Retention of native-like structure in an acyclic counterpart of a β-sheet antibiotic

AbstractAn acyclic derivative of the cyclic peptide antibiotic, ramoplanin, has been prepared. In aqueous solution, two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy indicates that the acyclic form adopts a threshold population of conformers in which at least part of the β-sheet characteristic of the intact ramoplanin persists. Thus, despite losing the entropic benefit which the macrocycle must lend to β-sheet formation, the polypeptide chain of the acyclic ramoplanin appears to display an innate tendency to adopt a native-like conformation

Amino acid sequence around the active serine in the acyl transferase domain of rabbit mammary fatty acid synthase

AbstractRabbit mammary fatty acid synthase was labelled in the acyl transferase domain(s) by the formation of the O-ester intermediates after incubation with [14C]acetyl- or malonyl-CoA. Elastase peptides containing the labelled acyl groups were isolated using high performance liquid chromatography and sequenced by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. An identical peptide (acyl-SerLeuGlyGluValAla) was obtained after labelling with acetyl- or malonyl-CoA. This confirms the hypothesis that, unlike Escherichia coli or yeast, a single transferase catalyses the transfer of both acetyl- and malonyl-groups in the mammalian complex. The sequence at this site is compared with that around the active serine in other acyl transferases and hydrolases

Spectral Energy Distributions of Be and Other Massive Stars

We present spectrophotometric data from 0.4 to 4.2 microns for bright, northern sky, Be stars and several other types of massive stars. Our goal is to use these data with ongoing, high angular resolution, interferometric observations to model the density structure and sky orientation of the gas surrounding these stars. We also present a montage of the H-alpha and near-infrared emission lines that form in Be star disks. We find that a simplified measurement of the IR excess flux appears to be correlated with the strength of emission lines from high level transitions of hydrogen. This suggests that the near-IR continuum and upper level line fluxes both form in the inner part of the disk, close to the star.Comment: 2010, PASP, 122, 37

Mid-infrared spectral evidence for a luminous dust enshrouded source in Arp220

We have re-analyzed the 6-12 micron ISO spectrum of the ultra-luminous infrared galaxy Arp220 with the conclusion that it is not consistent with that of a scaled up version of a typical starburst. Instead, both template fitting with spectra of the galaxies NGC4418 and M83 and with dust models suggest that it is best represented by combinations of a typical starburst component, exhibiting PAH emission features, and a heavily absorbed dust continuum which contributes ~40% of the 6-12 micron flux and likely dominates the luminosity. Of particular significance relative to previous studies of Arp220 is the fact that the emission feature at 7.7 micron comprises both PAH emission and a broader component resulting from ice and silicate absorption against a heavily absorbed continuum. Extinction to the PAH emitting source, however, appears to be relatively low. We tentatively associate the PAH emitting and heavily dust/ice absorbed components with the diffuse emission region and the two compact nuclei respectively identified by Soifer et al. (2002) in their higher spatial resolution 10 micron study. Both the similarity of the absorbed continuum with that of the embedded Galactic protostars and results of the dust models imply that the embedded source(s) in Arp220 could be powered by, albeit extremely dense, starburst activity. Due to the high extinction, it is not possible with the available data to exclude that AGN(s) also contribute some or all of the observed luminosity. In this case, however, the upper limit measured for its hard X-ray emission would require Arp220 to be the most highly obscured AGN known.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A. Also available at http://www.astro.rug.nl/~spoon/publications.htm

The medical student

The Medical Student was published from 1888-1921 by the students of Boston University School of Medicine

Drilling their own graves:How the European oil and gas supermajors avoid sustainability tensions through mythmaking

This study explores how paradoxical tensions between economic growth and environmental protection are avoided through organizational mythmaking. By examining the European oil and gas supermajors’ ‘‘CEOspeak’’ about climate change, we show how mythmaking facilitates the disregarding, diverting, and/or displacing of sustainability tensions. In doing so, our findings further illustrate how certain defensive responses are employed: (1) regression, or retreating to the comforts of past familiarities, (2) fantasy, or escaping the harsh reality that fossil fuels and climate change are indeed irreconcilable, and (3) projecting, or shifting blame to external actors for failing to address climate change. By highlighting the discursive effects of enacting these responses, we illustrate how the European oil and gas supermajors self-determine their inability to substantively address the complexities of climate change. We thus argue that defensive responses are not merely a form of mismanagement as the paradox and corporate sustainability literature commonly suggests, but a strategic resource that poses serious ethical concerns given the imminent danger of issues such as climate change