Search

Neutron diffraction studies on the small-angle neutron spectrometer YuMO (Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna), based on the IBR-2 pulsed reactor, have been reviewed. The main parameters of small-angle spectrometers, based on the time-of-flight technique, are considered. It is shown that the flux on sample is the key parameter of the spectrometers based on pulsed sources, which makes it possible (along with application of a multidetector system) to expand the dynamic range of scattering vector magnitudes. The history of the setting up of the first small-angle instrument based on pulsed sources is overviewed. The directions of development of small-angle spectrometers are shown. The results of YuMO studies in the fields of polymers, biology, materials science, and physical chemistry are briefly reviewed. The main strategies of development of small-angle neutron scattering on pulsed sources are considered. The possibilities of the small-angle instruments based on a synchrotron source and on a neutron pulsed source are compared.

This work provides the first characteristics of the rhodopsin SpaR from Sphingomonas paucimobilis, aerobic bacteria associated with opportunistic infections. The sequence analysis of SpaR has shown that this protein has unusual DTS motif which has never reported in rhodopsins from Proteobacteria. We report that SpaR operates as an outward proton pump at low pH; however, proton pumping is almost absent at neutral and alkaline pH. The photocycle of this rhodopsin in detergent micelles slows down with an increase in pH because of longer Schiff base reprotonation. Our results show that the novel microbial ion transporter SpaR of interest both as an object for basic research of membrane proteins and as a promising optogenetic tool.

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative brain disease, where pathological hallmarks are senile plaques consisting primarily of amyloid-beta peptides. The investigations, however, point out not only the importance of physico-chemical properties of peptides themselves, but the membranes as the targeting environment as well. Commensurately, the interrogation approaches are required to focus on these systems at various length scales ranging from the submolecular and molecular levels relevant to the structures of peptides and/or membrane lipids locally, to the supermolecular levels covering the aggregates and large structures ensuing from the peptide-membrane interactions. In this chapter, we are summarizing the previous studies that look at complex model and biological membranes using a variety of experimental and theoretical methods based on, or complementing, the scattering techniques. We attempt to examine the effects modulated by the presence of Aβ peptides, and more importantly to determine the modes of interaction between membranes and peptides.

During the last decade, stimuli-responsible polymers based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) having conformational transition in the range of physiological temperature have been discussed as novel drug delivery nanosystems. A star-like copolymer with a dextran core and grafted poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) arms (D-g-PNIPAM) was synthesized, characterized, and used as a matrix for silver sol preparation. The comparative study of the behavior of individual D-g-PNIPAM and the nanohybrid system D-g-PNIPAM/silver nanoparticles has been done in the temperature range near the lower critical solution temperature (LCST). The methods of Dynamic Light Scattering, small angle X-ray scattering, and UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy have been used. The existence of single nanoparticles and aggregated nanoparticles located in a limited polymer macromolecular volume was established. The increase of the temperature leads to slight aggregation of the silver nanoparticles at the LCST transition. Single nanoparticles do not aggregate with the temperature increase. The thermally induced collapse of end-grafted poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) chains above the LCST do not affect significantly the size characteristics of silver nanoparticles incorporated into the polymer matrix.

We have studied the impact of cholesterol and/or melatonin on the static and dynamical properties of bilayers made of DPPC or DOPC utilizing neutron scattering techniques, Raman spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. While differing in the amplitude of the effect due to cholesterol or melatonin when comparing their interactions with the two lipids, their addition ensued recognizable changes to both types of bilayers. As expected, based on the two-component systems of lipid/cholesterol or lipid/melatonin studied previously, we show the impact of cholesterol and melatonin being opposite and competitive in the case of three-component systems of lipid/cholesterol/melatonin. The effect of cholesterol appears to prevail over that of melatonin in the case of structural properties of DPPC-based bilayers, which can be explained by its interactions targeting primarily the saturated lipid chains. The dynamics of hydrocarbon chains represented by the ratio of trans/gauche conformers reveals the competitive effect of cholesterol and melatonin being somewhat more balanced. The additive yet opposing effects of cholesterol and melatonin have been observed also in the case of structural properties of DOPC-based bilayers. We report that cholesterol induced an increase in bilayer thickness, while melatonin induced a decrease in bilayer thickness in the three-component systems of DOPC/cholesterol/melatonin. Commensurately, by evaluating the projected area of DOPC, we demonstrate a lipid area decrease with an increasing concentration of cholesterol, and a lipid area increase with an increasing concentration of melatonin. The demonstrated condensing effect of cholesterol and the fluidizing effect of melatonin appear in an additive manner upon their mutual presence.

