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Sample records for host-guest system achieves

  1. Switchable host-guest systems on surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ying-Wei; Sun, Yu-Long; Song, Nan

    2014-07-15

    CONSPECTUS: For device miniaturization, nanotechnology follows either the "top-down" approach scaling down existing larger-scale devices or the "bottom-up' approach assembling the smallest possible building blocks to functional nanoscale entities. For synthetic nanodevices, self-assembly on surfaces is a superb method to achieve useful functions and enable their interactions with the surrounding world. Consequently, adaptability and responsiveness to external stimuli are other prerequisites for their successful operation. Mechanically interlocked molecules such as rotaxanes and catenanes, and their precursors, that is, molecular switches and supramolecular switches including pseudorotaxanes, are molecular machines or prototypes of machines capable of mechanical motion induced by chemical signals, biological inputs, light or redox processes as the external stimuli. Switching of these functional host-guest systems on surfaces becomes a fundamental requirement for artificial molecular machines to work, mimicking the molecular machines in nature, such as proteins and their assemblies operating at dynamic interfaces such as the surfaces of cell membranes. Current research endeavors in material science and technology are focused on developing either a new class of materials or materials with novel/multiple functionalities by shifting host-guest chemistry from solution phase to surfaces. In this Account, we present our most recent attempts of building monolayers of rotaxanes/pseudorotaxanes on surfaces, providing stimuli-induced macroscopic effects and further understanding on the switchable host-guest systems at interfaces. Biocompatible versions of molecular machines based on synthetic macrocycles, such as cucurbiturils, pillararenes, calixarenes, and cyclodextrins, have been employed to form self-assembled monolayers of gates on the surfaces of mesoporous silica nanoparticles to regulate the controlled release of cargo/drug molecules under a range of external stimuli

  2. Reversible Guest Exchange Mechanisms in Supramolecular Host-GuestAssemblies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pluth, Michael D.; Raymond, Kenneth N.

    2006-09-01

    Synthetic chemists have provided a wide array of supramolecular assemblies able to encapsulate guest molecules. The scope of this tutorial review focuses on supramolecular host molecules capable of reversibly encapsulating polyatomic guests. Much work has been done to determine the mechanism of guest encapsulation and guest release. This review covers common methods of monitoring and characterizing guest exchange such as NMR, UV-VIS, mass spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and calorimetry and also presents representative examples of guest exchange mechanisms. The guest exchange mechanisms of hemicarcerands, cucurbiturils, hydrogen-bonded assemblies, and metal-ligand assemblies are discussed. Special attention is given to systems which exhibit constrictive binding, a motif common in supramolecular guest exchange systems.

  3. Nanoparticles functionalized with supramolecular host-guest systems for nanomedicine and healthcare.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Zilong; Song, Nan; Menz, Ryan; Pingali, Bharadwaj; Yang, Ying-Wei; Zheng, Yuebing

    2015-05-01

    Synthetic macrocyclic host compounds can interact with suitable guest molecules via noncovalent interactions to form functional supramolecular systems. With the synergistic integration of the response of molecules and the unique properties at the nanoscale, nanoparticles functionalized with the host-guest supramolecular systems have shown great potentials for a broad range of applications in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology. In this review article, we focus on the applications of the nanoparticles functionalized with supramolecular host-guest systems in nanomedicine and healthcare, including therapeutic delivery, imaging, sensing and removal of harmful substances. A large number of examples are included to elucidate the working mechanisms, advantages, limitations and future developments of the nanoparticle-supramolecule systems in these applications.

  4. Controlling the Host-Guest Interaction Mode through a Redox Stimulus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szalóki, György; Croué, Vincent; Carré, Vincent; Aubriet, Frédéric; Alévêque, Olivier; Levillain, Eric; Allain, Magali; Aragó, Juan; Ortí, Enrique; Goeb, Sébastien; Sallé, Marc

    2017-12-18

    A proof-of-concept related to the redox-control of the binding/releasing process in a host-guest system is achieved by designing a neutral and robust Pt-based redox-active metallacage involving two extended-tetrathiafulvalene (exTTF) ligands. When neutral, the cage is able to bind a planar polyaromatic guest (coronene). Remarkably, the chemical or electrochemical oxidation of the host-guest complex leads to the reversible expulsion of the guest outside the cavity, which is assigned to a drastic change of the host-guest interaction mode, illustrating the key role of counteranions along the exchange process. The reversible process is supported by various experimental data ( 1 H NMR spectroscopy, ESI-FTICR, and spectroelectrochemistry) as well as by in-depth theoretical calculations performed at the density functional theory (DFT) level. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Rotaxane and catenane host structures for sensing charged guest species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langton, Matthew J; Beer, Paul D

    2014-07-15

    CONSPECTUS: The promise of mechanically interlocked architectures, such as rotaxanes and catenanes, as prototypical molecular switches and shuttles for nanotechnological applications, has stimulated an ever increasing interest in their synthesis and function. The elaborate host cavities of interlocked structures, however, can also offer a novel approach toward molecular recognition: this Account describes the use of rotaxane and catenane host systems for binding charged guest species, and for providing sensing capability through an integrated optical or electrochemical reporter group. Particular attention is drawn to the exploitation of the unusual dynamic properties of interlocked molecules, such as guest-induced shuttling or conformational switching, as a sophisticated means of achieving a selective and functional sensor response. We initially survey interlocked host systems capable of sensing cationic guests, before focusing on our accomplishments in synthesizing rotaxanes and catenanes designed for the more challenging task of selective anion sensing. In our group, we have developed the use of discrete anionic templation to prepare mechanically interlocked structures for anion recognition applications. Removal of the anion template reveals an interlocked host system, possessing a unique three-dimensional geometrically restrained binding cavity formed between the interlocked components, which exhibits impressive selectivity toward complementary anionic guest species. By incorporating reporter groups within such systems, we have developed both electrochemical and optical anion sensors which can achieve highly selective sensing of anionic guests. Transition metals, lanthanides, and organic fluorophores integrated within the mechanically bonded structural framework of the receptor are perturbed by the binding of the guest, with a concomitant change in the emission profile. We have also exploited the unique dynamics of interlocked hosts by demonstrating that an

  6. Field-induced detrapping in disordered organic semiconducting host-guest systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cottaar, J.; Coehoorn, R.; Bobbert, P.A.

    2010-01-01

    In a disordered organic semiconducting host-guest material, containing a relatively small concentration of guest molecules acting as traps, the charge transport may be viewed as resulting from carriers that are detrapped from the guest to the host. Commonly used theories include only detrapping due

  7. Carbohydrate-Based Host-Guest Complexation of Hydrophobic Antibiotics for the Enhancement of Antibacterial Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Daham; Joo, Sang-Woo; Shinde, Vijay Vilas; Cho, Eunae; Jung, Seunho

    2017-08-08

    Host-guest complexation with various hydrophobic drugs has been used to enhance the solubility, permeability, and stability of guest drugs. Physical changes in hydrophobic drugs by complexation have been related to corresponding increases in the bioavailability of these drugs. Carbohydrates, including various derivatives of cyclodextrins, cyclosophoraoses, and some linear oligosaccharides, are generally used as host complexation agents in drug delivery systems. Many antibiotics with low bioavailability have some limitations to their clinical use due to their intrinsically poor aqueous solubility. Bioavailability enhancement is therefore an important step to achieve the desired concentration of antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial infections. Antibiotics encapsulated in a complexation-based drug delivery system will display improved antibacterial activity making it possible to reduce dosages and overcome the serious global problem of antibiotic resistance. Here, we review the present research trends in carbohydrate-based host-guest complexation of various hydrophobic antibiotics as an efficient delivery system to improve solubility, permeability, stability, and controlled release.

  8. Mechanical measurement of hydrogen bonded host-guest systems under non-equilibrium, near-physiological conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naranjo, Teresa; Cerrón, Fernando; Nieto-Ortega, Belén; Latorre, Alfonso; Somoza, Álvaro; Ibarra, Borja; Pérez, Emilio M

    2017-09-01

    Decades after the birth of supramolecular chemistry, there are many techniques to measure noncovalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonding, under equilibrium conditions. As ensembles of molecules rapidly lose coherence, we cannot extrapolate bulk data to single-molecule events under non-equilibrium conditions, more relevant to the dynamics of biological systems. We present a new method that exploits the high force resolution of optical tweezers to measure at the single molecule level the mechanical strength of a hydrogen bonded host-guest pair out of equilibrium and under near-physiological conditions. We utilize a DNA reporter to unambiguously isolate single binding events. The Hamilton receptor-cyanuric acid host-guest system is used as a test bed. The force required to dissociate the host-guest system is ∼17 pN and increases with the pulling rate as expected for a system under non-equilibrium conditions. Blocking one of the hydrogen bonding sites results in a significant decrease of the force-to-break by 1-2 pN, pointing out the ability of the method to resolve subtle changes in the mechanical strength of the binding due to the individual H-bonding components. We believe the method will prove to be a versatile tool to address important questions in supramolecular chemistry.

  9. Supramolecular chemistry at interfaces: host-guest interactions for fabricating multifunctional biointerfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Hui; Yuan, Bin; Zhang, Xi; Scherman, Oren A

    2014-07-15

    CONSPECTUS: Host-guest chemistry can greatly improve the selectivity of biomolecule-ligand binding on account of recognition-directed interactions. In addition, functional structures and the actuation of supramolecular assemblies in molecular systems can be controlled efficiently through various host-guest chemistry. Together, these highly selective, strong yet dynamic interactions can be exploited as an alternative methodology for applications in the field of programmable and controllable engineering of supramolecular soft materials through the reversible binding between complementary components. Many processes in living systems such as biotransformation, transportation of matter, and energy transduction begin with interfacial molecular recognition, which is greatly influenced by various external stimuli at biointerfaces. Detailed investigations about the molecular recognition at interfaces can result in a better understanding of life science, and further guide us in developing new biomaterials and medicines. In order to mimic complicated molecular-recognition systems observed in nature that adapt to changes in their environment, combining host-guest chemistry and surface science is critical for fabricating the next generation of multifunctional biointerfaces with efficient stimuli-responsiveness and good biocompatibility. In this Account, we will summarize some recent progress on multifunctional stimuli-responsive biointerfaces and biosurfaces fabricated by cyclodextrin- or cucurbituril-based host-guest chemistry and highlight their potential applications including drug delivery, bioelectrocatalysis, and reversible adsorption and resistance of peptides, proteins, and cells. In addition, these biointerfaces and biosurfaces demonstrate efficient response toward various external stimuli, such as UV light, pH, redox chemistry, and competitive guests. All of these external stimuli can aid in mimicking the biological stimuli evident in complex biological environments

  10. Supramolecular Host-Guest System as Ratiometric Fe3+ Ion Sensor Based on Water-Soluble Pillar[5]arene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Qianfang; Lü, Baozhong; Ji, Chendong; Cai, Yang; Yin, Meizhen

    2017-10-18

    Developing a specific, ratiometric, and reversible detection method for metal ions is significant to guard against the threat of metal-caused environmental pollution and organisms poisoning. Here a supramolecular host-guest system (WP5⊃G) based on water-soluble pillar[5]arene (WP5) and water-soluble quaternized perylene diimide derivative (G) was constructed. Morphological transformation was achieved during the process of adding WP5 into G aqueous solution, and a fluorescence "turn-off" phenomenon was observed which was caused by supramolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PET). Meanwhile, hydrophobic effect and electrostatic interaction played important roles in this supramolecular process, which was confirmed by isothermal titration calorimeter (ITC) and ζ potential experiments. Furthermore, the supramolecular host-guest system could be a "turn-on" fluorescent probe for Fe 3+ ion detection through the process of interdicting supramolecular PET. Moreover, the Fe 3+ ion detection showed specific, ratiometric, and reversible performances with a detection limit of 2.13 × 10 -7 M, which might have great potentials in biological and environmental monitoring.

  11. Vibrational spectroscopic and gravimetric study of some Hofmann-CBA-Type Host and host-guest compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aytekin, M.A.

    2005-01-01

    In this study, similar to Hofmann type M(C 4 H 7 NH 2 ) 2 Ni(CN) 4 (M=Ni or Co) host and M(C 4 H 7 NH 2 ) 2 Ni(CN) 4 .nG (M=Ni or Co; G=benzene, 1,2-, 1,3-dichlorobenzene; n=the number of guest) hostguest compounds were obtained chemically. The infrared spectra of these compounds were recorded with FT-IR spectrometer in the spectroscopic region of 4000cm-1-400cm-1. From these spectra the vibrational wave numbers of ligand molecule, Ni(CN) 4 2 - ion and guest molecules were determined. The absorption and the liberation processes of the guest molecules in the host compounds were examined at room temperature by gravimetric method. Otherwise, it was seen that the molecular structure was supported by making instrumental analysis of host and some host-guest compounds. By analysing the structures of host and host-guest compounds were found to be similar to those of Hofmann type compounds, ligand molecule cyclobutylamine were coordinated to M metal atom from cyclobutylamine's nitrogen atom, the guest molecules were imprisoned in the structural cavities between the sheets

  12. The synthesis and host-guest applications of synthetic receptor molecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osner, Zachary R.

    2011-12-01

    Host-guest chemistry involves the complimentary binding between two molecules. Host molecules have been synthesized to bind negative, positive, and neutral molecules such as proteins and enzymes, and have been used as optical sensors, electrochemical sensors, supramolecular catalysts, and in the pharmaceutical industry as anti-cancer agents.1 The field of nanoscience has exploited guest-host interactions to create optical sensors with colloidal gold and Dip-Pen nanolithography technologies. Gold nanoparticles, have been functionalized with DNA, and have been developed as a selective colorimetric detection system, that upon binding turns the solution from a red to blue in color.2 Cyclotriveratrylene (CTV) 1 is a common supramolecular scaffold that has been previously employed in guest-host chemistry, and the construction of CTV involves the cyclic trimerization of veratryl alcohol via the veratryl cation.3 Due to the rigid bowl shaped structure of CTV, CTV has been shown to act as a host molecule for fullerene-C60.4 Lectin binding receptor proteins are a specific class of proteins found in bacteria, viruses, plants, and animals that can bind to complimentary carbohydrates. It is these lectins that are believed to be responsible for cell-cell interactions and the formation of biofilms in pathenogenic bacteria.5 P. aeruginosa is a pathenogenic bacterium, shown to have a high resistance to many antibiotics, which can form biofilms in human lung tissue, causing respiratory tract infections in patients with compromised immune systems. 5 I will exploit guest-host interactions to create synthetic supramolecular and carbohydrate receptor molecules to that will be of use as biological sensing devices via self-assembled monolayers on solid surfaces and nanoparticle technologies. *Please refer to dissertation for references/footnotes.

  13. Can we beat the biotin-avidin pair?: cucurbit[7]uril-based ultrahigh affinity host-guest complexes and their applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shetty, Dinesh; Khedkar, Jayshree K; Park, Kyeng Min; Kim, Kimoon

    2015-12-07

    The design of synthetic, monovalent host-guest molecular recognition pairs is still challenging and of particular interest to inquire into the limits of the affinity that can be achieved with designed systems. In this regard, cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]), an important member of the host family cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n], n = 5-8, 10, 14), has attracted much attention because of its ability to form ultra-stable complexes with multiple guests. The strong hydrophobic effect between the host cavity and guests, ion-dipole and dipole-dipole interactions of guests with CB portals helps in cooperative and multiple noncovalent interactions that are essential for realizing such strong complexations. These highly selective, strong yet dynamic interactions can be exploited in many applications including affinity chromatography, biomolecule immobilization, protein isolation, biological catalysis, and sensor technologies. In this review, we summarize the progress in the development of high affinity guests for CB[7], factors affecting the stability of complexes, theoretical insights, and the utility of these high affinity pairs in different challenging applications.

  14. Paramagnetic NMR investigation of dendrimer-based host-guest interactions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fei Wang

    Full Text Available In this study, the host-guest behavior of poly(amidoamine (PAMAM dendrimers bearing amine, hydroxyl, or carboxylate surface functionalities were investigated by paramagnetic NMR studies. 2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidinyloxy (TEMPO derivatives were used as paramagnetic guest molecules. The results showed that TEMPO-COOH significantly broaden the ¹H NMR peaks of amine- and hydroxyl-terminated PAMAM dendrimers. In comparison, no paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE was observed between TEMPO-NH₂, TEMPO-OH and the three types of PAMAM dendrimers. The PRE phenomenon observed is correlated with the encapsulation of TEMPO-COOH within dendrimer pockets. Protonation of the tertiary amine groups within PAMAM dendrimers plays an important role during this process. Interestingly, the absence of TEMPO-COOH encapsulation within carboxylate-terminated PAMAM dendrimer is observed due to the repulsion of TEMPO-COO- anion and anionic dendrimer surface. The combination of paramagnetic probes and ¹H NMR linewidth analysis can be used as a powerful tool in the analysis of dendrimer-based host-guest systems.

  15. Selectivity and stoichiometry boosting of beta-cyclodextrin in cationic/anionic surfactant systems: when host-guest equilibrium meets biased aggregation equilibrium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Lingxiang; Yu, Caifang; Deng, Manli; Jin, Changwen; Wang, Yilin; Yan, Yun; Huang, Jianbin

    2010-02-18

    Cationic surfactant/anionic surfactant/beta-CD ternary aqueous systems provide a platform for the coexistence of the host-guest (beta-CD/surfactant) equilibrium and the biased aggregation (monomeric/aggregated surfactants) equilibrium. We report here that the interplay between the two equilibria dominates the systems as follows. (1) The biased aggregation equilibrium imposes an apparent selectivity on the host-guest equilibrium, namely, beta-CD has to always selectively bind the major surfactant (molar fraction > 0.5) even if binding constants of beta-CD to the pair of surfactants are quite similar. (2) In return, the host-guest equilibrium amplifies the bias of the aggregation equilibrium, that is, the selective binding partly removes the major surfactant from the aggregates and leaves the aggregate composition approaching the electroneutral mixing stoichiometry. (3) This composition variation enhances electrostatic attractions between oppositely charged surfactant head groups, thus resulting in less-curved aggregates. In particular, the present apparent host-guest selectivity is of remarkably high values, and the selectivity stems from the bias of the aggregation equilibrium rather than the difference in binding constants. Moreover, beta-CD is defined as a "stoichiometry booster" for the whole class of cationic/anionic surfactant systems, which provides an additional degree of freedom to directly adjust aggregate compositions of the systems. The stoichiometry boosting of the compositions can in turn affect or even determine microstructures and macroproperties of the systems.

  16. Circularly Polarized Luminescence from Inorganic Materials: Encapsulating Guest Lanthanide Oxides in Chiral Silica Hosts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugimoto, Masumi; Liu, Xin-Ling; Tsunega, Seiji; Nakajima, Erika; Abe, Shunsuke; Nakashima, Takuya; Kawai, Tsuyoshi; Jin, Ren-Hua

    2018-05-02

    Recently, circularly polarized luminescence (CPL)-active systems have become a very hot and interesting subject in chirality- and optics-related areas. The CPL-active systems are usually available by two approaches: covalently combining a luminescent centre to chiral motif or associating the guest of luminescent probe to a chiral host. However, all the chiral components in CPL materials were organic, although the luminescent components were alternatively organics or inorganics. Herein, the first totally inorganic CPL-active system by "luminescent guest-chiral host" strategy is proposed. Luminescent sub-10 nm lanthanide oxides (Eu 2 O 3 or Tb 2 O 3 ) nanoparticles (guests) were encapsulated into chiral non-helical SiO 2 nanofibres (host) through calcination of chiral SiO 2 hybrid nanofibres, trapping Eu 3+ (or Tb 3+ ). These lanthanide oxides display circular dichroism (CD) optical activity in the ultraviolet wavelength and CPL signals around at 615 nm for Eu 3+ and 545 nm for Tb 3+ . This work has implications for inorganic-based CPL-active systems by incorporation of various luminescent guests within chiral inorganic hosts. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Engineering responsive polymer building blocks with host-guest molecular recognition for functional applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jinming; Liu, Shiyong

    2014-07-15

    further broadened responsiveness to external stimuli and accordingly more sophisticated functions. In this Account, we summarize recent progress in the field of responsive polymeric materials containing host-guest recognition motifs with selected examples and highlight their versatile functional applications, whereas small molecule-oriented host-guest supramolecular systems are excluded. We demonstrate how the introduction of host-guest chemistry into conventional polymer systems can modulate their responsive modes to external stimuli. Moreover, the responsive specificity and selectivity of polymeric systems can also be inherited from the host-guest recognition motifs, and these features provide extra advantages in terms of function integration. The following discussions are categorized in terms of design and functions, namely, host-guest chemistry toward the fabrication of responsive polymers and assemblies, optical sensing and imaging, drug and gene delivery, and self-healing materials. A concluding remark on future developments is also presented. We wish this prosperous field would incur more original and evolutionary ideas and benefit fundamental research and our daily life in a more convenient way.

  18. Energy-cascade organic photovoltaic devices incorporating a host-guest architecture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menke, S Matthew; Holmes, Russell J

    2015-02-04

    In planar heterojunction organic photovoltaic devices (OPVs), broad spectral coverage can be realized by incorporating multiple molecular absorbers in an energy-cascade architecture. Here, this approach is combined with a host-guest donor layer architecture previously shown to optimize exciton transport for the fluorescent organic semiconductor boron subphthalocyanine chloride (SubPc) when diluted in an optically transparent host. In order to maximize the absorption efficiency, energy-cascade OPVs that utilize both photoactive host and guest donor materials are examined using the pairing of SubPc and boron subnaphthalocyanine chloride (SubNc), respectively. In a planar heterojunction architecture, excitons generated on the SubPc host rapidly energy transfer to the SubNc guest, where they may migrate toward the dissociating, donor-acceptor interface. Overall, the incorporation of a photoactive host leads to a 13% enhancement in the short-circuit current density and a 20% enhancement in the power conversion efficiency relative to an optimized host-guest OPV combining SubNc with a nonabsorbing host. This work underscores the potential for further design refinements in planar heterojunction OPVs and demonstrates progress toward the effective separation of functionality between constituent OPV materials.

  19. Selective Organic and Organometallic Reactions in Water-Soluble Host-Guest Supramolecular Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pluth, Michael D.; Raymond, Kenneth N.; Bergman, Robert G.

    2008-02-16

    Inspired by the efficiency and selectivity of enzymes, synthetic chemists have designed and prepared a wide range of host molecules that can bind smaller molecules with their cavities; this area has become known as 'supramolecular' or 'host-guest' chemistry. Pioneered by Lehn, Cram, Pedersen, and Breslow, and followed up by a large number of more recent investigators, it has been found that the chemical environment in each assembly - defined by the size, shape, charge, and functional group availability - greatly influences the guest-binding characteristics of these compounds. In contrast to the large number of binding studies that have been carried out in this area, the exploration of chemistry - especially catalytic chemistry - that can take place inside supramolecular host cavities is still in its infancy. For example, until the work described here was carried out, very few examples of organometallic reactivity inside supramolecular hosts were known, especially in water solution. For that reason, our group and the group directed by Kenneth Raymond decided to take advantage of our complementary expertise and attempt to carry out metal-mediated C-H bond activation reactions in water-soluble supramolecular systems. This article begins by providing background from the Raymond group in supramolecular coordination chemistry and the Bergman group in C-H bond activation. It goes on to report the results of our combined efforts in supramolecular C-H activation reactions, followed by extensions of this work into a wider range of intracavity transformations.

  20. Molecular recognition: Comparative study of a tunable host-guest system by using a fluorescent model system and collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry on dendrimers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pittelkow, M.; Nielsen, C.B.; Broeren, A.C.

    2005-01-01

    Host-guest interactions between the periphery of adamantylurea-functionalized dendrimers (host) and ureido acetic acid derivatives (guest) were shown to be specific, strong and spatially well-defined. The binding becomes stronger when using phosphonic or sulfonic acid derivatives. In the present...... work we have quantified the binding constants for the host-guest interactions between two different host motifs and six different guest molecules. The host molecules, which resemble the periphery of a poly(propylene imine) dendrimer, have been fitted with an anthracene-based fluorescent probe. The two...... host motifs differ in terms of the length of the spacer between a tertiary amine and two ureido functionalities. The guest molecules all contain an acidic moiety (either a carboxylic acid, a phosphonic acid, or a sulfonic acid) and three of them also contain an ureido moiety capable of forming multiple...

  1. Computations between metallocalix(4)arene host and a series of four oil-based fuel pollutant guests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pathak, D.A.; Street, N.C.

    2006-01-01

    Calculations using PM3 and mechanics methods on metallocalix(4)arene hosts (1-10) and substituted dibenzothiophene guests (A-D), which are generally known as oil-based fuel pollutants, show that host-guest formation is energetically favored. Calculations have been carried out for both 1/1 and 1/4 ratios of host/guest. There is no direct bonding between the metal center of the host and the sulfur of the guest in the host-guest complex. Sterically hundered dibenzothiophene guests show similar energies to the unhindered analogs. For calix(4)arenas (5-10) in partial cone conformations and having hydrogen rather than p-tert-butyl groups on the wide rim, host-guest formation occurs within the narrow rim rather than the wide rim. Host-guest association appears to occur via Pie-Pie interactions between host and guest phenyl groups rather than via metal-sulfur bonding. The study has importance especially in oil refining to obtain environmentally safe fuel oils and help supramolecular chemists in designing and synthesizing more sophisticated host molecules for the removal of sulfur from crude oil / refinery oil. (author)

  2. Host-guest chemistry of dendrimer-drug complexes. 2. Effects of molecular properties of guests and surface functionalities of dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jingjing; Cheng, Yiyun; Wu, Qinglin; Zhao, Libo; Xu, Tongwen

    2009-08-06

    The host-guest chemistry of dendrimer-drug complexes is investigated by NMR techniques, including (1)H NMR and 2D-NOESY studies. The effects of molecular properties of drug molecules (protonation ability and spatial steric hindrance of charged groups) and surface functionalities of dendrimers (positively charged amine groups and negatively charged carboxylate groups) on the host-guest interactions are discussed. Different interaction mechanisms between dendrimers and drug molecules are proposed on the basis of NMR results. Primary amine- and secondary amine-containing drugs preferentially bind to negatively charged dendrimers by strong electrostatic interactions, whereas tertiary amine and quaternary ammonium-containing drugs have weak binding ability with dendrimers due to relatively low protonation ability of the tertiary amine group and serious steric hindrance of the quaternary ammonium group. Positively charged drugs locate only on the surface of negatively charged dendrimers, whereas negatively charged drugs locate both on the surface and in the interior cavities of positively charged dendrimers. The host-guest chemistry of dendrimer-drug complexes is promising for the development of new drug delivery systems.

  3. Incommensurate host-guest structures in compressed elements: Hume—Rothery effects as origin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Degtyareva, V F

    2015-01-01

    Discovery of the incommensurate structure in the element Ba under pressure 15 years ago was followed by findings of a series of similar structures in other compressed elements. Incommensurately modulated structures of the host-guest type consist of a tetragonal host structure and a guest structure. The guest structure forms chains of atoms embedded in the channels of host atoms so that the axial ratio of these subcells along the c axis is not rational. Two types of the host-guest structures have been found so far: with the host cells containing 8 atoms and 16 atoms; in these both types the guest cells contain 2 atoms. These crystal structures contain a non-integer number of atoms in their unit cell: tI11* in Bi, Sb, As, Ba, Sr, Sc and tI19* in Na, K, Rb. We consider here a close structural relationship of these host-guest structures with the binary alloy phase Au 3 Cd 5 -tI32. This phase is related to the family of the Hume-Rothery phases that is stabilized by the Fermi sphere-Brillouin zone interaction. From similar considerations for alkali and alkaline-earth elements a necessary condition for structural stability emerges in which the valence electrons band overlaps with the upper core electrons and the valence electron count increases under compression. (paper)

  4. Identification of Guest-Host Inclusion Complexes in the Gas Phase by Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendes, De´bora C.; Ramamurthy, Vaidhyanathan; Da Silva, Jose´ P.

    2015-01-01

    In this laboratory experiment, students follow a step-by-step procedure to prepare and study guest-host complexes in the gas phase using electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Model systems are the complexes of hosts cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) and cucurbit[8]uril (CB8) with the guest 4-styrylpyridine (SP). Aqueous solutions of CB7 or CB8…

  5. Host-Guest Interaction between Corona[n]arene and Bisquaternary Ammonium Derivatives for Fabricating Supra-Amphiphile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Lingda; Guo, Qing-Hui; Feng, Yuanning; Xu, Jiang-Fei; Wei, Yuhan; Li, Zhibo; Wang, Mei-Xiang; Zhang, Xi

    2017-06-13

    The interactions between a host, water-soluble corona[n]arene (S6-CAP), and a series of guests, bisquaternary ammonium derivatives (CnDAs), in water, were investigated. The host and guest can form 1:1 host-guest complex. Their binding constants decrease as the alkyl length of CnDAs increases, which can be tunable ranging from 10 3 to 10 6 M -1 . The binding processes are mainly entropy-driven, while the enthalpy changes also play an important role in enhancing the host-guest interactions. In addition, a supra-amphiphile was fabricated with S6-CAP and a normal surfactant bearing bisquaternary ammonium (C4R). The S6-CAP·C4R complex forms micellar aggregates in water, and the system possesses better assembling activity and dilution stability than its building block C4R. This study enriches the families of supra-amphiphiles with a new architecture, and employing such a supra-amphiphile in biofunctional materials is highly anticipated.

  6. Mechanism of host-guest complexation by cucurbituril.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Márquez, César; Hudgins, Robert R; Nau, Werner M

    2004-05-12

    The factors affecting host-guest complexation between the molecular container compound cucurbit[6]uril (CB6) and various guests in aqueous solution are studied, and a detailed complexation mechanism in the presence of cations is derived. The formation of the supramolecular complex is studied in detail for cyclohexylmethylammonium ion as guest. The kinetics and thermodynamics of complexation is monitored by NMR as a function of temperature, salt concentration, and cation size. The binding constants and the ingression rate constants decrease with increasing salt concentration and cation-binding constant, in agreement with a competitive binding of the ammonium site of the guest and the metal cation with the ureido carbonyl portals of CB6. Studies as a function of guest size indicate that the effective container volume of the CB6 cavity is approximately 105 A(3). It is suggested that larger guests are excluded for two reasons: a high activation barrier for ingression imposed by the tight CB6 portals and a destabilization of the complex due to steric repulsion inside. For example, in the case of the nearly spherical azoalkane homologues 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene (DBH, volume ca. 96 A(3)) and 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene (DBO, volume ca. 110 A(3)), the former forms the CB6 complex promptly with a sizable binding constant (1300 M(-1)), while the latter does not form a complex even after several months at optimized complexation conditions. Molecular mechanics calculations are performed for several CB6/guest complexes. A qualitative agreement is found between experimental and calculated activation energies for ingression as a function of both guest size and state of protonation. The potential role of constrictive binding by CB6 is discussed.

  7. Host-guest complexes between cucurbit[n]urils and acetanilides having aminopropyl units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buaki-Sogo, Mireia; Montes-Navajas, Pedro; Alvaro, Mercedes; Garcia, Hermenegildo

    2013-06-01

    2-(Propylamino)acetamide of aniline (1a), and bis-2-(propylamino)acetamide of ortho- (1b) and para-(1c) phenylenediamine form host-guest complexes with CB[6], CB[7] and CB[8] as evidenced by the variations in the (1)H NMR spectroscopy chemical shifts and observation in MALDI-TOF-MS and ESI-MS of ions at the corresponding mass. Binding constants for the 1:1 complexes were estimated from fluorescence titrations and were in the range 10(5)-10(6)M(-1). Models based on molecular mechanics for these supramolecular complexes are provided. In spite of the different geometries arising from the ortho- or para-substitution, phenylenediamides form complexes of similar strength in which the hydrophobic alkyl chains are accommodated inside the host cavity. Formation of these host-guest complexes in the solid state was also achieved by modifying an aminopropyl silica with chloroacetanilides and preparing three silica having analogues of compounds 1a-c anchored to the solid particles. Titrations showed, however, that these solids can adsorb a large percentage of CBs by unselective interactions that are not related to the formation of inclusion complexes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. A Pyrene- and Phosphonate-Containing Fluorescent Probe as Guest Molecule in a Host Polymer Matrix

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacqueline Marchand-Brynaert

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available New host-guest materials have been prepared by incorporation of a home-made organic probe displaying a pyrene motif and a phosphonate function into a regular amphiphilic copolymer. Using powder X-Ray diffraction, photoluminescence and FT-IR spectroscopy, we have been able to study the non-covalent interactions between the host matrix and the guest molecule in the solid state. Interestingly, we have shown that the matrix directs the guest spatial localization and alters its properties. Thanks to the comparison of pyrene vs. N-pyrenylmaleimide derivatives, the influence of the chemical nature of the guest molecules on the non-covalent interactions with the host have been studied. In addition, using polyethylene glycol as a reference host, we have been able to evidence a true matrix effect within our new insertion materials. The phosphonated guest molecule appears to be a novel probe targeting the hydrophilic domain of the host copolymer.

  9. Vibrational spectroscopic and quantum theoretical study of host-guest interactions in clathrates: I. Hofmann type clathrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    VLADIMIR M. PETRUSEVSKI

    2000-06-01

    Full Text Available Hofmann type clatharates are host-guest compounds with the general formula M(NH32M'(CN4·2G, in which M(NH32M'(CN4 is the host lattice and G is benzene, the guest molecule. In previous studies, host-guest interactions have been investigated by analyzing the RT and LNT vibrational (infrared, far infrared and Raman spectra of these clathrates. All the observed changes in the vibrational spectra of these clathrates are referred to a host-guest interaction originating from weak hydrogen bonding between the ammonia hydrogen atoms from the host lattice and the p electron cloud of the guest (benzene molecules. In order to obtain an insight into the relative importance of the local crystalline field vs. the anharmonicity effects on the spectroscopic properties of the guest species upon enclathration, as well as to explain the observed band shifts and splittings, several quantum theoretical approaches are proposed.

  10. From Having Fun to Applause: The Study of Relationships among Festival Benefits, Festival Identity and Festival Support by Viewpoints of the Hosts and Guests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kai-Chih Chang

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The sustainable development of the festival depends on the support and participation of residents and tourists. There are a number of practical and theoretical gaps regarding the hosts and guests in festival literature. This study attempts to fill the host–guest gap based on the theory of reasoned action to construct and exam a relationship model. Taking the 2016 Summer Festival during busy season as an example in Hualien, 1165 questionnaires were valid, and data were analyzed by SEM (structural equation modeling. Results showed that the hosts had higher perception than the guests in terms of the festival benefits, identity, and support. This study has two concept models: the guest model and the host model. In the host model, the local-development benefits have more positive relationships to affect the festival support and festival identity than the recreation-experience benefits. On the other hand, the recreation-experience benefits could affect the festival support, but the festival identity could not in the guest model. The results of this study indicate that the festival organizers or the public sectors must be pay attention to the viewpoints of the guests and hosts in order to achieve the sustainable development objectives.

  11. Multifunctional guest-host particles engineered by reversal nanoimprint lithography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ha, Uh-Myong; Kaban, Burhan; Tomita, Andreea; Krekić, Kristijan; Klintuch, Dieter; Pietschnig, Rudolf; Ehresmann, Arno; Holzinger, Dennis; Hillmer, Hartmut

    2018-03-01

    Particulate polymeric microfibers with incorporated europium(III)oxide (Eu2O3) nanoparticles were introduced as a magneto-photoluminescent multifunctional material fabricated via reversal nanoimprint lithography. To specifically address the volume properties of these guest-host particles, the guest, Eu2O3, was milled down to an average particle size of 350 nm in diameter and mixed with the host-polymer, AMONIL®, before in situ hardening in the imprint stamp. The variation of the fabrication process parameters, i.e. delay time, spin coating speed, as well as the concentration of Eu2O3 nanoparticles was proven to have a significant impact on both the structure quality and the stamp release of the microfibers with respect to the formation of a thinner residual layer. Structural characterization performed by SEM revealed optimum fabrication process parameters for a homogeneous spatial distribution of Eu2O3 nanoparticles within the microfibers while simultaneously avoiding the formation of undesired agglomerates. The magneto-photoluminescent properties of Eu2O3 nanoparticles, i.e. a red emission at 613 nm and a paramagnetic response, were found to be superimposed to the optic and the diamagnetic behaviors of AMONIL®. The results imply that guest-host interdependence of these properties can be excluded and that the suggested technique enables for specific tailoring of particulate multifunctional materials with focus on their volume properties.

  12. Hydrogen bonding assemblies in host guest complexes with 18-crown-6

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fonari, M. S.; Simonov, Yu. A.; Kravtsov, V. Ch.; Lipkowski, J.; Ganin, E. V.; Yavolovskii, A. A.

    2003-02-01

    Recent X-ray crystal structural data for two novel 1:2 host-guest complexes of 18-crown-6 with neutral organic molecules, thiaamide hydrazide of 2-aminobenzoic acid and thiaamide hydrazide of 4-amino-1,2,5-thiadiazole-3-carbonic acid are reported. The supramolecular structures of these two and five relative complexes are discussed from the point of view of participation of donor groups in coordination with the crown ether, and donor and acceptor groups in the self-assembly of the guest molecules. Guest molecules have incorporated amine and hydrazine moieties as proton donors and carbonyl oxygen and sulfur (in thiadiazole and in thiaamine moieties) as proton acceptors. The guest-guest interactions appeared to be crucial in the final architecture.

  13. Toward Improved Force-Field Accuracy through Sensitivity Analysis of Host-Guest Binding Thermodynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Jian; Fenley, Andrew T.; Henriksen, Niel M.; Gilson, Michael K.

    2015-01-01

    Improving the capability of atomistic computer models to predict the thermodynamics of noncovalent binding is critical for successful structure-based drug design, and the accuracy of such calculations remains limited by non-optimal force field parameters. Ideally, one would incorporate protein-ligand affinity data into force field parametrization, but this would be inefficient and costly. We now demonstrate that sensitivity analysis can be used to efficiently tune Lennard-Jones parameters of aqueous host-guest systems for increasingly accurate calculations of binding enthalpy. These results highlight the promise of a comprehensive use of calorimetric host-guest binding data, along with existing validation data sets, to improve force field parameters for the simulation of noncovalent binding, with the ultimate goal of making protein-ligand modeling more accurate and hence speeding drug discovery. PMID:26181208

  14. SANS contrast variation on a dendrimer host-guest complex

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kleppinger, R.; Mortensen, K.; Meijer, E.W.

    2002-01-01

    Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) technique was used to study the configurational changes in an oligoethyleneoxy-functionalized poly(propyleneimine) dendrimer (host) when forming complexes with rose bengal (guest). Guinier fits to the scattering data recorded at max. contrast indicated a

  15. Observation of the energy transfer sequence in an organic host–guest system of a luminescent polymer and a phosphorescent molecule

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basel, Tek; Sun, Dali; Gautam, Bhoj; Valy Vardeny, Z.

    2014-01-01

    We used steady state optical spectroscopies such as photoluminescence and photoinduced absorption (PA), and magnetic-field PA (MPA) for studying the energy transfer dynamics in films and organic light emitting diodes (OLED) based on host–guest blends with different guest concentrations of the fluorescent polymer poly-[2-methoxy, 5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)phenylene vinylene] (MEHPPV-host), and phosphorescent molecule PtII-tetraphenyltetrabenzoporphyrin [Pt(tpbp); guest]. We show that the energy transfer process between the excited states of the host polymer and guest molecule takes a ‘ping-pong’ type sequence, because the lowest guest triplet exciton energy, E T (guest), lies higher than that of the host, E T (host). Upon photon excitation the photogenerated singlet excitons in the host polymer chains first undergo a Förster resonant energy transfer process to the guest singlet manifold, which subsequently reaches E T (guest) by intersystem crossing. Because E T (guest)>E T (host) there is a subsequent Dexter type energy transfer from E T (guest) to E T (host). This energy transfer sequence has profound influence on the photoluminescence and electroluminescence emission spectra in both films and OLED devices based on the MEHPPV-Pt(tpbp) system. - Highlights: • We studied electroluminescence of OLEDs based on host–guest blends. • The emission efficiency decreases with the guest concentration. • We found a dominant Dexter energy transfer from the triplet(guest) to triplet(host). • Energy transfer occurs from the host to guest and back to the host again

  16. Host-guest interaction of styrene and ethylbenzene in MIL-53 studied by solid-state NMR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shenhui; Li, Jing; Tang, Jing; Deng, Feng

    Solid-state NMR was utilized to explore the host-guest interaction between adsorbate and adsorbent at atomic level to understand the separation mechanism of styrene (St) and ethylbenzene (EB) in MIL-53(Al). 13 C- 27 Al double-resonance NMR experiments revealed that the host-guest interaction between St and MIL-53 was much stronger than that of EB adsorption. In addition, 13 C DIPSHIFT experiments suggested that the adsorbed St was less mobile than EB confined inside the MIL-53 pore. Furthermore, the host-guest interaction model between St, EB and MIL-53 was established on the basis of the spatial proximities information extracted from 2D 1 H- 1 H homo-nuclear correlation NMR experiments. According to the experimental observation from solid-state NMR, it was found that the presence of π-π interaction between St and MIL-53 resulted in the stronger host-guest interaction and less mobility of St. This work provides direct experimental evidence for understanding the separation mechanism of St and EB using MIL-53 as an adsorbent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Observation of the energy transfer sequence in an organic host–guest system of a luminescent polymer and a phosphorescent molecule

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Basel, Tek; Sun, Dali; Gautam, Bhoj; Valy Vardeny, Z., E-mail: val@physics.utah.edu

    2014-11-15

    We used steady state optical spectroscopies such as photoluminescence and photoinduced absorption (PA), and magnetic-field PA (MPA) for studying the energy transfer dynamics in films and organic light emitting diodes (OLED) based on host–guest blends with different guest concentrations of the fluorescent polymer poly-[2-methoxy, 5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)phenylene vinylene] (MEHPPV-host), and phosphorescent molecule PtII-tetraphenyltetrabenzoporphyrin [Pt(tpbp); guest]. We show that the energy transfer process between the excited states of the host polymer and guest molecule takes a ‘ping-pong’ type sequence, because the lowest guest triplet exciton energy, E{sub T}(guest), lies higher than that of the host, E{sub T}(host). Upon photon excitation the photogenerated singlet excitons in the host polymer chains first undergo a Förster resonant energy transfer process to the guest singlet manifold, which subsequently reaches E{sub T}(guest) by intersystem crossing. Because E{sub T}(guest)>E{sub T}(host) there is a subsequent Dexter type energy transfer from E{sub T}(guest) to E{sub T}(host). This energy transfer sequence has profound influence on the photoluminescence and electroluminescence emission spectra in both films and OLED devices based on the MEHPPV-Pt(tpbp) system. - Highlights: • We studied electroluminescence of OLEDs based on host–guest blends. • The emission efficiency decreases with the guest concentration. • We found a dominant Dexter energy transfer from the triplet(guest) to triplet(host). • Energy transfer occurs from the host to guest and back to the host again.

  18. Supramolecular dendritic pi-conjugated systems: synthesis of glycinylurea functionalized pi-conjugated diphenylanthracene guests and their complexation with dendritic hosts. Part I.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Precup, F.S.; Schenning, A.P.H.J.; Meijer, E.W.; Hubca, G.

    2007-01-01

    Glycinylurea functionalized p-conjugated diphenylanthracene guests (DPA guests) that bind to adamantyl urea modified dendritic hosts were synthesized and fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR) and MALDI-TOF-MS. The resulting supramolecular assemblies have been investigated with

  19. Structural transitions and guest/host complexing of liquid crystal helical nanofilaments induced by nanoconfinement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hanim; Ryu, Seong Ho; Tuchband, Michael; Shin, Tae Joo; Korblova, Eva; Walba, David M; Clark, Noel A; Yoon, Dong Ki

    2017-02-01

    A lamellar liquid crystal (LC) phase of certain bent-core mesogenic molecules can be grown in a manner that generates a single chiral helical nanofilament in each of the cylindrical nanopores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane. By introducing guest molecules into the resulting composite chiral nanochannels, we explore the structures and functionality of the ordered guest/host LC complex, verifying the smectic-like positional order of the fluidic nematic LC phase, which is obtained by the combination of the LC organization and the nanoporous AAO superstructure. The guest nematic LC 4'- n -pentyl-4-cyanobiphenyl is found to form a distinctive fluid layered ordered LC complex at the nanofilament/guest interface with the host 1,3-phenylene bis[4-(4-nonyloxyphenyliminomethyl)benzoate], where this interface contacts the AAO cylinder wall. Filament growth form is strongly influenced by mixture parameters and pore dimensions.

  20. Force and Stress along Simulated Dissociation Pathways of Cucurbituril-Guest Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velez-Vega, Camilo; Gilson, Michael K

    2012-03-13

    The field of host-guest chemistry provides computationally tractable yet informative model systems for biomolecular recognition. We applied molecular dynamics simulations to study the forces and mechanical stresses associated with forced dissociation of aqueous cucurbituril-guest complexes with high binding affinities. First, the unbinding transitions were modeled with constant velocity pulling (steered dynamics) and a soft spring constant, to model atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments. The computed length-force profiles yield rupture forces in good agreement with available measurements. We also used steered dynamics with high spring constants to generate paths characterized by a tight control over the specified pulling distance; these paths were then equilibrated via umbrella sampling simulations and used to compute time-averaged mechanical stresses along the dissociation pathways. The stress calculations proved to be informative regarding the key interactions determining the length-force profiles and rupture forces. In particular, the unbinding transition of one complex is found to be a stepwise process, which is initially dominated by electrostatic interactions between the guest's ammoniums and the host's carbonyl groups, and subsequently limited by the extraction of the guest's bulky bicyclooctane moiety; the latter step requires some bond stretching at the cucurbituril's extraction portal. Conversely, the dissociation of a second complex with a more slender guest is mainly driven by successive electrostatic interactions between the different guest's ammoniums and the host's carbonyl groups. The calculations also provide information on the origins of thermodynamic irreversibilities in these forced dissociation processes.

  1. Defined Host-Guest Chemistry on Nanocarbon for Sustained Inhibition of Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ostadhossein, Fatemeh; Misra, Santosh K; Mukherjee, Prabuddha; Ostadhossein, Alireza; Daza, Enrique; Tiwari, Saumya; Mittal, Shachi; Gryka, Mark C; Bhargava, Rohit; Pan, Dipanjan

    2016-08-22

    Signal transducer and activator of transcription factor 3 (STAT-3) is known to be overexpressed in cancer stem cells. Poor solubility and variable drug absorption are linked to low bioavailability and decreased efficacy. Many of the drugs regulating STAT-3 expression lack aqueous solubility; hence hindering efficient bioavailability. A theranostics nanoplatform based on luminescent carbon particles decorated with cucurbit[6]uril is introduced for enhancing the solubility of niclosamide, a STAT-3 inhibitor. The host-guest chemistry between cucurbit[6]uril and niclosamide makes the delivery of the hydrophobic drug feasible while carbon nanoparticles enhance cellular internalization. Extensive physicochemical characterizations confirm successful synthesis. Subsequently, the host-guest chemistry of niclosamide and cucurbit[6]uril is studied experimentally and computationally. In vitro assessments in human breast cancer cells indicate approximately twofold enhancement in IC 50 of drug. Fourier transform infrared and fluorescence imaging demonstrate efficient cellular internalization. Furthermore, the catalytic biodegradation of the nanoplatforms occur upon exposure to human myeloperoxidase in short time. In vivo studies on athymic mice with MCF-7 xenograft indicate the size of tumor in the treatment group is half of the controls after 40 d. Immunohistochemistry corroborates the downregulation of STAT-3 phosphorylation. Overall, the host-guest chemistry on nanocarbon acts as a novel arsenal for STAT-3 inhibition. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Dichroic dye-dependent studies in guest-host polymer-dispersed liquid crystal films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Malik, Praveen, E-mail: pmalik100@yahoo.co [Department of Physics, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar 144011, Punjab (India); Raina, K.K. [Liquid Crystal Group, Materials Research Laboratory, School of Physics and Materials Science, Thapar University, Patiala 147004, Punjab (India)

    2010-01-01

    Guest-host polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (GHPDLC) films were prepared using a nematic liquid crystal, photo-curable polymer and dichroic dye (anthraquinone blue) by polymerization-induced phase separation (PIPS) technique. Non-ionic dichroic dye (1%, 2% and 4% wt./wt. ratio) was taken as guest in PDLC host. Polarizing microscopy shows that in the absence of electric field, liquid crystal (LC) droplets in polymer matrix mainly exhibit bipolar configuration, however, relatively at higher field, maltese-type crosses were observed. Our results show that approx1% dye-doped PDLC film shows better transmission and faster response times over pure polymer-dispersed nematic liquid crystal (PDNLC) and higher concentrated (2% and 4%) GHPDLC films.

  3. Dichroic dye-dependent studies in guest-host polymer-dispersed liquid crystal films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malik, Praveen; Raina, K.K.

    2010-01-01

    Guest-host polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (GHPDLC) films were prepared using a nematic liquid crystal, photo-curable polymer and dichroic dye (anthraquinone blue) by polymerization-induced phase separation (PIPS) technique. Non-ionic dichroic dye (1%, 2% and 4% wt./wt. ratio) was taken as guest in PDLC host. Polarizing microscopy shows that in the absence of electric field, liquid crystal (LC) droplets in polymer matrix mainly exhibit bipolar configuration, however, relatively at higher field, maltese-type crosses were observed. Our results show that ∼1% dye-doped PDLC film shows better transmission and faster response times over pure polymer-dispersed nematic liquid crystal (PDNLC) and higher concentrated (2% and 4%) GHPDLC films.

  4. Host-Guest Interaction of Cucurbit[8]uril with N-(3-Aminopropylcyclohexylamine: Cyclohexyl Encapsulation Triggered Ternary Complex

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Xia

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The host-guest interaction of a series of cyclohexyl-appended guests with cucurbit[8]uril (Q[8] was studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC, and X-ray crystallography. The X-ray structure revealed that two cycloalkane moieties can be simultaneously encapsulated in the hydrophobic cavity of the Q[8] host to form a ternary complex for the first time.

  5. Supramolecular polymeric materials via cyclodextrin-guest interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harada, Akira; Takashima, Yoshinori; Nakahata, Masaki

    2014-07-15

    CONSPECTUS: Cyclodextrins (CDs) have many attractive functions, including molecular recognition, hydrolysis, catalysis, and polymerization. One of the most important uses of CDs is for the molecular recognition of hydrophobic organic guest molecules in aqueous solutions. CDs are desirable host molecules because they are environmentally benign and offer diverse functions. This Account demonstrates some of the great advances in the development of supramolecular materials through host-guest interactions within the last 10 years. In 1990, we developed topological supramolecular complexes with CDs, polyrotaxane, and CD tubes, and these preparation methods take advantage of self-organization between the CDs and the polymers. The combination of polyrotaxane with αCD forms a hydrogel through the interaction of αCDs with the OH groups on poly(ethylene glycol). We categorized these polyrotaxane chemistries within main chain type complexes. At the same time, we studied the interactions of side chain type supramolecular complexes with CDs. In these systems the guest molecules modified the polymers and selectively formed inclusion complexes with CDs. The systems that used low molecular weight compounds did not show such selectivity with CDs. The multivalency available within the complex cooperatively enhances the selective binding of CD with guest molecules via the polymer side chains, a phenomenon that is analogous to binding patterns observed in antigen-antibody complexes. To incorporate the molecular recognition properties of CDs within the polymer side chains, we first prepared stimuli-responsive sol-gel switching materials through host-guest interactions. We chose azobenzene derivatives for their response to light and ferrocene derivatives for their response to redox conditions. The supramolecular materials were both redox-responsive and self-healing, and these properties resulted from host-guest interactions. These sol-gels with built in switches gave us insight for

  6. Quantitative analysis of the guest-concentration dependence of the mobility in a disordered fluorene-arylamine host-guest system in the guest-to-guest regime

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nicolai, H. T.; Hof, A.J.; Lu, M.; Blom, P. W. M.; de Vries, R. J.; Coehoorn, R.

    2011-01-01

    The charge transport in a polyspirobifluorene derivative with copolymerized N,N,N',N'-tetraaryldiamino biphenyl (TAD) hole transport units is investigated as a function of the TAD content. For TAD concentrations larger than 5%, guest-to-guest transport is observed. It is demonstrated that in this

  7. Quantitative analysis of the guest-concentration dependence of the mobility in a disordered fluorene-arylamine host-guest system in the guest-to-guest regime

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nicolai, H.T.; Hof, A.J.; Lu, M.; Blom, P.W.M.; Vries, R.J. de; Coehoorn, R.

    2011-01-01

    The charge transport in a polyspirobifluorene derivative with copolymerized N,N,N',N'-tetraaryldiamino biphenyl (TAD) hole transport units is investigated as a function of the TAD content. For TAD concentrations larger than 5, guest-to-guest transport is observed. It is demonstrated that in this

  8. Ab initio design of drug carriers for zoledronate guest molecule using phosphonated and sulfonated calix[4]arene and calix[4]resorcinarene host molecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Yong-Man; Yu, Chol-Jun; Kim, Jin-Song; Kim, Song-Un

    2018-04-01

    Monomolecular drug carriers based on calix[n]-arenes and -resorcinarenes containing the interior cavity can enhance the affinity and specificity of the osteoporosis inhibitor drug zoledronate (ZOD). In this work we investigate the suitability of nine different calix[4]-arenes and -resorcinarenes based macrocycles as hosts for the ZOD guest molecule by conducting {\\it ab initio} density functional theory calculations for structures and energetics of eighteen different host-guest complexes. For the optimized molecular structures of the free, phosphonated, sulfonated calix[4]-arenes and -resorcinarenes, the geometric sizes of their interior cavities are measured and compared with those of the host-guest complexes in order to check the appropriateness for host-guest complex formation. Our calculations of binding energies indicate that in gaseous states some of the complexes might be unstable but in aqueous states almost all of the complexes can be formed spontaneously. Of the two different docking ways, the insertion of ZOD with the \\ce{P-C-P} branch into the cavity of host is easier than that with the nitrogen containing heterocycle of ZOD. The work will open a way for developing effective drug delivering systems for the ZOD drug and promote experimentalists to synthesize them.

  9. Host-Guest Interaction of Cucurbit[8]uril with N-(3-Aminopropyl)cyclohexylamine: Cyclohexyl Encapsulation Triggered Ternary Complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Yu; Wang, Chuan-Zeng; Tian, Mengkui; Tao, Zhu; Ni, Xin-Long; Prior, Timothy J; Redshaw, Carl

    2018-01-15

    The host-guest interaction of a series of cyclohexyl-appended guests with cucurbit[8]uril (Q[8]) was studied by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and X-ray crystallography. The X-ray structure revealed that two cycloalkane moieties can be simultaneously encapsulated in the hydrophobic cavity of the Q[8] host to form a ternary complex for the first time.

  10. Structural Consequences of Anionic Host-Cationic Guest Interactions in a Supramolecular Assembly

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pluth, Michael D.; Johnson, Darren W.; Szigethy, Geza; Davis, Anna V.; Teat, Simon J.; Oliver, Allen G.; Bergman, Robert G.; Raymond, Kenneth N.

    2008-07-09

    The molecular structure of the self-assembled supramolecular assembly [M{sub 4}L{sub 6}]{sup 12-} has been explored with different metals (M = Ga{sup III}, Fe{sup III}, Ti{sup IV}) and different encapsulated guests (NEt{sub 4}{sup +}, BnNMe{sub 3}{sup +}, Cp{sub 2}Co{sup +}, Cp*{sub 2}Co{sup +}) by X-ray crystallography. While the identity of the metal ions at the vertices of the M{sub 4}L{sub 6} structure is found to have little effect on the assembly structure, encapsulated guests significantly distort the size and shape of the interior cavity of the assembly. Cations on the exterior of the assembly are found to interact with the assembly through either {pi}-{pi}, cation-{pi}, or CH-{pi} interactions. In some cases, the exterior guests interact with only one assembly, but cations with the ability to form multiple {pi}-{pi} interactions are able to interact with adjacent assemblies in the crystal lattice. The solvent accessible cavity of the assembly is modeled using the rolling probe method and found to range from 253-434 {angstrom}{sup 3}, depending on the encapsulated guest. Based on the volume of the guest and the volume of the cavity, the packing coefficient for each host-guest complex is found to range from 0.47-0.67.

  11. Host-guest chemistry of dendrimer-drug complexes: 7. Formation of stable inclusions between acetylated dendrimers and drugs bearing multiple charges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Min; Zhang, Jiahai; Wu, Qinglin; Xu, Tongwen; Cheng, Yiyun

    2012-03-15

    Drug molecules bearing multiple charges usually form precipitates with cationic dendrimers, which presents a challenge during the preparation of dendrimer inclusions for these drugs. In the present study, fully acetylated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers were proposed as stable vehicles for drug molecules bearing two negative charges such as Congo red and indocyanine green. NMR techniques including (1)H NMR and (1)H-(1)H NOESY were used to characterize the host-guest chemistry of acetylated dendrimer and these guest molecules. The cationic PAMAM dendrimer was found to form a precipitate with Congo red and indocyanine green, but the acetylated one avoided the formation of cross-linking structures in aqueous solutions. NOESY studies revealed the encapsulation of Congo red and indocyanine green within the interior cavities of PAMAM dendrimers at mild acidic conditions and acetylated dendrimers show much stronger ability to encapsulate the guest molecules than cationic ones. Also, UV-vis-NIR studies suggest that acetylated dendrimers significantly improve the photostability of indocyanine green and prevent the formation of indocyanine green J-aggregates in aqueous solutions. The present study provides a new insight into dendrimer-based host-guest systems, especially for those guest molecules bearing multiple charges. © 2012 American Chemical Society

  12. A targeted nanoglobular contrast agent from host-guest self-assembly for MR cancer molecular imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Zhuxian; Han, Zhen; Lu, Zheng-Rong

    2016-04-01

    The clinical application of nanoparticular Gd(III) based contrast agents for tumor molecular MRI has been hindered by safety concerns associated with prolonged tissue retention, although they can produce strong tumor enhancement. In this study, a targeted well-defined cyclodextrin-based nanoglobular contrast agent was developed through self-assembly driven by host-guest interactions for safe and effective cancer molecular MRI. Multiple β-cyclodextrins attached POSS (polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane) nanoglobule was used as host molecule. Adamantane-modified macrocyclic Gd(III) contrast agent, cRGD (cyclic RGDfK peptide) targeting ligand and fluorescent probe was used as guest molecules. The targeted host-guest nanoglobular contrast agent cRGD-POSS-βCD-(DOTA-Gd) specifically bond to αvβ3 integrin in malignant 4T1 breast tumor and provided greater contrast enhancement than the corresponding non-targeted agent. The agent also provided significant fluorescence signal in tumor tissue. The histological analysis of the tumor tissue confirmed its specific and effective targeting to αvβ3 integrin. The targeted imaging agent has a potential for specific cancer molecular MR and fluorescent imaging. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. A host-guest-recognition-based electrochemical aptasensor for thrombin detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Hao; Li, Hui; Wang, Qingjiang; He, Pingang; Fang, Yuzhi

    2012-05-15

    A sensitive electrochemical aptasensor for thrombin detection is presented based on the host-guest recognition technique. In this sensing protocol, a 15 based thrombin aptamer (ab. TBA) was dually labeled with a thiol at its 3' end and a 4-((4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)azo) benzoic acid (dabcyl) at its 5' end, respectively, which was previously immobilized on one Au electrode surface by AuS bond and used as the thrombin probe during the protein sensing procedure. One special electrochemical marker was prepared by modifying CdS nanoparticle with β-cyclodextrins (ab. CdS-CDs), which employed as electrochemical signal provider and would conjunct with the thrombin probe modified electrode through the host-guest recognition of CDs to dabcyl. In the absence of thrombin, the probe adopted linear structure to conjunct with CdS-CDs. In present of thrombin, the TBA bond with thrombin and transformed into its special G-quarter structure, which forced CdS-CDs into the solution. Therefore, the target-TBA binding event can be sensitively transduced via detecting the electrochemical oxidation current signal of Cd of CdS nanoparticles in the solution. Using this method, as low as 4.6 pM thrombin had been detected. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Pressure-induced chemistry in a nitrogen-hydrogen host-guest structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spaulding, Dylan K.; Weck, Gunnar; Loubeyre, Paul; Datchi, Fréderic; Dumas, Paul; Hanfland, Michael

    2014-12-01

    New topochemistry in simple molecular systems can be explored at high pressure. Here we examine the binary nitrogen/hydrogen system using Raman spectroscopy, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, synchrotron infrared microspectroscopy and visual observation. We find a eutectic-type binary phase diagram with two stable high-pressure van der Waals compounds, which we identify as (N2)6(H2)7 and N2(H2)2. The former represents a new type of van der Waals host-guest compound in which hydrogen molecules are contained within channels in a nitrogen lattice. This compound shows evidence for a gradual, pressure-induced change in bonding from van der Waals to ionic interactions near 50 GPa, forming an amorphous dinitrogen network containing ionized ammonia in a room-temperature analogue of the Haber-Bosch process. Hydrazine is recovered on decompression. The nitrogen-hydrogen system demonstrates the potential for new pressure-driven chemistry in high-pressure structures and the promise of tailoring molecular interactions for materials synthesis.

  15. Solid-state {sup 2}H NMR investigations in guest-host systems and plastic crystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garibay, J.A.V.

    2004-07-01

    Variable temperature {sup 2}H NMR investigations have been carried out to study the molecular behavior of perdeuterated benzene and pyridine in the inclusion compound with tris-(1,2-dioxyphenyl)-cyclotriphosphazene. Here, a comprehensive variable temperature {sup 2}H NMR study is presented comprising line shape studies and relaxation experiments. The experimental data clearly indicate the presence of highly mobile guest species. Sample cooling gives rise to characteristic line shape effects that can be attributed to a slow-down of the rotational motion. Additional {sup 2}H NMR measurements were performed on the plastic crystal 1,4-diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane where highly mobile species were observed. A quantitative analysis of the experimental data is achieved by appropriate computer simulations taking into account various molecular motions for each studied system. The analysis of these theoretical data give rise to the kinetic parameters that are in the order of related systems. (orig.)

  16. Host-Guest Complexes of Cyclodextrins and Nanodiamonds as a Strong Non-Covalent Binding Motif for Self-Assembled Nanomaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schibilla, Frauke; Voskuhl, Jens; Fokina, Natalie A; Dahl, Jeremy E P; Schreiner, Peter R; Ravoo, Bart Jan

    2017-11-13

    We report the inclusion of carboxy- and amine-substituted molecular nanodiamonds (NDs) adamantane, diamantane, and triamantane by β-cyclodextrin and γ-cyclodextrin (β-CD and γ-CD), which have particularly well-suited hydrophobicity and symmetry for an optimal fit of the host and guest molecules. We studied the host-guest interactions in detail and generally observed 1:1 association of the NDs with the larger γ-CD cavity, but observed 1:2 association for the largest ND in the series (triamantane) with β-CD. We found higher binding affinities for carboxy-substituted NDs than for amine-substituted NDs. Additionally, cyclodextrin vesicles (CDVs) were decorated with d-mannose by using adamantane, diamantane, and triamantane as non-covalent anchors, and the resulting vesicles were compared with the lectin concanavalin A in agglutination experiments. Agglutination was directly correlated to the host-guest association: adamantane showed lower agglutination than di- or triamantane with β-CDV and almost no agglutination with γ-CDV, whereas high agglutination was observed for di- and triamantane with γ-CDV. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Theoretical exploration of the nanoscale host-guest interactions between [n]cycloparaphenylenes (n = 10, 8 and 9) and fullerene C₆₀: from single- to three-potential well.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Kun; Zhou, Cai-Hua; Zhu, Yuan-Cheng; Zhao, Xiang

    2015-07-28

    The nanoscale host-guest interactions between [n]cycloparaphenylene ([n]CPP; n = 10, 8 and 9) nano-ring and fullerene C60 were explored theoretically. It is found that relatively small variations in the sizes of the [n]CPP host lead to very significant changes in encapsulation property toward the fullerene C60 guest. Expectedly, one stable inclusion-configuration of [10]CPP⊃C60 and one floating-configuration of [8]CPP⊃C60 are located on the potential surfaces of the two complexes, respectively. Unexpectedly, besides a floating-configuration (F-[9]CPP⊃C60), another stable inclusion-configuration (I-[9]CPP⊃C60) is also located on the potential surface of [9]CPP⊃C60 host-guest complex. Interaction energies and natural steric analysis show that these complexes are stabilized by balancing concave-convex π-π attractive and steric repulsive host-guest interactions. In contrast, the steric repulsive energy (Es) between host and guest of I-[9]CPP⊃C60 is as high as 233.12 kJ mol(-1), which is much larger than those in other complexes. The movements of C60 guest through the cavities of [n]CPP host (n = 10, 8 and 9) are simulated by calculating the energy profile, and the results interestingly reveal that the encapsulation of C60 by [10]CPP is in the manner of a single-potential well, by [8]CPP in the manner of a double-potential well, and by [9]CPP in the special manner of a three-potential well. We predict that the movement of C60 guest through the cavity of [9]CPP host should be experimentally observable owing to the relatively low energy barrier (<50 kJ mol(-1), M06-2X/6-31G(d)). Charge population analysis shows that an obvious charge transfer between host and guest takes place during the formation of I-[9]CPP⊃C60, which is different from those during the formation of [8]CPP⊃C60, [10]CPP⊃C60 and F-[9]CPP⊃C60. Additionally, the host-guest interaction regions were detected and visualized in real space based on the electron density and reduced density

  18. Through-Space Paramagnetic NMR Effects in Host-Guest Complexes: Potential Ruthenium(III) Metallodrugs with Macrocyclic Carriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chyba, Jan; Novák, Martin; Munzarová, Petra; Novotný, Jan; Marek, Radek

    2018-04-05

    The potential of paramagnetic ruthenium(III) compounds for use as anticancer metallodrugs has been investigated extensively during the past several decades. However, the means by which these ruthenium compounds are transported and distributed in living bodies remain relatively unexplored. In this work, we prepared several novel ruthenium(III) compounds with the general structure Na + [ trans-Ru III Cl 4 (DMSO)(L)] - (DMSO = dimethyl sulfoxide), where L stands for pyridine or imidazole linked with adamantane, a hydrophobic chemophore. The supramolecular interactions of these compounds with macrocyclic carriers of the cyclodextrin (CD) and cucurbit[ n]uril (CB) families were investigated by NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, isothermal titration calorimetry, and relativistic DFT methods. The long-range hyperfine NMR effects of the paramagnetic guest on the host macrocycle are related to the distance between them and their relative orientation in the host-guest complex. The CD and CB macrocyclic carriers being studied in this account can be attached to a vector that attracts the drug-carrier system to a specific biological target and our investigation thus introduces a new possibility in the field of targeted delivery of anticancer metallodrugs based on ruthenium(III) compounds.

