Viktor Anatol’evich Akulichev (On his 70th birthday)

Acoustical Physics -     

Blood analysis by Raman spectroscopy

Concentrations of multiple analytes were simultaneously measured in whole blood with clinical accuracy, without sample processing, using near-infrared Raman spectroscopy. Spectra were acquired with an instrument employing nonimaging optics, designed using Monte Carlo simulations of the influence of light-scattering-absorbing blood cells on the excitation and emission of Raman light in turbid medium. Raman spectra were collected from whole blood drawn from 31 individuals. Quantitative predictions of glucose, urea, total protein, albumin, triglycerides, hematocrit, and hemoglobin were made by means of partial least-squares (PLS) analysis with clinically relevant precision (r(2) values >0.93). The similarity of the features of the PLS calibration spectra to those of the respective analyte spectra illustrates that the predictions are based on molecular information carried by the Raman light. This demonstrates the feasibility of using Raman spectroscopy for quantitative measurements of biomolecular contents in highly light-scattering and absorbing media.     

über die Darstellung von kondensierten Azolo-[1,2,4]-triazinen aus heterocyclischen Diazoverbindungen

Diazotized 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole reacted with 1,3-cyclohexanedione or its 5,5-dimethyl derivative to give the tricyclic 1,2,4-triazine derivatives1 a and1 b. With 1,3-indanedione the tetracyclic compound8 was obtained. Compound1 a or the diacetyl derivative4 a are transformed in an acid catalyzed reaction into the fully aromatic system6 a with simultaneous rearrangement. Chemical reductions of systems1, 10 and12 have been investigated and the compounds9, 11 and13 were isolated and identified. Diazotized 2-aminothiazole readily formed the coupling products with reactive methylene compounds, but only14 could be prepared pure by cyclodehydration.     

Analysis of relative isotopologue abundances for quantitative profiling of complex protein mixtures labelled with the acrylamide/D3-acrylamide alkylation tag system

The new method of analysis of relative isotopologue abundances (ARIA) applied here is based on the evaluation of total isotope patterns of tryptic protein fragments measured by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) to calculate the mixing ratios of composites consisting of stable isotope labelled and isotopically natural (unlabelled) proteins, as described in an accompanying paper in this issue. Recently, Sechi (Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 2002; 16: 1416-1424) and Gehanne et al. (Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 2002; 16: 1692-1698) introduced the use of differential quantitative mass analysis by MALDI-TOFMS using mixtures of standard proteins alkylated prior to two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) with either acrylamide (AA) or deuterium-labelled [2,3,3'-D(3)]-acrylamide (D3AA). In the present study we validate the AA/D3AA system, firstly by measuring the yield of proteins alkylated with AA, and secondly by using differential radioactive labels ((125)I and (131)I) to quantitatively establish that non-comigration in 2D-PAGE is negligible. ARIA is then applied to quantitatively estimate the relative proportions of peptides labelled with AA or D3AA in the validated system, using typical silver-stained 2D-PAGE protein spots from 2D gels loaded with 150 microg of total liver protein. The precision and limitations of ARIA quantification of peptides differentially alkylated with isotopomeric reagents are discussed.     

A Selective Conversion of Benzylic Alcohols to the Corresponding Carbonyl Compounds by Means of an Ag(III) Complex

 Carbonyl compounds of the type XPhCOR (R = H, Me, Ph; X = H, Me, Cl, Br) are prepared in high yields by reaction of the corresponding benzylic alcohols XPhCHOHR with KNa₄ [Ag(HIO₆)₂]×12H₂O in alkaline solution. This method allows the selective oxidation of benzylic alcohols in compounds containing other types of alcoholic functional groups.     

