GDNF-induced activation of the ret protein tyrosine kinase is mediated by GDNFR-alpha, a novel receptor for GDNF

We report the expression cloning and characterization of GDNFR-alpha, a novel glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked cell surface receptor for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). GDNFR-alpha binds GDNF specifically and mediates activation of the Ret protein-tyrosine kinase (PTK). Treatment of Neuro-2a cells expressing GDNFR-alpha with GDNF rapidly stimulates Ret autophosphorylation. Ret is also activated by treatment with a combination of GDNF and soluble GDNFR-alpha in cells lacking GDNFR-alpha, and this effect is blocked by a soluble Ret-Fc fusion protein. Ret activation by GDNF was also observed in cultured embryonic rat spinal cord motor neurons, a cell type that responds to GDNF in vivo. A model for the stepwise formation of a GDNF signal-transducing complex including GDNF, GDNFR-alpha, and the Ret PTK is proposed.

Identification of CHIP, a novel tetratricopeptide repeat-containing protein that interacts with heat shock proteins and negatively regulates chaperone functions

The chaperone function of the mammalian 70-kDa heat shock proteins Hsc70 and Hsp70 is modulated by physical interactions with four previously identified chaperone cofactors: Hsp40, BAG-1, the Hsc70-interacting protein Hip, and the Hsc70-Hsp90-organizing protein Hop. Hip and Hop interact with Hsc70 via a tetratricopeptide repeat domain. In a search for additional tetratricopeptide repeat-containing proteins, we have identified a novel 35-kDa cytoplasmic protein, carboxyl terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP). CHIP is highly expressed in adult striated muscle in vivo and is expressed broadly in vitro in tissue culture. Hsc70 and Hsp70 were identified as potential interaction partners for this protein in a yeast two-hybrid screen. In vitro binding assays demonstrated direct interactions between CHIP and both Hsc70 and Hsp70, and complexes containing CHIP and Hsc70 were identified in immunoprecipitates of human skeletal muscle cells in vivo. Using glutathione S-transferase fusions, we found that CHIP interacted with the carboxy-terminal residues 540 to 650 of Hsc70, whereas Hsc70 interacted with the amino-terminal residues 1 to 197 (containing the tetratricopeptide domain and an adjacent charged domain) of CHIP. Recombinant CHIP inhibited Hsp40-stimulated ATPase activity of Hsc70 and Hsp70, suggesting that CHIP blocks the forward reaction of the Hsc70-Hsp70 substrate-binding cycle. Consistent with this observation, both luciferase refolding and substrate binding in the presence of Hsp40 and Hsp70 were inhibited by CHIP. Taken together, these results indicate that CHIP decreases net ATPase activity and reduces chaperone efficiency, and they implicate CHIP in the negative regulation of the forward reaction of the Hsc70-Hsp70 substrate-binding cycle.

Basal cell carcinomas in mice overexpressing sonic hedgehog

Mutations in the tumor suppressor gene PATCHED (PTC) are found in human patients with the basal cell nevus syndrome, a disease causing developmental defects and tumors, including basal cell carcinomas. Gene regulatory relationships defined in the fruit fly Drosophila suggest that overproduction of Sonic hedgehog (SHH), the ligand for PTC, will mimic loss of ptc function. It is shown here that transgenic mice overexpressing SHH in the skin develop many features of basal cell nevus syndrome, demonstrating that SHH is sufficient to induce basal cell carcinomas in mice. These data suggest that SHH may have a role in human tumorigenesis.

Mutations in ATP2C1, encoding a calcium pump, cause Hailey-Hailey disease

Hailey-Hailey disease (HHD, MIM 16960) is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner and characterized by persistent blisters and erosions of the skin. Impaired intercellular adhesion and epidermal blistering also occur in individuals with pemphigus (which is due to autoantibodies directed against desmosomal proteins) and in patients with Darier disease (DD, MIM 124200), which is caused by mutations in a gene encoding a sarco/endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Golgi calcium pump. We report here the identification of mutations in ATP2C1, encoding the human homologue of an ATP-powered pump that sequesters calcium into the Golgi in yeast, in 21 HHD kindreds. Regulation of cytoplasmic calcium is impaired in cultured keratinocytes from HHD patients, and the normal epidermal calcium gradient is attenuated in vivo in HHD patients. Our findings not only provide an understanding of the molecular basis of HHD, but also underscore the importance of calcium control to the functioning of stratified squamous epithelia.

