Evaluation of statistical control charts for on-line radiation monitoring

Statistical control charts are presented for the evaluation of time series radiation counter data from flow cells used for monitoring of low levels of ⁹⁹TcO₄⁻ in environmental solutions. Control chart methods consisted of the 3-sigma (3σ) chart, the cumulative sum (CUSUM) chart, and the exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) chart. Each method involves a control limit based on the detector background which constitutes the detection limit. Both the CUSUM and EWMA charts are suitable to detect and estimate sample concentration requiring less solution volume than when using a 3σ control chart. Data presented here indicate that the overall accuracy and precision of the CUSUM method is the best.     

Modulating the light switch by (3)MLCT-(3)ππ* state interconversion

The spectroscopic, electronic, and DNA-binding characteristics of two novel ruthenium complexes based on the dialkynyl ligands 2,3-bis(phenylethynyl)-1,4,8,9-tetraaza-triphenylene (bptt, 1) and 2,3-bis(4-tert-butyl-phenylethynyl)-1,4,8,9-tetraaza-triphenylene (tbptt, 2) have been investigated. Electronic structure calculations of bptt reveal that the frontier molecular orbitals are localized on the pyrazine-dialkynyl portion of the free ligand, a property that is reflected in a red shift of the lowest energy electronic transition (1: λ(max) = 393 nm) upon substitution at the terminal phenyl groups (2: λ(max) = 398 nm). Upon coordination to ruthenium, the low-energy ligand-centered transitions of 1 and 2 are retained, and metal-to-ligand charge transfer transitions (MLCT) centered at λ(max) = 450 nm are observed for [Ru(phen)(2)bptt](2+)(3) and [Ru(phen)(2)tbptt](2+)(4). The photophysical characteristics of 3 and 4 in ethanol closely parallel those observed for [Ru(bpy)(3)](2+) and [Ru(phen)(3)](2+), indicating that the MLCT excited state is primarily localized within the [Ru(phen)(3)](2+) manifold of 3 and 4, and is only sparingly affected by the extended conjugation of the bptt framework. In an aqueous environment, 3 and 4 possess notably small luminescence quantum yields (3: ?(H(2)O) = 0.005, 4: ?(H(2)O) = 0.011) and biexponential decay kinetics (3: τ(1) = 40 ns, τ(2) = 230 ns; 4: τ(1) ～ 26 ns, τ(2) = 150 ns). Addition of CT-DNA to an aqueous solution of 3 causes a significant increase in the luminescence quantum yield (?(DNA) = 0.045), while the quantum yield of 4 is relatively unaffected (?(DNA) = 0.013). The differential behavior demonstrates that tert-butyl substitution on the terminal phenyl groups inhibits the ability of 4 to intercalate with DNA. Such changes in intrinsic luminescence demonstrate that 3 binds to DNA via intercalation (K(b) = 3.3 × 10(4) M(-1)). The origin of this light switch behavior involves two competing (3)MLCT states similar to that of the extensively studied light switch molecule [Ru(phen)(2)dppz](2+). The solvent- and temperature-dependence of the luminescence of 3 reveal that the extended ligand aromaticity lowers the energy of the (3)ππ* excited state into competition with the emitting (3)MLCT state. Interconversion between these two states plays a significant role in the observed photophysics and is responsible for the dual emission in aqueous environments.     

Separation scheme for the determination of alkali metals (K, Rb, Cs), alkaline earths (Sr, Ba) and rare earths (Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu) in silicate materials by isotopic dilution analysis

A scheme is outlined for the separation of Li, K, Rb, Cs, Sr, Ba, Ce, Nd, Sm and Eu from silicate materials. The elements are separated by cation-exchange to provide groups suitable for mass spectrometric analysis, and are then further purified by anion-exchange. Results obtained by isotopic dilution analysis are reported for G-1, W-1, and the Harwell meteorite-in these measurements the alkali metals were determined separately from the other elements. Requirements are discussed for combining the procedures to form a more comprehensive method for use with a single sample.     

