O− and OH− chemical ionization of some fatty acid methyl esters and triacylglycerols

O^? and OH^? react with fatty acid methyl esters (FAMES) under chemical ionization conditions both as Bronsted bases to form [M - H]^? and as nucleophiles to form the carboxylate ion RCOO^?. O^? shows a much greater tendency to react as a nucleophile than does OH^?. The [M - H]^? ions fragment by elimination of CH³OH, with unsaturation in certain positions in the fatty acid hydrocarbon chain promoting this elimination for unknown reasons. The reaction of O^? and OH^? with triacylglycerols leads to [M - H]^?, characteristic of the molecular mass, and to carboxylate ions characteristic of the fatty acid(s) present in the lipid. The presence of the three ester functions in the lipids greatly enhances the formation of carboxylate ions compared to the FAMES.     

Resonant-cavity-enhanced photodetectors and LEDs in the mid-infrared

In this paper we outline the use of resonant-cavity enhancement for increasing the exterior coupling efficiency of photodetectors and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in the mid-infrared (MIR) spectral region. This method is potentially very important in the MIR because encapsulation is not presently feasible due to the lack of suitable materials. Among other potential applications, resonant-cavity-enhanced (RCE) photodetectors and LEDs could be particularly suitable for greenhouse gas detection because of their ‘pre-tunable’ spectrally narrowed resonantly enhanced peaks. We also present the optical characterization of an InAs RCE photodetector aimed at the detection of methane gas (λ≈3.3 μm), and an InAs/InAs_0.91Sb_0.09 resonant-cavity LED (RCLED) aimed at carbon dioxide gas (λ≈4.2 μm). The high peak responsivity of the RCE photodetector was 34.7 A/W at λ=3.14 μm, and the RCLED peaked at λ=3.96 μm. These are among the longest operating wavelengths for III–V RCE photodetectors and RCLEDs reported in the literature.     

Highly edge‐connected detachments of graphs and digraphs

Let G = (V,E) be a graph or digraph and r : V → Z₊. An r‐detachment of G is a graph H obtained by ‘splitting’ each vertex ν ∈ V into r(ν) vertices. The vertices ν₁,…,ν_r(ν) obtained by splitting ν are called the pieces of ν in H. Every edge uν ∈ E corresponds to an edge of H connecting some piece of u to some piece of ν. Crispin Nash‐Williams 9 gave necessary and sufficient conditions for a graph to have a k‐edge‐connected r‐detachment. He also solved the version where the degrees of all the pieces are specified. In this paper, we solve the same problems for directed graphs. We also give a simple and self‐contained new proof for the undirected result. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 43: 67–77, 2003     

Structure and catalytic activity of some soluble polyethylene glycol-peptide conjugates

Soluble catalysts for the Juliá-Colonna asymmetric epoxidation reaction have been constructed in three different ways, using NH₂-PEG-OMe as the support system: suitable solvents have been identified and it is shown that the degree of helicity of the conjugates correlates with the extent of conversion and (to a lesser extent) the enantioselectivity of epoxidation.     

Asymmetric hydrogenation of alkyl(vinyl)thioethers: a promising approach to α-chiral thioethers

This paper describes the enantioselective hydrogenation of vinylthioethers. We show that thioether derivatives of maleic esters can be hydrogenated with full conversion and up to 60% ee, and that α-thioether cinnamic acids can be hydrogenated in 51% ee with modest conversion.     

Will the real Kasner metric please stand up

The Kasner metric is one of the more widely studied metrics. Its usefulness for the construction of cosmological models and its utility for certain studies of elementary particles has made it particularly attractive for exploitation. Because of its simplicity it has been rediscovered many times and is itself very closely related to metrics given several years earlier by Weyl, Levi-Civita, and Wilson. The form in which Kasner presented it has been virtually forgotten in favor of the dynamic form of the synchronous Bianchi I metric. Kasner metrics may be either static or dynamic. To each static metric there is acognate dynamic metric andvice versa, and the two are related by a complex coordinate transformation. The characterization of a Kasner metric is by means of a set of parameters. It is possible for these to take on complex values with interesting consequences, In the discussion a curious error in the original paper is rectified and some new Kasner metrics are presented. The discussion throughout is confined to the vacuum metric.     

Preservation mechanisms of trehalose in food and biosystems

The stability or shelf-life of food and biomaterials has always been a critical issue in the food and pharmaceutical industry. Trehalose (alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside), a non-reducing diglucose sugar found in nature, confers to certain plant and animal cells the ability to survive dehydration for decades and to restore activity soon after rehydration. The interaction between trehalose and cell membranes or proteins, however, remains a debated subject, and a significant amount of work has been done to elucidate the mechanisms resulting in this unique behavior of preservation. This study shows how an interfacial phenomena approach has led to the use of trehalose as an excipient during freeze drying of a variety of products in the pharmaceutical industry. It also suggests opportunities as an ingredient for dried and processed food, as well as a non-toxic cryoprotectant of vaccines and organs for surgical transplants.