Synthesis of Macrocyclic Hexaoxazole (6OTD) Dimers, Containing Guanidine and Amine Functionalized Side Chains, and an Evaluation of Their Telomeric G4 Stabilizing Properties

Structure-activity relationship studies were carried out on macrocyclic hexaoxazole (6OTD) dimers, whose core structure stabilizes telomeric G-quadruplexes (G4). Two new 6OTD dimers having side chain amine and guanidine functional groups were synthesized and evaluated for their stabilizing ability against a telomeric G4 DNA sequence. The results show that the 6OTD dimers interact with the DNA to form 1:1 complexes and stabilize the antiparallel G4 structure of DNA in the presence of potassium cation. The guanidine functionalized dimer displays a potent stabilizing ability of the G4 structure, as determined by using a FRET melting assay (ΔTm = 14°C)

Diplomacy over Human Rights in China

本稿では対中人権外交に関する近年の英語圏における学術研究成果を概観する.中国の人権問題はきわめて広範なテーマであり,欧米では過去十数年にわたってかなりの学術研究がなされてきているが,この文献は2つのグループに大別することができる.まず初期の文献であるが,これらは主に中国の人権問題自体に注目し,多種多様な人権問題の存在,あるいは中国における人権思想の源泉などに関心が置かれている.これに対し,ここ数年の比較的新しい文献では,中国の人権問題を国際問題として扱う傾向が強い.今回の特集の主旨に鑑み,本稿ではこのような最近の学術文献に重点をおいて概観したい.特にこの数年に英語圈で出版された3冊の研究書(Kent 1999, Foot 2000, and Wan 2001)を中心に考察する.本稿の構成は,まず過去十年あまりにわたって展開されてきた中国人権問題に関する国際的論争や外交を概観する.次に,この国際問題を分析するに当たってリアリズム,リベラル制度主義,コンストラクティビズムという3つの視点が用いられていることを説明する.第3のセクションでは,米中,日中,日米の3つの二国間関係の特徴を比較する.そして最後に,これらの関係の間に見られる相違の説明要因として,NGO(非政府団体)の影響力の有無が重要であるとの論点を提示したい.This article reviews the recent literature on diplomacy over human rights in China. This literature can be divided into two groups : Earlier writings focused on human rights situations in contemporary China and Chinese human rights thought while recent writings focus on the international aspects of human rights in China. This article concentrates on this more recent literature, including three books that have been published in English over the past few years (Kent 1999, Foot 2000, and Wan 2001). I will start by describing international controversies over human rights in China during the recent past. Secondly, I will discuss three perspectives (realism, liberal institutionalism, and constructivism) on this subject. Thirdly, I will compare the characteristics of three sets of bilateral relations. I conclude that the most powerful explanation for the differences is the role of human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)

Nanoscale Texture and Microstructure in a NdFeAs(O,F)/IBAD-MgO Superconducting Thin Film with Superior Critical Current Properties

This paper reports the nanoscale texture and microstructure of a high-performance NdFeAs(O,F) superconducting thin film grown by molecular beam epitaxy on a textured MgO/Y2O3/Hastelloy substrate. The NdFeAs(O,F) film forms a highly textured columnar grain structure by epitaxial growth on the MgO template. Although the film contains stacking faults along the ab-plane as well as grain boundaries perpendicular to the ab-plane, good superconducting properties are measured: a critical temperature, T-c, of 46 K and a self-field critical current density, J(c), of 2 x 10(6) A/cm(2) at 4.2 K. Automated crystal orientation mapping by scanning precession electron diffraction in transmission electron microscope is employed to analyze the misorientation angles between adjacent grains in a large ensemble (247 grains), and 99% of the grain boundaries show in-plane misorientation angles (Delta gamma) less than the critical angle theta(c), which satisfies one of the necessary conditions for the high J(c). Comparing the columnar grain size distribution with the mean distance of the flux line lattice, the triple junctions of low-angle grain boundaries are found to be effective pinning centers, even at high temperatures (>= 35 K) and/or low magnetic fields

Comparing the Osteogenic Potential and Bone Regeneration Capacities of Dedifferentiated Fat Cells and Adipose-Derived Stem Cells In Vitro and In Vivo: Application of DFAT Cells Isolated by a Mesh Method

Background: We investigated and compared the osteogenic potential and bone regeneration capacities of dedifferentiated fat cells (DFAT cells) and adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). Method: We isolated DFAT cells and ASCs from GFP mice. DFAT cells were established by a new culture method using a mesh culture instead of a ceiling culture. The isolated DFAT cells and ASCs were incubated in osteogenic medium, then alizarin red staining, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assays, and RT-PCR (for RUNX2, osteopontin, DLX5, osterix, and osteocalcin) were performed to evaluate the osteoblastic differentiation ability of both cell types in vitro. In vivo, the DFAT cells and ASCs were incubated in osteogenic medium for four weeks and seeded on collagen composite scaffolds, then implanted subcutaneously into the backs of mice. We then performed hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunostaining for GFP and osteocalcin. Results: The alizarin red-stained areas in DFAT cells showed weak calcification ability at two weeks, but high calcification ability at three weeks, similar to ASCs. The ALP levels of ASCs increased earlier than in DFAT cells and showed a significant difference (p Conclusion: DFAT cells are easily isolated from a small amount of adipose tissue and are readily expanded with high purity; thus, DFAT cells are applicable to many tissue-engineering strategies and cell-based therapies

High Jc_{c} and low anisotropy of hydrogen doped NdFeAsO superconducting thin film

The recent realisations of hydrogen doped LnFeAsO (Ln = Nd and Sm) superconducting epitaxial thin films call for further investigation of their structural and electrical transport properties. Here, we report on the microstructure of a NdFeAs(O,H) epitaxial thin film and its temperature, field, and orientation dependencies of the resistivity and the critical current density J$_{c}$. The superconducting transition temperature T$_{c}$ is comparable to NdFeAs(O,F). Transmission electron microscopy investigation supported that hydrogen is homogenously substituted for oxygen. A high self-field J$_{c}$ of over 10 MA/cm$^{2}$ was recorded at 5 K, which is likely to be caused by a short London penetration depth. The anisotropic Ginzburg–Landau scaling for the angle dependence of J$_{c}$ yielded temperature-dependent scaling parameters γ$_{J}$ that decreased from 1.6 at 30 K to 1.3 at 5 K. This is opposite to the behaviour of NdFeAs(O,F). Additionally, γ$_{J}$ of NdFeAs(O,H) is smaller than that of NdFeAs(O,F). Our results indicate that heavily electron doping by means of hydrogen substitution for oxygen in LnFeAsO is highly beneficial for achieving high J$_{c}$ with low anisotropy without compromising T$_{c}$, which is favourable for high-field magnet applications

Molybdenum sources and transport in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak

Additional file 6. Luciferase reporter assay results with or without L1H1-7OTD for G4 DNA sequences cloned in pGL4.23 vector