From Heteroditopic to Multitopic Receptors for Ion-Pair Recognition: Advances in Receptor Design and Applications

Ion-pair recognition has emerged from cation and anion recognition and become a diverse and active field in its own right. The last decade has seen significant advances in receptor design in terms of the types of binding motifs, understanding of cooperativity and increase in complexity from heteroditopic to multitopic receptors. As a result, attention has turned to applying this knowledge to the rational design of ion-pair receptors for applications in salt solubilisation and extraction, membrane transport and sensing. This Review highlights recent progress and developments in the design and applications of heteroditopic and multitopic receptors for ion-pair recognition

The moral profession of teaching: a case study investigating trainee teachers' public good capability formation and functioning

The dominance of the discourses of globalisation and the neoliberal ideology of the free market have led to teachers being considered as central to ensuring the global competitiveness of a nation’s education service and of its citizens. The neoliberal policy reforms of New Labour (1997-2010) and the Coalition governments of 2010- 2015 were continued by the Conservative governments from 2015 through to the present time in 2022. It is in this political context that an ongoing teacher recruitment and retention problem exists, and I have argued that these pervading neoliberal policies have contributed significantly to these issues. The impact of a globalised and neoliberal policy direction has seen Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in England being overtaken by a more instrumental, action-oriented training approach, which I challenge, arguing that teaching is a moral profession which requires teachers to be educated as public good professionals. National and international teacher education literature recognises the moral nature of teaching, and the moral role of teachers yet provides very little on how these matters are dealt with within ITT programmes. To address this gap, I designed a case study that focussed on the public good professional capability expansion of six Teach First trainee teachers undergoing their ITT year within one Teach First partnership in the North of England. It has been argued that each of the professions gets its core purpose and value from the contribution it makes to human flourishing and a good society. Accepting that a conception of the good life includes happiness and wellbeing, it can be further argued that such a life requires certain human capabilities (Sen, 1985, Nussbaum, 2000). Capabilities are conceptualised as a person's real opportunities to do and be what they have reason to value, and what he or she is able to be or do (functioning) can determine the value of their given life. Appropriately then, the theoretical framework used to interrogate the data incorporated the capability approach (CA) to human development (Sen, 1985, Nussbaum, 2000) and in particular the Public-Good Professional Capabilities Index (PPCI) developed by Walker and McLean, (2013), as well as the literature conceptualising the moral nature of teaching. An interpretative, constructivist method underpinned the gathering and analysis of the data. This approach reflected the focus of the study which was to understand and make sense of the multiple realities, experiences and views of the trainee teachers. Data were gathered using two focus group discussions and two individual face-to-face interviews at four points across the ITT year. The analysis established how the trainee teachers understood and came to value the professional capabilities in the PPCI. Enabling and constraining factors to capability formation and functioning were analysed in order to establish the extent to which their valued capabilities and functioning could be realised. The findings revealed that the CA and the PPCI offer trainee teachers a wider vision of what teaching and learning entails, offering them a contrasting vision to the instrumental, action-oriented view of teacher knowledge and preparation that pervaded their Teach First ITT programme. The CA with its emphasis on human flourishing and the PPCI with its expansive view of a range of public-good professional capabilities send a message that foregrounds possibilities and aspirations, while directly engaging trainee teachers with issues of social justice. Encountering such frameworks would broaden student teachers’ visions of the purposes and possibilities of teaching and learning. An adapted PPCI for trainee teachers is presented that reveals the valued professional capabilities and functionings held by the group as well as the enabling and constraining factors to their capability formation and achieved functioning

An imaging neutron/gamma-ray spectrometer

We present the design and development of a dual-species, neutron/γ-ray imaging spectrometer for the identification and location of radioactive and special nuclear materials (SNM). Real-time detection and identification is important for locating fissile materials. These materials, specifically uranium and plutonium, emit neutrons and γ rays via spontaneous or induced fission. Co-located neutron and γ-ray emissions are a sure sign of fissile material, requiring very few spatially correlated events for a significant detection. Our instrument design detects neutrons and γ rays from all sources in its field of view, constructs images of the emission pattern, and reports the spectra for both species. The detection principle is based upon multiple elastic neutron-proton scatters in organic scintillator for neutrons, and Compton scattering in organic scintillator followed by photoelectric absorption in inorganic scintillator for γ rays. The instrument is optimized for neutron imaging and spectroscopy in the 1-20 MeV range. We recorded images and spectra of a Cf-252 source from 0.5 - 10 MeV, and have done similarly for several γ-ray sources. We report the results of laboratory testing of this expanded instrument and compare them to detailed Monte Carlo simulations using Geant4

Copper‐Free One‐Pot Sonogashira‐Type Coupling for the Efficient Preparation of Symmetric Diarylalkyne Ligands for Metal‐Organic Cages**

