Chromium(III) Hydroxide Solubility in the Aqueous K+-H+-OH?-CO2-HCO 3? -CO 32? -H2O System: A?Thermodynamic Model

Chromium(III)-carbonate reactions are expected to be important in managing high-level radioactive wastes. Extensive studies on the solubility of amorphous Cr(III) hydroxide solid in a wide range of pH (3–13) at two different fixed partial pressures of CO₂(g) (0.003 or 0.03 atm.), and as functions of K₂CO₃ concentrations (0.01 to 5.8 mol⋅kg⁻¹) in the presence of 0.01 mol⋅dm⁻³ KOH and KHCO₃ concentrations (0.001 to 0.826 mol⋅kg⁻¹) at room temperature (22±2 °C) were carried out to obtain reliable thermodynamic data for important Cr(III)-carbonate reactions. A combination of techniques (XRD, XANES, EXAFS, UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, thermodynamic analyses of solubility data, and quantum mechanical calculations) was used to characterize the solid and aqueous species. The Pitzer ion-interaction approach was used to interpret the solubility data. Only two aqueous species [Cr(OH)(CO₃)₂²⁻ and Cr(OH)₄CO₃³⁻] are required to explain Cr(III)-carbonate reactions in a wide range of pH, CO₂(g) partial pressures, and bicarbonate and carbonate concentrations. Calculations based on density functional theory support the existence of these species. The log ₁₀ K° values of reactions involving these species [{Cr(OH)₃(am) + 2CO₂(g)⇌Cr(OH)(CO₃)₂²⁻+2H⁺} and {Cr(OH)₃(am) + OH⁻+CO₃²⁻ ⇌Cr(OH)₄CO₃³⁻}] were found to be −(19.07±0.41) and −(4.19±0.19), respectively. No other data on any Cr(III)-carbonato complexes are available for comparisons.     

Context-dependent behavior of the enterocin iterative polyketide synthase; a new model for ketoreduction

Heterologous expression and mutagenesis of the enterocin type II polyketide synthase (PKS) system suggest for the first time that the association of an extended set of proteins and substrates is needed for the effective production of the enterocin-wailupemycin polyketides. In the absence of its endogenous ketoreductase (KR) EncD in either the enterocin producer "Streptomyces maritimus" or the engineered host S. lividans K4-114, the enterocin minimal PKS is unable to produce benzoate-primed polyketides, even when complemented with the homologous actinorhodin KR ActIII or with EncD active site mutants. These data suggest that the enterocin PKS requires EncD to serve a catalytic and not just a structural role in the functional PKS enzyme complex. This strongly implies that EncD reduces the polyketide chain during elongation rather than after its complete assembly, as suggested for most type II PKSs.     

A high order method for the numerical solution of two-point boundary value problems

A one step finite difference scheme of order 4 for the numerical solution of the general two-point boundary value problemy=f(t,y),a t b, withg(y(a),y(b))=0 is presented. The global discretization error of the scheme is shown, in sufficiently smooth cases, to have an asymptotic expansion containing even powers of the mesh size only. This justifies the use of Richardson extrapolation (or deferred correction) to obtain high orders of accuracy. A theoretical examination of the new scheme for large systems of equations shows that for a given mesh size it generally requires about twice as much work as the Keller box scheme. However, the expectation of higher accuracy usually justifies this extra computational effort. Some numerical results are given which confirm these expectations and show that the new scheme can be generally competitive with the box scheme.     

Pharmacokinetics of ICG and HPPH-car for the detection of normal and tumor tissue using fluorescence, near-infrared reflectance imaging: a case study

