Electron microscopic visualization of tRNA genes with ferritin-avidin: biotin labels

A method is described for indirect electron microscopic visualization and mapping of tRNA and other short transcripts hybridized to DNA. This method depends upon the attachment of the electron-dense protein ferritin to the RNA, the binding being mediated by the remarkably strong association of the egg white protein avidin with biotin. Biotin is covalently attached to the 3' end of tRNA using an NH2 (CH2) 5NH2 bridge. The tRNA-biotin adduct is hybridized to complementcrry DNA sequences present in a single stranded nonhomology loop of a DNA:DNA heteroduplex. Avidin, covalently crosslinked to ferritin is mixed with the heteroduplex and becomes bound to the hybridized tRNA-biotin. Observation of the DNA:RNA-biotin:avidin-ferritin complex by electron microsdopy specifically and accurately reveals the position of the tRNA gene, with a frequency of labeling of approximately 50%

Ising metamagnets in thin film geometry: equilibrium properties

Artificial antiferromagnets and synthetic metamagnets have attracted much attention recently due to their potential for many different applications. Under some simplifying assumptions these systems can be modeled by thin Ising metamagnetic films. In this paper we study, using both the Wang/Landau scheme and importance sampling Monte Carlo simulations, the equilibrium properties of these films. On the one hand we discuss the microcanonical density of states and its prominent features. On the other we analyze canonically various global and layer quantities. We obtain the phase diagram of thin Ising metamagnets as a function of temperature and external magnetic field. Whereas the phase diagram of the bulk system only exhibits one phase transition between the antiferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases, the phase diagram of thin Ising metamagnets includes an additional intermediate phase where one of the surface layers has aligned itself with the direction of the applied magnetic field. This additional phase transition is discontinuous and ends in a critical end point. Consequently, it is possible to gradually go from the antiferromagnetic phase to the intermediate phase without passing through a phase transition.Comment: 8 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review

A short note on the presence of spurious states in finite basis approximations

The genesis of spurious solutions in finite basis approximations to operators which possess a continuum and a point spectrum is discussed and a simple solution for identifying these solutions is suggested

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from Gomphrena celosioides Mart. using response surface methodology

In this study, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was used to extract bioactive compounds from Gomphrena celosioides Mart. Central composite face design (CCF) was used to optimize the influences of extraction factors on total phenolics content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging capacity (DPPH-RSC). The results obtained showed that all factors (solvent to solid ratio, extraction time and extraction temperature) strongly affected TPC, TFC, and DPPH-RSC. The optimal extraction conditions for TPC (3.123 mg GAE/g DW), TFC (1.736 mg QE/g DW), and DPPH-RSC (64.118%) were solvent to solid ratio of 27.3/1 (mL/g), extraction time of 40.2 min, and extraction temperature of 69 oC. In addition, under the optimal conditions, the results pointed out that the experimental values agreed with those predicted. Hence, this model has successfully optimized the extraction conditions for TPC, TFC and DPPH-RSC of Gomphrena celosioides extract.                     KEY WORDS: Antioxidant activity, CCF, Flavonoids, Model, Phenolic compounds, Regression equation   Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2020, 34(2), 237-248 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v34i2.

A Study on Knowledge Sharing in Vietnamese Organizations

Knowledge sharing is very much a sign for the atmosphere of social interactions in the organizations, it depends on the quality of the conversation, formally or informally. In other words, for more effective knowledge sharing, communication competence is required in order to have appropriate conversation. During the past decades, most theories of communication competence have been developed on the basis of “western” conceptualization. This empirical research is conducted in order to study the organizational communication competence in a non-western country, Vietnam, and the effect of such competence to the employees’ knowledge sharing behavior respectively. Base on the data collected from 11 organizations, the effects of three culture dimensions, namely individualism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance to the communication competence were statistically analyzed; then, stemming from the certain level of communication competence, the behavior of organizational members towards knowledge sharing was explaine

Chemical constituents and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of Piper abbreviatum Opiz

