Quantitative estimation of ferric iron by arsenic acid in aqueous-alcoholic medium

Summary The solubility of arsenato complexes with ferric chloride is considerably reduced by adding a non-aqueous solvent such as ethyl alcohol or acetone. As already had been done in the case of phosphoric acid² this property was availed of for the estimation of ferric iron directly with a standard solution of arsenic acid in aqueous nonaqueous medium using K₄Fe(CN)₆ or cupferron as external indicators. A slight discrepancy at the end point, however, exists but can be removed by applying a correction factor (1.02) determined from our observations.     

Engineering silver(I) coordination networks through hydrogen bonding

The silver(I) coordination networks [Ag2(mu-O2CCF3)2(mu-NN)2](infinity) exist as a polymer of macrocycles or a double-stranded polymer when NN = 1,2-C6H4[NHC(O)-4-C5H4N]2 or 1,2-C6H4[NHC(O)-3-C5H4N]2, respectively. Crystal engineering of the polymers is achieved through interchain hydrogen bonds.     

Four-component gas/water/oil displacements in one dimension: part II,example solutions

In this article analytical solutions are constructed for a system of conservation laws modeling compositional flow of four components in three phases using the method of characteristics (MOC). Every component partitions between all phases present, and the equilibrium volume ratios of the components in each phase are fixed. Riemann problems modeling the injection of carbon dioxide and water in a depleted oil reservoir are studied, and the sensitivity of the solutions to changes in boundary conditions is analyzed. Finally the MOC solutions are compared to simulated displacements.     

Studies on Trace Labelling of Bromsulphalein (BSP) with Radioiodine

Two methods have been studied for high specific activity trace iodination of Bromsulphalein (BSP) with radioiodine (¹³¹I). In the first method, BSP in aqueous solution is reacted with iodine and an oxidising agent – hydrogen peroxide or chloramine T. In the second method, iodination is carried out by electrolytically liberated iodine. The electrolytic method gives labelled BSP free from any labelled degradation products. The stability of ¹³¹I-labelled BSP in aqueous solution has been studied. The product has been found to remain more stable in aqueous solutions at a slightly acid pH (4…6.5) than in dilute alkaline solutions (pH 7…9.5).     

Intense laser induced shock generation in gold targets

Abstract

Experiments carried out demonstrate the production due tosoft X-rays of enhanced ablation pressure. The targets used were planar gold foils. Aluminium targets were also used to demonstrate the relative effect.     

Nonviral gene delivery using poly‐D/L aspartate‐diethylenetriamine cationic polymers and polyethylene glycol: A two‐step approach

Cationic polymers have received much attention as promising nonviral vectors for gene transfer. However, development of polymers with low cell toxicities and high transfection efficiencies continue to be a significant problem and a major hurdle to their success. Poly‐D /L aspartate‐diethylenetriamine poly(D /L Asp‐DET) polymers were synthesized and evaluated as nonviral gene delivery agents. Poly(D /L Asp‐DET) polymers display endosome buffering capacity. The polymers condense plasmid DNA above N:P ratios of 1 and form polyplex particles of ～50–100 nm, with zeta potentials between neutral and +40 mV. Transmission electron microscopy shows the polyplexes to be uniform in size and shape. Polyplexes maintain the structural integrity of DNA following incubation in nucleases and also show high transfection efficiencies with minimal toxicity in both HCT‐116 and PC‐3 cell culture. However, it is found that these poly(D /L Asp‐DET)/DNA polyplexes immediately aggregate in salt and serum conditions, making them unsuitable for use in vivo. Therefore, the polyplexes were further modified by covalent addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Introduction of this second step produces PEG‐polyplexes of uniform size (below 100 nm), with neutral zeta potentials that are also stable in both salt and serum conditions. These results suggest poly(D /L Asp‐DET) cationic polymers as potentially safe and efficient nonviral gene delivery agents. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

In Vitro Investigations on the Effect of Dermal Fibroblasts on Keratinocyte Responses to Ultraviolet B Radiation

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation is closely linked to the development of skin cancers in humans. The ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation wavelength (280–320 nm), in particular, causes DNA damage in epidermal keratinocytes, which are linked to the generation of signature premalignant mutations. Interactions between dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes play a role in epidermal repair and regeneration after UVB‐induced damage. To investigate these processes, established two and three‐dimensional culture models were utilized to study the impact of fibroblast–keratinocyte crosstalk during the acute UVB response. Using a coculture system it was observed that fibroblasts enhanced keratinocyte survival and the repair of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) after UVB radiation exposure. These findings were also mirrored in irradiated human skin coculture models employed in this study. Fibroblast coculture was shown to play a role in the expression and activation of members of the apoptotic cascade, including caspase‐3 and Bad. Interestingly, the expression and phosphorylation of p53, a key player in the regulation of keratinocyte cell fate postirradiation, was also shown to be influenced by fibroblast‐produced factors. This study highlights the importance of synergistic interactions between fibroblasts and keratinocytes in maintaining a functional epidermis while promoting repair and regeneration following UVB radiation‐induced damage.     

Accuracy and stability of measuring GABA, glutamate, and glutamine by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a phantom study at 4 Tesla

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy has the potential to provide valuable information about alterations in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (Glu), and glutamine (Gln) in psychiatric and neurological disorders. In order to use this technique effectively, it is important to establish the accuracy and reproducibility of the methodology. In this study, phantoms with known metabolite concentrations were used to compare the accuracy of 2D J-resolved MRS, single-echo 30 ms PRESS, and GABA-edited MEGA-PRESS for measuring all three aforementioned neurochemicals simultaneously. The phantoms included metabolite concentrations above and below the physiological range and scans were performed at baseline, 1 week, and 1 month time-points. For GABA measurement, MEGA-PRESS proved optimal with a measured-to-target correlation of R(2)=0.999, with J-resolved providing R(2)=0.973 for GABA. All three methods proved effective in measuring Glu with R(2)=0.987 (30 ms PRESS), R(2)=0.996 (J-resolved) and R(2)=0.910 (MEGA-PRESS). J-resolved and MEGA-PRESS yielded good results for Gln measures with respective R(2)=0.855 (J-resolved) and R(2)=0.815 (MEGA-PRESS). The 30 ms PRESS method proved ineffective in measuring GABA and Gln. When measurement stability at in vivo concentration was assessed as a function of varying spectral quality, J-resolved proved the most stable and immune to signal-to-noise and linewidth fluctuation compared to MEGA-PRESS and 30 ms PRESS.     

Global structure of forked DNA in solution revealed by high-resolution single-molecule FRET

Branched DNA structures play critical roles in DNA replication, repair, and recombination in addition to being key building blocks for DNA nanotechnology. Here we combine single-molecule multiparameter fluorescence detection and molecular dynamics simulations to give a general approach to global structure determination of branched DNA in solution. We reveal an open, planar structure of a forked DNA molecule with three duplex arms and demonstrate an ion-induced conformational change. This structure will serve as a benchmark for DNA-protein interaction studies.