We present in vivo fluorescent, near-infrared (NIR), reflectance images of indocyanine green (ICG) and carotene-conjugated 2-devinyl-2-(1-hexyloxyethyl) pyropheophorbide (HPPH-car) to discriminate spontaneous canine adenocarcinoma from normal mammary tissue. Following intravenous administration of 1.0 mg kg-1 ICG or 0.3 mg kg-1 HPPH-car into the canine, a 25 mW, 778 nm or 70 mW, 660 nm laser diode beam, expanded by a diverging lens to approximately 4 cm in diameter, illuminated the surface of the mammary tissue. Successfully propagating to the tissue surface, ICG or HPPH-car fluorescence generated from within the tissue was collected by an image-intensified, charge-coupled device camera fitted with an 830 or 710 nm bandpass interference filter. Upon collecting time-dependent fluorescence images at the tissue surface overlying both normal and diseased tissue volumes, and fitting these images to a pharmacokinetic model describing the uptake (wash-in) and release (wash-out) of fluorescent dye, the pharmacokinetics of fluorescent dye was spatially determined. Mapping the fluorescence intensity owing to ICG indicates that the dye acts as a blood pool or blood persistent agent, for the model parameters show no difference in the ICG uptake rates between normal and diseased tissue regions. The wash-out of ICG was delayed for up to 72 h after intravenous injection in tissue volumes associated with disease, because ICG fluorescence was still detected in the diseased tissue 72 h after injection. In contrast, HPPH-car pharmacokinetics illustrated active uptake into diseased tissues, perhaps owing to the overexpression of LDL receptors associated with the malignant cells. HPPH-car fluorescence was not discernable after 24 h. This work illustrates the ability to monitor the pharmacokinetic delivery of NIR fluorescent dyes within tissue volumes as great as 0.5-1 cm from the tissue surface in order to differentiate normal from diseased tissue volumes on the basis of parameters obtained from the pharmacokinetic models.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the antitumor glycoside phyllanthoside and its stability in plasma of several species

Phyllanthoside is a glycoside isolated from the roots of the Central American tree Phyllanthus acuminatus Vahl with antitumor activity against murine B-16 melanoma and P-388 leukemia. We report a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for phyllanthoside in plasma using a 25-cm RP-18, 5-micron column with a linear 10-min gradient of 50% to 100% methanol in 0.3 M sodium acetate, pH 4.0, at a flow-rate of 1.5 ml/min. Eluting peaks were detected at 270 nm. The lower limit of sensitivity of the assay for phyllanthoside in 0.5 ml plasma following ethyl acetate extraction at pH 7.0 was 0.25 micrograms/ml and the coefficient of variation at 1 microgram/ml was +/- 7.4%. Phyllanthoside was very rapidly broken down by mouse and rat plasma in vitro to an unidentified less polar metabolite. Formation of this metabolite was completely inhibited by preheating mouse plasma to 100 degrees C for 10 min. When mouse plasma was diluted 1:50 with water the half-life of phyllanthoside disappearance at 37 degrees C was 2.0 min. Breakdown of phyllanthoside in plasma from other species was slower than in mouse and the initial half-life at 37 degrees C in dog plasma was 30 min, in monkey plasma 33 min and in human plasma 38 min. The same less polar metabolite as in mouse plasma was formed slowly by plasma of monkey and dog. Phyllanthoside did not accumulate in human red blood cells. Binding of phyllanthoside to human plasma protein determined by ultrafiltration at 4 degrees C was 70%.     

Cars study of vibrationally excited H2 produced in formaldehyde dissociation

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) has been used to observe H₂ from H₂CO + hv H₂ + CO. Photolysis of K = 1 (ortho) lines of the 2¹4¹ S₁ ← S₀ transition produced no para-H₂ (<4% statistical); and demonstrated nuclear spin conservation. H₂ states v = 1, 2 and 3 were comparably populated.     

Alkyl (C<Subscript>10</Subscript>, C<Subscript>12</Subscript>, C<Subscript>14</Subscript> and C<Subscript>16</Subscript>) triphenyl phosphonium bromide influenced cloud points of nonionic surfactants (Triton X 100, Brij 56 and Brij 97) and the polymer (Polyvinyl methyl ether)

The clouding points (CP) of the nonionic surfactants p-tert-octyl phenyl polyoxyethylene ether (Triton X 100), Brij-56 and Brij-97, and the water soluble polymer polyvinylmethylether (PVME) have been measured in the presence of the ionic surfactants alkyl (C₁₀, C₁₂, C₁₄ and C₁₆) triphenyl phosphonium bromides (ATPBs). The threshold additive concentrations required for efficient CP enhancement of the systems that were studied have been determined. Considering CP as the threshold state of phase separation, the energetics of the process at different additive concentrations has been evaluated. The spontaneity of free energy of the clouding process (G _c ⁰ ) at the transition concentrations followed the order PVME > TX 100  Bj 56 > Bj 97. The clouding process has been found to be energetically endothermic with fairly large enthalpy and entropy changes that nicely compensate each other. The compensation temperature has been evaluated and compared with different types of the clouding agents.This revised version was published online in January 2005 with corrections to the names of the authors.     