  19. A supramolecular photosensitizer system based on the host-guest complexation between water-soluble pillar[6]arene and methylene blue for durable photodynamic therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Kui; Wen, Jia; Chao, Shuang; Liu, Jing; Yang, Ke; Pei, Yuxin; Pei, Zhichao

    2018-06-05

    A supramolecular photosensitizer system WP6-MB was synthesized based on water-soluble pillar[6]arene and the photosensitizer methylene blue (MB) via host-guest interaction. MB can complex with WP6 directly with a high complex constant without further modification. In particular, WP6-MB can reduce the dark toxicity of MB remarkably. Furthermore, it can efficiently overcome photobleaching and extend the time for singlet oxygen production of MB upon light irradiation, which is significant for durable photodynamic therapy.

  20. Porphyrinic supramolecular daisy chains incorporating pillar[5]arene-viologen host-guest interactions

    KAUST Repository

    Fathalla, Maher; Strutt, Nathan; Srinivasan, Sampath; Katsiev, Khabiboulakh; Hartlieb, Karel J.; Bakr, Osman; Stoddart, J. Fraser

    2015-01-01

    A porphyrin functionalised with pillar[5]arene and a viologen at its 5- and 15-meso positions assembles in a head-to-tail manner, producing linear supramolecular daisy chains in dichloromethane. At high concentrations, it forms an organogel which has been investigated by electron microscopy and rheological measurements, paving the way for the preparation of other functional supramolecular assemblies which harness viologen"⊂" pillararene host-guest interactions.

  1. Porphyrinic supramolecular daisy chains incorporating pillar[5]arene-viologen host-guest interactions

    KAUST Repository

    Fathalla, Maher

    2015-05-18

    A porphyrin functionalised with pillar[5]arene and a viologen at its 5- and 15-meso positions assembles in a head-to-tail manner, producing linear supramolecular daisy chains in dichloromethane. At high concentrations, it forms an organogel which has been investigated by electron microscopy and rheological measurements, paving the way for the preparation of other functional supramolecular assemblies which harness viologen"⊂" pillararene host-guest interactions.

  2. Deciphering the perturbation effect of urea on the supramolecular host-guest interaction of biologically active hydrophobic molecule inside the nanocavity of cyclodextrins

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maity, Banibrata; Chatterjee, Aninda; Ahmed, Sayeed Ashique; Seth, Debabrata, E-mail: debabrata@iitp.ac.in

    2017-03-15

    The present work articulates the supramolecular interaction and the formation of host-guest complex between the biologically active hydrophobic coumarin derivative and cyclodextrins by using several spectroscopic, calorimetric and microscopic techniques. All the studies clearly revealed that in presence of cyclodextrins (CDs), coumarin forms 1:1 stoichiometric complex. From all the study, we have found that with gradual increasing the cavity diameter of the hosts, the binding efficiency of the complexes gradually increases. The small population of the non emissive twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state of coumarin molecule turns into highly emissive in presence of γ-CD owing to its greater cavity diameter. The emissive TICT band is not found in β-CD complex due to its comparative small hydrophilic exterior and less polar environment. The present finding also interpret the perturbation effect of urea on host-guest complexes. In the presence of urea, the TICT emissive band of γ-CD is completely diminished. From, {sup 1}H NMR study it was observed that –NEt{sub 2} moiety of 7-DCCAE molecule is deeply buried inside the hydrophobic cavity of the CDs and forms host-guest complexes. Isothermal titration calorimetry measurement also indicates the formation of 1:1 host-guest complexes.

  3. Study on luminescence characteristics of blue OLED with phosphor-doped host-guest structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhen; Liu, Fei; Zheng, Xin; Chen, Ai; Xie, Jia-feng; Zhang, Wen-xia

    2018-05-01

    In this study, we design and fabricate phosphor-doped host-guest structure organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), where the blue-ray iridium complex electrophosphorescent material FIrpic acts as object material. Properties of the device can be accommodated by changing the host materials, dopant concentration and thickness of the light-emitting layer. The study shows that the host material N,N'-dicarbazolyl-3,5-benzene (mCP) has a higher triplet excited state energy level, which can effectively prevent FIrpic triplet excited state energy backtracking to host material, thus the luminous efficiency is improved. When mCP is selected as the host material, the thickness of the light-emitting layer is 30 nm and the dopant concentration is 8 wt%, the excitons can be effectively confined in the light-emitting region. As a result, the maximum current efficiency and the maximum brightness of the blue device can reach 15.5 cd/A and 7 196.3 cd/m2, respectively.

  4. Cucurbit[8]uril-Containing Multilayer Films for the Photocontrolled Binding and Release of a Guest Molecule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicolas, Henning; Yuan, Bin; Zhang, Xi; Schönhoff, Monika

    2016-03-15

    The powerful host-guest chemistry of cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) was employed to obtain photoresponsive polyelectrolyte multilayer films for the reversible and photocontrolled binding and release of an organic guest molecule. For this purpose, we designed and synthesized a polyelectrolyte with azobenzene side groups. Then, CB[8] was associated with the azo side group to obtain a supramolecular host-guest complex that was further used as building block in order to prepare photoresponsive and CB[8]-containing polyelectrolyte multilayer films. Ultraviolet spectroscopy and a dissipative quartz crystal microbalance are employed to monitor the formation of the host-guest complex and the layer-by-layer self-assembly of the multilayer films, respectively. We demonstrate that the photoresponsive properties of the azo side groups are maintained before and after host-guest complexation with CB[8] in solution and within the multilayer films, respectively. A guest molecule was then specifically included as second binding partner into the CB[8]-containing multilayer films. Subsequently, the release of the guest was performed by UV light irradiation due to the trans-cis isomerization of the adjacent azo side groups. Re-isomerization of the azo side groups was achieved by VIS light irradiation and enabled the rebinding of the guest into CB[8]. Finally, we demonstrate that the photocontrolled binding and release within CB[8]-containing multilayer films can reliably and reversibly be performed over a period of more than 2 weeks with constant binding efficiency. Therefore, we expect such novel type of photosensitive films to have promising future applications in the field of stimuli-responsive nanomaterials.

  5. Growth mode transition of tetrahydrofuran clathrate hydrates in the guest/host concentration boundary layer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabase, Yuichiro; Nagashima, Kazushige

    2009-11-19

    Clathrate hydrates are known to form a thin film along a guest/host boundary. We present here the first report of tetrahydrofuran (THF) clathrate hydrate formation in a THF/water concentration boundary layer. We found that the THF-water system also forms a hydrate film separating the guest/host phases. The lateral growth rate of the film increases as supercooling increases. The thickness of the film at the growth tip decreases as supercooling and the lateral growth rate increase. These tendencies are consistent with reports of experiments for other hydrates and predictions of heat-transfer models. After film formation and slight melting, two types of growth modes are observed, depending on temperature T. At T = 3.0 degrees C, the film slowly thickens. The thickening rate is much lower than the lateral growth rate, as reported for other hydrates. At T agglomerate of small polycrystalline hydrates forms in each phase. Grain boundaries in the film and pore spaces in the agglomerate act as paths for permeation of each liquid. Timing when continuous nucleation starts is dominantly controlled by the time of initiation of liquid permeation through the film. Digital particle image velocimetry analysis of the agglomerate shows that it expands not by growth at the advancing front but rather by continuous nucleation in the interior. Expansion rates of the agglomerate tend to be higher for the cases of multipermeation paths in the film and the thinner film. We suppose that the growth mode transition to continuous nucleation is caused by the memory effect due to slight melting of the hydrate film.

  6. Charge transport in disordered organic host-guest systems: effects of carrier density and electric field

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yimer, Y.Y.; Bobbert, P.A.; Coehoorn, R.

    2008-01-01

    We investigate charge transport in disordered organic host–guest systems with a bimodal Gaussian density of states (DOS). The energy difference between the two Gaussians defines the trap depth. By solving the Pauli master equation for the hopping of charge carriers on a regular lattice with site

  7. Host-guest complexes of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin/β-cyclodextrin and nifedipine: 1H NMR, molecular modeling, and dissolution studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Araújo, Márcia Valéria Gaspar; Vieira, João Victor Francisco; da Silva, Caroline W. P.; Barison, Andersson; Andrade, George Ricardo Santana; da Costa, Nivan Bezerra; Barboza, Fernanda Malaquias; Nadal, Jessica Mendes; Novatski, Andressa; Farago, Paulo Vitor; Zawadzki, Sônia Faria

    2017-12-01

    Nifedipine (NIF) is a hydrophobic drug widely used for treating cardiovascular diseases. This calcium channel blocker can present a higher apparent solubility by its inclusion into different cyclodextrins (CDs) as host-guest complexes. This paper focused on the structural investigation and dissolution behavior of inclusion complexes prepared with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) or β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and NIF. Drug amorphization was observed for HPβCD/NIF and βCD/NIF inclusion complexes by X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The sharp endothermic peak of NIF was not observed for these both host-guest complexes by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). These results of XRD and DSC provide evidences of complexation between drug and the investigated CDs. 1H and saturation transfer difference nuclear magnetic resonance studies revealed the enhancement in the signal at 2.27 ppm for HPβCD/NIF and βCD/NIF inclusion complexes that corresponded to the methyl groups of NIF from the non-aromatic ring. This result suggested that non-aromatic ring of NIF was inserted into HPβCD and βCD cavities. Considering the mathematical simulations, it was observed that the inclusion process can occur in the both NH-in or NH-out forms. However, since it was used aqueous medium, it is possible to indicate that the obtained host-guest complexes HPβCD/NIF and βCD/NIF are in NH-in form which corresponded to the previous results obtained by 1H NMR experiments. Dissolution assays demonstrated that NIF inclusion complexes improved the drug release nevertheless without changing its biexponential release behavior. These host-guest complexes can be further used as feasible NIF carriers in solid dosage forms.

  8. Charge transport in disordered organic host-guest systems: effects of carrier density and electric field

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yimer, Y.Y.; Bobbert, P.A.; Coehoorn, R.

    2009-01-01

    We investigate charge transport in disordered organic host–guest systems with a bimodal Gaussian density of states. The energy difference between the peaks of the two Gaussians defines the trap depth. By solving the Pauli master equation for the hopping of charge carriers on a regular lattice we

  9. Smart protein biogate as a mediator to regulate competitive host-guest interaction for sensitive ratiometric electrochemical assay of prion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Peng; Zhang, Xiaohua; Zhou, Jiawan; Xiong, Erhu; Li, Xiaoyu; Chen, Jinhua

    2015-11-01

    A novel competitive host-guest strategy regulated by protein biogate was developed for sensitive and selective analysis of prion protein. The methylene blue (MB)-tagged prion aptamer (MB-Apt) was introduced to the multiwalled carbon nanotubes-β-cyclodextrins (MWCNTs-β-CD) composites-modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode through the host-guest interaction between β-CD and MB. In the absence of prion, MB-Apt could be displaced by ferrocenecarboxylic acid (FCA) due to its stronger binding affinity to β-CD, resulting in a large oxidation peak of FCA. However, in the presence of prion, the specific prion-aptamer interaction drove the formation of protein biogate to seal the cavity of β-CD, which hindered the guest displacement of MB by FCA and resulted in the oxidation peak current of MB (IMB) increased and that of FCA (IFCA) decreased. The developed aptasensor showed good response towards the target (prion protein) with a low detection limit of 160 fM. By changing the specific aptamers, this strategy could be easily extended to detect other proteins, showing promising potential for extensive applications in bioanalysis.

  10. Organic light-emitting diodes for lighting: High color quality by controlling energy transfer processes in host-guest-systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weichsel, Caroline; Reineke, Sebastian; Furno, Mauro; Lüssem, Björn; Leo, Karl

    2012-02-01

    Exciton generation and transfer processes in a multilayer organic light-emitting diode (OLED) are studied in order to realize OLEDs with warm white color coordinates and high color-rendering index (CRI). We investigate a host-guest-system containing four phosphorescent emitters and two matrix materials with different transport properties. We show, by time-resolved spectroscopy, that an energy back-transfer from the blue emitter to the matrix materials occurs, which can be used to transport excitons to the other emitter molecules. Furthermore, we investigate the excitonic and electronic transfer processes by designing suitable emission layer stacks. As a result, we obtain an OLED with Commission Internationale de lÉclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.444;0.409), a CRI of 82, and a spectrum independent of the applied current. The OLED shows an external quantum efficiency of 10% and a luminous efficacy of 17.4 lm/W at 1000 cd/m2.

  11. Investigation of the host-guest complexation between 4-sulfocalix[4]arene and nedaplatin for potential use in drug delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fahmy, Sherif Ashraf; Ponte, Fortuna; Abd El-Rahman, Mohamed K.; Russo, Nino; Sicilia, Emilia; Shoeib, Tamer

    2018-03-01

    Macromolecules including macrocyclic species have been reported to have the potential to encapsulate biologically active compounds such as drugs through host-guest complexation to increase their solubility, stability and bioavailability. In this paper the first experimental and theoretical investigation of the complexation between nedaplatin, a second generation antineoplastic drug, and p-4-sulfocalix[4]arene, a macromolecule possessing a bipolar amphiphilic structure with good biocompatibility and relatively low haemolytic toxicity for potential use as a drug delivery system is presented. Data from 1H NMR, UV, Job's plot analysis, HPLC and DFT calculations are detailed and suggest the formation of a 1:1 complex. The stability constant of the complex was experimentally estimated to be 3.6 × 104 M- 1 and 2.1 × 104 M- 1 which correspond to values of - 6.2 and - 5.9 kcal mol- 1, respectively for the free energy of complexation while the interaction free energy is calculated to be - 4.9 kcal mol- 1. The formed species is shown to be stabilised in solution through hydrogen bonding between the host and the guest which may allow for this strategy to be effective for potential use in drug delivery.

  12. Thermosensitive Triterpenoid-Appended Polymers with Broad Temperature Tunability Regulated by Host-Guest Chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Jie; Gao, Yuxia; Li, Ying; Yan, Qiang; Hu, Jun; Ju, Yong

    2017-09-05

    Thermoresponsive water-soluble polymers are of great importance since they typically show a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in aqueous media. In this research, the LCST change in broad temperature ranges of copolymers composed of natural glycyrrhetinic acid (GA)-based methacrylate and N,N'-dimethylacrylamides (DMAs) was investigated as a function of the concentration and the content of GA pendants. By complexation of GA pendants with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), a side-chain polypseudorotaxane was obtained, which exhibited a significant increase in the LCST of copolymers. Moreover, the precisely reversible control of the LCST behavior was realized through adding a competing guest molecule, sodium 1-admantylcarboxylate. This work illustrates a simple and effective approach to endow water-soluble polymers with broad temperature tunability and helps us further understand the effect of a biocompatible host-guest complementary β-CD/GA pair on the thermoresponsive process. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Optimization of the host–guest system within an OLED using different models of mobility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adames Prada, Rosana, E-mail: rdadamesp@unal.edu.co; Ardila Vargas, Angel Miguel, E-mail: amardilav@unal.edu.co

    2014-12-15

    To optimize the host–guest system of organic light emitting devices (OLEDs), it were performed simulations by doping a small molecule organic semiconductor (acting as host) with the transition organometallic complex known as Ir(ppy){sub 2}(acac) (acting as a guest). The simulation was carried out using simOLED with different mobility models: the Pool–Frenkel Model (PFM), the Extended Gaussian Disorder Model (EGDM) and Extended Correlated Disorder Model (ECDM), with the aim to determine the magnitude of some parameters like temperature, applied electric field, film thickness and charge carrier density that improve the electrical and optical properties of OLEDs with a more simplified structure like ITO/CBP/CBP:Ir(ppy){sub 2}(acac)/TPBi/LiF/Al.

  14. Supra-dendron Gelator Based on Azobenzene-Cyclodextrin Host-Guest Interactions: Photoswitched Optical and Chiroptical Reversibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Fan; Ouyang, Guanghui; Qin, Long; Liu, Minghua

    2016-12-12

    A novel amphiphilic dendron (AZOC 8 GAc) with three l-glutamic acid units and an azobenzene moiety covalently linked by an alkyl spacer has been designed. The compound formed hydrogels with water at very low concentration and self-assembled into chiral-twist structures. The gel showed a reversible macroscopic volume phase transition in response to pH variations and photo-irradiation. During the photo-triggered changes, although the gel showed complete reversibility in its optical absorptions, only an incomplete chiroptical property change was achieved. On the other hand, the dendron could form a 1:1 inclusion complex through a host-guest interaction with α-cyclodextrin (α-CD), designated as supra-dendron gelator AZOC 8 GAc/α-CD. The supra-dendron showed similar gelation behavior to that of AZOC 8 GAc, but with enhanced photoisomerization-transition efficiency and chiroptical switching capacity, which was completely reversible in terms of both optical and chiroptical performances. The self-assembly of the supra-dendron is a hierarchical or multi-supramolecular self-assembling process. This work has clearly illustrated that the hierarchical and multi-supramolecular self-assembling system endows the supramolecular nanostructures or materials with superior reversible optical and chiroptical switching. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. A Tunable Cyclic Container: Guest-Induced Conformational Switching, Efficient Guest Exchange, and Selective Isolation of C70 from a Fullerene Mixture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mondal, Pritam; Rath, Sankar Prasad

    2017-07-18

    An adaptable cyclic porphyrin dimer with highly flexible linkers has been used as an artificial molecular container that can efficiently encapsulate various aromatic guests (TCNQ/C 60 /C 70 ) through strong π-π interactions by adjusting its cavity size and conformation. The planar aromatic guest (TCNQ) can be easily and selectively exchanged with larger aromatic guests (C 60 /C 70 ). During the guest-exchange process, the two porphyrin rings switch their relative orientation according to the size and shape of the guests. This behavior of the cyclic container has been thoroughly investigated by using UV/Vis spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystal structure determination of the host-guest assemblies. The electrochemical and photophysical studies demonstrated the occurrence of photoinduced electron transfer from bisporphyrin to TCNQ/C 60 /C 70 in the respective host-guest assemblies. The cyclic host can form complexes with C 60 and C 70 with association constants of (2.8±0.2)×10 5 and (1.9±0.3)×10 8  m -1 , respectively; the latter value represents the highest binding affinity for C 70 reported so far for zinc(II) bisporphyrinic receptors. This high selectivity for the binding of C 70 versus C 60 allows the easy extraction and efficient isolation of C 70 from a C 60 /C 70 fullerene mixture. Experimental evidence was substantiated by DFT calculations. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. PPII propensity of multiple-guest amino acids in a proline-rich environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moradi, Mahmoud; Babin, Volodymyr; Sagui, Celeste; Roland, Christopher

    2011-07-07

    There has been considerable debate about the intrinsic PPII propensity of amino acid residues in denatured polypeptides. Experimentally, this scale is based on the behavior of guest amino acid residues placed in the middle of proline-based hosts. We have used classical molecular dynamics simulations combined with replica-exchange methods to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the conformational equilibria of proline-based host oligopeptides with multiple guest amino acids including alanine, glutamine, valine, and asparagine. The tracked structural characteristics include the secondary structural motifs based on the Ramachandran angles and the cis/trans isomerization of the prolyl bonds. In agreement with our recent study of single amino acid guests, we did not observe an intrinsic PPII propensity in any of the guest amino acids in a multiple-guest setting. Instead, the experimental results can be explained in terms of (i) the steric restrictions imposed on the C-terminal guest amino acid that is immediately followed by a proline residue and (ii) an increase in the trans content of the prolyl bonds due to the presence of guest residues. In terms of the latter, we found that the more guests added to the system, the larger the increase in the trans content of the prolyl bonds, which results in an effective increase in the PPII content of the peptide.

  17. Passivation of ZnO Nanowire Guests and 3D Inverse Opal Host Photoanodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Labouchere, Philippe; Chandiran, Aravind Kumar; Moehl, Thomas; Harms, Hauke; Chavhan, Sudam; Tena-Zaera, Ramon; Nazeeruddin, Mohammad Khaja; Graetzel, Michael; Tetreault, Nicolas

    2014-01-01

    A hierarchical host-guest nanostructured photoanode is reported for dye-sensitized solar cells. It is composed of ZnO nanowires grown in situ into the macropores of a 3D ZnO inverse opal structure, which acts both as a seed layer and as a conductive

  18. Guest Controlled Nonmonotonic Deep Cavity Cavitand Assembly State Switching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Du; Barnett, J Wesley; Gibb, Bruce C; Ashbaugh, Henry S

    2017-11-30

    Octa-acid (OA) and tetra-endo-methyl octa-acid (TEMOA) are water-soluble, deep-cavity cavitands with nanometer-sized nonpolar pockets that readily bind complementary guests, such as n-alkanes. Experimentally, OA exhibits a progression of 1:1 to 2:2 to 2:1 host/guest complexes (X:Y where X is the number of hosts and Y is the number of guests) with increasing alkane chain length from methane to tetradecane. Differing from OA only by the addition of four methyl groups ringing the portal of the pocket, TEMOA exhibits a nonmonotonic progression of assembly states from 1:1 to 2:2 to 1:1 to 2:1 with increasing guest length. Here we present a systematic molecular simulation study to parse the molecular and thermodynamic determinants that distinguish the succession of assembly stoichiometries observed for these similar hosts. Potentials of mean force between hosts and guests, determined via umbrella sampling, are used to characterize association free energies. These free energies are subsequently used in a reaction network model to predict the equilibrium distributions of assemblies. Our models accurately reproduce the experimentally observed trends, showing that TEMOA's endo-methyl units constrict the opening of the binding pocket, limiting the conformations available to bound guests and disrupting the balance between monomeric complexes and dimeric capsules. The success of our simulations demonstrate their utility at interpreting the impact of even simple chemical modifications on supramolecular assembly and highlight their potential to aid bottom-up design.

  19. Enhancement of Wound Healing in Normal and Diabetic Mice by Topical Application of Amorphous Polyphosphate. Superior Effect of a Host–Guest Composite Material Composed of Collagen (Host and Polyphosphate (Guest

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Werner E.G. Müller

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The effect of polyphosphate (polyP microparticles on wound healing was tested both in vitro and in a mice model in vivo. Two approaches were used: pure salts of polyphosphate, fabricated as amorphous microparticles (MPs, consisting of calcium and magnesium salts of polyP, “Ca–polyp-MPs” and “Mg–polyp-MPs”, and host–guest composite particles, prepared from amorphous collagen (host and polyphosphate (guest, termed “col/polyp-MPs”. Animal experiments with polyP on healing of excisional wounds were performed using both normal mice and diabetic mice. After a healing period of 7 days “Ca–polyp-MP” significantly improved re-epithelialization in normal mice from 31% (control to 72% (polyP microparticle-treated. Importantly, in diabetic mice, particularly the host–guest particles “col/polyp-MP”, increased the rate of re-epithelialization to ≈40% (control, 23%. In addition, those particles increased the expression of COL-I and COL-III as well as the expression the α-smooth muscle actin and the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. We propose that “Ca–polyp-MPs”, and particularly the host–guest “col/polyp-MPs” are useful for topical treatment of wounds.

  20. Temperature-regulated guest admission and release in microporous materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Gang (Kevin); Shang, Jin; Gu, Qinfen; Awati, Rohan V.; Jensen, Nathan; Grant, Andrew; Zhang, Xueying; Sholl, David S.; Liu, Jefferson Z.; Webley, Paul A.; May, Eric F.

    2017-06-01

    While it has long been known that some highly adsorbing microporous materials suddenly become inaccessible to guest molecules below certain temperatures, previous attempts to explain this phenomenon have failed. Here we show that this anomalous sorption behaviour is a temperature-regulated guest admission process, where the pore-keeping group's thermal fluctuations are influenced by interactions with guest molecules. A physical model is presented to explain the atomic-level chemistry and structure of these thermally regulated micropores, which is crucial to systematic engineering of new functional materials such as tunable molecular sieves, gated membranes and controlled-release nanocontainers. The model was validated experimentally with H2, N2, Ar and CH4 on three classes of microporous materials: trapdoor zeolites, supramolecular host calixarenes and metal-organic frameworks. We demonstrate how temperature can be exploited to achieve appreciable hydrogen and methane storage in such materials without sustained pressure. These findings also open new avenues for gas sensing and isotope separation.

  1. Host-guest chemistry of dendrimer-drug complexes. 4. An in-depth look into the binding/encapsulation of guanosine monophosphate by dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jingjing; Fang, Min; Cheng, Yiyun; Zhang, Jiahai; Wu, Qinglin; Xu, Tongwen

    2010-06-03

    In the present study, we investigated the host-guest chemistry of dendrimer/guanosine monophosphate (GMP) and present an in-depth look into the binding/encapsulation of GMP by dendrimers using NMR studies. (1)H NMR spectra showed a significant downfield shift of methylene protons in the outmost layer of the G5 dendrimer, indicating the formation of ion pairs between cationic amine groups of dendrimer and anionic phosphate groups of GMP. Chemical shift titration results showed that the binding constant between G5 dendrimer and GMP is 17,400 M(-1) and each G5 dendrimer has 107 binding sites. The binding of GMP to dendrimers prevents its aggregation in aqueous solutions and thereby enhances its stability. Nuclear Overhauser effect measurements indicated that a GMP binding and encapsulation balance occurs on the surface and in the interior of dendrimer. The binding/encapsulation transitions can be easily tailored by altering the surface and interior charge densities of the dendrimer. All these findings provide a new insight into the host-guest chemistry of dendrimer/guest complexes and may play important roles in the study of dendrimer/DNA aggregates by a "bottom-up" strategy.

  2. Photocaged Competitor Guests: A General Approach Toward Light-Activated Cargo Release From Cucurbiturils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero, Miguel A; Basílio, Nuno; Moro, Artur J; Domingues, Mara; González-Delgado, José A; Arteaga, Jesús F; Pischel, Uwe

    2017-09-21

    A general approach toward the light-induced guest release from cucurbit[7]uril by means of a photoactivatable competitor was devised. An o-nitrobenzyl-caged competitor is photolyzed to generate a competitive guest that can displace cargo from the host macrocycle solely based on considerations of chemical equilibrium. With this method the release of terpene guests from inclusion complexes with cucurbit[7]uril was demonstrated. The binding of the herein investigated terpenes, all being lead fragrant components in essential oils, has been characterized for the first time. They feature binding constants of up to 10 8  L mol -1 and a high differential binding selectivity (spanning four orders of magnitude for the binding constants for the particular set of terpenes). By fine-tuning the photoactivatable competitor guest, selective and also sequential release of the terpenes was achieved. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Host-Guest Inclusion Complexes between Amlodipine Enantiomers in the Biphasic Recognition Chiral Extraction System using Tartaric Acid and β-Cyclodextrin Derivatives as Positive Confirmation by using their Enantioselective Extraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Azzam, Khaldun M; Abdallah, Hassan H; Halim, Hairul N Abdul; Ahmad, Maizatul Akmam; Shaibah, Hassan

    2015-01-01

    The current work reports an extended theoretical study from our previous experimental work for the enantioselective extraction of amlodipine enantiomers in a biphasic recognition chiral extraction system (BRCES) consisting of hydrophobic D-diisopropyl tartrate dissolved in organic phase (n-decanol) and hydrophilic hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) in aqueous phase (acetate buffer) which preferentially recognize the R-enantiomer and S-enantiomer, respectively. The calculations were simulated using a semi-empirical PM3 method as a part of the Gaussian09 software package and were used to optimize the structures of the hosts, guests, and host-guest complexes in the gas phase without any restrictions. It was found that HP-β-CD has the strongest recognition ability among the three β-CD derivatives studied, namely HP-β-CD, hydroxyethyl-β-cyclodextrin (HE-β-CD), and methylated-β-cyclodextrin (Me-β-CD), due to the large interaction energies (Ecomp = -14.3025 kcal/ mol), while D-diisopropyl tartrate has the strongest ability among the four tartaric acid derivatives studied namely; L-diisopropyl tartrate, D-diisopropyl tartrate, L-diethyl tartrate, and D-diethyl tartrate (Ecomp = -5.9964 kcal/ mol). The computational calculations for the enantioselective partitioning of amlodipine enantiomers rationalized the reasons for the different behaviors for this extraction. The present theoretical results may be informative to scientists who are devoting themselves to developing models for their experimental parts or for enhancing the hydrophobic drug solubility in drug delivery systems.

  4. Host-Guest Inclusion Complexes between Amlodipine Enantiomers in the Biphasic Recognition Chiral Extraction System using Tartaric Acid and β-Cyclodextrin Derivatives as Positive Confirmation by using their Enantioselective Extraction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Azzam, Khaldun M.; Abdallah, Hassan H.; Halim, Hairul N. Abdul; Ahmad, Maizatul Akmam; Shaibah, Hassan

    2015-01-01

    The current work reports an extended theoretical study from our previous experimental work for the enantioselective extraction of amlodipine enantiomers in a biphasic recognition chiral extraction system (BRCES) consisting of hydrophobic D-diisopropyl tartrate dissolved in organic phase (n-decanol) and hydrophilic hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) in aqueous phase (acetate buffer) which preferentially recognize the R-enantiomer and S-enantiomer, respectively. The calculations were simulated using a semi-empirical PM3 method as a part of the Gaussian09 software package and were used to optimize the structures of the hosts, guests, and host-guest complexes in the gas phase without any restrictions. It was found that HP-β-CD has the strongest recognition ability among the three β-CD derivatives studied, namely HP-β-CD, hydroxyethyl-β-cyclodextrin (HE-β-CD), and methylated-β-cyclodextrin (Me-β-CD), due to the large interaction energies (Ecomp = −14.3025 kcal/ mol), while D-diisopropyl tartrate has the strongest ability among the four tartaric acid derivatives studied namely; L-diisopropyl tartrate, D-diisopropyl tartrate, L-diethyl tartrate, and D-diethyl tartrate (Ecomp = −5.9964 kcal/ mol). The computational calculations for the enantioselective partitioning of amlodipine enantiomers rationalized the reasons for the different behaviors for this extraction. The present theoretical results may be informative to scientists who are devoting themselves to developing models for their experimental parts or for enhancing the hydrophobic drug solubility in drug delivery systems. PMID:26839848

  5. Foreign Guests in Ancient Greece

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zora Žbontar

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Xenía was a special relationship between a foreign guest and his host in Ancient Greece. The ritual of hosting a foreigner included an exchange of objects, feasting, and the establishment of friendship between people from different social backgrounds. This relationship implied trust, loyalty, friendship, and mutual aid between the people involved. Goods and services were also exchanged without any form of payment. There were no formal laws governing xenía – it was based entirely on a moral appeal. Mutual appreciation between the host and the guest was established during the ritual, but the host did retain a certain level of superiority over the guest. Xenía was one of the most important institutions in Ancient Greece. It had a lot of features and obligations similar to kinship and marriage. In literary sources the word xénos varies in meaning from “enemy stranger”, “friendly stranger”, “foreigner”, “guest”, “host” to “ritual friend”, and it is often hard to tell which usage is appropriate in a given passage. The paper describes the emphasis on hospitality towards foreigners. It presents an example of a depiction indicating xenía is presented, as well as several objects which were traded during the ritual. The paper also addresses the importance of hospitality in Greek drama in general, especially with examples of violations of the hospitality code.

  6. Passivation of ZnO Nanowire Guests and 3D Inverse Opal Host Photoanodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Labouchere, Philippe

    2014-04-23

    A hierarchical host-guest nanostructured photoanode is reported for dye-sensitized solar cells. It is composed of ZnO nanowires grown in situ into the macropores of a 3D ZnO inverse opal structure, which acts both as a seed layer and as a conductive backbone host. Using a combination of self-assembly, hydrothermal or electrodeposition of single crystalline ZnO nanowires and TiO2 passivation, a novel photoanode with scattering capability for optimal light harvesting is fabricated. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Guest-host chemistry with dendrimers—binding of carboxylates in aqueous solution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ficker, Mario; Petersen, Johannes Fabritius; Hansen, Jon Stefan

    2015-01-01

    Recognition and binding of anions in water is difficult due to the ability of water molecules to form strong hydrogen bonds and to solvate the anions. The complexation of two different carboxylates with 1-(4-carbomethoxypyrrolidone)-terminated PAMAM dendrimers was studied in aqueous solution using...... the carboxylate-dendrimer interaction selectively. The binding stoichiometry for 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoate was found to be two strongly bound guest molecules per dendrimer and an additional 40 molecules with weak binding affinity. The NOESY NMR showed a clear binding correlation of sodium 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoate...... with the lyophilic dendrimer core, possibly with the two high affinity guest molecules. In comparison, sodium 2-naphthoate showed a weaker binding strength and had a stoichiometry of two guests per dendrimer with no additional weakly bound guests. This stronger dendrimer interaction with sodium 3-hydroxy-2...

  8. Transfer and control of molecular chirality in the 1 : 2 host-guest supramolecular complex consisting of Mg(II)bisporphyrin and chiral diols: the effect of H-bonding on the rationalization of chirality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikbal, Sk Asif; Brahma, Sanfaori; Rath, Sankar Prasad

    2014-11-21

    A clear rationalization of the origin of chirality transfer from an optically active diol guest to an achiral Mg(ii)bisporphyrin host in a series of 1 : 2 host-guest supramolecular complexes has been reported here that has so far remained the most outstanding issue for the chirogenic process.

  9. Host-free, yellow phosphorescent material in white organic light-emitting diodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Meng-Ting; Chu, Miao-Tsai; Lin, Jin-Sheng; Tseng, Mei-Rurng, E-mail: osolomio.ac89g@nctu.edu.t [Material and Chemical Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Hsinchu, Taiwan 310 (China)

    2010-11-10

    A white organic light-emitting diode (WOLED) with a high power efficiency has been demonstrated by dispersing a host-free, yellow phosphorescent material in between double blue phosphorescent emitters. The device performance achieved a comparable value to that of using a complicated host-guest doping system to form the yellow emitter in WOLEDs. Based on this device concept as well as the molecular engineering of blue phosphorescent host material and light-extraction film, a WOLED with a power efficiency of 65 lm W{sup -1} at a practical brightness of 1000 cd m{sup -2} with Commission Internationale d'Echariage coordinates (CIE{sub x,y}) of (0.37, 0.47) was achieved. (fast track communication)

  10. Microcalorimetric and spectrographic studies on host-guest interactions of {alpha}-, {beta}-, {gamma}- and M{beta}-cyclodextrin with resveratrol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Hui; Xu, Xiangyu; Liu, Min [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, Shandong Province (China); Sun, Dezhi, E-mail: sundezhisdz@163.com [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, Shandong Province (China); Li, Linwei, E-mail: lilinwei@lcu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, Shandong Province (China)

    2010-10-20

    Thermal effects of inclusion processes of {alpha}-, {beta}-, {gamma}- and M{beta}-cyclodextrin with resveratrol (RES) in aqueous solutions were determined by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) with nanowatt sensitivity at the temperature of 298.15 K. Standard enthalpy changes, stoichiometry and equilibrium constants of the inclusion complexes were derived from the direct calorimetric data utilizing nonlinear simulation. The thermodynamic parameters were discussed in the light of weak interactions between the host and the guest molecules combining with UV spectral message. The results indicate that all of the complexes formed in the aqueous solutions are in 1:1 stoichiometry. The binding processes of {alpha}-, {beta}- and M{beta}-cyclodextrin with the guest are mainly driven by enthalpy, while that of {gamma}-cyclodextrin with the drug is driven by both enthalpy and entropy.

  11. Driving Forces Controlling Host-Guest Recognition in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Solvent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ingrosso, Francesca; Altarsha, Muhannad; Dumarçay, Florence; Kevern, Gwendal; Barth, Danielle; Marsura, Alain; Ruiz-López, Manuel F

    2016-02-24

    The formation of supramolecular host-guest complexes is a very useful and widely employed tool in chemistry. However, supramolecular chemistry in non-conventional solvents such as supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2 ), one of the most promising sustainable solvents, is still in its infancy. In this work, we explored a successful route to the development of green processes in supercritical CO2 by combining a theoretical approach with experiments. We were able to synthesize and characterize an inclusion complex between a polar aromatic molecule (benzoic acid) and peracetylated-β-cyclodextrin, which is soluble in the supercritical medium. This finding opens the way to wide, environmental friendly, applications of scCO2 in many areas of chemistry, including supramolecular synthesis, reactivity and catalysis, micro and nano-particle formation, molecular recognition, as well as enhanced extraction processes with increased selectivity. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Synthesis, structure, and properties of a series of chiral tweezer-diamine complexes consisting of an achiral zinc(II) bisporphyrin host and chiral diamine guest: induction and rationalization of supramolecular chirality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brahma, Sanfaori; Ikbal, Sk Asif; Rath, Sankar Prasad

    2014-01-06

    We report here the synthesis, structure, and spectroscopic properties of a series of supramolecular chiral 1:1 tweezer-diamine complexes consisting of an achiral Zn(II) bisporphyrin (Zn2DPO) host and five different chiral diamine guests, namely, (R)-diaminopropane (DAP), (1S,2S)-diaminocyclohexane (CHDA), (S)-phenylpropane diamine (PPDA), (S)-phenyl ethylenediamine (PEDA), and (1R,2R)-diphenylethylene diamine (DPEA). The solid-state structures are preserved in solution, as reflected in their (1)H NMR spectra, which also revealed the remarkably large upfield shifts of the NH2 guest protons with the order Zn2DPO·DAP > Zn2DPO·CHDA > Zn2DPO·PPDA> Zn2DPO·PEDA ≫ Zn2DPO·DPEA, which happens to be the order of binding constants of the respective diamines with Zn2DPO. As the bulk of the substituent at the chiral center of the guest ligand increases, the Zn-Nax distance of the tweezer-diamine complex also increases, which eventually lowers the binding of the guest ligand toward the host. Also, the angle between the two porphyrin rings gradually increases with increasing bulk of the guest in order to accommodate the guest within the bisporphyrin cavity with minimal steric clash. The notably high amplitude bisignate CD signal response by Zn2DPO·DAP, Zn2DPO·CHDA, and Zn2DPO·PPDA can be ascribed to the complex's high stability and the formation of a unidirectional screw as observed in the X-ray structures of the complexes. A relatively lower value of CD amplitude shown by Zn2DPO·PEDA is due to the lower stability of the complex. The projection of the diamine binding sites of the chiral guest would make the two porphyrin macrocycles oriented in either a clockwise or anticlockwise direction in order to minimize host-guest steric clash. In sharp contrast, Zn2DPO·DPEA shows a very low amplitude bisignate CD signal due to the presence of both left- (dictated by the pre-existing chirality of (1R,2R)-DPEA) and right-handed screws (dictated by the steric differentiation at

  13. Analyses of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and chiral-PAH analogues-methyl-β-cyclodextrin guest-host inclusion complexes by fluorescence spectrophotometry and multivariate regression analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greene, LaVana; Elzey, Brianda; Franklin, Mariah; Fakayode, Sayo O

    2017-03-05

    The negative health impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and differences in pharmacological activity of enantiomers of chiral molecules in humans highlights the need for analysis of PAHs and their chiral analogue molecules in humans. Herein, the first use of cyclodextrin guest-host inclusion complexation, fluorescence spectrophotometry, and chemometric approach to PAH (anthracene) and chiral-PAH analogue derivatives (1-(9-anthryl)-2,2,2-triflouroethanol (TFE)) analyses are reported. The binding constants (K b ), stoichiometry (n), and thermodynamic properties (Gibbs free energy (ΔG), enthalpy (ΔH), and entropy (ΔS)) of anthracene and enantiomers of TFE-methyl-β-cyclodextrin (Me-β-CD) guest-host complexes were also determined. Chemometric partial-least-square (PLS) regression analysis of emission spectra data of Me-β-CD-guest-host inclusion complexes was used for the determination of anthracene and TFE enantiomer concentrations in Me-β-CD-guest-host inclusion complex samples. The values of calculated K b and negative ΔG suggest the thermodynamic favorability of anthracene-Me-β-CD and enantiomeric of TFE-Me-β-CD inclusion complexation reactions. However, anthracene-Me-β-CD and enantiomer TFE-Me-β-CD inclusion complexations showed notable differences in the binding affinity behaviors and thermodynamic properties. The PLS regression analysis resulted in square-correlation-coefficients of 0.997530 or better and a low LOD of 3.81×10 -7 M for anthracene and 3.48×10 -8 M for TFE enantiomers at physiological conditions. Most importantly, PLS regression accurately determined the anthracene and TFE enantiomer concentrations with an average low error of 2.31% for anthracene, 4.44% for R-TFE and 3.60% for S-TFE. The results of the study are highly significant because of its high sensitivity and accuracy for analysis of PAH and chiral PAH analogue derivatives without the need of an expensive chiral column, enantiomeric resolution, or use of a polarized

  14. Colligative thermoelectric transport properties in n-type filled CoSb3 determined by guest electrons in a host lattice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, Young Soo; Park, Kwan-Ho; Tak, Jang Yeul; Lee, Soonil; Seo, Won-Seon; Park, Cheol-Hee; Kim, Tae Hoon; Park, PumSuk; Kim, Il-Ho; Yang, Jihui

    2016-01-01

    Among many kinds of thermoelectric materials, CoSb 3 has received exceptional attention for automotive waste heat recovery. Its cage structure provides an ideal framework for the realization of phonon-glass electron-crystal strategy, and there have been numerous reports on the enhanced thermoelectric performance through the independent control of the thermal and electrical conductivity by introducing fillers into its cage sites. Herein, we report colligative thermoelectric transport properties in n-type CoSb 3 from the viewpoint of “guest electrons in a host lattice.” Both the Seebeck coefficient and the charge transport properties are fundamentally determined by the concentration of the guest electrons, which are mostly donated by the fillers, in the conduction band of the host CoSb 3 . Comparing this observation to our previous results, colligative relations for both the Seebeck coefficient and the mobility were deduced as functions of the carrier concentration, and thermoelectric transport constants were defined to predict the power factor in filled CoSb 3 . This discovery not only increases the degree of freedom for choosing a filler but also provides the predictability of power factor in designing and engineering the n-type filled CoSb 3 materials.

  15. A Nexus between Theory and Experiment: Non-Empirical Quantum Mechanical Computational Methodology Applied to Cucurbit[n]uril⋅Guest Binding Interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hostaš, Jiří; Sigwalt, David; Šekutor, Marina; Ajani, Haresh; Dubecký, Matúš; Řezáč, Jan; Zavalij, Peter Y; Cao, Liping; Wohlschlager, Christian; Mlinarić-Majerski, Kata; Isaacs, Lyle; Glaser, Robert; Hobza, Pavel

    2016-11-21

    A training set of eleven X-ray structures determined for biomimetic complexes between cucurbit[n]uril (CB[7 or 8]) hosts and adamantane-/diamantane ammonium/aminium guests were studied with DFT-D3 quantum mechanical computational methods to afford ΔG calcd binding energies. A novel feature of this work is that the fidelity of the BLYP-D3/def2-TZVPP choice of DFT functional was proven by comparison with more accurate methods. For the first time, the CB[n]⋅guest complex binding energy subcomponents [for example, ΔE dispersion , ΔE electrostatic , ΔG solvation , binding entropy (-TΔS), and induced fit E deformation(host) , E deformation(guest) ] were calculated. Only a few weeks of computation time per complex were required by using this protocol. The deformation (stiffness) and solvation properties (with emphasis on cavity desolvation) of cucurbit[n]uril (n=5, 6, 7, 8) isolated host molecules were also explored by means of the DFT-D3 method. A high ρ 2 =0.84 correlation coefficient between ΔG exptl and ΔG calcd was achieved without any scaling of the calculated terms (at 298 K). This linear dependence was utilized for ΔG calcd predictions of new complexes. The nature of binding, including the role of high energy water molecules, was also studied. The utility of introduction of tethered [-(CH 2 ) n NH 3 ] + amino loops attached to N,N-dimethyl-adamantane-1-amine and N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl diamantane-4,9-diamine skeletons (both from an experimental and a theoretical perspective) is presented here as a promising tool for the achievement of new ultra-high binding guests to CB[7] hosts. Predictions of not yet measured equilibrium constants are presented herein. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Biasing hydrogen bond donating host systems towards chemical warfare agent recognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiscock, Jennifer R; Wells, Neil J; Ede, Jayne A; Gale, Philip A; Sambrook, Mark R

    2016-10-12

    A series of neutral ditopic and negatively charged, monotopic host molecules have been evaluated for their ability to bind chloride and dihydrogen phosphate anions, and neutral organophosphorus species dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), pinacolyl methylphosphonate (PMP) and the chemical warfare agent (CWA) pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate (GD, soman) in organic solvent via hydrogen bonding. Urea, thiourea and boronic acid groups are shown to bind anions and neutral guests through the formation of hydrogen bonds, with the urea and thiourea groups typically exhibiting higher affinity interactions. The introduction of a negative charge on the host structure is shown to decrease anion affinity, whilst still allowing for high stability host-GD complex formation. Importantly, the affinity of the host for the neutral CWA GD is greater than for anionic guests, thus demonstrating the potential for selectivity reversal based on charge repulsion.

  17. Self-assembly behavior of a linear-star supramolecular amphiphile based on host-guest complexation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Juan; Wang, Xing; Yang, Fei; Shen, Hong; You, Yezi; Wu, Decheng

    2014-11-04

    A star polymer, β-cyclodextrin-poly(l-lactide) (β-CD-PLLA), and a linear polymer, azobenzene-poly(ethylene glycol) (Azo-PEG), could self-assemble into a supramolecular amphiphilic copolymer (β-CD-PLLA@Azo-PEG) based on the host-guest interaction between β-CD and azobenzene moieties. This linear-star supramolecular amphiphilic copolymer further self-assembled into a variety of morphologies, including sphere-like micelle, carambola-like micelle, naan-like micelle, shuttle-like lamellae, tube-like fiber, and random curled-up lamellae, by tuning the length of hydrophilic or hydrophobic chains. The variation of morphology was closely related to the topological structure and block ratio of the supramolecular amphiphiles. These self-assembly structures could disassemble upon an ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation.

  18. Colligative thermoelectric transport properties in n-type filled CoSb{sub 3} determined by guest electrons in a host lattice

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lim, Young Soo, E-mail: yslim@pknu.ac.kr, E-mail: wsseo@kicet.re.kr, E-mail: pmoka@lgchem.com [Department of Materials System Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48547 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Kwan-Ho; Tak, Jang Yeul; Lee, Soonil; Seo, Won-Seon, E-mail: yslim@pknu.ac.kr, E-mail: wsseo@kicet.re.kr, E-mail: pmoka@lgchem.com [Energy and Environmental Division, Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology (KICET), Jinju 52851 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Cheol-Hee, E-mail: yslim@pknu.ac.kr, E-mail: wsseo@kicet.re.kr, E-mail: pmoka@lgchem.com; Kim, Tae Hoon; Park, PumSuk [LG Chem/Research Park, Daejeon 34122 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Il-Ho [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju 27909 (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Jihui [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 (United States)

    2016-03-21

    Among many kinds of thermoelectric materials, CoSb{sub 3} has received exceptional attention for automotive waste heat recovery. Its cage structure provides an ideal framework for the realization of phonon-glass electron-crystal strategy, and there have been numerous reports on the enhanced thermoelectric performance through the independent control of the thermal and electrical conductivity by introducing fillers into its cage sites. Herein, we report colligative thermoelectric transport properties in n-type CoSb{sub 3} from the viewpoint of “guest electrons in a host lattice.” Both the Seebeck coefficient and the charge transport properties are fundamentally determined by the concentration of the guest electrons, which are mostly donated by the fillers, in the conduction band of the host CoSb{sub 3}. Comparing this observation to our previous results, colligative relations for both the Seebeck coefficient and the mobility were deduced as functions of the carrier concentration, and thermoelectric transport constants were defined to predict the power factor in filled CoSb{sub 3}. This discovery not only increases the degree of freedom for choosing a filler but also provides the predictability of power factor in designing and engineering the n-type filled CoSb{sub 3} materials.

  19. Spatial, Hysteretic, and Adaptive Host-Guest Chemistry in a Metal-Organic Framework with Open Watson-Crick Sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Hong; Li, Mian; Lin, Xiao-Rong; Chen, Wei; Chen, Guang-Hui; Huang, Xiao-Chun; Li, Dan

    2015-09-01

    Biological and artificial molecules and assemblies capable of supramolecular recognition, especially those with nucleobase pairing, usually rely on autonomous or collective binding to function. Advanced site-specific recognition takes advantage of cooperative spatial effects, as in local folding in protein-DNA binding. Herein, we report a new nucleobase-tagged metal-organic framework (MOF), namely ZnBTCA (BTC=benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxyl, A=adenine), in which the exposed Watson-Crick faces of adenine residues are immobilized periodically on the interior crystalline surface. Systematic control experiments demonstrated the cooperation of the open Watson-Crick sites and spatial effects within the nanopores, and thermodynamic and kinetic studies revealed a hysteretic host-guest interaction attributed to mild chemisorption. We further exploited this behavior for adenine-thymine binding within the constrained pores, and a globally adaptive response of the MOF host was observed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Host-Guest Recognition-Assisted Electrochemical Release: Its Reusable Sensing Application Based on DNA Cross Configuration-Fueled Target Cycling and Strand Displacement Reaction Amplification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Yuanyuan; Zhuo, Ying; Chai, Yaqin; Yuan, Ruo

    2017-08-15

    In this work, an elegantly designed host-guest recognition-assisted electrochemical release was established and applied in a reusable electrochemical biosensor for the detection of microRNA-182-5p (miRNA-182-5p), a prostate cancer biomarker in prostate cancer, based on the DNA cross configuration-fueled target cycling and strand displacement reaction (SDR) amplification. With such a design, the single target miRNA input could be converted to large numbers of single-stranded DNA (S1-Trp and S2-Trp) output, which could be trapped by cucurbit[8]uril methyl viologen (CB-8-MV 2+ ) based on the host-guest recognition, significantly enhancing the sensitivity for miRNA detection. Moreover, the nucleic acids products obtained from the process of cycling amplification could be utilized sufficiently, avoiding the waste and saving the experiment cost. Impressively, by resetting a settled voltage, the proposed biosensor could release S1-Trp and S2-Trp from the electrode surface, attributing that the guest ion methyl viologen (MV 2+ ) was reduced to MV +· under this settled voltage and formed a more-stable CB-8-MV +· -MV +· complex. Once O 2 was introduced in this system, MV +· could be oxidized to MV 2+ , generating the complex of CB-8-MV 2+ for capturing S1-Trp and S2-Trp again in only 5 min. As a result, the simple and fast regeneration of biosensor for target detection was realized on the base of electrochemical redox-driven assembly and release, overcoming the challenges of time-consuming, burdensome operations and expensive experimental cost in traditional reusable biosensors and updating the construction method for a reusable bisensor. Furthermore, the biosensor could be reused for more than 10 times with a regeneration rate of 93.20%-102.24%. After all, the conception of this work provides a novel thought for the construction of effective reusable biosensor to detect miRNA and other biomarkers and has great potential application in the area requiring the release of

  1. Nurses as 'guests'--a study of a concept in light of Jacques Derrida's philosophy of hospitality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oresland, Stina; Lutzén, Kim; Norberg, Astrid; Rasmussen, Birgit H; Määttä, Sylvia

    2013-04-01

    As revealed in previous empirical research, nurses describe their position in home-based nursing care (HBNC) as that of 'guests' in the patient's home. Such a description is problematic as 'guests' might not be considered to belong to the realm of professionalism. As Jacques Derrida's work on hospitality has received wide publicity, sparking theoretical and philosophical discussion about host and guest, the aim of this study was to explore how the concept 'guests' can be understood in the light of Derrida's philosophy of hospitality. The study revealed that (a) guest must be considered a binary concept; and (b) hospitality should be regarded as an exchange of giving and receiving between a host and a guest. The present study demonstrated that it is important to reflect on the meaning of the concepts used by nurses in HBNC. Further theoretical and empirical exploration of the concept 'hospitality' would be fruitful, i.e. what is patients' understanding of 'hospitality' and 'hostility' related to nurses' descriptions of themselves as 'guests' in the patient's home. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  2. Rational Design of Multifunctional Gold Nanoparticles via Host-Guest Interaction for Cancer-Targeted Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Wei-Hai; Lei, Qi; Luo, Guo-Feng; Jia, Hui-Zhen; Hong, Sheng; Liu, Yu-Xin; Cheng, Yin-Jia; Zhang, Xian-Zheng

    2015-08-12

    A versatile gold nanoparticle-based multifunctional nanocomposite AuNP@CD-AD-DOX/RGD was constructed flexibly via host-guest interaction for targeted cancer chemotherapy. The pH-sensitive anticancer prodrug AD-Hyd-DOX and the cancer-targeted peptide AD-PEG8-GRGDS were modified on the surface of AuNP@CD simultaneously, which endowed the resultant nanocomposite with the capability to selectively eliminate cancer cells. In vitro studies indicated that the AuNP@CD-AD-DOX/RGD nanocomposite was preferentially uptaken by cancer cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis. Subsequently, anticancer drug DOX was released rapidly upon the intracellular trigger of the acid microenvirenment of endo/lysosomes, inducing apoptosis in cancer cells. As the ideal drug nanocarrier, the multifunctional gold nanoparticles with the active targeting and controllable intracellular release ability hold the great potential in cancer therapy.

  3. Phase changes induced by guest orientational ordering of filled ice Ih methane hydrate under high pressure and low temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirai, H; Tanaka, T; Yagi, T; Matsuoka, T; Ohishi, Y; Ohtake, M; Yamamoto, Y

    2014-01-01

    Low-temperature and high-pressure experiments were performed with filled ice Ih structure of methane hydrate under pressure and temperature conditions of 2.0 to 77.0 GPa and 30 to 300 K, respectively, using diamond anvil cells and a helium-refrigeration cryostat. Distinct changes in the axial ratios of the host framework were revealed by In-situ X-ray diffractometry. Splitting in the CH vibration modes of the guest methane molecules, which was previously explained by the orientational ordering of the guest molecules, was observed by Raman spectroscopy. The pressure and temperature conditions at the split of the vibration modes agreed well with those of the axial ratio changes. The results indicated that orientational ordering of the guest methane molecules from orientational disordered-state occurred at high pressures and low temperatures, and that this guest ordering led to the axial ratio changes in the host framework. Existing regions of the guest disordered-phase and the guest ordered-phase were roughly estimated by the X-ray data. In addition, above the pressure of the guest-ordered phase, another high pressure phase was developed at a low-temperature region. The deuterated-water host samples were also examined and isotopic effects on the guest ordering and phase changes were observed.

  4. Tailored protein encapsulation into a DNA host using geometrically organized supramolecular interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sprengel, Andreas; Lill, Pascal; Stegemann, Pierre; Bravo-Rodriguez, Kenny; Schöneweiß, Elisa-C.; Merdanovic, Melisa; Gudnason, Daniel; Aznauryan, Mikayel; Gamrad, Lisa; Barcikowski, Stephan; Sanchez-Garcia, Elsa; Birkedal, Victoria; Gatsogiannis, Christos; Ehrmann, Michael; Saccà, Barbara

    2017-02-01

    The self-organizational properties of DNA have been used to realize synthetic hosts for protein encapsulation. However, current strategies of DNA-protein conjugation still limit true emulation of natural host-guest systems, whose formation relies on non-covalent bonds between geometrically matching interfaces. Here we report one of the largest DNA-protein complexes of semisynthetic origin held in place exclusively by spatially defined supramolecular interactions. Our approach is based on the decoration of the inner surface of a DNA origami hollow structure with multiple ligands converging to their corresponding binding sites on the protein surface with programmable symmetry and range-of-action. Our results demonstrate specific host-guest recognition in a 1:1 stoichiometry and selectivity for the guest whose size guarantees sufficient molecular diffusion preserving short intermolecular distances. DNA nanocontainers can be thus rationally designed to trap single guest molecules in their native form, mimicking natural strategies of molecular recognition and anticipating a new method of protein caging.

  5. Fluorescence-Based Comparative Binding Studies of the Supramolecular Host Properties of PAMAM Dendrimers Using Anilinonaphthalene Sulfonates: Unusual Host-Dependent Fluorescence Titration Behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natasa Stojanovic

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available This work describes the fluorescence enhancement of the anilinonaphthalene sulfonate probes 1,8-ANS, 2,6-ANS, and 2,6-TNS via complexation with PAMAM dendrimer hosts of Generation 4, 5 and 6. The use of this set of three very closely related probes allows for comparative binding studies, with specific pairs of probes differing only in shape (1,8-ANS and 2,6-ANS, or in the presence of a methyl substituent (2,6-TNS vs. 2,6-ANS. The fluorescence of all three probes was significantly enhanced upon binding with PAMAM dendrimers, however in all cases except one, a very unusual spike was consistently observed in the host fluorescence titration plots (fluorescence enhancement vs. host concentration at low dendrimer concentration. This unprecedented fluorescence titration curve shape makes fitting the data to a simple model such as 1:1 or 2:1 host: guest complexation very difficult; thus only qualitative comparisons of the relative binding of the three guests could be made based on host titrations. In the case of G4 and G5 dendrimers, the order of binding strength was qualitatively determined to be 1,8-ANS < 2,6-ANS indicating that the more streamlined 2,6-substituted probes are a better match for the dendrimer cavity shape than the bulkier 1,8-substituted probe. This order of binding strength was also indicated by double fluorometric titration experiments, involving both host and guest titrations. Further double fluorometric titration experiments on 2,6-ANS in G4 dendrimer revealed a host concentration-dependent change in the nature of the host: guest complexation, with multiple guests complexed per host molecule at very low host concentrations, but less than one guest per host at higher concentrations.

  6. New Horizons Pluto Flyby Guest Operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, M.; Turney, D.; Fisher, S.; Carr, S. S.

    2015-12-01

    On July 14, 2015, after 9.5 years of cruise, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew past the Pluto system to gather first images humankind had ever seen on Pluto and its five moons. While much has been discovered about the Pluto system since New Horizons launch in 2006, the system has never been imaged at high resolution and anticipation of the "First Light" of the Pluto system had been anticipated by planetary enthusiasts for decades. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), which built and operates New Horizons, was the focal point for gathering three distinct groups: science and engineering team members; media and public affairs representatives; and invited public, including VIP's. Guest operations activities were focused on providing information primarily to the invited public and VIP's. High level objectives for the Guest Operations team was set to entertain and inform the general public, offer media reaction shots, and to deconflict activities for the guests from media activities wherever possible. Over 2000 people arrived at APL in the days surrounding closest approach for guest, science or media operations tracks. Reaction and coverage of the Guest Operations events was universally positive and global in impact: iconic pictures of the auditorium waving flags during the moment of closest approach were published in media outlets on every continent. Media relations activities ensured coverage in all key media publications targeted for release, such as the New York Times, Science, Le Monde, and Nature. Social and traditional media coverage of the events spanned the globe. Guest operations activities are designed to ensure that a guest has a memorable experience and leaves with a lifelong memory of the mission and their partnership in the activity. Results, lessons learned, and other data from the New Horizons guest operations activity will be presented and analyzed.

  7. Binding of chemical warfare agent simulants as guests in a coordination cage: contributions to binding and a fluorescence-based response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Christopher G P; Piper, Jerico R; Ward, Michael D

    2016-05-07

    Cubic coordination cages act as competent hosts for several alkyl phosphonates used as chemical warfare agent simulants; a range of cage/guest structures have been determined, contributions to guest binding analysed, and a fluorescent response to guest binding demonstrated.

  8. Diffusion as a function of guest molecule length and functionalization in flexible metal–organic frameworks

    KAUST Repository

    Zheng, B.; Wang, L. L.; Du, L.; Pan, Y.; Lai, Zhiping; Huang, Kuo-Wei; Du, H. L.

    2016-01-01

    Understanding guest diffusion in nanoporous host-guest systems is crucial in the efficient design of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for chemical separation and drug delivery applications. In this work, we investigated the effect of molecule length on the diffusion rate in the zeolitic imidazolate framework 8 (ZIF-8), trying to find a simple and straightforward variable to characterize the complicated guest diffusion. We found that, counter-intuitively, long guest molecules can diffuse as quickly as short molecules; the diffusion coefficient of ethyl acetate for example is of the same order of magnitude as ethane and ethanol, as excludes the existence of a simple relationship between molecule length and diffusion rate. This phenomenon is explained by a study of the contributions of intra- and inter-cage movement to overall transport. Steric confinement limits the degrees of freedom of long guest molecules, shortening their residence time and increasing the efficiency of radial diffusion. In contrast, shorter molecules meander within MOF cages, reducing transport. Furthermore, the energy barrier of inter-cage transport also does not exhibit a simple dependence on a guest molecule length, attributing to the effect of the type of functional group on diffusion. Guests over varying lengths were investigated by using theoretical methods, revealing that the guest diffusion in ZIF-8 depends on the number of contiguous carbon atoms in a molecule, rather than its overall length. Thus, we proposed simple criteria to predict arbitrary guest molecule diffusivity in ZIF-8 without time-consuming experimentation. © 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

  9. Diffusion as a function of guest molecule length and functionalization in flexible metal–organic frameworks

    KAUST Repository

    Zheng, B.

    2016-05-11

    Understanding guest diffusion in nanoporous host-guest systems is crucial in the efficient design of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for chemical separation and drug delivery applications. In this work, we investigated the effect of molecule length on the diffusion rate in the zeolitic imidazolate framework 8 (ZIF-8), trying to find a simple and straightforward variable to characterize the complicated guest diffusion. We found that, counter-intuitively, long guest molecules can diffuse as quickly as short molecules; the diffusion coefficient of ethyl acetate for example is of the same order of magnitude as ethane and ethanol, as excludes the existence of a simple relationship between molecule length and diffusion rate. This phenomenon is explained by a study of the contributions of intra- and inter-cage movement to overall transport. Steric confinement limits the degrees of freedom of long guest molecules, shortening their residence time and increasing the efficiency of radial diffusion. In contrast, shorter molecules meander within MOF cages, reducing transport. Furthermore, the energy barrier of inter-cage transport also does not exhibit a simple dependence on a guest molecule length, attributing to the effect of the type of functional group on diffusion. Guests over varying lengths were investigated by using theoretical methods, revealing that the guest diffusion in ZIF-8 depends on the number of contiguous carbon atoms in a molecule, rather than its overall length. Thus, we proposed simple criteria to predict arbitrary guest molecule diffusivity in ZIF-8 without time-consuming experimentation. © 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

  10. Host-Guest Engineering of Layered Double Hydroxides towards Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction: Recent Advances and Perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianming Li

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Electrochemical water splitting has great potential in the storage of intermittent energy from the sun, wind, or other renewable sources for sustainable clean energy applications. However, the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER usually determines the efficiency of practical water electrolysis due to its sluggish four-electron process. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs have attracted increasing attention as one of the ideal and promising electrocatalysts for water oxidation due to their excellent activity, high stability in basic conditions, as well as their earth-abundant compositions. In this review, we discuss the recent progress on LDH-based OER electrocatalysts in terms of active sites, host-guest engineering, and catalytic performances. Moreover, further developments and challenges in developing promising electrocatalysts based on LDHs are discussed from the viewpoint of molecular design and engineering.

  11. Motivations of farm tourism hosts and guests in the South West ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    denise

    rich and varied landscape, long tradition of farming and ... of visitors who stay at your farm / establishment? 2 How would .... walks, and the children all loved the animals. .... During the short time .... Guests relive happy memories of past times.

