Large area UV casting using diverse polyacrylates of microchannels separated by high aspect ratio microwalls

Large area molding of long and deep microchannels separated by high aspect ratio microwalls is important for high sensitivity and high throughput microfluidic devices. Ultraviolet (UV) casting is a feasible, economical and convenient method of replication of such microstructures in plastics. It is shown that a wide variety of polyacrylates with diverse properties such as those made from epoxy (EP), polyurethane (UR), polyester (ES), poly (ethylene glycol) (EG) and poly(propylene glycol) (PG) can be used for the high aspect ratio (7-9) UV casting of such linear microstructures over a 100 mm diameter, enlarging the range of applications of the replicated microstructures. Some challenges arise. With the EG formulation, wavy microstructures were observed; this can be overcome by stress relaxation. With non-polar PG formulation, poor adhesion between the polyester substrate and resin can lead to delamination of the casting from the substrate during demolding; this can be overcome by pre-coating a partially cured same resin on the polyester substrate. An optimum UV irradiation time was important for cure at the deepest end of the microstructure without excessive crosslinking leading to much increased demolding forces. The viscosity and wetting capability of the formulations were found to affect replication fidelity.

Multifractality of drop breakup in the air-blast nozzle atomization process

The multifractal nature of drop breakup in the air-blast nozzle atomization process has been studied. We apply the multiplier method to extract the negative and the positive parts of the f(alpha) curve with the data of drop-size distribution measured using dual particle dynamic analyzer. A random multifractal model with the multiplier triangularly distributed is proposed to characterize the breakup of drops. The agreement of the left part of the multifractal spectra between the experimental result and the model is remarkable. The cause of the distinction of the right part of the f(alpha) curve is argued. The fact that negative dimensions arise in the current system means that the spatial distribution of the drops yielded by the high-speed jet fluctuates from sample to sample. In other words, the spatial concentration distribution of the disperse phase in the spray zone fluctuates momentarily, showing intrinsic randomness.

Effect of lipanthyl on mRNA expression of endothelin-1 and nitric-oxide synthase in atherosclerotic vessel wall in rabbits

AIM

To study the mechanism of regression of atherosclerosis (AS) by lipanthyl.

METHODS

Experimental atherosclerotic rabbits created by damaging the abdominal aortic endothelium and feeding with high fat diet for 8 wk were then treated with lipanthyl 15 mg.kg-1.d-1 for 16 wk. Expression of endothelin (ET)-1 mRNA and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) mRNA in atherosclerotic vessel wall was measured by in situ hybridization and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively.

RESULTS

After lipanthyl administration for 16 wk, ET-1 mRNA expression was reduced, and integral optical density (IOD) and area of hybridization granule were observed to be (49,113 +/- 16,868) and (2448 +/- 621) micron 2 in lipanthyl group and (65,188 +/- 10,113) and (3028 +/- 352) micron 2 in atherosclerotic group, respectively. Regarding inducible NOS mRNA expression, IOD and area were decreased by 25.5% and 53.3%, respectively, whereas endothelial NOS mRNA expression was increased.

CONCLUSION

Restoration of the disturbed ET-1 mRNA/NOS mRNA balance by lipanthyl might be one of its mechanisms leading to regression of atherosclerosis.

Seven novel methylation guide small nucleolar RNAs are processed from a common polycistronic transcript by Rat1p and RNase III in yeast

Through a computer search of the genome of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the coding sequences of seven different box C/D antisense small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) with the structural hallmarks of guides for rRNA ribose methylation have been detected clustered over a 1.4-kb tract in an inter-open reading frame region of chromosome XIII. The corresponding snoRNAs have been positively identified in yeast cells. Disruption of the nonessential snoRNA gene cluster specifically suppressed the seven cognate rRNA ribose methylations but did not result in any growth delay under the conditions of yeast culture tested. The seven snoRNAs are processed from a common polycistronic transcript synthesized from an independent promoter, similar to some plant snoRNAs but in marked contrast with their vertebrate functional homologues processed from pre-mRNA introns containing a single snoRNA. Processing of the polycistronic precursor requires nucleases also involved in rRNA processing, i.e., Rnt1p and Rat1p. After disruption of the RNT1 gene, the yeast ortholog of bacterial RNase III, production of the seven mature snoRNAs was abolished, while the polycistronic snoRNA precursor accumulated. In cells lacking functional Rat1p, an exonuclease involved in the processing of both pre-rRNA and intron-encoded snoRNAs, several processing intermediates of the polycistronic precursor accumulated. This allowed for the mapping in the precursor of the presumptive Rnt1p endonucleolytic cuts which provide entry sites for subsequent exonucleolytic trimming of the pre-snoRNAs. In line with known properties of double-stranded RNA-specific RNase III, pairs of Rnt1p cuts map next to each other on opposite strands of long double-helical stems in the secondary structure predicted for the polycistronic snoRNA precursor.

Overexpression, purification, and stereochemical studies of the recombinant (S)-adenosyl-L-methionine: delta 24(25)- to delta 24(28)-sterol methyl transferase enzyme from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The ERG6 gene that encodes (S)-adenosyl-L-methionine: delta 24(25)-to delta 24(28)-sterol methyl transferase (SMT) enzyme from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was introduced into plasmid pET23a(+) and the resulting native protein was overexpressed in BL21 (DE3) host cells under control of a T7 promoter. This enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, anion exchange, and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. N-Terminal sequence analysis of the first 10 amino acids of the purified SMT protein confirmed the identity of the start triplet and expected primary structure. The enzyme exhibited a turnover number of 0.01/s and an isoelectric point of 5.95. A combination of Superose 6 chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the purified SMT enzyme possessed a native molecular weight of 172,000 and was tetrameric. The purified SMT enzyme generated kinetics in which velocity versus substrate curves relative to zymosterol (preferred sterol acceptor molecule) and AdoMet were sigmoidal rather than hyperbolic, indicating enzyme cooperativity among the subunits. Studies on product formation using [27-13C]zymosterol and [2H3-methyl]AdoMet incubated with the pure SMT enzyme confirmed the reaction mechanism of sterol methylation to involve a 1,2-hydride shift of H-24 to C-25 from the Re-face of the original 24,25- double bond. Deduced amino acid sequence comparisons of the SMT polypeptide from S. cerevisiae with related sterol methyl transferase enzymes of plant and fungal origin indicate that there is a significant degree of similarity between these enzymes. Specifically, there is a conserved sequence (in yeast from amino acids ca. 79 to 92 which contains an YEXGWG motif; referred to as Region I) that is not present in other AdoMet-dependent methyl transferase enzymes.