Equivalence of vacuum Yang-Mills gravitation and vacuum Einstein gravitation

In the Yang-Mills formulation of gravitational dynamics based uponSL(2,C) spin transformations acting on Dirac spinors, the vacuum field equations are R +C R = 0 and and . HereR is the Ricci curvature andC is the Weyl conformal curvature; is a coupling constant. We show the equivalence between solutions of these equations and the vacuum Einstein equationsR = 0. The proof uses the Newman-Penrose formalism.Supported by a NATO fellowship.Supported by a SRC fellowship.     

Secondary ion yields produced by keV atomic and polyatomic ion impacts on a self-assembled monolayer surface

A suite of keV polyatomic or 'cluster' projectiles was used to bombard unoxidized and oxidized self-assembled monolayer surfaces. Negative secondary ion yields, collected at the limit of single ion impacts, were measured and compared for both molecular and fragment ions. In contrast to targets that are orders of magnitude thicker than the penetration range of the primary ions, secondary ion yields from polyatomic projectile impacts on self-assembled monolayers show little to no enhancement when compared with monatomic projectiles at the same velocity. This unusual trend is most likely due to the structural arrangement and bonding characteristics of the monolayer molecules with the Au(111). Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Direct equilibration of soil water for delta(18)O analysis and its application to tracer studies

Current methods for stable oxygen isotopic (delta (18)O) analysis of soil water rely on separation of water from the soil matrix before analysis. These separation procedures are not only time consuming and require relatively large samples of soil, but also have been shown to introduce a large potential source of error. Current research at Queen's University Belfast is focused on using direct equilibration of CO(2) with the pore water to eliminate this extraction step using the automated Multiprep system and a Micromass Prism III isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). The findings of this research indicate the method is less time consuming, more reliable, and reproducible to within accepted limits (+/-0.1% per thousand delta (18)O). In this study the direct equilibration method is used to analyse delta (18)O tracer profiles in the unsaturated zone of field soils, concurrently with chloride tracer profiles, which can be used to assess infiltration rates and mechanisms through the unsaturated zone. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and biological activity of novel epothilone aziridines

[reaction: see text]. A series of 12alpha,13alpha-aziridinyl epothilone derivatives were synthesized in an efficient manner from epothilone A. The final semisynthetic route involves a formal double-inversion of stereochemistry at both the C12 and C13 positions. All aziridine analogues were tested for effects on tubulin binding polymerization and cytotoxicity. The results indicate that the aziridine moiety is a viable isosteric replacement for the epoxide in the case of epothilones.     

Approaches to comprehensive multidimensional liquid chromatography systems

This work compares the performance of the three different schemes implementing two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) in terms of the peak capacity that they can generate and of the time that they need to complete a two-dimensional analysis. We discuss in detail how time is spent in these two-dimensional liquid chromatography×liquid$\text{chromatography}\times \text{liquid}$ chromatography (LC×LC$\text{LC}\times \text{LC}$) schemes and how to compare them. Keeping constant the characteristics of the first-dimension separation, we systematically varied those of the second-dimension separation and of its coupling to the first-dimension. In the process, five systems were created, based on the principles of the three known implementations of comprehensive 2D-LC. This work demonstrates an original method for the selection of the best comprehensive 2D-LC approach, depending on the desired peak capacity and on time constraints. The decision to use a 2D-LC method arises from the need to achieve a given resolution (i.e., a target peak capacity) within as short a time as possible or to reach the highest possible resolution in a given analysis time. Using the most appropriate schemes, we suggest how it is realistically possible to generate peak capacities ranging from 266 in just over 20 min or about 2800 in 2.3 h. When the time available for a two-dimensional separation is very short and the desired peak capacity cannot be achieved in 1D-LC, an on-line 2D-LC approach is unquestionably best. However, if a longer analysis time is acceptable, a 10-fold increase in the peak capacity can be obtained at the cost of a mere 7-fold increase in total analysis time.     

The study of the changes in the thermal properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Labeo rohita</Emphasis> bones due to arsenic exposure

The paper presents the changes in the thermal properties of control, arsenic exposed and DMSA treated Labeo rohita bones by using thermo analytical techniques. The result shows that the mass loss due to the thermal decomposition occurs in three distinct steps due to loss of water, organic and inorganic materials. The arsenic exposed bones present a different thermal behaviour compared to the control bones. The residue masses are increased due to arsenic exposure, while the DMSA treatment reduces the residue mass level. These thermal characteristics can be used as a qualitative method to check the metal accumulation in samples.     

