Characterization of the surface properties of cellulosic fibers in fibrous and ground forms by IGC and contact angle measurements

Surface properties of fibrous and ground cotton and linen were investigated by inverse gas chromatography (IGC) and the contact angle with different liquids was also measured on fabrics composed of both fibers. Results proved that dispersion component of surface tension (γ _s ^d ) determined by IGC depends not only on the surface energy, but also on several factors influencing the adsorbability of probe molecules on the cellulosic substrates. For cotton samples, the trapping of n-alkanes among waxy molecules in the outer layer of fibers can be presumed. This effect results in larger γ _s ^d for cotton fibers than for linen in spite of the higher wettability of the linen fabrics. Besides the surface energy and trapping effects, the grinding also influences the γ _s ^d values. Specific enthalpy of adsorption (ΔH _A ^ab ) of polar probes could be determined on all linen samples, but only on the ground cotton sample. Lewis acid-base character calculated for linen and ground cotton samples depends on the same effects as the γ _s ^d does. The similar ΔH _A ^ab values of chloroform (acidic) and THF (basic) measured on each of the samples support the conclusion that the surface character is amphoteric, which is also proved by the high ΔH _A ^ab values of the amphoteric ethyl acetate and acetone probes.     

UV-visible spectroscopic investigation of the 8,8-methylmethine catechin-malvidin 3-glucoside pigments in aqueous solution: structural transformations and molecular complexation with chlorogenic acid

The physicochemical properties of 8,8-methylmethine catechin-malvidin 3-O-glucoside isomers, commonly referred to as catechin-ethyl-malvidin 3-O-glucoside, have been studied in aqueous solutions and compared with those of the parent anthocyanin (malvidin 3-O-glucoside). The hydration and acidity constants (pKh and pKa) of the catechin-ethyl-malvidin 3-O-glucoside pigments and malvidin 3-O-glucoside were determined by UV-visible spectroscopic measurements. The ethyl-linked catechin-malvidin 3-O-glucoside pigments present higher stability toward hydration than the parent anthocyanin. The high resistance of these ethyl-linked pigments toward the hydration is related to the self-association that offers optimal protection from the nucleophilic attack of water. Moreover, the ethyl link may confer to the molecule enough flexibility to undergo intramolecular interaction, further protecting it from hydration and bisulfite discoloration. In the wine pH range (3.2-4.0), due to the low pKa and high pKh values, the ethyl-linked pigments are present as colored forms (flavylium cation and quinonoid bases).     

Dialkyl 3,3'-thiodipropionate and dialkyl 2,2'-thiodiacetate antioxidants by lipase-catalyzed esterification and transesterification

Medium- and long-chain dialkyl 3,3'-thiodipropionate antioxidants such as dioctyl 3,3'-thiodipropionate, didodecyl 3,3'-thiodipropionate, dihexadecyl 3,3'-thiodipropionate, and di-(cis-9-octadecenyl) 3,3'-thiodipropionate were prepared in high yield by lipase-catalyzed esterification and transesterification of 3,3'-thiodipropionic acid and its dimethyl ester, respectively, with the corresponding medium- or long-chain 1-alkanols, i.e., 1-octanol, 1-dodecanol, 1-hexadecanol, and cis-9-octadecen-1-ol, in vacuo (80 kPa) at moderate temperatures (60-80 degrees C) without solvents. Immobilized lipase B from Candida antarctica (Novozym 435) was the most active biocatalyst for the preparation of medium- and long-chain dialkyl 3,3'-thiodipropionates showing enzyme activities up to 1489 units/g, whereas the immobilized lipases from Rhizomucor miehei (Lipozyme RM IM) and Thermomyces lanuginosus (Lipozyme TL IM) were by far less active ( approximately 10 enzyme units/g). Maximum conversions to dialkyl 3,3'-thiodipropionates were as high as 92-98% after 4 h of reaction time. Similarly, dihexadecyl 2,2'-thiodiacetate was prepared in high yield using 2,2'-thiodiacetic acid or diethyl 2,2'-thiodiacetate and 1-hexadecanol as the starting materials and Novozym 435 as the biocatalyst.     

