Singlet and doublet states UV-vis spectrum and electronic properties of 3-methylchrysene and 4-methylchrysene in glass matrix

The ultraviolet-visual spectrum of 3-methylchrysene, 4-methylchrysene and their radical cations formed by ultraviolet radiations, were measured in glass matrix at the room temperature. In the measured singlet state spectrum we were able to identify the alpha, p, beta, beta' (Clar's) or (1)L(b), (1)L(a)(1)B(b), (1)B(a) (Platt's notation) bands. The presence of alpha, beta or (1)L(b), (1)B(b) was confirmed by calculating their wavelength ratio lambda(alpha)/lambda(beta). Since matrix induces perturbation in the measured spectrum; it becomes necessary to take into account the perturbation while computing the spectrum. An effort has been made in this work to simulate the electronic spectrum in the same environment as is measured. This study presents the first calculated spectrum of these systems and their cations in glass matrix by semi empirical methods. To observe the magnitude of perturbation and hence to see the spectral shift in glass matrix, the spectrum was calculated in the free state as well. Spectral properties such as frontier orbitals gap, dipole moment, mean polarizabilities and its tensors were also computed both in glass matrix and free state using semiemperical method. The measured bands of 3-methylchrysene cation at wavelength 416.50 and 473.85 nm closely match with the available diffuse intersteallar bands (DIBs) at 417.55 and 472.64 nm, respectively. Also the observed 474.85 nm band of 4-methylchrysene cation matches the DIB at 476.00 nm.     

Non-destructive activation analysis of trace impurities in germanium

A non-destructive activation analysis of trace impurities in germanium giving rise to long-lived γ-emitting isotopes is described. Hg, Sn, Cr, Sb, Sc, Zn and Co were determined by γ-spectrometry after irradiation with thermal neutrons (φ_th=10^l4n. cm^-2.sec^-1, irrad. time: 15 h, cooling period: ca. 30 days). The complex γ-spectrum was analysed by a combination of Covell's method and matrix calculus. The detection limits are approximately 2 p.p.b. of Hg, 7 p.p.b. of Cr, 200 p.p.b. of Sn, 1 p.p.b. of Sb, 10 p.p.b. of Zn, 0.2 p.p.b. of Co and 0.1 p.p.b. of Sc.     

The neutron activation determination of lithium in the presence of alkali metals and magnesium

A neutron activation method for lithium in the presence of alkali metals or magnesium has been developed, utilizing the ⁶Li(n,α)³H and ¹⁶O(t,n)¹⁸F nuclear reactions. After a short thermal neutron irradiation with a. lithium standard, 112-min fluorine-18 is separated by a lead chlorofluoridc precipitation. The annihilation photons from the separated fluorine-18 are counted using 2 sodium iodide detectors, a fast-slow coincidence system and a multichannel analyzer. Precision in a synthetic l% lithium-in-sodium matrix was found to be ± 2.0% standard deviation, whereas the accuracy of the method is estimated to be ± 3% or better. The ultimate sensitivity in pure solution is estimated to be about 0.2 p.p.b. and in a sodium matrix about 0.5 p.p.m. The only interferences are several positron emitters, easily discriminated from by chemical separation, decay or by means of other nuclear parameters. Three hours are required for a duplicate determination, following initial sample preparation and dilution. To use the method, the lithium isotopic abundance must be known or determined by mass spectrometry because of the prevalence of depleted litliium in metal and salts.     

Neutron activation analysis of copper in bismuth by γ, γ-coincidence measurement

Copper was determined non-destructively by neutron activation analysis in high-purity bismuth down to concentrations of 30 p.p.b. By using γ, γ-coincidence counting of the annihilation photons of ⁶⁴Cu, interferences from the bremsstrahlung of the matrix could be completely suppressed, together with the interferences due to the induced γ-activities of other impurities as Zn, Cd, Au, Ag, Sb and As.The accuracy of the method was tested by spectrophotometry and by destructive activation analysis. The technique was applied to the analysis of a high-purity bismuth rod.     

