GLASS and PLASTIC PHOTOLUMINESCENCE: INTERACTION WITH AQUEOUS MEDIA and CULTURED MAMMALIAN CELLS

Several types of glass and plastic materials were shown to exhibit intense photoluminescence when irradiated with UV. Water or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) contained within vessels of the respective materials when irradiated, also demonstrated relatively long-lived luminescence. A significant percentage (30%) of cultured mammalian cells were killed when exposed to UV-irradiated glass beads. The nature of the luminescence of water or PBS, or whether this or the photoluminescence of glass is directly responsible for cell toxicity, is unknown. However, we call attention to this phenomenon as a potential complicating factor in photobiological studies.     

Femtosecond fabrication of waveguide-like micro-structures in a photorefractive polymer

In this letter, we report on, for the first time, the successful femtosecond micro-fabrication of continuous waveguide-like channels in the photorefractive polymer consisting of the nonlinear chromophore 2,5-dimethyl-4-(p-nitrophenylazo)anisole (DMNPAA), the photosensitive compound 2,4,7-trinitro-9-flourenone (TNF), and the plasticiser N-ethylcarbazole (ECZ) all doped in the polymer matrix poly (methyl methacry-late) (PMMA). These channels are caused by the change in refractive index as a result of the localised heating of the polymer and therefore have an important potential for micro-photonic devices in future.     

Influence of Linkage Stereochemistry and Protecting Groups on Glycosidic Bond Stability of Sodium Cationized Glycosyl Phosphates

Energy-resolved collision-induced dissociation (ER-CID) experiments of sodium cationized glycosyl phosphate complexes, [GP _x +Na]⁺, are performed to elucidate the effects of linkage stereochemistry (α versus β), the geometry of the leaving groups (1,2-cis versus 1,2-trans), and protecting groups (cyclic versus non-cyclic) on the stability of the glycosyl phosphate linkage via survival yield analyses. A four parameter logistic dynamic fitting model is used to determine CID_50% values, which correspond to the level of rf excitation required to produce 50% dissociation of the precursor ion complexes. Present results suggest that dissociation of 1,2-trans [GP _x +Na]⁺ occurs via a McLafferty-type rearrangement that is facilitated by a syn orientation of the leaving groups, whereas dissociation of 1,2-cis [GP_x+Na]⁺ is more energetic as it involves the formation of an oxocarbenium ion intermediate. Thus, the C1?C2 configuration plays a major role in determining the stability/reactivity of glycosyl phosphate stereoisomers. For 1,2-cis anomers, the cyclic protecting groups at the C4 and C6 positions stabilize the glycosidic bond, whereas for 1,2-trans anomers, the cyclic protecting groups at the C4 and C6 positions tend to activate the glycosidic bond. The C3 O-benzyl (3 BnO) substituent is key to determining whether the sugar or phosphate moiety retains the sodium cation upon CID. For 1,2-cis anomers, the 3 BnO substituent weakens the glycosidic bond, whereas for 1,2-trans anomers, the 3 BnO substituent stabilizes the glycosidic bond. The C2 O-benzyl substituent does not significantly impact the glycosidic bond stability regardless of its orientation.

Open image in new window

Graphical abstract ?

     

Infrared Multiple Photon Dissociation Action Spectroscopy and Theoretical Studies of Diethyl Phosphate Complexes: Effects of Protonation and Sodium Cationization on Structure

The gas-phase structures of deprotonated, protonated, and sodium-cationized complexes of diethyl phosphate (DEP) including [DEP − H]⁻, [DEP + H]⁺, [DEP + Na]⁺, and [DEP − H + 2Na]⁺ are examined via infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) action spectroscopy using tunable IR radiation generated by a free electron laser, a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS) with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source, and theoretical electronic structure calculations. Measured IRMPD spectra are compared to linear IR spectra calculated at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory to identify the structures accessed in the experimental studies. For comparison, theoretical studies of neutral complexes are also performed. These experiments and calculations suggest that specific geometric changes occur upon the binding of protons and/or sodium cations, including changes correlating to nucleic acid backbone geometry, specifically P–O bond lengths and ∠OPO bond angles. Information from these observations may be used to gain insight into the structures of more complex systems, such as nucleotides and solvated nucleic acids.     

A power law distribution in patients’ lengths of stay in hospital

The distribution of patients’ lengths of stay in English hospitals is measured by using routinely collected data from 11 years. It is found to be well approximated by a power law distribution spanning over more than three decades. To explain this observation, a theoretical resource allocation model is presented. It is based on iterative long-term scheduling of hospital beds, and its main assumption is that future beds are allocated preferentially. This represents a situation where different parts of the health care system compete for resources, with bargaining powers proportional to current resource levels.     

Characterizing bitterness: identification of key structural features and development of a classification model

This work describes the first approach in the development of a comprehensive classification method for bitterness of small molecules. The data set comprises 649 bitter and 13 530 randomly selected molecules from the MDL Drug Data Repository (MDDR) which are analyzed by circular fingerprints (MOLPRINT 2D) and information-gain feature selection. The feature selection proposes substructural features which are statistically correlated to bitterness. Classification is performed on the selected features via a na?ve Bayes classifier. The substructural features upon which the classification is based are able to discriminate between bitter and random compounds, and thus we propose they are also functionally responsible for causing the bitter taste. Such substructures include various sugar moieties as well as highly branched carbon scaffolds. Cynaropicrine contains a number of the substructural features found to be statistically associated with bitterness and thus was correctly predicted to be bitter by our model. Alternatively, both promethazine and saccharin contain fewer of these substructural features, and thus the bitterness in these compounds was not identified. Two different classes of bitter compounds were identified, namely those which are larger and contain mainly oxygen and carbon and often sugar moieties, and those which are rather smaller and contain additional nitrogen and/or sulfur fragments. The classifier is able to predict 72.1% of the bitter compounds. Feature selection reduces the number of false-positives while also increasing the number of false negatives to 69.5% of bitter compounds correctly predicted. Overall, the method presented here presents both one of the largest databases of bitter compounds presently available as well as a relatively reliable classification method.     

Molecular beam epitaxy growth and properties of GaAs/(AlGa)As p-type heterostructures on (100), (011), (111)B, (211)B, (311)B, and (311)A oriented GaAs

We report on a series of Be-doped GaAs/AlGaAs two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG) structures grown on (110), (111)B, (211)B and (311)B oriented substrates and compare their properties with high-mobility samples grown on (311)A using Si doping. The samples were prepared and grown under the same conditions so as to render them comparable. They are found to have mobilities which are strongly anisotropic within the plane. The highest mobility is found on the (110) surface with 100,000 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, while the (211) surface gave the lowest values 10,000 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹. However, the later samples are found to have quantum Hall effect critical currents of >70 μA: an exceptionally high value for a hole gas which makes them suitable for metrology. All the samples show strong low-field positive magnetoresistance with resistance increases of up to 30% at magnetic fields of only 0.1 T. The presence of this feature on all the different planes shows that it does not depend upon the details of the band structure. It is identified with the lifting of the degeneracy of the spin sub-bands by the asymmetrical potential giving rise to a classical two-band magnetoreresistance.     

High pressure synthesis of late rare earth RFeAs(O,F) superconductors; R = Tb and Dy

New TbFeAs(O,F) and DyFeAs(O,F) superconductors with critical temperatures T(c) = 46 and 45 K and very high critical fields, >/=100 T, have been prepared at 1100-1150 degrees C and 10-12 GPa, demonstrating that high pressure may be used to synthesise late rare earth derivatives of the recently reported RFeAs(O,F) (R = La-Nd, Sm, Gd) high temperature superconductors.