Topological regulation of cell division in Escherichia coli involves rapid pole to pole oscillation of the division inhibitor MinC under the control of MinD and MinE

Placement of the Z ring at midcell in Escherichia coli is assured by the action of the min system, which blocks usage of potential division sites that exist at the cell poles. This activity of min is achieved through the action of an inhibitor of division, MinC, that is activated by MinD and topologically regulated by MinE. In this study, we have used a functional GFP-MinC fusion to monitor the location of MinC. We find that GFP-MinC is a cytoplasmic protein in the absence of the other Min proteins. The addition of MinD, a peripheral membrane protein that interacts with MinC, results in GFP-MinC appearing on the membrane. In the presence of both MinD and MinE, GFP-MinC oscillates rapidly between the halves of the cell. Thus, MinC is positioned by the other Min products, but in a dynamic manner so that it is in position to inhibit Z ring assembly away from midcell.

A comprehensive map of the porcine genome

We report the highest density genetic linkage map for a livestock species produced to date. Three published maps for Sus scrofa were merged by genotyping virtually every publicly available microsatellite across a single reference population to yield 1042 linked loci, 536 of which are novel assignments, spanning 2286.2 cM (average interval 2.23 cM) in 19 linkage groups (18 autosomal and X chromosomes, n = 19). Linkage groups were constructed de novo and mapped by locus content to avoid propagation of errors in older genotypes. The physical and genetic maps were integrated with 123 informative loci assigned previously by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Fourteen linkage groups span the entire length of each chromosome. Coverage of chromosomes 11, 12, 15, and 18 will be evaluated as more markers are physically assigned. Marker-deficient regions were identified only on 11q1.7-qter and 14 cen-q1.2. Recombination rates (cM/Mbp) varied between and within chromosomes. Short chromosomal arms recombined at higher rates than long arms, and recombination was more frequent in telomeric regions than in pericentric regions. The high-resolution comprehensive map has the marker density needed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL), implement marker-assisted selection or introgression and YAC contig construction or chromosomal microdissection.

Protein trans-splicing by a split intein encoded in a split DnaE gene of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803

A split intein capable of protein trans-splicing is identified in a DnaE protein of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803. The N- and C-terminal halves of DnaE (catalytic subunit alpha of DNA polymerase III) are encoded by two separate genes, dnaE-n and dnaE-c, respectively. These two genes are located 745,226 bp apart in the genome and on opposite DNA strands. The dnaE-n product consists of a N-extein sequence followed by a 123-aa intein sequence, whereas the dnaE-c product consists of a 36-aa intein sequence followed by a C-extein sequence. The N- and C-extein sequences together reconstitute a complete DnaE sequence that is interrupted by the intein sequences inside the beta- and tau-binding domains. The two intein sequences together reconstitute a split mini-intein that not only has intein-like sequence features but also exhibited protein trans-splicing activity when tested in Escherichia coli cells.

The MinC component of the division site selection system in Escherichia coli interacts with FtsZ to prevent polymerization

Positioning of the Z ring at the midcell site in Escherichia coli is assured by the min system, which masks polar sites through topological regulation of MinC, an inhibitor of division. To study how MinC inhibits division, we have generated a MalE-MinC fusion that retains full biological activity. We find that MalE-MinC interacts with FtsZ and prevents polymerization without inhibiting FtsZ's GTPase activity. MalE-MinC19 has reduced ability to inhibit division, reduced affinity for FtsZ, and reduced ability to inhibit FtsZ polymerization. These results, along with MinC localization, suggest that MinC rapidly oscillates between the poles of the cell to destabilize FtsZ filaments that have formed before they mature into polar Z rings.

Synthesis and Application of Modulated Polymer Gels

A class of environmentally responsive materials based on the spatial modulation of the chemical nature of gels is proposed and demonstrated here. The modulation was achieved by limiting the interpenetration of part of one gel network with another gel network. The gels so produced have an internally heterogeneous or modulated structure. Three simple applications based on the modulated gels are described here: a bigel strip, a shape memory gel, and a gel "hand." The bigel strip bends almost to a circle in response to a temperature increase or an increase in solvent concentration. The shape memory gel changes its shape from a straight line to a pentagon to a quadrangle as the temperature increases. These transitions from one shape to another are reversible. The gel "hand" in water can grasp or release an object simply by an adjustment of the temperature.