Reactions of anthocyanins and tannins in model solutions

The reaction between procyanidin dimer Ec-EcG (B2 3'-O-gallate) and malvidin 3-O-glucoside (Mv3glc) was studied in a model solution system at two different pH values, 2.0 and 3.8. Disappearance of both species was much faster at pH 3.8 than at pH 2.0. That of Mv3glc was increased in the presence of Ec-EcG, whereas that of Ec-EcG was the same in the presence or absence of the anthocyanin. Values of absorbance at 520 nm measured at pH 2.0 were correlated with the amount of residual Mv3glc. Those measured at pH 3.8 hardly changed during the incubation, but absorbance values at 420 and 620 nm as well as resistance to sulfite bleaching were much increased, confirming that Mv3glc was converted to other pigments. Anthocyanin-flavanol adducts were observed at both pH values, but their structures were different. At pH 2.0, cleavage of the procyanidin linkage followed by nucleophilic addition of flavanol or anthocyanin moieties led to (Ec)(n)-EcG and (Ec)(n)-Mv3glc, respectively. At pH 3.8, nucleophilic addition of Ec-EcG onto the anthocyanin yielded Mv3glc-(Ec-EcG).     

Prevention of organ allograft rejection by a specific Janus kinase 3 inhibitor

Because of its requirement for signaling by multiple cytokines, Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) is an excellent target for clinical immunosuppression. We report the development of a specific, orally active inhibitor of JAK3, CP-690,550, that significantly prolonged survival in a murine model of heart transplantation and in cynomolgus monkeys receiving kidney transplants. CP-690,550 treatment was not associated with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or lymphoproliferative disease. On the basis of these preclinical results, we believe JAK3 blockade by CP-690,550 has potential for therapeutically desirable immunosuppression in human organ transplantation and in other clinical settings.     

The Physcomitrella genome reveals evolutionary insights into the conquest of land by plants

We report the draft genome sequence of the model moss Physcomitrella patens and compare its features with those of flowering plants, from which it is separated by more than 400 million years, and unicellular aquatic algae. This comparison reveals genomic changes concomitant with the evolutionary movement to land, including a general increase in gene family complexity; loss of genes associated with aquatic environments (e.g., flagellar arms); acquisition of genes for tolerating terrestrial stresses (e.g., variation in temperature and water availability); and the development of the auxin and abscisic acid signaling pathways for coordinating multicellular growth and dehydration response. The Physcomitrella genome provides a resource for phylogenetic inferences about gene function and for experimental analysis of plant processes through this plant's unique facility for reverse genetics.     

Molecular characterization of canine coronavirus strains circulating in Brazil

To characterize canine coronavirus (CCoV) circulating in diarrheic puppies in Brazil, 250 fecal samples collected between 2006 and 2012 were tested. By using RT-PCR to partially amplify the M gene, CCoV RNA was detected in 30 samples. Sequence analysis of the M protein grouped eight strains with CCoV-I and another 19 with CCoV-II prototypes. To genotype/subtype the CCoV strains and assess the occurrence of single or multiple CCoV infections, RT-PCR of the S gene was performed, and 25/30 CCoV-positive strains amplified with one or two primer pairs. For 17/25 samples, single infections were detected as follows: six CCoV-I, nine CCoV-IIa and two CCoV-IIb. Eight samples were positive for more than one genotype/subtype as follows: seven CCoV-I/IIa and one CCoV-I/IIb. Sequence analysis revealed that the CCoV-I and IIa strains shared high genetic similarity to each other and to the prototypes. The Brazilian strains of CCoV-IIb displayed an aminoacid insertion that was also described in CCoV-IIb-UCD-1 and TGEV strains. Among the 25 CCoV-positive puppies, five had a fatal outcome, all but one of which were cases of mixed infection. The current study is the first reported molecular characterization of CCoV-I, IIa and IIb strains in Brazil.