Relationship of Momentary Volition to Occupational Experience and Life Perspective in Undergraduate Students.

Our lives are comprised of moment-to-moment activities and experiences. According to the Model of Human Occupation, our occupational experiences can be affected by volition, which consists of personal causation, values, and interests. This study investigated how momentary volition could affect activity satisfaction and mind-wandering while performing occupations.

Variation in transcription factor binding among humans.

Differences in gene expression may play a major role in speciation and phenotypic diversity. We examined genome-wide differences in transcription factor (TF) binding in several humans and a single chimpanzee by using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing. The binding sites of RNA polymerase II (PolII) and a key regulator of immune responses, nuclear factor kappaB (p65), were mapped in 10 lymphoblastoid cell lines, and 25 and 7.

Quantitative analysis of surface-immobilized protein by TOF-SIMS: effects of protein orientation and trehalose additive.

We demonstrate the effects of protein orientation and trehalose on a quantitative analysis of surface-immobilized proteins by using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). As our model protein, streptavidin (SA) was quantitatively immobilized on a solid surface at different configurations by random or oriented immobilization and subsequently treated with trehalose. The resulting surface was analyzed by using TOF-SIMS and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy, where the secondary ion spectra from SA were compared with the surface density of the protein.

Expression profiling of proteins in L-threonine biosynthetic pathway of Escherichia coli by using antibody microarray.

We demonstrate the use of an antibody (Ab) microarray for a comparative expression profiling of proteins in an L-threonine biosynthetic pathway of Escherichia coli between a parental strain (W3110) and L-threonine overproducing mutant (TF5015). On the basis of a global comparative transcriptome analysis between the two strains, 28 analytical target proteins were selected and subjected to a production of polyclonal Abs against them. An Ab microarray was constructed by spotting a set of produced antibodies on a glass slide, and was employed for a comparative expression profiling of the proteins between the two strains by a two-color fluorescence assay method.

Chip-based analysis of SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) conjugation to a target protein.

A chip-based analysis of protein interactions and modifications in cell signaling pathways has been of great potential in drug discovery, diagnostics, and cell biology, because it enables rapid and high-throughput biological assays with a small amount of samples. We report a chip-based analysis of sumoylation, the post-translational modification (PTM) process that involves covalent attachment of the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) protein to a target protein through multiple enzyme reactions in eukaryotic cells. Substrate proteins were spotted onto a glass surface followed by the addition of the reaction mixture for sumoylation, and the SUMO conjugation was readily detected by using fluorescent dye-labeled antibody.

Gold nanoparticle-enhanced secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging of peptides on self-assembled monolayers.

We demonstrate the use of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to enhance the secondary ion emission of peptides in time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). The signal intensity of peptides adsorbed onto AuNPs was significantly increased when compared to that of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). This gold nanoparticle-enhanced SIMS, termed NE-SIMS, enabled the sensitive detection of subtle modifications of peptides, such as phosphorylation.

Kinetic and equilibrium binding analysis of protein-ligand interactions at poly(amidoamine) dendrimer monolayers.

The interaction of streptavidin (SA) with a biotinylated surface has been of great interest in the development of an interfacial layer for protein immobilization based on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and polymeric layers. Here, we demonstrate the unique characteristics of protein-ligand interactions on dendrimer monolayers based on kinetic and equilibrium binding analyses. With amine-ended poly(amidoamine) dendrimers from the first (G1) to fourth (G4) generation, the formation of even, compact dendrimer monolayers on gold was confirmed using FT-IR spectroscopy and ellipsometry.

Inhibition assay of biomolecules based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between quantum dots and gold nanoparticles.

An inhibition assay method was developed based on the modulation in the FRET efficiency between quantum dots (QDs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the presence of the molecules which inhibit the interactions between QD- and AuNP-conjugated biomolecules. For the functionalization, AuNPs were first stabilized by chemisorption of n-alkanethiols and then capped with the first generation polyamidoamine (G1 PAMAM) dendrimers. By employing a streptavidin-biotin couple as a model system, avidin was quantitatively analyzed as an inhibitor by sensing the change in photoluminescence (PL) quenching of SA-QDs by biotin-AuNPs.

Mass spectrometric analysis of affinity-captured proteins on a dendrimer-based immunosensing surface: investigation of on-chip proteolytic digestion.

The monolayer of fourth-generation poly(amidoamine) dendrimers was adopted to construct the immunoaffinity surface of an antibody layer. The antibody layer as a bait on the dendrimer monolayer was found to result in high binding capacity of antigenic proteins and a reliable detection. The affinity-captured protein at the immunosensing surface was subjected to direct on-chip tryptic digestion, and the resulting proteolytic peptides were analyzed by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Synthesis and characterization of tri(ethylene oxide)-attached poly(amidoamine) dendrimer layers on gold.

This paper describes the synthesis of a tri(ethylene oxide)-attached fourth-generation poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (EO3-dendrimer) and the characterization of its layers on gold. NMR analysis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry revealed that about 61 amine groups of a G4 PAMAM dendrimer were covalently conjugated with tri(ethylene oxide) units, accounting for a 95% modification level. Layers of the EO3-dendrimer were formed on gold, and the resulting surface was characterized by infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, ellipsometry, and contact angle goniometry.

Development of a screen-printed amperometric biosensor for the determination of L-lactate dehydrogenase level.

We attempted to develop a screen-printed biosensor for the amperometric determination of L-lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level on the basis of NAD(+)/NADH-dependent dehydrogenase reaction. The printing ink for the working electrode consisted of L-lactate, NAD(+), composite polymer of hydroxyethyl cellulose with ethylene glycol, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (3,4-DHB) as an electron transferring mediator, and graphite as the conducting material. The 3,4-DHB was electropolymerized on the carboneous working electrode by potential cycling between -200 and +300 mV vs.