This work provides the first characteristics of the rhodopsin SpaR from Sphingomonas paucimobilis, aerobic bacteria associated with opportunistic infections. The sequence analysis of SpaR has shown that this protein has unusual DTS motif which has never reported in rhodopsins from Proteobacteria. We report that SpaR operates as an outward proton pump at low pH; however, proton pumping is almost absent at neutral and alkaline pH. The photocycle of this rhodopsin in detergent micelles slows down with an increase in pH because of longer Schiff base reprotonation. Our results show that the novel microbial ion transporter SpaR of interest both as an object for basic research of membrane proteins and as a promising optogenetic tool.

In biological membranes, lipid rafts are now thought to be transient and nanoscopic. However, the mechanism responsible for these nanoscopic assemblies remains poorly understood, even in the case of model membranes. As a result, it has proven extremely challenging to probe the physicochemical properties of lipid rafts at the molecular level. Here, we use all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and inelastic X-ray scattering (IXS), an intrinsically nanoscale technique, to directly probe the energy transfer and collective short-wavelength dynamics (phonons) of biologically relevant model membranes. We show that the nanoscale propagation of stress in lipid rafts takes place in the form of collective motions made up of longitudinal (compression waves) and transverse (shear waves) molecular vibrations. Importantly, we provide a molecular picture for the so-called van der Waals mediated "force from lipid" [Anishkin, A. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2014, 111, 7898], a key parameter for the ionic channel mechano-transduction and the mechanism for the lipid transfer of molecular level stress [Aponte-Santamaria, C. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 13588]. Specifically, we describe how lipid rafts are formed and maintained through the propagation of molecular stress, lipid raft rattling dynamics, and a relaxation process. Eventually, the rafts dissipate through the self-diffusion of lipids making up the rafts. We also show that the molecular stress and viscoelastic properties of transient lipid rafts can be modulated through the use of hydrophobic biomolecules such as melatonin and tryptophan. Ultimately, the herein proposed mechanism describing the molecular interactions for the formation and dissolution of lipid rafts may offer insights as to how lipid rafts enable biological function.

Phytoplankton is the base of the marine food chain, oxygen, carbon cycle playing a global role in climate and ecology. Nucleocytoplasmic Large DNA Viruses regulating the dynamics of phytoplankton comprise genes of rhodopsins of two distinct families. We present a function-structure characterization of two homologous proteins representatives of family 1 of viral rhodopsins, OLPVR1 and VirChR1. VirChR1 is a highly selective, Ca2+-dependent, Na+/K+- conducting channel and, in contrast to known cation channelrhodopsins (ChRs), is impermeable to Ca2+ ions. In human neuroblastoma cells, upon illumination, VirChR1 depolarizes the cell membrane to a level sufficient to fire neurons. It suggests its unique optogenetic potential. 1.4 Å resolution structure of OLPVR1 reveals their remarkable difference from the known channelrhodopsins and a unique ion-conducting pathway. The data suggest that viral channelrhodopsins mediate phototaxis of algae enhancing the host anabolic processes to support virus reproduction, and therefore, their key role in global phytoplankton dynamics.

Phytoplankton is the base of the marine food chain as well as oxygen and carbon cycles and thus plays a global role in climate and ecology. Nucleocytoplasmic Large DNA Viruses that infect phytoplankton organisms and regulate the phytoplankton dynamics encompass genes of rhodopsins of two distinct families. Here, we present a functional and structural characterization of two proteins of viral rhodopsin group 1, OLPVR1 and VirChR1. Functional analysis of VirChR1 shows that it is a highly selective, Na+/K+-conducting channel and, in contrast to known cation channelrhodopsins, it is impermeable to Ca2+ ions. We show that, upon illumination, VirChR1 is able to drive neural firing. The 1.4 Å resolution structure of OLPVR1 reveals remarkable differences from the known channelrhodopsins and a unique ion-conducting pathway. Thus, viral rhodopsins 1 represent a unique, large group of light-gated channels (viral channelrhodopsins, VirChR1s). In nature, VirChR1s likely mediate phototaxis of algae enhancing the host anabolic processes to support virus reproduction, and therefore, might play a major role in global phytoplankton dynamics. Moreover, VirChR1s have unique potential for optogenetics as they lack possibly noxious Ca2+ permeability., Nucleocytoplasmic Large DNA Viruses (NCLDV) that infect algae encode two distinct families of microbial rhodopsins. Here, the authors characterise two proteins form the viral rhodopsin group 1 OLPVR1 and VirChR1, present the 1.4 Å crystal structure of OLPVR1 and show that viral rhodopsins 1 are light-gated cation channels.

