Application of clear polymethylmethacrylate dosimeter Radix W to a few MeV electron in radiation processing

Characteristics of clear PMMA dosimeter (Radix W) were studied for electron irradiation and compared with the response for gamma irradiation. The dose–response curves were nearly linear up to 30 kGy and become sublinear at higher doses. The radiation-induced absorbance was reduced with 6% within 4 h after irradiation. Dose comparisons were performed for 2, 3, 4 and 5 MeV electron irradiation using cellulose triacetate dosimeter (CTA) (FTR-125) and Radix W dosimeters which were independently calibrated for 2 MeV electrons and ⁶⁰Co gamma-rays using calorimeter and ionizing chamber, respectively. The doses estimated by CTA and Radix W were different by about 20%. The magnitude of this difference was, however, independent of electron energy.     

Summary of ISO/TC 201 Standard: ISO 29081: 2010, surface chemical analysis—Auger electron spectroscopy—reporting of methods used for charge control and charge correction

This international standard specifies the minimum amount of information required for describing the methods of charge control and charge correction in measurements of Auger electron transitions from insulating specimens by electron‐stimulated AES to be reported with the analytical results. Information is provided in an Annex on methods that have been found useful for charge control prior to or during AES analysis. The Annex also includes a summary table of methods or approaches, ordered by simplicity of approach. A similar international standard has been published for XPS (ISO 19318: 2003(E), Surface chemical analysis—XPS—reporting of methods used for charge control and charge correction. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spectroscopic behaviour, bond properties and charge distribution in methoxy groups in hydrofluoroethers: the effect of neighbouring CF2 group

A theoretical investigation is presented aimed to the interpretation of the spectroscopic behaviour of the methoxy group in molecules belonging to the class of hydrofluoroethers. The simulation of infrared and Raman spectra of four different stable conformers of CH₃–O–CF₂–CF₂–O–CH₃ and the comparison with the experimental spectra allow to propose a vibrational band assignment in the CH stretching region. This clarifies the role of the CF₂ group in determining the electronic properties and spectroscopic parameters of methyl CH bonds when back-donation of electronic charge take place from oxygen.     

Power-law exponent in the central region of a polymer layer adsorbed from dilute solution: Comparison between scaling and SCF results

De Gennes predicted the self-similar structure φ(z) ∞ z^−α for adsorbed polymer layers in the semi-dilute (central) region of the adsorption profile of homopolymers. This power-law behaviour is recovered in mean-field SCF calculations. In this case the exponent is α = 2 in good solvents provided D «z «d, where D is the proximal length and d the distal length. We use a ground-state approximation (GSA) to derive expressions for the two lengths D and d, and show that in the central region the profile is in good approximation given by φ = 1/3(z + D)⁻²exp(-(z + D)²/3d²). Unless the chains are extremely long the condition D«z«d is difficult to obtain and corrections on the exponent are necessary. For most chain lengths in the experimental range, the central region is quite narrow. It is shown that for high adsorption energies (small D) α = 2 + 2d⁻¹ in leading order, where d = R/, with R the radius of gyration and φ^b the bulk solution concentration. For weak adsorption the proximal length D is larger, which leads to a smaller exponent α. The d⁻¹ correction is in excellent agreement with numerical self-consistent-field calculations. In poor solvents we have φ = 1/2(z + D)⁻¹exp(-2(z + D)²/3d²) and α = 1 + 4d⁻¹ in the strong adsorption limit, which implies a larger correction in this case. Our analysis suggests that in a polymer adsorption profile with excluded-volume correlations (where α = 4/3) non-universal aspects would also be present if the chain length is finite.     

irGPU.proton.Net: Irregular strong charge interaction networks of protonatable groups in protein molecules—a GPU solver using the fast multipole method and statistical thermodynamics

Motivation: A cluster of strongly interacting ionization groups in protein molecules with irregular ionization behavior is suggestive for specific structure–function relationship. However, their computational treatment is unconventional (e.g., lack of convergence in naive self‐consistent iterative algorithm). The stringent evaluation requires evaluation of Boltzmann averaged statistical mechanics sums and electrostatic energy estimation for each microstate. Summary: irGPU: Irregular strong interactions in proteins—a GPU solver is novel solution to a versatile problem in protein biophysics—atypical protonation behavior of coupled groups. The computational severity of the problem is alleviated by parallelization (via GPU kernels) which is applied for the electrostatic interaction evaluation (including explicit electrostatics via the fast multipole method) as well as statistical mechanics sums (partition function) estimation. Special attention is given to the ease of the service and encapsulation of theoretical details without sacrificing rigor of computational procedures. irGPU is not just a solution‐in‐principle but a promising practical application with potential to entice community into deeper understanding of principles governing biomolecule mechanisms. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Progress in the understanding of drug-receptor interactions, part 2: experimental and theoretical electrostatic moments and interaction energies of an angiotensin II receptor antagonist (C30H30N6(O)3S)