  12. Unanticipated guest motion during a phase transition in a ferroelastic inclusion compound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollingsworth, Mark D; Peterson, Matthew L; Pate, Kevin L; Dinkelmeyer, Brian D; Brown, Michael E

    2002-03-13

    Urea inclusion compounds (UICs) have been used as tools to understand ferroelastic domain switching and molecular recognition during crystal growth. Although the vast majority of UICs contain helical arrangements of host H-bonds, those containing guests with the formula X(CH(2))(6)Y (X, Y = Br, Cl, CN, NC) adopt an alternative P2(1)/n packing mode in which the host molecules exist as stacked loops of urea hexamers. Such structures may be further separated into two classes, ones distorted away from hexagonal symmetry along [100] (Br(CH(2))(6)Br, Br(CH(2))(6)Cl, and Cl(CH(2))(6)Cl) and those distorted along [001] (e.g. NC(CH(2))(6)CN). In each of these systems, guests exist as equilibrium mixtures of gauche conformers whose populations control the direction and magnitude of the observed distortion. Such UICs are potentially ferroelastic, but the n-glide requires that domains are not related by a simple rotation-translation mechanism as in the helical systems. Ferroelastic (degenerate) domain reorientation would necessitate a large-scale reorganization of the urea framework and rupture of numerous H-bonds. Coupled with distortions of 2 to 10%, this mechanism-based barrier to domain switching has precluded observation of this phenomenon. To prepare ferroelastic UICs with minimal distortions from hexagonal symmetry, attempts were made to form solid solutions of UICs containing guests from the two classes. This failed, however: solid solution formation of the stacked loop form is usually possible within a series (e.g. with Cl(CH(2))(6)Cl and Br(CH(2))(6)Br), but not between series (e.g. Cl(CH(2))(6)Cl and NC(CH(2))(6)CN). Crystals of Cl(CH(2))(6)CN/urea, in which a single guest contains substituents from each class, are distorted along [001] by only 0.5% from hexagonal symmetry at 298 K and exhibit ferroelastic domain reorientation at high forces. At -66 degrees C, Cl(CH(2))(6)CN/urea undergoes a topotactic phase transition that is unexpectedly nontopochemical. The

  13. Molecular binding thermodynamics of spherical guests by β-cyclodextrins bearing aromatic substituents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Nan; Chen, Yong; Zhang, Ying-Ming; Wang, Li-Hua; Mao, Wen-Zhao; Liu, Yu, E-mail: yuliu@nankai.edu.cn

    2014-01-20

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Different conformation of β-CD derivatives. • Enthalpy gain. • High binding ability. - Abstract: The molecular binding behaviors of two β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) derivatives bearing 1,2,3-triazole moieties, i.e. mono-6-deoxy-6-{4-(8-oxymethylquinolino)[1,2,3]triazolyl}-β-CD (1) and mono-6-deoxy-6-{4-(8-oxymethylnaphthol)[1,2,3]triazolyl}-β-CD (3), and their analogs without 1,2,3-triazole moieties, i.e. mono-6-deoxy-6-(8-oxymethylquinolino)-β-CD (2) and mono-6-deoxy-6-(8-oxymethylnaphthol)-β-CD (4) toward spherical guests (±)-borneol and (±)-camphor were investigated to elucidate how substituent moiety of host affects the binding abilities by 2D NMR as well as microcalorimetric titrations in aqueous phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.20) at 298.15 K. The binding modes of host–guest interactions obtained from 2D NMR displayed that host CDs without triazole moieties gave better induce-fit efficiency between hosts and guests, leading to stronger binding abilities. Thermodynamically, the inclusion complexation was driven by enthalpy with the stoichiometry of 1:1. Another factor contributed to the enhanced binding abilities was the enthalpy gain with the smaller entropy loss.

  14. Double level selection in a constitutional dynamic library of coordination driven supramolecular polygons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rancan, Marzio; Tessarolo, Jacopo; Casarin, Maurizio; Zanonato, Pier Luigi; Quici, Silvio; Armelao, Lidia

    2014-07-21

    A constitutional dynamic library (CDL) of Cu(II) metallo-supramolecular polygons has been studied as a bench test to examine an interesting selection case based on molecular recognition. Sorting of the CDL polygons is achieved through a proper guest that is hosted into the triangular metallo-macrocycle constituent. Two selection mechanisms are observed, a guest induced path and a guest templated self-assembly (virtual library approach). Remarkably, the triangular host can accommodate several guests with a degree of selectivity ranging from ∼1 to ∼10(4) for all possible guest pairs. A double level selection operates: guests drive the CDL toward the triangular polygon, and, at the same time, this is able to pick a specific guest from a set of competitive molecules, according to a selectivity-affinity correlation. Association constants of the host-guest systems have been determined. Guest competition and exchange studies have been analyzed through variable temperature UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Molecular structures and electronic properties of the triangular polygon and of the host-guest systems also have been studied by means of all electrons density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations including dispersive contributions. DFT outcomes ultimately indicate the dispersive nature of the host-guest interactions, while TDDFT results allow a thorough assignment of the host and host-guests spectral features.

  15. Tuning of Magnetic Anisotropy in Hexairon(III) Rings by Host-Guest Interactions: An Investigation by High-Field Torque Magnetometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cornia; Affronte; Jansen; Abbati; Gatteschi

    1999-08-01

    Full chemical control of magnetic anisotropy in hexairon(III) rings can be achieved by varying the size of the guest alkali metal ion. Dramatically different anisotropies characterize the Li(I) and Na(I) complexes of [Fe(6)(OMe)(12)(L)(6)] (L=1,3-propanedione derivatives; a schematic representation of the Li(I) complex is shown), as revealed by high-field torque magnetometry-Iron: (g), oxygen: o, carbon: o, Li(+): plus sign in circle.

  16. Guest loyalty in hospitality industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gagić Snježana

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The continuous growth of competition in the hospitality sector has created the need to retain guests and prevent them from switching company due to better offer or saturation. Loyal customers are a valuable asset for catering companies, not only because of the awareness of the effects of customer loyalty. They tend to spread word-of-mouth advertising, more tolerant to price changes, as well as they casually create a linkage to their friends, relatives, colleagues, and other probable consumers and thus enable businesses to uphold a guest's base. By recognizing loyalty guests' importance, the global hospitality industry created monetary and non-monetary rewards for loyal visitors, delayed gratification (points collection and immediate rewards, as well as numerous other reward systems that try to keep them. To win customer loyalty, together with all benefits arising from it, caterers need to become familiar with factors, which determine guests' loyalty. The paper will show the results of research regarding the impact of the service quality and guests' satisfaction to their loyalty. Many authors have confirmed that employees' satisfaction affected customers' satisfaction, so this paper will give an answer does it influence on customers' loyalty as well.

  17. EPR of divalent manganese in non-Kramers hosts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lech, J.; Slezak, A. [Institute of Physics, Technical University of Czestochowa, Czestochowa (Poland)

    1997-12-31

    Various interactions which lead to the observation of sharp EPR spectra of the high half-integer spin impurity Mn{sup 2+} (S=5/2) in paramagnetic hosts with integer spins S=1 and S=2 have been studied. Studies have been carried out on the basis of data extracted from experimental EPR spectra of Mn{sup 2+} in single crystal of divalent nickel Ni{sup 2+} (S=1) and Fe{sup 2+} (S=1) perchlorate hexahydrates. It has been shown that dipolar host-host and host-guest couplings broaden resonance lines of Mn{sup 2+}. Narrowing of the lines in the both crystals can be mainly attributed to the host-guest exchange interactions and quenching of the host spins. 19 refs, 3 figs, 1 tab.

  18. A concept for the removal of microplastics from the marine environment with innovative host-guest relationships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herbort, Adrian Frank; Schuhen, Katrin

    2017-04-01

    Environmental pollution caused by inert anthropogenic stressors such as microplastics in aquatic media is constantly increasing. Through the proliferating use of plastic products in daily life, more and more plastic particles enter waters as primary microplastics. Even though large scale plastic items such as plastic bottles and bags represent the highest percentage of plastic waste, their degeneration also generates microparticles and nanoparticles (secondary microplastics). Modern sewage treatment plants require innovative ideas in order to deal with this man-made problem. State-of-the-art technology offers approaches to minimise the amount of microplastics in aquatic systems. These technologies, however, are either insufficient or very costly, as well as time-consuming in both cases. The conceptual idea presented here is to apply innovative inorganic-organic hybrid silica gels which provide a cost-effective and straightforward approach. Currently, the synthesis of preorganised bioinspired compounds is advancing in order to produce functionalised hybrid silica gels in a further step. These gels have the ability to remove stressors such as microplastics from waste water. By means of the sol-gel process, bioinspired silane compounds are currently being permuted to macromolecules and examined with respect to their properties as fixation and filter material in order to remove the hydrophobic anthropogenic stressors sustainably. Here, the reproduction of biological systems plays a significant role. In particular in material sciences, this approach is becoming increasingly important. Among other concepts, new biomimetic molecules form the basis for the investigation of innovative host-guest relationships for anthropogenic stressors in the environment and their implementation in technical processes.

  19. The effect of host relaxation and dynamics on guest molecule dynamics in H2/tetrahydrofuranhydrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Vanessa K; Shoko, Elvis; Kearley, Gordon J

    2011-01-01

    We use ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to obtain classically the effects of H2O cage motions on the potential-energy surface (PES) of encapsulated H2 in the H2/tetrahydrofuran-hydrate system. The significant differences between the PES for the H2 in rigid and flexible cages that we find will influence calculation of the quantum dynamics of the H2. Part of these differences arises from the relaxation of the H2O cage around the classical H2, with a second part arising from the coupling of both translational and rotational motions of H2 with the H20 cage. We find that isotopic substitution of 2H for 1H of the H2O cage affects the coupling, which has implications for experiments that require the use of 2H2O, including inelastic neutron scattering that uses 2H2O cages in order to focus on the H2 guest dynamics. Overall, this work emphasizes the importance of taking into account cage dynamics in any approach used to understand the dynamics of H2 guests in porous framework materials.

  20. A Different Guest Worker Story: Roma Guest Workers – a Transnational Minority in Transmigration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Banić-Grubišić

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available he paper considers the ambiguity of the term ‘guest worker’, based on the example of economic migrants who belong to the Roma population. Over the last fifty years, members of the Roma minority have migrated to Western European countries for different reasons (economic, political and social reasons, and there is no official data on the precise number of Roma who have migrated abroad, whether permanently or temporarily. It is possible to establish a number of categories of Roma immigrants who reside permanently or temporarily in Western European countries. These are: the so-called “classic guest workers” who, through legal or illegal means went to work abroad in the 60’s and 70’s, and mostly settled permanently in the host countries; Roma refugees from Kosovo and/or asylum seekers who left the country during the wars in the 90’s, and who were returned to Serbia after the signing of the Readmission treaty; and those Roma who represent occasional economic migrants: people who, after Serbia was put on the white Schengen list (the liberalization of the visa policy for citizens of Serbia, spend three months at a time working abroad. Even though these three categories of Roma workers have different reasons for migrating from and returning to Serbia, the majority of the population perceives them as a unified, distinct whole – as guest workers. The paper is the result of fieldwork conducted in South-Eastern Serbia, in the village of Minicevo.

  1. Penerapan Aplikasi Web Di Hotel Arinda Guest House Bandung

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ade Mubarok

    2017-09-01

    Abstract Hotel was a thriving industry very fast with the advent of the information technology. One factor that can provide comfort is the existence of the information rapid to a reservation hotel. Several problems that ordinarily encountered hotel management and customers as it tough for rapid information, do check in and the payment of requiring guests come to the hotel, include families in village records the guest log and make a report manually.In writing thesis this, writer build a application of hotel by adopting information technology. The model used to the development of software is the method waterfall, which begins with analysis needs adapted to systems are go at the hotel arinda guest house, design system and software, coding, testing, and implementation.So that this research produce information system a reservation hotel web-based. Of interface ease of use user and showing functionality that can be used to at the check in , the hotel , faster information and save time prospective guest on do reservations , efficient in recording the guest log and reports.   Keywords: Website, Aplication, Hotel Arinda Guest House, checked in, Waterfall.

  2. Separation of radionuclides using host-guest materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drabova, V.

    2014-01-01

    This thesis is focused on the development of complex procedure with using commercially available sorbents to separate anthropogenic actinides 237 Np, 241 Am, 238 Pu and 239 , 240 Pu and their determination in the liquid radioactive wastes by using alpha spectrometry. Abilities of using commercially available sorbent AnaLig(R)Pu-02 gel from IBC Advanced Technologies, Inc. were tested, this product belongs to host-guest materials based on molecular recognition technology. This material is capable of selectively capturing actinides in oxidation state IV. To adjust the oxidation state of 238 Pu and 239 , 240 Pu was used NaNO 2 . Pu(IV) forms in the medium of nitric acid complexes, [Np(NO 3 ) 6 ] - , which are captured on the column. For the second monitored radionuclide, neptunium is typical valence V, Np(V) in the concentrated nitric acid produces strong complexes, [Np(NO 3 ) 6 ] - , which are capable of the sorption on the column of AnaLig(R)Pu-02 gel. The most common state of americium in aqueous solutions is III. Whereas in this oxidation state, americium do not form complexes in 8 mol·dm -3 nitric acid is the result of the flow-through. On the base of experimental obtained results, solution of 0.1 mol·dm -3 NH 4 I in 9 mol·dm -3 HCl was selected for elution of plutonium. Neptunium was eluted from the column using 9 mol·dm -3 of HCl with addition of 0.5 cm 3 TiCl 3 . Optimizing conditions for the separation procedure was performed by using model solution of radioactive waste which was prepared according to the chemical composition of radioactive concentrate from NPP Mochovce and NPP Bohunice. The effect of the concentration of Fe 3+ , the effect of the concentration of the HCl, the effect of the concentration of the solution of NH 4 I and the effect of the volume of this solution to the yields of 238 Pu were studied. And also was studied the effect of 9 mol·dm -3 of HCl and the effect of volume of 15 % TiCl 3 to the yields of 237 Np. Sorbent DGA(R) Resin from

  3. Molecular Recognition of Vesicles : Host-Guest Interactions Combined with Specific Dimerization of Zwitterions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voskuhl, Jens; Fenske, Tassilo; Stuart, Marc C. A.; Wibbeling, Birgit; Schmuck, Carsten; Ravoo, Bart Jan

    2010-01-01

    The aggregation of beta-cyclodextrin vesicles can be induced by an adamantyl-substituted zwitterionic guanidiniocarbonylpyrrole carboxylate guest molecule (1). Upon addition of 1 to the cyclodextrin vesicles at neutral pH, the vesicles aggregate (but do not fuse), as shown by using UV/Vis and

  4. Molecular dynamics study on the structure I clathrate-hydrate of methane + ethane mixture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erfan-Niya, Hamid; Modarress, Hamid; Zaminpayma, Esmaeil

    2011-01-01

    Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to study the structure I stability of methane + ethane clathrate-hydrates at temperatures 273, 275 and 277 K. NVT- and NPT-ensembles are utilized in MD simulation, and each consists of 3 x 3 x 3 replica unit cells containing 46 water molecules which are considered as the host molecules and up to eight methane + ethane molecules considered as the guest molecules. In MD simulations for host-host interactions, the potential model used was a type of simple point charge (SPC) model, and for guest-guest and host-guest interactions the potential used was Lennard-Jones model. In the process of MD simulation, achieving equilibrium of the studied system was recognized by stability in calculated pressure for NVT-ensemble and volume for NPT-ensemble. To understand the characteristic configurations of the structure I hydrate, the radial distribution functions (RDFs) of host-host, host-guest and guest-guest molecules as well as other properties including kinetic energy, potential energy and total energy were calculated. The results show that guest molecules interaction with host molecules cannot decompose the hydrate structure, and these results are consistent with most previous experimental and theoretical investigations that methane + ethane mixtures form structure I hydrates over the entire mixture composition range.

  5. Photoresponsive Molecular Recognition and Adhesion of Vesicles in a Competitive Ternary Supramolecular System

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nalluri, Siva Krishna Mohan; Bultema, Jelle B.; Boekema, Egbert J.; Ravoo, Bart Jan

    A competitive photoresponsive supramolecular system is formed in a dilute aqueous solution of three components: vesicles of amphiphilic alpha-cyclodextrin host 1a, divalent p-methylphenyl guest 2 or divalent p-methylbenzamide guest 3, and photoresponsive azobenzene monovalent guest 5. Guests 2 and 3

  6. Capturing the guest experience in hotels phase one : theoretical background and development of the guest experience scan

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Marle, van R.S.F. (Rienk); Pijls, R. (Ruth); Schreiber, G.H. (Gerrit)

    2011-01-01

    The goal for the coming years is to get insight in the guest experience in hotels. What is guest experience? How to measure guest experience? What is the relation between guest experience and guest loyalty? And finally, what tangible elements in the physical environment of hotels and the contact

  7. Host–Guest Chirality Interplay: A Mutually Induced Formation of a Chiral ZMOF and Its Double-Helix Polymer Guests

    KAUST Repository

    Luo, Xiaolong

    2016-01-12

    A novel homochiral zeolite-like metal-organic framework (ZMOF), [(Cu4I4) (dabco)2]·[Cu2(bbimb)]·3DMF (JLU-Liu23, dabco =1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]-octane, H2bbimb =1,3-bis(2-benzimidazol)benzene, DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide), has been successfully constructed to host unprecedented DNA-like [Cu2(bbimb)]n polymers with double-helicity. The host-guest chirality interplay permitted the induced formation of an unusual gyroid MOF with homochirality and helical channels in the framework for the first time, JLU-Liu23. Importantly, the enantiomeric pairs (23P, 23M) can be promoted and isolated in the presence of appropriate chiral inducing agents, affording enantioselective separation of chiral molecules as well as small gas molecules. © 2016 American Chemical Society.

  8. Importance of satisfaction and guests experience in hotel business organizations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milošević Srđan

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Hotel companies which operate in today's competitive environment must constantly work on improving their products and services, at the request of their guests. Customer satisfaction is the key to retaining existing and attracting new guests. To achieve this goal, managers in the hotel organizations have become aware of the fact that the quality of staying in hotel represent unique experience for tourists. Lot of papers are dealing with the exploration of this topic, it only proves its importance nowadays. However, insufficient attention is paid to the simultaneous study of experience of guests and their satisfaction through the offered models (indexes that are created for this purpose. The purpose of this paper is to show the importance of these issues and identify their potential symbiosis.

  9. The guest-worker in Western Europe--an obituary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castles, S

    1986-01-01

    The significance of guest workers is examined for six Western European countries. It is found that "the dynamics of the migratory process led to family reunification and settlement, against the original intentions of the workers, employers and states concerned. The recruitment of guest-workers stopped after 1974, but many migrants stayed on, becoming permanent ethnic minorities, in a situation of economic and social crisis. It is argued that guest-worker systems inevitably lead to permanent migration in the long run, and that it is better to plan for orderly settlement through appropriate policies." excerpt

  10. Highly Efficient Solution-Processed Deep-Red Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Based on an Exciplex Host Composed of a Hole Transporter and a Bipolar Host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Manli; Jiang, Bei; Xie, Guohua; Yang, Chuluo

    2017-10-19

    With the aim to achieve highly efficient deep-red emission, we introduced an exciplex forming cohost, 4,4',4″-tris(3-methylphenylphenylamino)triphenylamine (m-MTDATA): 2,5-bis(2-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)phenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (o-CzOXD) (1:1). Due to the efficient triplet up-conversion processes upon the exciplex forming cohost, excellent performances of the devices were achieved with deep-red emission. Using the heteroleptic iridium complexes as the guest dopants, the solution-processed deep-red phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PhOLEDs) with the iridium(III) bis(6-(4-(tert-butyl)phenyl)phenanthridine)acetylacetonate [(TP-BQ) 2 Ir(acac)]-based phosphorescent emitter exhibited an electroluminescent peak at 656 nm and a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 11.9%, which is 6.6 times that of the device based on the guest emitter doped in the polymer-based cohost. The unique exciplex with a typical hole transporter and a bipolar material is ideal and universal for hosting the red PhOLEDs and tremendously improves the device performances.

  11. Synthesis and Guest Recognition of Switchable Pt-Salphen Based Molecular Tweezers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorien Benda

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Molecular tweezers are artificial receptors that have an open cavity generated by two recognition units pre-organized by a spacer. Switchable molecular tweezers, using a stimuli-responsive spacer, are particularly appealing as prototypes of the molecular machines that combine mechanical motion and allosteric recognition properties. In this present study, the synthesis of switchable molecular tweezers composed of a central terpyridine unit substituted in 4,4″ positions by two Pt(II-salphen complexes is reported. The terpyridine ligand can be reversibly converted upon Zn(II coordination from a free ‘U’-shaped closed form to a coordinated ‘W’ open form. This new substitution pattern enables a reverse control of the mechanical motion compared to the previously reported 6,6″ substituted terpyridine-based tweezers. Guest binding studies with aromatic guests showed an intercalation of coronene in the cavity created by the Pt-salphen moieties in the closed conformation. The formation of 1:1 host-guest complex was investigated by a combination of NMR studies and DFT calculations.

  12. Complexation of imidazopyridine-based cations with a 24-crown-8 ether host: [2]pseudorotaxane and partially threaded structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno-Olivares, Surisadai I; Cervantes, Ruy; Tiburcio, Jorge

    2013-11-01

    A new series of linear molecules derived from 1,2-bis(imidazopyridin-2-yl)ethane can fully or partially penetrate the cavity of the dibenzo-24-crown-8 macrocycle to produce a new family of host-guest complexes. Protonation or alkylation of the nitrogen atoms on the pyridine rings led to an increase in the guest total positive charge up to 4+ and simultaneously generated two new recognition sites (pyridinium motifs) that are in competition with the 1,2-bis(benzimidazole)ethane motif for the crown ether. The relative position of the pyridine ring and the chemical nature of the N-substituent determined the preferred motif and the host-guest complex geometry: (i) for linear guests with relatively bulky groups (i.e., a benzyl substituent), the 1,2-bis(benzimidazole)ethane motif is favored, leading to a fully threaded complex with a [2]pseudorotaxane geometry; (ii) for small substituents, such as -H and -CH3 groups, regardless of the guest shape, the pyridinium motifs are preferred, leading to external partially threaded complexes in a 2:1 host to guest stoichiometry.

  13. A Nexus between Theory and Experiment: Non-Empirical Quantum Mechanical Computational Methodology Applied to Cucurbit[n]urilGuest Binding Interactions

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hostaš, Jiří; Sigwalt, D.; Šekutor, M.; Ajani, Haresh; Dubecký, M.; Řezáč, Jan; Zavalij, P. Y.; Cao, L.; Wohlschlager, Ch.; Mlinaric-Majerski, K.; Isaacs, L.; Glaser, R.; Hobza, Pavel

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 22, č. 48 (2016), s. 17226-17238 ISSN 0947-6539 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP208/12/G016 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : adamantane-/diamantane-skeleton guests * biomimetic complexes * BLYP-D3 quantum mechanical calculations * cucurbit[n]uril * host-guest complexes * primary ammonium loops Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 5.317, year: 2016

  14. Host-guest chemistry of dendrimer-drug complexes. 6. Fully acetylated dendrimers as biocompatible drug vehicles using dexamethasone 21-phosphate as a model drug.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Kun; Weng, Liang; Cheng, Yiyun; Zhang, Hongfeng; Zhang, Jiahai; Wu, Qinglin; Xu, Tongwen

    2011-03-17

    Fully acetylated poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer was proposed as a biocompatible drug vehicle using dexamethasone 21-phosphate (Dp21) as a model drug. NMR techniques including (1)H NMR and 2D NOE NMR were used to characterize the host-guest chemistry of acetylated dendrimer/Dp21 and cationic dendrimer/Dp21 complexes. The pH-dependent micellization, complexation, and inclusion behaviors of Dp21 were observed in the presence of acetylated and cationic PAMAM dendrimers. Acetylated dendrimer only encapsulates Dp21 at acidic conditions, while cationic dendrimer can host Dp21 at both acidic and neutral conditions. The orientation of Dp21 molecules in the dendrimer cavities depends on the quaternization degree of tertiary amine groups of dendrimer and the protonation ratio of phosphate group of Dp21. A distinctive pH-dependent release behavior of Dp21 from the acetylated and nonacetylated dendritic matrix was observed: Dp21 exhibits a much slower release rate from acetylated dendrimer at lower pH conditions and a much faster release rate from nonacetylated dendrimer with decreasing pH values. Cytotoxicity studies further confirmed the biocompatibility of acetylated dendrimers, which are much safer in the delivery of therapeutics for the treatment of various diseases than nonacetylated dendrimers. The dendrimer-drug binding and release mechanisms provide a new insight for the design and optimization of biocompatible dendrimer-based drug delivery systems. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  15. Inquiry about key dimensions of service qualities and guests satisfaction in restaurants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimitrovski Darko D.

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A lot of marketing experts in catering, restaurants especially, have recently been preoccupied by measuring the service quality. Business in competitive and turbulent surrounding requires that restaurants continually improve their products, which is based on guests specific demands and wishes. Comprehension of how consumers see catering offer and research on factors that determine consumers satisfaction are the key for achieving business aims. The aim of this study is an identification of key components of service qualities which restaurants and their influence on guests satisfaction offer. Measures of descriptive statistics, explorative factor and multiple regressive analysis were used in order to achieve the aims of the research. The facts were collected by using the survey. Results of the research highlight 3 key elements of the service quality that restaurants offer and those are: professionalism of personnel, understanding of guests, paying individual attention and meeting specific demands. The first two components include attributes that evince statistically important influence on guests satisfaction. Finds of conducted survey help managers and restaurateurs determine factors they will focus on during the making marketing strategy which will supply high level of consumers satisfaction on one side, and long-term profitability on the other side.

  16. Structural elucidation of dendritic host-guest complexes by X-ray crystallography and molecular dynamics simulations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chang, T.; Pieterse, K.; Broeren, M.A.C.; Kooijman, H.; Spek, A.L.; Hilbers, P.A.J.; Meijer, E.W.

    2007-01-01

    The multiple monovalent binding of adamantyl-urea poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers with carboxylic acid-urea guests was investigated using molecular dynamics simulations and X-ray crystallography to better understand the structure and behavior of the dynamic multivalent complex in solution. The

  17. Guest-Host Complex Formed between Ascorbic Acid and β-Cyclodextrin Immobilized on the Surface of an Electrode

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Teresa Ramírez-Silva

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available This work deals with the formation of supramolecular complexes between ascorbic acid (AA, the guest, and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD, the host, that was first potentiodynamically immobilized on the surface of a carbon paste electrode (CPE throughout the formation of a β-CD-based conducting polymer (poly-β-CD. With the bare CPE and the β-CD-modified CPE, an electrochemical study was performed to understand the effect of such surface modification on the electrochemical response of the AA. From this study it was shown that on the modified-CPE, the AA was surface-immobilized through formation of an inclusion complex with β-CD, which provoked the adsorption of AA in such a way that this stage became the limiting step for the electrochemical oxidation of AA. Moreover, from the analysis of the experimental voltammetric plots recorded during AA oxidation on the CPE/poly-β-CD electrode surfaces, the Gibbs’ standard free energy of the inclusion complex formed by the oxidation product of AA and β-CD has been determined for the first time, ∆G0inclus = −36.4 kJ/mol.

  18. Computational Calorimetry: High-Precision Calculation of Host–Guest Binding Thermodynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    We present a strategy for carrying out high-precision calculations of binding free energy and binding enthalpy values from molecular dynamics simulations with explicit solvent. The approach is used to calculate the thermodynamic profiles for binding of nine small molecule guests to either the cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) or β-cyclodextrin (βCD) host. For these systems, calculations using commodity hardware can yield binding free energy and binding enthalpy values with a precision of ∼0.5 kcal/mol (95% CI) in a matter of days. Crucially, the self-consistency of the approach is established by calculating the binding enthalpy directly, via end point potential energy calculations, and indirectly, via the temperature dependence of the binding free energy, i.e., by the van’t Hoff equation. Excellent agreement between the direct and van’t Hoff methods is demonstrated for both host–guest systems and an ion-pair model system for which particularly well-converged results are attainable. Additionally, we find that hydrogen mass repartitioning allows marked acceleration of the calculations with no discernible cost in precision or accuracy. Finally, we provide guidance for accurately assessing numerical uncertainty of the results in settings where complex correlations in the time series can pose challenges to statistical analysis. The routine nature and high precision of these binding calculations opens the possibility of including measured binding thermodynamics as target data in force field optimization so that simulations may be used to reliably interpret experimental data and guide molecular design. PMID:26523125

  19. Total Quality Management Implementation and Guest Satisfaction in Hospitality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miroslav Knežević

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Total quality management (TQM has become a modern system of constant improvement of the quality of all company activities. The purpose of this study is to measure the expectations and satisfaction of the guests concerning the attribute quality of the hotel product. Furthermore obtained results were compared in such a way as to analyse particularly the reviews of hotels which have implemented TQM and have the ISO 9001 certificates with reviews from hotels which have not implemented TQM and do not have the ISO 9001 certificates. The conducted analysis included 55 hotels in Serbia belonging to the 4- and 5-star categories, i.e. 1308 guests who have stayed in them. The results show that between the observed groups of guests there are fewer differences in expectations than in perception, and that generally speaking guests who have stayed in the hotels that have implemented TQM are more satisfied. The biggest difference concerning the guest satisfaction with the quality of service in the observed hotels is noticeable in relation to the employees and the value-for-money.

  20. Selecting non-classified hotels in Kenya: what really matters for business guests?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alex K Kivuva

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Non-classified hotels, which comprise small hotels and guest houses, are important accommodation providers offering limited services and products as compared to the classified hotels. Through guest satisfaction, they can achieve repeat business and also get new business through word of mouth from previous guests. The main focus is for the hoteliers to know exactly the determinants of selection of hotels by their guests. In this case, the focus was on non-classified hotels in Mtwapa town at the Kenyan coast. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive survey design. Results from this study clearly indicate that all aspects of hotel operations are important to business guests’ selection of a non-classified hotel. However, it was revealed that this was not on equal basis. Results indicate that the core product (guestroom comfortability, hygiene and cleanliness were the most important factors in determining guests’ selection of where to stay. This research therefore suggests that any efforts towards quality improvement in a hotel should focus primarily on ensuring customer satisfaction with the guestroom. While acknowledging the importance of all aspects of hotel operations, managers should recognize the importance of the guestroom and its facilities towards hotel selection and overall customer satisfaction. Therefore, it is imperative that managers channel their resources towards improving guest services in the guestrooms in accordance with the requirements of the clientele. This includes such aspects as the look of the guest rooms, facilities provided in the guest rooms and comfortability of the bed and mattress.

  1. Complexation of triptycene-derived macrotricyclic polyether with paraquat derivatives, diquat, and a 2,7-diazapyrenium salt: guest-induced conformational changes of the host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Ying; Cao, Jing; Li, Peng-Fei; Zong, Qian-Shou; Zhao, Jian-Min; Guo, Jia-Bin; Xiang, Jun-Feng; Chen, Chuan-Feng

    2013-04-05

    Complexation between a triptycene-derived macrotricyclic polyether containing two dibenzo-[30]-crown-10 cavities and different functionalized paraquat derivatives, diquat, and a 2,7-diazapyrenium salt in both solution and solid state was investigated in detail. It was found that depending on the guests with different terminal functional groups and structures, the macrotricyclic polyether could form 1:1 or 1:2 complexes with the guests in different complexation modes in solution and also in the solid state. Especially, the conformation of the macrotricyclic polyether was efficiently adjusted by the encapsulated guests, which was to some extent similar to substrate-induced fit of enzymes. Moreover, the binding and releasing of the guests in the complexes could be controlled by potassium ions.

  2. Easily Processed Host-Guest Polymer Systems with High-Tg Characteristics (First-year Report)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-01

    manner such that the effective electro- optical coefficient is maximized. Unfortunately, relaxation of the chromophore in the host polymer leads to...polished stainless steel facing plates (0.25 in thickness, McMaster ) and window molds cut from aluminum stock (1 mm thickness, McMaster ). Both facing...plasticization from the chromophore. Both chromophores resulted in substantial red-shifted absorption compared to a sample prepared in virgin PMMA. We expect

  3. Sensitive and Specific Guest Recognition through Pyridinium-Modification in Spindle-Like Coordination Containers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhuvaneswari, Nagarajan; Dai, Feng-Rong; Chen, Zhong-Ning

    2018-05-02

    An elaborately designed pyridinium-functionalized octanuclear zinc(II) coordination container 1-Zn was prepared through the self-assembly of Zn 2+ , p-tert-butylsulfonylcalix[4]arene, and pyridinium-functionalized angular flexible dicarboxylate linker (H 2 BrL1). The structure was determined by a single-crystal X-ray diffractometer. 1-Zn displays highly sensitive and specific recognition to 2-picolylamine as revealed by drastic blueshifts of the absorption and emission spectra, ascribed to the decrease of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) character of the container and the occurrence of intermolecular charge transfer between the host and guest molecules. The intramolecular charge transfer plays a key role in the modulation of the electronic properties and is tunable through endo-encapsulation of specific guest molecules. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Neutral Guest Capture via Lewis Acid/Base Molecular Square Receptors. X-ray Crystal Structure of {Cyclobis[(cis-(dppp)Pt(4-ethynylpyridyl)(2))(cis- (PEt(3))(2)Pt)]Ag(2)}(+6)(phenazine)- ((-)OSO(2)CF(3))(6).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whiteford, Jeffery A.; Stang, Peter J.; Huang, Songping D.

    1998-10-19

    Interaction of {cyclobis[(cis-(dppp)Pt(4-ethynylpyridyl)(2))(cis-(L)M)]Ag(2)}(+6)((-)OSO(2)CF(3))(6), where M = Pt(II) or Pd(II) and L = dppp or 2PEt(3), with pyridine, pyrazine, phenazine, or 4,4'-dipyridyl ketone results in coordination Lewis acid/base host-guest assemblies via the "pi-tweezer effect" and mono or bis neutral guest coordination. All host-guest complexes are air stable microcrystalline solids with decomposition points greater than 170 degrees C. The homometallic Pt(II) receptors are more stable than the heteroaromatic Pt(II)-Pd(II) receptors toward heteratom-containing aromatic guests. The X-ray crystal structure of the host-guest complex {cyclobis[(cis-(dppp)Pt(4-ethynylpyridyl)(2))(cis-(PEt(3))(2)Pt)]Ag(2)}(+6)(phenazine)((-)OSO(2)CF(3))(6) is reported. The crystals with the empirical formula C(62)H(68)AgF(9)N(3)O(9)P(4)Pt(2)S(3) are triclinic P&onemacr; with a = 12.3919(8) Å, b = 17.160(1) Å, c = 18.932(1) Å, alpha = 90.892(1) degrees, beta = 97.127(1) degrees, gamma = 89.969(1) degrees, and Z = 2.

  5. Using Gas-Phase Guest-Host Chemistry to Probe the Structures of b Ions of Peptides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Somogyi, Árpád; Harrison, Alex G.; Paizs, Béla

    2012-12-01

    Middle-sized b n ( n ≥ 5) fragments of protonated peptides undergo selective complex formation with ammonia under experimental conditions typically used to probe hydrogen-deuterium exchange in Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). Other usual peptide fragments like y, a, a*, etc., and small b n ( n ≤ 4) fragments do not form stable ammonia adducts. We propose that complex formation of b n ions with ammonia is characteristic to macrocyclic isomers of these fragments. Experiments on a protonated cyclic peptide and N-terminal acetylated peptides fully support this hypothesis; the protonated cyclic peptide does form ammonia adducts while linear b n ions of acetylated peptides do not undergo complexation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the proton-bound dimers of all-Ala b 4 , b 5 , and b 7 ions and ammonia indicate that the ionizing proton initially located on the peptide fragment transfers to ammonia upon adduct formation. The ammonium ion is then solvated by N+-H…O H-bonds; this stabilization is much stronger for macrocyclic b n isomers due to the stable cage-like structure formed and entropy effects. The present study demonstrates that gas-phase guest-host chemistry can be used to selectively probe structural features (i.e., macrocyclic or linear) of fragments of protonated peptides. Stable ammonia adducts of b 9 , b 9 -A, and b 9 -2A of A8YA, and b 13 of A20YVFL are observed indicating that even these large b-type ions form macrocyclic structures.

  6. Have the Guests Perceived Superior Value?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Levyda Levyda

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This research aimed to describe guests’ perceived value by using a multidimensional approach. From previous research, guests’ perceived value consisted of some functional value, emotional value, and social value. Based on guest experience, and functional value consisted of physical evidence, guest room, food and beverage, hotel staff, and price. This research was conducted in four-star hotels in Jakarta. The respondents were the guests who had stayed in four-star hotels. The number of the respondent was 405. The data were obtained by using self-administered questionnaires. This research shows that guests have not perceived superior value. Some of the values and the necessary efforts need to be improved.

  7. A COOPERATIVE ASSISTANCE SYSTEM BETWEEN VEHICLES FOR ELDERLY DRIVERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naohisa HASHIMOTO

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a new concept of elderly driver assistance systems, which performs the assistance by cooperative driving between two vehicles, and describes some experiments with elderly drivers. The assistance consists of one vehicle driven by an elderly driver called a guest vehicle and the other driven by a assisting driver called a host vehicle, and the host vehicle assists or escorts the guest vehicle through the inter-vehicle communications. The functions of the systems installed on a single-seat electric vehicle are highly evaluated by subjects of elderly drivers in virtual streets on a test track.

  8. Nanoparticle guests in lyotropic liquid crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dölle, Sarah; Park, Ji Hyun; Schymura, Stefan; Jo, Hyeran; Scalia, Giusy; Lagerwall, Jan P. F.

    In this chapter we discuss the benefits, peculiarities and main challenges related to nanoparticle templating in lyotropic liquid crystals. We first give a brief bird's-eye view of the field, discussing different nanoparticles as well as different lyotropic hosts that have been explored, but then quickly focus on the dispersion of carbon nanotubes in surfactant-based lyotropic nematic phases. We discuss in some detail how the transfer of orientational order from liquid crystal host to nanoparticle guest can be verified and which degree of ordering can be expected, as well as the importance of choosing the right surfactant and its concentration for the stability of the nanoparticle suspension. We introduce a method for dispersing nanoparticles with an absolute minimum of stabilizing surfactant, based on dispersion below the Krafft temperature, and we discuss the peculiar phenomenon of filament formation in lyotropic nematic phases with a sufficient concentration of well-dispersed carbon nanotubes. Finally, we describe how the total surfactant concentration in micellar nematics can be greatly reduced by combining cat- and anionic surfactants, and we discuss how nanotubes can help in inducing the liquid crystal phase close to the isotropic-nematic boundary.

  9. Beta-Cyclodextrin Duplexes That Are Connected through Two Disulfide Bonds: Potent Hosts for the Complexation of Organic Molecules

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Grishina, Anastasia; Stanchev, Stancho; Kumprecht, Lukáš; Buděšínský, Miloš; Pojarová, Michaela; Dušek, Michal; Rumlová, Michaela; Křížová, Ivana; Rulíšek, Lubomír; Kraus, Tomáš

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 18, č. 39 (2012), s. 12292-12304 ISSN 0947-6539 Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) M200550904 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 ; RVO:68378271 Keywords : cucurbiturils * cyclodextrins * duplexes * host-guest systems * sulfur Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 5.831, year: 2012

  10. Host-guest supramolecular nanosystems for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lei; Li, Li-li; Fan, Yun-shan; Wang, Hao

    2013-07-26

    Extensive efforts have been devoted to the construction of functional supramolecular nanosystems for applications in catalysis, energy conversion, sensing and biomedicine. The applications of supramolecular nanosystems such as liposomes, micelles, inorganic nanoparticles, carbon materials for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics have been reviewed by other groups. Here, we will focus on the recent momentous advances in the implementation of typical supramolecular hosts (i.e., cyclodextrins, calixarenes, cucurbiturils and metallo-hosts) and their nanosystems in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. We discuss the evolutive process of supramolecular nanosystems from the structural control and characterization to their diagnostic and therapeutic function exploitation and even the future potentials for clinical translation. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. An enhanced cerium(IV)-rhodamine 6G chemiluminescence system using guest-host interactions in a lab-on-a-chip platform for estimating the total phenolic content in food samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Haddabi, Buthaina; Al Lawati, Haider A J; Suliman, FakhrEldin O

    2016-04-01

    Two chemiluminescence-microfluidic (CL-MF) systems, e.g., Ce(IV)-rhodamine B (RB) and Ce(IV)-rhodamine 6G (R6G), for the determination of the total phenolic content in teas and some sweeteners were evaluated. The results indicated that the Ce(IV)-R6G system was more sensitive in comparison to the Ce(IV)-RB CL system. Therefore, a simple (CL-MF) method based on the CL of Ce(IV)-R6G was developed, and the sensitivity, selectivity and stability of this system were evaluated. Selected phenolic compounds (PCs), such as quercetin (QRC), catechin (CAT), rutin (RUT), gallic acid (GA), caffeic acid (CA) and syringic acid (SA), produced analytically useful chemiluminescence signals with low detection limits ranging from 0.35 nmol L(-1) for QRC to 11.31 nmol L(-1) for SA. The mixing sequence and the chip design were crucial, as the sensitivity and reproducibility could be substantially affected by these two factors. In addition, the anionic surfactant (i.e., sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)) can significantly enhance the CL signal intensity by as much as 300% for the QRC solution. Spectroscopic studies indicated that the enhancement was due to a strong guest-host interaction between the cationic R6G molecules and the anionic amphiphilic environment. Other parameters that could affect the CL intensities of the PCs were carefully optimized. Finally, the method was successfully applied to tea and sweetener samples. Six different tea samples exhibited total phenolic/antioxidant levels from 7.32 to 13.5 g per 100g of sample with respect to GA. Four different sweetener samples were also analyzed and exhibited total phenolic/antioxidant levels from 500.9 to 3422.9 mg kg(-1) with respect to GA. The method was selective, rapid and sensitive when used to estimate the total phenolic/antioxidant level, and the results were in good agreement with those reported for honey and tea samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Critical guest concentration and complete tuning pattern appearing in the binary clathrate hydrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cha, J.H.; Lee, H. [Korea Advanced Inst. of Science and Technology, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of). Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Kim, D.Y. [SK Engineering and Construction, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, J. [Hanwha Chemical R and D Center, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, J.W. [Kongju National Univ., Cheonan, Chungnam (Korea, Republic of); Ripmeester, J.A. [National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada). Steacie Inst. for Molecular Sciences

    2008-07-01

    Clathrate hydrates, or gas hydrates, are stabilized by van der Waals interaction between a guest molecule and a host framework. Because of their property, they are a potential resource in the exploitation of natural gas hydrates, as a material for the sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}), as a means of storage and transportation of natural gas, as well as hydrogen storage. Clathrate hydrate research can be divided into two categories that emphasize either macroscopic or microscopic approaches. However, these two approaches need to be closely linked for a better understanding of the structures and processes involving both natural phenomena and hydrates for industrial processes. Details on the molecular scale that concern the less usual properties of clathrate hydrates remain unknown. This paper presented the results of a study that reported on the existence of a critical guest concentration (CGC) and established the complete tuning pattern that occurred in the binary hydrates, including water-soluble hydrate formers (promoters) and water-insoluble guests. The paper presented the experimental procedures, including formation of the methane (CH{sub 4}) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) binary hydrate; a schematic diagram of the experimental apparatus; and formation of the CH{sub 4} and t-BuNH{sub 2} binary hydrate. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic measurements and thermodynamic measurements were also presented. It was concluded that the CGC value appeared to primarily depend on the chemical nature of a liquid guest component participating in the binary hydrate formation. 10 refs., 2 tabs., 9 figs.

  13. Effects of electron blocking and hole trapping of the red guest emitter materials on hybrid white organic light emitting diodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Lin-Ann; Vu, Hoang-Tuan; Juang, Fuh-Shyang; Lai, Yun-Jr; Yeh, Pei-Hsun; Tsai, Yu-Sheng

    2013-01-01

    Hybrid white organic light emitting diodes (HWOLEDs) with fluorescence and phosphorescence hybrid structures are studied in this work. HWOLEDs were fabricated with blue/red emitting layers: fluorescent host material doped with sky blue material, and bipolar phosphorescent host emitting material doped with red dopant material. An electron blocking layer is applied that provides hole red guest emitter hole trapping effects, increases the charge carrier injection quantity into the emitting layers and controls the recombination zone (RZ) that helps balance the device color. Spacer layers were also inserted to expand the RZ, increase efficiency and reduce energy quenching along with roll-off effects. The resulting high efficiency warm white OLED device has the lower highest occupied molecule orbital level red guest material, current efficiency of 15.9 cd/A at current density of 20 mA/cm 2 , and Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage coordinates of (0.34, 0.39)

  14. Effects of electron blocking and hole trapping of the red guest emitter materials on hybrid white organic light emitting diodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong, Lin-Ann; Vu, Hoang-Tuan [National Formosa University, Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, Huwei, Yunlin County, Taiwan (China); Juang, Fuh-Shyang, E-mail: fsjuang@seed.net.tw [National Formosa University, Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, Huwei, Yunlin County, Taiwan (China); Lai, Yun-Jr [National Formosa University, Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, Huwei, Yunlin County, Taiwan (China); Yeh, Pei-Hsun [Raystar Optronics, Inc., 5F No. 25, Keya Rd. Daya Township, Taichung County, Taiwan (China); Tsai, Yu-Sheng [National Formosa University, Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, Huwei, Yunlin County, Taiwan (China)

    2013-10-01

    Hybrid white organic light emitting diodes (HWOLEDs) with fluorescence and phosphorescence hybrid structures are studied in this work. HWOLEDs were fabricated with blue/red emitting layers: fluorescent host material doped with sky blue material, and bipolar phosphorescent host emitting material doped with red dopant material. An electron blocking layer is applied that provides hole red guest emitter hole trapping effects, increases the charge carrier injection quantity into the emitting layers and controls the recombination zone (RZ) that helps balance the device color. Spacer layers were also inserted to expand the RZ, increase efficiency and reduce energy quenching along with roll-off effects. The resulting high efficiency warm white OLED device has the lower highest occupied molecule orbital level red guest material, current efficiency of 15.9 cd/A at current density of 20 mA/cm{sup 2}, and Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage coordinates of (0.34, 0.39)

  15. Versatile and Rapid Postfunctionalization from Cyclodextrin Modified Host Polymeric Membrane Substrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Jie; Liu, Xinyue; Zhang, Shuqing; Cheng, Chong; Nie, Chuanxiong; Zhao, Changsheng

    2015-09-08

    Surface modification has long been of great interest to impart desired functionalities to the bioimplants. However, due to the limitations of recent technologies in surface modification, it is highly desirable to explore novel protocols, which can advantageously and efficiently endow the inert material surfaces with versatile biofunctionalities. Herein, to achieve versatile and rapid postfunctionalization of polymeric membrane, we demonstrate a new strategy for the fabrication of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) modified host membrane substrate that can recognize a series of well-designed guest macromolecules. The surface assembly procedure was driven by the host-guest interaction between adamantane (Ad) and β-CD. β-CD immobilized host membrane was fabricated via two steps: (1) epoxy groups enriched poly(ether sulfone) (PES) membrane was first prepared via in situ cross-linking polymerization and subsequently phase separation; (2) mono-6-deoxy-6-ethylenediamine-β-CD (EDA-β-CD) was then anchored onto the surface of the epoxy functionalized PES membrane to obtain PES-CD. Subsequently, three types of Ad-terminated polymers, including Ad-poly(styrenesulfonate-co-sodium acrylate) (Ad-PSA), Ad-methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (Ad-PEG), and Ad-poly(methyl chloride-quaternized 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (Ad-PMT), were separately assembled onto the β-CD immobilized surfaces to endow the membranes with anticoagulant, antifouling, and antibacterial capability, respectively. Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), and prothrombin time (PT) measurements were carried out to explore the anticoagulant activity. The antifouling capability was evaluated via protein adsorption and platelet adhesion measurements. Moreover, Staphyllococcous aureus (S. aureus) was selected as model bacteria to evaluate the antibacterial ability of the functionalized membranes. The results indicated that well-regulated blood compatibility, antifouling capability, and

  16. Distribution of metal and adsorbed guest species in zeolites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chmelka, B.F.

    1989-12-01

    Because of their high internal surface areas and molecular-size cavity dimensions, zeolites are used widely as catalysts, shape- selective supports, or adsorbents in a variety of important chemical processes. For metal-catalyzed reactions, active metal species must be dispersed to sites within the zeolite pores that are accessible to diffusing reactant molecules. The distribution of the metal, together with transport and adsorption of reactant molecules in zeolite powders, are crucial to ultimate catalyst performance. The nature of the metal or adsorbed guest distribution is known, however, to be dramatically dependent upon preparatory conditions. Our objective is to understand, at the molecular level, how preparatory treatments influence the distribution of guest species in zeolites, in order that macroscopic adsorption and reaction properties of these materials may be better understood. The sensitivity of xenon to its adsorption environment makes {sup 129}Xe NMR spectroscopy an important diagnostic probe of metal clustering and adsorbate distribution processes in zeolites. The utility of {sup 129}Xe NMR depends on the mobility of the xenon atoms within the zeolite-guest system, together with the length scale of the sample heterogeneity being studied. In large pore zeolites containing dispersed guest species, such as Pt--NaY, {sup 129}Xe NMR is insensitive to fine structural details at room temperature.

  17. Distribution of metal and adsorbed guest species in zeolites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chmelka, B.F.

    1989-12-01

    Because of their high internal surface areas and molecular-size cavity dimensions, zeolites are used widely as catalysts, shape- selective supports, or adsorbents in a variety of important chemical processes. For metal-catalyzed reactions, active metal species must be dispersed to sites within the zeolite pores that are accessible to diffusing reactant molecules. The distribution of the metal, together with transport and adsorption of reactant molecules in zeolite powders, are crucial to ultimate catalyst performance. The nature of the metal or adsorbed guest distribution is known, however, to be dramatically dependent upon preparatory conditions. Our objective is to understand, at the molecular level, how preparatory treatments influence the distribution of guest species in zeolites, in order that macroscopic adsorption and reaction properties of these materials may be better understood. The sensitivity of xenon to its adsorption environment makes 129 Xe NMR spectroscopy an important diagnostic probe of metal clustering and adsorbate distribution processes in zeolites. The utility of 129 Xe NMR depends on the mobility of the xenon atoms within the zeolite-guest system, together with the length scale of the sample heterogeneity being studied. In large pore zeolites containing dispersed guest species, such as Pt--NaY, 129 Xe NMR is insensitive to fine structural details at room temperature

  18. Osprey: Operating system for predictable clouds

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sacha, Jan; Napper, Jeff; Mullender, Sape J.; McKie, Jim

    2012-01-01

    Cloud computing is currently based on hardware virtualization wherein a host operating system provides a virtual machine interface nearly identical to that of physical hardware to guest operating systems. Full transparency allows backward compatibility with legacy software but introduces

  19. Usability of Security Management:Defining the Permissions of Guests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Matthew; Stajano, Frank

    Within the scenario of a Smart Home, we discuss the issues involved in allowing limited interaction with the environment for unidentified principals, or guests. The challenges include identifying and authenticating guests on one hand and delegating authorization to them on the other. While the technical mechanisms for doing so in generic distributed systems have been around for decades, existing solutions are in general not applicable to the smart home because they are too complex to manage. We focus on providing both security and usability; we therefore seek simple and easy to understand approaches that can be used by a normal computer-illiterate home owner, not just by a trained system administrator. This position paper describes ongoing research and does not claim to have all the answers.

  20. A Three - Dimensional Channel Supramolecular Architecture Based on 3-Amino-2-(4-dimethylaminophenyldiazenyl)-1-phenylbut-2en-1-one and Aromatic Guests

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Macháček, V.; Bertolasi, V.; Šimůnek, P.; Svobodová, M.; Svoboda, Jan; Černošková, E.

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 10, č. 1 (2010), s. 85-91 ISSN 1528-7483 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : X-ray structure * host-guest inclusion * compounds Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 4.390, year: 2010

  1. Stepwise observation and quantification and mixed matrix membrane separation of CO2 within a hydroxy-decorated porous host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Christopher G; Jacques, Nicholas M; Godfrey, Harry G W; Mitra, Tamoghna; Fritsch, Detlev; Lu, Zhenzhong; Murray, Claire A; Potter, Jonathan; Cobb, Tom M; Yuan, Fajin; Tang, Chiu C; Yang, Sihai; Schröder, Martin

    2017-04-01

    The identification of preferred binding domains within a host structure provides important insights into the function of materials. State-of-the-art reports mostly focus on crystallographic studies of empty and single component guest-loaded host structures to determine the location of guests. However, measurements of material properties ( e.g. , adsorption and breakthrough of substrates) are usually performed for a wide range of pressure (guest coverage) and/or using multi-component gas mixtures. Here we report the development of a multifunctional gas dosing system for use in X-ray powder diffraction studies on Beamline I11 at Diamond Light Source. This facility is fully automated and enables in situ crystallographic studies of host structures under (i) unlimited target gas loadings and (ii) loading of multi-component gas mixtures. A proof-of-concept study was conducted on a hydroxyl-decorated porous material MFM-300(V III ) under (i) five different CO 2 pressures covering the isotherm range and (ii) the loading of equimolar mixtures of CO 2 /N 2 . The study has successfully captured the structural dynamics underpinning CO 2 uptake as a function of surface coverage. Moreover, MFM-300(V III ) was incorporated in a mixed matrix membrane (MMM) with PIM-1 in order to evaluate the CO 2 /N 2 separation potential of this material. Gas permeation measurements on the MMM show a great improvement over the bare PIM-1 polymer for CO 2 /N 2 separation based on the ideal selectivity.

  2. The metaphor of nurse as guest with ethical implications for nursing and healthcare.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milton, Constance L

    2005-10-01

    Current healthcare advertising and customer relations terminology acknowledge that healthcare providers, including nurses, are to act as hosts for persons who enter into healthcare agencies and institutions. Indeed, much has been written aligning nursing and other healthcare services with consumer-oriented roles of the hospitality service industry commonly associated with hotels and restaurants. From a human becoming perspective, this article discusses possible ethical, administrative, and practice implications of nurses acting as guests entering into the lives of those we serve.

  3. Guest driven structural transformation studies of a luminescent metal ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    at room temperature often render MOFs which gener- ally encapsulate low boiling solvents as free guests in the pores. These MOFs generally exhibit flexible char- acter because they often lose those trapped guests upon air drying of the MOFs crystals and undergo struc- tural variations, often termed as guest induced ...

  4. Amides Do Not Always Work: Observation of Guest Binding in an Amide-Functionalized Porous Metal-Organic Framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson, Oguarabau; da Silva, Ivan; Argent, Stephen P; Cabot, Rafel; Savage, Mathew; Godfrey, Harry G W; Yan, Yong; Parker, Stewart F; Manuel, Pascal; Lennox, Matthew J; Mitra, Tamoghna; Easun, Timothy L; Lewis, William; Blake, Alexander J; Besley, Elena; Yang, Sihai; Schröder, Martin

    2016-11-16

    An amide-functionalized metal organic framework (MOF) material, MFM-136, shows a high CO 2 uptake of 12.6 mmol g -1 at 20 bar and 298 K. MFM-136 is the first example of an acylamide pyrimidyl isophthalate MOF without open metal sites and, thus, provides a unique platform to study guest binding, particularly the role of free amides. Neutron diffraction reveals that, surprisingly, there is no direct binding between the adsorbed CO 2 /CH 4 molecules and the pendant amide group in the pore. This observation has been confirmed unambiguously by inelastic neutron spectroscopy. This suggests that introduction of functional groups solely may not necessarily induce specific guest-host binding in porous materials, but it is a combination of pore size, geometry, and functional group that leads to enhanced gas adsorption properties.

  5. Tuning charge balance in PHOLEDs with ambipolar host materials to achieve high efficiency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Padmaperuma, Asanga B.; Koech, Phillip K.; Cosimbescu, Lelia; Polikarpov, Evgueni; Swensen, James S.; Chopra, Neetu; So, Franky; Sapochak, Linda S.; Gaspar, Daniel J.

    2009-01-01

    The efficiency and stability of blue organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) continue to be a primary roadblock to developing organic solid state white lighting. For OLEDs to meet the high power conversion efficiency goal, they will require both close to 100% internal quantum efficiency and low operating voltage in a white light emitting device. It is generally accepted that such high quantum efficiency, can only be achieved with the use of organometallic phosphor doped OLEDs. Blue OLEDs are particularly important for solid state lighting. The simplest (and therefore likely the lowest cost) method of generating white light is to down convert part of the emission from a blue light source with a system of external phosphors. A second method of generating white light requires the superposition of the light from red, green and blue OLEDs in the correct ratio. Either of these two methods (and indeed any method of generating white light with a high color rendering index) critically depends on a high efficiency blue light component. A simple OLED generally consists of a hole-injecting anode, a preferentially hole transporting organic layer (HTL), an emissive layer that contains the recombination zone and ideally transports both holes and electrons, a preferentially electron-transporting layer (ETL) and an electron-injecting cathode. Color in state-of-the-art OLEDs is generated by an organometallic phosphor incorporated by co-sublimation into the emissive layer (EML). New materials functioning as hosts, emitters, charge transporting, and charge blocking layers have been developed along with device architectures leading to electrophosphorescent based OLEDs with high quantum efficiencies near the theoretical limit. However, the layers added to the device architecture to enable high quantum efficiencies lead to higher operating voltages and correspondingly lower power efficiencies. Achievement of target luminance power efficiencies will require new strategies for lowering

  6. Guest Speakers in School-Based Sexuality Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    McRee, Annie-Laurie; Madsen, Nikki; Eisenberg, Marla E.

    2014-01-01

    This study, using data from a statewide survey (n = 332), examined teachers' practices regarding the inclusion of guest speakers to cover sexuality content. More than half of teachers (58%) included guest speakers. In multivariate analyses, teachers who taught high school, had professional preparation in health education, or who received…

  7. Proton Mediated Chemistry and Catalysis in a Self-Assembled Supramolecular Host

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pluth, Michael; Bergman, Robert; Raymond, Kenneth

    2009-04-10

    Synthetic supramolecular host assemblies can impart unique reactivity to encapsulated guest molecules. Synthetic host molecules have been developed to carry out complex reactions within their cavities, despite the fact that they lack the type of specifically tailored functional groups normally located in the analogous active sites of enzymes. Over the past decade, the Raymond group has developed a series of self-assembled supramolecules and the Bergman group has developed and studied a number of catalytic transformations. In this Account, we detail recent collaborative work between these two groups, focusing on chemical catalysis stemming from the encapsulation of protonated guests and expanding to acid catalysis in basic solution. We initially investigated the ability of a water-soluble, self-assembled supramolecular host molecule to encapsulate protonated guests in its hydrophobic core. Our study of encapsulated protonated amines revealed rich host-guest chemistry. We established that self-exchange (that is, in-out guest movement) rates of protonated amines were dependent on the steric bulk of the amine rather than its basicity. The host molecule has purely rotational tetrahedral (T) symmetry, so guests with geminal N-methyl groups (and their attendant mirror plane) were effectively desymmetrized; this allowed for the observation and quantification of the barriers for nitrogen inversion followed by bond rotation. Furthermore, small nitrogen heterocycles, such as N-alkylaziridines, N-alkylazetidines, and N-alkylpyrrolidines, were found to be encapsulated as proton-bound homodimers or homotrimers. We further investigated the thermodynamic stabilization of protonated amines, showing that encapsulation makes the amines more basic in the cavity. Encapsulation raises the effective basicity of protonated amines by up to 4.5 pK{sub a} units, a difference almost as large as that between the moderate and strong bases carbonate and hydroxide. The thermodynamic stabilization

  8. Proton-Mediated Chemistry and Catalysis in a Self-Assembled Supramolecular Host

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pluth, Michael; Bergman, Robert; Raymond, Kenneth

    2009-01-01

    Synthetic supramolecular host assemblies can impart unique reactivity to encapsulated guest molecules. Synthetic host molecules have been developed to carry out complex reactions within their cavities, despite the fact that they lack the type of specifically tailored functional groups normally located in the analogous active sites of enzymes. Over the past decade, the Raymond group has developed a series of self-assembled supramolecules and the Bergman group has developed and studied a number of catalytic transformations. In this Account, we detail recent collaborative work between these two groups, focusing on chemical catalysis stemming from the encapsulation of protonated guests and expanding to acid catalysis in basic solution. We initially investigated the ability of a water-soluble, self-assembled supramolecular host molecule to encapsulate protonated guests in its hydrophobic core. Our study of encapsulated protonated amines revealed rich host-guest chemistry. We established that self-exchange (that is, in-out guest movement) rates of protonated amines were dependent on the steric bulk of the amine rather than its basicity. The host molecule has purely rotational tetrahedral (T) symmetry, so guests with geminal N-methyl groups (and their attendant mirror plane) were effectively desymmetrized; this allowed for the observation and quantification of the barriers for nitrogen inversion followed by bond rotation. Furthermore, small nitrogen heterocycles, such as N-alkylaziridines, N-alkylazetidines, and N-alkylpyrrolidines, were found to be encapsulated as proton-bound homodimers or homotrimers. We further investigated the thermodynamic stabilization of protonated amines, showing that encapsulation makes the amines more basic in the cavity. Encapsulation raises the effective basicity of protonated amines by up to 4.5 pK a units, a difference almost as large as that between the moderate and strong bases carbonate and hydroxide. The thermodynamic stabilization of

  9. Rolling Up the Sheet: Constructing Metal–Organic Lamellae and Nanotubes from a [{Mn 3 (propanediolato) 2 }(dicyanamide) 2 ] n Honeycomb Skeleton

    KAUST Repository

    Wu, Gang; Bai, Jiaquan; Jiang, Yuan; Li, Guanghua; Huang, Jian; Li, Yi; Anson, Christopher E.; Powell, Annie K.; Qiu, Shilun

    2013-01-01

    of individual layers and to enhance surface areas and optimize host-guest interactions to accommodate bigger guests, spontaneous rolling up to form a tubular structure was achieved. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

  10. Novel photoluminescence enzyme immunoassay based on supramolecular host-guest recognition using L-arginine/6-aza-2-thiothymine-stabilized gold nanocluster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Youmei; Lu, Minghua; Tang, Dianping

    2018-06-30

    A new photoluminescence (PL) enzyme immunoassay was designed for sensitive detection of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) via an innovative enzyme substrate, 6-aza-2-thiothymine-stabilized gold nanocluster (AAT-AuNC) with L-arginine. The enzyme substrate with strong PL intensity was formed through supramolecular host-guest assembly between guanidine group of L-arginine and AAT capped on the surface of AuNC. Upon arginase introduction, the captured L-arginine was hydrolyzed into ornithine and urea, thus resulting in the decreasing PL intensity. Based on this principle, a novel competitive-type immunoreaction was first carried out on AFB 1 -bovine serum albumin (AFB 1 -BSA) conjugate-coated microplate, using arginase-labeled anti-AFB 1 antibody as the competitor. Under the optimum conditions, the PL intensity increased with the increment of target AFB 1 , and allowed the detection of the analyte at concentrations as low as 3.2 pg mL -1 (ppt). Moreover, L-arginine-AAT-AuNC-based PL enzyme immunoassay afforded good reproducibility and acceptable specificity. In addition, the accuracy of this methodology, referring to commercial AFB 1 ELISA kit, was evaluated to analyze naturally contaminated or spiked peanut samples, giving well-matched results between two methods, thus representing a useful scheme for practical application in quantitative monitoring of mycotoxins in foodstuff. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Analysis of rapidly synthesized guest-filled porous complexes with synchrotron radiation: practical guidelines for the crystalline sponge method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramadhar, Timothy R. [Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115 (United States); Zheng, Shao-Liang [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138 (United States); Chen, Yu-Sheng [ChemMatCARS, Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, The University of Chicago c/o Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois, 60439 (United States); Clardy, Jon, E-mail: jon-clardy@hms.harvard.edu [Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115 (United States)

    2015-01-01

    This report describes complete practical guidelines and insights for the crystalline sponge method, which have been derived through the first use of synchrotron radiation on these systems, and includes a procedure for faster synthesis of the sponges. These guidelines will be applicable to crystal sponge data collected at synchrotrons or in-house facilities, and will allow researchers to obtain reliable high-quality data and construct chemically and physically sensible models for guest structural determination. A detailed set of synthetic and crystallographic guidelines for the crystalline sponge method based upon the analysis of expediently synthesized crystal sponges using third-generation synchrotron radiation are reported. The procedure for the synthesis of the zinc-based metal–organic framework used in initial crystal sponge reports has been modified to yield competent crystals in 3 days instead of 2 weeks. These crystal sponges were tested on some small molecules, with two being unexpectedly difficult cases for analysis with in-house diffractometers in regard to data quality and proper space-group determination. These issues were easily resolved by the use of synchrotron radiation using data-collection times of less than an hour. One of these guests induced a single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation to create a larger unit cell with over 500 non-H atoms in the asymmetric unit. This led to a non-trivial refinement scenario that afforded the best Flack x absolute stereochemical determination parameter to date for these systems. The structures did not require the use of PLATON/SQUEEZE or other solvent-masking programs, and are the highest-quality crystalline sponge systems reported to date where the results are strongly supported by the data. A set of guidelines for the entire crystallographic process were developed through these studies. In particular, the refinement guidelines include strategies to refine the host framework, locate guests and determine

  12. Analysis of rapidly synthesized guest-filled porous complexes with synchrotron radiation: practical guidelines for the crystalline sponge method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramadhar, Timothy R.; Zheng, Shao-Liang; Chen, Yu-Sheng; Clardy, Jon

    2015-01-01

    This report describes complete practical guidelines and insights for the crystalline sponge method, which have been derived through the first use of synchrotron radiation on these systems, and includes a procedure for faster synthesis of the sponges. These guidelines will be applicable to crystal sponge data collected at synchrotrons or in-house facilities, and will allow researchers to obtain reliable high-quality data and construct chemically and physically sensible models for guest structural determination. A detailed set of synthetic and crystallographic guidelines for the crystalline sponge method based upon the analysis of expediently synthesized crystal sponges using third-generation synchrotron radiation are reported. The procedure for the synthesis of the zinc-based metal–organic framework used in initial crystal sponge reports has been modified to yield competent crystals in 3 days instead of 2 weeks. These crystal sponges were tested on some small molecules, with two being unexpectedly difficult cases for analysis with in-house diffractometers in regard to data quality and proper space-group determination. These issues were easily resolved by the use of synchrotron radiation using data-collection times of less than an hour. One of these guests induced a single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation to create a larger unit cell with over 500 non-H atoms in the asymmetric unit. This led to a non-trivial refinement scenario that afforded the best Flack x absolute stereochemical determination parameter to date for these systems. The structures did not require the use of PLATON/SQUEEZE or other solvent-masking programs, and are the highest-quality crystalline sponge systems reported to date where the results are strongly supported by the data. A set of guidelines for the entire crystallographic process were developed through these studies. In particular, the refinement guidelines include strategies to refine the host framework, locate guests and determine

  13. Theoretical investigation of the degradation mechanisms in host and guest molecules used in OLED active layers

    KAUST Repository

    Winget, Paul; Hong, Minki; Bredas, Jean-Luc

    2014-01-01

    systems. We identify degradation pathways and define new strategies to guide the synthesis of stable materials for OLED applications for both phosphorescent emitters and organic host materials. The chemical reactivity of these molecules in the active

  14. Chemical-clathrate hybrid hydrogen storage: storage in both guest and host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strobel, Timothy A; Kim, Yongkwan; Andrews, Gary S; Ferrell, Jack R; Koh, Carolyn A; Herring, Andrew M; Sloan, E Dendy

    2008-11-12

    Hydrogen storage from two independent sources of the same material represents a novel approach to the hydrogen storage problem, yielding storage capacities greater than either of the individual constituents. Here we report a novel hydrogen storage scheme in which recoverable hydrogen is stored molecularly within clathrate cavities as well as chemically in the clathrate host material. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic measurements confirm the formation of beta-hydroquinone (beta-HQ) clathrate with molecular hydrogen. Hydrogen within the beta-HQ clathrate vibrates at considerably lower frequency than hydrogen in the free gaseous phase and rotates nondegenerately with splitting comparable to the rotational constant. Compared with water-based clathrate hydrate phases, the beta-HQ+H2 clathrate shows remarkable stability over a range of p-T conditions. Subsequent to clathrate decomposition, the host HQ was used to directly power a PEM fuel cell. With one H2 molecule per cavity, 0.61 wt % hydrogen may be stored in the beta-HQ clathrate cavities. When this amount is combined with complete dehydrogenation of the host hydroxyl hydrogens, the maximum hydrogen storage capacity increases nearly 300% to 2.43 wt %.