Structural Relevance of Intramolecular H-Bonding in Ortho-Hydroxyaryl Schiff Bases: The Case of 3-(5-bromo-2-hydroxybenzylideneamino) Phenol

A new Schiff base compound, 3-(5-bromo-2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)phenol (abbreviated as BHAP) was synthesized and characterized by ¹H- and ¹³C- nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopies. DFT/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) calculations were undertaken in order to explore the conformational space of both the E- and Z- geometrical isomers of the enol-imine and keto-amine tautomers of the compound. Optimized geometries and relative energies were obtained, and it was shown that the most stable species is the E-enol-imine form, which may exist in four low-energy intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded forms (I, II, V, and VI) that are almost isoenergetic. These conformers were concluded to exist in the gas phase equilibrium with nearly equal populations. On the other hand, the infrared spectra of the compound isolated in a cryogenic argon matrix (10 K) are compatible with the presence in the matrix of only two of these conformers (conformers II and V), while conformers I and VI convert to these ones by quantum mechanical tunneling through the barrier associated with the rotation of the OH phenolic group around the C–O bond. The matrix isolation infrared spectrum was then assigned and interpreted with help of the DFT(B3LYP)/6-311++G(d,p) calculated infrared spectra for conformers II and V. In addition, natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis was performed on the most stable conformer of the experimentally relevant isomeric form (E-enol-imino conformer V) to shed light on details of its electronic structure. This investigation stresses the fundamental structural relevance of the O–H···N intramolecular H-bond in o-hydroxyaryl Schiff base compounds.     

Features,Questions and Future Challenges in Layered Silicates Clay Nanocomposites with Semicrystalline Polymer Matrices

The present features review article discusses the crystallisation of the polymer matrix when containing silicate layers. The accent is put on nylons (polyamides) and poly(ethylene oxide) as typical hydrophilic polymers and, poly(propylene) from the hydrophobic group. The effects of the clay, either intercalated or exfoliated, on the crystallisation behaviour of the matrix are highlighted. In addition, the crucial aspects of the semicrystalline morphology of the matrix in the presence of the clay platelets are also debated. The overall crystallisation rate is reported to slow down for most of the crystallisable polymer matrices on account of a retarding growth effect exerted by the clay platelets. As far as the location of the exfoliated clay platelets in the polymer matrix is concerned, they are assumed to be rejected from the crystalline phase in the interspherulitic space.

     

Effect of sol-gel derived nano-silica and organic peroxide on the thermal and mechanical properties of low-density polyethylene/wood flour composites

The influence of nano-silica, synthesized and mixed with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) through a sol-gel process, on the thermal and mechanical properties of LDPE and LDPE/wood flour (WF) composites, prepared in the absence and presence of dicumyl peroxide, was investigated. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analyses show a uniform dispersion of silica nano-particles of size 10-50 nm in the matrix, and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic results indicated interaction between the nano-silica and the LDPE matrix, which seems to improve for samples prepared in the presence of dicumyl peroxide (DCP). WF and nano-silica, as well as the presence of DCP during sample preparation, substantially improve the thermal stability of the LDPE matrix. The tensile strength of the samples decreased with increasing wood flour content, while the tensile modulus substantially increased. The presence of nano-silica gave rise to lower values for both tensile strength and tensile modulus, while higher tensile strength (and an increase in tensile strength with WF content) is observed for samples prepared in the presence of DCP. The tensile modulus increases with increasing WF content, but is not substantially influenced by the presence of nano-silica or by sample preparation in the presence of DCP. The DMA results were in line with the tensile results.     