A combined experimental and theoretical charge density study of an angiotensin II receptor antagonist (1) is presented focusing on electrostatic properties such as atomic charges, molecular electric moments up to the fourth rank and energies of the intermolecular interactions, to gain an insight into the physical nature of the drug-receptor interaction. Electrostatic properties were derived from both the experimental electron density (multipole refinement of X-ray data collected at T=17 K) and the ab initio wavefunction (single molecule and fully periodic calculations at the DFT level). The relevance of SO and SN intramolecular interactions on the activity of 1 is highlighted by using both the crystal and gas-phase geometries and their electrostatic nature is documented by means of QTAIM atomic charges. The derived electrostatic properties are consistent with a nearly spherical electron density distribution, characterised by an intermingling of electropositive and -negative zones rather than by a unique electrophilic region opposed to a nucleophilic area. This makes the first molecular moment scarcely significant and ill-determined, whereas the second moment is large, significant and highly reliable. A comparison between experimental and theoretical components of the third electric moment shows a few discrepancies, whereas the agreement for the fourth electric moment is excellent. The most favourable intermolecular bond is show to be an NHN hydrogen bond with an energy of about 50 kJ mol(-1). Key pharmacophoric features responsible for attractive electrostatic interactions include CHX hydrogen bonds. It is shown that methyl and methylene groups, known to be essential for the biological activity of the drug, provide a significant energetic contribution to the total binding energy. Dispersive interactions are important at the thiophene and at both the phenyl fragments. The experimental estimates of the electrostatic contribution to the intermolecular interaction energies of six molecular pairs, obtained by a new model proposed by Spackman, predict the correct relative electrostatic energies with no exceptions.     

Evaluation of the limit of performance of an analytical method based on a statistical calculation of its critical concentrations according to ISO standard 11843: Application to routine control of banned veterinary drug residues in food according to European Decision 657/2002/EC

Traceability of the measurement of analytical parameters capable of evaluating the performance of methods is an important concept for the assessment of quality for the routine control, especially for residue monitoring of non-authorized medicinal substances in food from animal origin. The European Decision no. 657/2002/EC recommends to calculate two statistical limits, CCα and CCβ, which allow to evaluate the critical concentrations above which the method reliably distinguish and quantify a substance taking into account the variability of the method and the statistical risk to take a wrong decision. The calculation, which can be derived from the ISO standard no. 11843 is applied on a routine basis. An example displays a very simple way for evaluating the performance of an LC-MSMS method which has been validated a few years ago and is qualified onto a Micromass Quattro LCZ tandem mass spectrometer to monitor and confirm the nitrofuran metabolite residues in food from animal origin. Community Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Veterinary Drug Residue Control in Food from Animal Origin     

Energetic distribution of the electrons from a 200 keV beam in polyurethane layers : EGS4 calculation and FTIR analysis

The aim of this study is to characterize the chemical transformation of a polymer resulting from irradiation by a 200 keV electron beam. Thermoplastic PU polyetherurethane material was used and irradiation was performed with applied electron fluences in the range of 10¹⁴–10¹⁷ electron cm⁻² at 77 K.

The chemical changes have been observed by FTIR analysis of irradiated layers. A NH bond evolution study has allowed us to follow polymer degradation versus depth and fluence. The results have been compared to a simulation of electronic energy loss and to the energy spectrum of the generated electrons in the polymer using EGS4 code.     

An investigation of the electron density of a Jahn–Teller‐distorted CrII cation: the crystal structure and charge density of hexakis(acetonitrile‐κN)chromium(II) bis(tetraphenylborate) acetonitrile disolvate

In the crystal structure of the title homoleptic Cr^II complex, [Cr(CH₃CN)₆](C₂₄H₂₀B)₂·CH₃CN, the [Cr(CH₃CN)₆]²⁺ cation is a high‐spin d⁴ complex with strong static, rather than dynamic, Jahn–Teller distortion. The electron density of the cation was determined by single‐crystal X‐ray refinements using aspherical structure factors from wavefunction calculations. The detailed picture of the electronic density allowed us to assess the extent and directionality of the Jahn–Teller distortion of the Cr^II cation away from idealized octahedral symmetry. The topological analysis of the aspherical d‐electron density about the Cr^II cation showed that there are significant valence charge concentrations along the axial Cr—N axes. Likewise, there were significant valence charge depletions about the Cr^II cation along the equatorial Cr—N bonds. These charge concentrations are in accordance with a Jahn–Teller‐distorted six‐coordinate complex.     

