The potent vasodilating and guanylyl cyclase activating dinitrosyl-iron(II) complex is stored in a protein-bound form in vascular tissue and is released by thiols

AbstractWe studied the biological activity, stability and interaction of dinitrosyl-iron(II)-L-cysteine with vascular tissue. Dinitrosyl-iron((II)-L-cysteine was a potent activator of purified soluble guanylyl cyclase (EC50 (nM with and 100 nM without superoxide dismutase) and relaxed noradrenaline-precontracted segments of endothelium-denuded rabbit femoral artery (EC50 10 nM superoxide dismutase). Pre-incubation (5 min; 310 K) of endothelium-denuded rabbit aortic segments with dinitrosyl-iron(II)-L-cysteine (0.036–3.6 mM) resulted in a concentration-dependent formation of a dinitrosyl-iron(II complex with protein thiol groups, as detected by ESR spectroscopy. While the complex with proteins was stable for 2 h at 310 K, dinitrosyl-iron(II)-L-cysteine in aqueous solution (30–360 μM) decomposed completely within 15 min, as indicated by disappearance of its isotropic ESR signal at gav = 2.03 (293 K). Aortic segments pre-incubated with dinitrosyl-iron(II)-L-cysteine released a labile vasodilating and guanylyl cyclase activating factor. Perfusion of these segments with N-acetyl-L-cysteine resulted in the generation of a low molecular weight dinitrosyl-iron(II)-dithiolate from the dinitrosyl-iron(II) complex with proteins, as revealed by the shape change of the ESR signal at 293 K. The low molecular weight dinitrosyl-iron(II)-dithiolate accounted to an enhanced guanylyl cyclase activation and vasodilation induced by the aortic effluent. We conclude that nitric oxide (NO) produced by, or acting on vascular cells can be stabilized and stored as a dinitrosyl-iron(II) complex with protein thiols, and can be released from cells in the form of a low molecular weight dinitrosyl-iron(II)-dithiolate by intra- and extracellular thiols

OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF LASER-COLOURING MARKED STAINLESS STEEL

Laser colour-marking method often displace conventional marking techniques. Complicated technology of laser-induced periodic surface structure creation on stainless steel samples allows changing their surface morphology and optical properties, which were studied in this work by atomic force microscopy (AFM), laser scanning microscopy, reflectance spectroscopy and ellipsometry. Reflectance spectra of the samples demonstrate reflectance maxima correlate with the visible colours of the samples and with the extrema in the non-monotonic spectral dependences of the derivative of real part of complex dielectric permittivity extracted from the ellipsometric data. Thus, the most intensive light scattering takes place when the real part of complex dielectric permittivity falls down quickly with changing wavelength. We did not observe any “azimuth anisotropy” in our optical measurements at constant incidence angle: the spectra were the same independently of the light incidence plane orientation (parallel or perpendicular to the previous laser light spot scanning direction). We suppose that this selective resonance-like light scattering is due to the sample surface inhomogeneity, which is the result of previous laser treatment. This assumption agrees with estimations based on laser microscope and AFM images as well as with predictions of Mie theory. Thus, the colours of the samples under study are due to the light scattering by randomly distributed surface species with different sizes.

TEACHING METHODS IN THE UNIVERSITY COURSE “BIOPHYSICS”

The article presents some methods and results of experimental teaching biophysics at Pskov State University (Russian Federation). The goal of any university is to train highly qualified specialists. To achieve this aim, the authors suggest following interdisciplinary approach to the educational process. Some topics of the lecture presentations, video clips and demonstration educational experiments as well as examples of computer modelling of biophysical processes are considered. Subjects of the real and virtual biophysical, biological and medical experimental tasks for students working in an educational university physical laboratory are discussed

Risk governance in organizations

Dieses Buch dokumentiert 10 Jahre Risk-Governance-Forschung an der Universität Siegen. In 50 Beiträgen reflektieren Forscher und Praktiker Risk Governance vor dem Hintergrund ihrer eigenen Forschungen und/oder Erfahrungen und geben jeweils einen Entwicklungsimpuls für die Zukunft der Risk Governance. Das Buch zeigt die große Bandbreite und Tiefe des Forschungsgebietes auf und diskutiert Grundannahmen, Implementierungsfragen, die Rolle der Risk Governance als Transformationsmotor, ihre Wirkung in den verschiedenen betrieblichen Funktionen, Entwicklungsperspektiven und den Beitrag der Risk Governance zu einer nachhaltigen Ausrichtung von Unternehmen.This book documents 10 years of risk governance research at the University of Siegen. In 50 contributions, researchers and practitioners reflect on risk governance against the background of their own research and/or experience and provide a development impetus for the future of risk governance. The book shows the wide range and depth of the research field and discusses basic assumptions, implementation issues, the role of risk governance as transformation engine, its impact in the various operational functions, development perspectives, and the contribution of risk governance to a sustainable orientation of companies

Density functional theory based screening of ternary alkali-transition metal borohydrides: A computational material design project

The dissociation of molecules, even the most simple hydrogen molecule, cannot be described accurately within density functional theory because none of the currently available functionals accounts for strong on-site correlation. This problem led to a discussion of properties that the local Kohn-Sham potential has to satisfy in order to correctly describe strongly correlated systems. We derive an analytic expression for the nontrivial form of the Kohn-Sham potential in between the two fragments for the dissociation of a single bond. We show that the numerical calculations for a one-dimensional two-electron model system indeed approach and reach this limit. It is shown that the functional form of the potential is universal, i.e., independent of the details of the two fragments.We acknowledge funding by the Spanish MEC (Grant No. FIS2007-65702-C02-01), “Grupos Consolidados UPV/EHU del Gobierno Vasco” (Grant No. IT-319-07), and the European Community through e-I3 ETSF project (Grant Agreement No. 211956).Peer reviewe