Probing the spatial dependence of the emission spectrum of single human retinal lipofuscin granules using near-field scanning optical microscopy

The emission spectra of single lipofuscin granules are examined using spectrally resolved confocal microscopy and near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). The emission spectrum varies among the granules examined revealing that individual granules are characterized by different distributions of fluorophores. The range of spectra observed is consistent with in vivo spectra of human retinal pigment epithelium cells. NSOM measurements reveal that the shape of the spectrum does not vary with position within the emissive regions of single lipofuscin granules. These results suggest that the relative distribution of fluorophores within the emissive regions of an individual granule is homogeneous on the spatial scale approximately 150 nm.     

Competitive electron impact induced methylene imine elimination from methyl- and dimethylamino N-heterocycles. 1—substituted melamines

Competitive intramolecular expulsion of methylene imine is evaluated for heterocyclic methylamino and dimethylamino substituents using selectively labelled N²,N²,N⁴-trimethylmelamine. In this compound methylene imine expulsion from the dimethylamino group is favored by more than 2:1 over loss from the methylamino group. The effects of other fragmentations and hydrogen randomisation are estimated independently using methylmelamines with each of the groups as the sole source of methylene imine loss.     

Structural,luminescence, and NMR studies of the reversible binding of acetate,lactate, citrate,and selected amino acids to chiral diaqua ytterbium,gadolinium, and europium complexes

The nature of the ternary complexes formed in aqueous media at ambient pH on reversible binding of acetate, lactate, citrate, and selected amino acids and peptides to chiral diaqua europium, gadolinium, or ytterbium cationic complexes has been examined. Crystal structures of the chelated ytterbium acetate and lactate complexes have been defined in which the carboxylate oxygen occupies an "equatorial" site in the nine-coordinate adduct. The zwitterionic adduct of the citrate anion with [EuL1] was similar to the chelated lactate structure, with a 5-ring chelate involving the apical 3-hydroxy group and the alpha-carboxylate. Analysis of Eu and Yb emission CD spectra and lifetimes (H2O and D2O) for each ternary complex, in conjunction with 1H NMR analyses of Eu/Yb systems and 17O NMR and relaxometric studies of the Gd analogues, suggests that carbonate, oxalate, and malonate each form a chelated (q = 0) square-antiprismatic complex in which the dipolar NMR paramagnetic shift (Yb, Eu) and the emission circular polarization (gem for Eu) are primarily determined by the polarizability of the axial ligand. The ternary complexes with hydrogen phosphate, with fluoride, and with Phe, His, and Ser at pH 6 are suggested to be monoaqua systems with Eu/Gd with an apical bound water molecule. However, for the ternary complexes of simple amino acids with [YbL1]3+, the enhanced charge demand favors a chelate structure with the amine N in an apical position. Crystal structures of the Gly and Ser adducts confirm this. In peptides and proteins (e.g. albumin) containing Glu or Asp residues, the more basic side chain carboxylate may chelate to the Ln ion, displacing both waters.     

A novel methodology for the synthesis of complexes containing long carbon chains linking metal centres: molecular structures of [Ru(dppe)Cp*]2(mu-C14) and [Co3(mu-dppm)(CO)7]2(mu3:mu3-C16)

Elimination of AuX(PR3)(X = halogen, R = Ph, tol) occurs readily in reactions between compounds containing C(sp)- or C(sp2)-X bonds and alkynyl or polyynyl gold(I) complexes; this reaction has been applied to the syntheses of complexes containing a variety of metal centres linked by C(n) chains (n up to 16).     

