High-resolution Compton spectroscopy using x-ray microcalorimeters.

X-ray Compton spectroscopy is one of the few direct probes of the electron momentum distribution of bulk materials in ambient and operando environments. We report high-resolution inelastic x-ray scattering experiments with high momentum and energy transfer performed at a storage-ring-based high-energy x-ray light source facility using an x-ray transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter detector. The performance was compared with a silicon drift detector (SDD), an energy-resolving semiconductor detector, and Compton profiles were measured for lithium and cobalt oxide powders relevant to lithium-ion battery research.

Inhibition of Protein Kinase CK2 Affects Thymidylate Synthesis Cycle Enzyme Level and Distribution in Human Cancer Cells.

Thymidylate synthase (TS), dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), and serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) constitute the thymidylate synthesis cycle providing thymidylate for DNA synthesis and repair. Our previous studies indicated that TS and DHFR are the substrates of protein kinase CK2. This work has been aimed at the elucidation of the effect of CK2 activity on cell cycle progression, thymidylate synthesis enzyme expression and localization, and the role of CK2-mediated TS phosphorylation in di- and trimolecular complex formation.

Correlating inter-particle forces and particle shape to shear-induced aggregation/fragmentation and rheology for dilute anisotropic particle suspensions: A complementary study via capillary rheometry and in-situ small and ultra-small angle X-ray scattering.

Hypothesis: Understanding the stability and rheological behavior of suspensions composed of anisotropic particles is challenging due to the complex interplay of hydrodynamic and colloidal forces. We propose that orientationally-dependent interactions resulting from the anisotropic nature of non-spherical sub-units strongly influences shear-induced particle aggregation/fragmentation and suspension rheological behavior.

Experiments: Wide-, small-, and ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering experiments were used to simultaneously monitor changes in size and fractal dimensions of boehmite aggregates from 6 to 10,000 Å as the sample was recirculated through an in-situ capillary rheometer.

Development of an autonomous solvent extraction system to isolate astatine-211 from dissolved cyclotron bombarded bismuth targets.

Cyclotron-produced astatine-211 (At) shows tremendous promise in targeted alpha therapy (TAT) applications due to its attractive half-life and its 100% α-emission from nearly simultaneous branched alpha decay. Astatine-211 is produced by alpha beam bombardment of naturally monoisotopic bismuth metal (Bi) via the (α, 2n) reaction. In order to isolate the small mass of At (specific activity = 76 GBq·µg) from several grams of acid-dissolved Bi metal, a manual milliliter-scale solvent extraction process using diisopropyl ether (DIPE) is routinely performed at the University of Washington.

Simultaneous Inhibition of Protein Kinase CK2 and Dihydrofolate Reductase Results in Synergistic Effect on Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells.

Background/aim: Recently, we demonstrated the ability of inhibitors of protein kinase 2 (casein kinase II; CK2) to enhance the efficacy of 5-fluorouracil, a thymidylate synthase (TYMS)-directed drug for anticancer treatment. The present study aimed to investigate the antileukemic effect of simultaneous inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), another enzyme involved in the thymidylate biosynthesis cycle, and CK2 in CCRF-CEM acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells.

Materials And Methods: The influence of combined treatment on apoptosis and cell-cycle progression, as well as the endocellular level of DHFR protein and inhibition of CK2 were determined using flow cytometry and western blot analysis, respectively.

Al Pulsed Field Gradient, Diffusion-NMR Spectroscopy of Solvation Dynamics and Ion Pairing in Alkaline Aluminate Solutions.

Pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR) measurements were successfully applied to the Al ( I = 5/2) nucleus in concentrated electrolytes to investigate the diffusion of aluminate ions [Al(OH)] in simulant high-level nuclear waste (3 M NaOH) between 25 and 85 °C. The temperature-dependent diffusion coefficients obtained from H, Na, and Al PFG-NMR were well fit by a Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann model and a power law equation. Comparison of Al diffusion coefficients of 0.

Effects of Ionic Strength, Salt, and pH on Aggregation of Boehmite Nanocrystals: Tumbler Small-Angle Neutron and X-ray Scattering and Imaging Analysis.

The US government currently spends significant resources managing the legacies of the Cold War, including 300 million liters of highly radioactive wastes stored in hundreds of tanks at the Hanford (WA) and Savannah River (SC) sites. The materials in these tanks consist of highly radioactive slurries and sludges at very high pH and salt concentrations. The solid particles primarily consist of aluminum hydroxides and oxyhydroxides (gibbsite and boehmite), although many other materials are present.

An automated flow system incorporating in-line acid dissolution of bismuth metal from a cyclotron irradiated target assembly for use in the isolation of astatine-211.

Astatine-211 (At) is a promising cyclotron-produced radionuclide being investigated for use in targeted alpha therapy. The wet chemical isolation of trace quantities of At, produced within several grams of Bi metal deposited onto an aluminum cyclotron target assembly, involves a multi-step procedure. Because the At isolation method is labor-intensive and complex, automation of the method is being developed to facilitate routine processing at the University of Washington and to make it easier to transfer the process to other institutions.