Violation of the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin cutoff: a tempest in a (magnetic) Teapot? Why cosmic ray energies above 10(20) eV may not require new physics

The apparent lack of suitable astrophysical sources for the observed highest energy cosmic rays within approximately 20 Mpc is the "Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) paradox." We constrain representative models of the extragalactic magnetic field structure by Faraday rotation measurements; limits are at the microG level rather than the nG level usually assumed. In such fields, even the highest energy cosmic rays experience large deflections. This allows nearby active galactic nuclei (possibly quiet today) or gamma ray bursts to be the source of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays without contradicting the GZK distance limit.     

Phenyl­phosphinic acid

The crystal structure of the title compound, C₆H₇O₂P, shows continuous hydrogen-bonding chains in the x direction, with a P—O⋯O=P distance of 2.513 (3) Å.     

trans‐Dichloro(dimethyl sulfide‐κS)(pyridine‐κN)platinum(II)

The structure of the title compound, [PtCl₂(C₅H₅N)(C₂H₆S)], consists of discrete mol­ecules in which the Pt‐atom coordination is slightly distorted square planar. The Cl atoms are trans to each other, with a Cl—Pt—Cl angle of 176.60 (7)°. The pyridine ligand is rotated 64.5 (2)° from the Pt square plane and one of the Pt—Cl bonds essentially bisects the C—S—C angle of the di­methyl sulfide ligand. In the crystal structure, there are extensive weak C—H⋯Cl interactions, the shortest of which connects mol­ecules into centrosymmetric dimers. A comparison of the structural trans influence on Pt—S and Pt—­N distances for PtS(CH₃)₂ and Pt(pyridine) fragments, respectively, in square‐planar Pt^II complexes is presented.     

Quantification of surface-bound proteins by fluorometric assay: Comparison with quartz crystal microbalance and amido black assay

Protein adsorption is of major and widespread interest, being useful in the fundamental understanding of biological processes at interfaces through to the development of new materials. A number of techniques are commonly used to study protein adhesion, but few are directly quantitative. Here we describe the use of Nano Orange, a fluorometric assay, to quantitatively assess the adsorption of bovine fibrinogen and albumin onto model hydrophilic (OH terminated) and hydrophobic (CH3 terminated) surfaces. Results obtained using this method allowed the calibration of previously unquantifiable data obtained on the same surfaces using quartz crystal microbalance measurements and an amido black protein assay. Both proteins were found to adsorb with higher affinity but with lower saturation levels onto hydrophobic surfaces. All three analytical techniques showed similar trends in binding strength and relative amounts adsorbed over a range of protein concentrations, although the fluorometric analysis was the only method to give absolute quantities of surface-bound protein. The versatility of the fluorometric assay was also probed by analyzing protein adsorption onto porous superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces. Results obtained using the assay in conjunction with these surfaces were surface chemistry dependent. Imbibition of water into the superhydrophilic coatings provided greater surface area for protein adsorption, although the protein surface density was less than that found on a comparable flat hydrophilic surface. Superhydrophobic surfaces prevented protein solution penetration. This paper demonstrates the potential of a fluorometric assay to be used as an external calibration for other techniques following protein adsorption processes or as a supplemental method to study protein adsorption. Differences in protein adsorption onto hydrophilic vs superhydrophilic and hydrophobic vs superhydrophobic surfaces are highlighted.     

Filter und filtriertechnisches

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Synthesis of 1,3,6,8-Tetrabromophenanthrene via a Stoichiometric Ullmann Reaction

1,3,6,8-Tetrabromophenantherene (1) is prepared in four steps from 2,4,6-tribromobenzoic acid (4) in an overall yield of 12%. The key transformation used in the synthesis is a stoichiomteric Ullmann reaction.