Notes on local o‐minimality

We introduce and study some local versions of o‐minimality, requiring that every definable set decomposes as the union of finitely many isolated points and intervals in a suitable neighbourhood of every point. Motivating examples are the expansions of the ordered reals by sine, cosine and other periodic functions (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

High-density targeting of a viral multifunctional nanoplatform to a pathogenic, biofilm-forming bacterium

Nanomedicine directed at diagnosis and treatment of infections can benefit from innovations that have substantially increased the variety of available multifunctional nanoplatforms. Here, we targeted a spherical, icosahedral viral nanoplatform to a pathogenic, biofilm-forming bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus. Density of binding mediated through specific protein-ligand interactions exceeded the density expected for a planar, hexagonally close-packed array. A multifunctionalized viral protein cage was used to load imaging agents (fluorophore and MRI contrast agent) onto cells. The fluorescence-imaging capability allowed for direct observation of penetration of the nanoplatform into an S. aureus biofilm. These results demonstrate that multifunctional nanoplatforms based on protein cage architectures have significant potential as tools for both diagnosis and targeted treatment of recalcitrant bacterial infections.     

Continuous flow enzyme-catalyzed polymerization in a microreactor

Enzymes immobilized on solid supports are increasingly used for greener, more sustainable chemical transformation processes. Here, we used microreactors to study enzyme-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone to polycaprolactone. A novel microreactor design enabled us to perform these heterogeneous reactions in continuous mode, in organic media, and at elevated temperatures. Using microreactors, we achieved faster polymerization and higher molecular mass compared to using batch reactors. While this study focused on polymerization reactions, it is evident that similar microreactor based platforms can readily be extended to other enzyme-based systems, for example, high-throughput screening of new enzymes and to precision measurements of new processes where continuous flow mode is preferred. This is the first reported demonstration of a solid supported enzyme-catalyzed polymerization reaction in continuous mode.     

Surface-amplified ligand disorder in CdSe quantum dots determined by electron and coherent vibrational spectroscopies

This Article reports measurements of the intra- and intermolecular ordering of tight-binding octylphosphonate ligands on the surface of colloidal CdSe quantum dots (QDs) within solid state films, and the dependence of this order on the size of the QDs. The order of the organic ligands, as probed by vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy, decreases as the radius of the QDs decreases; this decrease is correlated with a decrease in the order of underlying Cd(2+), as detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) line width measurements, for radii of the QDs, R > 2.4 nm, and is independent of the disorder of the Cd(2+) for R < 2.4 nm. We believe that, for R < 2.4, the decreasing order of the ligands with decreasing size is due to an increase in the curvature of the QD surfaces. Disorder in the Cd(2+) results from the presence of a shell of Cd(2+)-surfactant complexes that form during synthesis, so this work demonstrates the possibility for chemical control over molecular order within films of colloidal QDs by changing the surfactant mixture.     

3M Petrifilm Staph Express Count plate method for the enumeration of Staphylococcus aureus in selected types of meat, seafood, and poultry: collaborative study

The 3M Petrifilm Staph Express Count plate method was compared with AOAC Official Method 975.55 for the enumeration of Staphylococcus aureus in selected foods. Four foods--cooked, diced chicken; cured ham; smoked salmon; and pepperoni--were analyzed for S. aureus by 12 collaborating laboratories. For each food tested, the collaborators received 8 blind test samples consisting of a control sample, a low inoculation level, a medium inoculation level, and a medium inoculation level with background flora, each in duplicate. The mean log10 counts for the methods were comparable for all 4 foods. The repeatability and reproducibility variances of the 24 h Petrifilm Staph Express Count plate method were similar to those of the 72 h standard method.     

A multi-technique surface study of the mercury(II) chalcogenide ion-selective electrode in saline media

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), rotating disc electrode-electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (RDE-EIS) and synchrotron radiation-grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (SR-GIXRD) have been used to study the response mechanism of the mercury(II) chalcogenide ion-selective electrode (ISE) in saline media. XPS and SIMS have shown that the chalcogenide surface is poisoned by silver chloride, or a mixture of silver halides, on continuous exposure to synthetic and real seawater. Significantly, the in-situ SR-GIXRD study demonstrated that electrode fouling in synthetic seawater is linked to the formation of poorly crystalline or amorphous silver chloride, and that the low level of free mercury(II) in a calibration buffer (i.e., 10(-14) M) is able to undergo metathesis with silver(II) sulfide in the membrane generating mercury(II) sulfide. Significantly, the results of this detailed surface study have shown that silver chloride fouling of the electrode is ameliorated in real seawater comprising natural organic ligands, and this has been attributed to the peptization of silver chloride by the surfactant-like nature of seawater ligands at pH 8. RDE-EIS aging studies have revealed that the chalcogenide membrane experiences a sluggish charge transfer reaction in seawater, and contrary to a previous report for a static electrode, the seawater matrix does not passivate the RDE. The results of this XPS, SIMS, RDE-EIS and SR-GIXRD study have elucidated the response mechanism of the mercury(II) ISE in saline media.     

Selective hydrolysis of peptides promoted by metal ions: a positional scanning approach

Rapid, microplate-based fluorogenic screening of a positional scanning combinatorial library accurately predicts the sequence specificity of metal-assisted peptide hydrolysis.     

Multisegmented one-dimensional nanorods prepared by hard-template synthetic methods

In the science and engineering communities, the nanoscience revolution is intensifying. As many types of nanomaterials are becoming more reliably synthesized, they are being used for novel applications in all branches of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Since it is sometimes desirable for single nanomaterials to perform multiple functions simultaneously, multicomponent nanomaterials, such as core-shell, alloyed, and striped nanoparticles, are being more extensively researched. Nanoscientists hope to design multicomponent nanostructures and exploit their inherent multiple functionalities for use in many novel applications. This review highlights recent advances in the synthesis of multisegmented one-dimensional nanorods and nanowires with metal, semiconductor, polymer, molecular, and even gapped components. It also discusses the applications of these multicomponent nanomaterials in magnetism, self-assembly, electronics, biology, catalysis, and optics. Particular emphasis is placed on the new materials and devices achievable using these multicomponent, rather than single-component, nanowire structures.