Plants of the genus Piper have long been used as medicinal herbs. The chemistry of Piper species has been widely investigated and phytochemical investigations conducted in all parts of the world have led to the isolation of a number of physiologically active compounds. Thus, this study was carried out to investigate the phytochemicals from Piper abbreviatum and their acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity, which has not been previously investigated. Fractionation and purification of the aerial parts of P. abbreviatum led to the isolation and identification of five methoxylated flavonoids, namely 5,7-dimethoxyflavone, 4ʹ,5,7-trimethoxyflavone, 3',4',5,7-tetramethoxyflavone, 5-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavone, 5-hydroxy-4ʹ,7-dimethoxyflavone, together with lupeol, lupenone, β-sitosterol, and β-sitostenone. The structures of these compounds were obtained by analysis of their spectroscopic data, as well as the comparison with that of reported data. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity revealed that all isolated flavones were found to inhibit AChE with percentage inhibition values ranged from 24.2 to 58.2%. This is the first report on the isolation of methoxylated flavonoid from P. abbreviatum. The high variants of flavonoid compounds from this species may be used as chemotaxonomic markers for this Piper species.                     KEY WORDS: Piperaceae, Piper, Piper abbreviatum, Flavonoid, Acetylcholinesterase   Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2020, 34(3), 625-632. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v34i3.1

Second Cluster Integral and Excluded Volume Effects for the Pion Gas

The quantum mechanical formula for Mayer's second cluster integral for the gas of relativistic particles with hard-core interaction is derived. The proper pion volume calculated with quantum mechanical formula is found to be an order of magnitude larger than its classical evaluation. The second cluster integral for the pion gas is calculated in quantum mechanical approach with account for both attractive and hard-core repulsive interactions. It is shown that, in the second cluster approximation, the repulsive pion-pion-interactions as well as the finite width of resonances give important but almost canceling contributions. In contrast, an appreciable deviation from the ideal gas of pions and pion resonances is observed beyond the second cluster approximation in the framework of the Van der Waals excluded-volume model.Comment: 29 pages, Latex, 9 PS-figure

Salinity dynamics under different water management plans coupled with sea level rise scenarios in the Red River Delta, Vietnam

In recent years, saltwater intrusion in river estuaries has become more severe and frequent worldwide. The common reasons lie in increasing freshwater withdrawal, river flow regulation and sea level rise due to global warming. In particular, the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam is facing a strong population growth worsening the pressure on freshwater resources for drinking water and irrigation needs. During the dry season, increasing conflicts and constraints in freshwater availability have already been experienced. Adverse combinations of river flow regulations and high sea levels lead to severe upstream propagations of salinity. This study takes advantage of a statistical characterization of discharges released from Hoa Binh reservoir and observed at Son Tay station, the main river flow control upstream of the river delta, along with downscaled and updated sea level rise sce- narios to estimate the future extents of saltwater intrusion under different options of water release from reser- voirs in the dry season. To do so, a 1D hydraulic model of the river delta network was implemented using MIKE11 software. The hydraulic and the quality modules were calibrated and validated with respect to the present scenario by using water stages and salinity concentrations observed in estuary branches. Sea level rise projections for 2050 and 2100 referred to RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 AR5 emission scenarios were then considered. Results show that river flow regulation can provide an effective mitigation measure. A 20–30% increase in the discharge released from the Son Tay station would be beneficial to push downstream the saltwater intrusion in the main Red River branch during the dry season. For instance, in 2050 the 1‰ salt concentration front is ex- pected to be pushed back at least 6 km when the exceeding probability of the discharge released by Son Tay station decreases from 95% to 25%

Undetermined states: how to find them and their applications

We investigate the undetermined sets consisting of two-level, multi-partite pure quantum states, whose reduced density matrices give absolutely no information of their original states. Two approached of finding these quantum states are proposed. One is to establish the relation between codewords of the stabilizer quantum error correction codes (SQECCs) and the undetermined states. The other is to study the local complementation rules of the graph states. As an application, the undetermined states can be exploited in the quantum secret sharing scheme. The security is guaranteed by their undetermineness.Comment: 6 pages, no figur