  15. Guest Editorial

    OpenAIRE

    Tianlong Gu; Shenghui Liu

    2011-01-01

    This special issue comprises of 14 selected papers from the International Workshop on Computer Science for Environmental Engineering and EcoInformatics (CSEEE 2011). The conferences received 860 paper submissions from 15 countries and regions, of which 450 were selected for presentation after a rigorous review process. From these 450 research papers, through two rounds of reviewing, the guest editors selected 14 as the best papers on the Networking Technologies and Information track of the Co...

  16. Managing Guest as an Asset: a Conceptual Review in the Context of Accommodation Services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dwi Suhartanto

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available This article discusses the concept of a customer as an asset of business in the accommodation industry. The purpose of this article is to examine the value of guests as a firm asset and to propose a model for managing guests as an asset in the context of accommodation services. A guest is considered an asset due to its role in providing revenue to the accommodation firm. Because of this role, the accommodation guest needs to be managed appropriately. This article argues that guest service evaluation (i.e. service quality, perceived value, and guest satisfaction and service loyalty are important factors in the development of guest lifetime value. The proposed model of managing guests as an asset consists of marketing instruments, service evaluation, guest loyalty, and financial outcomes provides a comprehensive guide on how accommodation firms can manage the lifetime value of their guests. Finally, as there are limited studies examining this issue, future research should test the proposed model.

  17. Perception of service quality in agrotourism accommodations: Impact on guest loyalty and re-visit intentions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chryssoula Chatzigeorgiou

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This study presents the development of a conceptual model that demonstrates the dynamic nature of the relationship between service quality and guest satisfaction in the agrotourism accommodation sector, based on theories derived from social psychology and previous research in the marketing, management, and services literature. The model was tested using sample data from guests of four different agrotourism firms, and was modified because of empirical results. The final model improves understanding of the relationship between service quality and guest satisfaction because these constructs were examined from the process perspective of an agrotourism accommodation experience; it portrays service quality and satisfaction in the context of a complete system.

  18. Lattice dynamics study of low energy guest–host coupling in clathrate hydrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Yuehai; Dong Shunle; Wang Lin

    2008-01-01

    Our lattice dynamics simulation of Xe-hydrate with four-site TIP4P oxygen-shell model can accurately reproduce each peak position in the inelastic incoherent neutron scattering spectrum at the acoustic band (below 15meV) and yield correct relative intensity. Based on the results, the uncertain profile at ∼6 meV is assigned to anharmonic guest modes coupled strongly to small cages. Blue shift is proposed in phonon dispersion sheet in the case of anticrossing and found to be an evident signal for guest-host coupling that explains the anomalous thermal conductivity of clathrate hydrate

  19. Seasonal forcing in a host-macroparasite system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Rachel A; White, Andrew; Sherratt, Jonathan A

    2015-01-21

    Seasonal forcing represents a pervasive source of environmental variability in natural systems. Whilst it is reasonably well understood in interacting populations and host-microparasite systems, it has not been studied in detail for host-macroparasite systems. In this paper we analyse the effect of seasonal forcing in a general host-macroparasite system with explicit inclusion of the parasite larval stage and seasonal forcing applied to the birth rate of the host. We emphasise the importance of the period of the limit cycles in the unforced system on the resulting dynamics in the forced system. In particular, when subject to seasonal forcing host-macroparasite systems are capable of multi-year cycles, multiple solution behaviour, quasi-periodicity and chaos. The host-macroparasite systems show a larger potential for multiple solution behaviour and a wider range of periodic solutions compared to similar interacting population and microparasite systems. By examining the system for parameters that represent red grouse and the macroparasite nematode Trichostrongylus tenuis we highlight how seasonality could be an important factor in explaining the wide range of seemingly uncorrelated cycle periods observed in grouse abundance in England and Scotland. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Multicolor Fluorescence Writing Based on Host-Guest Interactions and Force-Induced Fluorescence-Color Memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsunaga, Yuki; Yang, Jye-Shane

    2015-06-26

    A new strategy is reported for multicolor fluorescence writing on thin solid films with mechanical forces. This concept is illustrated by the use of a green-fluorescent pentiptycene derivative 1, which forms variably colored fluorescent exciplexes: a change from yellow to red was observed with anilines, and fluorescence quenching (a change to black) occurred in the presence of benzoquinone. Mechanical forces, such as grinding and shearing, induced a crystalline-to-amorphous phase transition in both the pristine and guest-adsorbed solids that led to a change in the fluorescence color (mechanofluorochromism) and a memory of the resulting color. Fluorescence drawings of five or more colors were created on glass or paper and could be readily erased by exposure to air and dichloromethane fumes. The structural and mechanistic aspects of the observations are also discussed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. New dendrimer - Peptide host - Guest complexes: Towards dendrimers as peptide carriers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boas, Ulrik; Sontjens, S.H.M.; Jensen, Knud Jørgen

    2002-01-01

    Adamantyl urea and adamantyl thiourea modified poly(propylene imine) dendrimers act as hosts for N-terminal tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc)-protected peptides and form chloroform-soluble complexes. investigations with NMR spectroscopy show that the peptide is bound to the dendrimer by ionic interactions...... between the dendrimer outer shell tertiary amines and the C-terminal carboxylic acid of the peptide, and also through host-urea to peptide-amide hydrogen bonding. The hydrogen-bonding nature of the peptide dendrimer interactions was further confirmed by using Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, for which...... the NH- and CO-stretch signals of the peptide amide moieties shift towards lower wave-numbers upon complexation with the dendrimer. Spatial analysis of the complexes with NOESY spectroscopy generally shows close proximity of the N-terminal Boc group of the peptide to the peripheral adamantyl groups...

  2. Simultaneous Determination of Binding Constants for Multiple Carbohydrate Hosts in Complex Mixtures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Meier, Sebastian; Beeren, Sophie

    2014-01-01

    We describe a simple method for the simultaneous determination of association constants for a guest binding to seven different hosts in a mixture of more than 20 different oligosaccharides. If the binding parameters are known for one component in the mixture, a single NMR titration suffices...

  3. Effects of guest atomic species on the lattice thermal conductivity of type-I silicon clathrate studied via classical molecular dynamics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumagai, Tomohisa, E-mail: kumagai@criepi.denken.or.jp; Nakamura, Kaoru; Yamada, Susumu; Ohnuma, Toshiharu [Materials Science Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, 2-6-1 Nagasaka, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 240-0196 (Japan)

    2016-08-14

    The effects of guest atomic species in Si clathrates on the lattice thermal conductivity were studied using classical molecular dynamics calculations. The interaction between a host atom and a guest atom was described by the Morse potential function while that between host atoms was described by the Tersoff potential. The parameters of the potentials were newly determined for this study such that the potential curves obtained from first-principles calculations for the insertion of a guest atom into a Si cage were successfully reproduced. The lattice thermal conductivities were calculated by using the Green-Kubo method. The experimental lattice thermal conductivity of Ba{sub 8}Ga{sub 16}Si{sub 30} can be successfully reproduced using the method. As a result, the lattice thermal conductivities of type-I Si clathrates, M{sub 8}Si{sub 46} (M = Na, Mg, K, Ca Rb, Sr, Cs, or Ba), were obtained. It is found that the lattice thermal conductivities of M{sub 8}Si{sub 46}, where M is IIA elements (i.e., M = Mg, Ca, Sr, or Ba) tend to be lower than those of M{sub 8}Si{sub 46}, where M is IA elements (i.e., M = Na, K, Rb, or Cs). Those of {sup m}M{sub 8}Si{sub 46}, where m was artificially modified atomic weight were also obtained. The obtained lattice thermal conductivity can be regarded as a function of a characteristic frequency, f{sub c}. That indicates minimum values around f{sub c}=2-4 THz, which corresponds to the center of the frequencies of the transverse acoustic phonon modes associated with Si cages.

  4. New dendrimer - peptide host - guest complexes : towards dendrimers as peptide carriers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boas, U.; Sontjens, S.H.M.; Jensen, K.J.; Christensen, J.B.; Meijer, E.W.

    2002-01-01

    Adamantyl urea and adamantyl thiourea modified poly(propylene imine) dendrimers act as hosts for N-terminal tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc)-protected peptides and form chloroform-soluble complexes. investigations with NMR spectroscopy show that the peptide is bound to the dendrimer by ionic interactions

  5. Experiences and Coping Strategies of Host Families in International Youth Exchange

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weidemann, Arne; Bluml, Frances

    2009-01-01

    Twenty narrative interviews were conducted with German host parents between 2006 and 2007 about their experiences with a one-year stay of a guest student in their family. The study took place within the context of a student research project as part of the research-oriented MA course "Intercultural Communication-Intercultural Competence"…

  6. A Room with a Viewpoint Revisited: Descriptive Norms and Hotel Guests' Towel Reuse Behavior

    OpenAIRE

    Bohner, Gerd; Schlüter, Lena E.

    2014-01-01

    Field experiments on descriptive norms as a means to increase hotel guests' towel reuse [1] were replicated and extended. In two hotels in Germany (Study 1: N = 724; Study 2: N = 204), descriptive norm messages suggesting that 75% of guests had reused their towels, or a standard message appealing to environmental concerns, were placed in guests' bathrooms. Descriptive norm messages varied in terms of proximity of the reference group ("hotel guests" vs. "guests in this room") and temporal prox...

  7. An organic dye-polymer (phenol red-poly (vinyl alcohol)) composite architecture towards tunable -optical and -saturable absorption characteristics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sreedhar, Sreeja, E-mail: sreejasreedhar83@gmail.com; Muneera, C. I., E-mail: drcimuneera@hotmail.com [Department of Physics, University of Kerala, Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram 695581, Kerala (India); Illyaskutty, Navas [Institute for Sensorics and Information Systems (ISIS), Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, Moltkestr. 30, D-76133 Karlsruhe (Germany); Sreedhanya, S. [School of Chemical Sciences, M. G. University, Kottayam, Kerala 686560 (India); Philip, Reji [Light and Matter Physics Group, Raman Research Institute, Bangalore 560080 (India)

    2016-05-21

    Herein, we demonstrate that blending an organic dye (guest/filler), with a vinyl polymer (host template), is an inexpensive and simple approach for the fabrication of multifunctional photonic materials which could display an enhancement in the desirable properties of the constituent materials and, at the same time provide novel synergistic properties for the guest-host system. A new guest-host nanocomposite system comprising Phenol Red dye and poly (vinyl alcohol) as guest and host template, respectively, which exhibits tunable optical characteristics and saturable absorption behavior, is introduced. The dependence of local electronic environment provided by the polymer template and the interactions of the polymer molecules with the encapsulated guest molecules on the observed optical/nonlinear absorption behavior is discussed. An understanding of the tunability of the optical/ photophysical processes, with respect to the filler content, as discussed herein could help in the design of improved optical materials for several photonic device applications like organic light emitting diodes and saturable absorbers.

  8. Two different strategies of host manipulation allow parasites to persist in intermediate-definitive host systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vries, de L.J.; Langevelde, van F.

    2018-01-01

    Trophically transmitted parasites start their development in an intermediate host, before they finish the development in their definitive host when the definitive host preys on the intermediate host. In intermediate-definitive host systems, two strategies of host manipulation have been evolved:

  9. Supramolecular Drug Delivery Systems Based on Water-Soluble Pillar[n]arenes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xuan; Gao, Lei; Hu, Xiao-Yu; Wang, Leyong

    2016-06-01

    Supramolecular drug delivery systems (SDDSs), including various kinds of nanostructures that are assembled by reversible noncovalent interactions, have attracted considerable attention as ideal drug carriers owing to their fascinating ability to undergo dynamic switching of structure, morphology, and function in response to various external stimuli, which provides a flexible and robust platform for designing and developing functional and smart supramolecular nano-drug carriers. Pillar[n]arenes represent a new generation of macrocyclic hosts, which have unique structures and excellent properties in host-guest chemistry. This account describes recent progress in our group to develop pillararene-based stimuli-responsive supramolecular nanostructures constructed by reversible host-guest interactions for controllable anticancer drug delivery. The potential applications of these supramolecular drug carriers in cancer treatment and the fundamental questions facing SDDSs are also discussed. © 2016 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Be My Guest: A Survey of Mass Communication Students' Perception of Guest Speakers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merle, Patrick F.; Craig, Clay

    2017-01-01

    The use of guest speakers as a pedagogical technique across disciplines at the college level is hardly novel. However, empirical assessment of journalism and mass communication students' perceptions of this practice has not previously been conducted. To fill this gap, this article presents results from an online survey specifically administered to…

  11. High relative humidity in-package of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables: advantage or disadvantage considering microbiological problems and antimicrobial delivering systems?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayala-Zavala, J F; Del-Toro-Sánchez, L; Alvarez-Parrilla, E; González-Aguilar, G A

    2008-05-01

    This hypothesis article states that the high relative humidity (RH) of packaged fresh-cut fruits or vegetables that is associated with spoilage can be used as an advantageous way to deliver antimicrobial compounds using cyclodextrins (CDs) as carriers. CDs can function as antimicrobial delivery systems as they can release antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds (guest molecules) as the humidity levels increase in the headspace. Hydrophobic antimicrobial guests can be complexed with CDs due to the amphiphatic nature of the host. Then, at high RH values, due to the water-CDs interaction, host-guest interactions are weakened; consequently, the antimicrobial molecule is released and should protect the product against the microbial growth. Potential antimicrobial compounds capable of forming complexes with CDs are discussed, as well as possible applications to preserve fresh-cut produce and future research in this area.

  12. Theoretical model estimation of guest diffusion in Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)

    KAUST Repository

    Zheng, Bin

    2015-08-11

    Characterizing molecule diffusion in nanoporous matrices is critical to understanding the novel chemical and physical properties of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). In this paper, we developed a theoretical model to fastly and accurately compute the diffusion rate of guest molecules in a zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). The ideal gas or equilibrium solution diffusion model was modified to contain the effect of periodical media via introducing the possibility of guests passing through the framework gate. The only input in our model is the energy barrier of guests passing through the MOF’s gate. Molecular dynamics (MD) methods were employed to gather the guest density profile, which then was used to deduce the energy barrier values. This produced reliable results that require a simulation time of 5 picoseconds, which is much shorter when using pure MD methods (in the billisecond scale) . Also, we used density functional theory (DFT) methods to obtain the energy profile of guests passing through gates, as this does not require specification of a force field for the MOF degrees of freedom. In the DFT calculation, we only considered one gate of MOFs each time; as this greatly reduced the computational cost. Based on the obtained energy barrier values we computed the diffusion rate of alkane and alcohol in ZIF-8 using our model, which was in good agreement with experimental test results and the calculation values from standard MD model. Our model shows the advantage of obtaining accurate diffusion rates for guests in MOFs for a lower computational cost and shorter calculation time. Thus, our analytic model calculation is especially attractive for high-throughput computational screening of the dynamic performance of guests in a framework.

  13. Get Your Hotel Operations Team Onboard The Tricycle of Guest Service

    OpenAIRE

    Kennedy, Doug

    2018-01-01

    As hospitality industry trainers know, using symbols and models can help trainees grasp abstract concepts and make seemingly-complex paradigms easy to understand. Seems like is a good time for the hotel industry to update its model, so let’s get your team onboard The Tricycle of Guest Service. When you think about it, a tricycle is a perfect model for a positive guest experience. For one, it has three wheels, just like the three components of a memorable guest stay. The back wheels repres...

  14. Quality of customer service: perceptions from guests in all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joel L. Frater

    2007-01-01

    With data collected from guests in all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica, West Indies, the purposes of this study were to: (1) delineate unique dimensions of customer service perceptions among guests and (2) report the finding of a study that measured guests' perceptions of the quality of customer service in all-inclusive resorts. The study asked the following research...

  15. Nonintegrated Host Association of Myrmecophilus tetramorii, a Specialist Myrmecophilous Ant Cricket (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takashi Komatsu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Myrmecophilus ant crickets (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae are typical ant guests. In Japan, about 10 species are recognized on the basis of morphological and molecular phylogenetic frameworks. Some of these species have restricted host ranges and behave intimately toward their host ant species (i.e., they are host specialist. We focused on one species, M. tetramorii, which uses the myrmicine ant Tetramorium tsushimae as its main host. All but one M. tetramorii individuals were collected specifically from nests of T. tsushimae in the field. However, behavioral observation showed that all individuals used in the experiment received hostile reactions from the host ants. There were no signs of intimate behaviors such as grooming of hosts or receipt of mouth-to-mouth feeding from hosts, which are seen in some host-specialist Myrmecophilus species among obligate host-ant species. Therefore, it may be that M. tetramorii is the species that is specialized to exploit the host by means other than chemical integration.

  16. Adamantane-bearing benzylamines and benzylamides: novel building blocks for supramolecular systems with finely tuned binding properties towards β-cyclodextrin

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Rouchal, M.; Matelová, A.; de Carvalho, F. P.; Bernat, R.; Grbić, D.; Kuřitka, I.; Babinský, M.; Marek, R.; Čmelík, Richard; Vícha, R.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 25, č. 6 (2013), s. 349-361 ISSN 1061-0278 Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : host-guest system * cyclodextrins * adamantane Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 2.132, year: 2013

  17. The Vital Components of Restaurant Quality that Affect Guest Satisfaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Snježana Gagić

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, the trend of dining in restaurants has become quite prominent in Serbia. Frequent restaurant visits are not only the reflection of satisfying hedonistic needs, but also the result of increasing number of single-person households as well as adjustment to the European business hours.In an increasingly competitive environment, restaurants must be focused on guests using marketing concepts that identify their needs thus leading to their satisfaction and increased retention.Service quality is fundamental component which produce higher levels of guest satisfaction, which in turn lead to higher sales revenue.The main purpose of this study was to examine the quality dimensions that affect guest satisfaction in restaurant industry. Food and beverage quality, the quality of service delivery, physical environment and price fairness are analyzed as a key components of restaurant experience. The results could be helpful tool for restaurant managers to invest their resources more efficiently, making changes to crucial quality attributes that elicit the guests’ satisfaction level. A management approach focused on guest satisfaction can improve restaurant business performance.

  18. Coevolution in host-parasite systems: behavioural strategies of slave-making ants and their hosts.

    OpenAIRE

    Foitzik, S.; DeHeer, C. J.; Hunjan, D. N.; Herbers, J. M.

    2001-01-01

    Recently, avian brood parasites and their hosts have emerged as model systems for the study of host-parasite coevolution. However, empirical studies of the highly analogous social parasites, which use the workers of another eusocial species to raise their own young, have never explicitly examined the dynamics of these systems from a coevolutionary perspective. Here, we demonstrate interpopulational variation in behavioural interactions between a socially parasitic slave-maker ant and its host...

  19. The benefit of guest loyalty programmes | La Rose | Research in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In the literature review of this research, the following aspects are discussed: a loyalty programme and its use; the sort of loyalty programmes; the effects of a loyalty programme; and the wishes and needs of a leisure guest. Surveys were divided among 46 leisure guests of Apollo Hotels and Resorts in order to collect data on ...

  20. Exploring Environmental Awareness and Behavior among Guests at Hotels That Apply Water-Saving Measures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ariadna Gabarda-Mallorquí

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate guest profiles at a hotel that has created a best-practices water management model to determine how different types of guests contribute to saving water during their stay. To do this, we analyzed levels of environmental awareness and pro-environmental behavior among the guests. Information was gathered through 648 structured surveys with guests at Hotel Samba in the Spanish seaside resort of Lloret de Mar between September 2015 and August 2016. Cluster analysis revealed four profiles of guests with different sociodemographic characteristics and different levels of awareness and proactivity in relation to water conservation. We combined our findings to develop a framework that illustrates how the two dimensions of environmental awareness and pro-environmental behavior are related in this setting. This article provides new insights into how hotel guests’ environmental awareness and engagement can influence a hotel’s water-saving efforts. These insights should help hotel operators to devise new, guest-centered strategies for saving water.

  1. Data from: Two different strategies of host manipulation allow parasites to persist in intermediate-definitive host systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vries, de Lana; Langevelde, van F.

    2017-01-01

    Trophically-transmitted parasites start their development in an intermediate host, before they finish the development in their definitive host when the definitive host preys on the intermediate host. In intermediate-definitive host systems, two strategies of host manipulation have been evolved:

  2. Pyrrole-Pyridine and Pyrrole-Naphthyridine Hosts for Anion Recognition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Angeles García

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The association constants of the complexes formed by two hosts containing pyrrole, amide and azine (pyridine and 1,8-naphthyridine groups and six guests, all monoanions (Cl−, CH3CO2−, NO3−, H2PO4−, BF4−, PF6−, have been determined using NMR titrations. The X-ray crystal structure of the host N2,N5-bis(6-methylpyridin-2-yl-3,4-diphenyl-1H-pyrrole- 2,5-dicarboxamide (1 has been solved (P21/c monoclinic space group. B3LYP/6-31G(d,p and calculations were carried out in an attempt to rationalize the trends observed in the experimental association constants.

  3. Efficient luminescent materials based on the incorporation of a Eu(III)tris-(bipyridine-carboxylate) complex in mesoporous hybrid silicate hosts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Botelho, M.B.S.; Queiroz, T.B. de; Eckert, H.; Camargo, A.S.S. de

    2016-01-01

    The study of the photoluminescent characteristics of host–guest systems based on highly emissive trivalent rare earth complexes such as Eu 3+ – tris-bipyridine-carboxylate, immobilized in solid state host matrices, is motivated by their potential applications in optoelectronic devices and bioanalytical systems. Besides offering the possibility of designing a favorable environment to improve the photophysical properties of the guest molecules, encapsulation in porous solids also serves to protect such molecules, prevents leakage (especially critical for bio-applications) and ultimately leads to more robust and versatile materials. Among the most interesting possible host matrices are mesoporous silica and hybrids (organo-silicates) in the form of powders (MCM-41 like) and transparent bulk or film xerogels. In this work we report the synthesis of highly efficient red emitting materials based on the wet impregnation of such host matrices with the new complex Eu[4-(4′-tert-butyl-biphenyl-4-yl)-2,2′-bipyridine-6-carboxyl] 3 (“[ t Bu–COO] 3 Eu”) whose synthesis and photophysical characterization was recently reported. Prior to the incorporation, the host matrices were thoroughly characterized by solid state 29 Si and 1 H NMR, N 2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Incorporation and retention of the complex molecules are found to be significantly higher in the phenyl-modified hybrid samples than in the regular mesoporous silica, suggesting efficient immobilization of the complex by π–π interactions. Long excited state lifetimes (up to 1.7 ms comparable to 1.8 ms for the complex in solution), and high quantum yields (up to 65%, versus 85% for the complex in solution) were measured for the bulk xerogel materials, suggesting the potential use of thin films for lighting and bioanalytical applications. - Highlights: • New Eu(III) complex in mesoporous hybrid matrices leads to highly emissive material • Matrix

  4. Efficient luminescent materials based on the incorporation of a Eu(III)tris-(bipyridine-carboxylate) complex in mesoporous hybrid silicate hosts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Botelho, M.B.S. [Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, 13566-590 São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Universidade de Brasilia, 70910-900 Brasilia, DF (Brazil); Queiroz, T.B. de [Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, 13566-590 São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Eckert, H. [Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, 13566-590 São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster, D-48149 Münster (Germany); Camargo, A.S.S. de, E-mail: andreasc@ifsc.usp.br [Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, 13566-590 São Carlos, SP (Brazil)

    2016-02-15

    The study of the photoluminescent characteristics of host–guest systems based on highly emissive trivalent rare earth complexes such as Eu{sup 3+} – tris-bipyridine-carboxylate, immobilized in solid state host matrices, is motivated by their potential applications in optoelectronic devices and bioanalytical systems. Besides offering the possibility of designing a favorable environment to improve the photophysical properties of the guest molecules, encapsulation in porous solids also serves to protect such molecules, prevents leakage (especially critical for bio-applications) and ultimately leads to more robust and versatile materials. Among the most interesting possible host matrices are mesoporous silica and hybrids (organo-silicates) in the form of powders (MCM-41 like) and transparent bulk or film xerogels. In this work we report the synthesis of highly efficient red emitting materials based on the wet impregnation of such host matrices with the new complex Eu[4-(4′-tert-butyl-biphenyl-4-yl)-2,2′-bipyridine-6-carboxyl]{sub 3} (“[{sup t}Bu–COO]{sub 3}Eu”) whose synthesis and photophysical characterization was recently reported. Prior to the incorporation, the host matrices were thoroughly characterized by solid state {sup 29}Si and {sup 1}H NMR, N{sub 2} adsorption/desorption isotherms, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Incorporation and retention of the complex molecules are found to be significantly higher in the phenyl-modified hybrid samples than in the regular mesoporous silica, suggesting efficient immobilization of the complex by π–π interactions. Long excited state lifetimes (up to 1.7 ms comparable to 1.8 ms for the complex in solution), and high quantum yields (up to 65%, versus 85% for the complex in solution) were measured for the bulk xerogel materials, suggesting the potential use of thin films for lighting and bioanalytical applications. - Highlights: • New Eu(III) complex in mesoporous hybrid matrices leads to highly

  5. Dissociation behavior of pellet shaped mixed gas hydrate samples that contain propane as a guest

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawamura, Taro; Sakamoto, Yasuhide; Ohtake, Michika; Yamamoto, Yoshitaka; Komai, Takeshi; Haneda, Hironori; Yoon, Ji-Ho; Ohga, Kotaro

    2006-01-01

    The dissociation kinetics of mixed gas hydrates that contain propane as a guest molecule have been investigated. The mixed gas hydrates used in this work were artificially prepared using the binary gas mixture of methane-propane and the ternary gas mixture of methane-ethane-propane. The crystal structures and the guest compositions of the mixed hydrates were clearly identified by using Raman spectroscopy and gas chromatography. The dissociation rates of the gas hydrates observed under several isothermal and isobaric conditions were discussed with an analytical model. The isobaric conditions were achieved by pressurizing with mixed gases using buffer cylinders, which had similar compositions to those of the initial gases used for synthesizing each hydrate sample. Interestingly, the calculated result agreed well with the experimentally observed results only when the composition of the vapor phase was assumed to be identical with that of the hydrate phase instead of the bulk (equilibrium) gas composition

  6. Hologenomics: Systems-Level Host Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Theis, Kevin R

    2018-01-01

    The hologenome concept of evolution is a hypothesis explaining host evolution in the context of the host microbiomes. As a hypothesis, it needs to be evaluated, especially with respect to the extent of fidelity of transgenerational coassociation of host and microbial lineages and the relative fitness consequences of repeated associations within natural holobiont populations. Behavioral ecologists are in a prime position to test these predictions because they typically focus on animal phenotypes that are quantifiable, conduct studies over multiple generations within natural animal populations, and collect metadata on genetic relatedness and relative reproductive success within these populations. Regardless of the conclusion on the hologenome concept as an evolutionary hypothesis, a hologenomic perspective has applied value as a systems-level framework for host biology, including in medicine. Specifically, it emphasizes investigating the multivarious and dynamic interactions between patient genomes and the genomes of their diverse microbiota when attempting to elucidate etiologies of complex, noninfectious diseases.

  7. Relationship between the cohesion of guest particles on the flow behaviour of interactive mixtures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangal, Sharad; Gengenbach, Thomas; Millington-Smith, Doug; Armstrong, Brian; Morton, David A V; Larson, Ian

    2016-05-01

    In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects cohesion of small surface-engineered guest binder particles on the flow behaviour of interactive mixtures. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) - a model pharmaceutical binder - was spray-dried with varying l-leucine feed concentrations to create small surface-engineered binder particles with varying cohesion. These spray-dried formulations were characterised by their particle size distribution, morphology and cohesion. Interactive mixtures were produced by blending these spray-dried formulations with paracetamol. The resultant blends were visualised under scanning electron microscope to confirm formation of interactive mixtures. Surface coverage of paracetamol by guest particles as well as the flow behaviour of these mixtures were examined. The flow performance of interactive mixtures was evaluated using measurements of conditioned bulk density, basic flowability energy, aeration energy and compressibility. With higher feed l-leucine concentrations, the surface roughness of small binder particles increased, while their cohesion decreased. Visual inspection of the SEM images of the blends indicated that the guest particles adhered to the surface of paracetamol resulting in effective formation of interactive mixtures. These images also showed that the low-cohesion guest particles were better de-agglomerated that consequently formed a more homogeneous interactive mixture with paracetamol compared with high-cohesion formulations. The flow performance of interactive mixtures changed as a function of the cohesion of the guest particles. Interactive mixtures with low-cohesion guest binder particles showed notably improved bulk flow performance compared with those containing high-cohesion guest binder particles. Thus, our study suggests that the cohesion of guest particles dictates the flow performance of interactive mixtures. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. A room with a viewpoint revisited: descriptive norms and hotel guests' towel reuse behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohner, Gerd; Schlüter, Lena E

    2014-01-01

    Field experiments on descriptive norms as a means to increase hotel guests' towel reuse [1] were replicated and extended. In two hotels in Germany (Study 1: N = 724; Study 2: N = 204), descriptive norm messages suggesting that 75% of guests had reused their towels, or a standard message appealing to environmental concerns, were placed in guests' bathrooms. Descriptive norm messages varied in terms of proximity of the reference group ("hotel guests" vs. "guests in this room") and temporal proximity (currently vs. two years previous). Reuse of towels was unobtrusively recorded. Results showed that reuse rates were high overall and that both standard and descriptive norm messages increased reuse rates compared to a no-message baseline. However, descriptive norm messages were not more effective than the standard message, and effects of proximity were inconsistent across studies. Discussion addresses cultural and conceptual issues in comparing the present findings with previous ones.

  9. Hydrothermal crystal growth and Vernier structures of the metal benzenedicarboxylates MIL-47 and MIL-53 containing guest molecules of benzenecarboxylic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Xiqu; Jacobson, Allan J.

    2016-01-01

    The nanoporous frameworks VO(bdc), MIL-47, and M(OH)(bdc), MIL-53; bdc=1,4-benzenedicarboxylate, can absorb various guest species in their channels. As synthesized, the channels are filled with H 2 bdc molecules that have been reported to be disordered, except for [In(OH)bdc](H 2 bdc) 3/4 , 1, which has a inorganic-organic hybrid Vernier structure with the H 2 bdc molecules forming an ordered sublattice. Based on X-ray data from large single crystals grown by hydrothermal techniques, similar Vernier structures have been found for MIL-47, [VO(bdc)](H 2 bdc) 5/7 , 2, MIL-53Al, [Al(OH)(bdc)](H 2 bdc) 11/16 , 3, and MIL-53Ga, [Ga(OH)(bdc)](H 2 bdc) 12/17 , 4. The Vernier structures of 2–4 at room temperature were determined based on superstructure unit cells that index both host and guest sublattices: 2, space group P2 1 , a=23.903(2), b=17.191(2), c=25.722(2) Å, β=105.914(8)°; 3, P2 1 /n, a=105.224(4), b=12.2441(5), c=17.0143(6) Å, β=89.99(1)°; 4, P2 1 , a=114.562(5), b=12.1503(5), c=17.4275(7) Å, β=89.99(1)°. The number of guest H 2 bdc molecules per framework metal ion is determined by the ratio of the repeat distances of the two sublattices which depends on the size of the metal ion in the octahedral chain. The octahedral chains are parallel to [201] in 2, and to [100] in 3 and 4. Remarkably, all atoms in 3 and 4 show significant sinusoidal modulations transverse to the chain axis. - Graphical abstract: The sinusoidal modulation along the channel axis direction involving all atoms in the structure of [Al(OH)(bdc)](H 2 bdc) 11/16 . - Highlights: • Crystal growth of MIL-47, MIL-53Al, and MIL-53Ga. • The Vernier structures have corner-sharing MO6 octrahedral chains and chains of H2BDC molecules. • The stoichiometry is determined by the ratio of the host framework to the guest H2BDC column lengths. • A correlation is established between the stoichiometry and the radius of the metal ion. • All atoms in the Al and Ga compounds show sinusoidal

  10. An outstanding guest

    CERN Multimedia

    2004-01-01

    The person celebrating CERN's 25th anniversary whose photograph we published last week was not just any guest. Readers have pointed out that it was Wim Klein, whose remarkable abilities are part of CERN's history. Well known as one of the best "human calculators", Wim was recruited by CERN in 1957 to verify computer programs, which at the time were still stumbling. Moreover, he regularly beat their speed in calculating and gave breath-taking demonstrations. During one such demonstration in September 1973, he calculated the 19th root of a 133-digit number in less than 2 minutes !

  11. Recruiting Future Engineers Through Effective Guest Speaking In Elementary School Classrooms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kevin Young

    2007-11-01

    In this paper, the author describes how engineers can increase the number of future engineers by volunteering as guest speakers in the elementary school classroom. The paper is divided into three main subjects. First, the importance of engineers speaking directly with young students is discussed. Next, several best practice techniques for speaking with young students are described. Finally, information on getting started as a guest speaker is presented, and a list of resources available to guest speakers is provided. The guest engineer speaking to an elementary school audience (ages 6-11) performs a critical role in encouraging young students to pursue a career in engineering. Often, he or she is the first engineer these students meet in person, providing a crucial first impression of the engineering career field and a positive visual image of what an engineer really looks like. A dynamic speaker presenting a well-delivered talk creates a lasting, positive impression on students, influencing their future decisions to pursue careers in engineering. By reaching these students early in life, the guest speaker will help dispel the many prevailing stereotypes about engineers which discourage so many students, especially young women, from considering this career. The guest speaker can ensure young students gain a positive first impression of engineers and the engineering career field by following some best practice techniques in preparing for and delivering their presentation. The author, an electrical engineer, developed these best practice techniques over the past 10 years while presenting over 350 talks on engineering subjects to elementary school students as a volunteer speaker with the U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho National Laboratory’s Speakers Bureau. Every engineer can make a meaningful contribution toward reversing the predicted shortfall of future engineers by volunteering to speak with young students at the elementary school level. Elementary school

  12. Immigrant Students’ Achievements in Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia in Context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nika Šušterič

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Achievement gaps between immigrant and native students indicate failure to assure educational equity in the majority of countries assessed by the Programme for International Student Assessment in 2009 (PISA, 2009. The present article explains disparate achievement results in Europe, first testing the hypothesis of old and new democracies. In further contextualisation of the achievement results, the analysis seeks explanations beyond the common education system explanatory model. Specifically, the article considers results from Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia, highlighting the significance of language distance between native and immigrant students as well as migration regimes as important factors in creating or reducing the achievement gap between native and immigrant students. Evidence has been found that immigrant students score worse in countries with guest labour immigration regimes than in the countries with large scale forced immigration of people of the same ethnic (linguistic origin.

  13. A room with a viewpoint revisited: descriptive norms and hotel guests' towel reuse behavior.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerd Bohner

    Full Text Available Field experiments on descriptive norms as a means to increase hotel guests' towel reuse [1] were replicated and extended. In two hotels in Germany (Study 1: N = 724; Study 2: N = 204, descriptive norm messages suggesting that 75% of guests had reused their towels, or a standard message appealing to environmental concerns, were placed in guests' bathrooms. Descriptive norm messages varied in terms of proximity of the reference group ("hotel guests" vs. "guests in this room" and temporal proximity (currently vs. two years previous. Reuse of towels was unobtrusively recorded. Results showed that reuse rates were high overall and that both standard and descriptive norm messages increased reuse rates compared to a no-message baseline. However, descriptive norm messages were not more effective than the standard message, and effects of proximity were inconsistent across studies. Discussion addresses cultural and conceptual issues in comparing the present findings with previous ones.

  14. Low driving voltage simplified tandem organic light-emitting devices by using exciplex-forming hosts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Dong-Ying; Cui, Lin-Song; Zhang, Ying-Jie; Liao, Liang-Sheng; Aziz, Hany

    2014-10-01

    Tandem organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs), i.e., OLEDs containing multiple electroluminescence (EL) units that are vertically stacked, are attracting significant interest because of their ability to realize high current efficiency and long operational lifetime. However, stacking multiple EL units in tandem OLEDs increases driving voltage and complicates fabrication process relative to their standard single unit counterparts. In this paper, we demonstrate low driving voltage tandem OLEDs via utilizing exciplex-forming hosts in the EL units instead of conventional host materials. The use of exciplex-forming hosts reduces the charge injection barriers and the trapping of charges on guest molecules, resulting in the lower driving voltage. The use of exciplex-forming hosts also allows using fewer layers, hence simpler EL configuration which is beneficial for reducing the fabrication complexity of tandem OLEDs.

  15. A Student-Centered Guest Lecturing: A Constructivism Approach to Promote Student Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Lei; Guo, Rong

    2015-01-01

    Student engagement has become a big challenge in higher education, especially when distance learning is getting more and more popular. Guest lecturing is a popular method to bring relevance to the classroom and engage in students. Ground on the theory of constructivism, this paper introduces a student-centered guest lecturing that allows students…

  16. Combining Host-based and network-based intrusion detection system

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    These attacks were simulated using hping. The proposed system is implemented in Java. The results show that the proposed system is able to detect attacks both from within (host-based) and outside sources (network-based). Key Words: Intrusion Detection System (IDS), Host-based, Network-based, Signature, Security log.

  17. Structure and dynamics in low-dimensional guest-host systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    John E. Fischer

    2000-05-01

    This is the final report of the fourth of four three year grants of the same title. The program evolved from an earlier DOE grant on graphite intercalation compounds. Since its inception eight years ago, the focus evolved continuously from conjugated polymers to fullerenes, disordered carbons for Li-ion battery applications, and most recently carbon nanotubes, with side excursion back to GIC's to exploit a recent advance in synthesis of a potentially exciting new phase. The unifying themes are the versatility of carbon in forming novel solids, and the flexibility of intercalation chemistry to provide new materials with potentially useful properties.

  18. USULAN PERBAIKAN PROSES BISNIS DENGAN KONSEP BUSINESS PROCESS REENGINEERING (STUDI KASUS : PERMATA GUEST HOUSE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bhaswara Adhitya Wardhana

    2013-04-01

    inadequate, resulting in the emergence of many complaints of stakeholders, that is, from the customer , and the internal employees. Key Performance Indicator (KPI used in the study of Permata Guest House is KPI derived from the Critical Success Factor (CSF. Performance measurements conducted on the basis of performance indicators which has been determined in preliminary observations along with the size and achievable targets for each indicator. From the initial observations obtained difference indicator morale and loyalty by 20%, amounting to 16.67% hospitality complaint, complaints, appearance and attitude at 16.67%, the occupancy rate of 30% marketing sales and service satisfaction by 77.78%. Based on the analysis of performance measurement and business process has obtained the factors that cause the performance of the business process does not meet the target, one of the settlement is to be able to improve performance by redesigning business processes using the Business Process Reengineering (BPR. From the results of the review of BPR needs  rethinking, redesign, and reto the business performance models. The results of the business process reengineering business processes such as standardization proposals, drafting mission and vision of the company, designing organizational structure and job description, and the preparation of Standard Operating Procedure Keywords: critical success factor, key performance indicators, business process reengineering

  19. Magnetic ordering in TCNQ-based metal–organic frameworks with host–guest interactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Xuan; Saber, Mohamed R.; Prosvirin, Andrey P.; Reibenspies, Joseph H.; Sun, Lei; Ballesteros-Rivas, Maria; Zhao, Hanhua; Dunbar, Kim R. (MIT); (TAM)

    2015-09-03

    Host–guest interactions between the aromatic molecules benzene, toluene, aniline and nitrobenzene and the redox-active TCNQ-based metal–organic framework (MOF), Fe(TCNQ)(4,4'-bpy) (1) (TCNQ = 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane), have been found to modulate spontaneous magnetization behaviours at low temperatures. An analogous MOF, Mn(TCNQ)(4,4'-bpy) (2) with isotropic Mn(II) ions as well as the two-dimensional compound Fe(TCNQ)(DMF)2·2DMF (3·2DMF), were also prepared as models for studying the effects of single-ion magnetic anisotropy and structural distortion on spin canting. The results indicate guest-dependent long range magnetic ordering occurs at low temperatures, which correlates with the electrostatic and steric effects of the incorporated aromatic guests.

  20. Electroluminescence Properties of IrQ(ppy)2 Dual-Emitter Organometallic Compound in Organic Light-Emitting Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciobotaru, Constantin Claudiu; Polosan, Silviu; Ciobotaru, Iulia Corina

    2018-02-01

    This paper reports the influence of the charge carrier mobility on the electroluminescent properties of a dual-emitter organometallic compound dispersed in two conjugated organic small-molecule host materials and embedded in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). The electroluminescent processes in OLEDs are strongly influenced by the host-guest interaction. The charge carrier mobility in the host material plays an important role in the electroluminescent processes but also depends on the triplet-triplet interaction with the organometallic compound. The low charge carrier mobility in 4,4'-bis( N-carbazolyl)-1,1'-biphenyl (CBP) host material reduces the electroluminescent processes, but they are slightly enhanced by the triplet-triplet exothermic charge transfer. The higher charge carrier mobility in the case of N, N'-bis(3-methylphenyl)- N, N'-diphenylbenzidine (TPD) host material influences the electroluminescent processes by the endothermic energy transfer at room temperature, which facilitates the triplet-triplet harvesting in the host-guest system. The excitation is transferred to the guest molecules by triplet-triplet interaction as a Dexter transfer, which occurs by endothermic transfer from the triplet exciton in the host to the triplet exciton in the guest.

  1. Hydrothermal crystal growth and Vernier structures of the metal benzenedicarboxylates MIL-47 and MIL-53 containing guest molecules of benzenecarboxylic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Xiqu; Jacobson, Allan J., E-mail: ajjacob@uh.edu

    2016-04-15

    The nanoporous frameworks VO(bdc), MIL-47, and M(OH)(bdc), MIL-53; bdc=1,4-benzenedicarboxylate, can absorb various guest species in their channels. As synthesized, the channels are filled with H{sub 2}bdc molecules that have been reported to be disordered, except for [In(OH)bdc](H{sub 2}bdc){sub 3/4}, 1, which has a inorganic-organic hybrid Vernier structure with the H{sub 2}bdc molecules forming an ordered sublattice. Based on X-ray data from large single crystals grown by hydrothermal techniques, similar Vernier structures have been found for MIL-47, [VO(bdc)](H{sub 2}bdc){sub 5/7}, 2, MIL-53Al, [Al(OH)(bdc)](H{sub 2}bdc){sub 11/16}, 3, and MIL-53Ga, [Ga(OH)(bdc)](H{sub 2}bdc){sub 12/17}, 4. The Vernier structures of 2–4 at room temperature were determined based on superstructure unit cells that index both host and guest sublattices: 2, space group P2{sub 1}, a=23.903(2), b=17.191(2), c=25.722(2) Å, β=105.914(8)°; 3, P2{sub 1}/n, a=105.224(4), b=12.2441(5), c=17.0143(6) Å, β=89.99(1)°; 4, P2{sub 1}, a=114.562(5), b=12.1503(5), c=17.4275(7) Å, β=89.99(1)°. The number of guest H{sub 2}bdc molecules per framework metal ion is determined by the ratio of the repeat distances of the two sublattices which depends on the size of the metal ion in the octahedral chain. The octahedral chains are parallel to [201] in 2, and to [100] in 3 and 4. Remarkably, all atoms in 3 and 4 show significant sinusoidal modulations transverse to the chain axis. - Graphical abstract: The sinusoidal modulation along the channel axis direction involving all atoms in the structure of [Al(OH)(bdc)](H{sub 2}bdc){sub 11/16}. - Highlights: • Crystal growth of MIL-47, MIL-53Al, and MIL-53Ga. • The Vernier structures have corner-sharing MO6 octrahedral chains and chains of H2BDC molecules. • The stoichiometry is determined by the ratio of the host framework to the guest H2BDC column lengths. • A correlation is established between the stoichiometry and the radius of the metal ion

  2. Thermodynamic Stability of Structure H Hydrates Based on the Molecular Properties of Large Guest Molecules

    OpenAIRE

    Tezuka, Kyoichi; Taguchi, Tatsuhiko; Alavi, Saman; Sum, Amadeu K.; Ohmura, Ryo

    2012-01-01

    This paper report analyses of thermodynamic stability of structure-H clathrate hydrates formed with methane and large guest molecules in terms of their gas phase molecular sizes and molar masses for the selection of a large guest molecule providing better hydrate stability. We investigated the correlation among the gas phase molecular sizes, the molar masses of large molecule guest substances, and the equilibrium pressures. The results suggest that there exists a molecular-size value for the ...

  3. Business Guests Satisfaction in the Hotel Industry: A Case Study of North American Hotel Chains

    OpenAIRE

    Milan Bradić; Ljiljana Kosar; Bojana Kalenjuk

    2013-01-01

    This paper considers the problem of satisfaction of business guests with hotel brands in North America. In analysis we used the guests responses (scores) given for 12 different elements of hotel product. In order to arrive at more accurate results, monitored hotel chains are grouped into price tiers. The aim of this paper is to indicate what facilities and services the North American business guests appreciate most. Industry trends and results may be beneficial to all hoteliers, especially in...

  4. Chiral Binaphthylbis(4,4'-Bipyridin-1-Ium)/Cucurbit[8]Uril Supramolecular System and Its Induced Circularly Polarized Luminescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xu-Man; Chen, Yong; Liang, Lu; Liu, Qiu-Jun; Liu, Yu

    2018-05-01

    Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) induced by host-guest complexation remains a challenge in supramolecular chemistry. Herein, a couple of CPL-silent enantiomeric guest binaphthylbis(4,4'-bipyridinium) salts can emit obvious CPL in the presence of cucurbit[8]uril in aqueous media, due to the restriction of molecular rotation limitation effect. Such CPL can be reversibly adjusted by the addition of acid and base. Furthermore, the resultant supramolecular systems can interact with DNA, accompanied by the morphological conversion from branched supramolecular nanowires to exfoliated nanowires, which can enable to the exploration of such supramolecular systems as DNA markers by CPL signals. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. The hotel comment card: a motivator of guest satisfaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfred W. Ogle

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This   paper   explores   the   traditional   pen   and   paper   hotel   comment   card   (HCC   from   the  guests’  perspective  to  gain  an  insight  and  to  improve  its  effectiveness.  The  HCC  has  long  been   the  predominant  method  of  soliciting  guest  feedback.  Although  electronic  methods  of  collection  are  now  available  the  HCC  has  a  sense  of  familiarity,  has  general  acceptance,  and   is   widely   employed.   Initially,   a   literature   review   of   the   hotel   comment   card   is  provided.  Then,  the  study  explores  how  frequent  guests  categorize  HCC  attributes.  These  attributes  are  then  extended  to  include  evaluation  criteria  identified  in  the  literature  and  desired  by  hotel  managers.    The  extended  evaluation  criterion  is  then  used  to  explore  how  frequent  hotel  guests  believe  that  future  HCCs  may  motivate  guests  to  provide  feedback   and   assist   in   the   co-­creation   of   value.   The   overall   finding   is   that   the   HCCs   design   and  execution  can  be  improved.

  6. Cluster analysis as a tool of guests segmentation by the degree of their demand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Damijan Mumel

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Authors demonstrate the use of cluster analysis in finding out (ascertaining the homogenity/heterogenity of guests as to the degree of their demand. The degree of guests’ demand is defined according to the importance of perceived service quality components measured by SERVQUAL, which was adopted and adapted, according to the specifics of health spa industry in Slovenia. Goals of the article are: (a the identification of the profile of importance of general health spa service quality components, and (b the identification of groups of guests (segments according to the degree of their demand in the research in 1991 compared with 1999. Cluster analysis serves as useful tool for guest segmentation since it reveals the existence of important differences in the structure of guests in the year 1991 compared with the year 1999. The results serve as a useful database for management in health spas.

  7. Guest Editorial: Functional neurosurgery | Enslin | South African ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    South African Medical Journal. Journal Home · ABOUT · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 106, No 8 (2016) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads. Username, Password, Remember me, or Register. Guest Editorial: Functional neurosurgery. JMN Enslin. Abstract. No Abstract.

  8. Business Guests Satisfaction in the Hotel Industry: A Case Study of North American Hotel Chains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milan Bradić

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper considers the problem of satisfaction of business guests with hotel brands in North America. In analysis we used the guests responses (scores given for 12 different elements of hotel product. In order to arrive at more accurate results, monitored hotel chains are grouped into price tiers. The aim of this paper is to indicate what facilities and services the North American business guests appreciate most. Industry trends and results may be beneficial to all hoteliers, especially in business tourism segment.

  9. Mesoscale spatiotemporal variability in a complex host-parasite system influenced by intermediate host body size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez, Sara M; Valdivia, Nelson

    2017-01-01

    Parasites are essential components of natural communities, but the factors that generate skewed distributions of parasite occurrences and abundances across host populations are not well understood. Here, we analyse at a seascape scale the spatiotemporal relationships of parasite exposure and host body-size with the proportion of infected hosts (i.e., prevalence) and aggregation of parasite burden across ca. 150 km of the coast and over 22 months. We predicted that the effects of parasite exposure on prevalence and aggregation are dependent on host body-sizes. We used an indirect host-parasite interaction in which migratory seagulls, sandy-shore molecrabs, and an acanthocephalan worm constitute the definitive hosts, intermediate hosts, and endoparasite, respectively. In such complex systems, increments in the abundance of definitive hosts imply increments in intermediate hosts' exposure to the parasite's dispersive stages. Linear mixed-effects models showed a significant, albeit highly variable, positive relationship between seagull density and prevalence. This relationship was stronger for small (cephalothorax length >15 mm) than large molecrabs (analysis of the variance-to-mean ratio of per capita parasite burden showed no relationship between seagull density and mean parasite aggregation across host populations. However, the amount of unexplained variability in aggregation was strikingly higher in larger than smaller intermediate hosts. This unexplained variability was driven by a decrease in the mean-variance scaling in heavily infected large molecrabs. These results show complex interdependencies between extrinsic and intrinsic population attributes on the structure of host-parasite interactions. We suggest that parasite accumulation-a characteristic of indirect host-parasite interactions-and subsequent increasing mortality rates over ontogeny underpin size-dependent host-parasite dynamics.

  10. Guest-responsive structural adaptation of a rationally-designed ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    adaptability of the TB core to undergo subtle structural changes in response to the guest that is included. The structural ... we report the design, synthesis and inclusion behaviour of a novel ..... Based on a rational design, we have shown from ...

  11. Multicultural Music Instruction in the Elementary School: What Can Be Achieved?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Kay L.

    1998-01-01

    Investigates fourth-grade students' achievement following a model unit on American Indian music that utilized four different instructional approaches. Suggests implications for instruction with American Indian music regarding instructional approach, authenticity of instrument materials, learning from a native guest artist, and music teacher…

  12. The educational attainment of the children of the Danish ”guest worker” immigrants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Vibeke; Smith, Nina

    This paper analyses the educational attainment of young first generation immigrants in Denmark who are children of the ‘guest workers’ who immigrated from Turkey, Pakistan and Ex-Yugoslavia in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Beside the traditional intergenerational transmission mechanism, we...... analyse potential immigrant-specific factors as language proficiency, attending mother-tongue courses and expectations concerning out or return migration from Denmark. The results show that intergenerational transmission effects are strong among ‘guest worker’ immigrants, especially among men. Other...... important factors are Danish language proficiency, age at first marriage and a number variables reflecting parents’ and own attitudes concerning education, marriage and family. However, the ‘guest worker’ immigrants are not a homogenous group. The analyses reveal large differences between Turkish, Pakistani...

  13. Fiscal 2000 research achievement report on the development of super-advanced liquid crystal technology for energy use rationalization. Development promotion project for super-advanced electronic technology - Design, control, analysis, etc., of electronic materials having novel functions; 2000 nendo energy shiyo gorika chosentan ekisho gijutsu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Chosentan denshi gijutsu kaihatsu sokushin jigyo (shinkino denshi zairyo sekkei seigyo bunseki nado gijutsu)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-04-01

    Efforts are focused on the verification of target devices under the respective subjects, and activities are conducted with the development system reinforced. Three newly proposed reflection type liquid crystal devices achieve the target specifications of a reflection factor of 60% or higher and a contrast ratio of 15:1 or higher. Studies are conducted involving the five fields of (1) multilayer reflection devices, (2) memory retention liquid crystal devices, (3) single pixel color devices, (4) directional reflection devices, and (5) joint research. Research and development in field (1) covers ultra-anisotropic optical materials, ultrahigh reliability host liquid crystal materials for guest-host liquid crystals - mixed system, low voltage driven/high load holding liquid crystal compound systems, and new liquid crystal molecule orientation control technology; in field (2), low temperature fabrication of ferroelectric thin film, and ultrahigh purity high reliability liquid crystal compounds; in field (3), materials capable of controlling optical interference and higher order light scattering, photoregulation devices, highly birefringent liquid crystal materials - mixed system, and ultrahigh efficiency light scattering liquid crystal compounds; and, in field (4), multi-dimensional anisotropic structure fabrication technology and ultra-anisotropic optical materials. (NEDO)

  14. Mesoscale spatiotemporal variability in a complex host-parasite system influenced by intermediate host body size

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara M. Rodríguez

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Background Parasites are essential components of natural communities, but the factors that generate skewed distributions of parasite occurrences and abundances across host populations are not well understood. Methods Here, we analyse at a seascape scale the spatiotemporal relationships of parasite exposure and host body-size with the proportion of infected hosts (i.e., prevalence and aggregation of parasite burden across ca. 150 km of the coast and over 22 months. We predicted that the effects of parasite exposure on prevalence and aggregation are dependent on host body-sizes. We used an indirect host-parasite interaction in which migratory seagulls, sandy-shore molecrabs, and an acanthocephalan worm constitute the definitive hosts, intermediate hosts, and endoparasite, respectively. In such complex systems, increments in the abundance of definitive hosts imply increments in intermediate hosts’ exposure to the parasite’s dispersive stages. Results Linear mixed-effects models showed a significant, albeit highly variable, positive relationship between seagull density and prevalence. This relationship was stronger for small (cephalothorax length >15 mm than large molecrabs (<15 mm. Independently of seagull density, large molecrabs carried significantly more parasites than small molecrabs. The analysis of the variance-to-mean ratio of per capita parasite burden showed no relationship between seagull density and mean parasite aggregation across host populations. However, the amount of unexplained variability in aggregation was strikingly higher in larger than smaller intermediate hosts. This unexplained variability was driven by a decrease in the mean-variance scaling in heavily infected large molecrabs. Conclusions These results show complex interdependencies between extrinsic and intrinsic population attributes on the structure of host-parasite interactions. We suggest that parasite accumulation—a characteristic of indirect host

  15. Hotel guest's $14.5 million jury verdict set aside on appeal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999-08-20

    A Missouri Court of Appeals judge reversed a $14.5 million judgement against [name removed] Inc., which had been held liable for the beating and sexual assault of a guest in its hotel. The guest, identified as [name removed], had requested an upgrade to a concierge room, to increase her safety, but the hotel did not fill her request. When [name removed] opened her hotel room door the next morning, an assailant attacked, beat and raped her. The assailant escaped hotel security, but was later apprehended. The initial case against [name removed] and the assailant resulted in a $22.5 million judgement for [name removed] Both parties appealed. [Name removed] prevailed in its argument that the initial trial judge misinstructed the jury, and that [name removed] was unable to show clear and convincing evidence that the hotel's willful or conscious disregard for guest safety caused the situation. However, the court ruled against [name removed] on the basis of [name removed]'s fear-of-AIDS claim, because of her exposure to the virus.

  16. Theoretical investigation of the degradation mechanisms in host and guest molecules used in OLED active layers

    KAUST Repository

    Winget, Paul

    2014-10-08

    A feature of OLEDs that has to date received little attention is the prediction of the stability of the molecules involved in the electrical and optical processes. Here, we present computational results intended to aid in the development of stable systems. We identify degradation pathways and define new strategies to guide the synthesis of stable materials for OLED applications for both phosphorescent emitters and organic host materials. The chemical reactivity of these molecules in the active layers of the devices is further complicated by the fact that, during operation, they can be either oxidized or reduced (as they localize a hole or an electron) in addition to forming both singlet and triplet excitons. © (2014) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

  17. Nuclear magnetic resonance titration studies of simple host-guest amine-carboxylic acid systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahinay, Myrna S.; Lindoy, Leonard F.

    1999-01-01

    Adduct formation for the open-chain 1,2-diaminoethane and its N-methyl derivatives [N,N-dimethyl-ethylenediamine (N,N-DMEN),N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine (N,N'-DMEN);N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-ethylenediamine (N,N,N',N'-TMEN)]; 1,4-diaminobutane; diethylenetriamine (DIEN); triethylenetramine (TRIEN); and the carboxylic acid systems in polar CD 3 OH and nonpolar CDCl 3 solvents were elucidated by nmr titration. The stoichiometries of the adducts were found to correspond to the number of nitrogen present in the amine species with the exception of ligand incorporating N-donors of low basicity; that is, whose log K values for the protonated species in water were less than approximately 6 to 7.(Author)

  18. Guest Editorial: Health financing lessons from Thailand for South ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Guest Editorial: Health financing lessons from Thailand for South Africa on the path towards universal health coverage. Mark Blecher, Anban Pillay, Walaiporn Patcharanarumol, Warisa Panichkriangkrai, Viroj Tangcharoensathien, Yot Teerawattananon, Supasit Pannarunothai, Jonatan Davén ...

  19. Intercalation of paracetamol into the hydrotalcite-like host

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kovanda, František; Maryšková, Zuzana; Kovář, Petr

    2011-01-01

    Hydrotalcite-like compounds are often used as host structures for intercalation of various anionic species. The product intercalated with the nonionic, water-soluble pharmaceuticals paracetamol, N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetamide, was prepared by rehydration of the Mg–Al mixed oxide obtained by calcination of hydrotalcite-like precursor at 500 °C. The successful intercalation of paracetamol molecules into the interlayer space was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy measurements. Molecular simulations showed that the phenolic hydroxyl groups of paracetamol interact with hydroxide sheets of the host via the hydroxyl groups of the positively charged sites of Al-containing octahedra; the interlayer water molecules are located mostly near the hydroxide sheets. The arrangement of paracetamol molecules in the interlayer is rather disordered and interactions between neighboring molecules cause their tilting towards the hydroxide sheets. Dissolution tests in various media showed slower release of paracetamol intercalated in the hydrotalcite-like host in comparison with tablets containing the powdered pharmaceuticals. - Graphical abstract: Molecular simulations showed disordered arrangement of paracetamol molecules in the interlayer; most of the interlayer water molecules are located near the hydroxide sheets.▪ Highlights: ► Paracetamol was intercalated in Mg–Al hydrotalcite-like host by rehydration/reconstruction procedure. ► Paracetamol phenolic groups interact with positively charged sites in hydroxide sheets. ► Molecular simulations showed disordered arrangement of guest molecules in the interlayer. ► Slower release of paracetamol intercalated in the hydrotalcite-like host was observed.

  20. Guest Editorial: Chronic kidney disease | Meyers | South African ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    South African Medical Journal. Journal Home · ABOUT · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 105, No 3 (2015) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads. Username, Password, Remember me, or Register. Guest Editorial: Chronic kidney disease. AM Meyers. Abstract. No abstract.

  1. Ambient Light Control Using Guest Host Liquid-Crystal Dye Systems

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Taheri, Bahman

    2003-01-01

    ...., the visor reverts to its maximally transmitting state when power is removed. Demonstration devices were produced on flat PET plastic substrates and toroidal polycarbonate visors of the type used with the HGU-55/P flight helmet...

  2. Chemically armed mercenary ants protect fungus-farming societies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Rachelle M. M.; Liberti, Joanito; Illum, Anders A.; Jones, Tappey H.; Nash, David R.; Boomsma, Jacobus J.

    2013-01-01

    The ants are extraordinary in having evolved many lineages that exploit closely related ant societies as social parasites, but social parasitism by distantly related ants is rare. Here we document the interaction dynamics among a Sericomyrmex fungus-growing ant host, a permanently associated parasitic guest ant of the genus Megalomyrmex, and a raiding agro-predator of the genus Gnamptogenys. We show experimentally that the guest ants protect their host colonies against agro-predator raids using alkaloid venom that is much more potent than the biting defenses of the host ants. Relatively few guest ants are sufficient to kill raiders that invariably exterminate host nests without a cohabiting guest ant colony. We also show that the odor of guest ants discourages raider scouts from recruiting nestmates to host colonies. Our results imply that Sericomyrmex fungus-growers obtain a net benefit from their costly guest ants behaving as a functional soldier caste to meet lethal threats from agro-predator raiders. The fundamentally different life histories of the agro-predators and guest ants appear to facilitate their coexistence in a negative frequency-dependent manner. Because a guest ant colony is committed for life to a single host colony, the guests would harm their own interests by not defending the host that they continue to exploit. This conditional mutualism is analogous to chronic sickle cell anemia enhancing the resistance to malaria and to episodes in human history when mercenary city defenders offered either net benefits or imposed net costs, depending on the level of threat from invading armies. PMID:24019482

  3. Chemically armed mercenary ants protect fungus-farming societies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Rachelle M M; Liberti, Joanito; Illum, Anders A; Jones, Tappey H; Nash, David R; Boomsma, Jacobus J

    2013-09-24

    The ants are extraordinary in having evolved many lineages that exploit closely related ant societies as social parasites, but social parasitism by distantly related ants is rare. Here we document the interaction dynamics among a Sericomyrmex fungus-growing ant host, a permanently associated parasitic guest ant of the genus Megalomyrmex, and a raiding agro-predator of the genus Gnamptogenys. We show experimentally that the guest ants protect their host colonies against agro-predator raids using alkaloid venom that is much more potent than the biting defenses of the host ants. Relatively few guest ants are sufficient to kill raiders that invariably exterminate host nests without a cohabiting guest ant colony. We also show that the odor of guest ants discourages raider scouts from recruiting nestmates to host colonies. Our results imply that Sericomyrmex fungus-growers obtain a net benefit from their costly guest ants behaving as a functional soldier caste to meet lethal threats from agro-predator raiders. The fundamentally different life histories of the agro-predators and guest ants appear to facilitate their coexistence in a negative frequency-dependent manner. Because a guest ant colony is committed for life to a single host colony, the guests would harm their own interests by not defending the host that they continue to exploit. This conditional mutualism is analogous to chronic sickle cell anemia enhancing the resistance to malaria and to episodes in human history when mercenary city defenders offered either net benefits or imposed net costs, depending on the level of threat from invading armies.

