Chemiluminescent Probe for the In Vitro and In Vivo Imaging of Cancers Over‐Expressing NQO1

Activatable (turn‐on) probes that permit the rapid, sensitive, selective, and accurate identification of cancer‐associated biomarkers can help drive advances in cancer research. Herein, a NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase‐1 (NQO1)‐specific chemiluminescent probe 1 is reported that allows the differentiation between cancer subtypes. Probe 1 incorporates an NQO1‐specific trimethyl‐locked quinone trigger moiety covalently tethered to a phenoxy‐dioxetane moiety through a para‐aminobenzyl alcohol linker. Bio‐reduction of the quinone to the corresponding hydroquinone results in a chemiluminescent signal. As inferred from a combination of in vitro cell culture analyses and in vivo mice studies, the probe is safe, cell permeable, and capable of producing a “turn‐on” luminescence response in an NQO1‐positive A549 lung cancer model. On this basis, probe 1 can be used to identify cancerous cells and tissues characterized by elevated NQO1 levels.     

Comments on heteronuclear electronically excited rare gas diatomic molecules

Experimental evidence for the stability of the electronically excited (KrAr)^* molecule is presented from the study of the vacuum ultraviolet luminescence spectra of Kr/Ar gaseous, liquid and solid mixtures.     

Multivariate Stochastic Orders Induced by Case-Control Sampling

It is shown that retrospective sampling induces stochastic order relations in case-control studies. More specifically if the regression function is increasing and the covariates are positively dependent, then the covariates for cases are larger, with respect to some multivariate stochastic order, than the covariates of the controls. Strong dependence concepts yield strong multivariate stochastic orders. Conversely, different multivariate stochastic orders imply different monotonicity properties on the regression function. The results carry over to marginal models, transformed models and to problems involving confounders. The results set forth a new theoretical foundation for the analysis of case-control studies.     

Dielectron attachment and hydrogen evolution reaction in water clusters

Binding of excess electrons to nanosize water droplets, with a focus on the hitherto largely unexplored properties of doubly-charged clusters, were investigated experimentally using mass spectrometry and theoretically with large-scale first-principles simulations based on spin-density-functional theory, with all the valence electrons (that is, 8e per water molecule) and excess electrons treated quantum mechanically. Singly-charged clusters (H(2)O)(n)(-1) were detected for n = 6-250, and our calculated vertical detachment energies agree with previously measured values in the entire range 15 ≤ n ≤ 105, giving a consistent interpretation in terms of internal, surface and diffuse states of the excess electron. Doubly-charged clusters were measured in the range of 83 ≤ n ≤ 123, with (H(2)O)(n)(-2) clusters found for 83 ≤ n < 105, and mass-shifted peaks corresponding to (H(2)O)(n-2)(OH(-))(2) detected for n ≥ 105. The simulations revealed surface and internal dielectron, e(-)(2), localization modes and elucidated the mechanism of the reaction (H(2)O)(n)(-2) → (H(2)O)(n-2) (OH(-))(2) + H(2) (for n ≥ 105), which was found to occur via concerted approach of a pair of protons belonging to two water molecules located in the first shell of the dielectron internal hydration cavity, culminating in formation of a hydrogen molecule 2H(+) + e(-)(2) → H(2). Instability of the dielectron internal localization impedes the reaction for smaller (n < 105) doubly-charged clusters.     

Coordination‐Based Molecular Assemblies of Oligofurans and Oligothiophenes

Molecular assemblies (MAs) of oligofurans and oligothiophenes were formed from solutions on various substrates. These films were obtained by alternating deposition of organic chromophores (oligofurans or oligothiophenes) and a palladium salt. These coordination‐based MAs were characterized by UV/Vis spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), X‐ray reflectivity (XRR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemistry. The MAs exhibit similar electrochemical behavior and their growth and structure are apparently not affected when different organic template layers are used. The density of the MAs is a function of the structure of the molecular component. The oligothiophene density is approximately 50 % higher than that observed for the oligofuran‐based assemblies. The optical and electrochemical properties of the MAs scale linearly with their thickness. The UV/Vis data indicate that upon increasing the film thickness, there is no significant conjugation between the metal‐separated organic chromophores. DFT calculations confirmed that the HOMO–LUMO gap of the surface‐bound oligofuran and oligothiophene metal oligomers do not change significantly upon increasing their chain length. However, electrochemical measurements indicate that the susceptibility of the MAs towards oxidation is dependent on the number of chromophore units.