60 research outputs found
Synthesis of macrocyclic receptors with intrinsic fluorescence featuring quinizarin moieties
An unprecedented class of macrocycles with intrinsic fluorescence consisting of phenolic trimers and quinizarin is developed. Though they are lacking strong hydrogen bonds as observed in calixarenes, the two examples introduced here each adopt a vase-like conformation with all four aromatic units pointing in one direction (syn orientation). This âconeâ conformation has been confirmed by NMR spectroscopy, molecular modeling, and X-ray crystallography. The laminar, electron-rich fluorophore as part of the macrocycle allows additional contacts to enclosed guest molecules
Daksha: On Alert for High Energy Transients
We present Daksha, a proposed high energy transients mission for the study of
electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave sources, and gamma ray
bursts. Daksha will comprise of two satellites in low earth equatorial orbits,
on opposite sides of earth. Each satellite will carry three types of detectors
to cover the entire sky in an energy range from 1 keV to >1 MeV. Any transients
detected on-board will be announced publicly within minutes of discovery. All
photon data will be downloaded in ground station passes to obtain source
positions, spectra, and light curves. In addition, Daksha will address a wide
range of science cases including monitoring X-ray pulsars, studies of
magnetars, solar flares, searches for fast radio burst counterparts, routine
monitoring of bright persistent high energy sources, terrestrial gamma-ray
flashes, and probing primordial black hole abundances through lensing. In this
paper, we discuss the technical capabilities of Daksha, while the detailed
science case is discussed in a separate paper.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. Additional information about the mission
is available at https://www.dakshasat.in
Topological Analysis of Small Leucine-Rich Repeat Proteoglycan Nyctalopin
Nyctalopin is a small leucine rich repeat proteoglycan (SLRP) whose function is
critical for normal vision. The absence of nyctalopin results in the complete
form of congenital stationary night blindness. Normally, glutamate released by
photoreceptors binds to the metabotropic glutamate receptor type 6 (GRM6), which
through a G-protein cascade closes the non-specific cation channel, TRPM1, on
the dendritic tips of depolarizing bipolar cells (DBCs) in the retina.
Nyctalopin has been shown to interact with TRPM1 and expression of TRPM1 on the
dendritic tips of the DBCs is dependent on nyctalopin expression. In the current
study, we used yeast two hybrid and biochemical approaches to investigate
whether murine nyctalopin was membrane bound, and if so by what mechanism, and
also whether the functional form was as a homodimer. Our results show that
murine nyctalopin is anchored to the plasma membrane by a single transmembrane
domain, such that the LRR domain is located in the extracellular space
Science with the Daksha High Energy Transients Mission
We present the science case for the proposed Daksha high energy transients
mission. Daksha will comprise of two satellites covering the entire sky from
1~keV to ~MeV. The primary objectives of the mission are to discover and
characterize electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave source; and to
study Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). Daksha is a versatile all-sky monitor that can
address a wide variety of science cases. With its broadband spectral response,
high sensitivity, and continuous all-sky coverage, it will discover fainter and
rarer sources than any other existing or proposed mission. Daksha can make key
strides in GRB research with polarization studies, prompt soft spectroscopy,
and fine time-resolved spectral studies. Daksha will provide continuous
monitoring of X-ray pulsars. It will detect magnetar outbursts and high energy
counterparts to Fast Radio Bursts. Using Earth occultation to measure source
fluxes, the two satellites together will obtain daily flux measurements of
bright hard X-ray sources including active galactic nuclei, X-ray binaries, and
slow transients like Novae. Correlation studies between the two satellites can
be used to probe primordial black holes through lensing. Daksha will have a set
of detectors continuously pointing towards the Sun, providing excellent hard
X-ray monitoring data. Closer to home, the high sensitivity and time resolution
of Daksha can be leveraged for the characterization of Terrestrial Gamma-ray
Flashes.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures. Submitted to ApJ. More details about the mission
at https://www.dakshasat.in
Advances in thermo-responsive polymers exhibiting upper critical solution temperature (UCST)
C-halogen…π interactions in proteins: a database study
A Protein Data Bank (PDB) study was undertaken to investigate the role of C-X…π interactions (X=F, Cl, Br, I) in protein structures. From this analysis, it is evident that the propensity for the formation of C-X…π interactions is higher in case of fluorine than in other halogens. These results compare well with the recently reported C-X…π interactions in small molecules and depict the orientational dependence of these interactions
Discovery of fragments that target key interactions in the signal recognition particle (SRP) as potential leads for a new class of antibiotics
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