Measurement of storage time, estimation of ion number and study of absorption line profile in a Paul trap

Europium (Eu⁺) ions were confined in a Paul trap and detected by non-destructive method. Storage time of Eu⁺ ions achieved in vacuum was improved by orders of magnitude employing buffer gas cooling. The experimentally detected signal was fitted to the ion response signal and the total number of ions trapped was estimated. It is found that the peak signal amplitude as well as the product of FWHM and the peak signal amplitude is proportional to the total number of trapped ions. The trapped ion secular frequency was swept at different rates and its effect on the absorption line profile was studied both experimentally and theoretically.     

Probing the water coordination of protein-targeted MRI contrast agents by pulsed ENDOR spectroscopy.

A novel methodology based on electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy is used for the direct determination of the water coordination number (q) of gadolinium-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. Proton ENDOR spectra can be obtained at approximately physiological concentrations for metal complexes in frozen aqueous solutions either in the presence or absence of protein targets. It is shown that, depending on the structure of the co-ligand, the water hydration number of a complex in aqueous solution can be significantly different to when the complex is noncovalently bound to a protein. From the ENDOR spectra of the exchangeable protons, precise information on the metal-proton distance can be derived as well. These essential parameters directly correlate with the efficacy of MRI contrast agents and should therefore aid the development of novel, highly efficient compounds targeted to various proteins.     

Glucuronide conjugates of Soraprazan (BY359), a new potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) for the treatment of acid-related diseases

Glucuronide conjugates of Soraprazan (BY359), a potent novel anti-secretory drug (currently in Phase II clinical trials), were not directly accessible synthetically. This was due to the relative instability of Soraprazan under the harsh Lewis acid conditions employed in popular glucuronidation methodologies and a lack of reactivity under alternative, Koenigs-Knorr, coupling conditions. We have now devised a successful synthesis using the novel N-acetylated Soraprazan to access the required glucuronide metabolites on gram scale. Coupling of this novel aglycone with methyl 1-O-trichloroacetimidoyl-2,3,5-tri-O-isobutyryl-α-d-glucopyran-uronate in the presence of trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (TMSOTf) gave the protected glucuronide intermediates. A one-pot two-step deprotection involving hydrolysis of the ester functionalities and removal of the N-acetyl group with alkaline hydrazine delivered the title compounds in satisfactory yield.     

Magnetic moment and electric quadrupole moment of the anomalous186Ir ground state

The ground state nuclear moments of¹⁸⁶Ir (j ^π=5⁽⁺⁾) have been determined with NMR on oriented¹⁸⁶Ir in Ni as |μ|=3.80 _?0.02 ^+0.12 μ _n andQ=?3.00 (15)b. The quadrupole moment is consistent with an anamolousj ^π K=5⁺0 or 5⁺1 ground state configuration. The explanation of the magnetic moment in terms of pure 5⁺0 or 5⁺1 configurations would require a high collectiveg _R-factor ofg _R≧0.76. On the other hand the magnetic moment can be explained with a “normal”g _R and a mixed ground state configuration.     

A measurement of the lifetimes of Ξ0 and Λ hyperons

The mean lifetimes of the Λ and Ξ⁰ hyperons have been measured in a short neutral beam at the CERN Proton Synchrotron. Λ and Ξ⁰ decays have been identified by measuring their decay products in a magnetic spectrometer and in a lead glass hodoscope. The experimental results, based on 53 000 Λ decays and 6300 Ξ⁰ decays are

From the result for τ_Ξ⁰ together with existing data on τ_Ξ^? we obtain a violation of the $\text{ΔI =}\text{1}\text{2}$ rule in non-leptonic Ξ decays.     

Characterization of protein-ligand interactions by high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy

A novel approach for detection of ligand binding to a protein in solid samples is described. Hydrated precipitates of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL show well-resolved (13)C-(13)C 2D solid-state NMR spectra that allow site-specific assignment of resonances for many residues in uniformly (13)C-enriched samples. Binding of a small peptide or drug-like organic molecule leads to changes in the chemical shift of resonances from multiple residues in the protein that can be monitored to characterize binding. Differential chemical shifts can be used to distinguish between direct protein-ligand contacts and small conformational changes of the protein induced by ligand binding. The agreement with prior solution-state NMR results indicates that the binding pocket in solid and liquid samples is similar for this protein. Advantages of different labeling schemes involving selective (13)C enrichment of methyl groups of Ala, Val, Leu, and Ile (Cdelta1) for characterizing protein-ligand interactions are also discussed. It is demonstrated that high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy on uniformly or extensively (13)C-enriched samples has the potential to screen proteins of moderate size ( approximately 20 kDa) for ligand binding as hydrated solids. The results presented here suggest the possibility of using solid-state NMR to study ligand binding in proteins not amenable to solution NMR.