquire a quality control method of Eucalyptus essential oils,BIOPOLYMERS, Issue 5 2005M. Baranska Abstract This article presents a novel and original approach to analyze in situ the main components of Eucalyptus oil by means of Raman spectroscopy. The obtained two-dimensional Raman maps demonstrate a unique possibility to study the essential oil distribution in the intact plant tissue. Additionally, Fourier Transform (FT)-Raman and attenuated total reflection (ATR)-IR spectra of essential oils isolated from several Eucalyptus species by hydrodistillation are presented. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were performed in order to interpret the spectra of the essential oils of the Eucalyptus species. It is shown that the main components of the essential oils can be recognized by both vibrational spectroscopic techniques using the spectral information of the pure terpenoids. Spectroscopic analysis is based on the key bands of the individual volatile substances and therefore allows one to discriminate different essential oil profiles of several Eucalyptus species. It has been found that the presented spectroscopic data correlate very well with those obtained by gas chromatography (GC) analysis. All these investigations are helpful tools to generate a fast and easy method to control the quality of the essential oils with vibrational spectroscopic techniques in combination with DFT calculations. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 78: 237,248, 2005 [source] Configuration, history and impact of the Norwegian Channel Ice StreamBOREAS, Issue 1 2003Hans Petter Sejrup The Norwegian Channel between Skagerrak, in the southeast, and the continental margin of the northern North Sea, in the northwest, is the result of processes related to repeated ice stream activity through the last 1.1 m yr. In such periods the Skagerrak Trough (700 m deep) has acted as a confluence area for glacial ice from southeastern Norway, southern Sweden and parts of the Baltic. Possibly related to the threshold in the Norwegian Channel off Jæren (250 m deep), the ice stream, on a number of occasions over the last 400 ka, inundated the coastal lowlands and left an imprint of NW-oriented ice directional features (drumlins, stone orientations in tills and striations). Marine interstadial sediments found up to 200 m a.s.l. on Jæren have been suggested to reflect glacial isostasy related to the Norwegian Channel Ice Stream (NCIS). In the channel itself, the ice stream activity is evidenced by mega-scale glacial lineations on till surfaces. As a result of subsidence, the most complete sedimentary records of early phases of the NCIS are preserved close to the continental margin in the North Sea Fan region. The strongest evidence for ice stream erosion during the last glacial phase is found in the Skagerrak. On the continental slope the ice stream activity is evidenced by the large North Sea Fan, which is mainly a result of deposition of glacial-fed debris flows. Northwards of the North Sea Fan, rapid deposition of meltwater plume deposits, possibly related to the NCIS, is detected as far north as the Vøring Plateau. The NCIS system offers a unique possibility to study ice stream related processes and the impact the ice stream development had on open ocean sedimentation and circulation. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||