Stimulation of a vascular smooth muscle cell NAD(P)H oxidase by thrombin. Evidence that p47(phox) may participate in forming this oxidase in vitro and in vivo

Thrombin is a potent vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) mitogen. Because recent evidence implicates reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) in VSMC proliferation in general and atherogenesis in particular, we investigated whether ROI generation is necessary for thrombin-induced mitogenesis. Treatment of human aortic smooth muscle cells with thrombin increased DNA synthesis, an effect that was antagonized by diphenyleneiodonium but not by other inhibitors of cellular oxidase systems. This effect of thrombin was accompanied by increased O-2 and H2O2 generation and NADH/NADPH consumption. ROI generation in response to thrombin pretreatment could also be blocked by diphenyleneiodonium, suggesting that the NAD(P)H oxidase was necessary for ROI generation and thrombin-induced mitogenesis. Because of observed differences between the VSMC and neutrophil oxidase, we examined whether the cytosolic components of the phagocytic NAD(P)H oxidase were present in VSMC. p47(phox) and Rac2 were present in VSMC. Furthermore, thrombin increased expression of p47(phox) and Rac2 and stimulated their translocation to the cell membrane. We examined whether p47(phox) might be similarly regulated in vivo in a rat aorta balloon injury model and found that p47(phox) protein was increased after injury. Immunocytochemistry localized expression of p47(phox) to the neointima and media of injured arteries. Our data demonstrate that generation of O-2 and H2O2 is required for thrombin-mediated mitogenesis in VSMC and that p47(phox) is regulated by thrombin in vitro and is associated with vascular lesion formation in vivo.

Design and performance evaluation of a whole-body Ingenuity TF PET-MRI system

The Ingenuity TF PET-MRI is a newly released whole-body hybrid PET-MR imaging system with a Philips time-of-flight GEMINI TF PET and Achieva 3T X-series MRI system. Compared to PET-CT, modifications to the positron emission tomography (PET) gantry were made to avoid mutual system interference and deliver uncompromising performance which is equivalent to the standalone systems. The PET gantry was redesigned to introduce magnetic shielding for the photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). Stringent electromagnetic noise requirements of the MR system necessitated the removal of PET gantry electronics to be housed in the PET-MR equipment room. We report the standard NEMA measurements for the PET scanner. PET imaging and performance measurements were done at Geneva University Hospital as described in the NEMA Standards NU 2-2007 manual. The scatter fraction (SF) and noise equivalent count rate (NECR) measurements with the NEMA cylinder (20 cm diameter) were repeated for two larger cylinders (27 cm and 35 cm diameter), which better represent average and heavy patients. A NEMA/IEC torso phantom was used for overall assessment of image quality. The transverse and axial resolution near the center was 4.7 mm. Timing and energy resolution of the PET-MR system were measured to be 525 ps and 12%, respectively. The results were comparable to PET-CT systems demonstrating that the effect of design modifications required on the PET system to remove the harmful effect of the magnetic field on the PMTs was negligible. The absolute sensitivity of this scanner was 7.0 cps kBq(-1), whereas SF was 26%. NECR measurements performed with cylinders having three different diameters, and image quality measurements performed with IEC phantom yielded excellent results. The Ingenuity TF PET-MRI represents the first commercial whole-body hybrid PET-MRI system. The performance of the PET subsystem was comparable to the GEMINI TF PET-CT system using phantom and patient studies. It is conceived that advantages of hybrid PET-MRI will become more evident in the near future.

Safety, pharmacokinetics and neutralization of the broadly neutralizing HIV-1 human monoclonal antibody VRC01 in healthy adults

VRC-HIVMAB060-00-AB (VRC01) is a broadly neutralizing HIV-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) isolated from the B cells of an HIV-infected patient. It is directed against the HIV-1 CD4 binding site and is capable of potently neutralizing the majority of diverse HIV-1 strains. This Phase I dose-escalation study in healthy adults was conducted at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center (Bethesda, MD, USA). Primary objectives were the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics (PK) of VRC01 intravenous (i.v.) infusion at 5, 20 or 40 mg/kg, given either once (20 mg/kg) or twice 28 days apart (all doses), and of subcutaneous (s.c.) delivery at 5 mg/kg compared to s.c. placebo given twice, 28 days apart. Cumulatively, 28 subjects received 43 VRC01 and nine received placebo administrations. There were no serious adverse events or dose-limiting toxicities. Mean 28-day serum trough concentrations after the first infusion were 35 and 57 μg/ml for groups infused with 20 mg/kg (n = 8) and 40 mg/kg (n = 5) doses, respectively. Mean 28-day trough concentrations after the second infusion were 56 and 89 μg/ml for the same two doses. Over the 5-40 mg/kg i.v. dose range (n = 18), the clearance was 0.016 l/h and terminal half-life was 15 days. After infusion VRC01 retained expected neutralizing activity in serum, and anti-VRC01 antibody responses were not detected. The human monoclonal antibody (mAb) VRC01 was well tolerated when delivered i.v. or s.c. The mAb demonstrated expected half-life and pharmacokinetics for a human immunoglobulin G. The safety and PK results support and inform VRC01 dosing schedules for planning HIV-1 prevention efficacy studies.