  4. Squeezing clathrate cages to host trivalent rare-earth guests

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Jian [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States). Department of Chemistry; Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States); He, Yuping [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Mordvinova, Natalia E. [Laboratoire CRISMAT, ENSICAEN, CNRS UMR (France); Lebedev, Oleg [Laboratoire CRISMAT, ENSICAEN, CNRS UMR (France); Kovnir, Kirill [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States). Department of Chemistry; Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States)

    2017-11-01

    Strike difference of the trivalent rare-earth cations from their alkali and alkaline-earth peers is in the presence of localized 4f-electrons and strong spin-orbit coupling. Placing trivalent rare-earth cations inside the fullerene molecules or in between the blocks of itinerant magnetic intermetallics gave rise to plethora of fascinating properties and materials. A long-time missing but hardly desired piece is the semiconducting or metallic compound where rare-earth cations are situated inside the oversized polyhedral cages of three-dimensional framework. In this work we present a synthesis of such compounds, rare-earth containing clathrates Ba8-xRxCu16P30. The unambiguous proofs of their composition and crystal structure were achieved by a combination of synchrotron powder diffraction, time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction, scanning-transmission electron microscopy, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Our quantum-mechanical calculations and experimental characterizations show that the incorporation of the rare-earth cations significantly enhances the hole mobility and concentration which results in the drastic increase in the thermoelectric performance.

  5. Časopis jako dokument doby. Proměna grafického zpracování obálky časopisu Host do domu (1954-1970)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Svobodová, Barbora

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 63, 1-2 (2014), s. 66-85 ISSN 1211-7390 Institutional support: RVO:68378068 Keywords : Host do domu (A Guest in the House) * visual culture 50s and 60s * literary magazines * graphic design * magazine cover * 20th century Subject RIV: AJ - Letters, Mass-media, Audiovision

  6. Guest Editorial: Chronic kidney disease | Motsoaledi | South African ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    South African Medical Journal. Journal Home · ABOUT · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 105, No 4 (2015) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads. Username, Password, Remember me, or Register. Guest Editorial: Chronic kidney disease. A Motsoaledi. Abstract. No abstract ...

  7. Energy transfer to xanthene dyes in dansylated POPAM dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aumanen, Jukka; Korppi-Tommola, Jouko

    2011-12-01

    Excitation energy transfer (EET) in host-guest complexes of dansylated POPAM dendrimers and xanthene dyes have been studied by transient absorption spectroscopy. EET from dansyl periphery to guests: rose bengal, eosin, or fluorescein, showed non-exponential behaviour as a result of distribution of donor-acceptor distances. Time constants range from 100 fs to 8 ps, independent of the dye and the dendrimer generation. Experiments suggested that in dendrimers binding more than one guest, EET among the guests becomes effective. Guest-host and guest-guest interactions induce non-radiative relaxation channels making excitation decays of the guests clearly faster in complexes than in solution.

  8. Astrobee Guest Science Guide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benavides, Jose; Smith, Marion F; Wheeler, Dawn; Fluckiger, Lorenzo

    2017-01-01

    The Astrobee Research Facility will maintain three identical free-flying Astrobee robots on the ISS. After the Astrobees are launched and commissioned in 2018, they will replace the SPHERES robots that have been operating on the ISS since 2006 (Fig. 2). Over the years, the SPHERES have been among the most-used payloads on the ISS, supporting dozens of experiments from a variety of guest scientists. In the next section, we'll talk about past SPHERES experiments as possible inspiration for your future research on Astrobee. Compared to SPHERES, the Astrobee robots will offer many new capabilities and will require less astronaut time to support, so we hope the new facility will be able to fly experiments much more often.

  9. Inclusion polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer in deoxycholic acid host via {gamma}-ray irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chirachanchai, S.; Kumkrong, A. [The Petroleum and Petrochemical College, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok (Thailand); Ishida, Hatsuo [Department of Macromolecular Science, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (United States)

    2000-03-01

    Inclusion polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) was studied in the system of 3{alpha}, 12{alpha} -dihydroxy-5{beta}-cholan-24-oic acid (deoxycholic acid, DCA). DCA-VCM inclusion compound system was originally prepared by guest intercalation technique in DCA guest free crystal. The inclusion polymerization of DCA-VCM by {gamma}-irradiation at total dose 2 Mrad, gives a syndiotactic rich polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as can be confirmed by FT-IR and FT-NMR. (author)

  10. Inclusion polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer in deoxycholic acid host via γ-ray irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chirachanchai, S.; Kumkrong, A.; Ishida, Hatsuo

    2000-01-01

    Inclusion polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) was studied in the system of 3α, 12α -dihydroxy-5β-cholan-24-oic acid (deoxycholic acid, DCA). DCA-VCM inclusion compound system was originally prepared by guest intercalation technique in DCA guest free crystal. The inclusion polymerization of DCA-VCM by γ-irradiation at total dose 2 Mrad, gives a syndiotactic rich polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as can be confirmed by FT-IR and FT-NMR. (author)

  11. Host social organization and mating system shape parasite transmission opportunities in three European bat species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Schaik, J; Kerth, G

    2017-02-01

    For non-mobile parasites living on social hosts, infection dynamics are strongly influenced by host life history and social system. We explore the impact of host social systems on parasite population dynamics by comparing the infection intensity and transmission opportunities of three mite species of the genus Spinturnix across their three European bat hosts (Myotis daubentonii, Myotis myotis, Myotis nattereri) during the bats' autumn mating season. Mites mainly reproduce in host maternity colonies in summer, but as these colonies are closed, opportunities for inter-colony transmission are limited to host interactions during the autumn mating season. The three investigated hosts differ considerably in their social system, most notably in maternity colony size, mating system, and degree of male summer aggregation. We observed marked differences in parasite infection during the autumn mating period between the species, closely mirroring the predictions made based on the social systems of the hosts. Increased host aggregation sizes in summer yielded higher overall parasite prevalence and intensity, both in male and female hosts. Moreover, parasite levels in male hosts differentially increased throughout the autumn mating season in concordance with the degree of contact with female hosts afforded by the different mating systems of the hosts. Critically, the observed host-specific differences have important consequences for parasite population structure and will thus affect the coevolutionary dynamics between the interacting species. Therefore, in order to accurately characterize host-parasite dynamics in hosts with complex social systems, a holistic approach that investigates parasite infection and transmission across all periods is warranted.

  12. Absolute binding free energy calculations of CBClip host–guest systems in the SAMPL5 blind challenge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tofoleanu, Florentina; Pickard, Frank C.; König, Gerhard; Huang, Jing; Damjanović, Ana; Baek, Minkyung; Seok, Chaok; Brooks, Bernard R.

    2016-01-01

    Herein, we report the absolute binding free energy calculations of CBClip complexes in the SAMPL5 blind challenge. Initial conformations of CBClip complexes were obtained using docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Free energy calculations were performed using thermodynamic integration (TI) with soft-core potentials and Bennett’s acceptance ratio (BAR) method based on a serial insertion scheme. We compared the results obtained with TI simulations with soft-core potentials and Hamiltonian replica exchange simulations with the serial insertion method combined with the BAR method. The results show that the difference between the two methods can be mainly attributed to the van der Waals free energies, suggesting that either the simulations used for TI or the simulations used for BAR, or both are not fully converged and the two sets of simulations may have sampled difference phase space regions. The penalty scores of force field parameters of the 10 guest molecules provided by CHARMM Generalized Force Field can be an indicator of the accuracy of binding free energy calculations. Among our submissions, the combination of docking and TI performed best, which yielded the root mean square deviation of 2.94 kcal/mol and an average unsigned error of 3.41 kcal/mol for the ten guest molecules. These values were best overall among all participants. However, our submissions had little correlation with experiments. PMID:27677749

  13. Exciton dynamics in an energy up-converting solid state system based on diphenylanthracene doped with platinum octaethylporphyrin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karpicz, R., E-mail: renata.karpicz@ftmc.lt [Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Savanoriu Ave. 231, LT-02300 Vilnius (Lithuania); Puzinas, S.; Gulbinas, V. [Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Savanoriu Ave. 231, LT-02300 Vilnius (Lithuania); Vakhnin, A. [Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 03028 Kyiv (Ukraine); Kadashchuk, A. [Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 03028 Kyiv (Ukraine); IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Heverlee-Leuven (Belgium); Rand, B.P. [IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Heverlee-Leuven (Belgium); Department of Electrical Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

    2014-01-31

    Highlights: • We study exciton dynamics by ultrafast spectroscopies in DPA:PtOEP host–guest films. • Aggregation of PtOEP affects considerably the triplet energy transfer to DPA host. • No significant triplet loss due to TTA occurs within PtOEP aggregates. • Triplet energy transfer from PtOEP to DPA is slow and thermally activated process. • The ISC time in PtOEP is shorter than 100 fs. - Abstract: Photophysics of composite solid films based on 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) doped with Pt(II)octaethylporphyrin (PtOEP) has been investigated by means of transient absorption and luminescence spectroscopy. The DPA:PtOEP host:guest system is a benchmark for incoherent energy up-conversion via triplet fusion in solution and we focus here on photophysical processes of this system in solid films. The triplet energy transfer from PtOEP to DPA takes place during tens of ns, featuring a thermally activated behavior. This implies that, before being transferred to the host, triplets migrate within PtOEP aggregates, defining a rate limiting step for the overall energy transfer to DPA. In contrast to other porphyrin-based sensitizers, no significant triplet–triplet annihilation was found to happen during triplet migration within PtOEP aggregates, implying that such a triplet loss mechanism does not universally apply to porphyrin-based organometallic complexes.

  14. GUEST SERVICES QUALITY ASSESMENT IN TOURISM, USING AN ATTRIBUTES SCALE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    POPA LUMINITA

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available It is considered that a weakness of the Romanian tourism offer is the quality of guest services. In this paper we established as an objective to examine in detail the importance given by the consumers to the components of guest service quality and their perceived performance, based on the three pillars of service quality: the material base (equipments, staff training and staff behavior. The emphasis is on the investigation regarding staff training and behaviour, taking into account the multiple attributes SERVQUAL scale. On the basis of this work lies a survey done in March-April 2010 on the population of Oradea, on a sample of 1060 people. Results confirm the importance granted to staff in ensuring quality of tourism services and their perceived relatively weak performance.

  15. Chemically armed mercenary ants protect fungus-farming societies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Adams, Rachelle Martha Marie; Liberti, Joanito; Illum, Anders A.

    2013-01-01

    guest ants are sufficient to kill raiders that invariably exterminate host nests without a cohabiting guest ant colony. We also show that the odor of guest ants discourages raider scouts from recruiting nestmates to host colonies. Our results imply that Sericomyrmex fungus-growers obtain a net benefit......The ants are extraordinary in having evolved many lineages that exploit closely related ant societies as social parasites, but social parasitism by distantly related ants is rare. Here we document the interaction dynamics among a Sericomyrmex fungus-growing ant host, a permanently associated...... parasitic guest ant of the genus Megalomyrmex, and a raiding agro-predator of the genus Gnamptogenys. We show experimentally that the guest ants protect their host colonies against agro-predator raids using alkaloid venom that is much more potent than the biting defenses of the host ants. Relatively few...

  16. A light controlled cavitand wall regulates guest binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berryman, Orion B; Sather, Aaron C; Rebek, Julius

    2011-01-14

    Here we report a cavitand with a photochemical switch as one of the container walls. The azo-arene switch undergoes photoisomerization when subjected to UV light producing a self-fulfilled cavitand. This process is thermally and photochemically reversible. The reported cavitand binds small molecules and these guests can be ejected from the cavitand through this photochemical process.

  17. Defined Host–Guest Chemistry on Nanocarbon for Sustained Inhibition of Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ostadhossein, Fatemeh; Misra, Santosh K.; Mukherjee, Prabuddha; Ostadhossein, Alireza; Daza, Enrique; Tiwari, Saumya; Mittal, Shachi; Gryka, Mark C.; Bhargava, Rohit

    2017-01-01

    Signal transducer and activator of transcription factor 3 (STAT-3) is known to be overexpressed in cancer stem cells. Poor solubility and variable drug absorption are linked to low bioavailability and decreased efficacy. Many of the drugs regulating STAT-3 expression lack aqueous solubility; hence hindering efficient bioavailability. A theranostics nanoplatform based on luminescent carbon particles decorated with cucurbit[6]uril is introduced for enhancing the solubility of niclosamide, a STAT-3 inhibitor. The host–guest chemistry between cucurbit[6]uril and niclosamide makes the delivery of the hydrophobic drug feasible while carbon nanoparticles enhance cellular internalization. Extensive physicochemical characterizations confirm successful synthesis. Subsequently, the host–guest chemistry of niclosamide and cucurbit[6]uril is studied experimentally and computationally. In vitro assessments in human breast cancer cells indicate approximately twofold enhancement in IC50 of drug. Fourier transform infrared and fluorescence imaging demonstrate efficient cellular internalization. Furthermore, the catalytic biodegradation of the nanoplatforms occur upon exposure to human myeloperoxidase in short time. In vivo studies on athymic mice with MCF-7 xenograft indicate the size of tumor in the treatment group is half of the controls after 40 d. Immunohistochemistry corroborates the downregulation of STAT-3 phosphorylation. Overall, the host–guest chemistry on nanocarbon acts as a novel arsenal for STAT-3 inhibition. PMID:27545321

  18. Efficient blue and green phosphorescent OLEDs with host material containing electronically isolated carbazolyl fragments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grigalevicius, Saulius; Tavgeniene, Daiva; Krucaite, Gintare; Blazevicius, Dovydas; Griniene, Raimonda; Lai, Yi-Ning; Chiu, Hao-Hsuan; Chang, Chih-Hao

    2018-05-01

    Dry process-able host materials are well suited to realize high performance phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) with precise deposition of organic layers. We demonstrate in this study high efficiency green and blue phosphorescent OLED devices by employing 3-[bis(9-ethylcarbazol-3-yl)methyl]-9-hexylcarbazole based host material. By doping a typical green emitter of fac tris(2-phenylpyridine)iridium (Ir (ppy)3) in the compound the resultant dry-processed green device exhibited superior performance with low turn on voltage of 3.0 V and with peak efficiencies of 11.4%, 39.9 cd/A and 41.8 lm/W. When blue emitter of bis [2-(4,6-difluorophenyl)pyridinato-C2,N](picolinato)iridium (III) was used, the resultant blue device showed turn on voltage of 2.9 V and peak efficiencies of 9.4%, 21.4 cd/A and 21.7 lm/W. The high efficiencies may be attributed to the host possessing high triplet energy level, effective host-to-guest energy transfer and effective carrier injection balance.

  19. Interactions between 4-thiothymidine and water-soluble cyclodextrins: Evidence for supramolecular structures in aqueous solutions

    OpenAIRE

    Rizzi, Vito; Matera, Sergio; Semeraro, Paola; Fini, Paola; Cosma, Pinalysa

    2016-01-01

    Since several years the inclusion of organic compounds (guests) within the hydrophobic cavity (host) of cyclodextrins (CDs) has been the subject of many investigations. Interestingly, the formation of inclusion complexes could affect the properties of the guest molecules and, for example, the influence of the delivery system can be a method to improve/change the photochemical behavior of the guest. In particular, very recent studies have shown the protective role of CDs preventing the degrada...

  20. Binding abilities of a chiral calix[4]resorcinarene: a polarimetric investigation on a complex case of study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Russo

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Polarimetry was used to investigate the binding abilities of a chiral calix[4]resorcinarene derivative, bearing L-proline subunits, towards a set of suitably selected organic guests. The simultaneous formation of 1:1 and 2:1 host–guest inclusion complexes was observed in several cases, depending on both the charge status of the host and the structure of the guest. Thus, the use of the polarimetric method was thoroughly revisited, in order to keep into account the occurrence of multiple equilibria. Our data indicate that the stability of the host–guest complexes is affected by an interplay between Coulomb interactions, π–π interactions, desolvation effects and entropy-unfavorable conformational dynamic restraints. Polarimetry is confirmed as a very useful and versatile tool for the investigation of supramolecular interactions with chiral hosts, even in complex systems involving multiple equilibria.

  1. PHIDIAS: a pathogen-host interaction data integration and analysis system

    OpenAIRE

    Xiang, Zuoshuang; Tian, Yuying; He, Yongqun

    2007-01-01

    The Pathogen-Host Interaction Data Integration and Analysis System (PHIDIAS) is a web-based database system that serves as a centralized source to search, compare, and analyze integrated genome sequences, conserved domains, and gene expression data related to pathogen-host interactions (PHIs) for pathogen species designated as high priority agents for public health and biological security. In addition, PHIDIAS allows submission, search and analysis of PHI genes and molecular networks curated ...

  2. The paradoxical path towards the memorable guest experience

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    d'Ambrosio, Luigi; Madsen, Jan Halberg

    This paper examines the design of hospitality and tourism experiences staged for international tourists in the emerging Italian destination Campi Flegrei on the Bay of Naples. In particular, this case focuses on the paradox that Campi Flegrei (CF) hospitality providers around the Lake Avernus face...... in the conceptualisation of the guest experience in the context of a non-DMO governed destination....

  3. Detection of Malware and Kernel-Level Rootkits in Cloud Computing Environments

    OpenAIRE

    Win, Thu Yein; Tianfield, Huaglory; Mair, Quentin

    2016-01-01

    Cyberattacks targeted at virtualization infrastructure underlying cloud computing services has become increasingly sophisticated. This paper presents a novel malware and rookit detection system which protects the guests against different attacks. It combines system call monitoring and system call hashing on the guest kernel together with Support Vector Machines (SVM)-based external monitoring on the host. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our solution by evaluating it against well-known use...

  4. Tailoring the Adsorption and Reaction Chemistry of the Metal-Organic Frameworks UiO-66, UiO-66-NH2, and HKUST-1 via the Incorporation of Molecular Guests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ploskonka, Ann M; DeCoste, Jared B

    2017-06-28

    Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are versatile materials highly regarded for their porous nature. Depending on the synthetic method, various guest molecules may remain in the pores or can be systematically loaded for various reasons. Herein, we present a study that explores the effect of guest molecules on the adsorption and reactivity of the MOF in both the gas phase and solution. The differences between guest molecule interactions and the subsequent effects on their activity are described for each system. Interestingly, different effects are observed and described in detail for each class of guest molecules studied. We determine that there is a strong effect of alcohols with the secondary building unit of UiO MOFs, while Lewis bases have an effect on the reactivity of the -NH 2 group in UiO-66-NH 2 and adsorption by the coordinatively unsaturated copper sites in HKUST-1. These effects must be considered when determining synthesis and activation methods of MOFs toward various applications.

  5. Recognition-Mediated Hydrogel Swelling Controlled by Interaction with a Negative Thermoresponsive LCST Polymer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belal, Khaled; Stoffelbach, François; Lyskawa, Joël; Fumagalli, Matthieu; Hourdet, Dominique; Marcellan, Alba; Smet, Lieselot De; de la Rosa, Victor R; Cooke, Graeme; Hoogenboom, Richard; Woisel, Patrice

    2016-11-02

    Most polymeric thermoresponsive hydrogels contract upon heating beyond the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the polymers used. Herein, we report a supramolecular hydrogel system that shows the opposite temperature dependence. When the non-thermosesponsive hydrogel NaphtGel, containing dialkoxynaphthalene guest molecules, becomes complexed with the tetra cationic macrocyclic host CBPQT 4+ , swelling occurred as a result of host-guest complex formation leading to charge repulsion between the host units, as well as an osmotic contribution of chloride counter-ions embedded in the network. The immersion of NaphtGel in a solution of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) with tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) end groups complexed with CBPQT 4+ induced positive thermoresponsive behaviour. The LCST-induced dethreading of the polymer-based pseudorotaxane upon heating led to transfer of the CBPQT 4+ host and a concomitant swelling of NaphtGel. Subsequent cooling led to reformation of the TTF-based host-guest complexes in solution and contraction of the hydrogel. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

  6. Tweens on the Internet - communication in virtual guest books

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    AnnBritt Enochsson

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available  Today digital communication is a natural part of young people’s social life. It has increased drastically during the last few years, and there are still a lot of questions about what this means, and how this new media affects communication. This study focuses on young people of 11-13, i.e.the age between children and teenagers, also called tweens. In a large study, the overall aim is to see what communication in the Internet community LunarStorm means to them in their social life. This particular paper reports on the content of the asynchronous communication in the participants’ digital guest books, which is one of the main channels for communication between the participants. A group of 15 tweens from a small village in Sweden were studied when communicating in Sweden’s largest Internet community, LunarStorm. The research method used was what is usually described as cyber ethnography. The contributions in the participants’ digital guest books are not written by the guest book owners themselves, which means that the focus is on the collective aspects of this communication, and not from a specific children’s point of view. Qualitative analyses were made of the content of 947 contributions in the participants’ guest books in order to make a statistical analysis. Most of the participants’ communication was between friends in the same geographical neighbourhood concerning how things are going, what to do, when to meet and similar things. The contributions were divided into three categories: (1 Social chat (2 Chain letters, and (3 Messages incomprehensible to outsiders. The information-category was divided into three sub-categories depending on the emotions expressed. 44% of the total messages were considered as emotionally neutral information, 39% as kind or encouraging, and also with an aim to sort things out, and 6% of the total messages contained insults and elements of anger. Among the younger users of the Internet community

  7. A pox on thee! Manipulation of the host immune system by myxoma virus and implications for viral-host co-adaptation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zúñiga, Martha C

    2002-09-01

    The poxviruses have evolved a diverse array of proteins which serve to subvert innate and adaptive host responses that abort or at least limit viral infections. Myxoma virus and its rabbit host are considered to represent an ideal poxvirus-host system in which to study the effects of these immunomodulatory proteins. Studies of laboratory rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) infected with gene knockout variants of myxoma virus have provided compelling evidence that several myxoma virus gene products contribute to the pathogenic condition known as myxomatosis. However, myxomatosis, which is characterized by skin lesions, systemic immunosuppression, and a high mortality rate, does not occur in the virus' natural South American host, Sylvilogus brasiliensis. Moreover, in Australia where myxoma virus was willfully introduced to control populations of O. cuniculus, myxomatosis-resistant rabbits emerged within a year of myxoma virus introduction into the field. In this review I discuss the characterized immunomodulatory proteins of myxoma virus, their biochemical properties, their pathogenic effects in laboratory rabbits, the role of the host immune system in the susceptibility or resistance to myxomatosis, and the evidence that immunomodulatory genes may have been attenuated during the co-adaptation of myxoma virus and O. cuniculus in Australia.

  8. Dynamical System and Nonlinear Regression for Estimate Host-Parasitoid Relationship

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ileana Miranda Cabrera

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The complex relationships of a crop with the pest, its natural enemies, and the climate factors exist in all the ecosystems, but the mathematic models has studied only some components to know the relation cause-effect. The most studied system has been concerned with the relationship pest-natural enemies such as prey-predator or host-parasitoid. The present paper shows a dynamical system for studying the relationship host-parasitoid (Diaphorina citri, Tamarixia radiata and shows that a nonlinear model permits the estimation of the parasite nymphs using nymphs healthy as the known variable. The model showed the functional answer of the parasitoid, in which a point arrives that its density is not augmented although the number host increases, and it becomes necessary to intervene in the ecosystem. A simple algorithm is used to estimate the parasitoids level using the priori relationship between the host and the climate factors and then the nonlinear model.

  9. Guest Editorial | Frade | Journal of Student Affairs in Africa

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Journal of Student Affairs in Africa. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 5, No 2 (2017) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads. Username, Password, Remember me, or Register. Guest Editorial. Nelia Frade. Abstract. Tutoring and ...

  10. Forward by Guest Editors | Potgieter | African Journal on Conflict ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    African Journal on Conflict Resolution. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 15, No 3 (2015) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads. Username, Password, Remember me, or Register. Forward by Guest Editors. Cheryl Potgieter, Paulus ...

  11. Non-Porous Iron(II)-Based Sensor: Crystallographic Insights into a Cycle of Colorful Guest-Induced Topotactic Transformations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez-Jiménez, Santiago; Feltham, Humphrey L C; Brooker, Sally

    2016-11-21

    Materials capable of sensing volatile guests at room temperature by an easily monitored set of outputs are of great appeal for development as chemical sensors of small volatile organics and toxic gases. Herein the dinuclear iron(II) complex, [Fe II 2 (L) 2 (CH 3 CN) 4 ](BF 4 ) 4 ⋅2 CH 3 CN (1) [L=4-(4-methylphenyl)-3-(3-pyridazinyl)-5-pyridyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole], is shown to undergo reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) transformations upon exposure to vapors of different guests: 1 (MeCN)⇌2 (EtOH)→3 (H 2 O)⇌1 (MeCN). Whilst 1 and 2 remain dimetallic, SCSC to 3 involves conversion to a 1D polymeric chain (due to a change in L bridging mode), which, remarkably, can undergo SCSC de-polymerization, reforming dimetallic 1. Additionally, SC-XRD studies of two ordered transient forms, 1TF3 and 2TF3, confirm that guest exchange occurs by diffusion of the new guests into the non-porous lattices as the old guests leave. These reversible SCSC events also induce color and magnetic responses. Indeed dark red 1 is spin crossover active (T 1/2 ↓ 356 K; T 1/2 ↑ 369 K), whilst orange 2 and yellow 3 remain high spin. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. "You Want Your Guests to Be Happy in This Business": Hoteliers' Decisions to Adopt Voluntary Smoke-Free Guest-Room Policies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDaniel, Patricia A; Malone, Ruth E

    2018-01-01

    To explore why some hotels have implemented 100% smoke-free policies voluntarily, the perceived consequences of doing so, and media responses. Qualitative study of hotel management and quantitative content analysis of media coverage of smoke-free hotels. Hotels and media based in the United States. Eleven representatives of 5 independent and 4 chain hotels. Other data included 265 news items about smoke-free hotels. We conducted 30-minute semi-structured interviews with hotel representatives and analyzed the data using qualitative content analysis. We also searched 3 online news databases for news items about hotels in our study, and collaboratively coded retrieved items; we analyzed the content and slant of news items. Business considerations, including guest requests, competitor action, and cost savings, were the primary motivations for implementing 100% smoke-free guest-room policies. Health concerns played a minimal role. Hotels received positive feedback from customers and employees. Media coverage was favorable, emphasizing positive aspects of going smoke-free; the overall slant of news items was positive or neutral. However, few hotels marketed the change. Since hotel customers and employees are likely to experience long periods of smoke exposure and smoke-free hotels appear to be so well received, it may be timely to pursue policies making all hotels smoke-free.

  13. Composition and Realization of Source-to-Sink High-Performance Flows: File Systems, Storage, Hosts, LAN and WAN

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Chase Qishi [Univ. of Tennessee, Memphis, TN (United States)

    2016-12-01

    achieve source-to-sink high-performance flows, and (2) develop tools that provide these capabilities through simple interfaces to users and applications. In terms of the former, we propose to develop (1) optimization methods that align and transition multiple storage flows to multiple network flows on multicore, multibus hosts; and (2) edge and long-haul network path realization and maintenance using advanced provisioning methods including OSCARS and OpenFlow. We also propose synthesis methods that combine these individual technologies to compose high-performance flows using a collection of constituent storage-network flows, and realize them across the storage and local network connections as well as long-haul connections. We propose to develop automated user tools that profile the hosts, storage systems, and network connections; compose the source-to-sink complex flows; and set up and maintain the needed network connections. These solutions will be tested using (1) 100 Gbps connection(s) between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) with storage systems supported by Lustre and GPFS file systems with an asymmetric connection to University of Memphis (UM); (2) ORNL testbed with multicore and multibus hosts, switches with OpenFlow capabilities, and network emulators; and (3) 100 Gbps connections from ESnet and their Openflow testbed, and other experimental connections. This proposal brings together the expertise and facilities of the two national laboratories, ORNL and ANL, and UM. It also represents a collaboration between DOE and the Department of Defense (DOD) projects at ORNL by sharing technical expertise and personnel costs, and leveraging the existing DOD Extreme Scale Systems Center (ESSC) facilities at ORNL.

  14. Enzyme-Like Catalysis of the Nazarov Cyclization by Supramolecular Encapsulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hastings, Courtney; Pluth, Michael; Bergman, Robert; Raymond, Kenneth

    2010-03-29

    A primary goal in the design and synthesis of molecular hosts has been the selective recognition and binding of a variety of guests using non-covalent interactions. Supramolecular catalysis, which is the application of such hosts towards catalysis, has much in common with many enzymatic reactions, chiefly the use of both spatially appropriate binding pockets and precisely oriented functional groups to recognize and activate specific substrate molecules. Although there are now many examples which demonstrate how selective encapsulation in a host cavity can enhance the reactivity of a bound guest, all have failed to reach the degree of increased reactivity typical of enzymes. We now report the catalysis of the Nazarov cyclization by a self-assembled coordination cage, a carbon-carbon bond-forming reaction which proceeds under mild, aqueous conditions. The acceleration in this system is over a million-fold, and represents the first example of supramolecular catalysis that achieves the level of rate enhancement comparable to that observed in several enzymes. We explain the unprecedented degree of rate increase as due to the combination of (a) preorganization of the encapsulated substrate molecule, (b) stabilization of the transition state of the cyclization by constrictive binding, and (c) increase in the basicity of the complexed alcohol functionality.

  15. PHIDIAS: a pathogen-host interaction data integration and analysis system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiang, Zuoshuang; Tian, Yuying; He, Yongqun

    2007-01-01

    The Pathogen-Host Interaction Data Integration and Analysis System (PHIDIAS) is a web-based database system that serves as a centralized source to search, compare, and analyze integrated genome sequences, conserved domains, and gene expression data related to pathogen-host interactions (PHIs) for pathogen species designated as high priority agents for public health and biological security. In addition, PHIDIAS allows submission, search and analysis of PHI genes and molecular networks curated from peer-reviewed literature. PHIDIAS is publicly available at http://www.phidias.us.

  16. Influence of adsorption thermodynamics on guest diffusivities in nanoporous crystalline materials

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Krishna, R.; van Baten, J.M.

    2013-01-01

    Published experimental data, underpinned by molecular simulations, are used to highlight the strong influence of adsorption thermodynamics on diffusivities of guest molecules inside ordered nanoporous crystalline materials such as zeolites, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and zeolitic imidazolate

  17. Gravisensitivity of various host plant -virus systems in simulated microgravity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mishchenko, Lidiya; Taran, Oksana; Gordejchyk, Olga

    In spite of considerable achievements in the study of gravity effects on plant development, some issues of gravitropism, like species-specificity and gravitation response remain unclear. The so-lution of such problems is connected with the aspects of life supply, in piloted space expeditions. The role of microgravity remains practically unstudied in the development of relations in the system host plant-virus, which are important for biotechnologies in crop production. It is ev-ident that the conditions of space flight can act as stressors, and the stress inducted by them favors the reactivation of latest herpes viruses in humans (satish et al., 2009) Viral infections of plants, which also can be in a latest state at certain stages of plant organism development, cause great damage to the growth and development of a host plant. Space flight conditions may cause both reactivation of latent viral infection in plants and its elimination, as it has been found by us for the system WSMW -wheat (Mishchenko et al., 2004). Our further research activities were concentrated on the identification of gravisensitivity in the system virus -potato plant to find out whether there was any species -related specificity of the reaction. In our research we used potato plants of Krymska Rosa, Zhuravushka, Agave, Belarosa, Kupalinka, and Zdubytok varieties. Simulated microgravity was ensured by clinostats KG-8 and Cycle -2. Gravisensitiv-ity has been studied the systems including PVX, PVM and PVY. Virus concentrations have been determined by ELISA using LOEWE reagents (placecountry-regionGermany). Virus iden-tification by morphological features were done by electron microscopy. For the system PVX -potato plant, we found the reduction in virus antigens content with prolonged clinostating. On the 18th day of cultivation, the plants showed a high level of X-virus antigen content on both stationary (control) and clinostated variants. On 36th and 47th day, depending plant variety, clinostated

  18. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Technology to Study Vector-Pathogen-Host Interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-12-01

    Award Number: W81XWH-11-2-0175 TITLE: Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Technology to Study Vector-Pathogen-Host Interactions PRINCIPAL...Positioning Systems (GPS) Technology to Study Vector-Pathogen-Host Interactions 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-11-2-0175 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S...genetic diversity in the population, in hospitalized children with severe dengue illness and cluster investigation of their neighborhoods, and by using

  19. Guest editor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    1995-07-15

    Full text: Guest Editor for this special issue of the CERN Courier on the applications of accelerators was Dewi M. Lewis of Amersham International pic, UK. Dr. Lewis was educated at the Physics Department, University of Wales, Swansea, and learnt his accelerator physics as Engineer-in- Charge at the CERN Intersecting Storage Rings before joining industry in 1979 at the beginning of the boom for commercial cyclotrons. Having managed the installation of Amersham's second and third isotope production cyclotrons in the UK, his industrial experience encompassed isotope manufacturing and business management in radiopharmaceuticals and organization of joint ventures. Following closure of several research reactors in 1990, his responsibilities extended to reactor isotope production as well as technology transfer with international laboratories. He was responsible for creation of the first Russian 'weapons to ploughshares' joint venture with the Radioisotope Association, Mayak and the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry. Dr. Lewis currently chairs the European Radiopharmaceutical Industry's committee on future reactor isotopes and is currently involved in the technical development for accelerator technology. Amersham International is one of the world's leading isotope companies, engaged in development, manufacturing, international sales and distribution of radioisotope products in markets for healthcare, research compounds and industrial products. Formerly part of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Agency, Amersham was one of the first companies to be privatized in 1982.

  20. Guest editor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1995-01-01

    Full text: Guest Editor for this special issue of the CERN Courier on the applications of accelerators was Dewi M. Lewis of Amersham International pic, UK. Dr. Lewis was educated at the Physics Department, University of Wales, Swansea, and learnt his accelerator physics as Engineer-in- Charge at the CERN Intersecting Storage Rings before joining industry in 1979 at the beginning of the boom for commercial cyclotrons. Having managed the installation of Amersham's second and third isotope production cyclotrons in the UK, his industrial experience encompassed isotope manufacturing and business management in radiopharmaceuticals and organization of joint ventures. Following closure of several research reactors in 1990, his responsibilities extended to reactor isotope production as well as technology transfer with international laboratories. He was responsible for creation of the first Russian 'weapons to ploughshares' joint venture with the Radioisotope Association, Mayak and the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry. Dr. Lewis currently chairs the European Radiopharmaceutical Industry's committee on future reactor isotopes and is currently involved in the technical development for accelerator technology. Amersham International is one of the world's leading isotope companies, engaged in development, manufacturing, international sales and distribution of radioisotope products in markets for healthcare, research compounds and industrial products. Formerly part of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Agency, Amersham was one of the first companies to be privatized in 1982

  1. A Systems Biology Approach to the Coordination of Defensive and Offensive Molecular Mechanisms in the Innate and Adaptive Host-Pathogen Interaction Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Chia-Chou; Chen, Bor-Sen

    2016-01-01

    Infected zebrafish coordinates defensive and offensive molecular mechanisms in response to Candida albicans infections, and invasive C. albicans coordinates corresponding molecular mechanisms to interact with the host. However, knowledge of the ensuing infection-activated signaling networks in both host and pathogen and their interspecific crosstalk during the innate and adaptive phases of the infection processes remains incomplete. In the present study, dynamic network modeling, protein interaction databases, and dual transcriptome data from zebrafish and C. albicans during infection were used to infer infection-activated host-pathogen dynamic interaction networks. The consideration of host-pathogen dynamic interaction systems as innate and adaptive loops and subsequent comparisons of inferred innate and adaptive networks indicated previously unrecognized crosstalk between known pathways and suggested roles of immunological memory in the coordination of host defensive and offensive molecular mechanisms to achieve specific and powerful defense against pathogens. Moreover, pathogens enhance intraspecific crosstalk and abrogate host apoptosis to accommodate enhanced host defense mechanisms during the adaptive phase. Accordingly, links between physiological phenomena and changes in the coordination of defensive and offensive molecular mechanisms highlight the importance of host-pathogen molecular interaction networks, and consequent inferences of the host-pathogen relationship could be translated into biomedical applications.

  2. Crosslinked polyimide electro-optic materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kowalczyk, T.C.; Kosc, T.Z.; Singer, K.D. [Case Western Reserve University, Department of Physics, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7079 (United States); Beuhler, A.J.; Wargowski, D.A. [Amoco Research Center, Amoco Chemical Co., Naperville, Illinois 60566 (United States); Cahill, P.A.; Seager, C.H.; Meinhardt, M.B. [Sandia National Laboratories, Division 1811, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185-1407 (United States); Ermer, S. [Lockheed Research and Development Division, Palo Alto, California 94304 (United States)

    1995-11-15

    We report studies of the optical and electro-optic properties of guest--host polymeric nonlinear optical materials based on aromatic, fluorinated, fully imidized, organic soluble, thermally, and photochemically crosslinkable, guest--host polyimides. We have introduced temperature stable nonlinear optical chromophores into these polyimides and studied optical losses, electric field poling, electro-optic properties, and orientational stability. We measured electro-optic coefficients of 5.5 and 12.0 pm/V for ((2,6-Bis(2-(3-(9-(ethyl)carbazolyl))ethenyl)4H-pyran-4-ylidene)propanedinitrile) (4-(Dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-(p -dimethylaminostyryl)-4H-pyran) DCM-doped guest--host systems at 800 nm using a poling field of 1.3 MV/cm. Poling induced nonlinearities in single-layer films were in agreement with the oriented gas model, but were lower in three-layer films due to voltage division across the layers. {copyright} {ital 1995} {ital American} {ital Institute} {ital of} {ital Physics}.

  3. Interaction of pathogens with host cholesterol metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sviridov, Dmitri; Bukrinsky, Michael

    2014-10-01

    Pathogens of different taxa, from prions to protozoa, target cellular cholesterol metabolism to advance their own development and to impair host immune responses, but also causing metabolic complications, for example, atherosclerosis. This review describes recent findings of how pathogens do it. A common theme in interaction between pathogens and host cholesterol metabolism is pathogens targeting lipid rafts of the host plasma membrane. Many intracellular pathogens use rafts as an entry gate, taking advantage of the endocytic machinery and high abundance of outward-looking molecules that can be used as receptors. At the same time, disruption of the rafts' functional capacity, achieved by the pathogens through a number of various means, impairs the ability of the host to generate immune response, thus helping pathogen to thrive. Pathogens cannot synthesize cholesterol, and salvaging host cholesterol helps pathogens build advanced cholesterol-containing membranes and assembly platforms. Impact on cholesterol metabolism is not limited to the infected cells; proteins and microRNAs secreted by infected cells affect lipid metabolism systemically. Given an essential role that host cholesterol metabolism plays in pathogen development, targeting this interaction may be a viable strategy to fight infections, as well as metabolic complications of the infections.

  4. Dielectric relaxation of guest molecules in a clathrate structure of syndiotactic polystyrene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urakawa, Osamu; Kaneko, Fumitoshi; Kobayashi, Hideo

    2012-12-13

    Structure and dynamics of semicrystalline polymer films composed of syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) and 2-butanone were examined through X-ray diffraction, polarized FTIR, and dielectric relaxation measurements. The X-ray and FTIR measurements revealed its crystal structure to be δ-clathrate containing 2-butanone molecules inside. The carbonyl group of 2-butanone in the crystal was found to orient preferentially parallel to the ac plane of the crystal through the polarized ATR FTIR measurements. Dielectric measurements were also conducted on these film samples to see only the relaxation dynamics of 2-butanone thanks to the high dielectric intensity of 2-butanone compared to sPS. Two relaxation modes denoted by slow and fast modes appeared. The former was assigned to the motion of 2-butanone molecules entrapped in the cavities of the crystalline (δ-form) and the latter to those in the amorphous region. We focused on the slow mode in order to elucidate the specific dynamics of the guest molecule confined in the crystalline region. The relaxation time of the slow mode was about 4 orders of magnitude longer than that of liquid 2-butanone. This suggests that the dynamics of guest molecules is highly restricted due to the high barrier to conformational and/or orientational change of the guest molecule in the cavity of δ-crystal. Furthermore, the dielectric intensity Δε of the slow mode was much smaller than the one calculated from that of bulk liquid 2-butanone and the guest concentration in the crystalline region (the intensity was only 10% of the estimated value from the bulk liquid data). This result also indicates that the free rotational motion of 2-butanone molecules is restricted inside the crystal. This will be consistently related to the weak uniplanar orientation of the carbonyl group of 2-butanone parallel to the ac plane revealed by the X-ray and polarized ATR FTIR measurements.

  5. Journalism Education 2016 Vol 5(2): Guest Editor

    OpenAIRE

    Fowler-Watt, Karen

    2016-01-01

    “It’s the story that matters! Teaching journalism’s storytellers” Special Edition of Journalism Education Guest Editor: Karen Fowler-Watt, Bournemouth University, UK. Storytelling is the journalist’s craft skill. Shaped by the tenets of objectivity and accuracy, the news narrative informs the debate and brings us the human stories. If journalism is a craft, then the story is the journalist’s work of art. In a rapidly changing landscape of technological revolution, shifting business models and...

  6. Complaint Speech Act of Hotel and Restaurant Guests

    OpenAIRE

    Suryawan, I Nengah; Putra Yadnya, Ida Bagus; Puspani, Ida Ayu Made

    2016-01-01

    This paper is aimed at analyzing how complaint speech act of hotel and restaurant guests are performed and responded based on categories of speech acts and how they are performed considering the aspects of acts: locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary. The method and technique of collecting data in this study is documentation method in which the data were collected using the technique of note taking and were qualitatively analyzed. The findings show that complaint of hotel and restaura...

  7. Host age modulates within-host parasite competition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izhar, Rony; Routtu, Jarkko; Ben-Ami, Frida

    2015-05-01

    In many host populations, one of the most striking differences among hosts is their age. While parasite prevalence differences in relation to host age are well known, little is known on how host age impacts ecological and evolutionary dynamics of diseases. Using two clones of the water flea Daphnia magna and two clones of its bacterial parasite Pasteuria ramosa, we examined how host age at exposure influences within-host parasite competition and virulence. We found that multiply-exposed hosts were more susceptible to infection and suffered higher mortality than singly-exposed hosts. Hosts oldest at exposure were least often infected and vice versa. Furthermore, we found that in young multiply-exposed hosts competition was weak, allowing coexistence and transmission of both parasite clones, whereas in older multiply-exposed hosts competitive exclusion was observed. Thus, age-dependent parasite exposure and host demography (age structure) could together play an important role in mediating parasite evolution. At the individual level, our results demonstrate a previously unnoticed interaction of the host's immune system with host age, suggesting that the specificity of immune function changes as hosts mature. Therefore, evolutionary models of parasite virulence might benefit from incorporating age-dependent epidemiological parameters. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  8. Implementation of Multiple Host Nodes in Wireless Sensing Node Network System for Landslide Monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bin Abas, Faizulsalihin; Takayama, Shigeru

    2015-01-01

    This paper proposes multiple host nodes in Wireless Sensing Node Network System (WSNNS) for landslide monitoring. As landslide disasters damage monitoring system easily, one major demand in landslide monitoring is the flexibility and robustness of the system to evaluate the current situation in the monitored area. For various reasons WSNNS can provide an important contribution to reach that aim. In this system, acceleration sensors and GPS are deployed in sensing nodes. Location information by GPS, enable the system to estimate network topology and enable the system to perceive the location in emergency by monitoring the node mode. Acceleration sensors deployment, capacitate this system to detect slow mass movement that can lead to landslide occurrence. Once deployed, sensing nodes self-organize into an autonomous wireless ad hoc network. The measurement parameter data from sensing nodes is transmitted to Host System via host node and ''Cloud'' System. The implementation of multiple host nodes in Local Sensing Node Network System (LSNNS), improve risk- management of the WSNNS for real-time monitoring of landslide disaster

  9. Implementation of Multiple Host Nodes in Wireless Sensing Node Network System for Landslide Monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abas, Faizulsalihin bin; Takayama, Shigeru

    2015-02-01

    This paper proposes multiple host nodes in Wireless Sensing Node Network System (WSNNS) for landslide monitoring. As landslide disasters damage monitoring system easily, one major demand in landslide monitoring is the flexibility and robustness of the system to evaluate the current situation in the monitored area. For various reasons WSNNS can provide an important contribution to reach that aim. In this system, acceleration sensors and GPS are deployed in sensing nodes. Location information by GPS, enable the system to estimate network topology and enable the system to perceive the location in emergency by monitoring the node mode. Acceleration sensors deployment, capacitate this system to detect slow mass movement that can lead to landslide occurrence. Once deployed, sensing nodes self-organize into an autonomous wireless ad hoc network. The measurement parameter data from sensing nodes is transmitted to Host System via host node and "Cloud" System. The implementation of multiple host nodes in Local Sensing Node Network System (LSNNS), improve risk- management of the WSNNS for real-time monitoring of landslide disaster.

  10. Gene Expression Contributes to the Recent Evolution of Host Resistance in a Model Host Parasite System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian K. Lohman

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Heritable population differences in immune gene expression following infection can reveal mechanisms of host immune evolution. We compared gene expression in infected and uninfected threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus from two natural populations that differ in resistance to a native cestode parasite, Schistocephalus solidus. Genes in both the innate and adaptive immune system were differentially expressed as a function of host population, infection status, and their interaction. These genes were enriched for loci controlling immune functions known to differ between host populations or in response to infection. Coexpression network analysis identified two distinct processes contributing to resistance: parasite survival and suppression of growth. Comparing networks between populations showed resistant fish have a dynamic expression profile while susceptible fish are static. In summary, recent evolutionary divergence between two vertebrate populations has generated population-specific gene expression responses to parasite infection, affecting parasite establishment and growth.

  11. Organoid culture systems to study host-pathogen interactions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dutta, Devanjali; Clevers, Hans

    2017-01-01

    Recent advances in host-microbe interaction studies in organoid cultures have shown great promise and have laid the foundation for much more refined future studies using these systems. Modeling of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in cerebral organoids have helped us understand its association with

  12. Guest Editorial From plants to medicine for management of sickle ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Guest Editorial From plants to medicine for management of sickle cell disorder. Charles Wambele. Abstract. No Abstract. Discovery and Innovation Vol. 18(1) 2006: 1-4. Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT · http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/dai.v18i1.15718.

  13. Host-Nonspecific Iron Acquisition Systems and Virulence in the Zoonotic Serovar of Vibrio vulnificus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pajuelo, David; Lee, Chung-Te; Roig, Francisco J.; Lemos, Manuel L.; Hor, Lien-I

    2014-01-01

    The zoonotic serovar of Vibrio vulnificus (known as biotype 2 serovar E) is the etiological agent of human and fish vibriosis. The aim of the present work was to discover the role of the vulnibactin- and hemin-dependent iron acquisition systems in the pathogenicity of this zoonotic serovar under the hypothesis that both are host-nonspecific virulence factors. To this end, we selected three genes for three outer membrane receptors (vuuA, a receptor for ferric vulnibactin, and hupA and hutR, two hemin receptors), obtained single and multiple mutants as well as complemented strains, and tested them in a series of in vitro and in vivo assays, using eels and mice as animal models. The overall results confirm that hupA and vuuA, but not hutR, are host-nonspecific virulence genes and suggest that a third undescribed host-specific plasmid-encoded system could also be used by the zoonotic serovar in fish. hupA and vuuA were expressed in the internal organs of the animals in the first 24 h of infection, suggesting that they may be needed to achieve the population size required to trigger fatal septicemia. vuuA and hupA were sequenced in strains representative of the genetic diversity of this species, and their phylogenies were reconstructed by multilocus sequence analysis of selected housekeeping and virulence genes as a reference. Given the overall results, we suggest that both genes might form part of the core genes essential not only for disease development but also for the survival of this species in its natural reservoir, the aquatic environment. PMID:24478087

  14. Binding behaviors of p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene with gemini guests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Hong-Xia; Guo, Dong-Sheng; Liu, Yu

    2013-02-14

    A dozen of homoditopic cations, possessing different spacer lengths and rigidities, as well as sizes, shapes, and charges of terminal groups, were synthesized as candidate gemini guests for the complexation of p-sulfonatocalix[4]arenes (SC4A). The 12 gemini guests are divided into five species according to the different terminal groups: imidazolium (G1-G3), pyridinium (G4-G6), quinolinium (G7), viologen (G8-G11), and 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DBO, G12). Their binding structures and stoichiometries with SC4A were examined by NMR spectroscopy, which is helpful to construct diverse highly ordered assemblies. The obtained results show that the length of the linkers, as well as the charge numbers on the end groups have a pronounced effect on the binding stoichiometry, whereas the size and shape of the terminal groups have no significant influence. Furthermore, both the stability constants and thermodynamic parameters of SC4A with the terminal subunits were determined by the isothermal titration calorimetry experiments, which are valuable to understand the binding behavior, giving quantitatively deep insight.

  15. Guest editorial - Networked collaboration, sharing and response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olav Skundberg

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available  This issue of Seminar.net contains three articles that were written in connection with a Norwegian e-learning conference titled “Networked collaboration, sharing and response”. The conference was held in Mars 2008 in Trondheim, and the presentations from the conference is available (in norwegian language at http://www.nvu.no. Networked collaboration was chosen as a theme because collaboration is important to achieve learning, according to the social-constructivistic pedagogy that has a strong standing in Norway, but how should this occur on the net? Sharing of content, as in digital learning resources, is a phenomenon with increasing popularity as described in the OECD-report “Giving Knowledge for Free”. But to achieve reuse of content, not only publishing it, it is important with a networked community where the plethora of information can be sorted with relevance to specific topics. Response is about guiding, coaching and tutoring. In what ways may resources and tools be used to move in the direction of solving Bloom’s two sigma problem/challenge? The first article, by Morten Flate Paulsen, shows how cooperative learning can be implemented successfully so that students have optimal individual freedom within online learning communities. The second article, by Carl F. Dons, shows how student teachers can be prepared to deal with pupils who have a wide range of experiences of the digital world. The third and last article, by Kristin Dale, is sharing experiences with multiple choice-tests to give midterm responses to students. In addition, this issue has a commentary article by Rune Krumsvik discussing the need to develop new practices for teachers and students on the background of the digital developments. The conference and articles covers three big themes. It may be difficult to find more important issues, apart from finding money and time to support its development. Olav Skundberg, guest editorAssociate professor

  16. The bigger, the better? Volume measurements of parasites and hosts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nagler, Christina; Hörnig, Marie K.; Haug, Joachim T.

    2017-01-01

    ), and a trophic, root like system situated inside the hosts body (the interna). Parasitism results in the castration of their hosts, achieved by absorbing the entire reproductive energy of the host. Thus, the ratio of the host and parasite sizes is crucial for the understanding of the parasite's energetic cost......Rhizocephala, a group of parasitic castrators of other crustaceans, shows remarkable morphological adaptations to their lifestyle. The adult female parasite consists of a body that can be differentiated into two distinct regions: a sac-like structure containing the reproductive organs (the externa....... Using advanced imaging methods (micro-CT in conjunction with 3D modeling), we measured the volume of parasitic structures (externa, interna, egg mass, egg number, visceral mass) and the volume of the entire host. Our results show positive correlations between the volume of (1) entire rhizocephalan...

  17. Molecular recognition study of ethosuximide by the supramolecular probe, p-t-butyl calix(8)arene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meenakshi, C., E-mail: geethu.laxi@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Shri Meenakshi Government College for Women (Autonomous), Madurai 625002 (India); Sangeetha, P.; Ramakrishnan, V. [Department of Laser Studies, School of Physics, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625021 (India)

    2013-06-15

    The supramolecule, p-t-Butyl calix(8)arene, forms inclusion complex with the antiseizure drug molecule, ethosuximide. This feature is explained on the basis of optical absorption spectroscopy. Here p-t-Butyl calix(8)arene is the host molecule and ethosuximide is the guest molecule. The stoichiometry of the host–guest complex and the binding constant has been determined using Benesi–Hildebrand plot. Based on the result obtained the structure of the inclusion complex has been proposed. -- Highlights: ► Third generation supramolecule, t-butyl calix (8) arene, is used as a host molecule. ► Anti seizure drug molecule is used as a guest molecule. ► Inclusion complex is formed between the host and guest molecule.

  18. QUALITY MEASUREMENT IN RESTAURANT INDUSTRY FROM THE MARKETING PERSPECTIVE: A COMPARISON OF GUESTS' AND MANAGERS' QUALITY PERCEPTIONS

    OpenAIRE

    Kukanja, Marko

    2017-01-01

    Restaurant quality management, as a fairly new area of research, requires frequent and critical academic monitoring. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of several quality attributes for the restaurant industry. However, up until now no study has compared both ¬– restaurant managers` and guests' quality perceptions from the marketing mix (7P) perspective. This paper analyses differences in quality perceptions between managers and guests. Two samples – 207 valid questionnaires obt...

  19. Efficient operating system level virtualization techniques for cloud resources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ansu, R.; Samiksha; Anju, S.; Singh, K. John

    2017-11-01

    Cloud computing is an advancing technology which provides the servcies of Infrastructure, Platform and Software. Virtualization and Computer utility are the keys of Cloud computing. The numbers of cloud users are increasing day by day. So it is the need of the hour to make resources available on demand to satisfy user requirements. The technique in which resources namely storage, processing power, memory and network or I/O are abstracted is known as Virtualization. For executing the operating systems various virtualization techniques are available. They are: Full System Virtualization and Para Virtualization. In Full Virtualization, the whole architecture of hardware is duplicated virtually. No modifications are required in Guest OS as the OS deals with the VM hypervisor directly. In Para Virtualization, modifications of OS is required to run in parallel with other OS. For the Guest OS to access the hardware, the host OS must provide a Virtual Machine Interface. OS virtualization has many advantages such as migrating applications transparently, consolidation of server, online maintenance of OS and providing security. This paper briefs both the virtualization techniques and discusses the issues in OS level virtualization.

  20. Unique physiology of host-parasite interactions in microsporidia infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Bryony A P

    2009-11-01

    Microsporidia are intracellular parasites of all major animal lineages and have a described diversity of over 1200 species and an actual diversity that is estimated to be much higher. They are important pathogens of mammals, and are now one of the most common infections among immunocompromised humans. Although related to fungi, microsporidia are atypical in genomic biology, cell structure and infection mechanism. Host cell infection involves the rapid expulsion of a polar tube from a dormant spore to pierce the host cell membrane and allow the direct transfer of the spore contents into the host cell cytoplasm. This intimate relationship between parasite and host is unique. It allows the microsporidia to be highly exploitative of the host cell environment and cause such diverse effects as the induction of hypertrophied cells to harbour prolific spore development, host sex ratio distortion and host cell organelle and microtubule reorganization. Genome sequencing has revealed that microsporidia have achieved this high level of parasite sophistication with radically reduced proteomes and with many typical eukaryotic pathways pared-down to what appear to be minimal functional units. These traits make microsporidia intriguing model systems for understanding the extremes of reductive parasite evolution and host cell manipulation.

  1. The bigger, the better? Volume measurements of parasites and hosts: Parasitic barnacles (Cirripedia, Rhizocephala and their decapod hosts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christina Nagler

    Full Text Available Rhizocephala, a group of parasitic castrators of other crustaceans, shows remarkable morphological adaptations to their lifestyle. The adult female parasite consists of a body that can be differentiated into two distinct regions: a sac-like structure containing the reproductive organs (the externa, and a trophic, root like system situated inside the hosts body (the interna. Parasitism results in the castration of their hosts, achieved by absorbing the entire reproductive energy of the host. Thus, the ratio of the host and parasite sizes is crucial for the understanding of the parasite's energetic cost. Using advanced imaging methods (micro-CT in conjunction with 3D modeling, we measured the volume of parasitic structures (externa, interna, egg mass, egg number, visceral mass and the volume of the entire host. Our results show positive correlations between the volume of (1 entire rhizocephalan (externa + interna and host body, (2 rhizocephalan externa and host body, (3 rhizocephalan visceral mass and rhizocephalan body, (4 egg mass and rhizocephalan externa, (5 rhizocephalan egg mass and their egg number. Comparing the rhizocephalan Sylon hippolytes, a parasite of caridean shrimps, and representatives of Peltogaster, parasites of hermit crabs, we could match their different traits on a reconstructed relationship. With this study we add new and significant information to our global understanding of the evolution of parasitic castrators, of interactions between a parasitic castrator and its host and of different parasitic strategies within parasitic castrators exemplified by rhizocephalans.

  2. Permanent and reversible gels: transport of guests and guest-host interactions

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Schlick, S.; Pilař, Jan

    2000-01-01

    Roč. 159, - (2000), s. 187-195 ISSN 1022-1360. [SPSJ International Polymer Conference: Polymer Science and Industrial Research in the Fast-changing Age /7./. Yokohama, 26.10.1999-29.10.1999] R&D Projects: GA MŠk ME 149 Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 0.406, year: 2000

  3. Arrays of dipolar molecular rotors in Tris(o-phenylenedioxy) cyclotriphosphazene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Ke; Dron, Paul I; Kaleta, Jiří; Rogers, Charles T; Michl, Josef

    2014-01-01

    Regular two-dimensional or three-dimensional arrays of mutually interacting dipolar molecular rotors represent a worthy synthetic objective. Their dielectric properties, including possible collective behavior, will be a sensitive function of the location of the rotors, the orientation of their axes, and the size of their dipoles. Host-guest chemistry is one possible approach to gaining fine control over these factors. We describe the progress that has been achieved in recent years using tris (o-phenylenedioxy)cyclotriphosphazene as a host and a series of rod-shaped dipolar molecular rotors as guests. Structures of both surface and bulk inclusion compounds have been established primarily by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Low-temperature dielectric spectroscopy revealed rotational barriers as low as 1.5 kcal/mol, but no definitive evidence for collective behavior has been obtained so far.

  4. Patterns of oligonucleotide sequences in viral and host cell RNA identify mediators of the host innate immune system.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin D Greenbaum

    Full Text Available The innate immune response provides a first line of defense against pathogens by targeting generic differential features that are present in foreign organisms but not in the host. These innate responses generate selection forces acting both in pathogens and hosts that further determine their co-evolution. Here we analyze the nucleic acid sequence fingerprints of these selection forces acting in parallel on both host innate immune genes and ssRNA viral genomes. We do this by identifying dinucleotide biases in the coding regions of innate immune response genes in plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and then use this signal to identify other significant host innate immune genes. The persistence of these biases in the orthologous groups of genes in humans and chickens is also examined. We then compare the significant motifs in highly expressed genes of the innate immune system to those in ssRNA viruses and study the evolution of these motifs in the H1N1 influenza genome. We argue that the significant under-represented motif pattern of CpG in an AU context--which is found in both the ssRNA viruses and innate genes, and has decreased throughout the history of H1N1 influenza replication in humans--is immunostimulatory and has been selected against during the co-evolution of viruses and host innate immune genes. This shows how differences in host immune biology can drive the evolution of viruses that jump into species with different immune priorities than the original host.

  5. Energy transfer in a mechanically trapped exciplex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klosterman, Jeremy K; Iwamura, Munetaka; Tahara, Tahei; Fujita, Makoto

    2009-07-15

    Host-guest complexes involving M(6)L(4) coordination cages can display unusual photoreactivity, and enclathration of the very large fluorophore bisanthracene resulted in an emissive, mechanically trapped intramolecular exciplex. Mechanically linked intramolecular exciplexes are important for understanding the dependence of energy transfer on donor-acceptor distance, orientation, and electronic coupling but are relatively unexplored. Steady-state and picosecond time-resolved fluorescence measurements have revealed that selective excitation of the encapsulated guest fluorophore results in efficient energy transfer from the excited guest to an emissive host-guest exciplex state.

  6. Knowledge of Deaths in Hotel Rooms Diminishes Perceived Value and Elicits Guest Aversion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bering, Jesse M; Curtin, Emma R; Jong, Jonathan

    2017-01-01

    Guest deaths are an inevitable aspect of the hospitality industry. In Study 1, participants read a vignette in which the previous guest died of natural causes, suicide, or homicide. Those who learned of a death (a) saw the room as less valuable, (b) opted to stay in a more basic room in which no death occurred, despite both rooms being offered for free, and (c) anticipated feeling uneasy when imagining an overnight stay. In Study 2, we investigated the persistence of this bias. Perceived room value and anticipatory well-being can be expected to return to baseline levels only many years after the death event. Similar to "stigmatized properties" in real estate, these data confirm an irrational and recalcitrant cognitive bias surrounding consumers' views of death-affected hotel rooms.

  7. Computer-science guest-lecture series at Langston University sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey; abstracts, 1992-93

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steele, K. S.

    1994-01-01

    Langston University, a Historically Black University located at Langston, Oklahoma, has a computing and information science program within the Langston University Division of Business. Since 1984, Langston University has participated in the Historically Black College and University program of the U.S. Department of Interior, which provided education, training, and funding through a combined earth-science and computer-technology cooperative program with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). USGS personnel have presented guest lectures at Langston University since 1984. Students have been enthusiastic about the lectures, and as a result of this program, 13 Langston University students have been hired by the USGS on a part-time basis while they continued their education at the University. The USGS expanded the offering of guest lectures in 1992 by increasing the number of visits to Langston University, and by inviting participation of speakers from throughout the country. The objectives of the guest-lecture series are to assist Langston University in offering state-of-the-art education in the computer sciences, to provide students with an opportunity to learn from and interact with skilled computer-science professionals, and to develop a pool of potential future employees for part-time and full-time employment. This report includes abstracts for guest-lecture presentations during 1992-93 school year.

  8. Guest Room Lighting at the Hilton Columbus Downtown

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2014-06-30

    At the Hilton Columbus Downtown hotel in Ohio, DOE's Better Buildings Alliance conducted a demonstration of Next Generation Luminaires-winning downlights installed in all guest rooms and suites prior to the hotel's 2012 opening. After a post-occupancy assessment, the LED downlights not only provided the aesthetic appearance and dimming functionality desired, but also provided 50% energy savings relative to a comparable CFL downlight and enabled the lighting power to be more than 20% below that allowed by code. This document is a summary case study of the report.

  9. Synthesis of C3-symmetric tri(alkylamino) guests and their interaction with cyclodextrins

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bednaříková, T.; Tošner, Z.; Horský, Jiří; Jindřich, J.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 81, 1-2 (2015), s. 141-152 ISSN 0923-0750 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : cyclodextrin * supramolecular interactions * C3-symmetric guests Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 1.253, year: 2015

  10. Computational neural network regression model for Host based Intrusion Detection System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sunil Kumar Gautam

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The current scenario of information gathering and storing in secure system is a challenging task due to increasing cyber-attacks. There exists computational neural network techniques designed for intrusion detection system, which provide security to single machine and entire network's machine. In this paper, we have used two types of computational neural network models, namely, Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN model and Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network (MPNN model for Host based Intrusion Detection System using log files that are generated by a single personal computer. The simulation results show correctly classified percentage of normal and abnormal (intrusion class using confusion matrix. On the basis of results and discussion, we found that the Host based Intrusion Systems Model (HISM significantly improved the detection accuracy while retaining minimum false alarm rate.

  11. Host-parasite interactions and ecology of the malaria parasite-a bioinformatics approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izak, Dariusz; Klim, Joanna; Kaczanowski, Szymon

    2018-04-25

    Malaria remains one of the highest mortality infectious diseases. Malaria is caused by parasites from the genus Plasmodium. Most deaths are caused by infections involving Plasmodium falciparum, which has a complex life cycle. Malaria parasites are extremely well adapted for interactions with their host and their host's immune system and are able to suppress the human immune system, erase immunological memory and rapidly alter exposed antigens. Owing to this rapid evolution, parasites develop drug resistance and express novel forms of antigenic proteins that are not recognized by the host immune system. There is an emerging need for novel interventions, including novel drugs and vaccines. Designing novel therapies requires knowledge about host-parasite interactions, which is still limited. However, significant progress has recently been achieved in this field through the application of bioinformatics analysis of parasite genome sequences. In this review, we describe the main achievements in 'malarial' bioinformatics and provide examples of successful applications of protein sequence analysis. These examples include the prediction of protein functions based on homology and the prediction of protein surface localization via domain and motif analysis. Additionally, we describe PlasmoDB, a database that stores accumulated experimental data. This tool allows data mining of the stored information and will play an important role in the development of malaria science. Finally, we illustrate the application of bioinformatics in the development of population genetics research on malaria parasites, an approach referred to as reverse ecology.

  12. Innkeeper's Liability for Loss Suffered by Guests:Drake v Dow

    OpenAIRE

    Du Plessis, Paul

    2007-01-01

    Drake v Dow is concerned with the issue of strict liability attributed to innkeepers for loss suffered by guests. The case also contains an entertaining foray into the historical development of the law of delict in Scotland and may therefore be of interest to legal historians.

  13. Racial Discrimination in the Sharing Economy: Evidence from a Field Experiment

    OpenAIRE

    Edelman, Benjamin Gordon; Luca, Michael; Svirsky, Daniel Alejandro

    2017-01-01

    In an experiment on Airbnb, we find that applications from guests with distinctively African-American names are 16% less likely to be accepted relative to identical guests with distinctively White names. Discrimination occurs among landlords of all sizes, including small landlords sharing the property and larger landlords with multiple properties. It is most pronounced among hosts who have never had an African-American guest, suggesting only a subset of hosts discriminate. While rental market...