Two-dimensional liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry separation of water-soluble metabolites

Off-line two-dimensional liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection (2D-LC/MS-MS) was used to separate a set of metabolomic species. Water-soluble metabolites were extracted from Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisae cultures and were immediately analyzed using strong cation exchange (SCX)-hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC). Metabolite mixtures are well-suited for multidimensional chromatography as the range of components varies widely with respect to polarity and chemical makeup. Some currently used methods employ two different separations for the detection of positively and negatively ionized metabolites by mass spectrometry. Here we developed a single set of chromatographic conditions for both ionization modes and were able to detect a total of 141 extracted metabolite species, with an overall peak capacity of ca. 2500. We show that a single two-dimensional separation method is sufficient and practical when a pair or more of unidimensional separations are used in metabolomics.     

Characterization and kinetic performance of 2.1 × 100 mm production columns packed with new 1.6 μm superficially porous particles

The overall kinetic performance of three production columns (2.1 mm × 100 mm format) packed with 1.6 μm superficially porous CORTECS‐C₁₈+ particles was assessed on a low‐dispersive I‐class ACQUITY instrument. The values of their minimum intrinsic reduced plate heights (h_min = 1.42, 1.57, and 1.75) were measured at room temperature (295 K) for a small molecule (naphthalene) with an acetonitrile/water eluent mixture (75:25, v/v). These narrow‐bore columns provide an average intrinsic efficiency of 395 000 plates per meter. The gradient separation of 14 small molecules shows that these columns have a peak capacity about 25% larger than similar ones packed with fully porous BEH‐C₁₈ particles (1.7 μm) or shorter (50 mm) columns packed with smaller core–shell particles (1.3 μm) operated under very high pressure (>1000 bar) for steep gradient elution (analysis time 80 s). In contrast, because their permeabilities are lower than those of columns packed with larger core–shell particles, their peak capacities are 25% smaller than those of narrow‐bore columns packed with standard 2.7 μm core–shell particles.     

Raman spectroscopic investigation on the microenvironment of the liver tissues of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) due to titanium dioxide exposure

Nano titanium dioxide (nTiO₂), generally considered to be toxicologically inert, is manufactured in large quantities and extensively applied in consumer products. The small size and large surface area endow them with an active group or intrinsic toxicity. Advances in instrumentation are making Raman spectroscopy the tool of choice for an increasing number of (bio) chemical applications. One of the great advantages of this technique is its ability to provide information on the concentration, structure and interaction of biochemical molecules in their microenvironments within intact cells and tissues, non-destructively. Zebrafish (Danio rerio), one of the most important vertebrate model organisms used in developmental biology, are increasingly used in biomedical research, particularly as a model of human disease. In the present work, an attempt is made to study the effect of titanium dioxide, both nano and bulk, on the microenvironment of the liver tissues of Zebrafish using FT-Raman spectroscopy. The results of the present study suggest that TiO₂ exposure demonstrate a marked influence on the microenvironments of the liver tissues of Zebrafish. A shift to a higher wavenumber and an increase in the intensity of the band at ∼1087 cm⁻¹ in the TiO₂ exposed tissues suggest that some of the conformational changes resulting from the alkali recovery process takes place due to TiO₂ exposure. The decreased intensity ratio (I₃₂₂₀/I₃₄₀₀) observed in the titanium-exposed tissues suggests a decreased water domain size, which could be interpreted in terms of weaker hydrogen-bonded molecular species of water in the TiO₂ exposed tissues. The observed shift of COO⁻ bands to higher frequencies shows the disruption of salt bridges as a result of a change in the oppositely charged partners and due to the enhanced random coil conformation. The variation in the intensity ratio of the tyrosyl doublet (I₈₅₈/I₈₂₅) indicates variation in the hydrogen bonding of the phenolic hydroxyl group due to TiO₂ exposure. The results further suggest that the microenvironments are greatly altered due to titanium nano exposure when compared to titanium bulk. In conclusion, the results indicate that FT-Raman spectroscopy might be a useful tool for rapid assessment of nano particle biological interactions.