Significance Although it is believed that the raft formation in a cell membrane is governed by a selective interaction of different lipids and proteins, mechanisms driving and regulating the lateral membrane heterogeneity remain poorly understood. Here, using multicomponent lipid mixtures and inelastic X-ray scattering, we provide a spatial–temporal window to study lipid–lipid interactions. We show experimental evidence for the formation of dynamic lipid pairs, which are subnanometer in size and have a subnanosecond lifetime. These pairs form transient nanoscopic substructures in the liquid-ordered phase. The presented approach to study membrane heterogeneity is universal and can be applied to more realistic lipid mixtures, offering the possibility to discern differences between the structures of ordered and disordered phases in a cell membrane., Biological membranes exhibit a great deal of compositional and phase heterogeneity due to hundreds of chemically distinct components. As a result, phase separation processes in cell membranes are extremely difficult to study, especially at the molecular level. It is currently believed that the lateral membrane heterogeneity and the formation of domains, or rafts, are driven by lipid–lipid and lipid–protein interactions. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms regulating membrane heterogeneity remain poorly understood. In the present work, we combine inelastic X-ray scattering with molecular dynamics simulations to provide direct evidence for the existence of strongly coupled transient lipid pairs. These lipid pairs manifest themselves experimentally through optical vibrational (a.k.a. phononic) modes observed in binary (1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine [DPPC]–cholesterol) and ternary (DPPC–1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine [DOPC/POPC]–cholesterol) systems. The existence of a phononic gap in these vibrational modes is a direct result of the finite size of patches formed by these lipid pairs. The observation of lipid pairs provides a spatial (subnanometer) and temporal (subnanosecond) window into the lipid–lipid interactions in complex mixtures of saturated/unsaturated lipids and cholesterol. Our findings represent a step toward understanding the lateral organization and dynamics of membrane domains using a well-validated probe with a high spatial and temporal resolution.

In recent years, responsive polymer-based structures have been studied extensively due to their unique ability to alter their physical properties upon exposure to external stimuli. Despite this, the nanoscale Q-resolved dynamic properties of these materials have barely been explored, which is limiting the development and applications of these materials. To address this issue, we used inelastic X-ray scattering (IXS) and found evidence for van der Waals mediated molecular vibration-responsive rattling dynamics in bulk poly(isoprene-block-styrene) (SI) and poly(styrene-block-ethylene oxide) (SO) stacked thin film block copolymers. Their cylinder-forming hexagonally arranged static structures were characterized using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS), complemented by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Specifically, we observed that the longitudinal vibrational mode in bulk SI experiences a strong phonon attenuation as temperature increases from 3...

Structural aspects of powders containing magnetic nanoparticles Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 with the anticipated “core-shell” structure are considered by means of comparative analysis with individual particles of Fe3O4, CoFe2O4 in accordance of data obtained from X-ray powder diffraction and small-angle scattering of X-ray (synchrotron) radiation and neutrons. It is shown that magnetic particles in the powders under study have a strong polydispersity and form complex aggregates. Characteristic sizes of the crystallites, as well as a ratio of magnetite to cobalt-ferrite in the composition of the Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 particles were evaluated from the analysis of the diffraction peaks. Аnalyzing the data on small-angle scattering, the dimensional characteristics of particles and aggregates, as well as the volume fraction of the last ones in the powders, have been obtained. Fractal dimensions of aggregates are determined. A significant difference is observed in the scattering on Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 particles and the total scattering consisting of partial contributions to scattering on individual magnetite (Fe3O4) and cobalt-ferrite (CoFe2O4) powders, which does not exclude the formation of the “core-shell” structure.