CH2,NH,and O heteroatom substitution effects on the electronic,optical,and charge transport properties of a 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-based derivative:Insights from theory

A set of CH2-,NH-,and O-substituted 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole(BTD)-based derivatives have been investigated theoretically in order to explore their electronic,optical,and charge transport properties.The calculation results show that the electronic and optical properties of the pristine molecule can be easily tuned through changing the S substituent in the central aromatic ring.Based on the calculated maximum emission wavelength,we predict that CH2-,NH-,and O-substituted BTD-based derivatives could be used as red,green,and orange light-emitting materials,respectively.After CH2-,NH-or O-substitution,the oscillator strengths of the emission spectra are enhanced with respect to that of the pristine molecule,implying that these compounds have larger fluorescence intensity.Finally,it can be deduced that CH2-,NH-,and O-substituted BTD-based derivatives may act as hole transport materials in organic light-emitting diodes.     

Comparison of analytical methods: ICP-QMS,ICP-SFMS and FF-ET-AAS for the determination of V,Mn, Ni,Cu, As,Sr, Mo,Cd and Pb in ground natural waters

Three analytical methods, namely, inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS); inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS) and filter-furnace electrothermal atomic-absorption spectroscopy (FF-ET-AAS) for the determination of V, Mn, Ni, Cu, As, Sr, Mo, Cd and Pb in ground natural water samples were compared and evaluated for their capacity to provide reliable and precise results. Two certified reference materials (SLEW-3 Estuarine Water; SLRS-4 River Water) were analysed to prove that accurate results could be obtained by using all the listed methods with properly optimised parameters. The limit of detection (LOD) for V, Mn, Ni, Cu, As, Sr, Mo, Cd and Pb provided by the ICP-MS methods ranged from 0.001 to 0.05 µg L^?1. Such LOD proved sufficient for the reliable determination of the listed elements in ground natural waters. However, the LOD of the FF-ET-AAS was approximately two orders of magnitude higher than that of ICP-MS, which made it impossible to quantify V, Mn, Ni, Mo and Pb. The effects of the usage of the collision cell mode in ICP-QMS and of the desolvation system Apex for ICP-SFMS to eliminate oxide ions levels were investigated. For all three analytical methods, the influence of the matrix effect on the results of the determination of the investigated elements using matrix model solution, external calibration and standard addition methods was evaluated. A comparison using a paired Student’s t-test between the results obtained by both ICP-MS methods for V, Mn, Ni, Cu, As, Sr, Mo, Cd and Pb concentrations in ground natural waters showed that there was no significant difference on a 95% confidence level. The precision of the results for ICP-SFMS, ICP-QMS and FF-ET-AAS varied between ~0.5 and 11; 2.5 and 12.5; 3 and 13.5%, respectively. Moreover, ICP-SFMS equipped with the desolvation system APEX proved a better choice for As, Cu and Mn analysis due to its better LOD (0.008, 0.03 and 0.02 µg L^?1, respectively) and precision (S_r ≤ 5.0; 7.5; 9.0%, respectively) compared to ICP-QMS and FF-ET-AAS.     

Comparison of flux approximations in electrochemical digital simulation. Part 2: Complications due to homogeneous chemical reactions, charge estimation and application to the ultramicrodisk electrode

