A new microanalytical radioactive method for the estimation of the iodine number in linseed oil

Summary A microanalytical radioactive method for the estimation of the iodine number in linseed oil has been fully described. The application of the method was carried out on three varieties of linseed oil, namely: Guiza IV, Indian and Baladi. The relationship between the radioactivity measured on the oil spot and the iodine consumed for saturation is described.A simple equation has been put forward for the direct estimation of the iodine value from the specific activity and the number of counts on the oil spot. The method could be used on different varieties of oils and fats.     

Synthesis of substituted stilbenes via the Knoevenagel condensation

Knoevenagel condensations between aldehydes and substrates containing active methylene groups were carried out in ethanol at room temperature, in the presence of potassium phosphate, to afford unsymmetrical olefins. These condensations have been shown to afford only the E-isomers in greater than 80% yields. Salicylaldehyde first produces the Knoevenagel condensation products, which undergo a subsequent heterocyclization to give coumarin derivatives. The structures of the synthesized compounds were established on the basis of UV, IR, MS and NMR spectroscopy.     

Factors influencing conformer equilibria in retro models of cisplatin-DNA adducts as revealed by moderately dynamic (N,N'-dimethyl-2,3-diaminobutane)PtG(2) retro models (G = a guanine derivative)

Typical cis-PtA(2)G(2) models of key DNA lesions formed by cis-type Pt anticancer drugs are very dynamic and difficult to characterize (A(2) = diamine or two amines; G = guanine derivative). Retro models have A(2) carrier ligands designed to decrease dynamic motion without eliminating any of three possible conformers with bases oriented head-to-tail (two: DeltaHT and LambdaHT) or head-to-head (one: HH). All three were found in NMR studies of eight Me(2)DABPtG(2) retro models (Me(2)DAB = N,N'-dimethyl-2,3-diaminobutane with S,R,R,S and R,S,S,R configurations at the chelate ring N, C, C, and N atoms, respectively; G = 5'-GMP, 3'-GMP, 5'-IMP, and 3'-IMP). The bases cant to the left (L) in (S,R,R,S)-Me(2)DABPtG(2) adducts and to the right (R) in (R,S,S,R)-Me(2)DABPtG(2) adducts. Relative to the case in which the bases are both not canted, canting will move the six-membered rings closer in to each other ("6-in" form) or farther out from each other ("6-out" form). Interligand interactions between ligand components near to Pt (first-first sphere communication = FFC) or far from Pt (second-sphere communication = SSC) influence stability. In typical cases at pH < 8, the "6-in" form is favored, although the larger six-membered rings of the bases are close. In minor "6-out" HT forms, the proximity of the smaller five-membered rings could be sterically favorable. Also, G O6 is closer to the sterically less demanding NH part of the Me(2)DAB ligand, possibly allowing G O6-NH hydrogen bonding. These favorable FFC effects do not fully compensate for possibly stronger FFC dipole effects in the "6-in" form. SSC, phosphate-N1H cis G interactions favor LambdaHT forms in 5'-GMP and 5'-IMP complexes and DeltaHT forms in 3'-GMP and 3'-IMP complexes. When SSC and FFC favor the same HT conformer, it is present at >90% abundance. In six adducts [four (S,R,R,S)-Me(2)DABPtG(2) and (R,S,S,R)-Me(2)DABPtG(2) (G = 3'-GMP and 3'-IMP)], the minor "6-out" HT form at pH approximately 7 becomes the major form at pH approximately 10, where G N1H is deprotonated, because the large distance between the negatively charged N1 atoms minimizes electrostatic repulsion and probably because the G O6-(NH)Me(2)DAB H-bond (FFC) is strengthened by N1H deprotonation. At pH approximately 10, phosphate-negative N1 repulsion is an unfavorable SSC term. This factor disfavors the LambdaHT R form of two (R,S,S,R)-Me(2)DABPtG(2) (G = 5'-GMP and 5'-IMP) adducts to such an extent that the "6-in" DeltaHT R form remains the dominant form even at pH approximately 10.     

Electric field gradient at the Hf site and the phase transition in HfV2

The electric quadrupole interaction at the Hf site in the cubic HfV₂ compound, which shows lattice instability when cooled below 120 K, has been studied using the 482 keV (5/2⁺) state in¹⁸¹Ta. The time differential perturbed angular correlation (TDPAC) studies involving (133+136)-482 keV - cascade at room temperature show that only a fraction of¹⁸¹Ta nuclei see a cubic symmetry while the remaining experience a weak, randomly oriented, electric quadrupole interaction described by a Gaussian frequency distribution with _Q=6.1±1.0 Mrad/sec and the relative width =0.5. There is a dramatic change in TDPAC pattern indicating a phase transition when the compound is cooled down to 77 K. At this temperature the quadrupole interaction frequency is found to be _Q=40.6±3.0 Mrad/sec with =0.35. The experimentally observed EFG both at the Hf and the V sites are compared to the theoretical estimates based on point charge model.     