Алмазнi наночастинки мають значнi перспективи технологiчних застосувань, тому їх виготовлення та подальша деагрегацiя є актуальною задачею. В данiй статтi за допомогою малокутового розсiяння нейтронiв проаналiзовано пористу структуру агрегатiв у порошках детонацiйних наноалмазiв. Вплив високого тиску дозволив роздiлити внески у малокутове розсiяння вiд мiкро- та нанорозмiрних пор. Визначено тип фрактальних кластерiв, утворених нанопорами. Пiдтверджено можливiсть часткової механiчної деагрегацiї наноалмазних частинок за тиску 1,5 ГПа.

The structure of phycobiliproteins of the cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina was investigated in buffer solution at physiological temperatures, i.e. under the same conditions applied in spectroscopic experiments, using small angle neutron scattering. The scattering data of intact phycobiliproteins in buffer solution containing phosphate can be well described using a cylindrical shape with a length of about 225 A and a diameter of approximately 100 A. This finding is qualitatively consistent with earlier electron microscopy studies reporting a rod-like shape of the phycobiliproteins with a length of about 250 (M. Chen et al., FEBS Letters 583, 2009, 2535) or 300 A (J. Marquart et al., FEBS Letters 410, 1997, 428). In contrast, phycobiliproteins dissolved in buffer lacking phosphate revealed a splitting of the rods into cylindrical subunits with a height of 28 A only, but also a pronounced sample aggregation. Complementary small angle neutron and X-ray scattering experiments on phycocyanin suggest that the cylindrical subunits may represent either trimeric phycocyanin or trimeric allophycocyanin. Our findings are in agreement with the assumption that a phycobiliprotein rod with a total height of about 225 A can accommodate seven trimeric phycocyanin subunits and one trimeric allophycocyanin subunit, each of which having a height of about 28 A. The structural information obtained by small angle neutron and X-ray scattering can be used to interpret variations in the low-energy region of the 4.5 K absorption spectra of phycobiliproteins dissolved in buffer solutions containing and lacking phosphate, respectively.

Titanium-based composites&mdash, titanium and silver (TiAg) and titanium and carbon (TiC)&mdash, were synthesized by the Thermionic Vacuum Arc (TVA) method on substrates especially for gear wheels and camshaft coating as mechanical components of irrigation pumps. The films were characterized by surface morphology, microstructure, and roughness through X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS). The silver (Ag) films crystallized into a cubic system with lattice a = 4.0833 &Aring, at room temperature, indexed as cubic Ag group Fm3m. The crystallites were oriented in the [111] direction, and mean grain size was &lt, D&gt, 111 = 265 &Aring, The TiC structure revealed a predominant cubic TiC phase, with a = 0.4098 as a lattice parameter determined by Cohen&rsquo, s method. Average roughness (Ra) was 8 nm for the as-grown 170 nm thick TiAg film, and 1.8 nm for the as-grown 120 nm thick TiC film. Characteristic SANS contribution was detected from the TiAg layer deposited on a substrate of high-quality stainless steel with 0.45% carbon (OLC45) in the range of 0.015 &Aring, &minus, 1 &le, Q &le, 0.4 &Aring, 1, revealing the presence of sharp surfaces and an averaged triaxial ellipsoidal core-shell object.

Small-angle neutron scattering has been applied to study the structure peculiarities of perfluorinated proton conducting polymer samples containing sulfonic groups of the Aquivion® type in dry and moistened conditions, which differ from Nafion® type membranes by the length of the side chains with sulfonic acid groups. The fine structure of the membranes is revealed, which is based on a system of regular proton conducting channels in the perfluorinated polymer matrix. The way this fine structure changes was determined as a function of the equivalent weight of the membrane, and the relation of these changes with proton conductivity value is established. The neutron contrast variation method enabled us to study the effect of orientational stretching on the fine structure. It was found that stretching is accompanied by an increase in proton conductivity due to changes in the fine structure of the channel system. Our investigations confirm that a reduction in the side chain length affects the fine structure of the perfluorinated proton conducting membranes, which is accompanied by an improvement in their performance in hydrogen fuel cells. Therefore, Aquivion® type systems will allow to reduce and possibly remove the existing operational restrictions of Nafion®.

The photocycle of the membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin in Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine(DPPC)/Cholesterol membranes with various cholesterol concentrations has been studied using the time-resolved spectroscopy method. The temperature dependences of the rate constants of bacteriorhodopsin transitions between transient states are shown to satisfy the Eyring equation. It is proved that the growth of the cholesterol concentration in the DPPC membrane accelerates the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle.