In numerical simulation of electrochemical systems the estimation of current flow or passed charge from simulated concentrations plays a crucial role and various approaches within the framework of finite differences are examined in this paper. Both on an exponentially expanding grid in X-space, and the corresponding equidistant grid in transformed Y-space, fluxes were expressed as either gradient approximations using a variable number of points, or as the spatial integral of rates of changes of the concentrations with time over the whole diffusion space, in the presence of homogeneous chemical reactions. Also, the passed charge was computed for these cases. The cases of chronoamperometric boundary conditions at a shrouded plane and an ultramicrodisk electrode (UMDE) were simulated. Results show that in all cases, fluxes computed on the basis of the spatial concentration gradient at the electrode are the most accurate provided that the Rudolph modification of the two-point flux in Y-space is used; it also works very well in the presence of homogeneous chemical reactions. The flux approximation on the basis of spatial integration of the time derivative of concentration comes a close second in Y-space in the case of one-dimensional simulations when K is not too large, and also works rather well in the case of the UMDE in transformed space. Charge computed as the time integral of flux can be quite accurate if two separate simulation runs are carried out, combining the results by extrapolation. Charge computed as the spatial integration of concentration loss in the diffusion space (not practical in the presence of a homogeneous chemical reaction) can also be quite accurate, both in the one- and two-dimensional case.     

Real light emitter in the bioluminescence of the calcium-activated photoproteins aequorin and obelin: light emission from the singlet-excited state of coelenteramide phenolate anion in a contact ion pair

Fluorescence of the phenolate anion (3(O)⁻) and the amide anion (5(N)⁻) of coelenteramide analogues in ion pairs with various counter cations was systematically investigated to elucidate the ionic structure of the light emitter in the bioluminescence of the calcium-activated photoproteins aequorin and obelin. The fluorescent properties of 3(O)⁻ in an ion pair with a conjugate acid of an organic base (BASE-H⁺) were varied depending on the structural variation of the ion pair and the solvent polarity. In particular, the fluorescence of 3(O)⁻ in the ion pair with the conjugate acid of n-butylamine (NBA-H⁺) indicates that the singlet-excited state of 3(O)⁻ (¹3(O)^−∗) and NBA-H⁺ make a contact ion pair in which the fluorescence emission maxima of 3(O)⁻ is sensitive to the solvent polarity and the fluorescence quantum yields of 3(O)⁻ increase in a less polar solvent. The results also confirm that ¹3(O)^−∗ is a twisted intramolecular charge transfer state. By contrast, the fluorescence of 5(N)⁻ in an ion pair depends little on the BASE-H⁺ or the solvent polarity. Based on these results, we conclude that the light emitter in aequorin and obelin bioluminescences is the singlet-excited state of coelenteramide phenolate anion 2(O)⁻ (¹2(O)^−∗) in a contact ion pair with an imidazolium side chain of a histidine residue, which is located at the less polar active sites of the photoproteins. We also propose a mechanism for the bioluminescence reaction, including the chemiexcitation process to give ¹2(O)^−∗.     

Reductive activation of arenes 22. Reactions of the terephthalonitrile radical anion and dianion with α,ω-dibromoalkanes. New evidence for the charge transfer complex as a key intermediate in the reactions of the dianion

The major products of reactions of the terephthalonitrile radical anion with α,ω-dibromoalkanes Br(CH₂)_nBr (n = 3–5) were 4-(ω-bromoalkyl)benzonitriles. Analogous reactions of the terephthalonitrile dianion mainly yielded α,ω-bis(4-cyanophenyl)alkanes. Both transformations are convenient one-step routes to otherwise not easily accessible compounds that are valuable as versatile building blocks. The results of alkylation allow one to suggest that reactions of the dianion with intermediate 4-(ω-bromoalkyl)benzonitriles proceed more rapidly than those with the starting α,ω-dibromoalkanes. This was confirmed by competitive reactions of the dianion with 4-(ω-bromoalkyl)benzonitriles and the corresponding alkyl bromides. To explain such a ratio of the reaction rates, a mechanism was proposed for the reaction of the dianion with 4-(ω-bromoalkyl)benzonitriles. According to this mechanism, a charge transfer complex is a key reaction intermediate. Dedicated to the memory of Academician N. N. Vorozhtsov on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1069–1077, June, 2007.     

Instrumental neutron activation analysis,a technique for measurement of Se,Hg, Fe,Zn, K,Mn, Br,and the Hg:Se ratio in brain tissue samples with results from the Memory and Aging Project (MAP)

An INAA method for measurement of Se, Hg, Fe, Cr, Zn, Mn, K, and Br in autopsy cerebellum, anterior putamen, white matter, mid-frontal cortex, and inferior temporal lobe. Se, Hg, Fe, Cr, and Zn were measured autopsy samples collected from participants of the Memory and Aging Project. The first study examined the association between seafood consumption, brain Hg and Se, Apolipoprotein E (APOE-ε4) status, and brain neuropathology. Following the initial study, the samples were archived. A subsequent method was developed to measure Mn, K, and Br in the archived brain tissue samples.     