Vanadium complexes possessing N2O2S2-based ligands: highly active procatalysts for the homopolymerization of ethylene and copolymerization of ethylene/1-hexene

The family of ligands containing an N2O2S2 core, namely, 1,2-di(3-Me-5-t-Bu-salicylaldimino-o-phenylthio)ethane (H2L1), 1,3-di(3-Me-5-t-Bu-salicylaldimino-o-phenylthio)propane (H2L2), 1,4-di(3-Me-5-t-Bu-salicylaldimino-o-phenylthio)butane (H2L3), and 1,2-di(3-Me-5-t-Bu-salicylaldamino-o-phenylthio)ethane (H2L4), have been prepared and complexed with a variety of vanadium chlorides and alkoxides to afford complexes of the form [V(X)L1] (X = O (1), Np-tol (2), Cl (3)), [V(O)(L2,3)] (L2 (4), L3 (5)), and [V(L4)] (6). Crystal structure determinations of H2L1 and H2L4 show the molecule to be centrosymmetric about the bridging ethane moiety, with structural determination of 1 and 3 revealing isostructural monomeric complexes in which the ligand chelates in such a way as to afford pseudo-octahedral coordination at the vanadium center. Prolonged reaction of H2L1 with [V(Np-tol)(OEt)3] led, via oxidative cleavage of the C-S bond, to the bimetallic complex [V2L1(3-Me,5-t-Bu-salicylaldimino-o-phenylthiolate)2] [VL'] (7), as characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. 7 was also isolated from the reaction of H2L4 and [VO(On-Pr)3]. The ability of 1-7 to catalyze the homopolymerization of ethylene and the copolymerization of ethylene/1-hexene in the presence of dimethylaluminum chloride (DMAC) has been assessed: screening reveals that for ethylene homopolymerization 1-7 are all highly active (>1000 g/mmol.h.bar), with the highest activity (ca. 11 000 g/mmol.h.bar) observed using catalyst 3; the use of trimethyl aluminum (TMA) or methylaluminoxane (MAO) as the cocatalyst led only to poorly active systems producing negligible polymer. Analysis of the polyethylene produced showed high molecular weight linear polymers with narrow polydispersities. For ethylene/1-hexene copolymerization, activities as high as 1,190 g/mmol.h.bar were achieved (4); analysis of the copolymer indicated an incorporation of 1-hexene in the range of 5-13%.     

TECRA Unique test for rapid detection of Salmonella in food: collaborative study

The TECRA Unique Salmonella test uses the principle of immunoenrichment to allow rapid detection of Salmonellae in food. A collaborative study was conducted to compare the TECRA Salmonella Unique test with the reference culture method given in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Bacteriological Analytical Manual. Three food types (milk powder, pepper, and soy flour) were analyzed in Australia and 2 food types (milk chocolate and dried egg) were analyzed in the United States. Forty-one collaborators participated in the study. For each of the 5 foods at each of the 3 levels, a comparison showed no significant differences (p > or = 0.05) in the proportion of positive test samples for Unique and that for the reference method using the Chi-square test for independence with continuity correction.     

Solid- and solution-phase synthesis of vancomycin and vancomycin analogues with activity against vancomycin-resistant bacteria

Vancomycin, the prototypical member of the glycopeptide family of antibiotics, is a clinically used antibiotic employed against a variety of drug-resistant bacterial strains including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The recent emergence of vancomycin resistance, viewed as a growing threat to public health, prompted us to initiate a program aimed at restoring the potency of this important antibiotic through chemical manipulation of the vancomycin structure. Herein, we describe the development of synthetic technology based on the design of a novel selenium safety catch linker, application of this technology to a solid-phase semisynthesis of vancomycin, and the solid- and solution-phase synthesis of vancomycin libraries. Biological evaluation of these compound libraries led to the identification of a number of in vitro highly potent antibacterial agents effective against vancomycin-resistant bacteria. In addition to aiding these investigations, the solid-phase chemistry described herein is expected to enhance the power of combinatorial chemistry and facilitate chemical biology and medicinal chemistry studies.     

A combined redox-competition and negative-feedback SECM study of self-healing anticorrosive coatings

In this paper, the long-term anticorrosive efficiency of a damaged self-healing coating is studied for the first time using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). In the study an epoxy-coating with embedded-capsules containing a silyl-ester is employed. The properties of the silyl-ester as a healing-agent for the protection of AA2024-T3 were evaluated by complementary SECM experiments operating in negative-feedback and redox-competition modes. The experimental approach here presented allowed for monitoring the early-stages of corrosion activity and subsequent healing mechanisms offered by the release of silyl-ester into a relatively large coating defect. This result was observed by detecting the transition of the oxygen reduction response from a redox-competition mode to a negative-feedback behavior. These measurements demonstrated that the silyl-ester is released efficiently after capsules break upon coating damage, covering relatively large areas and gradually healing the damaged-site hindering the corrosion processes and providing an effective protection for at least one month of immersion in chloride solution.