The often time-consuming and challenging multi-step synthesis of ligands for metal-organic cages is a limiting factor for the discovery and application of new cages. We report a highly efficient copper-free one-pot Sonogashira-type coupling for the preparation of symmetric diarylalkyne ligands on both a small and large scale; bipyridine- and benzimidazole-based ligands for the self-assembly of Co 4 L 6 cages were synthesized in short reaction times and high isolated yields directly from aryl halide precursors. This one-pot method reduces the synthetic burden of ligand synthesis and will facilitate the preparation of ligands with additional functionality for applications of their corre- sponding cages

Advising Task Force Report

There is compelling evidence that advising is considered very important by students, that academic advising is an important factor in retention, and that many students at Minnesota State University, Mankato, feel that their advising experience is less than ideal. Many faculty feel frustrated with their lack of time, their lack of training, and the lack of a centralized advising resource that quickly and reliably provides information about policies and procedures necessary for good advising. The following report describes the issues uncovered by Noel-Levitz and NSSE, a pilot study matching survey done in 2006, an in-depth conversation with graduation evaluators here, a mirror-image advisee/advisor survey that has been completed this year, as well as a description of the institutional structures of other comparable universities. Discussion, recommendations, issues discussed but not addressed, and areas of interest and concern follow

A Paramagnetic NMR Spectroscopy Toolbox for the Characterisation of Paramagnetic/Spin-Crossover Coordination Complexes and Metal-Organic Cages

The large paramagnetic shifts and short relaxation times resulting from the presence of a paramagnetic centre complicate NMR data acquisition and interpretation in solution. As a result, NMR analysis of paramagnetic complexes is limited in comparison to diamagnetic compounds and often relies on theoretical models. We report a toolbox of 1D (1H, proton-coupled 13C, selective 1H-decoupling 13C, steady-state NOE) and 2D (COSY, NOESY, HMQC) paramagnetic NMR methods that enables unprecedented structural characterisation and in some cases, provides more structural information than would be observable for a diamagnetic analogue. We demonstrate the toolbox's broad versatility for fields from coordination chemistry and spin-crossover complexes to supramolecular chemistry through the characterisation of CoII and high-spin FeII mononuclear complexes as well as a Co4L6 cage

A portable neutron spectroscope (NSPECT) for detection, imaging and identification of nuclear material

We have developed, fabricated and tested a prototype imaging neutron spectrometer designed for real-time neutron source location and identification. Real-time detection and identification is important for locating materials. These materials, specifically uranium and transuranics, emit neutrons via spontaneous or induced fission. Unlike other forms of radiation (e.g. gamma rays), penetrating neutron emission is very uncommon. The instrument detects these neutrons, constructs images of the emission pattern, and reports the neutron spectrum. The device will be useful for security and proliferation deterrence, as well as for nuclear waste characterization and monitoring. The instrument is optimized for imaging and spectroscopy in the 1-20 MeV range. The detection principle is based upon multiple elastic neutron-proton scatters in organic scintillator. Two detector panel layers are utilized. By measuring the recoil proton and scattered neutron locations and energies, the direction and energy spectrum of the incident neutrons can be determined and discrete and extended sources identified. Event reconstruction yields an image of the source and its location. The hardware is low power, low mass, and rugged. Its modular design allows the user to combine multiple units for increased sensitivity. We will report the results of laboratory testing of the instrument, including exposure to a calibrated Cf-252 source. Instrument parameters include energy and angular resolution, gamma rejection, minimum source identification distances and times, and projected effective area for a fully populated instrument

Detection of xenoestrogens in serum after immunoprecipitation of endogenous steroidal estrogens.

In this article we report a simple and efficient method for detecting nonsteroidal estrogens in a biologic sample. This method uses polyclonal antibodies to estradiol (E2) to immunoprecipitate these major biologically active steroidal estrogens, leaving behind the nonsteroidal estrogens, which are then detected in a cell-based transcriptional activation bioassay for estrogen receptor agonist. The immunoprecipitation method efficiently removed 99% of radiolabeled E2 and estrone (E1) from human serum. In experiments in which supraphysiologic concentrations of E2 and E1 to human serum, all of the immunoreactive estrogens were still removed by the immunoprecipitation protocol. We carried out an in vivo validation study of this method in which we treated female macaques with the xenoestrogen nonylphenol (NP), during the late follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. We used blood samples collected before and after treatment to evaluate and characterize endogenous and exogenous serum estrogens. An immunoassay for E2 did not detect the NP in treated monkeys. The cell-based bioassay also did not detect the estrogenic activity of NP because of its saturation by the endogenous serum steroidal estrogens. However, when steroidal estrogens were removed by immunoprecipitation, we detected the estrogenic activity of NP in the bioassay. Thus, this approach is appropriate for detecting exogenous, nonsteroidal estrogens in serum samples