The work presents the results of studying the structure of binary liquid nanocarbon systems obtained by mixing hydrosol of detonation nanodiamond and aqueous dispersions of single layer graphene oxide flakes. We studied size and space distribution of nanocarbon clusters formed upon interaction of the components in aqueous media by mutually complement methods of small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering. The formation of small secondary agglomerates of nanodiamond particles on the surface of graphene oxide flakes was concluded and supported by the data of transmission electron microscopy from dried samples. The observed effect can significantly modify the structure of nanocarbon composites formed of nanodiamond and graphene oxide. The structural features of binary dispersions detonation nanodiamond–graphene oxide should be taken into account at the preparation of the conductive composites of reduced graphene oxide for energy storage systems.

Recent inelastic X-ray scattering (IXS) experiments on mesogens have revealed entirely new capabilities with regards to their nanoscale phonon-assisted heat management. Mesogens such as nematic liquid crystals (LCs) are appealing systems for study because their structure and morphology can easily be tuned. We report on Q-resolved ultra-high-resolution IXS, X-ray diffraction, and THz time-domain spectroscopy experiments combined with large-scale all-atom molecular dynamics simulations on the dynamic properties of 5CB LCs. For the first time, we observe a strong mixing of phonon excitations originating from independent in-phase and out-of-phase van-der-Waals-mediated displacement patterns. The coexistence of transverse acoustic and optical modes of 5CB LCs at near room temperature is revealed through the emergent transverse phonon gap and THz light-phonon coupling taking place within the same energy range. Furthermore, our experimental observations are supported by analysis showing correlations of spontaneous fluctuations of LCs on picosecond time scales. These findings are significant for the design of a new generation of soft molecular vibration-sensitive nanoacoustic and optomechanical applications.

The micellization in mixed aqueous systems based on a nonionic surfactant, heptaethylene glycol monotetradecyl ether (C14E7), and an anionic surfactant, cesium dodecyl sulfate, has been investigated by small-angle neutron scattering. Preliminary data on the behavior of the C14E7 aqueous solutions (with three concentrations, 0.17, 0.5, and 1%) mixed with a small amount of anionic surfactant, cesium dodecyl sulfate, are reported.

The results of experimental and computer-modeling investigations of neutron spectra and fluxes obtained with cold and thermal moderators at the IBR-2 reactor (Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), Dubna) are presented. These studies are for the YuMO small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) spectrometer (IBR-2 beamline 4). The neutron spectra have been measured for two methane cold moderators for the standard configuration of the SANS instrument. The data from both moderators under different conditions of their operation are compared. The ratio of experimentally determined neutron fluxes of cold and thermal moderators is shown at different wavelengths. Monte Carlo simulations have been carried out to determine the spectra for cold-methane and thermal moderators. The results of calculations of the ratio of neutron fluxes of cold and thermal moderators at different wavelengths are demonstrated. In addition, the absorption of neutrons in the air gaps on the way from the moderator to the investigated sample is presented. SANS with the protein apoferritin was done with both cold methane and a thermal moderator and the data were compared. The prospects for the use of a cold moderator for a SANS spectrometer at IBR-2 are discussed. The advantages of using the YuMO spectrometer with a thermal moderator with respect to the tested cold moderator are shown.

The method of small angle scattering (SAS) is widely used in the field of biophysical research of proteins in aqueous solutions. Obtaining low-resolution structure of proteins is still a highly valuable method despite the advances in high-resolution methods such as X-ray diffraction, cryo-EM etc. SAS offers the unique possibility to obtain structural information under conditions close to those of functional assays, i.e. in solution, without different additives, in the mg/mL concentration range. SAS method has a long history, but there are still many uncertainties related to data treatment. We compared 1D SAS profiles of apoferritin obtained by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and SAS methods. It is shown that SAS curves for X-ray diffraction crystallographic structure of apoferritin differ more significantly than it might be expected due to the resolution of the SAS instrument. Extrapolation to infinite dilution (EID) method does not sufficiently exclude dimerization and oligomerization effects and therefore could not guarantee total absence of dimers account in the final SAS curve. In this study, we show that EID SAXS, EID SANS and SEC-SAXS methods give complementary results and when they are used all together, it allows obtaining the most accurate results and high confidence from SAS data analysis of proteins.