The size-selective synthesis of folded oligomers by dynamic templation

A dynamic pool of m-phenylene ethynylene oligomers generated by sequence ligation using the imine metathesis reaction was equilibrated under a variety of conditions, and the mixture of products was analyzed by HPLC. The equilibration was performed in the presence and absence of rodlike ligand 2b, which exhibits an affinity for the helical oligomers that is very length specific. Among the eight oligomers generated during metathesis equilibrium, the formation of 22-mer 6b was enhanced in acetonitrile in the presence of 2b. This particular oligomer has the highest binding affinity for 2b. Quantitative analysis by HPLC of the products indicated that 6b was produced in 66% yield in the presence of 2 equiv 2b while a 37% yield was produced in the absence of 2b. Judging from the binding affinities of oligomers 6 with 2b, the equilibrium shifting was driven by the selective binding of 6b with 2b.     

高柔性线型配体1,4-双(2-甲基-8-喹啉氧基)-丁烷的合成与表征

2-甲基-8-羟基喹啉和二溴丁烷在正丁基锂的存在下反应,生成标题化合物(C24H24N2O2, Mr = 372.46)。X-射线单晶结构分析表明此晶体属于单斜晶系,空间群P21/c, a = 5.7002(5), b = 12.186(1), c = 14.312(1) , b = 92.503(2), V = 993.2(2) 3, Z = 2, m = 0.080 mm-1, Dc = 1.245 g/cm3, F(000) = 396, R = 0.0505, wR = 0.0705. 结果表明,该化合物的2个配位端基2-甲基-8-羟基-喹啉基处于间隔基团-(CH2)4-的两侧,整个分子呈现中心对称的反式构象。此外,通过分子间的p…p 堆积作用和 CH…p 作用,使分子堆积成三维网络结构。     

The Effects of Food on Cannabidiol Bioaccessibility

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a hydrophobic non-psychoactive compound with therapeutic characteristics. Animal and human studies have shown its poor oral bioavailability in vivo, and the impact of consuming lipid-soluble CBD with and without food on gut bioaccessibility has not been explored. The purpose of this research was to study the bioaccessibility of CBD after a three-phase upper digestion experiment with and without food, and to test lipase activity with different substrate concentrations. Our results showed that lipase enzyme activity and fatty acid absorption increased in the presence of bile salts, which may also contribute to an increase in CBD bioaccessibility. The food matrix used was a mixture of olive oil and baby food. Overall, the fed-state digestion revealed significantly higher micellarization efficiency for CBD (14.15 ± 0.6% for 10 mg and 22.67 ± 2.1% for 100 mg CBD ingested) than the fasted state digestion of CBD (0.65 ± 0.7% for 10 mg and 0.14 ± 0.1% for 100 mg CBD ingested). The increase in bioaccessibility of CBD with food could be explained by the fact that micelle formation from hydrolyzed lipids aid in bioaccessibility of hydrophobic molecules. In conclusion, the bioaccessibility of CBD depends on the food matrix and the presence of lipase and bile salts.     

Ferrocenyl-functionalized silica nanoparticles: preparation, characterization, and molecular recognition at interfaces

Ferrocenyl-functionalized silica nanoparticles (Fc-SiO(2), 6a-6c) of about 60 nm with supramolecular "guest" properties were prepared. Nanoparticles 6a-6c differed by the addition of different molar ratios of starting compounds during the functionalization step, i.e., 1:0, 1:10, and 1:90 of 2-ferrocenyl amidoethoxyethanol and diethylene glycol for 6a,6b, and 6c, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) proved the presence of ferrocenyl groups on the surfaces of 6a-6c, whereas the elemental analysis revealed an iron content of particles 6a-6c of 0.10-0.16%. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) results showed that, compared with 6a, 6b dispersed well in aqueous media, possibly due to the presence of diethylene glycol at the surfaces of 6b that significantly increases its overall hydrophilicity. Cyclic voltammetry of 6b indicated a totally irreversible system and a "mixed" diffusion-adsorption behavior, which is attributed to sluggish electron transfer. The shifted |I(p,C)/I(p,A*)| ratio showed that the ferrocenyl groups are robustly attached to the nanoparticle surface within the experimental potential range. The supramolecular recognition of Fc-SiO(2) nanoparticles at interfaces was verified by their adsorption on beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) self-assembled monolayers, as monitored by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy. The ability of the Fc-SiO(2) nanoparticles to form host-guest interactions was also demonstrated by the attachment of beta-CD-functionalized Au nanoparticles (2.8 nm) on the Fc-SiO(2) surfaces, when mixed in solution.     

