Raman spectroscopic study on classification of cervical cell specimens

Cervix-cancer is the third most common female cancer worldwide. Papanicolaou (Pap) test, a well-recognized screening tool, is labor intensive, time consuming and prone to subjective interpretations. Optical spectroscopic methods, sensitive to molecular changes are being pursued as potential diagnostics tool. In this study we have explored Raman spectroscopic approach to differentiate exfoliated cell pellets using 94 cervical cell specimens (45-normal and 49-abnormal specimens). Study was carried out by two approaches. In the first approach, spectral data from 37 cell specimens were acquired and analyzed by Principal Component-Linear Discriminant Analysis (PC-LDA), which yielded classification efficiencies of 86% and 84% for normal and abnormal specimens, respectively. Mean and difference spectra suggest presence of blood in abnormal specimen as a major cause of discrimination. However, as tumor is vascular, bleeding was observed during abnormal sample collection. Hence, spectra of abnormal specimens show heme and fibrin features, and this can lead to false interpretations, as bleeding also occur in several non-cancerous conditions. Therefore, remaining 57 specimens were treated with Red Blood Corpuscles (RBC) lysis buffer in order to remove the RBC influence. PC-LDA resulted classification efficiency of about 79% and 78% for normal and abnormal smear, respectively – comparable to Pap test. Thus finding of the study suggests feasibility of Raman spectroscopic classification of normal and cancerous exfoliated cervical cell specimens.     

Bis-chelate Fe(III) complex of an azomethine at the focal point of a branched ester functionalized with cyclohexylbenzoic acid

A Fe(III) complex with Cl counter ion based on a branched Schiff base has been synthesized and studied. The compound was produced by the reaction of the Schiff base with FeCl₃ at room temperature in benzene–ethanol. The complex is symmetric, i.e., bis-chelate, with an octahedral coordination of Fe. The compound revealed phase transitions of the “solid–solid” type. The complex displayed a temperature-induced spin transition (S?=?1/2???5/2) which was detected by EPR.     

Preface

Abstract

The FT-IR and Raman spectra of eight new complexes of formula ML₂Ni(CN)₄ (where M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu or Cd and L = 2-chloropyridine; M = Ni or Cd and L = 2-bromopyridine) are reported. The spectroscopic results indicate that the complexes have structures consisting of corrugated polymeric layers of [M-Ni(CN)₄]∞ with 2-substituted pyridine molecules bound directly to the metal (M). For a given ligand (2-Clpy or 2-Brpy) the effects of metal-ligand bond formation on the ligand modes are examined. Metal-ligand bond strengths of the halo-derivatives of pyridine (L = 2-Clpy or 2-Brpy), inferred by the effects on frequency shifts of certain ligand modes, have also been compared.     

Anion effects on the phase transition of N‐isopropylacrylamide hydrogels

NMR spectra were collected for poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogel using high‐resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) after gel pieces were hydrated in the presence of D₂O, NaF, NaCl, and NaI aqueous solutions. Changes in the peak height intensity of the spectra provide quantitative insight into the phase transition process. The thermodynamic values of the phase transition were calculated using a van't Hoff analysis of the NMR data. Unlike the trend observed for decreases in the (LCST), changes in the enthalpy and entropy did not clearly display a linear dependence with respect to salt concentration. Rather, it was observed that increases in salt concentration did not affect the enthalpy and entropy to the extent as the initial change observed between no salt and 100 mM solutions. Finally, the effect of salts on the hysteresis of the rehydrating process was observed. Hysteresis occurs due to the need for hydrophobic interactions to break down before water is able to infiltrate the polymer matrix. NaF stabilizes hydrophobic interactions while NaI destabilize hydrophobic interactions, causing them to break down at higher temperatures. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

On the formation mechanism for electrically generated exciplexes in a carbazole–pyridine copolymer

Although carbazole‐containing copolymers are frequently used as hole‐transporting host materials for polymer organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs), they often suffer from the formation of undesired exciplexes when the OLED is operated. The reason why exciplexes sometimes form for electrical excitation, yet not for optical excitation is not well understood. Here, we use luminescence measurements and quantum chemical calculations to investigate the mechanism of such exciplex formation for electrical excitation (electroplex formation) in a carbazole–pyridine copolymer. Our results suggest that the exciplex is formed via a positively charged interchain precursor complex. This complex is stabilized by interactions that involve the nitrogen lone pairs on both chain segments. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012     

Coordination Chemistry of Gold Catalysts in Solution: A Detailed NMR Study

Coordination chemistry of gold catalysts bearing eight different ligands [L=PPh₃, JohnPhos (L2), Xphos (L3), DTBP, IMes, IPr, dppf, S‐tolBINAP (L8)] has been studied by NMR spectroscopy in solution at room temperature. Cationic or neutral mononuclear complexes LAuX (L=L2, L3, IMes, IPr; X=charged or neutral ligand) underwent simple ligand exchange without giving any higher coordinate complexes. For L2AuX the following ligand strength series was determined: MeOH?hex‐3‐yne <MeCN≈OTf^??Me₂S<2,6‐lutidine<4‐picoline<CF₃CO₂^?≈DMAP<TMTU<PPh₃<OH^?≈Cl^?. Some heteroligand complexes DTBPAuX exist in solution in equilibrium with the corresponding symmetrical species. Binuclear complexes dppf(AuOTf)₂ and S‐tolBINAP(AuOTf)₂ showed different behavior in exchange reactions with ligands depending on the ligand strength. Thus, PPh₃ causes abstraction of one gold atom to give mononuclear complexes LLAuPPh₃⁺ and (Ph₃P)_nAu⁺, but other N and S ligands give ordinary dicationic species LL(AuNu)₂²⁺. In reactions with different bases, LAu⁺ provided new oxonium ions whose chemistry was also studied: (DTBPAu)₃O⁺, (L2Au)₂OH⁺, (L2Au)₃O⁺, (L3Au)₂OH⁺, and (IMesAu)₂OH⁺. Ultimately, formation of gold hydroxide LAuOH (L=L2, L3, IMes) was studied. Ligand‐ or base‐assisted interconversions between (L2Au)₂OH⁺, (L2Au)₃O⁺, and L2AuOH are described. Reactions of dppf(AuOTf)₂ and S‐tolBINAP(AuOTf)₂ with bases provided more interesting oxonium ions, whose molecular composition was found to be [dppf(Au)₂]₃O₂²⁺, L8(Au)₂OH⁺, and [L8(Au)₂]₃O₂²⁺, but their exact structure was not established. Several reactions between different oxonium species were conducted to observe mixed heteroligand oxonium species. Reaction of L2AuNCMe⁺ with S^2? was studied; several new complexes with sulfide are described. For many reversible reactions the corresponding equilibrium constants were determined.