Topological regulation of cell division in E. coli. spatiotemporal oscillation of MinD requires stimulation of its ATPase by MinE and phospholipid

Topological regulation of cell division in E. coli requires positioning a cell division inhibitor, MinC, at the poles of the cell, thus restricting the potential for division to midcell. This positioning is achieved through a rapid oscillation of MinC from pole to pole, a process requiring MinD and MinE. However, the mechanistic basis for this oscillation is not known. Here we report that MinE stimulates MinD ATPase activity, but only in the presence of phospholipid vesicles. Analysis of MinE mutants demonstrates that this stimulation is required for MinD oscillation and suggests that the level of stimulation determines the period of the oscillation. A model is presented in which the requirements for the MinD ATPase contribute spatial and temporal inputs that provide the mechanistic basis for the oscillation.

Simultaneous partial nitritation and anammox at low temperature with granular sludge

Autotrophic nitrogen removal in the main stream appears as a prerequisite for the implementation of energy autarchic wastewater treatment plants. To investigate autotrophic nitrogen removal a lab-scale gas-lift sequencing batch reactor with granular sludge was operated for more than 500 days. The reactor was operated at temperatures between 20 and 10 °C on autotrophic medium with ammonium (60 and 160 mg-N L(-1)) as only nitrogen compound at an HRT of 0.23-0.3 d. The dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration was shown to be an effective control parameter for the suppression of the undesired nitratation process. DO control guaranteed the effective suppression of the nitratation both at 20 and 15 °C, allowing nitrogen removal rates of 0.4 g-NTot L(-1) d(-1) at nitrogen removal efficiencies of 85-75%. Prolonged operation at 10 °C caused a slow but unrestrainable decrease in anammox activity and process efficiency. This study represents a proof of concept for the application of the autotrophic nitrogen removal in a single reactor with granular sludge at main stream conditions.

A five-microRNA panel in plasma was identified as potential biomarker for early detection of gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated as novel biomarkers for gastric cancer (GC) diagnosis. However, the mixture of GC subtypes may have led to the inconsistent circulating miRNA profiles, and the clinical performance of circulating miRNAs has not yet been evaluated independently on early detection of GC.

METHODS

A four-phase study was designed with a total of 160 cancer-free controls, 124 patients with gastric non-cardia adenocarcinoma (GNCA) and 36 patients diagnosed gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA). In the discovery phase, we screened the miRNA expression profile in plasma of 40 GNCA patients (stage I) and 40 matched controls by TaqMan low density array (TLDA) chips with pooled samples. Differentially expressed miRNAs were further validated in individual sample using quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) in the training phase. Subsequently, in an independent validation phase, the identified miRNAs were evaluated in 48 GNCA patients (stage I) and 102 matched controls. Finally, the identified miRNAs were further assessed in an external validation phase including advanced GNCA and GCA patients. Additionally, the expression levels of identified miRNAs were measured in the media of BGC823 and MGC803 cell lines.

RESULTS

Five miRNAs (miR-16, miR-25, miR-92a, miR-451 and miR-486-5p) showed consistently elevated levels in plasma of the GC patients as compared with controls, and were identified to be potential markers for GNCA with area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUCs) ranging from 0.850 to 0.925 and 0.694 to 0.790 in the training and validation phases, respectively. The five-miRNA panel presented a high diagnostic accuracy for the early-stage GNCA (AUCs=0.989 and 0.812 for the training and validation phases, respectively). Three miRNAs (miR-16, miR-25 and miR-92a) were excreted into the culture media of GC cell lines.

CONCLUSIONS

The five-miRNA panel in plasma may serve as a potential non-invasive biomarker in detecting the early-stage GC.

