Evidence for an i13/2 neutron band in133Sm

A rotational band of nine γ-rays has been observed in¹³³Sm. The moment of inertia of the band indicates that it has a higher deformation than expected for states in nuclei in this region. The properties are such that it can be interpreted as being due to the odd neutron occupying the ν i2/13 nn intruder orbital. This is the first evidence for the occupation of this orbital in nuclei with neutron number N<73.     

UVB DNA Dosimeters Analyzed by Polymerase Chain Reactions

Abstract— Purified bacteriophage Λ DNA was dried on a UV-tran-sparent polymer film and served as a UVB dosimeter for personal and ecological applications. Bacteriophage Λ. DNA was chosen because it is commercially available and inexpensive, and its entire sequence is known. Each dosimeter contained two sets of DNA sandwiched between UV-transparent polymer films, one exposed to solar radiation (experimental) and another protected from UV radiation by black paper (control). The DNA dosimeter was then analyzed by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that amplifies a 500 base pair specific region of Λ DNA. Photoinduced damage in DNA blocks polymerase from synthesizing a new strand; therefore, the amount of amplified product in UV-exposed DNA was reduced from that found in control DNA. The average lesion frequency per 500 base pair per strand at 16 PCR cycles was –1.22, 1.00, 0.70 and 0.50 for 30 ng, 50 ng, 100 ng and 150 ng of dried DNA, respectively, after a total dose of 60 kj m 2 delivered with a solar UVB simulator. Although the average lesion frequency increases linearly with increasing doses for four different amounts of template DNA, the lesion frequency seems to be averaged by the amplified products from the protected Λ DNA molecules below the top few layers. The average daily dose, equivalent to the UV dose applied with the solar UVB simulator, was 10.2±0.4 kj m2 with the 50 ng containing DNA dosimeter in September 1995 in Melbourne, FL. Both 50 ng and 150 ng containing DNA dosimeters produced the same average daily dose within experimental error in January 1996, which was 5.2±0.3 kj m 2 at the same location. The dried Λ DNA dosimeter is compact, robust, safe and transportable, stable over long storage times and provides the total UVB dose integrated over the exposure time.     

Towards a total synthesis of the manadomanzamine alkaloids: the first asymmetric construction of the pentacyclic indole core

We report a highly diastereoselective approach for the synthesis of the pentacyclic indole core of the manadomanzamine alkaloid skeleton, with complete control over the relative and absolute stereochemistries at the three contiguous stereocentres at ring positions 1, 10, and 24, from a readily available chiral template.     

Nazarov cyclisation of dienone-esters and tetrahydropyrones using trimethylsilyltriflate

Dienone- and tetrahydropyrone- esters undergo Nazarov-type cyclisation using trimethylsilyltriflate.

Cyclopentenone esters have been synthesized via a Nazarov cyclisation of the corresponding ,′-dienone esters or tetrahydro-γ-pyrone esters employing trimethylsilyltriflate at room temperature. The dienone esters were synthesised by a short two-step acylation-Knoevenagel sequence.     

Palladium mediated spiroketal synthesis: application to pheromone synthesis

Stereospecific Stille coupling reactions of 2-metallo-dihydropyrans with Z-vinyl iodo alcohols and subsequent cyclisation provides rapid access to 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane family of spiroketals.     

Complementary routes for the stereoselective synthesis of functionalized benzoquinolizidine targets

We report new and complementary routes for the highly stereoselective construction of functionalized benzoquinolizidine targets from readily available, non-racemic chiral templates. The methods developed allow us to predetermine relative product stereochemistries by judicious choice of substrate sub-structure, and provide ready access to alternative stereoisomers.     

High-resolution MALDI imaging mass spectrometry allows localization of peptide distributions at cellular length scales in pituitary tissue sections

Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) has been used to determine peptide distributions directly from rat, mouse and human pituitary tissue sections. Since these organs are small (10²–10³ μm) the spatial resolution of IMS is a key issue in molecular imaging of pituitary tissue sections. Here we show that high-resolution IMS allows localization of neuropeptide distributions within different cell clusters of a single organ of a pituitary tissue section. The sample preparation protocol does not result in analyte redistribution and is therefore applicable to IMS experiments at cellular length scales. The stigmatic imaging mass spectrometer used in this study produces selected-ion-count images with pixel sizes of 500 nm and a resolving power of 4 μm, yielding superior spatial detail compared to images obtained in microprobe imaging experiments. Furthermore, we show that with imaging mass spectrometry a distinction can be made between different mammalian tissue sections based on differences in the amino acid sequence of neuropeptides with the same function. This example demonstrates the power of IMS for label-free molecular imaging at relevant biological length scales.     

Carbon paste-based electrochemical detectors for microchip capillary electrophoresis/electrochemistry

The first reported use of a carbon paste electrochemical detector for microchip capillary electrophoresis (CE) is described. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based microchip CE devices were constructed by reversibly sealing a PDMS layer containing separation and injection channels to a separate PDMS layer that contained carbon paste working electrodes. End-channel amperometric detection with a single electrode was used to detect amino acids derivatized with naphthalene dicarboxaldehyde. Two electrodes were placed in series for dual electrode detection. This approach was demonstrated for the detection of copper(II) peptide complexes. A major advantage of carbon paste is that catalysts can be easily incorporated into the electrode. Carbon paste that was chemically modified with cobalt phthalocyanine was used for the detection of thiols following a CE separation. These devices illustrate the potential for an easily constructed microchip CE system with a carbon-based detector that exhibits adjustable selectivity.