Determination of d‐limonene in mice plasma and tissues by a new GC–MS/MS method: Comparison of the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution by oral and inhalation administration in mice

The aim of the present study was to develop a method based on gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) to determine and quantify the d ‐limonene in mouse plasma and tissue samples. This new method was validated for the quantification of d ‐limonene with the linearity ranges 1.0–1000.0 ng/mL (r² > 0.9952) for plasma samples and 5.0–5000.0 ng/g (r² > 0.9940) for tissue samples. The intra‐ and inter‐day assay of precisions in plasma and tissues were <13.4% and the accuracies were within 91.1–105.8%. In the oral/inhalation administration pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution studies, the main pharmacokinetic parameters were the peak concentration = (97.150 ± 34.450)/(4336.415 ± 1142.418) ng/mL, the area under the curve = (162.828± 27.447)/(2085.721 ± 547.787) h ng/mL and the half‐life = (3.196 ± 0.825)/(0.989 ± 0.095) h. The tissue distribution of d ‐limonene in mice after oral/inhalation administration demonstrated a decreasing tendency in different tissues (liver > kidney > heart > lung > spleen).     

Development of a high‐performance liquid chromatography method with fluorescence detection for the routine quantification of tamoxifen,endoxifen and 4‐hydroxytamoxifen in plasma from breast cancer patients

To date, several methods for the quantification of tamoxifen and its metabolites have been developed, most of which employ liquid chromatography tandem–mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). These methods are highly sensitive and reproducible, but are also time‐consuming and require expensive equipment; one of their main disadvantages is matrix ionization effects. A more viable option, particularly in developing countries, is high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with UV or fluorescence detection. We developed and validated a method for simultaneous quantification of tamoxifen, endoxifen and 4‐hydroxytamoxifen based on high‐performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection in a reverse‐phase column. The method is rapid (16 min plus 5 min of column re‐equilibrium), accurate (80–100%) and precise (0.23–6.00%), and does not require any additional irradiation process. Sample pretreatment consists of protein precipitation with acetonitrile under alkaline conditions, employing only 200 μL plasma. The validated method's wide range allowed quantification of steady‐state levels in patients under standard tamoxifen treatment (20 mg/day). This assay is ready for application in clinical studies and routine quantification of tamoxifen, endoxifen and 4‐hydroxytamoxifen in healthcare institutions.     

OH-Induced shift from carbon to oxygen acidity in the side-chain deprotonation of 2-, 3- and 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol radical cations in aqueous solution: results from pulse radiolysis and DFT calculations

DFT calculations have been carried out for 2-, 3- and 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol radical cations (1⁺, 3⁺ and 4⁺, respectively) and the α-methyl derivatives 2⁺ and 5⁺ using the UB3LYP/6-31G(d) method. The theoretical results have been compared with the experimental rate constants for deprotonation of 1⁺-5⁺ under acidic and basic conditions. In acidic solution, the decay of 1⁺-5⁺ proceeds by cleavage of the C-H bond, while in the presence of ⁻OH all the radical cations undergo deprotonation from the α-OH group. This pH-dependent change in mechanism has been interpreted qualitatively in terms of simple frontier molecular orbital theory. The ⁻OH induced α-O-H deprotonation is consistent with a charge controlled reaction, whereas the C-H deprotonation, observed when the base is H₂O, appears to be affected by frontier orbital interactions.     

The chemical bond in polyphosphides: crystal structures, the electron localization function, and a new view of aromaticity in P4(2-) and P5(-)

The incongruent solvation of M(I)4P6 species (M(I) = K, Rb, Cs) in liquid ammonia leads to a broad variety of polyphosphides such as P7(3-), P11(3-), and the putatively aromatic P4(2-) and P5(-), which we investigated by using NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray structure analysis. The structures of Cs2P4 x 2 NH3, (K@[18]crown-6)3K3(P7)2 x 10 NH3, Rb3P7 x 7 NH3, and (Rb@[18]crown-6)3P7 x 6 NH3 are discussed and compared. The electron localization function ELF is used in a comparison of the chemical bonding of various phosphorus species. The variances of the basin populations provide a well-established measure for electron delocalization and therefore aromaticity. While comparable variance is calculated for P4(2-) and P5(-) it is observed in the lone pairs rather than in the basin populations of the bonds as in the prototypical aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene or the cyclopentadienide anion. For this behavior, the term "lone pair aromaticity" is proposed.