Hepatitis B virus X protein is both a substrate and a potential inhibitor of the proteasome complex

The hepatitis B virus X protein (HBX) is essential for the establishment of HBV infection in vivo and exerts a pleiotropic effect on diverse cellular functions. The yeast two-hybrid system had indicated that HBX could interact with two subunits of the 26S proteasome. Here we demonstrate an association in vivo of HBX with the 26S proteasome complex by coimmunoprecipitation and colocalization upon sucrose gradient centrifugation. Expression of HBX in HepG2 cells caused a modest decrease in the proteasome's chymotrypsin- and trypsin-like activities and in hydrolysis of ubiquitinated lysozyme, suggesting that HBX functions as an inhibitor of proteasome. In these cells, HBX is degraded with a half-life of 30 min. Proteasome inhibitors retarded this rapid degradation and caused a marked increase in the level of HBX and an accumulation of HBX in polyubiquitinated form. Thus, the low intracellular level of HBX is due to rapid proteolysis by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Surprisingly, the proteasome inhibitors blocked the transactivation by HBX, and this effect was not a result of a squelching phenomenon due to HBX accumulation. Therefore, proteasome function is possibly required for the transactivation function of HBX. The inhibition of protein breakdown by proteasomes may account for the multiple actions of HBX and may be an important feature of HBV infection, possibly in helping stabilize viral gene products and suppressing antigen presentation.

GFRalpha-2 and GFRalpha-3 are two new receptors for ligands of the GDNF family

The receptor for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) consists of GFRalpha-1 and Ret. Neurturin is a GDNF-related neurotrophin whose receptor is presently unknown. Here we report that neurturin can bind to either GFRalpha-1 or GFRalpha-2, a novel receptor related to GFRalpha-1. Both GFRalpha-1 and GFRalpha-2 mediate neurturin-induced Ret phosphorylation. GDNF can also bind to either GFRalpha-1 or GFRalpha-2, and activate Ret in the presence of either binding receptor. Although both ligands interact with both receptors, cells expressing GFRalpha-1 bind GDNF more efficiently than neurturin, while cells expressing GFRalpha-2 bind neurturin preferentially. Cross-linking and Ret activation data also suggest that while there is cross-talk, GFRalpha-1 is the primary receptor for GDNF and GFRalpha-2 exhibits a preference for neurturin. We have also cloned a cDNA that apparently codes for a third member of the GFRalpha receptor family. This putative receptor, designated GFRalpha-3, is closely related in amino acid sequence and is nearly identical in the spacing of its cysteine residues to both GFRalpha-1 and GFRalpha-2. Analysis of the tissue distribution of GFRalpha-1, GFRalpha-2, GFRalpha-3, and Ret by Northern blot reveals overlapping but distinct patterns of expression. Consistent with a role in GDNF function, the GFRalphas and Ret are expressed in many of the same tissues, suggesting that GFRalphas mediate the action of GDNF family ligands in vivo.

Pilot-scale evaluation of anammox-based mainstream nitrogen removal from municipal wastewater

Autotrophic nitrogen removal in the mainstream wastewater treatment process is suggested to be a prerequisite of energy autarkic wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Whilst the application of anammox-related technologies in the side-stream is at present state of the art, the feasibility of this energy-efficient process at mainstream conditions is still under development. Lower operating temperature and ammonium concentration, together with required high nitrogen removal efficiency, represent the main challenges to face in order to reach this appealing new frontier of the wastewater treatment field. In this study, we report the evaluation of the process in a plug-flow granular sludge-based pilot-scale reactor (4 m3) continuously fed with the actual effluent of the A-stage of the WWTP of Dokhaven, Rotterdam. The one-stage partial nitritation-anammox system was operated for more than 10 months at 19±1°C. Observed average N-removal and ammonium conversion rates were comparable or higher than those of conventional N-removal systems, with 182±46 and 315±33 mg-N L(-1) d(-1), respectively. Biochemical oxygen demand was also oxidized in the system with an average removal efficiency of 90%. Heterotrophic biomass grew preferentially in flocs and was efficiently washed out of the system. Throughout the experimentation, the main bottleneck was the nitritation process that resulted in nitrite-limiting conditions for the anammox conversion. Anammox bacteria were able to grow under mainstream WWTP conditions and new granules were formed and efficiently retained in the system.

