A primer on perfect simulation for spatial point processes

This primer provides a self-contained exposition of the case where spatial birth-and-death processes are used for perfect simulation of locally stable point processes. Particularly, a simple dominating coupling from the past (CFTP) algorithm and the CFTP algorithms introduced in [13], [14], and [5] are studied. Some empirical results for the algorithms are discussed. Received: 30 June 2002     

Violin frequency response - bridge mobility and bridge feet distance

Good violins have a broad hill in the 2-3 kHz range of their frequency response. This hill has previously been attributed to the first in-plane resonance of the violin bridge. Experiments prove, however, that the hill is the result of two forces acting in opposite directions at the bridge feet. The experiments reported here show that the hill can be “tuned” by altering the distance between the bridge feet. It can be tuned both in terms of frequency and level but the properties of the violin cannot be neglected.     

3',4'-trans-linked bicyclic nucleosides locked in S-type conformations

A novel class of 3',4'-trans-linked bicyclic nucleosides with locked S-type furanose conformations is introduced by synthesis of two model derivatives; one was obtained by cyclic ether formation and the other by ring-closing metathesis methodology.     

The roles of template complexation and ligand binding conditions on recognition in bupivacaine molecularly imprinted polymers

A model for the molecular basis for ligand recognition in bupivacaine imprinted methacrylic acid-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate co-polymers has been developed based upon a series of (1)H-NMR studies in conjunction with HPLC and radioligand binding analyses. (1)H-NMR studies indicated that functional monomer-template complexes survive the polymerisation process, at least up until the stage of gelation. Polymers were synthesised and characterised by surface area analysis (BET), FT-IR and SEM. A combination of zonal and frontal chromatographic studies in aqueous and non-polar media indicate that selectivity arises from a combination of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. However, in the concentration regime employed for LC-based studies, ligand recognition in aqueous media was shown to be predominantly non-specific and hydrophobic in character. Radioligand binding studies, in lower ligand binding concentration regimes, permitted closer examination of the higher affinity binding sites. It was shown that the presence of a polar modifier in a non-polar solvent, or an organic modifier in water, produced enhanced selectivity. Variable temperature studies showed that the temperature of binding influences selectivity as well as the apparent number of sites available and that this effect is different in organic and aqueous environments. This indicates that the system studied is more complex in character than is generally appreciated. A comparison of the techniques employed here indicates that although chromatographic studies provide a valuable first-round screen for polymer-ligand selectivities, the level of detail obtainable using radioligand binding studies (lower concentrations and true equilibrium binding) makes them superior for detailed evaluations of molecularly imprinted polymers.     

Two-phase titration of organic ammonium ions with lauryl sulphate and methyl yellow as indicator

Conditions for determination of quaternary ammonium compounds and amines by two-phase titration have been calculated on the basis of extraction constants for the ion-pairs between the titrant (lauryl sulphate), the indicator (Methyl Yellow) and the sample. Methods for determination of extraction constants are presented. The precision and selectivity of the method are demonstrated by titrations of ammonium ions with different structures and degrees of substitution. The results are in agreement with the theoretical calculations.     

N-methylpiperazinocarbonyl-2',3'-BcNA and 4'-C-(N-methylpiperazino)methyl-DNA: introduction of basic functionalities facing the major groove and the minor groove of a DNA:DNA duplex

Piperazino-functionalized 2',3'-BcNA and 4'-C-hydroxymethyl-DNA are appropriate molecular architectures for the introduction of basic functionalities facing the major groove and the minor groove of nucleic acid duplexes, respectively. 4'-C-(N-Methylpiperazino)methyl-DNA monomers induce significantly increased thermal stability of a DNA:DNA duplex.     

Oligodeoxynucleotide analogues containing 3′-deoxy-3′-C-threo-hydroxymethylthymidine: Synthesis, hybridization properties and enzymatic stability

Novel Oligodeoxynucleotide analogues containing 3′-C-threo-methylene phosphodiester internucleoside linkages were synthesized on automated DNA-synthesizers using the phosphoramidite approach. The sugar modified phosphoramidite building block 5 was obtained by phosphitylation of 1-(2,3-dideoxy-5-O-(4,4′-dimethoxytrityl)-3-C-hydroxymethyl-β-D-threo-pentofuranosyl)thymine (4) which was synthesized in only three steps from 5′-O-(4,4′-dimethoxytrityl)thymidine (1). The hybridization properties and enzymatic stability of the oligonucleotide analogues were studied by UV experiments. 17-Mers having one or three modifications in the middle or two modifications in each end hybridized to DNA with moderate lowered affinity compared to unmodified 17-mers (ΔT_m 1–3°C per modification). Furthermore, the end-modified and all-modified oligonucleotides were stable towards snake venom phosphodiesterase.     

Mimicking the two-dimensional spectrochemical series using density functional computations

With tetragonal distortions of tetrahedral d2 complexes as examples, nonadditive and additive ligand fields are compared computationally, using Kohn-Sham density functional theory (KS-DFT) and ligand-field theory to obtain 45 linear, parametrical equations. For each complex, a "data" reduction from three nonadditive-field parameters to two parameters of the additive field occurs. The complexes V and CrX4- (where X=F, Cl, Br, I) provide the two-dimensional spectrochemical series of the sigma and pi AOM parameters, which are known semiempirically for the halide ligands. The same parametrical results can be obtained from the Kohn-Sham orbital energies of the "average of configuration" computation.     

Preparation of La0.75Sr0.25MnO3 Nano-Phase Powders and Films from Alkoxide Precursors

The first purely alkoxide-based sol-gel route to nano-phase powders and thin films of perovskite La_0.75Sr_0.25MnO₃ is described. The phase and microstructure evolution on heat treatment of free gel films to form the target nano-phase oxide were investigated by TGA, IR spectroscopy, powder XRD, SEM and TEM-EDS. The xerogel consisted of a hydrated oxo-carbonate, without remaining alkoxo groups or solvent. Heating at 5°C·min^–1 decomposed the carbonate groups and yielded the pure perovskite La_0.75Sr_0.25MnO₃ at 760°C. The cell dimensions were virtually unchanged from the first observation of perovskite at 680°C, to 1000°C, 4 h. The monoclinic cell of La_0.75Sr_0.25MnO₃ obtained at 1000°C, 4 h, had the dimensions a = 5.475(1), b = 5.504(2), c = 7.771(1) Å, = 90.50(2), fitting the literature data quite well. Crack-free, homogenous, 150 nm thick La_0.75Sr_0.25MnO₃ films were prepared by spin-coating Si/SiO₂/TiO₂/Pt and polycrystalline -Al₂O₃ substrates with a 0.6 M alkoxide solution, followed by heating at 5°C·min^–1 to 800°C, 30 min.