Side-chain liquid crystalline polymers containing 4-[2-(S)-methyl-1-butoxy]-4′-(11-undecanyl-1-oxy)-α-methylstilbene side groups

The synthesis and characterization of polymethacrylate, polyacrylate, poly(methylsiloxane), and 1,3,5,7-tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane containing chiral 4-[2-(S)-methyl-1- butoxy]-4′-(11-undecanyl-1-oxy)-α-methylstilbene side groups are described. All polymers exhibit an enantiotropic S_A mesophase and side-chain crystallization. The 1,3,5,7-tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane containing mesogenic side groups represents a mixture of four stereoisomers and displays a monotropic S_A mesophase     

Structural design criteria for anion hosts: strategies for achieving anion shape recognition through the complementary placement of urea donor groups

The arrangement of urea ligands about different shaped anions has been evaluated with electronic structure calculations. Geometries and binding energies are reported for urea complexes with Cl-, NO(3)-, and ClO(4)-. The results yield new insight into the nature of urea-anion interactions and provide structural criteria for the deliberate design of anion selective receptors containing two or more urea donor groups.     

Chiroptical switching polyguanidine synthesized by helix-sense-selective polymerization using [(R)-3,3'-dibromo-2,2'-binaphthoxy](di-tert-butoxy)titanium(IV) catalyst

A series of chiral binaphthyl titanium alkoxide complexes were synthesized. Among them, chiral titanium complex [(R)-3,3'-dibromo-2,2'-binaphthoxy](di-tert-butoxy)titanium(IV) (R-3) exists as a crystallographic C2 dimer in the solid state but a monomer in solution at room temperature. Application of R-3 in the helix-sense-selective polymerization of achiral carbodiimide, N-(1-anthryl)-N'-octadecylcarbodiimide (1), yielded a well-defined regioregular, stereoregular poly[N-(1-anthryl)-N'-octadecylguanidine] (poly-1b) with a relatively narrow polymer dispersity index of 2.7. Full racemization of poly-1b at +80 degrees C in toluene requires more than 100 h. Interestingly, poly-1b was found to undergo fast reversible chiroptical switching at +38.5 degrees C in toluene. Furthermore, at room temperature, poly-1b shows a positively signed Cotton effect in toluene, but negative ones in THF and chloroform, respectively. The chiroptical switching takes place around the toluene content of 90% (vol) in the mixed toluene/THF solvents. This is the first example of chiroptical switching phenomenon occurring in a helical polymer possessing no chiral moieties in the polymer chains. We believe this reversible chiroptical switching phenomenon occurs by reorientation of anthracene rings relative to the chain director.     

Two-dimensional gas chromatography analysis of components in fuel and fuel additives using a simplified heart-cutting GC system

Multidimensional gas chromatography (MGC) using heart cutting is an old idea that can benefit from the performance of modern instruments and capillary columns to provide fast, reliable separation of target analytes from complex sample matrices. A simplified heart-cutting switch is described that uses these improvements to provide very narrow precise heart cuts between columns of different selectivity. This system is used to analyze ppm levels of 4,6-dimethydibenzothiophene in diesel fuel using a standard flame ionization detector instead of a complex sulfur-selective detector. MGC systems also offer the possibility of faster analysis speed by using two short columns of different selectivity instead of very long columns to resolve compounds from complex matrices. The analysis of alcohols in denatured fuel ethanol using the MGC system is performed over six times faster than the standard American Society for Testing and Materials methodology.     

Compilation of empirical ultrasonic properties of mammalian tissues. II

The compilation of the literature on ultrasonic propagation properties of mammalian tissues [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 64, 423 (1978)] is continued with the addition of 45 papers yielding over 700 lines of parametric data.     

Equal-time second-order moments of a harmonic oscillator with stochastic frequency and driving force

Using a simple matrix method, we have obtained exact second-order equilibrium moments for a linearly damped harmonic oscillator with a fluctuating frequency (t) and driven by a fluctuating forcef(t). We have assumed each of the fluctuating quantities to be delta-correlated. We demonstrate that the final answers are identical whetherf(t) and (t) are statistically independent or delta-correlated. We have also established the region of parameter space in which the oscillator is energetically stable. The results are shown to be completely determined by the coefficients of the first and second cumulants of the fluctuations.Supported in part by the Office of Naval Research, NSF Grant # CHE 78-21460, and by a grant from Charles and Renée Taubman.