Scattering differentiates Alzheimer disease in vitro

The molecular bases of Alzheimer disease and related neurodegenerative disorders are becoming better understood, but the means for definitive diagnosis and monitoring in vivo remain lacking. Near-infrared optical spectroscopy offers a potential solution. We acquired transmission and reflectance spectra of thin brain tissue slabs, from which we calculated wavelength-dependent absorption and reduced scattering coefficients from 470-1000 nm. The reduced scattering coefficients in the near infrared clearly differentiated Alzheimer from control specimens. Diffuse reflectance spectra of gross brain tissue in vitro confirmed this observation. These results suggest a means for diagnosing and monitoring Alzheimer disease in vivo, using near-infrared optical spectroscopy.     

Cross-channel coupling in positron-atom scattering

Coupled-state calculations including positronium channels are reported for positron scattering by atomic hydrogen, lithium and sodium. Integrated cross sections and total cross sections are presented for all three atoms. For lithium differential cross sections are also given. Throughout, comparison is made between results calculated with and without inclusion of the positronium channels. S-wave cross sections for positron scattering by atomic hydrogen in the Ps(1s, 2s, 2p)+H(1s, 2s, 2p) approximation show the high energy resonance first observed by Higgins and Burke in the coupled-static approximation. This resonance has now moved up to 51.05 eV and narrowed in width to 2.92 eV. Other pronounced structure is seen in the S-wave cross sections between 10 and 20 eV; it is tentatively suggested that this structure may be due to the formation of a temporary pseudo-molecular collision complex. Results calculated in the Ps(1s, 2s, , 2p, ,+H(1s, 2s, , 2p, approximation show convergence towards accurate values in the energy region below and in the Ore gap. Contrary to previous work on lithium using only an atomic basis, it is found that coupling to the 3d state of lithium is not so important when positronium channels are included; this is because a mixed basis of atom and positronium states gives a more rapidly convergent approximation than an expansion based on atom states alone. The threshold behaviour of the elastic cross section and the Ps(1s) formation cross section for lithium is investigated. Results in the Ps(1s, 2s, 2p)+Na(3s, 3p) approximation for sodium show good agreement with the total cross section measurements of Kwan et al.     

Separation by Flotation

There has been much recent activity in the theory and application of separation by flotation, both in the United. States and abroad. This review primarily addresses new developments in foam flotation, colloid flotation and precipitate flotation. The work in ore flotation represents a major effort and would itself require a lengthy article. Work from ore flotation which significantly impacts on the areas of interest listed above is included here, however. Foam separation of biological materials and the microflotation of bacteria are not routinely discussed in this review. A few recent review articles on these areas are included at the end of the Review Articles and Books Section to afford the interested reader a start on that literature. The development and use of flotation separation techniques for waste treatment and water reuse over the last few years are included in this article.     

Cluster fusion-fission dynamics in the Singapore stock exchange

In this paper, we investigate how the cross-correlations between stocks in the Singapore stock exchange (SGX) evolve over 2008 and 2009 within overlapping one-month time windows. In particular, we examine how these cross-correlations change before, during, and after the Sep–Oct 2008 Lehman Brothers Crisis. To do this, we extend the complete-linkage hierarchical clustering algorithm, to obtain robust clusters of stocks with stronger intracluster correlations, and weaker intercluster correlations. After we identify the robust clusters in all time windows, we visualize how these change in the form of a fusion-fission diagram. Such a diagram depicts graphically how the cluster sizes evolve, the exchange of stocks between clusters, as well as how strongly the clusters mix. From the fusion-fission diagram, we see a giant cluster growing and disintegrating in the SGX, up till the Lehman Brothers Crisis in September 2008 and the market crashes of October 2008. After the Lehman Brothers Crisis, clusters in the SGX remain small for few months before giant clusters emerge once again. In the aftermath of the crisis, we also find strong mixing of component stocks between clusters. As a result, the correlation between initially strongly-correlated pairs of stocks decay exponentially with average life time of about a month. These observations impact strongly how portfolios and trading strategies should be formulated.     

Entanglement sudden death in qubit-qutrit systems

We demonstrate the existence of entanglement sudden death (ESD), the complete loss of entanglement in finite time, in qubit-qutrit systems. In particular, ESD is shown to occur in such systems initially prepared in a one-parameter class of entangled mixed states and then subjected to local dephasing noise. Together with previous results, this proves the existence of ESD for some states in all quantum systems for which rigorously defined mixed-state entanglement measures have been identified. We conjecture that ESD exists in all quantum systems prepared in appropriate bipartite states.     

