Anion Transport Using Core Functionalized Hyperbranched Polymers and Evidence of a Dense Packed Limit Based on Molecular Weight

Being able to bind, select, and transport species is central to a number of fields, including medicine, materials, and environmental science. In particular, recognizing a specific species from one phase and transporting it across, or into another phase, has obvious applications in environ-mental science, for example, removal of unwanted or toxic materials from an aqueous or organic phase. In this paper, we describe an approach that uses a functionalized dendritic polymer to bind and transport a small anionic molecule across an organic phase (and between two aqueous phases). The design was based on encapsulation principles borrowed from nature, where anions are bound and transported by proteins that have specific sites within their globular ordered structures. For the work reported here, a globular dendritic polymer functionalized with an isophthalamide-based receptor was used to replace the protein structure and anion-binding site. Along with control experiments, the binding and transport properties of two functionalized HBPs were assessed using a Pressman U tube experiment. Both HBPs demonstrated an enhanced ability to bind and transport anions (when compared to the anion-binding site used in isolation). Furthermore, optimum binding and transport occurred when the smaller of the two HBPs were used. This supports our previous observations regarding the existence of a dense packed limit for HBPs.

Evidence for distinct chronic wasting disease (CWD) strains in experimental CWD in ferrets

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an evolving prion disease of cervids (deer, elk and moose) that has been recognized in North America and Korea. Infection of non-cervid reservoir or transport species in nature is not reported. However, the ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is susceptible to CWD after experimental inoculation. Here, we report that infection of ferrets with either of two ferret CWD isolates by various routes of exposure has revealed biologically distinct strain-like properties distinguished by different clinical progression and survival period. The isolates of ferret CWD were also differentiated by the distribution of the infectious prion protein (PrPCWD) in the brain and periphery, and by the proteinase K sensitivity of PrPCWD. These findings suggest that diversity in prion conformers exists in CWD-infected cervids.

Mass Spectrometric Probing of Laser-Induced Materials Vapor Transport: Graphite and Superconducting YBa2Cu3Ox

ABSTRACTA very high pressure-sampling mass spectrometer has been used to identify the vapor transport species and determine the thermochemistry and kinetics of laser-induced plumes produced from graphite and superconducting composition YBa2Cu3Ox targets (x = 6.5 to 7). An electron impact ion source was used for the ionization and detection of neutral plume species. The plumes initially contain -1 atm (1 atm = 101.325 kPa) of neutral and charged atomic and molecular species in a vacuum of <10−7 atm. Time resolved mass spectra were obtained with graphite targets for the neutral plume species Cn (n = 1-9) for varying laser fluence, laser-surface interaction geometry, vapor plume-sampling geometry, and target surface morphology. Relatively low abundance charged species C1+, C2+, C3+, and impurities Na+ and K+ were also observed in the laser-induced plume.Mass spectra obtained with superconducting YBa2Cu3Ox targets showed a variety of species in the laser-induced plumes including both neutral and ionic Y, Ba, and Cu. In addition, molecular species such as O2, BaO, CuO+, YO and bimetallics (BaCu, YCu) were observed.