A replication defective recombinant Ad5 vaccine expressing Ebola virus GP is safe and immunogenic in healthy adults

Ebola virus causes irregular outbreaks of severe hemorrhagic fever in equatorial Africa. Case mortality remains high; there is no effective treatment and outbreaks are sporadic and unpredictable. Studies of Ebola virus vaccine platforms in non-human primates have established that the induction of protective immunity is possible and safety and human immunogenicity has been demonstrated in a previous Phase I clinical trial of a 1st generation Ebola DNA vaccine. We now report the safety and immunogenicity of a recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 (rAd5) vaccine encoding the envelope glycoprotein (GP) from the Zaire and Sudan Ebola virus species, in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, dose escalation, Phase I human study. Thirty-one healthy adults received vaccine at 2×10(9) (n=12), or 2×10(10) (n=11) viral particles or placebo (n=8) as an intramuscular injection. Antibody responses were assessed by ELISA and neutralizing assays; and T cell responses were assessed by ELISpot and intracellular cytokine staining assays. This recombinant Ebola virus vaccine was safe and subjects developed antigen specific humoral and cellular immune responses.

p47phox is required for atherosclerotic lesion progression in ApoE(-/-) mice

NADPH oxidase is upregulated in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in response to growth factor stimulation, concomitant with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. We investigated the role of ROS production by NADPH oxidase in SMC responses to growth factors and in atherosclerotic lesion formation in ApoE(-/-) mice. SMCs from wild-type, p47phox(-/-), and gp91phox(-/-) mice differed markedly with respect to growth factor responsiveness and ROS generation. p47phox(-/-) SMCs had diminished superoxide production and a decreased proliferative response to growth factors compared with wild-type cells, whereas the response of gp91phox(-/-) SMCs was indistinguishable from that of wild-type SMCs. The relevance of these in vitro observations was tested by measuring atherosclerotic lesion formation in genetically modified (wild-type, p47phox(-/-), ApoE(-/-), and ApoE(-/-)/p47phox(-/-)) mice. ApoE(-/-)/p47phox(-/-) mice had less total lesion area than ApoE(-/-) mice, regardless of whether mice were fed standard chow or a high-fat diet. Together, these studies provide convincing support for the hypothesis that superoxide generation in general, and NADPH oxidase in particular, have a requisite role in atherosclerotic lesion formation, and they provide a rationale for further studies to dissect the contributions of ROS to vascular lesion formation.

Design and synthesis of monocyclic beta-lactams as mechanism-based inhibitors of human cytomegalovirus protease

Mechanism based inhibitors of HCMV protease have been designed based on the monocyclic beta-lactam nucleus, which have been shown to acylate the viral enzyme in a time dependent manner. SAR in a series of monocyclic beta-lactam N-ureas, has defined the size and relative stereochemistry of the C-3 substituent producing a low micromolar inhibitor 17b with good aqueous stability and selectivity over the mammalian serine proteases.

Event generator tunes obtained from underlying event and multiparton scattering measurements

New sets of parameters ("tunes") for the underlying-event (UE) modelling of the pythia8, pythia6 and herwig++ Monte Carlo event generators are constructed using different parton distribution functions. Combined fits to CMS UE proton-proton ([Formula: see text]) data at [Formula: see text] and to UE proton-antiproton ([Formula: see text]) data from the CDF experiment at lower [Formula: see text], are used to study the UE models and constrain their parameters, providing thereby improved predictions for proton-proton collisions at 13[Formula: see text]. In addition, it is investigated whether the values of the parameters obtained from fits to UE observables are consistent with the values determined from fitting observables sensitive to double-parton scattering processes. Finally, comparisons are presented of the UE tunes to "minimum bias" (MB) events, multijet, and Drell-Yan ([Formula: see text] lepton-antilepton+jets) observables at 7 and 8[Formula: see text], as well as predictions for MB and UE observables at 13[Formula: see text].

Spin state transition in LaCoO3 studied using soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy and magnetic circular dichroism

Using soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy and magnetic circular dichroism at the Co-L(2,3) edge, we reveal that the spin state transition in LaCoO3 can be well described by a low-spin ground state and a triply degenerate high-spin first excited state. From the temperature dependence of the spectral line shapes, we find that LaCoO3 at finite temperatures is an inhomogeneous mixed-spin state system. It is crucial that the magnetic circular dichroism signal in the paramagnetic state carries a large orbital momentum. This directly shows that the currently accepted low- or intermediate-spin picture is at variance. Parameters derived from these spectroscopies fully explain existing magnetic susceptibility, electron spin resonance, and inelastic neutron data.