The present work demonstrates a validation of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) combining with ultra violet and visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS) analysis for characterization of silver sols synthesized in polymer matrices. Polymer matrix internal structure and polymer chemical nature actually controlled the sol size characteristics. It was shown that for precise analysis of nanoparticle size distribution these techniques should be used simultaneously. All applied methods were in good agreement for the characterization of size distribution of small particles (less than 60 nm) in the sols. Some deviations of the theoretical curves from the experimental ones were observed. The most probable cause is that nanoparticles were not entirely spherical in form.

Multibilayer structures of hydrated phospholipids, often considered as model biological membranes, are, from the physical viewpoint, lyotropic liquid crystalline systems undergoing temperature-induced mesomorphic phase transitions. Effects of silver nitrate and urocanic acid on lyotropic phase states of hydrated L-α-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) have been studied by small-angle X-ray scattering and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Both methods show increase of the main phase-transition temperature (Tm) of hydrated DPPC upon introduction of AgNO3 or urocanic acid, decrease of pre-transition temperature (Tp) in the presence of urocanic acid and its increase in the presence of AgNO3. Thus, urocanic acid widened the ripple-phase temperature region. Silver nitrate caused the appearance of an additional high-temperature peak on DSC thermograms, evidencing phase separation in the system. Both agents caused minor effects on DPPC lipid bilayer repeat distance (D) in gel phase, but resulted in notic...

Multilayer membranes of DPPC (l,2–dipalmitoyl–sn–glycero–3–phosphatidylcholine) and mixture DPPC/POPC (1–palmitoyl–2–oleoyl–sn–glycero–3–phosphatidylcholine) in excess of water were investigated by small angle X–ray scattering and neutron small angle scattering. Structural parameters of lipid bilayers were determined in a wide temperature range. It was shown that addition of the POPC to the DPPC/H2O does not change the temperature of the DPPC main phase transition Tm. The observed phase separation occurs for the system DPPC/POPC/H2O up to the pre-transition temperature Tr (gel phase – ripple phase) of the DPPC multilayers.

SANS measurements using unpolarized neutron beams are able to provide quantitative information on the magnetic microstructure and the magnitude and microstructure of the magnetic anisotropy of nanomagnetic materials. A new magnetic system for SANS at the YUMO spectrometer is presented. The system includes 2.5 T electromagnet established on a two-axes goniometric table, a power supply, cooling system, PC based control equipment. Main features of magnetic system are: changeable gap for samples (up to 130 mm size), computer controlled horizontal and vertical rotation and sufficiently big space for the sample holders. First results of SANS experiments of ferrofluids and magnetic elastomers obtained at YuMO spectrometer equipped with the new magnetic system are presented.

The results of small angle scattering investigation of protein apoferritin are presented. The sizes and shapes, including those determined by indirect Fourier transform method, are calculated. The pair-distance distribution function for both small angle neutron (SANS) and X-ray small angle scattering (SAXS) are obtained. It is shown that SANS and SAXS methods give similar shape (spherical shell with holes) of apoferritin. At the same time, fits of experimental data for SAXS and SANS curves give a little different sizes and volumes of the molecule. The reasons for these differences are discussed.

Main features of the modernized small-angle neutron scattering spectrometer (YuMO) at IBR-2M pulsed reactor are described. New installations for sample environment of the spectrometer are highlighted. The modernized SANS instrument (YuMO) is equipped with a new type of position sensitive detector as well as two detector system which provide a unique dynamic range (Qmax/Qmin ratio is about 90). Sample environment is extended with a magnetic system (magnetic field about 2.5 Tesla), automated high pressure setup which allows simultaneous SANS and volumetric high pressure studies and light illumination system. In particular, these developments led to considerable improvements of resolution of the instrument (about 1%) and opened the possibility to study anisotropic materials and perform efficient high pressure studies.

The antitumor activity of pristine C60 fullerene aqueous solution (C60FAS) compared to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and pyrrole derivative 1-(4-Cl-benzyl)-3-Cl-4-(CF3-fenylamino)-1H-pyrrol-2.5-dione (MI-1) cytostatic drugs was investigated and analyzed in detail using the model of colorectal cancer induced by 1.2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) in rats. The number, size, and location of the tumors were measured, and the pathology was examined. It was found that the number of tumors and total lesion area decreased significantly under the action of C60FAS and MI-1. Because these drugs have different mechanisms of action, their simultaneous administration can potentially increase the effectiveness and significantly reduce the side effects of antitumor therapy.