  14. Spectral properties of porphyrins in the systems with layered silicates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ceklovsky, A.

    2009-03-01

    This work is focused on investigation of hybrid materials based on layered silicates, representing host inorganic component, and porphyrin dyes as organic guest. Aqueous colloidal dispersions, as well as thin solid films of layered silicate/porphyrin systems were studied. Modification of photophysical properties, such as absorption and fluorescence of molecules, adsorbed or incorporated in layered silicate hosts, were studied mainly to spread the knowledge about the environments suitable for incorporating aromatic compounds, providing photoactive properties of potential technological interest. TMPyP cations interact with the surfaces of layered silicates via electrostatic interactions. The extent of dye adsorption on colloidal particles of the silicates is influenced by the CEC values and swelling ability of silicates. Interaction of porphyrins with layered silicate hosts leads to significant changes of dye spectral properties. One of the key parameters that has a crucial impact on this interaction is the layer charge of silicate template. Other factors influence the resulting spectral properties of hybrid systems, such as the method of hybrid material preparation, the material's type (colloid, film), and the modification of the silicate host. Molecular orientation studies using linearly-polarized spectroscopies in VIS and IR regions revealed that TMPyP molecules were oriented in almost parallel fashion with respect to the silicate surface plane. Slightly higher values of the orientation angle of TMPyP transition moment were observed for the TMPyP/FHT system. Thus, flattening of the guest TMPyP molecules is the next important factor (mainly in the systems with lower layer charge), influencing its spectral properties upon the interaction with layered silicates. Fluorescence was effectively quenched in the systems based on solid films prepared from the high concentration of the dye (10-3 mol.dm-3). The quenching is most probably related to the structure of the

  15. Importance of location and exterior of city hotels as elements of guest satisfaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tepavčević Jelena

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Business practices and attitudes of tourists show that hospitality represents the primary factor in the development of urban tourism. It is considered that, besides the exclusive appearance, there is no business success for hotel properties without a proper location. It is known that a typical tourist would like to be close enough to tourist attractions, to be able to reach them on foot. This paper deals with the importance of location and exterior of urban hotels on guests decision on the selection and overall satisfaction with hotel products. The survey was conducted in the hotels two largest urban centers in Serbia (Belgrade and Novi Sad. The aim of the research is an insight into the real impact of location and exterior when assessing the guest satisfaction. Descriptive statistical analysis, t-test and regression analysis were used for statistical data processing.

  16. Rolling Up the Sheet: Constructing Metal–Organic Lamellae and Nanotubes from a [{Mn 3 (propanediolato) 2 }(dicyanamide) 2 ] n Honeycomb Skeleton

    KAUST Repository

    Wu, Gang

    2013-12-11

    Target synthesis of metal-organic nanotubes (MONTs) through a classic "rolling-up" mechanism remains a big challenge for coordination chemists. In this work, we report three 2D lamellar compounds and one (4,0) zigzag MONT based on a common honeycomb coordination skeleton. Our synthetic strategy toward sheet/tube superstructure transformation is to asymmetrically modify the inter-layer interactions by gradually increasing the size of the amine templates. Eventually, to relieve the surface tension of individual layers and to enhance surface areas and optimize host-guest interactions to accommodate bigger guests, spontaneous rolling up to form a tubular structure was achieved. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

  17. "I’m a poor lonesome cowboy and a long way from home…": Serbian Documentary Films about Guest Workers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marija Krstić

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available In this paper I will analyze Serbian documentary films about guest workers dating from the last decade of the 20th and the first decade of the 21st century, using the perspective of visual anthropology. I question the popular cultural notions about guest workers in films Весеље у Ждрелу (A Celebration in Zdrelo by author Kamenko Katic, Звона позне јесени (The Bells of Late Autumn by author Zoran Milenovic, Кад је Милорад удавао ћерку (When Milorad Gave His Daughter in Marriage by author Vladimir Milisavljevic, Странац тамо, странац овде (A Foreigner There, a Foreigner Here by author Sandra Mandic and 242 метра живота (242 Meters of Life by author Novica Savic. The films deal with a number of issues: the economic aspects of guest workers’ lives, their liminal character, the issues of the second and third generations of guest workers, going away "temporarily" to work, and religious rituals. Even though the films were made recently, they all follow the lives of Vlach and Serbian, or rather Yugoslav guest workers who left to find temporary work abroad in Western Europe in the 1960’s and 1970’s. This serves the purpose of avoiding to deal with contemporary reasons for emigrating from Serbia and thus the possible critiques of current regimes or policies in power at the time the films were made.

  18. Assessing Pseudomonas virulence with a nonmammalian host: Drosophila melanogaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haller, Samantha; Limmer, Stefanie; Ferrandon, Dominique

    2014-01-01

    Drosophila melanogaster flies represent an interesting model to study host-pathogen interactions as: (1) they are cheap and easy to raise rapidly and do not bring up ethical issues, (2) available genetic tools are highly sophisticated, for instance allowing tissue-specific alteration of gene expression, e.g., of immune genes, (3) they have a relatively complex organization, with distinct digestive tract and body cavity in which local or systemic infections, respectively, take place, (4) a medium throughput can be achieved in genetic screens, for instance looking for Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutants with altered virulence. We present here the techniques used to investigate host-pathogen relationships, namely the two major models of infections as well as the relevant parameters used to monitor the infection (survival, bacterial titer, induction of host immune response).

  19. The Vital Components of Restaurant Quality that Affect Guest Satisfaction

    OpenAIRE

    Snježana Gagić; Dragan Tešanović; Ana Jovičić

    2013-01-01

    Nowadays, the trend of dining in restaurants has become quite prominent in Serbia. Frequent restaurant visits are not only the reflection of satisfying hedonistic needs, but also the result of increasing number of single-person households as well as adjustment to the European business hours.In an increasingly competitive environment, restaurants must be focused on guests using marketing concepts that identify their needs thus leading to their satisfaction and inc...

  20. The potential for host switching via ecological fitting in the emerald ash borer-host plant system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cipollini, Don; Peterson, Donnie L

    2018-02-27

    The traits used by phytophagous insects to find and utilize their ancestral hosts can lead to host range expansions, generally to closely related hosts that share visual and chemical features with ancestral hosts. Host range expansions often result from ecological fitting, which is the process whereby organisms colonize and persist in novel environments, use novel resources, or form novel associations with other species because of the suites of traits that they carry at the time they encounter the novel environment. Our objective in this review is to discuss the potential and constraints on host switching via ecological fitting in emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, an ecologically and economically important invasive wood boring beetle. Once thought of as an ash (Fraxinus spp.) tree specialist, recent studies have revealed a broader potential host range than was expected for this insect. We discuss the demonstrated host-use capabilities of this beetle, as well as the potential for and barriers to the adoption of additional hosts by this beetle. We place our observations in the context of biochemical mechanisms that mediate the interaction of these beetles with their host plants and discuss whether evolutionary host shifts are a possible outcome of the interaction of this insect with novel hosts.

  1. Comparative Proteomics Identifies Host Immune System Proteins Affected by Infection with Mycobacterium bovis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir López

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Mycobacteria of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC greatly impact human and animal health worldwide. The mycobacterial life cycle is complex, and the mechanisms resulting in pathogen infection and survival in host cells are not fully understood. Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa are natural reservoir hosts for MTBC and a model for mycobacterial infection and tuberculosis (TB. In the wild boar TB model, mycobacterial infection affects the expression of innate and adaptive immune response genes in mandibular lymph nodes and oropharyngeal tonsils, and biomarkers have been proposed as correlates with resistance to natural infection. However, the mechanisms used by mycobacteria to manipulate host immune response are not fully characterized. Our hypothesis is that the immune system proteins under-represented in infected animals, when compared to uninfected controls, are used by mycobacteria to guarantee pathogen infection and transmission. To address this hypothesis, a comparative proteomics approach was used to compare host response between uninfected (TB- and M. bovis-infected young (TB+ and adult animals with different infection status [TB lesions localized in the head (TB+ or affecting multiple organs (TB++]. The results identified host immune system proteins that play an important role in host response to mycobacteria. Calcium binding protein A9, Heme peroxidase, Lactotransferrin, Cathelicidin and Peptidoglycan-recognition protein were under-represented in TB+ animals when compared to uninfected TB- controls, but protein levels were higher as infection progressed in TB++ animals when compared to TB- and/or TB+ adult wild boar. MHCI was the only protein over-represented in TB+ adult wild boar when compared to uninfected TB- controls. The results reported here suggest that M. bovis manipulates host immune response by reducing the production of immune system proteins. However, as infection progresses, wild boar immune response recovers to

  2. Comparative Proteomics Identifies Host Immune System Proteins Affected by Infection with Mycobacterium bovis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López, Vladimir; Villar, Margarita; Queirós, João; Vicente, Joaquín; Mateos-Hernández, Lourdes; Díez-Delgado, Iratxe; Contreras, Marinela; Alves, Paulo C; Alberdi, Pilar; Gortázar, Christian; de la Fuente, José

    2016-03-01

    Mycobacteria of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) greatly impact human and animal health worldwide. The mycobacterial life cycle is complex, and the mechanisms resulting in pathogen infection and survival in host cells are not fully understood. Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) are natural reservoir hosts for MTBC and a model for mycobacterial infection and tuberculosis (TB). In the wild boar TB model, mycobacterial infection affects the expression of innate and adaptive immune response genes in mandibular lymph nodes and oropharyngeal tonsils, and biomarkers have been proposed as correlates with resistance to natural infection. However, the mechanisms used by mycobacteria to manipulate host immune response are not fully characterized. Our hypothesis is that the immune system proteins under-represented in infected animals, when compared to uninfected controls, are used by mycobacteria to guarantee pathogen infection and transmission. To address this hypothesis, a comparative proteomics approach was used to compare host response between uninfected (TB-) and M. bovis-infected young (TB+) and adult animals with different infection status [TB lesions localized in the head (TB+) or affecting multiple organs (TB++)]. The results identified host immune system proteins that play an important role in host response to mycobacteria. Calcium binding protein A9, Heme peroxidase, Lactotransferrin, Cathelicidin and Peptidoglycan-recognition protein were under-represented in TB+ animals when compared to uninfected TB- controls, but protein levels were higher as infection progressed in TB++ animals when compared to TB- and/or TB+ adult wild boar. MHCI was the only protein over-represented in TB+ adult wild boar when compared to uninfected TB- controls. The results reported here suggest that M. bovis manipulates host immune response by reducing the production of immune system proteins. However, as infection progresses, wild boar immune response recovers to limit pathogen

  3. Host density increases parasite recruitment but decreases host risk in a snail-trematode system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buck, J C; Hechinger, R F; Wood, A C; Stewart, T E; Kuris, A M; Lafferty, K D

    2017-08-01

    Most species aggregate in local patches. High host density in patches increases contact rate between hosts and parasites, increasing parasite transmission success. At the same time, for environmentally transmitted parasites, high host density can decrease infection risk to individual hosts, because infective stages are divided among all hosts in a patch, leading to safety in numbers. We tested these predictions using the California horn snail, Cerithideopsis californica (=Cerithidea californica), which is the first intermediate host for at least 19 digenean trematode species in California estuaries. Snails become infected by ingesting trematode eggs or through penetration by free-swimming miracidia that hatch from trematode eggs deposited with final-host (bird or mammal) feces. This complex life cycle decouples infective-stage production from transmission, raising the possibility of an inverse relationship between host density and infection risk at local scales. In a field survey, higher snail density was associated with increased trematode (infected snail) density, but decreased trematode prevalence, consistent with either safety in numbers, parasitic castration, or both. To determine the extent to which safety in numbers drove the negative snail-density-trematode-prevalence association, we manipulated uninfected snail density in 83 cages at eight sites within Carpinteria Salt Marsh (California, USA). At each site, we quantified snail density and used data on final-host (bird and raccoon) distributions to control for between-site variation in infective-stage supply. After three months, overall trematode infections per cage increased with snail biomass density. For egg-transmitted trematodes, per-snail infection risk decreased with snail biomass density in the cage and surrounding area, whereas per-snail infection risk did not decrease for miracidium-transmitted trematodes. Furthermore, both trematode recruitment and infection risk increased with infective

  4. Supramolecular effects in dendritic systems containing photoactive groups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    GIANLUCA CAMILLO AZZELLINI

    2000-03-01

    Full Text Available In this article are described dendritic structures containing photoactive groups at the surface or in the core. The observed supramolecular effects can be attributed to the nature of the photoactive group and their location in the dendritic architecture. The peripheric azobenzene groups in these dendrimeric compounds can be regarded as single residues that retain the spectroscopic and photochemical properties of free azobenzene moiety. The E and Z forms of higher generation dendrimer, functionalized with azobenzene groups, show different host ability towards eosin dye, suggesting the possibility of using such dendrimer in photocontrolled host-guest systems. The photophysical properties of many dendritic-bipyridine ruthenium complexes have been investigated. Particularly in aerated medium more intense emission and a longer excited-state lifetime are observed as compared to the parent unsubstituted bipyridine ruthenium complexes. These differences can be attributed to a shielding effect towards dioxygen quenching originated by the dendritic branches.

  5. Symbiotic and antibiotic interactions between gut commensal microbiota and host immune system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mantas Kazimieras Malys

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The human gut commensal microbiota forms a complex population of microorganisms that survive by maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the host. Amongst the metabolic benefits it brings, formation of adaptive immune system and maintenance of its homeostasis are functions that play an important role. This review discusses the integral elements of commensal microbiota that stimulate responses of different parts of the immune system and lead to health or disease. It aims to establish conditions and factors that contribute to gut commensal microbiota's transformation from symbiotic to antibiotic relationship with human. We suggest that the host-microbiota relationship has been evolved to benefit both parties and any changes that may lead to disease, are not due to unfriendly properties of the gut microbiota but due to host genetics or environmental changes such as diet or infection.

  6. Photophysics Applied to Cavitands and Capsules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berryman, Orion B; Dube, Henry; Rebek, Julius

    2011-07-01

    The use of light as a stimulus to control functional materials or nano-devices is appealing as it provides convenient control of triggering events where and when they are desired without introducing extra components to the system. Many photophysical and photochemical processes are extremely fast, giving rise to nearly instantaneous onset of events. However, these fast processes can be challenging to engineer into chemical systems. Supramolecular chemistry offers a convenient way to study and control photoprocesses. Given the reversible and self-programmed nature of modern host-guest systems, a modular approach can be considered in which different photoprocesses are coupled to obtain complex functions that emerge and are controlled solely by light inputs. In this review, we highlight recent examples of photoswitching and photophysics applied in the context of supramolecular host-guest systems, with a particular emphasis on resorcinarene based cavitands and hydrogen bonded capsules.

  7. In situ Low-temperature Pair Distribution Function (PDF) Analysis of CH4 and CO2 Hydrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cladek, B.; Everett, M.; McDonnell, M.; Tucker, M.; Keffer, D.; Rawn, C.

    2017-12-01

    Gas hydrates occur in ocean floor and sub-surface permafrost deposits and are stable at moderate to high pressures and low temperatures. They are a clathrate structure composed of hydrogen bonded water cages that accommodate a wide variety of guest molecules. CO2 and CH4 hydrates both crystallize as the cubic sI hydrate and can form a solid solution. Natural gas hydrates are interesting as a potential methane source and for CO2 sequestration. Long-range diffraction studies on gas hydrates give valuable structural information but do not provide a detailed understanding of the disordered gas molecule interactions with the host lattice. In-situ low temperature total scattering experiments combined with pair distribution function (PDF) analysis are used to investigate the gas molecule motions and guest-cage interactions. CO2 and methane hydrates exhibit different decomposition behavior, and CO2 hydrate has a smaller lattice parameter despite it being a relatively larger molecule. Total scattering studies characterizing both the short- and long-range order simultaneously help to elucidate the structural source of these phenomena. Low temperature neutron total scattering data were collected using the Nanoscale Ordered MAterials Diffractometer (NOMAD) beamline at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) on CO2 and CH4 hydrates synthesized with D2O. Guest molecule motion within cages and interactions between gases and cages are investigated through the hydrate stability and decomposition regions. Data were collected from 2-80 K at a pressure of 55 mbar on CO2 and CH4 hydrates, and from 80-270 K at 25 bar on CH4 hydrate. The hydrate systems were modeled with classical molecular dynamic (MD) simulations to provide an analysis of the total energy into guest-guest, guest-host and host-host contributions. Combined Reitveld and Reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) structure refinement were used to fit models of the data. This combined modeling and simulation characterizes the effects of CO2 and

  8. Near-infrared dichroism of a mesogenic transition metal complex and its solubility in nematic hosts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marshall, K.L.; Jacobs, S.D.

    1987-01-01

    A transition metal complex possessing the nematic phase, bis (p-n-butylstyryl-1, 2-dithiolato) nickel, was synthesized and its optical properties and solubility in the nematic hosts K15 and MBBA were investigated. The metal complex displayed a high solubility in both host materials (up to 10% wt/wt) and a strong near-infrared absorption band centered at 860 nm. A blocking extinction of greater than OD = 3 was obtained with a 100 micron pathlength of a 0.5% wt/wt mixture of the nematic metal complex in K15, suggesting its usefulness for passive blocking of near infrared radiation. A 24 micron thick, homogeneously aligned guest-host cell containing a 1% wt/wt mixture of the metal complex in K15 possessed a contrast ratio of nearly 5:1 and a blocking extinction of OD = 3.5 at 860 nm, demonstrating for the first time the existence of near-infrared dichroism in this class of materials. The solubility and blocking extinction of the mesogenic metal complex in K15 was considerably superior to the non-mesogenic near ir laser dye bis(dimethylaminodithiobenzil) nickel in the same host. An interaction of the nematic metal complex in mixtures with MBBA which resulted in the creation of a new absorption band at 1050 nm was also observed. 21 refs., 9 figs

  9. Host thin films incorporating nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qureshi, Uzma

    The focus of this research project was the investigation of the functional properties of thin films that incorporate a secondary nanoparticulate phase. In particular to assess if the secondary nanoparticulate material enhanced a functional property of the coating on glass. In order to achieve this, new thin film deposition methods were developed, namely use of nanopowder precursors, an aerosol assisted transport technique and an aerosol into atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition system. Aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) was used to deposit 8 series of thin films on glass. Five different nanoparticles silver, gold, ceria, tungsten oxide and zinc oxide were tested and shown to successfully deposit thin films incorporating nanoparticles within a host matrix. Silver nanoparticles were synthesised and doped within a titania film by AACVD. This improved solar control properties. A unique aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) into atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition (APCVD) system was used to deposit films of Au nanoparticles and thin films of gold nanoparticles incorporated within a host titania matrix. Incorporation of high refractive index contrast metal oxide particles within a host film altered the film colour. The key goal was to test the potential of nanopowder forms and transfer the suspended nanopowder via an aerosol to a substrate in order to deposit a thin film. Discrete tungsten oxide nanoparticles or ceria nanoparticles within a titanium dioxide thin film enhanced the self-cleaning and photo-induced super-hydrophilicity. The nanopowder precursor study was extended by deposition of zinc oxide thin films incorporating Au nanoparticles and also ZnO films deposited from a ZnO nanopowder precursor. Incorporation of Au nanoparticles within a VO: host matrix improved the thermochromic response, optical and colour properties. Composite VC/TiC and Au nanoparticle/V02/Ti02 thin films displayed three useful

  10. The recruitment mechanism in Spaish and U.S. guest worker programs: preventing fraud and abuse in worker selection and hiring

    OpenAIRE

    Minaya, Mariana

    2015-01-01

    Fraudulent recruitment of authorized, temporary “guest workers” is a growing concern among international policy makers. Recruitment in many countries is regulated through a combination of immigration, criminal, and administrative laws. This paper will compare how two countries, Spain and the United States, regulate the recruitment of agricultural and low-skilled guest workers, a population generally vulnerable to fraud, based on a review of each country’s laws and relevant literature. The con...

  11. Impact of Industry Guest Speakers on Business Students' Perceptions of Employability Skills Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riebe, L.; Sibson, R.; Roepen, D.; Meakins, K.

    2013-01-01

    This study provides insights into the perceptions and expectations of Australian undergraduate business students (n=150) regarding the incorporation of guest speakers into the curriculum of a leadership unit focused on employability skills development. The authors adopted a mixed methods approach. A survey was conducted, with quantitative results…

  12. Self-Healing and Thermo-Responsive Dual-Crosslinked Alginate Hydrogels based on Supramolecular Inclusion Complexes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miao, Tianxin; Fenn, Spencer L.; Charron, Patrick N.; Oldinski, Rachael A.

    2015-01-01

    β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), with a lipophilic inner cavity and hydrophilic outer surface, interacts with a large variety of non-polar guest molecules to form non-covalent inclusion complexes. Conjugation of β-CD onto biomacromolecules can form physically-crosslinked hydrogel networks upon mixing with a guest molecule. Herein describes the development and characterization of self-healing, thermo-responsive hydrogels, based on host-guest inclusion complexes between alginate-graft-β-CD and Pluronic® F108 (poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(propylene glycol)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)). The mechanics, flow characteristics, and thermal response were contingent on the polymer concentrations, and the host-guest molar ratio. Transient and reversible physical crosslinking between host and guest polymers governed self-assembly, allowing flow under shear stress, and facilitating complete recovery of the material properties within a few seconds of unloading. The mechanical properties of the dual-crosslinked, multi-stimuli responsive hydrogels were tuned as high as 30 kPa at body temperature, and are advantageous for biomedical applications such as drug delivery and cell transplantation. PMID:26509214

  13. Who benefits from reduced reproduction in parasitized hosts? An experimental test using the Pasteuria ramosa-Daphnia magna system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mageroy, Jon H; Grepperud, Eldfrid J; Jensen, Knut Helge

    2011-12-01

    We investigated whether parasites or hosts benefit from reduced reproduction in infected hosts. When parasites castrate their hosts, the regain of host reproduction is necessary for castration to be a host adaptation. When infecting Daphnia magna with Pasteuria ramosa, in a lake water based medium, 49 2% of the castrated females regained reproduction. We investigated the relationship between castration level, and parasite and host fitness proxies to determine the adaptive value of host castration. Hosts which regained reproduction contained less spores and had a higher lifetime reproduction than permanently castrated hosts. We also found a negative correlation between parasite and host lifetime reproduction. For hosts which regained reproduction we found no optimal level of castration associated with lifetime reproduction. These results support the view that host castration only is adaptive to the parasite in this system. In addition, we suggest that permanent castration might not be the norm under natural conditions in this system. Finally, we argue that a reduction in host reproduction is more likely to evolve as a property favouring parasites rather than hosts. To our knowledge this is the only experimental study to investigate the adaptive value of reduced host reproduction when castrated hosts can regain reproduction.

  14. Modeling Perceived Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Probability of Guest Returning to the Destination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olivera Blagojevic Popovic

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In the hotel industry, it is a well-known fact that, despite of quality and variety of services provided, there is a low probability that the guests will return. This research is focused on identifying the basic factors of the hotel offer, which could determine the influence on the correlation between the guests’ satisfaction and the probability of their return. The objective of the article is to explore the relationship between the guests’ satisfaction with the quality hotel services in total (including the tourist offer of the place and the probability of his return to the same destination. The questionnaire method was applied in the survey, and the data were analysed based on factor analysis. Thereafter, the model for forecasting the probability of the guests returning to the destination was established, by using the example of Montenegrin tourism. The model represents a defined framework for the guest’s decision-making process. It identifies two main characteristics of guest experiences: satisfaction and rated quality (of the destination’s overall hotel service and tourist offer. The same model evaluates the impact of the above factors on the probability of the guests’ returning to the same destination. The starting hypothesis was the existence of a high degree of correlation between the guests’ satisfaction (with the destination’s hotel services and tourist offer and the probability of returning to the selected Montenegrin destinations. The research confirmed the above-mentioned hypothesis. The results have revealed that there are significant differences in perceived quality, i.e. satisfaction between the target groups of Eastern and Western European tourists

  15. Dynamics and profiles of a diffusive host-pathogen system with distinct dispersal rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yixiang; Zou, Xingfu

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, we investigate a diffusive host-pathogen model with heterogeneous parameters and distinct dispersal rates for the susceptible and infected hosts. We first prove that the solution of the model exists globally and the model system possesses a global attractor. We then identify the basic reproduction number R0 for the model and prove its threshold role: if R0 ≤ 1, the disease free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable; if R0 > 1, the solution of the model is uniformly persistent and there exists a positive (pathogen persistent) steady state. Finally, we study the asymptotic profiles of the positive steady state as the dispersal rate of the susceptible or infected hosts approaches zero. Our result suggests that the infected hosts concentrate at certain points which can be characterized as the pathogen's most favoured sites when the mobility of the infected host is limited.

  16. Gas-liquid partitioning of halogenated volatile organic compounds in aqueous cyclodextrin solutions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ondo, Daniel; Barankova, Eva [Department of Physical Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Technology, Technicka 5, 166 28 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Dohnal, Vladimir, E-mail: dohnalv@vscht.cz [Department of Physical Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Technology, Technicka 5, 166 28 Prague 6 (Czech Republic)

    2011-08-15

    Highlights: > Binding of halogenated VOCs with cyclodextrins examined through g-l partitioning. > Complex stabilities reflect host-guest size matching and hydrophobic interaction. > Presence of halogens in the guest molecule stabilizes the binding. > Thermodynamic origin of the binding varies greatly among the systems studied. > Results obey the guest-CD global enthalpy-entropy compensation relationship. - Abstract: Gas-liquid partitioning coefficients (K{sub GL}) were measured for halogenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), namely 1-chlorobutane, methoxyflurane, pentafluoropropan-1-ol, heptafluorobutan-1-ol, {alpha},{alpha},{alpha}-trifluorotoluene, and toluene in aqueous solutions of natural {alpha}-, {beta}-, and {gamma}-cyclodextrins (CDs) at temperatures from (273.35 to 326.35) K employing the techniques of headspace gas chromatography and inert gas stripping. The binding constants of the 1:1 inclusion complex formation between the VOCs and CDs were evaluated from the depression of the VOCs volatility as a function of CD concentration. The host-guest size matching and the hydrophobic interaction concept were used to rationalize the observed widely different affinity of the VOC-CD pairs to form the inclusion complex. The enthalpic and entropic component of the standard Gibbs free energy of complex formation as derived from the temperature dependence of the binding constant indicate the thermodynamic origin of the binding to vary greatly among the systems studied, but follow the global enthalpy-entropy compensation relationships reported previously in the literature.

  17. Protecting Files Hosted on Virtual Machines With Out-of-Guest Access Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-12-01

    of the system call, we additionally check for 35 a match on the newname. As enforced by our SACL, the first part ensures that if the user or group...file, as per the SACL- enforced policy. Figure 3.8 shows the code for the permission checks done in the case of the open() and openat() system calls...maximum 200 words) When an operating system (OS) runs on a virtual machine (VM), a hypervisor, the software that facilitates virtualization of computer

  18. Molecular model of a type III secretion system needle: Implications for host-cell sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deane, Janet E; Roversi, Pietro; Cordes, Frank S; Johnson, Steven; Kenjale, Roma; Daniell, Sarah; Booy, Frank; Picking, William D; Picking, Wendy L; Blocker, Ariel J; Lea, Susan M

    2006-08-15

    Type III secretion systems are essential virulence determinants for many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. The type III secretion system consists of cytoplasmic, transmembrane, and extracellular domains. The extracellular domain is a hollow needle protruding above the bacterial surface and is held within a basal body that traverses both bacterial membranes. Effector proteins are translocated, via this external needle, directly into host cells, where they subvert normal cell functions to aid infection. Physical contact with host cells initiates secretion and leads to formation of a pore, thought to be contiguous with the needle channel, in the host-cell membrane. Here, we report the crystal structure of the Shigella flexneri needle subunit MxiH and a complete model for the needle assembly built into our three-dimensional EM reconstruction. The model, combined with mutagenesis data, reveals that signaling of host-cell contact is relayed through the needle via intersubunit contacts and suggests a mode of binding for a tip complex.

  19. Multiheteromacrocycles that complex metal ions. Third progress report, 1 May 1976--30 April 1977

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cram, D.J.

    1977-01-01

    The overall objective of this research is to design, synthesize and evaluate cyclic and polycyclic host organic compounds for their abilities to complex and lipophilize guest metal ions, their complexes and clusters. Host organic compounds consist of strategically placed solvating, coordinating and ion-pairing sites tied together by covalent bonds through hydrocarbon units around cavities shaped to be occupied by guest metal ions, or metal ions plus their ligands. Specificity in complexation is sought by matching the following properties of host and guest: cavity and metal ion sizes; geometric arrangements of binding sites; numbers of binding sites; characters of binding sites; and valences. The specific compounds synthesized and their complexing and lipophilizing properties are summarized

  20. Science in the schoolhouse: an uninvited guest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landrum, Timothy J; Tankersley, Melody

    2004-01-01

    Science and scientific thinking have not made a substantial impact on educational practice. In this discussion, we examine the relationship between science and education and delineate four reasons for characterizing science as an uninvited guest in schools: (a) Science is not highly regarded in society; (b) good science and bad science are often mistaken for one another; (c) the amount of current data is overwhelming; and (d) science is not easy for those who practice it (researchers), those who translate it (teacher educators), or those who consume it (teachers). We suggest several strategies to improve this relationship, including promoting standards of educational practice, emphasizing the role of teacher educators as translators of the research base into classroom practice, and linking student outcomes with the use of effective instructional practices.

  1. Hosted Services for Advanced V and V Technologies: An Approach to Achieving Adoption without the Woes of Usage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koga, Dennis (Technical Monitor); Penix, John; Markosian, Lawrence Z.; OMalley, Owen; Brew, William A.

    2003-01-01

    Attempts to achieve widespread use of software verification tools have been notably unsuccessful. Even 'straightforward', classic, and potentially effective verification tools such as lint-like tools face limits on their acceptance. These limits are imposed by the expertise required applying the tools and interpreting the results, the high false positive rate of many verification tools, and the need to integrate the tools into development environments. The barriers are even greater for more complex advanced technologies such as model checking. Web-hosted services for advanced verification technologies may mitigate these problems by centralizing tool expertise. The possible benefits of this approach include eliminating the need for software developer expertise in tool application and results filtering, and improving integration with other development tools.

  2. Social Hackers: Integration in the Host Chemical Recognition System by a Paper Wasp Social Parasite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turillazzi, S.; Sledge, M. F.; Dani, F. R.; Cervo, R.; Massolo, A.; Fondelli, L.

    Obligate social parasites in the social insects have lost the worker caste and the ability to establish nests. As a result, parasites must usurp a host nest, overcome the host recognition system, and depend on the host workers to rear their offspring. We analysed cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of live parasite females of the paper wasp social parasite Polistes sulcifer before and after usurpation of host nests, using the non-destructive technique of solid-phase micro-extraction. Our results reveal that hydrocarbon profiles of parasites change after usurpation of host nests to match the cuticular profile of the host species. Chemical evidence further shows that the parasite queen changes the odour of the nest by the addition of a parasite-specific hydrocarbon. We discuss the possible role of this in the recognition and acceptance of the parasite and its offspring in the host colony.

  3. Do the COX-2 inhibitors still have a role to play? : guest editorial ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Do the COX-2 inhibitors still have a role to play? : guest editorial. A Beeton. Abstract. No Abstract Available Southern African Journal of Anaesthesia & Analgesia Vol.11(2) 2005: 55-60. Full Text: EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT. Article Metrics. Metrics ...

  4. Instant OSSEC host-based intrusion detection system

    CERN Document Server

    Lhotsky, Brad

    2013-01-01

    Filled with practical, step-by-step instructions and clear explanations for the most important and useful tasks. A fast-paced, practical guide to OSSEC-HIDS that will help you solve host-based security problems.This book is great for anyone concerned about the security of their servers-whether you are a system administrator, programmer, or security analyst, this book will provide you with tips to better utilize OSSEC-HIDS. Whether you're new to OSSEC-HIDS or a seasoned veteran, you'll find something in this book you can apply today!This book assumes some knowledge of basic security concepts an

  5. Journal of Chemical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Advances in supramolecular chemistry and crystal engineering reported from India within the last decade are highlighted in the categories of new intermolecular interactions, designed supramolecular architectures, network structures, multi-component host-guest systems, cocrystals, and polymorphs. Understanding ...

  6. Copolymers containing phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes obtained by free and controlled radical polymerization techniques

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ulbricht, C.; Becer, C.R.; Winter, A.; Veldman, D.; Schubert, U.S.

    2008-01-01

    A methacrylate-functionalized phosphorescent Ir(III)-complex has been synthesized, characterized, and applied as a monomer in radical copolymerizations. Together with methyl methacrylate, the complex has been copolymerized under free radical polymerization conditions. Aiming for host-guest-systems,

  7. A Water-Soluble Cyclotriveratrylene-Based Supra-amphiphile: Synthesis, pH-Responsive Self-Assembly in Water, and Its Application in Controlled Drug Release.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Danyu; Li, Yang; Jie, Kecheng; Shi, Bingbing; Yao, Yong

    2016-06-17

    A new water-soluble cyclotriveratrylene (WCTV) was designed and synthesized, and benzyldimethyldodecylammonium chloride (G) was chosen as the guest molecule to construct a supra-amphiphile by the host-guest interaction between WCTV and G in water, which is pH responsive. The supra-amphiphiles self-assembled into vesicles in water. When the pH of the solution was below 7.0, the supra-amphiphile disassociated, and the vesicles collapsed. Then, the pH-responsive self-assembly system was utilized for controlled drug release.

  8. Workshop Summary Proceedings Document: G7 Alliance on Resource Efficiency: U.S.-hosted Workshop on the Use of Life Cycle Concepts in Supply Chain Management to Achieve Resource Efficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    This proceedings document summarizes prepared remarks, presentations and discussions from the G7 Alliance on Resource Efficiency: U.S.-hosted Workshop on the Use of Life Cycle Concepts in Supply Chain Management to Achieve Resource Efficiency.

  9. The Sexual and Mating System of the Shrimp Odontonia katoi (Palaemonidae, Pontoniinae), a Symbiotic Guest of the Ascidian Polycarpa aurata in the Coral Triangle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baeza, J. Antonio; Hemphill, Carrie A.; Ritson-Williams, Raphael

    2015-01-01

    Theory predicts that monogamy is adaptive in symbiotic crustaceans inhabiting relatively small and morphologically simple hosts in tropical environments where predation risk away from hosts is high. We tested this prediction in the shrimp Odontonia katoi, which inhabits the atrial chamber of the ascidian Polycarpa aurata in the Coral Triangle. Preliminary observations in O. katoi indicated that males were smaller than females, which is suggestive of sex change (protandry) in some symbiotic organisms. Thus, we first investigated the sexual system of O. katoi to determine if this shrimp was sequentially hermaphroditic. Morphological identification and size frequency distributions indicated that the population comprised males that, on average, were smaller than females. Gonad dissections demonstrated the absence of transitional individuals. Thus, O. katoi is a gonochoric species with reverse sexual dimorphism. The population distribution of O. katoi in its ascidian host did not differ significantly from a random distribution and shrimps inhabiting the same host individual as pairs were found with a frequency similar to that expected by chance alone. This is in contrast to that reported for other socially monogamous crustaceans in which pairs of heterosexual conspecifics are found in host individuals more frequently than expected by chance alone. Thus, the available information argues against monogamy in O. katoi. Furthermore, that a high frequency of solitary females were found brooding embryos and that the sex ratio was skewed toward females suggests that males might be roaming among hosts in search of receptive females in O. katoi. Symbiotic crustaceans can be used as a model system to understand the adaptive value of sexual and mating systems in marine invertebrates. PMID:25799577

  10. Host Rock Classification (HRC) system for nuclear waste disposal in crystalline bedrock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagros, A.

    2006-01-01

    A new rock mass classification scheme, the Host Rock Classification system (HRC-system) has been developed for evaluating the suitability of volumes of rock mass for the disposal of high-level nuclear waste in Precambrian crystalline bedrock. To support the development of the system, the requirements of host rock to be used for disposal have been studied in detail and the significance of the various rock mass properties have been examined. The HRC-system considers both the long-term safety of the repository and the constructability in the rock mass. The system is specific to the KBS-3V disposal concept and can be used only at sites that have been evaluated to be suitable at the site scale. By using the HRC-system, it is possible to identify potentially suitable volumes within the site at several different scales (repository, tunnel and canister scales). The selection of the classification parameters to be included in the HRC-system is based on an extensive study on the rock mass properties and their various influences on the long-term safety, the constructability and the layout and location of the repository. The parameters proposed for the classification at the repository scale include fracture zones, strength/stress ratio, hydraulic conductivity and the Groundwater Chemistry Index. The parameters proposed for the classification at the tunnel scale include hydraulic conductivity, Q' and fracture zones and the parameters proposed for the classification at the canister scale include hydraulic conductivity, Q', fracture zones, fracture width (aperture + filling) and fracture trace length. The parameter values will be used to determine the suitability classes for the volumes of rock to be classified. The HRC-system includes four suitability classes at the repository and tunnel scales and three suitability classes at the canister scale and the classification process is linked to several important decisions regarding the location and acceptability of many components of

  11. The effects of host-feeding on stability of discrete-time host-parasitoid population dynamic models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emerick, Brooks; Singh, Abhyudai

    2016-02-01

    Discrete-time models are the traditional approach for capturing population dynamics of a host-parasitoid system. Recent work has introduced a semi-discrete framework for obtaining model update functions that connect host-parasitoid population levels from year-to-year. In particular, this framework uses differential equations to describe the host-parasitoid interaction during the time of year when they come in contact, allowing specific behaviors to be mechanistically incorporated. We use the semi-discrete approach to study the effects of host-feeding, which occurs when a parasitoid consumes a potential host larva without ovipositing. We find that host-feeding by itself cannot stabilize the system, and both populations exhibit behavior similar to the Nicholson-Bailey model. However, when combined with stabilizing mechanisms such as density-dependent host mortality, host-feeding contracts the region of parameter space that allows for a stable host-parasitoid equilibrium. In contrast, when combined with a density-dependent parasitoid attack rate, host-feeding expands the non-zero equilibrium stability region. Our results show that host-feeding causes inefficiency in the parasitoid population, which yields a higher population of hosts per generation. This suggests that host-feeding may have limited long-term impact in terms of suppressing host levels for biological control applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Host response to biomaterials the impact of host response on biomaterial selection

    CERN Document Server

    Badylak, Stephen F

    2015-01-01

    Host Response to Biomaterials: The Impact of Host Response on Biomaterial Selection explains the various categories of biomaterials and their significance for clinical applications, focusing on the host response to each biomaterial. It is one of the first books to connect immunology and biomaterials with regard to host response. The text also explores the role of the immune system in host response, and covers the regulatory environment for biomaterials, along with the benefits of synthetic versus natural biomaterials, and the transition from simple to complex biomaterial solutions. Fiel

  13. Host-pathogen interactions: A cholera surveillance system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wright, Aaron T.

    2016-02-22

    Bacterial pathogen-secreted proteases may play a key role in inhibiting a potentially widespread host-pathogen interaction. Activity-based protein profiling enabled the identification of a major Vibrio cholerae serine protease that limits the ability of a host-derived intestinal lectin to bind to the bacterial pathogen in vivo.

  14. Development of Account Receivable and Payable System for Travel Bureau Company

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karma, I. G. M.; Susanti, J.

    2018-01-01

    Sales and purchases of products on credit made by travel bureau companies require serious handling because it involves a lot of money and many parties. This research aims to build information systems to handle account payables and receivables related to the purchase and sale of tour packages on credit. The methodology is object-oriented approach, by using MS. Visual Basic. Net as a programming language and MySQL as its database package. As the results are the Account Receivable information system that is used to handle accounts receivable on agents who have purchased a tour package on credit for the guests it sends, and the Account Payable information system that is used to handle company’s account payable to suppliers who provided products or services to guests who purchase tour packages. Both of these systems handle the interrelated matter of a particular guest. Therefore, if both systems are integrated with the reservation system will be able to provide income statement on the reservation of certain guests.

  15. Crystal structure of clathrates of Hofmann dma-type

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    NIshikiori, Sh.; Ivamoto, T.

    1999-01-01

    Seven new clathrates Cd(DMA) 2 Ni(CN) 4 ·xG (x=1, G=aniline, 2,3-xylidine, 2,4-xylidine, 2,5-xylidine, 2,6-xylidine, 3,5-xylidine, and x=2, G=2,4,6-trimethylaniline) of Hofmann type are synthesized by amine substitution for dimethylamine (DMA). On the base of x-ray diffraction data it is shown that geometry of guest molecule in cage-like hollow determines the structure of the host and crystal structure of clathrates. Two-dimension metallocomplex of the host of studied clathrates is characterized by elastic folded structure appearing as a result of angular deformation of bond between Cd atoms and host cyanide bridge. Guest molecule orientation is fixed by hydrogen bond. Structural elasticity of the host complex directs to differences in crystal structure of clathrates formed and to considerable variety of incorporated guests [ru

  16. Self-assembled copper(II) metallacycles derived from asymmetric Schiff base ligands: efficient hosts for ADP/ATP in phosphate buffer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Amit; Pandey, Rampal; Kumar, Ashish; Gupta, Rakesh Kumar; Dubey, Mrigendra; Mohammed, Akbar; Mobin, Shaikh M; Pandey, Daya Shankar

    2015-10-21

    Novel asymmetric Schiff base ligands 2-{[3-(3-hydroxy-1-methyl-but-2-enylideneamino)-2,4,6-trimethylphenylimino]-methyl}-phenol (H2L(1)) and 1-{[3-(3-hydroxy-1-methyl-but-2-enylideneamino)-2,4,6-trimethylphenylimino]-methyl}-naphthalen-2-ol (H2L(2)) possessing dissimilar N,O-chelating sites and copper(ii) metallacycles (CuL(1))4 (1) and (CuL(2))4 (2) based on these ligands have been described. The ligands and complexes have been thoroughly characterized by satisfactory elemental analyses, and spectral (IR, (1)H, (13)C NMR, ESI-MS, UV/vis) and electrochemical studies. Structures of H2L(2) and 1 have been unambiguously determined by X-ray single crystal analyses. The crystal structure of H2L(2) revealed the presence of two distinct N,O-chelating sites on dissimilar cores (naphthalene and β-ketoaminato groups) offering a diverse coordination environment. Metallacycles 1 and 2 having a cavity created by four Cu(ii) centres coordinated in a homo- and heteroleptic fashion with respective ligands act as efficient hosts for adenosine-5'-diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) respectively, over other nucleoside polyphosphates (NPPs). The disparate sensitivity of these metallacycles toward ADP and ATP has been attributed to the size of the ligands assuming diverse dimensions and spatial orientations. These are attuned for π-π stacking and electrostatic interactions suitable for different guest molecules under analogous conditions, metallacycle 1 offers better orientation for ADP, while 2 for ATP. The mechanism of the host-guest interaction has been investigated by spectral and electrochemical studies and supported by molecular docking studies.

  17. Elasticity-dependent fast underwater adhesion demonstrated by macroscopic supramolecular assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ju, Guannan; Cheng, Mengjiao; Guo, Fengli; Zhang, Qian; Shi, Feng

    2018-05-30

    Macroscopic supramolecular assembly (MSA) is a recent progress in supramolecular chemistry to associate visible building blocks through non-covalent interactions in a multivalent manner. Although various substrates (e. g. hydrogels, rigid materials) have been used, a general design rule of building blocks in MSA systems and interpretation of the assembly mechanism are still lacking and urgently in demand. Here we design three model systems with varied modulus and correlated the MSA probability with the elasticity. Based on the effects of substrate deformability on multivalency, we have proposed an elastic-modulus-dependent rule that building blocks below a critical modulus of 2.5 MPa can achieve MSA for the used host/guest system. Moreover, this MSA rule applies well to the design of materials applicable for fast underwater adhesion: Soft substrates (0.5 MPa) can achieve underwater adhesion within 10 s with one magnitude higher strength than that of rigid substrates (2.5 MPa). © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Predicting Complexation Thermodynamic Parameters of β-Cyclodextrin with Chiral Guests by Using Swarm Intelligence and Support Vector Machines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luckhana Lawtrakul

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available The Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO and Support Vector Machines (SVMs approaches are used for predicting the thermodynamic parameters for the 1:1 inclusion complexation of chiral guests with β-cyclodextrin. A PSO is adopted for descriptor selection in the quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPR of a dataset of 74 chiral guests due to its simplicity, speed, and consistency. The modified PSO is then combined with SVMs for its good approximating properties, to generate a QSPR model with the selected features. Linear, polynomial, and Gaussian radial basis functions are used as kernels in SVMs. All models have demonstrated an impressive performance with R2 higher than 0.8.

  19. Research and development project in fiscal 1989 for fundamental technologies for next generation industries. Achievement report on research and development on photoreactive materials (Research on enhancement of functional stability of PHB materials); 1989 nendo hikari hanno zairyo no kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. PHB zairyo no kino anteisei kojo ni kansuru kenkyu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1990-03-01

    With an objective of establishing the fundamental technologies related to photo reactive materials that can be used for ultra-high density recording, high-resolution indication, and photoswitches by controlling structures and association status of molecules by using actions of light, research and development has been performed. This paper summarizes the achievements in fiscal 1989. In the research of synthesis and evaluation of PHB materials, a possibility was verified to form holes at temperatures higher than the liquid nitrogen temperature on all the materials in which six kinds of ionic porphin derivatives were dispersed into polyvinyl alcohol. Stability of holes in the tetra-alkyl pyridinium porhpn/polymer system was evaluated, the hole half-width was measured accurately by using ring die laser, and the hole forming characteristics were evaluated by means of high-power density and brief laser light irradiation. In search of new guests, a two-photon absorption spectrum measuring instrument was assembled to measure samples having zinc tetra-phenylporphyrin derivative as the guest. In addition, hole formation was discovered in samples having indomethylene based coloring matter as the guest. (NEDO)

  20. Efficiency optimization of green phosphorescent organic light-emitting device

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Jung Soo; Jeon, Woo Sik; Yu, Jae Hyung [Department of Information Display, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 130-701 (Korea, Republic of); Pode, Ramchandra, E-mail: rbpode@khu.ac.k [Department of Physics, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 130-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Jang Hyuk, E-mail: jhkwon@khu.ac.k [Department of Information Display, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 130-701 (Korea, Republic of)

    2011-03-01

    Using a narrow band gap host of bis[2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-pyridine]beryllium (Bepp{sub 2}) and green phosphorescent Ir(ppy){sub 3} [fac-tris(2-phenylpyridine) iridium III] guest concentration as low as 2%, high efficiency phosphorescent organic light-emitting diode (PHOLED) is realized. Current and power efficiencies of 62.5 cd/A (max.), 51.0 lm/W (max.), and external quantum efficiency (max.) of 19.8% are reported in this green PHOLED. A low current efficiency roll-off value of 10% over the brightness of 10,000 cd/m{sup 2} is noticed in this Bepp{sub 2} single host device. Such a high efficiency is obtained by the optimization of the doping concentration with the knowledge of the hole trapping and the emission zone situations in this host-guest system. It is suggested that the reported device performance is suitable for applications in high brightness displays and lighting.

  1. Microbial endocrinology: Host-microbiota neuroendocrine interactions influencing brain and behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyte, Mark

    2014-01-01

    The ability of microorganisms, whether present as commensals within the microbiota or introduced as part of a therapeutic regimen, to influence behavior has been demonstrated by numerous laboratories over the last few years. Our understanding of the mechanisms that are responsible for microbiota-gut-brain interactions is, however, lacking. The complexity of the microbiota is, of course, a contributing factor. Nonetheless, while microbiologists approaching the issue of microbiota-gut-brain interactions in the behavior well recognize such complexity, what is often overlooked is the equal complexity of the host neurophysiological system, especially within the gut which is differentially innervated by the enteric nervous system. As such, in the search for common mechanisms by which the microbiota may influence behavior one may look for mechanisms which are shared by both host and microbiota. Such interkingdom signaling can be found in the shared production of neurochemical mediators that are found in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The study of the production and recognition of neurochemicals that are exactly the same in structure to those produced in the vertebrate organisms is known as microbial endocrinology. The examination of the microbiota from the vantage point of host-microbiota neuroendocrine interactions cannot only identify new microbial endocrinology-based mechanisms by which the microbiota can influence host behavior, but also lead to the design of interventions in which the composition of the microbiota may be modulated in order to achieve a specific microbial endocrinology-based profile beneficial to overall host behavior.

  2. Guest Editorial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evelyn Ai Lin Teo

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available This section contains upgraded papers originally published at The CIB W099 International Conference on "Modelling and Building Health and Safety”, which was organised and hosted by the Department of Building, National University of Singapore (NUS. It was held on 10 -11 September 2012 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Center, Singapore.  The focal objectives of this section are to explore the integration and application of new techniques, technologies and strategies towards attaining verifiable improvements in occupational safety and health in construction.

  3. Geochemical constraints on sources of metabolic energy for chemolithoautotrophy in ultramafic-hosted deep-sea hydrothermal systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCollom, Thomas M

    2007-12-01

    Numerical models are employed to investigate sources of chemical energy for autotrophic microbial metabolism that develop during mixing of oxidized seawater with strongly reduced fluids discharged from ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal systems on the seafloor. Hydrothermal fluids in these systems are highly enriched in H(2) and CH(4) as a result of alteration of ultramafic rocks (serpentinization) in the subsurface. Based on the availability of chemical energy sources, inferences are made about the likely metabolic diversity, relative abundance, and spatial distribution of microorganisms within ultramafic-hosted systems. Metabolic reactions involving H(2) and CH(4), particularly hydrogen oxidation, methanotrophy, sulfate reduction, and methanogenesis, represent the predominant sources of chemical energy during fluid mixing. Owing to chemical gradients that develop from fluid mixing, aerobic metabolisms are likely to predominate in low-temperature environments (energy per kilogram of hydrothermal fluid, while anaerobic metabolic reactions can supply about 1 kJ, which is sufficient to support a maximum of approximately 120 mg (dry weight) of primary biomass production by aerobic organisms and approximately 20-30 mg biomass by anaerobes. The results indicate that ultramafic-hosted systems are capable of supplying about twice as much chemical energy as analogous deep-sea hydrothermal systems hosted in basaltic rocks.

  4. Computational phase diagrams of noble gas hydrates under pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Teeratchanan, Pattanasak, E-mail: s1270872@sms.ed.ac.uk; Hermann, Andreas, E-mail: a.hermann@ed.ac.uk [Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions and SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FD (United Kingdom)

    2015-10-21

    We present results from a first-principles study on the stability of noble gas-water compounds in the pressure range 0-100 kbar. Filled-ice structures based on the host water networks ice-I{sub h}, ice-I{sub c}, ice-II, and C{sub 0} interacting with guest species He, Ne, and Ar are investigated, using density functional theory (DFT) with four different exchange-correlation functionals that include dispersion effects to various degrees: the non-local density-based optPBE-van der Waals (vdW) and rPW86-vdW2 functionals, the semi-empirical D2 atom pair correction, and the semi-local PBE functional. In the He-water system, the sequence of stable phases closely matches that seen in the hydrogen hydrates, a guest species of comparable size. In the Ne-water system, we predict a novel hydrate structure based on the C{sub 0} water network to be stable or at least competitive at relatively low pressure. In the Ar-water system, as expected, no filled-ice phases are stable; however, a partially occupied Ar-C{sub 0} hydrate structure is metastable with respect to the constituents. The ability of the different DFT functionals to describe the weak host-guest interactions is analysed and compared to coupled cluster results on gas phase systems.

  5. A Binary System in the Hyades Cluster Hosting a Neptune-Sized Planet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feinstein, Adina; Ciardi, David; Crossfield, Ian; Schlieder, Joshua; Petigura, Erik; David, Trevor J.; Bristow, Makennah; Patel, Rahul; Arnold, Lauren; Benneke, Björn; Christiansen, Jessie; Dressing, Courtney; Fulton, Benjamin; Howard, Andrew; Isaacson, Howard; Sinukoff, Evan; Thackeray, Beverly

    2018-01-01

    We report the discovery of a Neptune-size planet (Rp = 3.0Rearth) in the Hyades Cluster. The host star is in a binary system, comprising a K5V star and M7/8V star with a projected separation of 40 AU. The planet orbits the primary star with an orbital period of 17.3 days and a transit duration of 3 hours. The host star is bright (V = 11.2, J = 9.1) and so may be a good target for precise radial velocity measurements. The planet is the first Neptune-sized planet to be found orbiting in a binary system within an open cluster. The Hyades is the nearest star cluster to the Sun, has an age of 625-750 Myr, and forms one of the fundamental rungs in the distance ladder; understanding the planet population in such a well-studied cluster can help us understand and set contraints on the formation and evolution of planetary systems.

  6. A Phosphorylation Switch on Lon Protease Regulates Bacterial Type III Secretion System in Host

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaofeng Zhou

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Most pathogenic bacteria deliver virulence factors into host cytosol through type III secretion systems (T3SS to perturb host immune responses. The expression of T3SS is often repressed in rich medium but is specifically induced in the host environment. The molecular mechanisms underlying host-specific induction of T3SS expression is not completely understood. Here we demonstrate in Xanthomonas citri that host-induced phosphorylation of the ATP-dependent protease Lon stabilizes HrpG, the master regulator of T3SS, conferring bacterial virulence. Ser/Thr/Tyr phosphoproteome analysis revealed that phosphorylation of Lon at serine 654 occurs in the citrus host. In rich medium, Lon represses T3SS by degradation of HrpG via recognition of its N terminus. Genetic and biochemical data indicate that phosphorylation at serine 654 deactivates Lon proteolytic activity and attenuates HrpG proteolysis. Substitution of alanine for Lon serine 654 resulted in repression of T3SS gene expression in the citrus host through robust degradation of HrpG and reduced bacterial virulence. Our work reveals a novel mechanism for distinct regulation of bacterial T3SS in different environments. Additionally, our data provide new insight into the role of protein posttranslational modification in the regulation of bacterial virulence.

  7. Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science (MS PHD'S) Beyond the PhD Professional Development Program: A Pilot Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, A.; Jearld, A.; Williamson Whitney, V.; Huggans, M.; Ricciardi, L.; Thomas, S. H.; Jansma, P. E.

    2012-12-01

    In 2011 the Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science (MS PHD'S)® initiative launched its newest activity entitled the MS PHD'S "Beyond the PhD (B-PhD) Professional Development Program." This exciting new program was designed to facilitate the development of a new community of underrepresented minority (URM) doctoral candidates and recent doctorate degree recipients in Earth system science (ESS)-related fields. The MS PHD'S B-PhD provides customized support and advocacy for MS PHD'S B-PhD participants in order to facilitate smoother and informed transitions from graduate school, to postdoctoral and tenure-track positions, as well as other "first" jobs in government, industry, and non-profit organizations. In November 2011 the first cohort of MS PHD'S B-PhD participants engaged in intensive sessions on the following topics: "Toolkits for Success for Academia, Business/Industry, Federal Government and Non-Profits", "Defining Short, Mid and Long Term Career Goals", "Accessing and Refining Skill Sets and Other Door Openers", "International Preparation and Opportunities", "Paying it Forward/Lifting as You Climb", and "Customized Strategies for Next Steps". This pilot event, which was hosted by the University of Texas at Arlington's (UTA) College of Science, also provided opportunities for participants to serve as guest lecturers in the UTA's Colleges of Science and Engineering and included one-on-one discussions with MS PHD'S B-PhD mentors and guest speakers who are well established within their individual ESS fields. Insights regarding opportunities, challenges and obstacles commonly faced by URMs within the ESS fields, as well as strategies for success were shared by MS PHD'S B-PhD mentors and guest speakers. Survey results indicate that MS PHD'S B-PhD participants appreciated not only the material covered during this pilot activity, but also appreciated the opportunity to become part of a community of young URM ESS

  8. Avoided crossing of rattler modes in thermoelectric materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Mogens; Abrahamsen, Asger Bech; Christensen, Niels Bech

    2008-01-01

    thermoelectric materials, and the challenge is to limit the conduction of heat by phonons, without simultaneously reducing the charge transport. This is named the 'phonon glass-electron crystal' concept and may be realized in host-guest systems. The guest entities are believed to have independent oscillations......, so-called rattler modes, which scatter the acoustic phonons and reduce the thermal conductivity. We have investigated the phonon dispersion relation in the phonon glass-electron crystal material Ba8Ga16Ge30 using neutron triple-axis spectroscopy. The results disclose unambiguously the theoretically...

  9. VirHostNet 2.0: surfing on the web of virus/host molecular interactions data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guirimand, Thibaut; Delmotte, Stéphane; Navratil, Vincent

    2015-01-01

    VirHostNet release 2.0 (http://virhostnet.prabi.fr) is a knowledgebase dedicated to the network-based exploration of virus-host protein-protein interactions. Since the previous VirhostNet release (2009), a second run of manual curation was performed to annotate the new torrent of high-throughput protein-protein interactions data from the literature. This resource is shared publicly, in PSI-MI TAB 2.5 format, using a PSICQUIC web service. The new interface of VirHostNet 2.0 is based on Cytoscape web library and provides a user-friendly access to the most complete and accurate resource of virus-virus and virus-host protein-protein interactions as well as their projection onto their corresponding host cell protein interaction networks. We hope that the VirHostNet 2.0 system will facilitate systems biology and gene-centered analysis of infectious diseases and will help to identify new molecular targets for antiviral drugs design. This resource will also continue to help worldwide scientists to improve our knowledge on molecular mechanisms involved in the antiviral response mediated by the cell and in the viral strategies selected by viruses to hijack the host immune system. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  10. GUEST EDITORS' INTRODUCTION: Guest Editors' introduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guerraoui, Rachid; Vinoski, Steve

    1997-09-01

    The organization of a distributed system can have a tremendous impact on its capabilities, its performance, and its ability to evolve to meet changing requirements. For example, the client - server organization model has proven to be adequate for organizing a distributed system as a number of distributed servers that offer various functions to client processes across the network. However, it lacks peer-to-peer capabilities, and experience with the model has been predominantly in the context of local networks. To achieve peer-to-peer cooperation in a more global context, systems issues of scale, heterogeneity, configuration management, accounting and sharing are crucial, and the complexity of migrating from locally distributed to more global systems demands new tools and techniques. An emphasis on interfaces and modules leads to the modelling of a complex distributed system as a collection of interacting objects that communicate with each other only using requests sent to well defined interfaces. Although object granularity typically varies at different levels of a system architecture, the same object abstraction can be applied to various levels of a computing architecture. Since 1989, the Object Management Group (OMG), an international software consortium, has been defining an architecture for distributed object systems called the Object Management Architecture (OMA). At the core of the OMA is a `software bus' called an Object Request Broker (ORB), which is specified by the OMG Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) specification. The OMA distributed object model fits the structure of heterogeneous distributed applications, and is applied in all layers of the OMA. For example, each of the OMG Object Services, such as the OMG Naming Service, is structured as a set of distributed objects that communicate using the ORB. Similarly, higher-level OMA components such as Common Facilities and Domain Interfaces are also organized as distributed objects that can

  11. Carp erythrodermatitis : host defense-pathogen interaction

    OpenAIRE

    Pourreau, C.N.

    1990-01-01

    The outcome of a bacterial infection depends on the interaction between pathogen and host. The ability of the microbe to survive in the host depends on its invasive potential (i.e. spreading and multiplication), and its ability to obtain essential nutrients and to resist the host's defense system. On the other hand, the host's resistance to a bacterial attack depends on its physiological state, the intensity of the bacterial attack and the efficacy of the defense system to ...

  12. Nanographenes as electron-deficient cores of donor-acceptor systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yu-Min; Hou, Hao; Zhou, Yan-Zhen; Zhao, Xin-Jing; Tang, Chun; Tan, Yuan-Zhi; Müllen, Klaus

    2018-05-15

    Conjugation of nanographenes (NGs) with electro-active molecules can establish donor-acceptor π-systems in which the former generally serve as the electron-donating moieties due to their electronic-rich nature. In contrast, here we report a series of reversed donor-acceptor structures are obtained by C-N coupling of electron-deficient perchlorinated NGs with electron-rich anilines. Selective amination at the vertexes of the NGs is unambiguously shown through X-ray crystallography. By varying the donating ability of the anilino groups, the optical and assembly properties of donor-acceptor NGs can be finely modulated. The electron-deficient concave core of the resulting conjugates can host electron-rich guest molecules by intermolecular donor-acceptor interactions and gives rise to charge-transfer supramolecular architectures.

  13. Oxoanion Recognition by Benzene-based Tripodal Pyrrolic Receptors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bill, Nathan [University of Texas at Austin; Kim, Dae-Sik [University of Texas at Austin; Kim, Sung Kuk [University of Texas at Austin; Park, Jung Su [University of Texas at Austin; Lynch, Vincent M. [University of Texas at Austin; Young, Neil J [ORNL; Hay, Benjamin [ORNL; Yang, Youjun [University of Texas at Austin; Anslyn, Eric [University of Texas at Austin; Sessler, Jonathan L. [University of Texas

    2012-01-01

    Two new tripodal receptors based on pyrrole- and dipyrromethane-functionalised derivatives of a sterically geared precursor, 1,3,5-tris(aminomethyl)-2,4,6-triethylbenzene, are reported; these systems, compounds 1 and 2, display high affinity and selectivity for tetrahedral anionic guests, in particular dihydrogen phosphate, pyrophosphate and hydrogen sulphate, in acetonitrile as inferred from isothermal titration calorimetry measurements. Support for the anion-binding ability of these systems comes from theoretical calculations and a single-crystal X-ray diffraction structure of the 2:2 (host:guest) dihydrogen phosphate complex is obtained in the case of the pyrrole-based receptor system, 1. Keywords anion receptors, dihydrogen phosphate, hydrogen sulphate, X-ray structure, theoretical calculations.

  14. Multifunctional EuYVO4 nanoparticles coated with mesoporous silica

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Justino, Larissa G.; Nigoghossian, Karina; Capote, Ticiana S.O.; Scarel-Caminaga, Raquel M.; Ribeiro, Sidney J.L.; Caiut, José Maurício A.

    2016-01-01

    Mesoporous structures are interesting materials for the incorporation of dyes, drugs, and luminescent systems, leading to materials with important multifunctionalities. In a very unique way, these guest/host materials combine the high stability of inorganic systems, new guest-structuring features, and adsorption mechanisms in their well-defined pores. This work evaluates the luminescent properties of rare earth-doped YVO 4 nanoparticles coated with a mesoporous silica shell. The use of two different synthesis methodologies allowed for particle size control. The crystalline phase emerged without further heat treatment. The mesoporous shell decreased undesirable quenching effects on YVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles and rendered them biocompatible. The materials prepared herein could have interesting applications as luminescent markers or drug release systems.

  15. Final Project Report: Composition and Realization of Source-to-Sink High-Performance Flows: File Systems, Storage, Hosts, LAN and WAN

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Chase [New Jersey Inst. of Technology, Newark, NJ (United States)

    2017-09-06

    A number of Department of Energy (DOE) science applications, involving exascale computing systems and large experimental facilities, are expected to generate large volumes of data, in the range of petabytes to exabytes, which will be transported over wide-area networks for the purpose of storage, visualization, and analysis. The objectives of this proposal are to (1) develop and test the component technologies and their synthesis methods to achieve source-to-sink high-performance flows, and (2) develop tools that provide these capabilities through simple interfaces to users and applications. In terms of the former, we propose to develop (1) optimization methods that align and transition multiple storage flows to multiple network flows on multicore, multibus hosts; and (2) edge and long-haul network path realization and maintenance using advanced provisioning methods including OSCARS and OpenFlow. We also propose synthesis methods that combine these individual technologies to compose high-performance flows using a collection of constituent storage-network flows, and realize them across the storage and local network connections as well as long-haul connections. We propose to develop automated user tools that profile the hosts, storage systems, and network connections; compose the source-to-sink complex flows; and set up and maintain the needed network connections.

  16. Edit What do guests value most in Airbnb accommodations? An application of the hedonic pricing approach

    OpenAIRE

    Tarik Dogru; Osman Pekin

    2017-01-01

    Private rooms, entire homes, laundry, free parking, kitchens - these are just some of the amenities that Airbnb guests are looking for in accommodations. Using data from the Greater Boston Area, Dr. Dogru and Osman Pekin uncover how these amenities affect Airbnb nightly rates.

  17. A benign helminth alters the host immune system and the gut microbiota in a rat model system.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Wegener Parfrey

    Full Text Available Helminths and bacteria are major players in the mammalian gut ecosystem and each influences the host immune system and health. Declines in helminth prevalence and bacterial diversity appear to play a role in the dramatic rise of immune mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs in western populations. Helminths are potent modulators of immune system and their reintroduction is a promising therapeutic avenue for IMIDs. However, the introduction of helminths represents a disturbance for the host and it is important to understand the impact of helminth reintroduction on the host, including the immune system and gut microbiome. We tested the impact of a benign tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta, in a rat model system. We find that H. diminuta infection results in increased interleukin 10 gene expression in the beginning of the prepatent period, consistent with induction of a type 2 immune response. We also find induction of humoral immunity during the patent period, shown here by increased IgA in feces. Further, we see an immuno-modulatory effect in the small intestine and spleen in patent period, as measured by reductions in tissue immune cells. We observed shifts in microbiota community composition during the patent period (beta-diversity in response to H. diminuta infection. However, these compositional changes appear to be minor; they occur within families and genera common to both treatment groups. There was no change in alpha diversity. Hymenolepis diminuta is a promising model for helminth therapy because it establishes long-term, stable colonization in rats and modulates the immune system without causing bacterial dysbiosis. These results suggest that the goal of engineering a therapeutic helminth that can safely manipulate the mammalian immune system without disrupting the rest of the gut ecosystem is in reach.

