Molecular dynamics and information on possible sites of interaction of intramyocellular metabolites in vivo from resolved dipolar couplings in localized H NMR spectra

Proton NMR resonances of the endogenous metabolites creatine and phosphocreatine ((P)Cr), taurine (Tau), and carnosine (Cs, β-alanyl-l-histidine) were studied with regard to residual dipolar couplings and molecular mobility. We present an analysis of the direct ¹H–¹H interaction that provides information on motional reorientation of subgroups in these molecules in vivo. For this purpose, localized ¹H NMR experiments were performed on m. gastrocnemius of healthy volunteers using a 1.5-T clinical whole-body MR scanner. We evaluated the observable dipolar coupling strength SD₀ (S = order parameter) of the (P)Cr-methyl triplet and the Tau-methylene doublet by means of the apparent line splitting. These were compared to the dipolar coupling strength of the (P)Cr-methylene doublet. In contrast to the aliphatic protons of (P)Cr and Tau, the aromatic H2 (δ = 8 ppm) and H4 (δ = 7 ppm) protons of the imidazole ring of Cs exhibit second-order spectra at 1.5 T. This effect is the consequence of incomplete transition from Zeeman to Paschen-Back regime and allows a determination of SD₀ from H2 and H4 of Cs as an alternative to evaluating the multiplet splitting which can be measured directly in high-resolution ¹H NMR spectra. Experimental data showed striking differences in the mobility of the metabolites when the dipolar coupling constant D₀ (calculated with the internuclear distance known from molecular geometry in the case of complete absence of molecular dynamics and motion) is used for comparison. The aliphatic signals involve very small order parameters S ≈ (1.4 − 3) × 10⁻⁴ indicating rapid reorientation of the corresponding subgroups in these metabolites. In contrast, analysis of the Cs resonances yielded S ≈ (113 − 137) × 10⁻⁴. Thus, the immobilization of the Cs imidazole ring owing to an anisotropic cellular substructure in human m. gastrocnemius is much more effective than for (P)Cr and Tau subgroups. Furthermore, ¹H NMR experiments on aqueous model solutions of histidine and N-acetyl-l-aspartate (NAA) enabled the assignment of an additional signal component at δ = 8 ppm of Cs in vivo to the amide group at the peptide bond. The visibility of this proton could result from hydrogen bonding which would agree with the anticipated stronger motional restriction of Cs. Referring to the observation that all dipolar-coupled multiplets resolved in localized in vivo ¹H NMR spectra of human m. gastrocnemius collapse simultaneously when the fibre structure is tilted towards the magic angle (θ ≈ 55°), a common model for molecular confinement in muscle tissue is proposed on the basis of an interaction of the studied metabolites with myocellular membrane phospholipids.     

Phase modulation in dipolar-coupled A2 spin systems: effect of maximum state mixing in H NMR in vivo

Coupling constants of nuclear spin systems can be determined from phase modulation of multiplet resonances. Strongly coupled systems such as citrate in prostatic tissue exhibit a more complex modulation than AX connectivities, because of substantial mixing of quantum states. An extreme limit is the coupling of n isochronous spins (A_n system). It is observable only for directly connected spins like the methylene protons of creatine and phosphocreatine which experience residual dipolar coupling in intact muscle tissue in vivo. We will demonstrate that phase modulation of this “pseudo-strong” system is quite simple compared to those of AB systems. Theory predicts that the spin-echo experiment yields conditions as in the case of weak interactions, in particular, the phase modulation depends linearly on the line splitting and the echo time.     

Piecewise Deterministic Markov Control Processes with Feedback Controls and Unbounded Costs

The control of piecewise-deterministic processes is studied where only local boundedness of the data is assumed. Moreover the discount rate may be zero. The value function is shown to be solution to the Bellman equation in a weak sense; however the solution concept is strong enough to generate optimal policies. Continuity and compactness conditions are given for the existence of nonrelaxed optimal feedback controls.     