Solubility of (UO2)3(PO4)2?4H2O in H+-Na+-OH?-H2PO?4-HPO2?4-PO3?4-H2O and Its Comparison to the Analogous PuO2 +2 System

The objectives of this study were to address uncertainties in the solubility product of (UO₂)₃(PO₄)₂⋅4H₂O(c) and in the phosphate complexes of U(VI), and more importantly to develop needed thermodynamic data for the Pu(VI)-phosphate system in order to ascertain the extent to which U(VI) and Pu(VI) behave in an analogous fashion. Thus studies were conducted on (UO₂)₃(PO₄)₂⋅4H₂O(c) and (PuO₂)₃(PO₄)₂⋅4H₂O(am) solubilities for long-equilibration periods (up to 870 days) in a wide range of pH values (2.5 to 10.5) at fixed phosphate concentrations of 0.001 and 0.01 M, and in a range of phosphate concentrations (0.0001–1.0 M) at fixed pH values of about 3.5. A combination of techniques (XRD, DTA/TG, XAS, and thermodynamic analyses) was used to characterize the reaction products. The U(VI)-phosphate data for the most part agree closely with thermodynamic data presented in Guillaumont et al.,⁽¹⁾ although we cannot verify the existence of several U(VI) hydrolyses and phosphate species and we find the reported value for formation constant of UO₂PO⁻₄ is in error by more than two orders of magnitude. A comprehensive thermodynamic model for (PuO₂)₃(PO₄)₂⋅4H₂O(am) solubility in the H⁺-Na⁺-OH⁻-Cl⁻-H₂PO⁻₄-HPO²⁻₄-PO³⁻₄-H₂O system, previously unavailable, is presented and the data shows that the U(VI)-phosphate system is an excellent analog for the Pu(VI)-phosphate system.     

Arylthallium trifluoroacetates carbon-13 and fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance: The substituent effect of the bis(trifluoroacetato)- thallium(III) group

¹³C NMR data for a series of arylthallium trifluoroacetates (ArTlX₂, X = OCOCF₃) are reported and assigned. The range of carbon—thallium couplings to be expected, the dependence on the disposition of coupled nuclei, and chemical shift effects are discussed. The Tl(OCOCF₃)₂ group is shown to be a powerful electron withdrawing group, from both the ¹³C data and ¹⁹F substituent chemical shifts of the p-fluorophenyl derivative.     

Mono-, di-, and trinuclear luminescent silver(I) and gold(I) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes derived from the picolyl-substituted methylimidazolium salt: 1-methyl-3-(2-pyridinylmethyl)-1H-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate

The N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursor, 1-methyl-3-(2-pyridinylmethyl)-1H-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [HCH3im(CH2py)]BF4, reacted with AgBF4 in the presence of aqueous NaOH to produce the silver complex [Ag(CH3im(CH2py))2]BF4 (1) which was then reacted with Au(tht)Cl to form the corresponding gold(I) complex, [Au(CH3im(CH2py))2]BF4 (2). Complex 2 reacted with 1 equiv of AgBF4 to produce the mixed-metal species [AuAg(CH3im(CH2py))2](BF4)2 (3). The reaction of 2 with 1 equiv of Au(tht)Cl followed by metathesis with NaBF4 produces the dimetallic gold complex [Au2(CH3im(CH2py))2](BF4)2 (4). The reaction of [Ag(CH3im(CH2py))2]BF4 (1) with 1 equiv of AgBF4 produces the trinuclear [Ag3(CH3im(CH2py))3(NCCH3)2](BF4)3 (5) complex, which appears to dissociate into a dimetallic complex in solution. Complexes 1-5 were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, UV-vis, luminescence spectroscopy, elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography. The CH3im(CH2py) ligands in 3 are arranged in a head-to-head fashion spanning a Au-Ag separation of 3.0318(5) A with the carbene portion of the ligand remaining coordinated to the Au(I) center. In 4, the ligands are arranged in a head-to-tail fashion with an Au-Au separation of 3.1730(5) A. In 5, the ligands bridge the nearly symmetrical Ag3 triangular core with short Ag-Ag separations of 2.7765(8), 2.7832(8), and 2.7598(8) A. All of these complexes, including the ligand precursor, are intensely luminescent in solution and the solid state.