Facile one-pot synthesis of CuCN by pulsed laser ablation in nitrile solvents and mechanistic studies using quantum chemical calculations.

Binding energies of different nitrile solvents and their utilization for CuCN formation were investigated through quantum chemical calculations. A pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) method for CuCN synthesis was developed herein. Initially, the interaction between the pulsed laser and the Cu-target generated Cu-ions and electrons at the point of contact.

Correction: Changes in macrocyclic aromaticity and formation of a charge-separated state by complexation of expanded porphyrin and C.

Correction for 'Changes in macrocyclic aromaticity and formation of a charge-separated state by complexation of expanded porphyrin and C' by Won-Young Cha et al., Chem. Commun.

Production of copper nanoparticles exhibiting various morphologies via pulsed laser ablation in different solvents and their catalytic activity for reduction of toxic nitroaromatic compounds.

Comparative experiments were conducted to determine the effects of various solvents (i.e., deionized water, methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, butanol, ethylene glycol, hexane, and acetonitrile) on the final compositions, morphologies, and catalytic activities of copper-based nanoparticles (NPs).

Enzyme-Inspired Formulation of the Electrolyte for Stable and Efficient Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries at High Temperatures.

Histidine, inspired by vanadium bromoperoxidase enzyme, has been applied as a homogeneous electrocatalyst to the positive electrolyte of vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) to improve the performance and stability of VRFB at elevated temperatures. The histidine-containing electrolyte is found to significantly improve the performance of VRFB in terms of thermal stability estimated by the remaining amount of VO in the electrolyte (61 vs 43% of a pristine one), energy efficiency at a high current density of 150 mA cm (78.7 vs 71.

Changes in macrocyclic aromaticity and formation of a charge-separated state by complexation of expanded porphyrin and C60.

Significant changes of macrocyclic aromaticity in expanded porphyrins through C60 complexation were studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy and nucleus-independent chemical shift calculations. This work is a detailed research study of how the formation of a complex of dual aromatic expanded porphyrin with fullerene affects the electron densities in the main conjugation pathways and meso-substituents. Furthermore, we found that the formation of the photoinduced charge-separated state and the triplet excited-state populations of the bowl-shaped and rigid expanded porphyrin can be controlled by a simple complexation with C60.

Craniovertebral Junction Abnormalities in Surgical Patients With Congenital Muscular Torticollis.

Our clinical experience led us to realize that craniovertebral junction (CVJ) abnormalities were common in surgical patients with congenital muscular torticollis (CMT). This study aimed to report the concurrence rate of CVJ abnormalities in surgical patients with CMT, along with comprehensive evaluation of type of concurrent CVJ abnormalities. This was a retrospective cohort study in a tertiary hospital, including 41 subjects who underwent surgical release for CMT at the mean age of 8.

Contralateral Involvement of Congenital Muscular Torticollis and Clavicular Fracture.

Congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) is known to concur with some conditions such as developmental dysplasia of the hip or brachial plexus injury, which gives us some insights for pathogenesis of CMT. Although clavicular fracture is the most common fracture in newborns, little is known about concurrence of CMT and clavicular fracture. Our clinical experience led us to realize that concurrence of CMT and clavicular fracture tended to occur on the contralateral side for each other rather than the ipsilateral side.

A Case of Grisel Syndrome Showing No Underlying Laxity of the Atlanto-axial Joint.

Grisel syndrome is a rare, non-traumatic atlanto-axial subluxation associated with an inflammatory or infectious process in the upper neck. According to the two-hit hypothesis, which is widely accepted for the pathogenesis of Grisel syndrome, preexisting ligamentous laxity of the atlanto-axial joint is regarded as the first hit. An inflammatory or infectious process of the atlanto-axial joint acts as the second hit, resulting in non-traumatic atlanto-axial subluxation.

Conformational structures of jet-cooled acetaminophen-water clusters: a gas phase spectroscopic and computational study.