Guided modes in left-handed waveguides

We investigate basic properties of linear guided modes in a waveguide slab with the core of a material with simultaneously negative effective permittivity and permeability surrounded by a normal dielectric cladding. The existence and dispersion of all possible types of guided modes have been studied in detail. We demonstrate that the two orthogonally polarized, TE and TM slow guided modes, with the same frequency and the same wave number can exist simultaneously. Their group velocities, however, can be parallel or anti-parallel.     

The chaotic response of a fluttering panel: The influence of maneuvering

The influence of maneuvering on the chaotic response of a fluttering buckled plate on an aircraft has been studied. The governing equations, derived using Lagrangian mechanics, include geometric non-linearities associated with the occurrence of tensile stresses, as well as coupling between the angular velocity of the maneuver and the elastic degrees of freedom. Numerical simulation for periodic and chaotic responses are conducted in order to analyze the influence of the pull-up maneuver on the dynamic behavior of the panel. Long-time histories phase-plane plots, and power spectra of the responses are presented. As the maneuver (load factor) increases, the system exhibits complicated dynamic behavior including a direct and inverse cascade of subharmonic bifurcations, intermittency, and chaos. Beside these classical routes of transition from a periodic state to chaos, our calculations suggest amplitude modulation as a possible new mode of transition to chaos. Consequently this research contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms through which the transition between periodic and strange attractors occurs in, dissipative mechanical systems. In the case of a prescribed time dependent maneuver, a remarkable transition between the different types of limit cycles is presented.Nomenclature a plate length - a _r u _r /h - D plate bending stiffness - E modulus of elasticity - g acceleration due to gravity - h plate thickness - j₁,j₂,j₃ base vectors of the body frame of reference - K spring constant - M Mach number - n 1 + ₀/g - N ₁ applied in-plane force - p–p aerodynamic pressure - P pa ⁴/Dh - q ₀/2 - Q _r generalized Lagrangian forces - R rotation matrix - R ₄ N, a ²/D - t time - kinetic energy - u plate deflection - u displacement of the structure - u _r modal amplitude - v₀ velocity - x coordinates in the inertial frame of reference - z coordinates in the body frame of reference - Ka/(Ka+Eh) - - elastic energy - 2qa ³/D - a/_mh - Poisson's ratio - material coordinates - air density - _m plate density - - _r prescribed functions - _r sin(r z/a) - angular velocity - a/v₀ - skew-symmetric matrix form of the angular velocity     

Modeling of relay helix functional dynamics and feasibility of experimental verification by neutron scattering

Cellular long-range transport involves motor proteins (MPs) (especially, kinesin and myosin) which contain a so-called relay helix. Its motion is of crucial importance to the conversion of chemical energy released in ATP hydrolysis into the coordinated mechanical movement of the entire motor protein. In this paper, we propose two combined nonlinear mechanisms for this particular functional activity and suggest the application of neutron scattering assays to experimentally determine the incoherent dynamic structure factor S(q,ω). We argue that this type of experiment is not only feasible but it could offer significant insights into the mechanism of MP function at a molecular level.     

Ring defects in a strongly confined chiral liquid crystal

We find numerically that a regular array of isolated ring defects can exist as a stable state in a highly chiral liquid crystal confined in a thin cell imposing fixed planar anchoring at the parallel confining surfaces. This peculiar defect structure can be stable when the cell thickness d is around 3/4 of the helical pitch p. A cell of thickness 3p/4 with parallel surface anchoring is incompatible with helical alignment that favors d=mp/2 (with m being an integer). Formation of ring defects can thus be regarded as a result of frustrations between the helical alignment with a specific pitch and the confining surfaces that prevent it.     

Plasmonic crystal waveguides

We study the properties of electromagnetic waves propagating along the waveguides with a periodic core created by alternating metal and dielectric layers, the so-called quasi-one-dimensional plasmonic crystal waveguides. Such waveguides can be symmetric or asymmetric, depending on the cladding or substrate material properties, as well as on the termination of the periodic structure. We analyze the dispersion characteristics as well as the profiles of the guided modes for several types of waveguide structure.