  18. A benign helminth alters the host immune system and the gut microbiota in a rat model system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wegener Parfrey, Laura; Jirků, Milan; Šíma, Radek; Jalovecká, Marie; Sak, Bohumil; Grigore, Karina; Jirků Pomajbíková, Kateřina

    2017-01-01

    Helminths and bacteria are major players in the mammalian gut ecosystem and each influences the host immune system and health. Declines in helminth prevalence and bacterial diversity appear to play a role in the dramatic rise of immune mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) in western populations. Helminths are potent modulators of immune system and their reintroduction is a promising therapeutic avenue for IMIDs. However, the introduction of helminths represents a disturbance for the host and it is important to understand the impact of helminth reintroduction on the host, including the immune system and gut microbiome. We tested the impact of a benign tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta, in a rat model system. We find that H. diminuta infection results in increased interleukin 10 gene expression in the beginning of the prepatent period, consistent with induction of a type 2 immune response. We also find induction of humoral immunity during the patent period, shown here by increased IgA in feces. Further, we see an immuno-modulatory effect in the small intestine and spleen in patent period, as measured by reductions in tissue immune cells. We observed shifts in microbiota community composition during the patent period (beta-diversity) in response to H. diminuta infection. However, these compositional changes appear to be minor; they occur within families and genera common to both treatment groups. There was no change in alpha diversity. Hymenolepis diminuta is a promising model for helminth therapy because it establishes long-term, stable colonization in rats and modulates the immune system without causing bacterial dysbiosis. These results suggest that the goal of engineering a therapeutic helminth that can safely manipulate the mammalian immune system without disrupting the rest of the gut ecosystem is in reach.

  19. Host Event Based Network Monitoring

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jonathan Chugg

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of INL’s research on this project is to demonstrate the feasibility of a host event based network monitoring tool and the effects on host performance. Current host based network monitoring tools work on polling which can miss activity if it occurs between polls. Instead of polling, a tool could be developed that makes use of event APIs in the operating system to receive asynchronous notifications of network activity. Analysis and logging of these events will allow the tool to construct the complete real-time and historical network configuration of the host while the tool is running. This research focused on three major operating systems commonly used by SCADA systems: Linux, WindowsXP, and Windows7. Windows 7 offers two paths that have minimal impact on the system and should be seriously considered. First is the new Windows Event Logging API, and, second, Windows 7 offers the ALE API within WFP. Any future work should focus on these methods.

  20. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-03-07

    Mar 7, 2018 ... 2Faculty of Hotel Management and Tourism, Universiti Teknologi MARA, ..... However, 1 guest shared his negative experience with one the host while ... not be happening as guest satisfaction is one of the determinants of.

  1. The Empathizing-Systemizing Theory, Social Abilities, and Mathematical Achievement in Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escovar, Emily; Rosenberg-Lee, Miriam; Uddin, Lucina Q; Menon, Vinod

    2016-03-14

    The Empathizing-Systemizing (E-S) theory describes a profile of traits that have been linked to autism spectrum disorders, and are thought to encompass a continuum that includes typically developing (TD) individuals. Although systemizing is hypothesized to be related to mathematical abilities, empirical support for this relationship is lacking. We examine the link between empathizing and systemizing tendencies and mathematical achievement in 112 TD children (57 girls) to elucidate how socio-cognitive constructs influence early development of mathematical skills. Assessment of mathematical achievement included standardized tests designed to examine calculation skills and conceptual mathematical reasoning. Empathizing and systemizing were assessed using the Combined Empathy Quotient-Child (EQ-C) and Systemizing Quotient-Child (SQ-C). Contrary to our hypothesis, we found that mathematical achievement was not related to systemizing or the discrepancy between systemizing and empathizing. Surprisingly, children with higher empathy demonstrated lower calculation skills. Further analysis using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) revealed that the relationship between EQ-C and mathematical achievement was mediated by social ability rather than autistic behaviors. Finally, social awareness was found to play a differential role in mediating the relationship between EQ-C and mathematical achievement in girls. These results identify empathy, and social skills more generally, as previously unknown predictors of mathematical achievement.

  2. Eco-evolutionary dynamics in a coevolving host-virus system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frickel, Jens; Sieber, Michael; Becks, Lutz

    2016-04-01

    Eco-evolutionary dynamics have been shown to be important for understanding population and community stability and their adaptive potential. However, coevolution in the framework of eco-evolutionary theory has not been addressed directly. Combining experiments with an algal host and its viral parasite, and mathematical model analyses we show eco-evolutionary dynamics in antagonistic coevolving populations. The interaction between antagonists initially resulted in arms race dynamics (ARD) with selective sweeps, causing oscillating host-virus population dynamics. However, ARD ended and populations stabilised after the evolution of a general resistant host, whereas a trade-off between host resistance and growth then maintained host diversity over time (trade-off driven dynamics). Most importantly, our study shows that the interaction between ecology and evolution had important consequences for the predictability of the mode and tempo of adaptive change and for the stability and adaptive potential of populations. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

  3. Host and parasite morphology influence congruence between host and parasite phylogenies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweet, Andrew D; Bush, Sarah E; Gustafsson, Daniel R; Allen, Julie M; DiBlasi, Emily; Skeen, Heather R; Weckstein, Jason D; Johnson, Kevin P

    2018-03-23

    Comparisons of host and parasite phylogenies often show varying degrees of phylogenetic congruence. However, few studies have rigorously explored the factors driving this variation. Multiple factors such as host or parasite morphology may govern the degree of phylogenetic congruence. An ideal analysis for understanding the factors correlated with congruence would focus on a diverse host-parasite system for increased variation and statistical power. In this study, we focused on the Brueelia-complex, a diverse and widespread group of feather lice that primarily parasitise songbirds. We generated a molecular phylogeny of the lice and compared this tree with a phylogeny of their avian hosts. We also tested for the contribution of each host-parasite association to the overall congruence. The two trees overall were significantly congruent, but the contribution of individual associations to this congruence varied. To understand this variation, we developed a novel approach to test whether host, parasite or biogeographic factors were statistically associated with patterns of congruence. Both host plumage dimorphism and parasite ecomorphology were associated with patterns of congruence, whereas host body size, other plumage traits and biogeography were not. Our results lay the framework for future studies to further elucidate how these factors influence the process of host-parasite coevolution. Copyright © 2018 Australian Society for Parasitology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Communication of Slovenian Tourism Workers with Italian guests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silva Gomzi Praprotnik

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available For an Italian guest, getting to know Slovenia as a tourist destination is inevitably connected with getting to know the Slovenian cuisine. Italians are a nation eagerly developing the culture of food, and therefore the gastronomic offer in a certain environment and at a certain time is for them often the basis for a comprehensive perception of the said destination. A good offer, a suitable marketing and an attractive presentation of typical Slovenian dishes play an important role in getting to know natural and cultural heritage as they can widen the knowledge about people and places, eliminate prejudice and strengthen intercultural cooperation. Kind and professional staff, knowledge of the language, civilisation, cultural habits, and differences may be the factors contributing to the assertion of local products and services, and to educating the users of restaurant and tourism services.

  5. The Promise of Systems Biology Approaches for Revealing Host Pathogen Interactions in Malaria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meghan Zuck

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Despite global eradication efforts over the past century, malaria remains a devastating public health burden, causing almost half a million deaths annually (WHO, 2016. A detailed understanding of the mechanisms that control malaria infection has been hindered by technical challenges of studying a complex parasite life cycle in multiple hosts. While many interventions targeting the parasite have been implemented, the complex biology of Plasmodium poses a major challenge, and must be addressed to enable eradication. New approaches for elucidating key host-parasite interactions, and predicting how the parasite will respond in a variety of biological settings, could dramatically enhance the efficacy and longevity of intervention strategies. The field of systems biology has developed methodologies and principles that are well poised to meet these challenges. In this review, we focus our attention on the Liver Stage of the Plasmodium lifecycle and issue a “call to arms” for using systems biology approaches to forge a new era in malaria research. These approaches will reveal insights into the complex interplay between host and pathogen, and could ultimately lead to novel intervention strategies that contribute to malaria eradication.

  6. Syntheses and Characterization of New Nickel Coordination Polymers with 4,4’-Dipyridylsulfide. Dynamic Rearrangements of One-Dimensional Chains Responding to External Stimuli: Temperature Variation and Guest Releases/Re-Inclusions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hiroyuki Kawaguchi

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Crystal structures and dynamic rearrangements of one-dimensional coordination polymers with 4,4'-dipyridylsulfide (dps have been studied. Reaction of Ni(NO32·6H2O with dps in EtOH yielded [Ni(dps2(NO32]·EtOH (1, which had channels filled with guest EtOH molecules among the four Ni(dps2 chains. This coordination polymer reversibly transformed the channel structure responding to temperature variations. Immersion of 1 in m-xylene released guest EtOH molecules to yield a guest-free coordination polymer [Ni(dps2(NO32] (2a, which was also obtained by treatment of Ni(NO32·6H2O with dps in MeOH. On the other hand, removal of the guest molecules from 1 upon heating at 130 °C under reduced pressure produced a guest-free coordination polymer [Ni(dps2(NO32] (2b. Although the 2a and 2b guest-free coordination polymers have the same formula, they showed differences in the assembled structures of the one-dimensional chains. Exposure of 2b to EtOH vapor reproduced 1, while 2a did not convert to 1 in a similar reaction. Reaction of Ni(NO32·6H2O with dps in acetone provided [Ni(dps(NO32(H2O]·Me2CO (4 with no channel structure. When MeOH or acetone was used as a reaction solvent, the [Ni(dps2(NO32]·(guest molecule type coordination polymer ,which was observed in 1, was not formed. Nevertheless, the reaction of Ni(NO32·6H2O with dps in MeOH/acetone mixed solution produced [Ni(dps2(NO32]·0.5(MeOH·acetone (5, which has an isostructural Ni-dps framework to 1.

  7. Colloidal chirality in wormlike micellar systems exclusively originated from achiral species: Role of secondary assembly and stimulus responsivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Wenrong; Hao, Jingcheng

    2016-09-15

    Colloidal chirality in wormlike micellar systems exclusively originated from achiral species and discussion of the role of secondary assembly of fiber-like aggregates in chirality generation were presented in this paper. Herein, formation of colloidal wormlike micelles for the first time incorporated chirality and redox-responsiveness into one design via noncovalent interaction. A dual-stimuli-responsive gel of wormlike micelles which were designed by employing a dual-responsive cationic surfactant (FTMA) and a strong gelator (AzoNa4) and regulated by redox reaction and host-guest inclusion is presented. Both the redox and host-guest interaction play an important role in regulating the viscosity and supramolecular chirality of gels of the wormlike micelles. The supramolecular chirality and viscosity of the wormlike micelle gels were switched reversibly by exerting chemical redox onto the ferrocenyl groups. For the amphiphile FTMA containing redox-active ferrocenyl group, reversible control of the oxidation state of ferrocenyl groups leads to the charge and hydrophobicity changes of FTMA, therefore change its self-assembly behavior. Of equal interest, β-CD successfully detached the wormlike micelles via the recognition-inclusion behavior with FTMA and invalidate the H-bond and hydrophobic interaction between FTMA and AzoH4. This designed system provides a new strategy to tune the supramolecular chirality of colloidal aggregates and explore the specific packing mode detail within the micelles or the secondary assembly of the inter-micelles. We anticipate this dual-responsive H-bond-directed chiral gel switch could propose a new strategy when researchers designing new, multi-responsive functional gel materials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. STRATEGIC MARKETING ALTERNATIVES AT AGRO-TOURISM GUEST HOUSE LEVEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Violeta-Andreea ANDREIANA

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available During the last years, tourists started to turn away from the mass tourism and consider the alternative one. Therefore, various forms of tourism were born, among which the rural tourism, to be regarded from two perspectives: it contributes to local and regional development and brings benefits to tourism by creating a new, higher quality holiday concept. This requires the participation of local authorities in the preparing of area development strategies, involving the inhabitants and local traders. By following up the dramatic condition of the Romanian tourism, the insufficient development of the rural tourism and the low involvement degree of the local authorities, we proposed an assessment and recommended strategic marketing alternatives for the improvement of the current condition of the agro tourism guest houses.

  9. Edit What do guests value most in Airbnb accommodations? An application of the hedonic pricing approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tarik Dogru

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Private rooms, entire homes, laundry, free parking, kitchens - these are just some of the amenities that Airbnb guests are looking for in accommodations. Using data from the Greater Boston Area, Dr. Dogru and Osman Pekin uncover how these amenities affect Airbnb nightly rates.

  10. Rudder Based Roll Control via host-computer of A Robotic Boat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinping Bao

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Rudder based roll control of a small-sized robotic boat is a key technique for the devices on board to achieve good performance. This paper introduces a host-based robotic boat capable of performing basic movement operations. The course keeping and roll reduction are studied via rudder based method in simulations and sea trials. The boat dynamic model is built with the combination of mathematical analysis and system identification technique. A mixed sensitivity H control method design is selected since yaw and roll motion are posed in different frequency domains. Computer simulations and experiments carried out show that successful results are achieved.

  11. Rudder Based Roll Control via Host-Computer of a Robotic Boat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinping Bao

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Rudder based roll control of a small-sized robotic boat is a key technique for the devices on board to achieve good performance. This paper introduces a host-based robotic boat capable of performing basic movement operations. The course keeping and roll reduction are studied via rudder based method in simulations and sea trials. The boat dynamic model is built with the combination of mathematical analysis and system identification technique. A mixed sensitivity H∞ control method design is selected since yaw and roll motion are posed in different frequency domains. Computer simulations and experiments carried out show that successful results are achieved.

  12. Modelling parasite transmission in a grazing system: the importance of host behaviour and immunity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naomi J Fox

    Full Text Available Parasitic helminths present one of the most pervasive challenges to grazing herbivores. Many macro-parasite transmission models focus on host physiological defence strategies, omitting more complex interactions between hosts and their environments. This work represents the first model that integrates both the behavioural and physiological elements of gastro-intestinal nematode transmission dynamics in a managed grazing system. A spatially explicit, individual-based, stochastic model is developed, that incorporates both the hosts' immunological responses to parasitism, and key grazing behaviours including faecal avoidance. The results demonstrate that grazing behaviour affects both the timing and intensity of parasite outbreaks, through generating spatial heterogeneity in parasite risk and nutritional resources, and changing the timing of exposure to the parasites' free-living stages. The influence of grazing behaviour varies with the host-parasite combination, dependent on the development times of different parasite species and variations in host immune response. Our outputs include the counterintuitive finding that under certain conditions perceived parasite avoidance behaviours (faecal avoidance can increase parasite risk, for certain host-parasite combinations. Through incorporating the two-way interaction between infection dynamics and grazing behaviour, the potential benefits of parasite-induced anorexia are also demonstrated. Hosts with phenotypic plasticity in grazing behaviour, that make grazing decisions dependent on current parasite burden, can reduce infection with minimal loss of intake over the grazing season. This paper explores how both host behaviours and immunity influence macro-parasite transmission in a spatially and temporally heterogeneous environment. The magnitude and timing of parasite outbreaks is influenced by host immunity and behaviour, and the interactions between them; the incorporation of both regulatory processes

  13. The Trw type IV secretion system of Bartonella mediates host-specific adhesion to erythrocytes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muriel Vayssier-Taussat

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial pathogens typically infect only a limited range of hosts; however, the genetic mechanisms governing host-specificity are poorly understood. The alpha-proteobacterial genus Bartonella comprises 21 species that cause host-specific intraerythrocytic bacteremia as hallmark of infection in their respective mammalian reservoirs, including the human-specific pathogens Bartonella quintana and Bartonella bacilliformis that cause trench fever and Oroya fever, respectively. Here, we have identified bacterial factors that mediate host-specific erythrocyte colonization in the mammalian reservoirs. Using mouse-specific Bartonella birtlesii, human-specific Bartonella quintana, cat-specific Bartonella henselae and rat-specific Bartonella tribocorum, we established in vitro adhesion and invasion assays with isolated erythrocytes that fully reproduce the host-specificity of erythrocyte infection as observed in vivo. By signature-tagged mutagenesis of B. birtlesii and mutant selection in a mouse infection model we identified mutants impaired in establishing intraerythrocytic bacteremia. Among 45 abacteremic mutants, five failed to adhere to and invade mouse erythrocytes in vitro. The corresponding genes encode components of the type IV secretion system (T4SS Trw, demonstrating that this virulence factor laterally acquired by the Bartonella lineage is directly involved in adherence to erythrocytes. Strikingly, ectopic expression of Trw of rat-specific B. tribocorum in cat-specific B. henselae or human-specific B. quintana expanded their host range for erythrocyte infection to rat, demonstrating that Trw mediates host-specific erythrocyte infection. A molecular evolutionary analysis of the trw locus further indicated that the variable, surface-located TrwL and TrwJ might represent the T4SS components that determine host-specificity of erythrocyte parasitism. In conclusion, we show that the laterally acquired Trw T4SS diversified in the Bartonella lineage

  14. The Potential for Hosted Payloads at NASA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andraschko, Mark; Antol, Jeffrey; Baize, Rosemary; Horan, Stephen; Neil, Doreen; Rinsland, Pamela; Zaiceva, Rita

    2012-01-01

    The 2010 National Space Policy encourages federal agencies to actively explore the use of inventive, nontraditional arrangements for acquiring commercial space goods and services to meet United States Government requirements, including...hosting government capabilities on commercial spacecraft. NASA's Science Mission Directorate has taken an important step towards this goal by adding an option for hosted payload responses to its recent Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for Earth Venture-2 missions. Since NASA selects a significant portion of its science missions through a competitive process, it is useful to understand the implications that this process has on the feasibility of successfully proposing a commercially hosted payload mission. This paper describes some of the impediments associated with proposing a hosted payload mission to NASA, and offers suggestions on how these impediments might be addressed. Commercially hosted payloads provide a novel way to serve the needs of the science and technology demonstration communities at a fraction of the cost of a traditional Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) mission. The commercial communications industry launches over 20 satellites to GEO each year. By exercising this repeatable commercial paradigm of privately financed access to space with proven vendors, NASA can achieve science goals at a significantly lower cost than the current dedicated spacecraft and launch vehicle approach affords. Commercial hosting could open up a new realm of opportunities for NASA science missions to make measurements from GEO. This paper also briefly describes two GEO missions recommended by the National Academies of Science Earth Science Decadal Survey, the Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) mission and the Precipitation and All-weather Temperature and Humidity (PATH) mission. Hosted payload missions recently selected for implementation by the Office of the Chief Technologist are also discussed. Finally, there are

  15. Shigella infection of intestinal epithelium and circumvention of the host innate defense system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashida, Hiroshi; Ogawa, Michinaga; Mimuro, Hitomi; Sasakawa, Chihiro

    2009-01-01

    Shigella, Gram-negative bacteria closely related to Escherichia coli, are highly adapted human pathogens that cause bacillary dysentery. Although Shigella have neither adherence factors nor flagella required for attaching or accessing the intestinal epithelium, Shigella are capable of colonizing the intestinal epithelium by exploiting epithelial-cell functions and circumventing the host innate immune response. During Shigella infection, they deliver many numbers of effectors through the type III secretion system into the surrounding space and directly into the host-cell cytoplasm. The effectors play pivotal roles from the onset of bacterial infection through to the establishment of the colonization of the intestinal epithelium, such as bacterial invasion, intracellular survival, subversion of the host immune defense response, and maintenance of the infectious foothold. These examples suggest that Shigella have evolved highly sophisticated infectious and intracellular strategies to establish replicative niches in the intestinal epithelium.

  16. Observation of interstitial molecular hydrogen in clathrate hydrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grim, R Gary; Barnes, Brian C; Lafond, Patrick G; Kockelmann, Winfred A; Keen, David A; Soper, Alan K; Hiratsuka, Masaki; Yasuoka, Kenji; Koh, Carolyn A; Sum, Amadeu K

    2014-09-26

    The current knowledge and description of guest molecules within clathrate hydrates only accounts for occupancy within regular polyhedral water cages. Experimental measurements and simulations, examining the tert-butylamine + H2 + H2O hydrate system, now suggest that H2 can also be incorporated within hydrate crystal structures by occupying interstitial sites, that is, locations other than the interior of regular polyhedral water cages. Specifically, H2 is found within the shared heptagonal faces of the large (4(3)5(9)6(2)7(3)) cage and in cavities formed from the disruption of smaller (4(4)5(4)) water cages. The ability of H2 to occupy these interstitial sites and fluctuate position in the crystal lattice demonstrates the dynamic behavior of H2 in solids and reveals new insight into guest-guest and guest-host interactions in clathrate hydrates, with potential implications in increasing overall energy storage properties. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. The Biological Side of Water-Soluble Arene Ruthenium Assemblies

    OpenAIRE

    Therrien, Bruno; Furrer, Julien

    2014-01-01

    This review article covers the synthetic strategies, structural aspects, and host-guest properties of ruthenium metalla-assemblies, with a special focus on their use as drug delivery vectors. The two-dimensional metalla-rectangles show interesting host-guest possibilities but seem less appropriate for being used as drug carriers. On the other hand, metalla-prisms allow encapsulation and possible targeted release of bioactive molecules and consequently show some potential as drug delivery vect...

  18. Caged Molecular Glues as Photoactivatable Tags for Nuclear Translocation of Guests in Living Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arisaka, Akio; Mogaki, Rina; Okuro, Kou; Aida, Takuzo

    2018-02-21

    We developed dendritic caged molecular glues ( Caged Glue-R) as tags for nucleus-targeted drug delivery, whose multiple guanidinium ion (Gu + ) pendants are protected by an anionic photocleavable unit (butyrate-substituted nitroveratryloxycarbonyl; BA NVOC). Negatively charged Caged Glue-R hardly binds to anionic biomolecules because of their electrostatic repulsion. However, upon exposure of Caged Glue-R to UV light or near-infrared (NIR) light, the BA NVOC groups of Caged Glue-R are rapidly detached to yield an uncaged molecular glue ( Uncaged Glue-R) that carries multiple Gu + pendants. Because Gu + forms a salt bridge with PO 4 - , Uncaged Glue-R tightly adheres to anionic biomolecules such as DNA and phospholipids in cell membranes by a multivalent salt-bridge formation. When tagged with Caged Glue-R, guests can be taken up into living cells via endocytosis and hide in endosomes. However, when the Caged Glue-R tag is photochemically uncaged to form Uncaged Glue-R, the guests escape from the endosome and migrate into the cytoplasm followed by the cell nucleus. We demonstrated that quantum dots (QDs) tagged with Caged Glue-R can be delivered efficiently to cell nuclei eventually by irradiation with light.

  19. Enforcement of evaluation by achievement analysis system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konishi, Yasutoshi; Sonoyama, Minoru; Suzuki, Atsushi

    2004-02-01

    Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) has developed FBR achievement analysis system by the last fiscal year and has enforced the investigation of its functional expansion. That system is based on the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) to do comparative evaluation multilaterally between proposed concepts of FBR cycle or between FBR cycle and other power source systems. This fiscal year, we enforced achievement analysis for 22 cases of proposed concepts of FBR cycle and between FBR cycle and other power source systems (LWR, thermal power generation, hydraulic power generation, etc.). The evaluation items related with technical feasibility and social acceptability were included in addition to those of economy, resource utilization effectiveness, environmental burden reduction, nuclear proliferation resistance and safety. Also, we investigated social changes that could happen in our country in the future, and we drew 4 future scenarios combining likely changes, then we investigated classifications of weight that seem to be adequate under each scenario with its calculation logic. In establishing points of view or structure of evaluation, and in the process of drawing scenarios, we collected comments from experts in OR (Operations Research) field and energy field. (author)

  20. Design, Development, and Automated Verification of an Integrity-Protected Hypervisor

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-16

    also require considerable manual effort. For example, the verification of the SEL4 operating system [45] required several man years effort. In...Winwood. seL4 : formal verification of an OS kernel. In Proc. of SOSP, 2009. [46] K. Kortchinsky. Cloudburst: A VMware guest to host escape story

  1. Ionic core–shell dendrimers with a polycationic core: structural aspects and host–guest binding properties

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van de Coevering, R.; Bruijnincx, P.C.A.; Lutz, M.; Spek, A.L.; van Koten, G.; Klein Gebbink, R.J.M.

    2007-01-01

    The structural aspects and host–guest binding properties of ionic core–shell dendrimers [1]Br8 and [2]Br4, which bear a polycationic core and a neutral shell of Fréchet-type poly(benzyl aryl ether) dendrons, have been investigated by means of dendritic wedges [3]Br2 and [4]Br, that resemble one of

  2. Tipping the balance: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum secreted oxalic acid suppresses host defenses by manipulating the host redox environment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brett Williams

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a necrotrophic ascomycete fungus with an extremely broad host range. This pathogen produces the non-specific phytotoxin and key pathogenicity factor, oxalic acid (OA. Our recent work indicated that this fungus and more specifically OA, can induce apoptotic-like programmed cell death (PCD in plant hosts, this induction of PCD and disease requires generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS in the host, a process triggered by fungal secreted OA. Conversely, during the initial stages of infection, OA also dampens the plant oxidative burst, an early host response generally associated with plant defense. This scenario presents a challenge regarding the mechanistic details of OA function; as OA both suppresses and induces host ROS during the compatible interaction. In the present study we generated transgenic plants expressing a redox-regulated GFP reporter. Results show that initially, Sclerotinia (via OA generates a reducing environment in host cells that suppress host defense responses including the oxidative burst and callose deposition, akin to compatible biotrophic pathogens. Once infection is established however, this necrotroph induces the generation of plant ROS leading to PCD of host tissue, the result of which is of direct benefit to the pathogen. In contrast, a non-pathogenic OA-deficient mutant failed to alter host redox status. The mutant produced hypersensitive response-like features following host inoculation, including ROS induction, callose formation, restricted growth and cell death. These results indicate active recognition of the mutant and further point to suppression of defenses by the wild type necrotrophic fungus. Chemical reduction of host cells with dithiothreitol (DTT or potassium oxalate (KOA restored the ability of this mutant to cause disease. Thus, Sclerotinia uses a novel strategy involving regulation of host redox status to establish infection. These results address a long-standing issue

  3. Synthesis and structural and photoswitchable properties of novel chiral host molecules: axis chiral 2,2'-dihydroxy-1,1'-binaphthyl-appended stiff-stilbene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimasaki, Toshiaki; Kato, Shin-ichiro; Ideta, Keiko; Goto, Kenta; Shinmyozu, Teruo

    2007-02-16

    Novel photoswitchable chiral hosts having an axis chiral 2,2'-dihydroxy-1,1'-binaphthyl (BINOL)-appended stiff-stilbene, trans-(R,R)- and -(S,S)-1, were synthesized by palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling and low-valence titanium-catalyzed McMurry coupling as key steps, and they were fully characterized by various NMR spectral techniques. The enantiomers of trans-1 showed almost complete mirror images in the CD spectra, where two split Cotton effects (exciton coupling) were observed in the beta-transitions of the naphthyl chromophore at 222 and 235 nm, but no Cotton effect was observed in the stiff-stilbene chromophore at 365 nm. The structures of (R)-10 and trans-(R,R)-1 were confirmed by X-ray structural analysis. The optimized structure of cis-1 by MO calculations has a wide chiral cavity of 7-8 A in diameter, whereas trans-1 cannot form an intramolecular cavity based on the X-ray data. Irradiation of (R,R)-trans-1 with black light (lambda = 365 nm) in CH3CN or benzene at 23 degrees C led to the conversion to the corresponding cis-isomer, as was monitored by 1H NMR, UV-vis, and CD spectra. At the photostationary state, the cis-1/trans-1 ratio was 86/14 in benzene or 75/25 in CH3CN. On the other hand, irradiation of the cis-1/trans-1 (75/25) mixture in CH3CN with an ultra-high-pressure Hg lamp at 23 degrees C (lambda = 410 nm) led to the photostationary state, where the cis-1/trans-1 ratio was estimated to be 9/91 on the basis of the 1H NMR spectra. The cis-trans and trans-cis interconversions could be repeated 10 times without decomposition of the C=C double bond. Thus, a new type of photoswitchable molecule has been developed, and trans-1 and cis-1 were quite durable under irradiation conditions. The guest binding properties of the BINOL moieties of trans- and cis-(R,R)-1 with F-, Cl-, and H2PO4- were examined by 1H NMR titration in CDCl3. Similar interaction with F- and Cl- was observed in trans-1 (host/guest = 1/1, Kassoc = (1.0 +/- 0.13) x 103 for F

  4. Using a Bayesian network to clarify areas requiring research in a host-pathogen system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bower, D S; Mengersen, K; Alford, R A; Schwarzkopf, L

    2017-12-01

    Bayesian network analyses can be used to interactively change the strength of effect of variables in a model to explore complex relationships in new ways. In doing so, they allow one to identify influential nodes that are not well studied empirically so that future research can be prioritized. We identified relationships in host and pathogen biology to examine disease-driven declines of amphibians associated with amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis). We constructed a Bayesian network consisting of behavioral, genetic, physiological, and environmental variables that influence disease and used them to predict host population trends. We varied the impacts of specific variables in the model to reveal factors with the most influence on host population trend. The behavior of the nodes (the way in which the variables probabilistically responded to changes in states of the parents, which are the nodes or variables that directly influenced them in the graphical model) was consistent with published results. The frog population had a 49% probability of decline when all states were set at their original values, and this probability increased when body temperatures were cold, the immune system was not suppressing infection, and the ambient environment was conducive to growth of B. dendrobatidis. These findings suggest the construction of our model reflected the complex relationships characteristic of host-pathogen interactions. Changes to climatic variables alone did not strongly influence the probability of population decline, which suggests that climate interacts with other factors such as the capacity of the frog immune system to suppress disease. Changes to the adaptive immune system and disease reservoirs had a large effect on the population trend, but there was little empirical information available for model construction. Our model inputs can be used as a base to examine other systems, and our results show that such analyses are useful tools for

  5. Rationalization of chirality induction and inversion in a zinc trisporphyrinate by a chiral monoalcohol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Li; Hu, Chuanjiang; Shi, Bo; Wang, Yong

    2016-05-10

    A new host-guest system is formed between a benzene tricarboxamide linked zinc trisporphyrinate and a chiral monoalcohol (1-phenylethylalcohol). CD spectra show the chirality induction and inversion processes, which are controlled by the corresponding 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 coordination complexes. The binding constants calculated by UV-vis and CD spectral data are much larger than that for [Zn(TPP)] (TPP = tetraphenylporphyrin). The crystallographic structure of the host-guest complex reveals that multiple intramolecular hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions could contribute to its high binding affinity to 1-phenylethylalcohol. The DFT calculations suggest that the spatial orientations of porphyrin moieties change from the 1 : 1 complex to the 1 : 2 complex. The chirality induction and inversion processes are rationalized by the summation of pairwise interactions among multichromophores according to pairwise additivity.

  6. Ultrahigh and Selective SO2 Uptake in Inorganic Anion-Pillared Hybrid Porous Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Xili; Yang, Qiwei; Yang, Lifeng; Krishna, Rajamani; Zhang, Zhiguo; Bao, Zongbi; Wu, Hui; Ren, Qilong; Zhou, Wei; Chen, Banglin; Xing, Huabin

    2017-07-01

    The efficient capture of SO 2 is of great significance in gas-purification processes including flue-gas desulfurization and natural-gas purification, but the design of porous materials with high adsorption capacity and selectivity of SO 2 remains very challenging. Herein, the selective recognition and dense packing of SO 2 clusters through multiple synergistic host-guest and guest-guest interactions by controlling the pore chemistry and size in inorganic anion (SiF 6 2- , SIFSIX) pillared metal-organic frameworks is reported. The binding sites of anions and aromatic rings in SIFSIX materials grasp every atom of SO 2 firmly via S δ+ ···F δ- electrostatic interactions and O δ- ···H δ+ dipole-dipole interactions, while the guest-guest interactions between SO 2 molecules further promote gas trapping within the pore space, which is elucidated by first-principles density functional theory calculations and powder X-ray diffraction experiments. These interactions afford new benchmarks for the highly efficient removal of SO 2 from other gases, even if at a very low SO 2 concentration. Exceptionally high SO 2 capacity of 11.01 mmol g -1 is achieved at atmosphere pressure by SIFSIX-1-Cu, and unprecedented low-pressure SO 2 capacity is obtained in SIFSIX-2-Cu-i (4.16 mmol g -1 SO 2 at 0.01 bar and 2.31 mmol g -1 at 0.002 bar). More importantly, record SO 2 /CO 2 selectivity (86-89) and excellent SO 2 /N 2 selectivity (1285-3145) are also achieved. Experimental breakthrough curves further demonstrate the excellent performance of these hybrid porous materials in removing low-concentration SO 2 . © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a potent immunoregulator of the periodontal host defense system and alveolar bone homeostasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herbert, Bethany A.; Novince, Chad M.; Kirkwood, Keith L.

    2015-01-01

    Summary Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is a perio-pathogenic bacteria that has long been associated with localized aggressive periodontitis. The mechanisms of its pathogenicity have been studied in humans and pre-clinical experimental models. Although different serotypes of A. actinomycetemcomitans have differential virulence factor expression, A. actinomycetemcomitans cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), leukotoxin, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) have been most extensively studied in the context of modulating the host immune response. Following colonization and attachment in the oral cavity, A. actinomycetemcomitans employs CDT, leukotoxin, and LPS to evade host innate defense mechanisms and drive a pathophysiologic inflammatory response. This supra-physiologic immune response state perturbs normal periodontal tissue remodeling/turnover and ultimately has catabolic effects on periodontal tissue homeostasis. In this review, we have divided the host response into two systems: non-hematopoietic and hematopoietic. Non-hematopoietic barriers include epithelium and fibroblasts that initiate the innate immune host response. The hematopoietic system contains lymphoid and myeloid-derived cell lineages that are responsible for expanding the immune response and driving the pathophysiologic inflammatory state in the local periodontal microenvironment. Effector systems and signaling transduction pathways activated and utilized in response to A. actinomycetemcomitans will be discussed to further delineate immune cell mechanisms during A. actinomycetemcomitans infection. Finally, we will discuss the osteo-immunomodulatory effects induced by A. actinomycetemcomitans and dissect the catabolic disruption of balanced osteoclast-osteoblast mediated bone remodeling, which subsequently leads to net alveolar bone loss. PMID:26197893

  8. Multifunctional EuYVO{sub 4} nanoparticles coated with mesoporous silica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Justino, Larissa G. [Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Nigoghossian, Karina [Inst. of Chemistry – São Paulo State University- UNESP, 14801-970 Araraquara, SP (Brazil); Capote, Ticiana S.O.; Scarel-Caminaga, Raquel M. [Department of Morphology, Dental School at Araraquara, Univ. Estadual Paulista – UNESP, Araraquara, SP (Brazil); Ribeiro, Sidney J.L. [Inst. of Chemistry – São Paulo State University- UNESP, 14801-970 Araraquara, SP (Brazil); Caiut, José Maurício A., E-mail: caiut@ffclrp.usp.br [Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil)

    2016-11-15

    Mesoporous structures are interesting materials for the incorporation of dyes, drugs, and luminescent systems, leading to materials with important multifunctionalities. In a very unique way, these guest/host materials combine the high stability of inorganic systems, new guest-structuring features, and adsorption mechanisms in their well-defined pores. This work evaluates the luminescent properties of rare earth-doped YVO{sub 4} nanoparticles coated with a mesoporous silica shell. The use of two different synthesis methodologies allowed for particle size control. The crystalline phase emerged without further heat treatment. The mesoporous shell decreased undesirable quenching effects on YVO{sub 4}:Eu{sup 3+} nanoparticles and rendered them biocompatible. The materials prepared herein could have interesting applications as luminescent markers or drug release systems.

  9. Optical Sensing of Aromatic Amino Acids and Dipeptides by a Crown-Ether-Functionalized Perylene Bisimide Fluorophore.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weißenstein, Annike; Saha-Möller, Chantu R; Würthner, Frank

    2018-06-04

    The host-guest binding properties of a fluorescent perylene bisimide (PBI) receptor equipped with crown ether were studied in detail with a series of aromatic amino acids and dipeptides by UV/Vis, fluorescence and NMR spectroscopy. Fluorescence titration experiments showed that electron-rich aromatic amino acids and dipeptides strongly quench the fluorescence of the electron-poor PBI host molecule. Benesi-Hildebrand plots of fluorescence titration data confirmed the formation of host-guest complexes with 1:2 stoichiometry. Binding constants determined by global analysis of UV/Vis and fluorescence titration experiments revealed values between 10 3  m -1 and 10 5  m -1 in acetonitrile/methanol (9:1) at 23 °C. These data showed that amino acid l-Trp having an indole group and dipeptides containing this amino acid bind to the PBI receptor more strongly than other amino acids and dipeptides investigated here. For dipeptides containing l-Trp or l-Tyr, the binding strength is dependent on the distance between the ammonium group and the aromatic unit of the amino acids and dipeptides leading to a strong sensitivity for Ala-Trp dipeptide. 1D and 2D NMR experiments also corroborated 1:2 host-guest complexation and indicated formation of two diastereomeric species of host-guest complexes. The studies have shown that a properly functionalized PBI fluorophore functions as a molecular probe for the optical sensing of aromatic amino acids and dipeptides. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Understanding hospitality house guests' needs: a brief case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duncan, Mary Katherine Waibel

    2011-08-01

    A.E. Kazak's (2006) call to develop theory-driven and empirically supported programs aimed at strengthening the competencies of families affected by pediatric illness applies to both medical and nonmedical facilities and institutions that care for pediatric patients and their loved ones. M.K.W. Duncan and A. Blugis (in press, this issue) note that despite the intuitive and practical nature of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, no theory translates into an infallible understanding of any individual guest's needs or a program of universally applied best practice standards for meeting those needs. Using Maslow's theory as a framework, this brief report describes the complexity and fluidity of one mother's needs during her stay at a hospitality house following the birth of her premature twin babies. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Rudder Based Roll Control via host-computer of A Robotic Boat

    OpenAIRE

    Bao, Xinping; Yu, Zhenyu; Nonami, Kenzo

    2009-01-01

    Rudder based roll control of a small-sized robotic boat is a key technique for the devices on board to achieve good performance. This paper introduces a host-based robotic boat capable of performing basic movement operations. The course keeping and roll reduction are studied via rudder based method in simulations and sea trials. The boat dynamic model is built with the combination of mathematical analysis and system identification technique. A mixed sensitivity H control method design is sele...

  12. Periodic dynamic systems for infected hosts and mosquitoes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliva W. M.

    1996-01-01

    Full Text Available A mathematical model for the purpose of analysing the dynamic of the populations of infected hosts anf infected mosquitoes when the populations of mosquitoes are periodic in time is here presented. By the computation of a parameter lambda (the spectral radius of a certain monodromy matrix one can state that either the infection peters out naturally (lambda 1 the infection becomes endemic. The model generalizes previous models for malaria by considering the case of periodic coefficients; it is also a variation of that for gonorrhea. The main motivation for the consideration of this present model was the recent studies on mosquitoes at an experimental rice irrigation system, in the South-Eastern region of Brazil.

  13. Periodic dynamic systems for infected hosts and mosquitoes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. M. Oliva

    1996-06-01

    Full Text Available A mathematical model for the purpose of analysing the dynamic of the populations of infected hosts anf infected mosquitoes when the populations of mosquitoes are periodic in time is here presented. By the computation of a parameter lambda (the spectral radius of a certain monodromy matrix one can state that either the infection peters out naturally (lambda 1 the infection becomes endemic. The model generalizes previous models for malaria by considering the case of periodic coefficients; it is also a variation of that for gonorrhea. The main motivation for the consideration of this present model was the recent studies on mosquitoes at an experimental rice irrigation system, in the South-Eastern region of Brazil.

  14. A Blueprint for Innovation to Achieve Health System Transformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snowdon, Anne W

    2017-01-01

    Global health systems are challenged by escalating costs and growing demands for care created by the demands of aging populations and rising rates of chronic illness which place unsustainable pressure on health systems to meet population health needs. To overcome these challenges, transformational change is needed to strengthen health system performance and sustainability. Innovation is widely viewed as the strategy to drive transformational change in health systems; yet to date, innovation has lacked a clearly defined focus or agenda to achieve transformation. An actionable innovation agenda is needed to achieve transformational change for health systems. The key conditions for success as an innovation strategy are examined, including clearly defined innovation objectives, key milestones, and actionable steps every system stakeholder must pursue in order to guide the innovation agenda and ultimately accelerate the transformational changes needed for a sustainable healthcare system that delivers value to populations.

  15. Multiheteromacrocycles that Complex Metal Ions. Sixth Progress Report, 1 May 1979-30 April 1980

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cram, D. J.

    1980-01-15

    Objective is to design synthesize, and evaluate cyclic and polycyclic host organic compounds for their abilities to complex and lipophilize guest metal ions, their complexes, and their clusters. Host organic compounds consist of strategically placed solvating, coordinating, and ion-pairing sites tied together by covalent bonds through hydrocarbon units around cavities shaped to be occupied by guest metal ions or by metal ions plus their ligands. Specificity in complexation is sought by matching the following properties of host and guest: cavity and metal ion sizes; geometric arrangements of binding sites; number of binding sites; character of binding sites; and valences. During this period, hemispherands based on an aryloxy or cyclic urea unit, spherands based on aryloxyl units only, and their complexes with alkali metals and alkaline earths were investigated. An attempt to separate {sup 6}Li and {sup 7}Li by gel permeation chromatography of lithiospherium chloride failed. (DLC)

  16. How Human Papillomavirus Replication and Immune Evasion Strategies Take Advantage of the Host DNA Damage Repair Machinery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bordignon, Valentina; Di Domenico, Enea Gino; Trento, Elisabetta; D'Agosto, Giovanna; Cavallo, Ilaria; Pontone, Martina; Pimpinelli, Fulvia; Mariani, Luciano; Ensoli, Fabrizio

    2017-12-19

    The DNA damage response (DDR) is a complex signalling network activated when DNA is altered by intrinsic or extrinsic agents. DDR plays important roles in genome stability and cell cycle regulation, as well as in tumour transformation. Viruses have evolved successful life cycle strategies in order to ensure a chronic persistence in the host, virtually avoiding systemic sequelae and death. This process promotes the periodic shedding of large amounts of infectious particles to maintain a virus reservoir in individual hosts, while allowing virus spreading within the community. To achieve such a successful lifestyle, the human papilloma virus (HPV) needs to escape the host defence systems. The key to understanding how this is achieved is in the virus replication process that provides by itself an evasion mechanism by inhibiting and delaying the host immune response against the viral infection. Numerous studies have demonstrated that HPV exploits both the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and ataxia-telangiectasia and rad3-related (ATR) DDR pathways to replicate its genome and maintain a persistent infection by downregulating the innate and cell-mediated immunity. This review outlines how HPV interacts with the ATM- and ATR-dependent DDR machinery during the viral life cycle to create an environment favourable to viral replication, and how the interaction with the signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) protein family and the deregulation of the Janus kinase (JAK)-STAT pathways may impact the expression of interferon-inducible genes and the innate immune responses.

  17. Bulky melamine-based Zn-porphyrin tweezer as a CD probe of molecular chirality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrovic, Ana G; Vantomme, Ghislaine; Negrón-Abril, Yashira L; Lubian, Elisa; Saielli, Giacomo; Menegazzo, Ileana; Cordero, Roselynn; Proni, Gloria; Nakanishi, Koji; Carofiglio, Tommaso; Berova, Nina

    2011-10-01

    The transfer of chirality from a guest molecule to an achiral host is the subject of significant interest especially when, upon chiral induction, the chiroptical response of the host/guest complex can effectively report the absolute configuration (AC) of the guest. For more than a decade, dimeric metalloporphyrin hosts (tweezers) have been successfully applied as chirality probes for determination of the AC for a wide variety of chiral synthetic compounds and natural products. The objective of this study is to investigate the utility of a new class of melamine-bridged Zn-porphyrin tweezers as sensitive AC reporters. A combined approach based on an experimental CD analysis and a theoretical prediction of the prevailing interporphyrin helicity demonstrates that these tweezers display favorable properties for chiral recognition. Herein, we discuss the application of the melamine-bridged tweezer to the chiral recognition of a diverse set of chiral guests, such as 1,2-diamines, α-amino-esters and amides, secondary alcohols, and 1,2-amino-alcohols. The bulky periphery and the presence of a rigid porphyrin linkage lead, in some cases, to a more enhanced CD sensitivity than that reported earlier with other tweezers. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  18. Role of Neurochemicals in the Interaction between the Microbiota and the Immune and the Nervous System of the Host Organism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oleskin, Alexander V; Shenderov, Boris A; Rogovsky, Vladimir S

    2017-09-01

    This work is concerned with the role of evolutionary conserved substances, neurotransmitters, and neurohormones, within the complex framework of the microbial consortium-immune system-nervous system axis in the human or animal organism. Although the operation of each of these systems per se is relatively well understood, their combined effects on the host organism still await further research. Drawing on recent research on host-produced and microbial low-molecular-weight neurochemicals such as biogenic amines, amino acids, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), we suggest that these mediators form a part of a universal neurochemical "language." It mediates the whole gamut of harmonious and disharmonious interactions between (a) the intestinal microbial consortium, (b) local and systemic immune cells, and (c) the central and peripheral nervous system. Importantly, the ongoing microbiota-host interactivity is bidirectional. We present evidence that a large number of microbially produced low-molecular-weight compounds are identical or homologous to mediators that are synthesized by immune or nervous cells and, therefore, can bind to the corresponding host receptors. In addition, microbial cells specifically respond to host-produced neuromediators/neurohormones because they have adapted to them during the course of many millions of years of microbiota-host coevolution. We emphasize that the terms "microbiota" and "microbial consortium" are to be used in the broadest sense, so as to include, apart from bacteria, also eukaryotic microorganisms. These are exemplified by the mycobiota whose role in the microbial consortium-immune system-nervous system axis researchers are only beginning to elucidate. In light of the above, it is imperative to reform the current strategies of using probiotic microorganisms and their metabolites for treating and preventing dysbiosis-related diseases. The review demonstrates, in the example of novel probiotics (psychobiotics), that many target

  19. Leadership Lessons Learned From Being A Guest When The Hotel Was Overbooked

    OpenAIRE

    Kennedy, Doug

    2017-01-01

    Earlier this month I observed a difficult situation playing out at hotel where I was a guest, and it provided an invaluable reminder of just how important effective leadership is when things go wrong in the hotel business. The story is that I was traveling back from a trip to the Middle East where I had taken my college age daughter to practice the Arabic she is learning at University. To split up 16 hours of flying time, I planned for us to stay overnight in Rome, Italy at a hotel I had ...

  20. Carbohydrate Nanotechnology: Hierarchical Assemblies and Information Processing with Oligosaccharide-Synthetic Lectin Host-Guest Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-05

    Carbohydrates were explored as targets for synthetic receptors, in nanopatterning, and for directing the movement of nanoswimmers. A synthetic...dimensional movement of rods with translational and rotational diffusion coefficients and Dr respectively, neglecting the difference in...consistent with the previous theories. In the absence of flipping (f = 0), the diffusivity reduces to that of Brownian motion in circles. Neither of

  1. Trophic relationships between the parasitic plant species Phelipanche ramosa (L. and different hosts depending on host phenological stage and host growth rate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Delphine Moreau

    2016-07-01

    host plant, regardless of host growth rate. Results will be incorporated into a mechanistic model in order to analyse the effect of parasitic plant species on weed community assembly and to design new cropping systems for controlling P. ramosa.

  2. Adsorption Mechanism of Inhibitor and Guest Molecules on the Surface of Gas Hydrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yagasaki, Takuma; Matsumoto, Masakazu; Tanaka, Hideki

    2015-09-23

    The adsorption of guest and kinetic inhibitor molecules on the surface of methane hydrate is investigated by using molecular dynamics simulations. We calculate the free energy profile for transferring a solute molecule from bulk water to the hydrate surface for various molecules. Spherical solutes with a diameter of ∼0.5 nm are significantly stabilized at the hydrate surface, whereas smaller and larger solutes exhibit lower adsorption affinity than the solutes of intermediate size. The range of the attractive force is subnanoscale, implying that this force has no effect on the macroscopic mass transfer of guest molecules in crystal growth processes of gas hydrates. We also examine the adsorption mechanism of a kinetic hydrate inhibitor. It is found that a monomer of the kinetic hydrate inhibitor is strongly adsorbed on the hydrate surface. However, the hydrogen bonding between the amide group of the inhibitor and water molecules on the hydrate surface, which was believed to be the driving force for the adsorption, makes no contribution to the adsorption affinity. The preferential adsorption of both the kinetic inhibitor and the spherical molecules to the surface is mainly due to the entropic stabilization arising from the presence of cavities at the hydrate surface. The dependence of surface affinity on the size of adsorbed molecules is also explained by this mechanism.

  3. Building health research systems to achieve better health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    González Block Miguel

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Health research systems can link knowledge generation with practical concerns to improve health and health equity. Interest in health research, and in how health research systems should best be organised, is moving up the agenda of bodies such as the World Health Organisation. Pioneering health research systems, for example those in Canada and the UK, show that progress is possible. However, radical steps are required to achieve this. Such steps should be based on evidence not anecdotes. Health Research Policy and Systems (HARPS provides a vehicle for the publication of research, and informed opinion, on a range of topics related to the organisation of health research systems and the enormous benefits that can be achieved. Following the Mexico ministerial summit on health research, WHO has been identifying ways in which it could itself improve the use of research evidence. The results from this activity are soon to be published as a series of articles in HARPS. This editorial provides an account of some of these recent key developments in health research systems but places them in the context of a distinguished tradition of debate about the role of science in society. It also identifies some of the main issues on which 'research on health research' has already been conducted and published, in some cases in HARPS. Finding and retaining adequate financial and human resources to conduct health research is a major problem, especially in low and middle income countries where the need is often greatest. Research ethics and agenda-setting that responds to the demands of the public are issues of growing concern. Innovative and collaborative ways are being found to organise the conduct and utilisation of research so as to inform policy, and improve health and health equity. This is crucial, not least to achieve the health-related Millennium Development Goals. But much more progress is needed. The editorial ends by listing a wide range of topics

  4. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a potent immunoregulator of the periodontal host defense system and alveolar bone homeostasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herbert, B A; Novince, C M; Kirkwood, K L

    2016-06-01

    Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is a perio-pathogenic bacteria that has long been associated with localized aggressive periodontitis. The mechanisms of its pathogenicity have been studied in humans and preclinical experimental models. Although different serotypes of A. actinomycetemcomitans have differential virulence factor expression, A. actinomycetemcomitans cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), leukotoxin, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) have been most extensively studied in the context of modulating the host immune response. Following colonization and attachment in the oral cavity, A. actinomycetemcomitans employs CDT, leukotoxin, and LPS to evade host innate defense mechanisms and drive a pathophysiologic inflammatory response. This supra-physiologic immune response state perturbs normal periodontal tissue remodeling/turnover and ultimately has catabolic effects on periodontal tissue homeostasis. In this review, we have divided the host response into two systems: non-hematopoietic and hematopoietic. Non-hematopoietic barriers include epithelium and fibroblasts that initiate the innate immune host response. The hematopoietic system contains lymphoid and myeloid-derived cell lineages that are responsible for expanding the immune response and driving the pathophysiologic inflammatory state in the local periodontal microenvironment. Effector systems and signaling transduction pathways activated and utilized in response to A. actinomycetemcomitans will be discussed to further delineate immune cell mechanisms during A. actinomycetemcomitans infection. Finally, we will discuss the osteo-immunomodulatory effects induced by A. actinomycetemcomitans and dissect the catabolic disruption of balanced osteoclast-osteoblast-mediated bone remodeling, which subsequently leads to net alveolar bone loss. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. The Drosophila melanogaster host model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Igboin, Christina O.; Griffen, Ann L.; Leys, Eugene J.

    2012-01-01

    The deleterious and sometimes fatal outcomes of bacterial infectious diseases are the net result of the interactions between the pathogen and the host, and the genetically tractable fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has emerged as a valuable tool for modeling the pathogen–host interactions of a wide variety of bacteria. These studies have revealed that there is a remarkable conservation of bacterial pathogenesis and host defence mechanisms between higher host organisms and Drosophila. This review presents an in-depth discussion of the Drosophila immune response, the Drosophila killing model, and the use of the model to examine bacterial–host interactions. The recent introduction of the Drosophila model into the oral microbiology field is discussed, specifically the use of the model to examine Porphyromonas gingivalis–host interactions, and finally the potential uses of this powerful model system to further elucidate oral bacterial-host interactions are addressed. PMID:22368770

  6. The Drosophila melanogaster host model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christina O. Igboin

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available The deleterious and sometimes fatal outcomes of bacterial infectious diseases are the net result of the interactions between the pathogen and the host, and the genetically tractable fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has emerged as a valuable tool for modeling the pathogen–host interactions of a wide variety of bacteria. These studies have revealed that there is a remarkable conservation of bacterial pathogenesis and host defence mechanisms between higher host organisms and Drosophila. This review presents an in-depth discussion of the Drosophila immune response, the Drosophila killing model, and the use of the model to examine bacterial–host interactions. The recent introduction of the Drosophila model into the oral microbiology field is discussed, specifically the use of the model to examine Porphyromonas gingivalis–host interactions, and finally the potential uses of this powerful model system to further elucidate oral bacterial-host interactions are addressed.

  7. The Drosophila melanogaster host model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Igboin, Christina O; Griffen, Ann L; Leys, Eugene J

    2012-01-01

    The deleterious and sometimes fatal outcomes of bacterial infectious diseases are the net result of the interactions between the pathogen and the host, and the genetically tractable fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has emerged as a valuable tool for modeling the pathogen-host interactions of a wide variety of bacteria. These studies have revealed that there is a remarkable conservation of bacterial pathogenesis and host defence mechanisms between higher host organisms and Drosophila. This review presents an in-depth discussion of the Drosophila immune response, the Drosophila killing model, and the use of the model to examine bacterial-host interactions. The recent introduction of the Drosophila model into the oral microbiology field is discussed, specifically the use of the model to examine Porphyromonas gingivalis-host interactions, and finally the potential uses of this powerful model system to further elucidate oral bacterial-host interactions are addressed.

  8. Interactions and Supramolecular Organization of Sulfonated Indigo and Thioindigo Dyes in Layered Hydroxide Hosts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Ana L; Gomes, Ana C; Pereira, Ricardo C; Pillinger, Martyn; Gonçalves, Isabel S; Pineiro, Marta; Seixas de Melo, J Sérgio

    2018-01-09

    Supramolecularly organized host-guest systems have been synthesized by intercalating water-soluble forms of indigo (indigo carmine, IC) and thioindigo (thioindigo-5,5'-disulfonate, TIS) in zinc-aluminum-layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and zinc-layered hydroxide salts (LHSs) by coprecipitation routes. The colors of the isolated powders were dark blue for hybrids containing only IC, purplish blue or dark lilac for cointercalated samples containing both dyes, and ruby/wine for hybrids containing only TIS. The as-synthesized and thermally treated materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, Fourier transform Raman, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and elemental and thermogravimetric analyses. The basal spacings found for IC-LDH, TIS-LDH, IC-LHS, and TIS-LHS materials were 21.9, 21.05, 18.95, and 21.00 Å, respectively, with intermediate spacings being observed for the cointercalated samples that either decreased (LDHs) or increased (LHSs) with increasing TIS content. UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopies (steady-state and time-resolved) were used to probe the molecular distribution of the immobilized dyes. The presence of aggregates together with the monomer units is suggested for IC-LDH, whereas for TIS-LDH, IC-LHS, and TIS-LHS, the dyes are closer to the isolated situation. Accordingly, while emission from the powder H 2 TIS is strongly quenched, an increment in the emission of about 1 order of magnitude was observed for the TIS-LDH/LHS hybrids. Double-exponential fluorescence decays were obtained and associated with two monomer species interacting differently with cointercalated water molecules. The incorporation of both TIS and IC in the LDH and LHS hosts leads to an almost complete quenching of the fluorescence, pointing to a very efficient energy transfer process from (fluorescent) TIS to (nonfluorescent) IC.

  9. Trophic Relationships between the Parasitic Plant Species Phelipanche ramosa (L.) and Different Hosts Depending on Host Phenological Stage and Host Growth Rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreau, Delphine; Gibot-Leclerc, Stéphanie; Girardin, Annette; Pointurier, Olivia; Reibel, Carole; Strbik, Florence; Fernández-Aparicio, Mónica; Colbach, Nathalie

    2016-01-01

    , regardless of host growth rate. Results will be incorporated into a mechanistic model in order to analyze the effect of parasitic plant species on weed community assembly and to design new cropping systems for controlling P. ramosa. PMID:27468293

  10. Dual responsive supramolecular hydrogel with electrochemical activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Ping; Liu, Jianghua; Chen, Guosong; Jiang, Ming

    2011-08-02

    Supramolecular materials with reversible responsiveness to environmental changes are of particular research interest in recent years. Inclusion complexation between cyclodextrin (CD) and ferrocene (Fc) is well-known and extensively studied because of its reversible association-dissociation controlled by the redox state of Fc. Although there are quite a few reported nanoscale materials incorporating this host-guest pair, polymeric hydrogels with electrochemical activity based on this interactive pair are still rare. Taking advantage of our previous reported hybrid inclusion complex (HIC) hydrogel structure, a new Fc-HIC was designed and obtained with β-CD-modified quantum dots as the core and Fc-ended diblock co-polymer p(DMA-b-NIPAM) as the shell, to achieve an electrochemically active hydrogel at elevated temperatures. Considering the two independent cross-linking strategies in the network structure, i.e., the interchain aggregation of pNIPAM and inclusion complexation between CD and Fc on the surface of the quantum dots, the hydrogel was fully thermo-reversible and its gel-sol transition was achieved after the addition of either an oxidizing agent or a competitive guest to Fc.

  11. Dye-Induced Enhancement of Optical Nonlinearity in Liquids and Liquid Crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muenster, R.; Jarasch, M.; Zhuang, X.; Shen, Y.

    1997-01-01

    Optical nonlinearity of liquid crystals (LC) in the isotropic phase can be enhanced by 1 order of magnitude by dissolving 0.1% of anthraquinone dye in the LC. The enhancement decreases by ∼30% when the LC transforms into the nematic phase. The same guest-host effect also exists in non-LC liquids. It can be explained by a model based on the change of guest-host interaction induced by optical excitations of the dye. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

  12. A Systems Biology Approach to Infectious Disease Research: Innovating the Pathogen-Host Research Paradigm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aderem, Alan; Adkins, Joshua N.; Ansong, Charles; Galagan, James; Kaiser, Shari; Korth, Marcus J.; Law, G. L.; McDermott, Jason E.; Proll, Sean; Rosenberger, Carrie; Schoolnik, Gary; Katze, Michael G.

    2011-02-01

    The 20th century was marked by extraordinary advances in our understanding of microbes and infectious disease, but pandemics remain, food and water borne illnesses are frequent, multi-drug resistant microbes are on the rise, and the needed drugs and vaccines have not been developed. The scientific approaches of the past—including the intense focus on individual genes and proteins typical of molecular biology—have not been sufficient to address these challenges. The first decade of the 21st century has seen remarkable innovations in technology and computational methods. These new tools provide nearly comprehensive views of complex biological systems and can provide a correspondingly deeper understanding of pathogen-host interactions. To take full advantage of these innovations, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases recently initiated the Systems Biology Program for Infectious Disease Research. As participants of the Systems Biology Program we think that the time is at hand to redefine the pathogen-host research paradigm.

  13. Cyber-Physical System Security With Deceptive Virtual Hosts for Industrial Control Networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vollmer, Todd; Manic, Milos

    2014-01-01

    A challenge facing industrial control network administrators is protecting the typically large number of connected assets for which they are responsible. These cyber devices may be tightly coupled with the physical processes they control and human induced failures risk dire real-world consequences. Dynamic virtual honeypots are effective tools for observing and attracting network intruder activity. This paper presents a design and implementation for self-configuring honeypots that passively examine control system network traffic and actively adapt to the observed environment. In contrast to prior work in the field, six tools were analyzed for suitability of network entity information gathering. Ettercap, an established network security tool not commonly used in this capacity, outperformed the other tools and was chosen for implementation. Utilizing Ettercap XML output, a novel four-step algorithm was developed for autonomous creation and update of a Honeyd configuration. This algorithm was tested on an existing small campus grid and sensor network by execution of a collaborative usage scenario. Automatically created virtual hosts were deployed in concert with an anomaly behavior (AB) system in an attack scenario. Virtual hosts were automatically configured with unique emulated network stack behaviors for 92% of the targeted devices. The AB system alerted on 100% of the monitored emulated devices

  14. Teaching Information Systems Technologies: a New Approach based on Virtualization and Hosting Technologies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmelo R. García

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes how to provide suitable computing systems for information systems technologies learning using virtualization and hosting technologies. The main functionalities and components of an university learning lab based on these technologies are presented. All the software components used in its development are open source. Also, the use of this lab, providing the computing systems required for the learning activities of different matters related to the information systems technologies, is illustrated. The model of computing lab proposed is a more sustainable and scalable alternative than the traditional academic computing lab.

  15. Dynamics of glucosinolate-myrosinase system during Plutella xylostella interaction to a novel host Lepidium latifolium L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaur, Tarandeep; Bhat, Rohini; Khajuria, Manu; Vyas, Ruchika; Kumari, Anika; Nadda, Gireesh; Vishwakarma, Ram; Vyas, Dhiraj

    2016-09-01

    Plutella xylostella L. is a notorious pest of cruciferous crops causing worldwide losses of $4-5 billion per year. Developing classical biological control to this pest include an introduction of host plants that act as natural enemies showing deviation from the preference-performance regimen in the evolutionary ecology of plant-insect interactions. The present study was designed to understand the role of glucosinolate-myrosinase system during P. xylostella interactions with a novel host. Adult moth preference and larval performance study were conducted on a novel host Lepidium latifolium L. (LL) that has high sinigrin content and was compared with its laboratory host Arabidopsis thaliana (AT). The glucosinolate-myrosinase system was studied in a time course experiment during larval feeding in choice and no-choice experiments. Adult moths visit and prefers LL over AT for oviposition. Conversely, LL leaves were not preferred and proved detrimental for P. xylostella larvae. Aliphatic and indolic glucosinolates were found to decrease significantly (p≤0.05) in AT during initial 12h of P. xylostella challenge, whereas, they were not affected in LL. Also, MYB transcription factor expression and myrosinase activity in LL do not suggest a typical host response to a specialist insect. This preference-performance mismatch of P. xylostella on LL mediated by glucosinolate pattern suggests that this novel plant could be utilized in P. xylostella management. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The Thermodynamics of Anion Complexation to Nonpolar Pockets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sullivan, Matthew R; Yao, Wei; Tang, Du; Ashbaugh, Henry S; Gibb, Bruce C

    2018-02-08

    The interactions between nonpolar surfaces and polarizable anions lie in a gray area between the hydrophobic and Hofmeister effects. To assess the affinity of these interactions, NMR and ITC were used to probe the thermodynamics of eight anions binding to four different hosts whose pockets each consist primarily of hydrocarbon. Two classes of host were examined: cavitands and cyclodextrins. For all hosts, anion affinity was found to follow the Hofmeister series, with associations ranging from 1.6-5.7 kcal mol -1 . Despite the fact that cavitand hosts 1 and 2 possess intrinsic negative electrostatic fields, it was determined that these more enveloping hosts generally bound anions more strongly. The observation that the four hosts each possess specific anion affinities that cannot be readily explained by their structures, points to the importance of counter cations and the solvation of the "empty" hosts, free guests, and host-guest complexes, in defining the affinity.

  17. Simulation of climate-tick-host-landscape interactions: Effects of shifts in the seasonality of host population fluctuations on tick densities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hsiao-Hsuan; Grant, W E; Teel, P D; Hamer, S A

    2015-12-01

    Tick vector systems are comprised of complex climate-tick-host-landscape interactions that are difficult to identify and estimate from empirical observations alone. We developed a spatially-explicit, individual-based model, parameterized to represent ecological conditions typical of the south-central United States, to examine effects of shifts in the seasonal occurrence of fluctuations of host densities on tick densities. Simulated shifts in the seasonal occurrence of periods of high and low host densities affected both the magnitude of unfed tick densities and the seasonality of tick development. When shifting the seasonal densities of all size classes of hosts (small, medium, and large) synchronously, densities of nymphs were affected more by smaller shifts away from the baseline host seasonality than were densities of larval and adult life stages. When shifting the seasonal densities of only a single size-class of hosts while holding other size classes at their baseline levels, densities of larval, nymph, and adult life stages responded differently. Shifting seasonal densities of any single host-class earlier resulted in a greater increase in adult tick density than when seasonal densities of all host classes were shifted earlier simultaneously. The mean densities of tick life stages associated with shifts in host densities resulted from system-level interactions of host availability with tick phenology. For example, shifting the seasonality of all hosts ten weeks earlier resulted in an approximately 30% increase in the relative degree of temporal co-occurrence of actively host-seeking ticks and hosts compared to baseline, whereas shifting the seasonality of all hosts ten weeks later resulted in an approximately 70% decrease compared to baseline. Differences among scenarios in the overall presence of active host-seeking ticks in the system were due primarily to the degree of co-occurrence of periods of high densities of unfed ticks and periods of high densities

  18. A novel tetraarylpyrene host: Conformation-dependent inclusion of ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    insights toward realizing multicomponent molecular crystals in a rational manner. Keywords. Inclusion compounds ..... lent guest inclusion behaviour. A cursory glance at ... conformational changes in response to the shape, size and electronic ...