Jet-cooled acetaminophen (AAP)-water clusters, AAP-(HO), were investigated by mass-selected resonant two-photon ionization (R2PI), ultraviolet-ultraviolet hole-burning (UV-UV HB), infrared-dip (IR-dip), and infrared-ultraviolet hole-burning (IR-UV HB) spectroscopy. Each syn- and anti-AAP rotamer has three distinctive binding sites (-OH, >CO, and >NH) for a water molecule, thus 6 different AAP-(HO) conformers are expected to exist in the molecular beam. The origin bands of the AAP(OH)-(HO) and AAP(CO)-(HO) conformers (including their syn- and anti-conformers) in the R2PI spectrum are shifted to red and blue compared to those of the AAP monomer, respectively.

Determining Chiral Configuration of Diamines via Contact Angle Measurements on Enantioselective Alanine-Appended Benzene-Tricarboxamide Gelators.

Spectroscopic techniques exist that may discern between enantiomers and assess chiral purity. A nonspectroscopic approach that may be directly observed could provide numerous benefits. Using chiral alanine-appended benzene-tricarboxamide gelators, we reveal a methanol gel system that is capable of providing visual discrimination between enantiomers of various diamines.

Effectiveness of Surgical Release in Patients With Neglected Congenital Muscular Torticollis According to Age at the Time of Surgery.

Objective: To identify the correlation between change in spinal deformities after surgical release and age at the time of surgery, and the effectiveness of surgical release in patients with neglected congenital muscular torticollis (CMT).

Methods: This was a retrospective study of 46 subjects with neglected CMT who had undergone surgical release at age ≥5 years at a tertiary medical center between January 2009 and January 2014. Spinal deformities were measured on anteroposterior plain radiographs of the cervical and whole spine, both preoperatively and postoperatively, to assess 3 parameters: cervicomandibular angle (CMA), lateral shift (LS), and Cobb angle (CA).

Congenital muscular torticollis concurrent with sagittal synostosis: a case report.

Congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) and craniosynostosis are diseases that cause plagiocephaly and craniofacial asymmetry in children. In our literature review, we did not find any report of concurrent manifestation of CMT and craniosynostosis. A 41-month-old boy visited our hospital with left torticollis, right laterocollis, and craniofacial asymmetry as the main findings.

Direct observation of aluminium ions produced via pulsed laser ablation in liquid: a 'turn-on' fluorescence study.

An Al metal plate was ablated by a pulsed Nd-YAG laser to produce nano-structured Al and gamma-Al(2)O(3) in deionized water without any surfactants or catalysts. In this study, direct evidence for the production of Al(3+) ions from the plasma plume is presented for the first time by characterizing the absorption and emission spectra of their [Al(salophen)](+) complex. Very interestingly, a remarkable increase in the fluorescence intensity was observed when the Al(3+) ions, produced via the pulsed laser ablation, complexed with the salophen ligand.

Conformationally resolved structures of jet-cooled acetaminophen by UV-UV hole-burning spectroscopy.

The conformational structures of jet-cooled acetaminophen were investigated in the gas phase by resonant 2-photon ionization and UV-UV hole-burning spectroscopy. In contrast to the results from a previous study, two nearly isoenergetic conformers were distinctly found in a supersonic molecular beam expansion and positively identified as the cis and trans isomers of acetaminophen by UV-UV hole-burning spectroscopy. The 0-0 bands of the cis and trans isomers were found at 33518.

Preparation and characterization of acrylated-SiO2@TiO2 hollow hybrid nanospheres.

Novel inorganic-organic hybrid hollow nanospheres, acrylated SiO2 and SiO2@TiO2, were synthesized via a sol-gel polymerization, using crown-appended sugar gelator 1 as an organic template for the unique nanospherical structures in demand for a fast expanding area in nanomaterial research. In this work, hollow SiO2 nanospheres were obtained by a simple sol-gel method followed by calcination and rather rough TiO2 nanolayers were coated onto the highly dispersed surface of SiO2 nanospheres and further copolymerization of MPA on the surface of SiO2 and SiO2@TiO2 nanosphseres was successfully conducted. The morphological properties of those hollow nanospheres were characterized by TEM, SEM and powder-XRD.