Visually precise,low-damage,single-cell spatial manipulation with single-pixel resolution

The analysis of single living cells, including intracellular delivery and extraction, is essential for monitoring their dynamic biochemical processes and exploring intracellular heterogeneity. However, owing to the 2D view in bright-field microscopy and optical distortions caused by the cell shape and the variation in the refractive index both inside and around the cells, achieving spatially undistorted imaging for high-precision manipulation within a cell is challenging. Here, an accurate and visual system is developed for single-cell spatial manipulation by correcting the aberration for simultaneous bright-field triple-view imaging. Stereo information from the triple view enables higher spatial resolution that facilitates the precise manipulation of single cells. In the bright field, we resolved the spatial locations of subcellular structures of a single cell suspended in a medium and measured the random spatial rotation angle of the cell with a precision of ±5°. Furthermore, we demonstrated the visual manipulation of a probe to an arbitrary spatial point of a cell with an accuracy of <1 pixel. This novel system is more accurate and less destructive for subcellular content extraction and drug delivery.

We achieved the low-damage spatial puncture of single cells at specific visual points with an accuracy of <65 nm.     

The estimation of the iodine number in edible and industrial oils by radioiodine

Summary The iodine number of twenty-two samples of different fats and oils is determined by ¹³¹I, according to the radiometric method. The values obtained for such samples lie between 7.2 and 154.9. The method is applicable with reproducible results and is recommended to cover any stage of unsaturation.

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Zusammenfassung Die Jodzahl von 22 Proben verschiedener Öle und Fette wird radiometrisch unter Benutzung von Jod-131 bestimmt. Die erhaltenen Werte liegen zwischen 7,2 und 154,9. Das Verfahren liefert reproduzierbare Ergebnisse und ist für jeden Grad von Ungesättigtheit anwendbar.

     

Oxygen evolution reaction: a perspective on a decade of atomic scale simulations

Multiple strategies to overcome the intrinsic limitations of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been proposed by numerous research groups. Despite the substantial efforts, the driving force required for water oxidation is largely making the reaction inefficient. In the present work, we collected published studies involving DFT calculations for the OER, with the purpose to understand why the progress made so far, for lowering the overpotential of the reaction, is relatively small. The data revealed that the universal scaling relationship between HO* and HOO* intermediates is still present and robust, despite the variety in methods and structures used for calculating the binding energies of the intermediates. On the other hand, the data did not show a clear trend line regarding the O* binding. Our analysis suggested that trends in doped semiconducting oxides behave very differently from those in other oxides. This points towards a computational challenge in describing doped oxides in a realistic manner. We propose a way to overcome these computational challenges, which can be applied to simulations corresponding to doped semiconductors in general.

Multiple strategies to overcome the intrinsic limitations of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been proposed by numerous research groups.     

Dramatic 5'-residue effect on conformer distribution of short oligonucleotide retro models of the cisplatin-DNA cross-link: implications for the Lippard and cross-link distorted base pair steps present in cisplatin-DNA duplex adducts

The cisplatin anticancer drug preferentially attacks the GG sequence of DNA duplexes. Virtually all DNAs containing the key G*G* lesion (G* = N7 platinated G) have large distortions in the cross-link (G*G*) base pair (bp) step and also in the adjacent Lippard (XG*) bp step, making the adducts very different from B-form DNA in the XG*G* region. The XG*G* strand in duplexes also differs in several ways from single-strand (ss) models with G*G* and XG*G* sequences. In the duplex, the X residue has an N sugar, the 5'-G* and 3'-G* bases have slight "R" canting (3'-G* H8 atom toward the 5'-G* base), and there is no or weak H-bonding by the NH3 ligands. In most XG*G* ss models, X has an S sugar, the 5'-G* base normally cants strongly toward the 3'-G* base (L canting), and the NH3 forms an H-bond. Well-defined ss models exist in the solid state, but dynamic motion obscures the properties of the ss models in solution. In this work, we employ retro models (better defined, less dynamic ss models) to understand the differences between duplex and ss models. The retro models in this study lack carrier ligand NH's, thus eliminating H-bonding. To correlate previous ss solid-state models with our solution work, we constructed hybrid molecules by overlaying parts of known structures. The combined model and experimental information indicates that the X N-pucker is not favorable in L-canted ss models, that X residue steric effects (not H-bonding) favor L canting in ss models, that X N-pucker is needed for favorable WC hydrogen bonding and stacking interactions in duplexes, and that X N-pucker minimizes X base clashes with bases in the complementary strand in duplexes. The R canting minimizing clashes between the X and G* residues of the Lippard bp step (independent of X pucker) and the repositioning of the X residue base caused by the change from S-pucker to N-pucker together lead to the unusual features of the Lippard bp step in the duplex.     

SiCl4-Zn induced reductive coupling of carbonyl compounds: novel and efficient routes for one-pot syntheses of 1,2,3-triaryl-2-propen-1-ones and pinacolones at room temperature

An unprecedented one-pot reductive trimerization of aromatic aldehydes to 1,2,3-triaryl-2-propen-1-ones as well as tandem reductive coupling-rearrangements of aryl ketones to pinacolone analogues was efficiently achieved using tetrachlorosilane-zinc at room temperature.