  19. A general equilibrium model of guest-worker migration: the source-country perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Djajic, S; Milbourne, R

    1988-11-01

    "This paper examines the problem of guest-worker migration from an economy populated by identical, utility-maximizing individuals with finite working lives. The decision to migrate, the rate of saving while abroad, as well as the length of a migrant's stay in the foreign country, are all viewed as part of a solution to an intertemporal optimization problem. In addition to studying the microeconomic aspects of temporary migration, the paper analyses the determinants of the equilibrium flow of migrants, the corresponding domestic wage, and the level of welfare enjoyed by a typical worker. Effects of an emigration tax are also investigated." excerpt

  20. Cucurbit[8]uril templated supramolecular ring structure formation and protein assembly modulation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ramaekers, M.; Wijnands, S.P.W.; van Dongen, J.L.J.; Brunsveld, L.; Dankers, P.Y.W.

    2015-01-01

    The interplay of Phe-Gly-Gly (FGG)-tagged proteins and bivalent FGG-tagged penta(ethylene glycol) as guest molecules with cucurbit[8]uril (Q8) hosts is studied to modulate the supramolecular assembly process. Ring structure formation of the bivalent guest molecule with Q8 leads to enhanced binding

  1. Interleukin-12 induces sustained activation of multiple host inflammatory mediator systems in chimpanzees

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lauw, F. N.; Dekkers, P. E.; te Velde, A. A.; Speelman, P.; Levi, M. [=Marcel M.; Kurimoto, M.; Hack, C. E.; van Deventer, S. J.; van der Poll, T.

    1999-01-01

    To determine in vivo effects of interleukin (IL)-12 on host inflammatory mediator systems, 4 healthy chimpanzees received recombinant human IL-12 (1 microg/kg) by intravenous injection. IL-12 induced increases in plasma concentrations of IL-15, IL-18, and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), plus a marked

  2. Investigating the relative influences of molecular dimensions and binding energies on diffusivities of guest species inside nanoporous crystalline materials

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Krishna, R.; van Baten, J.M.

    2012-01-01

    The primary objective of this article is to investigate the relative influences of molecular dimensions and adsorption binding energies on unary diffusivities of guest species inside nanoporous crystalline materials such as zeolites and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The investigations are based

  3. Restaurant Forty One Dinner Menu 2017

    OpenAIRE

    Restaurant Forty One

    2017-01-01

    This is fine-dining without the stuffiness. The restaurant can host up to 52 guests in the front and main room, with an additional two private dining rooms (with both catering for up to 10 guests each). Tasting menus and special requests are willingly accommodated, and wine tastings and dinner evenings are always available. Our welcoming team are proud to have recently hosted US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on her visit to Dublin. They now await your visit. “Exquisite works of art, and ...

  4. Continuous host-macroparasite models with application to aquaculture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine Bouloux Marquet

    2004-11-01

    Full Text Available We study a continuous deterministic host-macroparasite system which involves populations of hosts, parasites, and larvae. This system leads to a countable number of partial differential equations that under certain hypotheses, is reduced to finitely many equations. Also we assume hypotheses to close the system and to define the global dynamics for the hosts. Then, we analyze the spatially homogeneous model without demography (aquaculture hypothesis, and show some preliminary results for the spatially structured model.

  5. HostPhinder: A Phage Host Prediction Tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julia Villarroel

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The current dramatic increase of antibiotic resistant bacteria has revitalised the interest in bacteriophages as alternative antibacterial treatment. Meanwhile, the development of bioinformatics methods for analysing genomic data places high-throughput approaches for phage characterization within reach. Here, we present HostPhinder, a tool aimed at predicting the bacterial host of phages by examining the phage genome sequence. Using a reference database of 2196 phages with known hosts, HostPhinder predicts the host species of a query phage as the host of the most genomically similar reference phages. As a measure of genomic similarity the number of co-occurring k-mers (DNA sequences of length k is used. Using an independent evaluation set, HostPhinder was able to correctly predict host genus and species for 81% and 74% of the phages respectively, giving predictions for more phages than BLAST and significantly outperforming BLAST on phages for which both had predictions. HostPhinder predictions on phage draft genomes from the INTESTI phage cocktail corresponded well with the advertised targets of the cocktail. Our study indicates that for most phages genomic similarity correlates well with related bacterial hosts. HostPhinder is available as an interactive web service [1] and as a stand alone download from the Docker registry [2].

  6. Redox-Active Carbohydrate-Coated Nanoparticles: Self-Assembly of a Cyclodextrin-Polystyrene Glycopolymer with Tetrazine-Naphthalimide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gross, Andrew J; Haddad, Raoudha; Travelet, Christophe; Reynaud, Eric; Audebert, Pierre; Borsali, Redouane; Cosnier, Serge

    2016-11-15

    The controlled self-assembly of precise and well-defined photochemically and electrochemically active carbohydrate-coated nanoparticles offers the exciting prospect of biocompatible catalysts for energy storage/conversion and biolabeling applications. Here an aqueous nanoparticle system has been developed with a versatile outer layer for host-guest molecule encapsulation via β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes. A β-cyclodextrin-modified polystyrene polymer was first obtained by copper nanopowder click chemistry. The glycopolymer enables self-assembly and controlled encapsulation of tetrazine-naphthalimide, as a model redox-active agent, into nanoparticles via nanoprecipitation. Cyclodextrin host-guest interactions permit encapsulation and internanoparticle cross-linking for the formation of fluorescent compound and clustered self-assemblies with chemically reversible electroactivity in aqueous solution. Light scattering experiments revealed stable particles with hydrodynamic diameters of 138 and 654 nm for nanoparticles prepared with tetrazine, of which 95% of the nanoparticles represent the smaller objects by number. Dynamic light scattering revealed differences as a function of preparation method in terms of size, 3-month stability, polydispersity, radius of gyration, and shape factor. Individual self-assemblies were visualized by atomic force microscopy and fluorescence microscopy and monitored in real-time by nanoparticle tracking analysis. UV-vis and fluorescence spectra provided insight into the optical properties and critical evidence for host-guest encapsulation as evidenced by solvachromatism and enhanced tetrazine uptake. Cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate the electrochemical properties and provided further support for encapsulation and an estimate of the tetrazine loading capacity in tandem with light scattering data.

  7. Stepwise observation and quantification and mixed matrix membrane separation of CO2 within a hydroxy-decorated porous host† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. CCDC 1504685–1504693. See DOI: 10.1039/c6sc04343g Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Christopher G.; Jacques, Nicholas M.; Godfrey, Harry G. W.; Mitra, Tamoghna; Fritsch, Detlev; Lu, Zhenzhong; Murray, Claire A.; Potter, Jonathan; Cobb, Tom M.; Yuan, Fajin

    2017-01-01

    The identification of preferred binding domains within a host structure provides important insights into the function of materials. State-of-the-art reports mostly focus on crystallographic studies of empty and single component guest-loaded host structures to determine the location of guests. However, measurements of material properties (e.g., adsorption and breakthrough of substrates) are usually performed for a wide range of pressure (guest coverage) and/or using multi-component gas mixtures. Here we report the development of a multifunctional gas dosing system for use in X-ray powder diffraction studies on Beamline I11 at Diamond Light Source. This facility is fully automated and enables in situ crystallographic studies of host structures under (i) unlimited target gas loadings and (ii) loading of multi-component gas mixtures. A proof-of-concept study was conducted on a hydroxyl-decorated porous material MFM-300(VIII) under (i) five different CO2 pressures covering the isotherm range and (ii) the loading of equimolar mixtures of CO2/N2. The study has successfully captured the structural dynamics underpinning CO2 uptake as a function of surface coverage. Moreover, MFM-300(VIII) was incorporated in a mixed matrix membrane (MMM) with PIM-1 in order to evaluate the CO2/N2 separation potential of this material. Gas permeation measurements on the MMM show a great improvement over the bare PIM-1 polymer for CO2/N2 separation based on the ideal selectivity. PMID:28507700

  8. A real time data acquisition system using the MIL-STD-1553B bus. [for transmission of data to host computer for control law processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peri, Frank, Jr.

    1992-01-01

    A flight digital data acquisition system that uses the MIL-STD-1553B bus for transmission of data to a host computer for control law processing is described. The instrument, the Remote Interface Unit (RIU), can accommodate up to 16 input channels and eight output channels. The RIU employs a digital signal processor to perform local digital filtering before sending data to the host. The system allows flexible sensor and actuator data organization to facilitate quick control law computations on the host computer. The instrument can also run simple control laws autonomously without host intervention. The RIU and host computer together have replaced a similar larger, ground minicomputer system with favorable results.

  9. Regulation of host-pathogen interactions via the post-transcriptional Csr/Rsm system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kusmierek, Maria; Dersch, Petra

    2018-02-01

    A successful colonization of specific hosts requires a rapid and efficient adaptation of the virulence-relevant gene expression program by bacterial pathogens. An important element in this endeavor is the Csr/Rsm system. This multi-component, post-transcriptional control system forms a central hub within complex regulatory networks and coordinately adjusts virulence properties with metabolic and physiological attributes of the pathogen. A key function is elicited by the RNA-binding protein CsrA/RsmA. CsrA/RsmA interacts with numerous target mRNAs, many of which encode crucial virulence factors, and alters their translation, stability or elongation of transcription. Recent studies highlighted that important colonization factors, toxins, and bacterial secretion systems are under CsrA/RsmA control. CsrA/RsmA deficiency impairs host colonization and attenuates virulence, making this post-transcriptional regulator a suitable drug target. The CsrA/RsmA protein can be inactivated through sequestration by non-coding RNAs, or via binding to specific highly abundant mRNAs and interacting proteins. The wide range of interaction partners and RNA targets, as well as the overarching, interlinked genetic control circuits illustrate the complexity of this regulatory system in the different pathogens. Future work addressing spatio-temporal changes of Csr/Rsm-mediated control during the course of an infection will help us to understand how bacteria reprogram their expression profile to cope with continuous changes experienced in colonized niches. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Indacenodithienothiophene-Based Ternary Organic Solar Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gasparini, Nicola, E-mail: nicola.gasparini@fau.de [Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (I-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen (Germany); García-Rodríguez, Amaranda [Macromolecular Chemistry Group (buwmakro), Institute for Polymer Technology, BergischeUniversität Wuppertal, Wuppertal (Germany); Prosa, Mario [Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati (ISMN), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Bologna (Italy); Bayseç, Şebnem; Palma-Cando, Alex [Macromolecular Chemistry Group (buwmakro), Institute for Polymer Technology, BergischeUniversität Wuppertal, Wuppertal (Germany); Katsouras, Athanasios; Avgeropoulos, Apostolos [Department of Materials Science Engineering, University of Ioannina, Ioannina (Greece); Pagona, Georgia; Gregoriou, Vasilis G. [Advent Technologies SA, Patras Science Park, Patra (Greece); National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF), Athens (Greece); Chochos, Christos L. [Department of Materials Science Engineering, University of Ioannina, Ioannina (Greece); Advent Technologies SA, Patras Science Park, Patra (Greece); Allard, Sybille; Scherf, Ulrich [Macromolecular Chemistry Group (buwmakro), Institute for Polymer Technology, BergischeUniversität Wuppertal, Wuppertal (Germany); Brabec, Christoph J. [Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (I-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen (Germany); Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research (ZAE Bayern), Erlangen (Germany); Ameri, Tayebeh, E-mail: nicola.gasparini@fau.de [Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (I-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen (Germany)

    2017-01-13

    One of the key aspects to achieve high efficiency in ternary bulk-hetorojunction solar cells is the physical and chemical compatibility between the donor materials. Here, we report the synthesis of a novel conjugated polymer (P1) containing alternating pyridyl[2,1,3]thiadiazole between two different donor fragments, dithienosilole and indacenodithienothiophene (IDTT), used as a sensitizer in a host system of indacenodithieno[3,2-b]thiophene,2,3-bis(3-(octyloxy)phenyl)quinoxaline (PIDTTQ) and [6,6]-phenyl C{sub 70} butyric acid methyl ester (PC{sub 71}BM). We found that the use of the same IDTT unit in the host and guest materials does not lead to significant changes in the morphology of the ternary blend compared to the host binary. With the complementary use of optoelectronic characterizations, we found that the ternary cells suffer from a lower mobility-lifetime (μτ) product, adversely impacting the fill factor. However, the significant light harvesting in the near infrared region improvement, compensating the transport losses, results in an overall power conversion efficiency enhancement of ~7% for ternary blends as compared to the PIDTTQ:PC{sub 71}BM devices.

  11. A Protective Mechanism for the Access Control System in the Virtual Domain

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Jinan Shen; Deqing Zou; Hai Jin; Kai Yang; Bin Yuan; Weiming Li

    2016-01-01

    In traditional framework,mandatory access control (MAC) system and malicious software are run in kernel mode.Malicious software can stop MAC systems to be started and make it do invalid.This problem cannot be solved under the traditional framework if the operating system (OS) is comprised since malwares are running in ring0 level.In this paper,we propose a novel way to use hypervisors to protect kernel integrity and the access control system in commodity operating systems.We separate the access control system into three parts:policy management (PM),security server (SS) and policy enforcement (PE).Policy management and the security server reside in the security domain to protect them against malware and the isolation feather of the hypervisor can protect them from attacks.We add an access vector cache (AVC) between SS and PE in the guest OS,in order to speed up communication between the guest OS and the security domain.The policy enforcement module is retained in the guest OS for performance.The security of AVC and PE can be ensured by using a memory protection mechanism.The goal of protecting the OS kemel is to ensure the security of the execution path.We implement the system by a modified Xen hypervisor.The result shows that we can secure the security of the access control system in the guest OS with no overhead compared with modules in the latter.Our system offers a centralized security policy for virtual domains in virtual machine environments.

  12. Multiple Resource Host Architecture (MRHA) for the Mobile Detection Assessment Response System (MDARS) Revision A

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Everett, H

    2000-01-01

    The Mobile Detection Assessment and Response System (MDARS) program employs multiple robotic security platforms operating under the high level control of a remote host, with the direct supervision of a human operator...

  13. Computational prediction of secretion systems and secretomes of Brucella: identification of novel type IV effectors and their interaction with the host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sankarasubramanian, Jagadesan; Vishnu, Udayakumar S; Dinakaran, Vasudevan; Sridhar, Jayavel; Gunasekaran, Paramasamy; Rajendhran, Jeyaprakash

    2016-01-01

    Brucella spp. are facultative intracellular pathogens that cause brucellosis in various mammals including humans. Brucella survive inside the host cells by forming vacuoles and subverting host defence systems. This study was aimed to predict the secretion systems and the secretomes of Brucella spp. from 39 complete genome sequences available in the databases. Furthermore, an attempt was made to identify the type IV secretion effectors and their interactions with host proteins. We predicted the secretion systems of Brucella by the KEGG pathway and SecReT4. Brucella secretomes and type IV effectors (T4SEs) were predicted through genome-wide screening using JVirGel and S4TE, respectively. Protein-protein interactions of Brucella T4SEs with their hosts were analyzed by HPIDB 2.0. Genes coding for Sec and Tat pathways of secretion and type I (T1SS), type IV (T4SS) and type V (T5SS) secretion systems were identified and they are conserved in all the species of Brucella. In addition to the well-known VirB operon coding for the type IV secretion system (T4SS), we have identified the presence of additional genes showing homology with T4SS of other organisms. On the whole, 10.26 to 14.94% of total proteomes were found to be either secreted (secretome) or membrane associated (membrane proteome). Approximately, 1.7 to 3.0% of total proteomes were identified as type IV secretion effectors (T4SEs). Prediction of protein-protein interactions showed 29 and 36 host-pathogen specific interactions between Bos taurus (cattle)-B. abortus and Ovis aries (sheep)-B. melitensis, respectively. Functional characterization of the predicted T4SEs and their interactions with their respective hosts may reveal the secrets of host specificity of Brucella.

  14. Effect of Hydrophobic Chain Length on the Stability and Guest Exchange Behavior of Shell-Sheddable Micelles Formed by Disulfide-Linked Diblock Copolymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Haiyan; Li, Yixia; Yang, Jinxian; Ye, Xiaodong

    2017-10-19

    Reduction-responsive micelles hold enormous promise for application as drug carriers due to the fast drug release triggered by reducing conditions and high anticancer activity. However, the effect of hydrophobic chain length on the stability and guest exchange of reduction-responsive micelles, especially for the micelles formed by diblock copolymers containing single disulfide group, is not fully understood. Here, shell-sheddable micelles formed by a series of disulfide-linked copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEG-SS-PCL) containing the same chain length of PEG but different chain lengths of hydrophobic block PCL were prepared and well characterized. The influence of the chain length of hydrophobic PCL block on the stability and guest exchange of PEG-SS-PCL micelles was studied by the use of both dynamic laser light scattering (DLS) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The results show that longer PCL chains lead to a slower aggregation rate and guest exchange of micelles in the aqueous solutions containing 10 mM dithiothreitol (DTT). The cell uptake of the shell-sheddable PEG-SS-PCL micelles in vitro shows that the amount of internalization of dyes loaded in PEG-SS-PCL micelles increases with the chain length of hydrophobic PCL block investigated by flow cytometric analysis and confocal fluorescence microscopy.

  15. On the Achievable Rate of Hardware-Impaired Transceiver Systems

    KAUST Repository

    Javed, Sidrah

    2018-01-15

    In this paper, we accurately model the transceiver hardware impairments (HWIs) of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems considering different HWI stages at transmitter and receiver. The proposed novel statistical model shows that transceiver HWIs transform the transmitted symmetric signal to asymmetric one. Moreover, it shows that the aggregate self-interference has asymmetric characteristics. Therefore, we propose improper Gaussian signaling (IGS) for transmission in order to improve the achievable rate performance. IGS is considered as a general signaling scheme which includes the proper Gaussian signaling (PGS) as a special case. Thus, IGS has additional design parameters which enable it to mitigate the HWI self-interference. As a case study, we analyze the achievable rate performance of single-input multiple-output systems with linear and selection combiner. Furthermore, we optimize the IGS statistical characteristics for interference alignment. This improves the achievable rate performance as compared to the PGS, which is validated through numerical results.

  16. On the Achievable Rate of Hardware-Impaired Transceiver Systems

    KAUST Repository

    Javed, Sidrah; Amin, Osama; Ikki, Salama S.; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, we accurately model the transceiver hardware impairments (HWIs) of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems considering different HWI stages at transmitter and receiver. The proposed novel statistical model shows that transceiver HWIs transform the transmitted symmetric signal to asymmetric one. Moreover, it shows that the aggregate self-interference has asymmetric characteristics. Therefore, we propose improper Gaussian signaling (IGS) for transmission in order to improve the achievable rate performance. IGS is considered as a general signaling scheme which includes the proper Gaussian signaling (PGS) as a special case. Thus, IGS has additional design parameters which enable it to mitigate the HWI self-interference. As a case study, we analyze the achievable rate performance of single-input multiple-output systems with linear and selection combiner. Furthermore, we optimize the IGS statistical characteristics for interference alignment. This improves the achievable rate performance as compared to the PGS, which is validated through numerical results.

  17. Beneficial and Harmful Interactions of Antibiotics with Microbial Pathogens and the Host Innate Immune System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronald Anderson

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available In general antibiotics interact cooperatively with host defences, weakening and decreasing the virulence of microbial pathogens, thereby increasing vulnerability to phagocytosis and eradication by the intrinsic antimicrobial systems of the host. Antibiotics, however, also interact with host defences by several other mechanisms, some harmful, others beneficial. Harmful activities include exacerbation of potentially damaging inflammatory responses, a property of cell-wall targeted agents, which promotes the release of pro-inflammatory microbial cytotoxins and cell-wall components. On the other hand, inhibitors of bacterial protein synthesis, especially macrolides, possess beneficial anti-inflammatory/cytoprotective activities, which result from interference with the production of microbial virulence factors/cytotoxins. In addition to these pathogen-directed, anti-inflammatory activities, some classes of antimicrobial agent possess secondary anti-inflammatory properties, unrelated to their conventional antimicrobial activities, which target cells of the innate immune system, particularly neutrophils. This is a relatively uncommon, potentially beneficial property of antibiotics, which has been described for macrolides, imidazole anti-mycotics, fluoroquinolones, and tetracyclines. Although of largely unproven significance in the clinical setting, increasing awareness of the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory properties of antibiotics may contribute to a more discerning and effective use of these agents.

  18. Genetic architecture of resistance in Daphnia hosts against two species of host-specific parasites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Routtu, J; Ebert, D

    2015-02-01

    Understanding the genetic architecture of host resistance is key for understanding the evolution of host-parasite interactions. Evolutionary models often assume simple genetics based on few loci and strong epistasis. It is unknown, however, whether these assumptions apply to natural populations. Using a quantitative trait loci (QTL) approach, we explore the genetic architecture of resistance in the crustacean Daphnia magna to two of its natural parasites: the horizontally transmitted bacterium Pasteuria ramosa and the horizontally and vertically transmitted microsporidium Hamiltosporidium tvaerminnensis. These two systems have become models for studies on the evolution of host-parasite interactions. In the QTL panel used here, Daphnia's resistance to P. ramosa is controlled by a single major QTL (which explains 50% of the observed variation). Resistance to H. tvaerminnensis horizontal infections shows a signature of a quantitative trait based in multiple loci with weak epistatic interactions (together explaining 38% variation). Resistance to H. tvaerminnensis vertical infections, however, shows only one QTL (explaining 13.5% variance) that colocalizes with one of the QTLs for horizontal infections. QTLs for resistance to Pasteuria and Hamiltosporidium do not colocalize. We conclude that the genetics of resistance in D. magna are drastically different for these two parasites. Furthermore, we infer that based on these and earlier results, the mechanisms of coevolution differ strongly for the two host-parasite systems. Only the Pasteuria-Daphnia system is expected to follow the negative frequency-dependent selection (Red Queen) model. How coevolution works in the Hamiltosporidium-Daphnia system remains unclear.

  19. THE HOMOGENEOUS STUDY OF TRANSITING SYSTEMS (HoSTS). I. THE PILOT STUDY OF WASP-13

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gomez Maqueo Chew, Yilen; Cargile, Phillip; Hebb, Leslie; Stassun, Keivan G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States); Faedi, Francesca; Pollacco, Don [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); Doyle, Amanda P.; Smalley, Barry [Astrophysics Group, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG (United Kingdom); Ghezzi, Luan; Cunha, Katia; Smith, Verne V. [Observatorio Nacional, Rua Gal. Jose Cristino 77, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20921-400 (Brazil); Sousa, Sergio; Santos, Nuno C. [Centro de Astrofisica, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto (Portugal); Barros, Susana C. C. [LAM (Laboratoire d' Astrophysique de Marseille) UMR 7326, Aix Marseille Universite, CNRS, F-13388 Marseille (France); Schuler, Simon C. [Stewart Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Collier Cameron, Andrew, E-mail: yilen.gomez@vanderbilt.edu [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS (United Kingdom)

    2013-05-01

    We present the fundamental stellar and planetary properties of the transiting planetary system WASP-13 within the framework of the Homogeneous Study of Transiting Systems (HoSTS). HoSTS aims to derive the fundamental stellar (T{sub eff}, [Fe/H], M{sub *}, R{sub *}) and planetary (M{sub pl}, R{sub pl}, T{sub eq}) physical properties of known transiting planets using a consistent methodology and homogeneous high-quality data set. Four spectral analysis techniques are independently applied to a Keck+HIRES spectrum of WASP-13 considering two distinct cases: unconstrained parameters and constrained log g from transit light curves. We check the derived stellar temperature against that from a different temperature diagnostic based on an INT+IDS H{alpha} spectrum. The four unconstrained analyses render results that are in good agreement, and provide an improvement of 50% in the precision of T{sub eff}, and of 85% in [Fe/H] with respect to the WASP-13 discovery paper. The planetary parameters are then derived via the Monte Carlo Markov Chain modeling of the radial velocity and light curves, in iteration with stellar evolutionary models to derive realistic uncertainties. WASP-13 (1.187 {+-} 0.065 M{sub Sun }; 1.574 {+-} 0.048 R{sub Sun }) hosts a Saturn-mass, transiting planet (0.500 {+-} 0.037 M{sub Jup}; 1.407 {+-} 0.052 R{sub Jup}), and is at the end of its main-sequence lifetime (4-5.5 Gyr). Our analysis of WASP-13 showcases that both a detailed stellar characterization and transit modeling are necessary to well determine the fundamental properties of planetary systems, which are paramount in identifying and determining empirical relationships between transiting planets and their hosts.

  20. Politeness Strategies and Levels In Tourism-Service Language in Surakarta Residency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Budi Purnomo

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available In tourism industry, tourists act as guests and tourism industry practitioners act as hosts. Typically tourism industry practitioners will try to act politely and follow politeness strategies as well as possible when serving tourists to ensure their satisfaction. Levels of satisfaction could be determined by the politeness of the hosts' behaviour towards their guests, including the politeness levels of their tourism-service language. This research was done in Surakarta Residency, the main tourist destination in Central Java. Data sources of this research came from (1 informants and (2 events.  The data were analyzed by Brown and Levinson’s politeness strategies (1987. The results of this research show that the tourism industry practitioners in Surakarta Residency use various politeness strategies and levels in tourism-service language to serve their guests.

  1. Hospitality and Institutional Meals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Justesen, Lise; Strøjer, Anna-Lise

    2017-01-01

    Abstract: There is a growing interest in articulating institutional meal serving practices as a hospitality activity involving host and guest interactions. This study aims to qualify institutional hospitality and meal activities by exploring private hospitality events. The study is based......-structured interview, students reflected on their hospitality experiences. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a thematic analysis method. The emerging themes on hospitality activities were identified. It was found that hospitality activities could be characterized as a process where the individual...... was transformed into a guest. Information on purpose of the event and other information given in the invitation were part of this process. Furthermore, hospitality activities could be characterized by blurred host-guest relations and by being able to embrace unexpected events as well. The activities were...

  2. Electroluminescence from completely horizontally oriented dye molecules

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Komino, Takeshi [Education Center for Global Leaders in Molecular System for Devices, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics Research, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Japan Science and Technology Agency, ERATO, Adachi Molecular Exciton Engineering Project, 744 Motooka, Nishi, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Sagara, Yuta [Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics Research, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Tanaka, Hiroyuki [Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics Research, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan); Oki, Yuji [Japan Science and Technology Agency, ERATO, Adachi Molecular Exciton Engineering Project, 744 Motooka, Nishi, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Department of Electronics, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Nakamura, Nozomi [Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics Research, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Fujimoto, Hiroshi [Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics Research, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Fukuoka i" 3-Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics Research (i3-OPERA), Fukuoka 819-0388 (Japan); and others

    2016-06-13

    A complete horizontal molecular orientation of a linear-shaped thermally activated delayed fluorescent guest emitter 2,6-bis(4-(10Hphenoxazin-10-yl)phenyl)benzo[1,2-d:5,4-d′] bis(oxazole) (cis-BOX2) was obtained in a glassy host matrix by vapor deposition. The orientational order of cis-BOX2 depended on the combination of deposition temperature and the type of host matrix. Complete horizontal orientation was obtained when a thin film with cis-BOX2 doped in a 4,4′-bis(N-carbazolyl)-1,1′-biphenyl (CBP) host matrix was fabricated at 200 K. The ultimate orientation of guest molecules originates from not only the kinetic relaxation but also the kinetic stability of the deposited guest molecules on the film surface during film growth. Utilizing the ultimate orientation, a highly efficient organic light-emitting diode with the external quantum efficiency of 33.4 ± 2.0% was realized. The thermal stability of the horizontal orientation of cis-BOX2 was governed by the glass transition temperature (T{sub g}) of the CBP host matrix; the horizontal orientation was stable unless the film was annealed above T{sub g}.

  3. Enhanced host–guest electrochemical recognition of herbicide MCPA using a b-cyclodextrin carbon nanotube sensor

    OpenAIRE

    Rahemi, V.; Vandamme, J.J.; Garrido, J.M.P.J.; Borges, F.; Brett, C.M.A.; Garrido, E.M.P.J.

    2012-01-01

    An electrochemical sensor for the determination of the chlorophenoxy herbicide MCPA has been developed, based on a combination of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with incorporated b-cyclodextrin and a polyaniline film modified glassy carbon electrode. The proposed molecular host–guest recogni-tion based sensor has a high electrochemical sensitivity for the determination of MCPA. The electrochemical behaviour of MCPA at the chemically modified electrode was investigated in detail by cyclic volta...

  4. Application status and vistas of sequence stratigraphy to the exploration of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Qingyin; Chen Zuyi; Yu Jinshui; Han Shuqin

    2008-01-01

    Sequence stratigraphy is a newly developed subject based on seismostratigraphy, and has been widely applied in the exploration of hydrocarbon and other sedimentogenic mineral deposits and great achievements have been obtained. However, the application of sequence stratigraphy to the exploration of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits is just at the beginning. In this paper, some primary research achievements of sequence stratigraphy to the exploration of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits are summarized, and problems and their reasons of the application of sequence stratigraphy are discussed. Further more, according to characteristics of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits and the development of sequence stratigraphy, the application vistas of sequence stratigraphy to the exploration of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits are estimated. Finally, application directions are proposed, and some specific suggestions are given. (authors)

  5. High-Density Chemical Intercalation of Zero-Valent Copper into Bi 2 Se 3 Nanoribbons

    KAUST Repository

    Koski, Kristie J.; Cha, Judy J.; Reed, Bryan W.; Wessells, Colin D.; Kong, Desheng; Cui, Yi

    2012-01-01

    A major goal of intercalation chemistry is to intercalate high densities of guest species without disrupting the host lattice. Many intercalant concentrations, however, are limited by the charge of the guest species. Here we have developed a general solution-based chemical method for intercalating extraordinarily high densities of zero-valent copper metal into layered Bi 2Se 3 nanoribbons. Up to 60 atom % copper (Cu 7.5Bi 2Se 3) can be intercalated with no disruption to the host lattice using a solution disproportionation redox reaction. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  6. High-Density Chemical Intercalation of Zero-Valent Copper into Bi 2 Se 3 Nanoribbons

    KAUST Repository

    Koski, Kristie J.

    2012-05-09

    A major goal of intercalation chemistry is to intercalate high densities of guest species without disrupting the host lattice. Many intercalant concentrations, however, are limited by the charge of the guest species. Here we have developed a general solution-based chemical method for intercalating extraordinarily high densities of zero-valent copper metal into layered Bi 2Se 3 nanoribbons. Up to 60 atom % copper (Cu 7.5Bi 2Se 3) can be intercalated with no disruption to the host lattice using a solution disproportionation redox reaction. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  7. Probing interactions between B-glucan and bile salts at atomic detail by 1H-13C NMR assays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mikkelsen, Mette Skau; Cornali, Sofia Bolvig; Jensen, Morten G

    2014-01-01

    Polysaccharides are prospective hosts for the delivery and sequestration of bioactive guest molecules. Polysaccharides of dietary fiber, specifically cereal (1 → 3)(1 → 4)-β-glucans, play a role in lowering the blood plasma cholesterol level in humans. Direct host-guest interactions between β...... salts and β-glucans. Experiments are consistent with stronger interactions at pH 5.3 than at pH 6.5 in this in vitro assay. The changes in bile salt and β-glucan signals suggest a stabilization of bile salt micelles and concomitant conformational changes in β-glucans....

  8. A Flattened Hierarchical Scheduler for Real-Time Virtual Machines

    OpenAIRE

    Drescher, Michael Stuart

    2015-01-01

    The recent trend of migrating legacy computer systems to a virtualized, cloud-based environment has expanded to real-time systems. Unfortunately, modern hypervisors have no mechanism in place to guarantee the real-time performance of applications running on virtual machines. Past solutions to this problem rely on either spatial or temporal resource partitioning, both of which under-utilize the processing capacity of the host system. Paravirtualized solutions in which the guest communicates it...

  9. Influence of the host contact sequence on the outcome of competition among aspergillus flavus isolates during host tissue invasion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehl, H L; Cotty, P J

    2011-03-01

    Biological control of aflatoxin contamination by Aspergillus flavus is achieved through competitive exclusion of aflatoxin producers by atoxigenic strains. Factors dictating the extent to which competitive displacement occurs during host infection are unknown. The role of initial host contact in competition between pairs of A. flavus isolates coinfecting maize kernels was examined. Isolate success during tissue invasion and reproduction was assessed by quantification of isolate-specific single nucleotide polymorphisms using pyrosequencing. Isolates were inoculated either simultaneously or 1 h apart. Increased success during competition was conferred to the first isolate to contact the host independent of that isolate's innate competitive ability. The first-isolate advantage decreased with the conidial concentration, suggesting capture of limited resources on kernel surfaces contributes to competitive exclusion. Attempts to modify access to putative attachment sites by either coating kernels with dead conidia or washing kernels with solvents did not influence the success of the first isolate, suggesting competition for limited attachment sites on kernel surfaces does not mediate first-isolate advantage. The current study is the first to demonstrate an immediate competitive advantage conferred to A. flavus isolates upon host contact and prior to either germ tube emergence or host colonization. This suggests the timing of host contact is as important to competition during disease cycles as innate competitive ability. Early dispersal to susceptible crop components may allow maintenance within A. flavus populations of genetic types with low competitive ability during host tissue invasion.

  10. Genetics of simple and complex host-parasite interactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sidhu, G.S.; Webster, J.M.

    1977-01-01

    In nature a host plant can be viewed as a miniature replica of an ecological system where true and incidental parasites share the same habitat. Consequently, they influence each other's presence directly by interspecific interaction, and indirectly by inducing changes in the host's physiology and so form disease complexes. Since all physiological phenomena have their counterpart in the respective genetic systems of interacting organisms, valuable genetic information can be derived from the analysis of complex parasitic systems. Disease complexes may be classified according to the nature of interaction between various parasites on the same host. One parasite may nullify the host's resistance to another (e.g. Tomato - Meloidogyne incognita + Fusarium oxysporum lycopersici system). Conversely, a parasite may invoke resistance in the host against another parasite (e.g. Tomato - Fusarium oxysporum lycopersici + Verticillium albo atrum system). From the study of simple parasitic systems we know that resistance versus susceptibility against a single parasite is normally monogenically controlled. However, when more than one parasite interacts to invoke or nullify each other's responses on the same host plant, the genetic results suggest epistatic ratios. Nevertheless, epistatic ratios have been obtained also from simple parasitic systems owing to gene interaction. The epistatic ratios obtained from complex and simple parasitic systems are contrasted and compared. It is suggested that epistatic ratios obtained from simple parasitic systems may, in fact, be artifacts resulting from complex parasitic associations that often occur in nature. Polygenic inheritance and the longevity of a cultivar is also discussed briefly in relation to complex parasitic associations. Induced mutations can play a significant role in the study of complex parasitic associations, and thus can be very useful in controlling plant diseases

  11. Tracing Conidial Fate and Measuring Host Cell Antifungal Activity Using a Reporter of Microbial Viability in the Lung

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anupam Jhingran

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Fluorescence can be harnessed to monitor microbial fate and to investigate functional outcomes of individual microbial cell-host cell encounters at portals of entry in native tissue environments. We illustrate this concept by introducing fluorescent Aspergillus reporter (FLARE conidia that simultaneously report phagocytic uptake and fungal viability during cellular interactions with the murine respiratory innate immune system. Our studies using FLARE conidia reveal stepwise and cell-type-specific requirements for CARD9 and Syk, transducers of C-type lectin receptor and integrin signals, in neutrophil recruitment, conidial uptake, and conidial killing in the lung. By achieving single-event resolution in defined leukocyte populations, the FLARE method enables host cell profiling on the basis of pathogen uptake and killing and may be extended to other pathogens in diverse model host organisms to query molecular, cellular, and pharmacologic mechanisms that shape host-microbe interactions.

  12. Achieving robust interchangeability of test assets in ATE systems

    CERN Document Server

    Oblad, R P

    1999-01-01

    This paper identities the key issues that have made if so difficult to achieve asset interchangeability. Several of the historical attempts to solve the problem of asset interchangeability are described, along with an analysis of the reasons that they did not achieve the expected results. Specific topics that are covered are SCPI, VXIplug&play, IVI, ATLAS, and Measurement Subsystems. Principles associated with the ownership of interfaces will be outlined. Finally, a set of rules and principles will be discussed that must be applied to achieve robust asset interchangeability. Robust is defined as interchangeability that can be "guaranteed" without testing all TPSs against the modified test system. (9 refs).

  13. Achievable capacity of a spectrum sharing system over hyper fading channels

    KAUST Repository

    Ekin, Sabit

    2009-11-01

    Cognitive radio with spectrum sharing feature is a promising technique to address the spectrum under-utilization problem in dynamically changing environments. In this paper, achievable capacity gain of spectrum sharing systems over dynamic fading environments is studied. For the analysis, a theoretical fading model called hyper fading model that is suitable to the dynamic nature of cognitive radio channel is proposed. Closed-form expression of probability density function (PDF) and cumulative density function (CDF) of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for secondary users in spectrum sharing systems are derived. In addition, the capacity gains achievable with spectrum sharing systems in high and low power regions are obtained. Numerical simulations are performed to study the effects of different fading figures, average powers, interference temperature, and number of secondary users on the achievable capacity.

  14. Peptide Nucleic Acid Knockdown and Intra-host Cell Complementation of Ehrlichia Type IV Secretion System Effector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pratibha Sharma

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Survival of Ehrlichia chaffeensis depends on obligatory intracellular infection. One of the barriers to E. chaffeensis research progress has been the inability, using conventional techniques, to generate knock-out mutants for genes essential for intracellular infection. This study examined the use of Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNAs technology to interrupt type IV secretion system (T4SS effector protein expression in E. chaffeensis followed by intracellular complementation of the effector to determine its requirement for infection. Successful E. chaffeensis infection depends on the E. chaffeensis-specific T4SS protein effector, ehrlichial translocated factor-1 (Etf-1, which induces Rab5-regulated autophagy to provide host cytosolic nutrients required for E. chaffeensis proliferation. Etf-1 is also imported by host cell mitochondria where it inhibits host cell apoptosis to prolong its infection. We designed a PNA specific to Etf-1 and showed that the PNA bound to the target region of single-stranded Etf-1 RNA using a competitive binding assay. Electroporation of E. chaffeensis with this PNA significantly reduced Etf-1 mRNA and protein, and the bacteria's ability to induce host cell autophagy and infect host cells. Etf-1 PNA-mediated inhibition of ehrlichial Etf-1 expression and E. chaffeensis infection could be intracellularly trans-complemented by ectopic expression of Etf-1-GFP in host cells. These data affirmed the critical role of bacterial T4SS effector in host cell autophagy and E. chaffeensis infection, and demonstrated the use of PNA to analyze the gene functions of obligate intracellular bacteria.

  15. Resolution of D- and L-glucoses by chiral N-octyl-beta-D-glycoside-Cu(II) complex adsorbed at the gas/liquid interface of small bubbles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sakai, M.; Miyazawa, K.; Jitsumatsu, H.; Kamio, K.; Mitsuiki, S.; Toh, N.; Sugihara, G.; Norde, W.

    2010-01-01

    A new technique of the jet drop method (JDM) was applied to a chiral molecular discrimination of optically active D- or L-glucose (guest) by chiral N-octyl-beta-D-glycoside (O beta DG)-Cu(II) complex (host) at the gas/liquid interface of small bubbles. The discrimination of glucoses as the guests is

  16. Experimental investigation of alternative transmission functions: Quantitative evidence for the importance of nonlinear transmission dynamics in host-parasite systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orlofske, Sarah A; Flaxman, Samuel M; Joseph, Maxwell B; Fenton, Andy; Melbourne, Brett A; Johnson, Pieter T J

    2018-05-01

    Understanding pathogen transmission is crucial for predicting and managing disease. Nonetheless, experimental comparisons of alternative functional forms of transmission remain rare, and those experiments that are conducted are often not designed to test the full range of possible forms. To differentiate among 10 candidate transmission functions, we used a novel experimental design in which we independently varied four factors-duration of exposure, numbers of parasites, numbers of hosts and parasite density-in laboratory infection experiments. We used interactions between amphibian hosts and trematode parasites as a model system and all candidate models incorporated parasite depletion. An additional manipulation involving anaesthesia addressed the effects of host behaviour on transmission form. Across all experiments, nonlinear transmission forms involving either a power law or a negative binomial function were the best-fitting models and consistently outperformed the linear density-dependent and density-independent functions. By testing previously published data for two other host-macroparasite systems, we also found support for the same nonlinear transmission forms. Although manipulations of parasite density are common in transmission studies, the comprehensive set of variables tested in our experiments revealed that variation in density alone was least likely to differentiate among competing transmission functions. Across host-pathogen systems, nonlinear functions may often more accurately represent transmission dynamics and thus provide more realistic predictions for infection. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.

  17. Molecular printboards: monolayers of beta-cyclodextrins on silicon oxide surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onclin, Steffen; Mulder, Alart; Huskens, Jurriaan; Ravoo, Bart Jan; Reinhoudt, David N

    2004-06-22

    Monolayers of beta-cyclodextrin host molecules have been prepared on SiO2 surfaces. An ordered and stable cyano-terminated monolayer was modified in three consecutive surface reactions. First, the cyanide groups were reduced to their corresponding free amines using Red Al as a reducing agent. Second, 1,4-phenylene diisothiocyanate was used to react with the amine monolayer where it acts as a linking molecule, exposing isothiocyanates that can be derivatized further. Finally, per-6-amino beta-cyclodextrin was reacted with these isothiocyanate functions to yield a monolayer exposing beta-cyclodextrin. All monolayers were characterized by contact angle measurements, ellipsometric thickness measurements, Brewster angle Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, which indicate the formation of a densely packed cyclodextrin surface. It was demonstrated that the beta-cyclodextrin monolayer could bind suitable guest molecules in a reversible manner. A fluorescent molecule (1), equipped with two adamantyl groups for complexation, was adsorbed onto the host monolayer from solution to form a monolayer of guest molecules. Subsequently, the guest molecules were desorbed from the surface by competition with increasing beta-cyclodextrin concentration in solution. The data were fitted using a model. An intrinsic binding constant of 3.3 +/- 1 x 10(5) M(-1) was obtained, which corresponds well to previously obtained results with a divalent guest molecule on beta-cyclodextrin monolayers on gold. In addition, the number of guest molecules bound to the host surface was determined, and a surface coverage of ca. 30% was found.

  18. Photoinduced FT-IR spectroscopy and CW-photocurrent measurements of conjugated polymers and fullerenes blended into a conventional polymer matrix

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brabec, C.J.; Johannson, H.; Padinger, F.; Neugebauer, H.; Hummelen, J.C.; Sariciftci, N.S.

    2000-01-01

    In this work we present an investigation of the photoexcited states in conjugated polymer (donor) - fullerene (acceptor) interpenetrating networks embedded into conventional polymer hosts like polystyrene (PS), polyvinylcarbazole (PVK) or polyvinylbenzylchloride (PVBC) (guest - host approach), using

  19. ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES IN RESTAURANT BUSINESS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivica Batinić

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Modern restaurant business, as part of a catering business, offers a variety of meals and beverages in restaurants and various related facilities. Promotional activities play a very important role in managing a restaurant and related facilities, because any serious restaurant facility must take all the necessary and effective measures in order to maintain regular guests and approach potential new guests. In this paper, I will write about conceptualizing restaurant business and elementary business systems in restaurant business. In a separate part, I will write about conceptualizing promotions and promotional activities as important factors in achieving better and more efficient communication of restaurants with regular and potential guests.

  20. Host-Plant Specialization Mediates the Influence of Plant Abundance on Host Use by Flower Head-Feeding Insects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nobre, Paola A F; Bergamini, Leonardo L; Lewinsohn, Thomas M; Jorge, Leonardo R; Almeida-Neto, Mário

    2016-02-01

    Among-population variation in host use is a common phenomenon in herbivorous insects. The simplest and most trivial explanation for such variation in host use is the among-site variation in plant species composition. Another aspect that can influence spatial variation in host use is the relative abundance of each host-plant species compared to all available hosts. Here, we used endophagous insects that develop in flower heads of Asteraceae species as a study system to investigate how plant abundance influences the pattern of host-plant use by herbivorous insects with distinct levels of host-range specialization. Only herbivores recorded on three or more host species were included in this study. In particular, we tested two related hypotheses: 1) plant abundance has a positive effect on the host-plant preference of herbivorous insects, and 2) the relative importance of plant abundance to host-plant preference is greater for herbivorous species that use a wider range of host-plant species. We analyzed 11 herbivore species in 20 remnants of Cerrado in Southeastern Brazil. For 8 out of 11 herbivore species, plant abundance had a positive influence on host use. In contrast to our expectation, both the most specialized and the most generalist herbivores showed a stronger positive effect of plant species abundance in host use. Thus, we found evidence that although the abundance of plant species is a major factor determining the preferential use of host plants, its relative importance is mediated by the host-range specialization of herbivores.

  1. Consistent pattern of local adaptation during an experimental heat wave in a pipefish-trematode host-parasite system.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susanne H Landis

    Full Text Available Extreme climate events such as heat waves are expected to increase in frequency under global change. As one indirect effect, they can alter magnitude and direction of species interactions, for example those between hosts and parasites. We simulated a summer heat wave to investigate how a changing environment affects the interaction between the broad-nosed pipefish (Syngnathus typhle as a host and its digenean trematode parasite (Cryptocotyle lingua. In a fully reciprocal laboratory infection experiment, pipefish from three different coastal locations were exposed to sympatric and allopatric trematode cercariae. In order to examine whether an extreme climatic event disrupts patterns of locally adapted host-parasite combinations we measured the parasite's transmission success as well as the host's adaptive and innate immune defence under control and heat wave conditions. Independent of temperature, sympatric cercariae were always more successful than allopatric ones, indicating that parasites are locally adapted to their hosts. Hosts suffered from heat stress as suggested by fewer cells of the adaptive immune system (lymphocytes compared to the same groups that were kept at 18°C. However, the proportion of the innate immune cells (monocytes was higher in the 18°C water. Contrary to our expectations, no interaction between host immune defence, parasite infectivity and temperature stress were found, nor did the pattern of local adaptation change due to increased water temperature. Thus, in this host-parasite interaction, the sympatric parasite keeps ahead of the coevolutionary dynamics across sites, even under increasing temperatures as expected under marine global warming.

  2. Host genetics affect microbial ecosystems via host immunity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Kafsi, Hela; Gorochov, Guy; Larsen, Martin

    2016-10-01

    Genetic evolution of multicellular organisms has occurred in response to environmental challenges, including competition for nutrients, climate change, physical and chemical stressors, and pathogens. However, fitness of an organism is dependent not only on defense efficacy, but also on the ability to take advantage of symbiotic organisms. Indeed, microbes not only encompass pathogenicity, but also enable efficient nutrient uptake from diets nondegradable by the host itself. Moreover, microbes play important roles in the development of host immunity. Here we review associations between specific host genes and variance in microbiota composition and compare with interactions between microbes and host immunity. Recent genome-wide association studies reveal that symbiosis between host and microbiota is the exquisite result of genetic coevolution. Moreover, a subset of microbes from human and mouse microbiota have been identified to interact with humoral and cellular immunity. Interestingly, microbes associated with both host genetics and host immunity are taxonomically related. Most involved are Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Akkermansia, which are dually associated with both host immunity and host genetics. We conclude that future therapeutics targeting microbiota in the context of chronic inflammatory diseases need to consider both immune and genetic host features associated with microbiota homeostasis.

  3. Effects of shortened host life span on the evolution of parasite life history and virulence in a microbial host-parasite system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koella Jacob C

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Ecological factors play an important role in the evolution of parasite exploitation strategies. A common prediction is that, as shorter host life span reduces future opportunities of transmission, parasites compensate with an evolutionary shift towards earlier transmission. They may grow more rapidly within the host, have a shorter latency time and, consequently, be more virulent. Thus, increased extrinsic (i.e., not caused by the parasite host mortality leads to the evolution of more virulent parasites. To test these predictions, we performed a serial transfer experiment, using the protozoan Paramecium caudatum and its bacterial parasite Holospora undulata. We simulated variation in host life span by killing hosts after 11 (early killing or 14 (late killing days post inoculation; after killing, parasite transmission stages were collected and used for a new infection cycle. Results After 13 cycles (≈ 300 generations, parasites from the early-killing treatment were less infectious, but had shorter latency time and higher virulence than those from the late-killing treatment. Overall, shorter latency time was associated with higher parasite loads and thus presumably with more rapid within-host replication. Conclusion The analysis of the means of the two treatments is thus consistent with theory, and suggests that evolution is constrained by trade-offs between virulence, transmission and within-host growth. In contrast, we found little evidence for such trade-offs across parasite selection lines within treatments; thus, to some extent, these traits may evolve independently. This study illustrates how environmental variation (experienced by the host can lead to the evolution of distinct parasite strategies.

  4. HOP: Achieving Efficient Anonymity in MANETs by Combining HIP, OLSR, and Pseudonyms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Campos Javier

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Offering secure and anonymous communications in mobile ad hoc networking environments is essential to achieve confidence and privacy, thus promoting widespread adoption of this kind of networks. In addition, some minimum performance levels must be achieved for any solution to be practical and become widely adopted. In this paper, we propose and implement HOP, a novel solution based on cryptographic Host Identity Protocol (HIP that offers security and user-level anonymity in MANET environments while maintaining good performance levels. In particular, we introduce enhancements to the authentication process to achieve Host Identity Tag (HIT relationship anonymity, along with source/destination HIT anonymity when combined with multihoming. Afterward we detail how we integrate our improved version of HIP with the OLSR routing protocol to achieve efficient support for pseudonyms. We implemented our proposal in an experimental testbed, and the results obtained show that performance levels achieved are quite good, and that the integration with OLSR is achieved with a low overhead.

  5. Gastrointestinal function in the parasitized host

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castro, G.A.

    1981-01-01

    Emphasis in this review is on (1) digestive-absorptive, secretory and smooth muscle functions altered by gastrointestinal (GI) parasites, (2) mechanisms by which parasites induce changes, and (3) the influence of parasite-induced alterations on the health of the host. Examples involving laboratory and domestic animals indicate that inflammation is an important factor in pathological alterations in epithelial and smooth muscle tissues throughout the alimentary canal. Observations on GI secretory activity reveal an influence of parasites on the host GI endocrine system. It is argued that assessments of the significance of parasite-induced changes on the host must be balanced with the adaptive potential and 'reserve capacity' of the GI system. In this regard host immunity should be considered a specific adaptation. Some tracer studies are mentioned marginally, such as the use of 14 C polyethylene glycol to estimate the direction of not fluid movement in the small intestine, and the use of 51 Cr to demonstrate the significantly faster intestinal transit in Trichinella spiralis infected animals

  6. Entrapment of metal clusters in metal-organic framework channels by extended hooks anchored at open metal sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Shou-Tian; Zhao, Xiang; Lau, Samuel; Fuhr, Addis; Feng, Pingyun; Bu, Xianhui

    2013-07-17

    Reported here are the new concept of utilizing open metal sites (OMSs) for architectural pore design and its practical implementation. Specifically, it is shown here that OMSs can be used to run extended hooks (isonicotinates in this work) from the framework walls to the channel centers to effect the capture of single metal ions or clusters, with the concurrent partitioning of the large channel spaces into multiple domains, alteration of the host-guest charge relationship and associated guest-exchange properties, and transfer of OMSs from the walls to the channel centers. The concept of the extended hook, demonstrated here in the multicomponent dual-metal and dual-ligand system, should be generally applicable to a range of framework types.

  7. The Vibrio parahaemolyticus Type III Secretion Systems manipulate host cell MAPK for critical steps in pathogenesis.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Matlawska-Wasowska, Ksenia

    2010-12-01

    Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a food-borne pathogen causing inflammation of the gastrointestinal epithelium. Pathogenic strains of this bacterium possess two Type III Secretion Systems (TTSS) that deliver effector proteins into host cells. In order to better understand human host cell responses to V. parahaemolyticus, the modulation of Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) activation in epithelial cells by an O3:K6 clinical isolate, RIMD2210633, was investigated. The importance of MAPK activation for the ability of the bacterium to be cytotoxic and to induce secretion of Interleukin-8 (IL-8) was determined.

  8. Carborane-beta-cyclodextrin complexes as a supramolecular connector for bioactive surfaces

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Neirynck, P.; Schimer, Jiří; Jonkheijm, P.; Milroy, L. G.; Cígler, Petr; Brunsveld, L.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 3, č. 4 (2015), s. 539-545 ISSN 2050-750X R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LH11027 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : beta-cyclodextrine/carborane host-guest system * supramolecular chemistry * bioactive surfaces Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 4.872, year: 2015 http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2015/tb/c4tb01489h

  9. A novel method to prepare binary Ni-Fe compounds and ordered mesoporous carbon composite as a supercapacitor electrode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feng, J.; Tang, B.; Zhao, J.; Liu, P.; Xu, J. [Shanghai Univ. of Engineering Science (China). College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

    2010-07-01

    Superapacitor electrodes with nickel/iron compounds and ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) nanocomposites were fabricated using a incipient wetness impregnation and hydrothermal methods. The use of the nickel-iron compounds within the OMC framework resulted in a synergistic effect. Resistance was also improved. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses demonstrated that the host structure was preserved during the impregnation and hydrothermal procedures. Nano-sized metal compounds were formed within the mesopore system. Nitrogen adsorption and desorption isotherm measurements demonstrated mesoporosity for the host/guest composites.

  10. DMPD: Toll-like receptors and the host defense against microbial pathogens: bringingspecificity to the innate-immune system. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available 15075354 Toll-like receptors and the host defense against microbial pathogens: brin...oc Biol. 2004 May;75(5):749-55. Epub 2004 Jan 14. (.png) (.svg) (.html) (.csml) Show Toll-like receptors and the host defense again...immune system. PubmedID 15075354 Title Toll-like receptors and the host defense against microbial pathogens:

  11. Use of habitat odour by host-seeking insects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webster, Ben; Cardé, Ring T

    2017-05-01

    Locating suitable feeding or oviposition sites is essential for insect survival. Understanding how insects achieve this is crucial, not only for understanding the ecology and evolution of insect-host interactions, but also for the development of sustainable pest-control strategies that exploit insects' host-seeking behaviours. Volatile chemical cues are used by foraging insects to locate and recognise potential hosts but in nature these resources usually are patchily distributed, making chance encounters with host odour plumes rare over distances greater than tens of metres. The majority of studies on insect host-seeking have focussed on short-range orientation to easily detectable cues and it is only recently that we have begun to understand how insects overcome this challenge. Recent advances show that insects from a wide range of feeding guilds make use of 'habitat cues', volatile chemical cues released over a relatively large area that indicate a locale where more specific host cues are most likely to be found. Habitat cues differ from host cues in that they tend to be released in larger quantities, are more easily detectable over longer distances, and may lack specificity, yet provide an effective way for insects to maximise their chances of subsequently encountering specific host cues. This review brings together recent advances in this area, discussing key examples and similarities in strategies used by haematophagous insects, soil-dwelling insects and insects that forage around plants. We also propose and provide evidence for a new theory that general and non-host plant volatiles can be used by foraging herbivores to locate patches of vegetation at a distance in the absence of more specific host cues, explaining some of the many discrepancies between laboratory and field trials that attempt to make use of plant-derived repellents for controlling insect pests. © 2016 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

  12. Smuggling across the border: how arthropod-borne pathogens evade and exploit the host defense system of the skin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernard, Quentin; Jaulhac, Benoit; Boulanger, Nathalie

    2014-05-01

    The skin is a critical barrier between hosts and pathogens in arthropod-borne diseases. It harbors many resident cells and specific immune cells to arrest or limit infections by secreting inflammatory molecules or by directly killing pathogens. However, some pathogens are able to use specific skin cells and arthropod saliva for their initial development, to hide from the host immune system, and to establish persistent infection in the vertebrate host. A better understanding of the initial mechanisms taking place in the skin should allow the development of new strategies to fight these vector-borne pathogens that are spread worldwide and are of major medical importance.

  13. Interaction of CSFV E2 protein with swine host factors as detected by yeast two-hybrid system.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Douglas P Gladue

    Full Text Available E2 is one of the envelope glycoproteins of pestiviruses, including classical swine fever virus (CSFV and bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV. E2 is involved in several critical functions, including virus entry into target cells, induction of a protective immune response and virulence in swine. However, there is no information regarding any host binding partners for the E2 proteins. Here, we utilized the yeast two-hybrid system and identified fifty-seven host proteins as positive binding partners which bound E2 from both CSFV and BVDV with the exception of two proteins that were found to be positive for binding only to CSFV E2. Alanine scanning of CSFV E2 demonstrated that the binding sites for these cellular proteins on E2 are likely non-linear binding sites. The possible roles of the identified host proteins are discussed as the results presented here will be important for future studies to elucidate mechanisms of host protein-virus interactions during pestivirus infection. However, due to the limitations of the yeast two hybrid system, the proteins identified is not exhaustive and each interaction identified needs to be confirmed by independent experimental approaches in the context of virus-infected cells before any definitive conclusion can be drawn on relevance for the virus life cycle.

  14. Study of hydrogen-molecule guests in type II clathrate hydrates using a force-matched potential model parameterised from ab initio molecular dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burnham, Christian J.; Futera, Zdenek; English, Niall J.

    2018-03-01

    The force-matching method has been applied to parameterise an empirical potential model for water-water and water-hydrogen intermolecular interactions for use in clathrate-hydrate simulations containing hydrogen guest molecules. The underlying reference simulations constituted ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) of clathrate hydrates with various occupations of hydrogen-molecule guests. It is shown that the resultant model is able to reproduce AIMD-derived free-energy curves for the movement of a tagged hydrogen molecule between the water cages that make up the clathrate, thus giving us confidence in the model. Furthermore, with the aid of an umbrella-sampling algorithm, we calculate barrier heights for the force-matched model, yielding the free-energy barrier for a tagged molecule to move between cages. The barrier heights are reasonably large, being on the order of 30 kJ/mol, and are consistent with our previous studies with empirical models [C. J. Burnham and N. J. English, J. Phys. Chem. C 120, 16561 (2016) and C. J. Burnham et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 19, 717 (2017)]. Our results are in opposition to the literature, which claims that this system may have very low barrier heights. We also compare results to that using the more ad hoc empirical model of Alavi et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 123, 024507 (2005)] and find that this model does very well when judged against the force-matched and ab initio simulation data.

  15. Manipulation of Energy Transfer Processes in Nano channels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Devaux, A.; Calzaferri, G.

    2010-01-01

    The realisation of molecular assemblies featuring specific macroscopic properties is a prime example for the versatility of supramolecular organisation. Microporous materials such as zeolite L are well suited for the preparation of host-guest composites containing dyes, complexes, or clusters. This short tutorial focuses on the possibilities offered by zeolite L to study and influence Forster resonance energy transfer inside of its nano channels. The highly organised host-guest materials can in turn be structured on a larger scale to form macroscopic patterns, making it possible to create large-scale structures from small, highly organised building blocks for novel optical applications.

  16. GUEST EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION: Guest Editor's introduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chrysanthis, Panos K.

    1996-12-01

    Computer Science Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA This special issue focuses on current efforts to represent and support workflows that integrate information systems and human resources within a business or manufacturing enterprise. Workflows may also be viewed as an emerging computational paradigm for effective structuring of cooperative applications involving human users and access to diverse data types not necessarily maintained by traditional database management systems. A workflow is an automated organizational process (also called business process) which consists of a set of activities or tasks that need to be executed in a particular controlled order over a combination of heterogeneous database systems and legacy systems. Within workflows, tasks are performed cooperatively by either human or computational agents in accordance with their roles in the organizational hierarchy. The challenge in facilitating the implementation of workflows lies in developing efficient workflow management systems. A workflow management system (also called workflow server, workflow engine or workflow enactment system) provides the necessary interfaces for coordination and communication among human and computational agents to execute the tasks involved in a workflow and controls the execution orderings of tasks as well as the flow of data that these tasks manipulate. That is, the workflow management system is responsible for correctly and reliably supporting the specification, execution, and monitoring of workflows. The six papers selected (out of the twenty-seven submitted for this special issue of Distributed Systems Engineering) address different aspects of these three functional components of a workflow management system. In the first paper, `Correctness issues in workflow management', Kamath and Ramamritham discuss the important issue of correctness in workflow management that constitutes a prerequisite for the use of workflows in the automation

  17. GUEST EDITORS' INTRODUCTION: Guest Editors' introduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coulson, Geoff; de Meer, Jan B.

    1997-03-01

    independence, and also more recognition of QoS as an independent research area, was achieved in the above mentioned Paris workshop. This workshop was aligned with the IFIP conference on Formal Methods for Open Object-based Distributed Systems (FMOODS96), but was also independently recognised by IFIP. A fifth workshop is due to take place in May 1997 in New York. This event will be the first not to be organized under the umbrella of another big event. This is indicative of the fact that the community interested in QoS issues has now become large enough to maintain its own independent forum of discussion and exchange of expertise. The five papers in this special issue cover a wide range of QoS research issues and fall broadly into three categories. First we have a paper that addresses a very specific but nevertheless crucial aspect of QoS provision: supporting the QoS of variable bit rate (VBR) traffic in networks with deterministic guarantees. `On the effects of smoothing for deterministic QoS' by Edward Knightly and Paola Rossaro examines the impact of rate smoothing of VBR sources such as MPEG video. The impact of such smoothing on both the QoS as perceived by the user and on resource utilization in the network are considered. Experimental evidence is presented which shows quantitatively how reducing burstiness through source smoothing techniques can significantly reduce the resource utilization of VBR streams while maintaining deterministic QoS for the user (at the cost of some increase in the end-to-end delay bound). It is also shown that a richer traffic characterisation model (D-BIND) can produce better network utilization and user QoS than the usual models based only on peak rate, average rate and burst length. Next we have two papers concerned with broader issues of QoS management. These papers explore approaches to QoS monitoring and adaptation which are intended to be generic and applicable in a range of implementation environments. `Some principles for quality of

  18. Nano-Saturn: Experimental Evidence of Complex Formation of an Anthracene Cyclic Ring with C60.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Yuta; Tsurumaki, Eiji; Wakamatsu, Kan; Toyota, Shinji

    2018-05-30

    An anthracene cyclic hexamer was synthesized by the coupling reaction as a macrocyclic hydrocarbon host. This disk-shaped host included a C 60 guest in 1:1 ratio to form a Saturn-type supramolecular complex in solution and in crystals. X-ray analysis unambiguously revealed that the guest molecule was accommodated in the middle of the host cavity with several CH⋅⋅⋅π contacts. The association constant K a determined by NMR titration measurements was 2.3×10 3  L mol -1 at 298 K in toluene. The structural features and the role of CH⋅⋅⋅π interactions are discussed with the aid of DFT calculations. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Host range, host ecology, and distribution of more than 11800 fish parasite species

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strona, Giovanni; Palomares, Maria Lourdes D.; Bailly, Nicholas; Galli, Paolo; Lafferty, Kevin D.

    2013-01-01

    Our data set includes 38 008 fish parasite records (for Acanthocephala, Cestoda, Monogenea, Nematoda, Trematoda) compiled from the scientific literature, Internet databases, and museum collections paired to the corresponding host ecological, biogeographical, and phylogenetic traits (maximum length, growth rate, life span, age at maturity, trophic level, habitat preference, geographical range size, taxonomy). The data focus on host features, because specific parasite traits are not consistently available across records. For this reason, the data set is intended as a flexible resource able to extend the principles of ecological niche modeling to the host–parasite system, providing researchers with the data to model parasite niches based on their distribution in host species and the associated host features. In this sense, the database offers a framework for testing general ecological, biogeographical, and phylogenetic hypotheses based on the identification of hosts as parasite habitat. Potential applications of the data set are, for example, the investigation of species–area relationships or the taxonomic distribution of host-specificity. The provided host–parasite list is that currently used by Fish Parasite Ecology Software Tool (FishPEST, http://purl.oclc.org/fishpest), which is a website that allows researchers to model several aspects of the relationships between fish parasites and their hosts. The database is intended for researchers who wish to have more freedom to analyze the database than currently possible with FishPEST. However, for readers who have not seen FishPEST, we recommend using this as a starting point for interacting with the database.

  20. Host-guest interaction on Bruny and Magnetic Islands, Australia

    OpenAIRE

    Moyle, Brent Don

    2017-01-01

    Islands are integral to the earth’s biodiversity, with their distinct environments offering a haven for a variety of threatened species of plants, wildlife and unique human cultures. Worldwide, tourism activity profoundly impacts upon destinations, but the impacts on islands are noticeably more acute due to their fragile environments and isolated communities. Research has found that tourism can impact island communities in a variety of ways, including economically, socially and environmentall...