The Combined Influence of Hydrogel Stiffness and Matrix‐Bound Hyaluronic Acid Content on Glioblastoma Invasion

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and lethal form of brain cancer. Its high mortality is associated with its aggressive invasion throughout the brain. The heterogeneity of stiffness and hyaluronic acid (HA) content within the brain makes it difficult to study invasion in vivo. A dextran‐bead assay is employed to quantify GBM invasion within HA‐functionalized gelatin hydrogels. Using a library of stiffness‐matched hydrogels with variable levels of matrix‐bound HA, it is reported that U251 GBM invasion is enhanced in softer hydrogels but reduced in the presence of matrix‐bound HA. Inhibiting HA–CD44 interactions reduces invasion, even in hydrogels lacking matrix‐bound HA. Analysis of HA biosynthesis suggests that GBM cells compensate for a lack of matrix‐bound HA by producing soluble HA to stimulate invasion. Together, a robust method is showed to quantify GBM invasion over long culture times to reveal the coordinated effect of matrix stiffness, immobilized HA, and compensatory HA production on GBM invasion.

     

Nanocomposites of Size‐Tunable ZnO‐Nanoparticles and Amphiphilic Hyperbranched Polymers

Highly dispersed ZnO nanoparticles with variable particle sizes were successfully prepared within an amphiphilic hyperbranched polyetherpolyol matrix via decomposition of an organometallic precursor in the presence of air leading to stable nanocomposites. The high degree of stabilization during and after the synthesis by the polymer permits control over the nanoparticle size and therefore, due to the quantum‐size‐effect, the particle properties. Furthermore, these polymer‐inorganic nanocomposites can easily be dispersed in apolar solvents to yield highly transparent, stable solutions.

     

Selective separations by reactive ion exchange : Part III. Preconcentration and separation of oxo anions

A new procedure for simultaneous preconcentration, separation, and determination of permanganate, chromate and vanadate was developed for aqueous solutions containing p.p.b. levels of these anions (and molybdate). The presence of other (non-complexing) ions in p.p.m. concentrations did not interfere. The procedure consisted of reactive adsorption of all three anions as their reduced cations, on iron(II)-treated resin, followed by elution of vanadium(IV) with 0.01 M HNO₃/H₂O₂, manganese(II) with 0.35 M HCl, and chromium(III) with 4M HCl. Concentration factors of 40 were obtained with 1-l “samples” 10 p.p.b. concentrations were determined with standard deviations of 4–5 % by a.a.s. and conventional spectrophotometry.     

Activation analysis of mercury in high purity bismuth

A neutron activation method was developed for the determination of traces of mercury in high purity bismuth. After neutron irradiation at a flux of approx. 4.10¹¹ n/cm²/sec, mercury was separated from the matrix by displacement on metallic copper and subsequent distillation and amalgamation on silver foil. The γ-activity of the ¹⁹⁷Hg was counted in the 68–77 ke V region. The accuracy of the procedure was tested by an addition method of analysis. Bismuth samples with a mercury content in the 10 p.p.b. region were analysed.     

Diffusion Crosslinking Kinetics of Thermoset Polymers

The problem of the delayed crosslinking arising due to the diffusion of a crosslinker molecule from a vector particle within a thermoset polymer matrix is discussed. The crosslinker molecules, initially embedded in the vector particles, diffuse from the particle to the polymer matrix and react with the functional groups grafted to polymer chains. The two‐step diffusion crosslink kinetics is studied theoretically on the example of polyethylene functionalized with anhydride groups reacting with 1,4‐butanediol as a crosslinker molecule. This provides the independent of time limiting distribution functions of the concentration of crosslinks, unreacted and intermediate functional groups, which are shown to be rather sensitive to system parameters as rates of chemical reactions, ratio of diffusion coefficients of matrix to vector particles, stoichiometric composition of the reactive groups, etc. The nonmonotonic distribution of the crosslink concentration around the vector particles at certain range of the parameters is revealed.

