Genetic Variation and Potential for Resistance Development to the tTA Overexpression Lethal System in Insects.

Release of insect pests carrying the dominant lethal tetracycline transactivator (tTA) overexpression system has been proposed as a means for population suppression. High levels of the tTA transcription factor are thought to be toxic due to either transcriptional squelching or interference with protein ubiquitination. Here we utilized the Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) to examine the influence of genetic variation on the efficacy of a female-specific tTA overexpression system.

Transformation of topologically close-packed β-W to body-centered cubic α-W: Comparison of experiments and computations.

The enthalpy and activation energy for the transformation of the metastable form of tungsten, β-W, which has the topologically close-packed A15 structure (space group Pm3¯n), to equilibrium α-W, which is body-centered cubic (A2, space group Im3¯m), was measured using differential scanning calorimetry. The β-W films were 1 μm-thick and were prepared by sputter deposition in argon with a small amount of nitrogen. The transformation enthalpy was measured as -8.

Collective Atomic Displacements during Complex Phase Boundary Migration in Solid-Solid Phase Transformations.

The A15 to bcc phase transition is simulated at the atomic scale based on an interatomic potential for molybdenum. The migration of the phase boundary proceeds via long-range collective displacements of entire groups of atoms across the interface. To capture the kinetics of these complex atomic rearrangements over extended time scales we use the adaptive kinetic Monte Carlo approach.

Ridge-based bias potentials to accelerate molecular dynamics.

An effective way to accelerate rare events in molecular dynamics simulations is to apply a bias potential which destabilizes minima without biasing the transitions between stable states. This approach, called hyperdynamics, is limited by our ability to construct general bias potentials without having to understand the reaction mechanisms available to the system, a priori. Current bias potentials are typically constructed in terms of a metric which quantifies the distance that a trajectory deviates from the reactant state minimum.

Biased gradient squared descent saddle point finding method.

The harmonic approximation to transition state theory simplifies the problem of calculating a chemical reaction rate to identifying relevant low energy saddle points in a chemical system. Here, we present a saddle point finding method which does not require knowledge of specific product states. In the method, the potential energy landscape is transformed into the square of the gradient, which converts all critical points of the original potential energy surface into global minima.

Unimolecular reactions in the CF3CH2Cl ↔ CF2ClCH2F system: isomerization by interchange of Cl and F atoms.

The recombination of CF(2)Cl and CH(2)F radicals was used to prepare CF(2)ClCH(2)F* molecules with 93 ± 2 kcal mol(-1) of vibrational energy in a room temperature bath gas. The observed unimolecular reactions in order of relative importance were: (1) 1,2-ClH elimination to give CF(2)═CHF, (2) isomerization to CF(3)CH(2)Cl by the interchange of F and Cl atoms and (3) 1,2-FH elimination to give E- and Z-CFCl═CHF. Since the isomerization reaction is 12 kcal mol(-1) exothermic, the CF(3)CH(2)Cl* molecules have 105 kcal mol(-1) of internal energy and they can eliminate HF to give CF(2)═CHCl, decompose by rupture of the C-Cl bond, or isomerize back to CF(2)ClCH(2)F.

Theoretical investigation of 1,2-interchange of a chlorine atom and methyl group in 1,1-dichloroacetone.

A recent photofragment translational spectroscopy study of 1,1-dichloroacetone at 193 nm reported two primary unimolecular decomposition channels: C-Cl bond cleavage and elimination of HCl in a 9:1 ratio, respectively. The HCl translational energy distribution was bimodal suggesting two distinct decomposition pathways that were assumed to be 1,1-HCl loss forming a carbene and a 1,3-HCl elimination reaction forming a biradical ( Butler , L. J.

Isomerization of neopentyl chloride and neopentyl bromide by a 1,2-interchange of a halogen atom and a methyl group.

The recombination of chloromethyl and t-butyl radicals at room temperature was used to generate neopentyl chloride molecules with 89 kcal mol(-1) of internal energy. The observed unimolecular reactions, which give 2-methyl-2-butene and 2-methyl-1-butene plus HCl, as products, are explained by a mechanism that involves the interchange of a methyl group and the chlorine atom to yield 2-chloro-2-methylbutane, which subsequently eliminates hydrogen chloride by the usual four-centered mechanism to give the observed products. The interchange isomerization process is the rate-limiting step.

Unimolecular rate constant and threshold energy for the HF elimination from chemically activated CF3CHFCF3.

Combination of CF(3)CHF and CF(3) radicals at room temperature generated chemically activated CF(3)CHFCF(3) molecules with 95 +/- 3 kcal/mol of internal energy that decompose by loss of HF, initially attached to adjacent carbons, with an experimental unimolecular rate constant of (4.5 +/- 1.1) x 10(2) s(-1).

Unimolecular reactions of CH(2)BrCH(2)Br, CH(2)BrCH(2)Cl, and CH(2)BrCD(2)Cl: identification of the Cl-Br interchange reaction.

The recombination reactions of CH(2)Br and CH(2)Cl radicals have been used to generate vibrationally excited CH(2)BrCH(2)Br and CH(2)BrCH(2)Cl molecules with 91 kcal mol(-1) of energy in a room-temperature bath gas. The experimental unimolecular rate constants for elimination of HBr and HCl were compared to calculated statistical rate constants to assign threshold energies of 58 kcal mol(-1) for HBr elimination from C(2)H(4)Br(2) and 58 and 60 kcal mol(-1), respectively, for HBr and HCl elimination from C(2)H(4)BrCl. The Br-Cl interchange reaction was demonstrated and characterized by studying the CH(2)BrCD(2)Cl system generated by the recombination of CH(2)Br and CD(2)Cl radicals.

Unimolecular HCl and HF elimination reactions of 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,2-difluoroethane, and 1,2-chlorofluoroethane: assignment of threshold energies.

The recombination of CH(2)Cl and CH(2)F radicals generates vibrationally excited CH(2)ClCH(2)Cl, CH(2)FCH(2)F, and CH(2)ClCH(2)F molecules with about 90 kcal mol(-1) of energy in a room temperature bath gas. New experimental data for CH(2)ClCH(2)F have been obtained that are combined with previously published studies for C(2)H(4)Cl(2) and C(2)H(4)F(2) to define reliable rate constants of 3.0 x 10(8) (C(2)H(4)F(2)), 2.

Unimolecular reactions of chemically activated CF2BrCF2CH3 and CF2BrCF2CD3: evidence for 1,2-FBr interchange.

Vibrationally excited CF2BrCF2CH3 and CF2BrCF2CD3 molecules were prepared with 96 kcal mol-1 energy at room temperature by the recombination of CF2BrCF2 and CH3 (CD3) radicals. The observed unimolecular reactions are 1,2-BrF interchange to give CF3CFBrCH3 (CD3) molecules and 2,3-FH (FD) elimination; the rate constants are 2.2 x 10(5) (1.