Structural conformation in a poly(ethylene oxide) film determined by X-ray emission spectroscopy

The electronic structure of pol(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in a thin (<1 mu) film sample was experimentally probed by X-ray emission spectroscopy. Both nonresonant and resonant X-ray emission spectra were simulated by using density functional theory (DFT) applied to four different models representing different conformations in the polymer. Calculated spectra were compared with experimental results for the PEO film. It was found that the best fit was obtained with the polymer conformation in PEO electrolytes from which the salt (LiMF6, M = P, As, or Sb) had been removed. This conformation is different from the crystalline bulk polymer and implies that film casting, commonly used to form electrolytes for Li polymer batteries, induces the same conformation in the polymer not depending upon the presence of salt.     

Quantitative in vitro demonstration of two-photon photodynamic therapy using photofrin and visudyne

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), the combined action of a photosensitizer and light to produce a cytotoxic effect, is an approved therapy for a number of diseases. At present, clinical PDT treatments involve one-photon excitation of the photosensitizer. A major limitation is that damage may be caused to healthy tissues that have absorbed the drug and lie in the beam path. Two-photon excitation may minimize this collateral damage, as the probability of absorption increases with the square of the light intensity, enabling spatial confinement of the photosensitizer activation. A potential application is the treatment of the wet-form of age-related macular degeneration, the foremost cause of central vision loss in the elderly. Herein, the commercial photosensitizers Visudyne and Photofrin are used to demonstrate quantitative in vitro two-photon PDT. A uniform layer of endothelial cells (YPEN-1) was irradiated with a Ti:sapphire laser (300 fs, 865 nm, 90 MHz) using a confocal scanning microscope. Quantification of the two-photon PDT effect was achieved using the permeability stain Hoechst 33258 and a SYTOX Orange viability stain. Visudyne was found to be around seven times more effective as a two-photon photosensitizer than Photofrin under the conditions used, consistent with its higher two-photon absorption cross-section. We also demonstrate for the first time the quadratic intensity dependence of cellular two-photon PDT. This simple in vitro method for quantifying the efficacy of photosensitizers for two-photon excited PDT will be valuable to test specifically designed two-photon photosensitizers before proceeding to in vivo studies in preclinical animal models.     

Comparison of basis set effects and the performance of ab initio and DFT methods for probing equilibrium fluctuations

The electronic absorption and emission spectra of large molecules reflect the extent and timescale of electron-vibration coupling and therefore the extent and timescale of relaxation/reorganization in response to a perturbation. In this paper, we present a comparison of the calculated absorption and emission spectra of NADH in liver alcohol dehydrogenase (LADH), using quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical methods, in which we vary the QM component. Specifically, we have looked at the influence of basis set (STO-3G, 3-21G*, 6-31G*, CC-pVDZ, and 6-311G**), as well as the influence of applying the DFT TD-B3LYP and ab initio TD-HF and CIS methods to the calculation of absorption/emission spectra and the reorganization energy (Stokes shift). The ab initio TD-HF and CIS methods reproduce the experimentally determined Stokes shift and spectral profiles to a high level of agreement, while the TD-B3LYP method significantly underestimates the Stokes shift, by 45%. We comment on the origin of this problem and suggest that ab initio methods may be naturally more suited to predicting molecular behavior away from equilibrium geometries.     

Controlling relative fundamental crystal growth rates in silicalite: AFM observation

A detailed atomic force microscopy study has been performed on the open-framework, microporous material silicalite. Emphasis has been placed on determining the effect of supersaturation on the crystal growth process. The relative rates of fundamental crystal growth processes can be substantially altered by tuning the supersaturation. In this manner, it is possible to, for instance, switch on and off surface nucleation while retaining terrace spreading. This offers a potential mechanism by which it might be possible to control important crystal aspects such as defect density and intergrowths.     

Generalized convexity and inequalities

Let R₊=(0,∞) and let M be the family of all mean values of two numbers in R₊ (some examples are the arithmetic, geometric, and harmonic means). Given m₁,m₂∈M, we say that a function is (m₁,m₂)-convex if f(m₁(x,y))?m₂(f(x),f(y)) for all x,y∈R₊. The usual convexity is the special case when both mean values are arithmetic means. We study the dependence of (m₁,m₂)-convexity on m₁ and m₂ and give sufficient conditions for (m₁,m₂)-convexity of functions defined by Maclaurin series. The criteria involve the Maclaurin coefficients. Our results yield a class of new inequalities for several special functions such as the Gaussian hypergeometric function and a generalized Bessel function.     

Finiteness of integrals of functions of Levy processes

We prove necessary and sufficient conditions for the almostsure convergence of the integrals

and thus of ,where M_t = sup{|X_s|: s t} is the two-sided maximum processcorresponding to a Lévy process (X_t)_{t 0}, a(·)is a non-decreasing function on [0, ) with a(0) = 0, g(·)is a positive non-increasing function on (0, ), possibly withg(0 + ) = , and f(·) is a positive non-decreasing functionon [0, ) with f(0) = 0. The conditions are expressed in termsof the canonical measure, (·), of the process X_t. Thespecial case when a(x) = 0, f(x) = x and g(·) is equivalentto the tail of (at zero or infinity) leads to an interestingcomparison of M_t with the largest jump of X_t in (0, t]. Some results concerning the convergence at zero and infinityof integrals like t g(a(t) + |X_t|) dt, t g(S_t) dt,and t g(R_t) dt, where S_t is the supremum process and R_t= S_t – X_t is the process reflected in its supremum, arealso given. We also consider the convergence of integrals suchas , etc.