Zeta Functions and Monodromy for Surfaces that are General for a Toric Idealistic Cluster

In this article, we consider surfaces that are general withrespect to a three-dimensional toric idealistic cluster. Inparticular, this means that blowing up a toric constellationprovides an embedded resolution of singularities for these surfaces.First we give a formula for the topological zeta function directlyin terms of the cluster. Then we study the eigenvalues of monodromy.In particular, we derive a useful criterion to be an eigenvalue.In a third part, we prove the monodromy and the holomorphy conjecturefor these surfaces.     

Nitrogen‐Doped Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Supported Bimetallic PtCo Nanoparticles for Upgrading of Biophenolics

Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is an attractive route for the upgrading of bio‐oils produced from lignocellulose. Current catalysts require harsh conditions to effect HDO, decreasing the process efficiency in terms of energy and carbon balance. Herein we report a novel and facile method for synthesizing bimetallic PtCo nanoparticle catalysts (ca. 1.5 nm) highly dispersed in the framework of nitrogen‐doped ordered mesoporous carbon (NOMC) for this reaction. We demonstrate that NOMC with either 2D hexagonal (p6m) or 3D cubic (Im m) structure can be easily synthesized by simply adjusting the polymerization temperature. We also demonstrate that PtCo/NOMC (metal loading: Pt 9.90 wt %; Co 3.31 wt %) is a highly effective catalyst for HDO of phenolic compounds and “real‐world” biomass‐derived phenolic streams. In the presence of PtCo/NOMC, full deoxygenation of phenolic compounds and a biomass‐derived phenolic stream is achieved under conditions of low severity.     

Utilization and transport of l-arabinose by non-Saccharomyces yeasts

l-Arabinose is one of the sugars found in hemicellulose, a major component of plant cell walls. The ability to convert l-arabinose to ethanol would improve the economics of biomass to ethanol fermentations. One of the limitations for l-arabinose fermentation in the current engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains is poor transport of the sugar. To better understand l-arabinose transport and use in yeasts and to identify a source for efficient l-arabinose transporters, 165 non-Saccharomyces yeast strains were studied. These yeast strains were arranged into six groups based on the minimum time required to utilize 20 g/L of l-arabinose. Initial transport rates of l-arabinose were determined for several species and a more comprehensive transport study was done in four selected species. Detailed transport kinetics in Arxula adeninivorans suggested both low and high affinity components while Debaryomyces hansenii var. fabryii, Kluyveromyces marxianus and Pichia guilliermondii possessed a single component, high affinity active transport systems.     

Characterization of protein-ligand interactions by high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy

A novel approach for detection of ligand binding to a protein in solid samples is described. Hydrated precipitates of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL show well-resolved (13)C-(13)C 2D solid-state NMR spectra that allow site-specific assignment of resonances for many residues in uniformly (13)C-enriched samples. Binding of a small peptide or drug-like organic molecule leads to changes in the chemical shift of resonances from multiple residues in the protein that can be monitored to characterize binding. Differential chemical shifts can be used to distinguish between direct protein-ligand contacts and small conformational changes of the protein induced by ligand binding. The agreement with prior solution-state NMR results indicates that the binding pocket in solid and liquid samples is similar for this protein. Advantages of different labeling schemes involving selective (13)C enrichment of methyl groups of Ala, Val, Leu, and Ile (Cdelta1) for characterizing protein-ligand interactions are also discussed. It is demonstrated that high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy on uniformly or extensively (13)C-enriched samples has the potential to screen proteins of moderate size ( approximately 20 kDa) for ligand binding as hydrated solids. The results presented here suggest the possibility of using solid-state NMR to study ligand binding in proteins not amenable to solution NMR.     

Photorearrangement of alpha-azoxy ketones and triplet sensitization of azoxy compounds

[reaction: see text] Although some aspects of azoxy group radical chemistry have been investigated, unhindered alpha-azoxy radicals remain poorly understood. Here we report the generation of alpha-azoxy radicals under mild conditions by irradiation of alpha-azoxy ketones 4a,b. These compounds undergo alpha-cleavage to yield radicals 5a,b, whose oxygen atom then recombines with benzoyl radicals to produce presumed intermediate 15. Formal Claisen rearrangement gives alpha-benzoyloxyazo compounds 8a,b, which are themselves photolabile, leading to both radical and ionic decomposition. The ESR spectrum of 5a was simulated to extract the isotropic hyperfine splitting constants, which showed its resonance stabilization energy to be exceptionally large. Azoxy compounds have been found for the first time to be good quenchers of triplet excited acetophenone, the main sensitized photoreaction of 7Z in benzene being deoxygenation. While this reaction has been reported previously, it was always in hydrogen atom donating solvents, where chemical sensitization occurred. The principal direct irradiation product of 4bZ and model azoxyalkane 7Z is the E isomer, whose thermal reversion to Z is much faster than that of previously studied analogues.