Kinetics of the bromate–bromide reaction at high bromide concentrations

At bromide concentrations higher than 0.1 M, a second term must be added to the classical rate law of the bromate–bromide reaction that becomes ?d[BrO₃^?]/dt = [BrO₃^?][H⁺]²(k₁[Br^?] + k₂[Br^?]²). In perchloric solutions at 25°C, k₁ = 2.18 dm³ mol^?3 s^?1 and k₂ = 0.65 dm⁴ mol^?4 s^?1 at 1 M ionic strength and k₁ = 2.60 dm³ mol³ s^?1and k₂ = 1.05 dm⁴ mol^?4 s^?1 at 2 M ionic strength. A mechanism explaining this rate law, with Br₂O₂ as key intermediate species, is proposed. Errors that may occur when using the Guggenheim method are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 39: 17–21, 2007     

Studies on the chemical constituents of the South China Sea sponge Phacellia fusca

Three pyrrololactam alkaloids have been isolated from the marine sponge Phacellia fusca Schmidt collected from the South China Sea, and their structures were determined as 1–3 , on the grounds of spectral data. This is the first report of these compounds from this sponge. The structure of 1 was confirmed by X-ray analysis.     

InAs/GaSb superlattice focal plane arrays for high-resolution thermal imaging

The first fully operational mid-IR (3–5 μm) 256×256 IR-FPA camera system based on a type-II InAs/GaSb short-period superlattice showing an excellent noise equivalent temperature difference below 10 mK and a very uniform performance has been realized. We report on the development and fabrication of the detecor chip, i.e., epitaxy, processing technology and electro-optical characterization of fully integrated InAs/GaSb superlattice focal plane arrays. While the superlattice design employed for the first demonstrator camera yielded a quantum efficiency around 30%, a superlattice structure grown with a thicker active layer and an optimized V/III BEP ratio during growth of the InAs layers exhibits a significant increase in quantum efficiency. Quantitative responsivity measurements reveal a quantum efficiency of about 60% for InAs/GaSb superlattice focal plane arrays after implementing this design improvement. The paper presented there appears in Infrared Photoelectronics, edited by Antoni Rogalski, Eustace L. Dereniak, Fiodor F. Sizov, Proc. SPIE Vol. 5957, 595707 (2005).     

Phase space dependence of the multiplicity distribution in π+ andpp collisions at 250 GeV/c

The charged particle multiplicity distribution has been studied for non-single-diffractive π⁺ p andpp collisions at \(\sqrt s = 22\) GeV, for full phase space as well as for intervals in rapidity, azimuthal angle and transverse momentum. In general, the multiplicity distribution is well described by a negative binomial. From comparison of the distribution for negative or positive particles to that of all charged particles, cascading is favoured as an interpretation over stimulated emission. Interesting consequences follow from a comparison of our results to those at collider energies and toe ⁺ e ^? data at comparable energy. Furthermore, evidence is given that the multiplicity distribution is not exactly of negative binomial type in every (connected or disconnected) phase space region.     

Forward-backward multiplicity correlations in σ+ p,K + p andpp collisions at 250 GeV/c

Forward-backward multiplicity correlations in σ⁺,K ⁺ p andpp collisions at 250 GeV/c ( \(\sqrt s \) =22 GeV) are given for all charges and for the different charge combinations. The correlations are found to be caused predominantly by centrally produced particles. It is demonstrated that this result is an agreement with observations at the ISR and the CERNp \(\bar p\) -Collider. The results are compared to expectations from LUND, DPM and FRITIOF Monte Carlo models and a geometrical picture relating correlations in hadron-hadron collisions toe ⁺ e ^? data in terms of impact parameters is tested.     

Backward particle production in neutrino neon interactions

Backward proton and pion production is studied in ν and \(\bar v\) charged current interactions in neon. The results are compared with other experiments and theory. The complete backward proton data is compatible with protons produced by reinteractions in the nucleus. However in events with only one proton, muon variables appear correlated to those for the backward proton, as expected by the two-nucleon correlation model.