     

Hypoxia-inducible factor-2α mediates senescence-associated intrinsic mechanisms of age-related bone loss

Aging is associated with cellular senescence followed by bone loss leading to bone fragility in humans. However, the regulators associated with cellular senescence in aged bones need to be identified. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)−2α regulates bone remodeling via the differentiation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Here, we report that HIF-2α expression was highly upregulated in aged bones. HIF-2α depletion in male mice reversed age-induced bone loss, as evidenced by an increase in the number of osteoblasts and a decrease in the number of osteoclasts. In an in vitro model of doxorubicin-mediated senescence, the expression of Hif-2α and p21, a senescence marker gene, was enhanced, and osteoblastic differentiation of primary mouse calvarial preosteoblast cells was inhibited. Inhibition of senescence-induced upregulation of HIF-2α expression during matrix maturation, but not during the proliferation stage of osteoblast differentiation, reversed the age-related decrease in Runx2 and Ocn expression. However, HIF-2α knockdown did not affect p21 expression or senescence progression, indicating that HIF-2α expression upregulation in senescent osteoblasts may be a result of aging rather than a cause of cellular senescence. Osteoclasts are known to induce a senescent phenotype during in vitro osteoclastogenesis. Consistent with increased HIF-2α expression, the expression of p16 and p21 was upregulated during osteoclastogenesis of bone marrow macrophages. ChIP following overexpression or knockdown of HIF-2α using adenovirus revealed that p16 and p21 are direct targets of HIF-2α in osteoclasts. Osteoblast-specific (Hif-2α^fl/fl;Col1a1-Cre) or osteoclast-specific (Hif-2α^fl/fl;Ctsk-Cre) conditional knockout of HIF-2α in male mice reversed age-related bone loss. Collectively, our results suggest that HIF-2α acts as a senescence-related intrinsic factor in age-related dysfunction of bone homeostasis.Subject terms: Cell biology, Diseases     

Determination of inorganic nickel compounds in the particulate matter of emissions and workplace air by selective sequential dissolutions

A speciation method of inorganic nickel compounds in airborne particulate, based on selective sequential extractions, is described. It allows the separation and the determination of Ni(0), Ni(II) soluble salts such as sulphate and chloride, Ni insoluble compounds such as nickel oxide and sulphide, to which a different toxicity and therefore a different risk are related. The nickel concentration in each fraction was determined by Flame or Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The proposed procedure has been tested first, on synthetic samples prepared with the different nickel compounds, in the presence of atmospherical particulate matter not containing nickel, in order to take into account the possible matrix influence. The speciation was then repeated on four different samples (fly ash deriving from a solid waste incinerator and three RSMS from NIST: Coal Fly ash SRM 1633b, Urban Particulate 1648, Washington Dust 1649), followed by an evaluation of matrix spiking and recovery analyses. Performing multiple analyses of the spiked samples assessed the repeatability of the procedure.     

The application of electrodeposition techniques to flameless atomic absorption spectrometry : Part I. The determination of cadmium with a tungsten filament

The use of controlled-potential electrolysis-as a separation and preconcentration technique for metal wire flameless atomic absorption analysis has been studied. The metal to be determined is electrolyzed onto a thin tungsten wire, and then atomized by electrical heating of the filament in an inert atmosphere within an absorption cell. A detailed study of the effect of various experimental parameters on the determination of cadmium is presented. The detection limit was found to be 0.1 p.p.b. cadmium, for a 2-min electrolysis period. The absolute detection limit was 4·10^-11 g. The method appears to be well suited for the determination of cadmium in samples with a complex matrix.