Unimolecular dissociation and thermochemistry of CH3OOH

The unimolecular dissociation of CH3OOH is investigated by exciting the molecule in the region of its 5nu(OH) band and probing the resulting OH fragments using laser-induced fluorescence. The measured OH fragment rotational and translational energies are used to determine the CH3O-OH bond dissociation energy, which we estimate to be approximately 42.6+/-1 kcal/mol. Combining this value with the known heats of formation of the fragments also gives an estimate for the heat of formation of CH3OOH which at 0 K we determine to be deltaH(f)0=-27+/-1 kcal/mol. This experimental value is in good agreement with the results of ab initio calculations carried out at the CCSD(T)/complete basis set limit which finds the heat of formation of CH3OOH at 0 K to be deltaH(f)0=-27.3 kcal/mol.     

Dihydrogen complexes of electrophilic metal centers: observation of Cr(CO)5(H2), W(CO)5(H2) and [Re(CO)5(H2)]+

Photolysis of dichloromethane solutions of M(CO)6 (M = Cr, W) at low temperature in the presence of hydrogen gas affords W(CO)5(H2) (1) and Cr(CO)5(H2) (2). Complexes 1 and 2 are characterized as dihydrogen complexes based on short T1 values for the hydride resonances and a large HD coupling of 35.3 Hz (W) and 35.8 Hz (Cr) in the HD derivatives. A cationic analogue, [Re(CO)5(H2)]+ (3), was prepared by reaction of Re(CO)5Cl with [Et3Si][B(C6F5)4] in fluorobenzene under hydrogen. Complex 3-d1 exhibits JHD = 33.9 Hz. Complex 3 is strongly acidic, with complete deprotonation by diethyl ether; complexes 1 and 2 are moderately acidic. Deprotonation of 1 is complete in the presence of one equivalent of triethylamine.     

TUMOR CELL SPECIFIC DARK CYTOTOXICITY OF LIGHT-EXPOSED MEROCYANINE 540: IMPLICATIONS FOR SYSTEMIC THERAPY WITHOUT LIGHT

Merocyanine 540 (MC540) was activated by exposure to 514 nm laser light. The light-exposed MC540 was then mixed (in the dark) with tumor cells and normal cells to determine the antiproliferative activity. Treatment with light-exposed MC540 resulted in 70-90% tumor cell kill from different cell lines, while 85% of the normal human mononuclear cells and 41% of the granulocyte-macrophage colony forming cells (CFU-GM) survived the treatment. The observed cytotoxicity of light-exposed MC540 to the tumor cells was significantly greater (P less than 0.05) than the native MC540. Results show that tumor cell specificity and cytotoxicity in the light activated dye are retained for at least 30 days. Addition of catalase and mannitol decreased the cell kill by light-exposed compound, indicating that the observed effects may be due to reactive oxygen species. The electron micrographs of treated cells show a progression towards apoptosis in a majority of the cells. The life span of L1210 leukemia-bearing mice treated with light-exposed MC540 was prolonged compared to the untreated and native MC540 treated mice. High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of light-exposed material shows a completely different elution profile compared to the native compound. Results presented here show that light-exposed photoactive compounds can be used without further illumination and may have significant clinical applications. Photoactive mechanisms dependent on events other than short-lived transient elevations in energy or singlet oxygen must be invoked to explain the reported cytotoxicity.     

Influence of anisotropy on the dynamic wetting and permeation of paper coatings

A void network model, named Pore-Cor, has been used to study the permeation of an ink solvent into paper coating formulations coated onto a synthetic substrate. The network model generated anisotropic void networks of rectangular cross-sectional pores connected by elliptical cross-sectional throats. These structures had porosities and mercury intrusion properties which closely matched those of the experimental samples. The permeation of hexadecane, used as an analogue for the experimental test oil, was then simulated through these void structures. The simulations were compared to measurements of the permeation of mineral oil into four types of paper coating formulation. The simulations showed that the inertia of the fluid as it enters void features causes a considerable change in wetting over a few milliseconds, a timescale relevant to printing in a modern press. They also showed that in the more anisotropic samples, fast advance wetting occurred through narrow void features. It was found that the match between experimental and simulated wetting could be improved by correcting the simulation for the number of surface throats. The simulations showed a more realistic experimental trend, and much greater preferential flow, than the traditional Lucas-Washburn and effective hydraulic radius approaches.     

Intramolecular ditryptophan crosslinks enforce two types of antiparallel beta structures.

BACKGROUND: Two types of biaryl crosslinks can be formed with natural protein sidechains: ditryptophan and dityrosine. Biaryl crosslinks have the same topology as disulfide crosslinks, yet little is known about their effect on local peptide structure. RESULTS: Three ditryptophan-linked peptide dimers based on the sequence Ac-Leu-Trp-Ala-COX were prepared. The tripeptide dimer with -CONH(2) termini was too insoluble to study, but the tripeptide dimer with -COOMe termini crystallized from methanol/chloroform as an antiparallel beta-sheet. The tripeptide dimer with a -CONMe(2) termini adopted a slipped antiparallel beta structure in methanol/chloroform. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that intermolecular ditryptophan crosslinks that join the middle of peptide chains can confer a preference for antiparallel beta-sheet structure. The effect is most dramatic when both the inside and outside edges of the dimer can form hydrogen bonds as in the crystal structure of dimer 3b.     

PaNdata: Open Data Infrastructure for Photon and Neutron Sources

Today's scientific research is conducted not just by single experiments, but rather by sequences of related experiments or projects linked by a common theme that lead to a greater understanding of the physical world. This is particularly true of research at large-scale facilities such as synchrotrons, neutron sources, and free-electron lasers. These provide a wide variety of techniques, instruments, and scientific applications as services to the user communities. The common denominator of the different kinds of experiments undertaken at facilities is the need to manage, visualize, and analyze vast amounts of data with high accuracy and reliability in near- to real time. This poses significant challenges on the underlying e-infrastructures at the facilities. The data volumes (up to 10 PB per year), peak data rates, the extremely large number of files of varying sizes and formats, and the unpredictable access patterns pose severe demands on the data infrastructures.     

The quantification of total lead in lipstick specimens by total reflection X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry

Lipstick is known to contain lead, and this has been a general area of concern. Methods of quantifying lead in lipstick currently require the use of rather harsh digestion procedures given that lipstick specimens are high in their lipid content and contain many refractory materials. A simple method of performing lead analysis in lipstick specimens based on total reflection X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) is presented here. Samples were prepared by melting lipstick specimens along with a non‐ionic surfactant and an yttrium internal standard followed by homogenization. Solid prepared samples were then finely streaked directly onto a quartz reflector, and TXRF measurements made for 900‐s live time. The method was found to produce a mean limit of detection for lead of 0.04μg/g. Precisions were found to be on the order of 11–38% relative standard deviation (RSD) and apparent recoveries for lead between 92% and 106% (n = 8). Although the spreading technique may result in thickness variations that may contribute to the higher than expected variances about the determined lead concentrations, the method presented in this work does show promise as a means of performing routine lead analysis in lipstick specimens without the need for harsh digestion procedures. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.