Activity and Process Stability of Purified Green Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Pectin Methylesterase

Pectin methylesterase (PME) from green bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) was extracted and purified by affinity chromatography on a CNBr-Sepharose-PMEI column. A single protein peak with pectin methylesterase activity was observed. For the pepper PME, a biochemical characterization in terms of molar mass (MM), isoelectric points (pI), and kinetic parameters for activity and thermostability was performed. The optimum pH for PME activity at 22 °C was 7.5, and its optimum temperature at neutral pH was between 52.5 and 55.0 °C. The purified pepper PME required the presence of 0.13 M NaCl for optimum activity. Isothermal inactivation of purified pepper PME in 20 mM Tris buffer (pH 7.5) could be described by a fractional conversion model for lower temperatures (55?57 °C) and a biphasic model for higher temperatures (58?70 °C). The enzyme showed a stable behavior toward high-pressure/temperature treatments. Keywords: Capsicum annuum; pepper; pectin methylesterase; purification; characterization; thermal and high-pressure stabilit

Pectic enzymes as potential enhancers of ascorbic acid production through the D-galacturonate pathway in Solanaceae

The increase of L-Ascorbic Acid (AsA) content in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a common goal in breeding programs due to its beneficial effect on human health. To shed light into the regulation of fruit AsA content, we exploited a Solanum pennellii introgression line (IL12-4-SL) harbouring one quantitative trait locus that increases the content of total AsA in the fruit. Biochemical and transcriptomic analyses were carried out in fruits of IL12-4-SL in comparison with the cultivated line M82 at different stages of ripening. AsA content was studied in relation with pectin methylesterase (PME) activity and the degree of pectin methylesterification (DME). Our results indicated that the increase of AsA content in IL12-4-SL fruits was related with pectin de-methylesterification/degradation. Specific PME, polygalacturonase (PG) and UDP-D-glucuronic-acid-4-epimerase (UGlcAE) isoforms were proposed as components of the D-galacturonate pathway leading to AsA biosynthesis. The relationship between AsA content and PME activity was also exploited in PMEI tobacco plants expressing a specific PME inhibitor (PMEI). Here we report that tobacco PMEI plants, altered in PME activity and degree of pectin methylesterification, showed a reduction in low methylesterified pectic domains and exhibited a reduced AsA content. Overall, our results provide novel biochemical and genetic traits for increasing antioxidant content by marker-assisted selection in the Solanaceae family

Quantum algorithm for universal implementation of projective measurement of energy

A projective measurement of energy (PME) on a quantum system is a quantum measurement, determined by the Hamiltonian of the system. PME protocols exist when the Hamiltonian is given in advance. Unknown Hamiltonians can be identified by quantum tomography, but the time cost to achieve a given accuracy increases exponentially with the size of the quantum system. In this letter, we improve the time cost by adapting quantum phase estimation, an algorithm designed for computational problems, to measurements on physical systems. We present a PME protocol without quantum tomography for Hamiltonians whose dimension and energy scale are given but otherwise unknown. Our protocol implements a PME to arbitrary accuracy without any dimension dependence on its time cost. We also show that another computational quantum algorithm may be used for efficient estimation of the energy scale. These algorithms show that computational quantum algorithms have applications beyond their original context with suitable modifications.Comment: 4 pages with 9-page supplemental, 4 figures. Comments welcom

Pseudo-magnetoexcitons in strained graphene bilayers without external magnetic fields

The structural and electronic properties of graphene leads its charge carriers to behave like relativistic particles, which is described by a Dirac-like Hamiltonian. Since graphene is a monolayer of carbon atoms, the strain due to elastic deformations will give rise to so-called `pseudomagnetic fields (PMF)' in graphene sheet, and that has been realized experimentally in strained graphene sample. Here we propose a realistic strained graphene bilayer (SGB) device to detect the pseudo-magnetoexcitons (PME) in the absence of external magnetic field. The carriers in each graphene layer suffer different strong PMFs due to strain engineering, which give rise to Landau quantization. The pseudo-Landau levels (PLLs) of electron-hole pair under inhomogeneous PMFs in SGB are analytically obtained in the absence of Coulomb interactions. Based on the general analytical optical absorption selection rule for PME, we show that the optical absorption spectrums can interpret the corresponding formation of Dirac-type PME. We also predict that in the presence of inhomogeneous PMFs, the superfluidity-normal phase transition temperature of PME is greater than that under homogeneous PMFs.}Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure

Editorial Introduction: Popular Music in Education, Special Issue

This Popular Music in Education (PME) special issue includes contributions discussing developments in several countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Singapore and the United States. It covers a range of approaches, exploring technology, hermeneutics, theory, guitars, jazz, songwriting, DIY/DIWO, politics and music industry perspectives. As music institutions have increasingly opened their doors to popular music, this has inevitably led to a greater level of interest in how you teach and learn popular music. PME is presenting a louder presence within Popular Music Studies (PMS), as the ground prepared by PMS has made space for a wave of new PME courses and students to sweep through educational contexts. In the wake of such expansion, this special issue intends to promote a further understanding of relevant issues such a

In contact observation of model synovial fluid lubricating mechanisms

This paper examines the fundamental mechanisms of synovial fluid lubrication in artificial joints. Film thickness measurements were made for bovine serum solutions in a model test device. In contact imaging was also carried out to aid interpretation of these results. The results indicated that two types of film are formed; a boundary layer of adsorbed protein molecules, which are augmented by a high-viscosity fluid film generated by hydrodynamic effects. The high-viscosity film is due to inlet aggregation of protein molecules forming a gel which is entrained into the contact preferentially at low speeds. As the speed increases this gel appears to shear thin, giving much lower lubricant film thickness. Results suggest that protein-containing fluids do not obey classical Newtonian EHL models. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved