Structural properties of PbTiO3 and PbZrxTi1−xO3: A quantum‐chemical study

We investigate the structural and electronic properties of pure and Zr‐doped PbTiO₃ crystals. The nature of atomic relaxation around the Zr impurity is studied through quantum‐chemical simulations based on the Hartree–Fock theory and a periodic large unit cell model adopted within the so‐called intermediate neglect of differential overlap approximation. The most stable defect configurations are predicted for different impurity concentrations. The results obtained are compared with those from other theoretical studies and a number of experimental measurements carried out on this technologically important perovskite‐type crystal. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001     

Ultrafast gas chromatography coupled to electronic nose to identify volatile biomarkers in exhaled breath from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: A pilot study

An analytical method to identify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the exhaled breath from patients with a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using a ultrafast gas chromatography system equipped with an electronic nose detector (FGC eNose) has been developed. A prospective study was performed in 23 COPD patients and 33 healthy volunteers; exhalation breathing tests were performed with Tedlar bags. Each sample was analyzed by FCG eNose and the identification of VOCs was based on the Kovats index. Raw data were reduced by principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical discriminant analysis [canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP)]. The FCG eNose technology was able to identify 17 VOCs that distinguish COPD patients from healthy volunteers. At all stages of PCA and CAP the discrimination between groups was obvious. Chemical prints were correctly classified up to 82.2%, and were matched with 78.9% of the VOCs detected in the exhaled breath samples. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated the sensitivity and specificity to be 96% and 91%, respectively. This pilot study demonstrates that FGC eNose is a useful tool to identify VOCs as biomarkers in exhaled breath from COPD patients. Further studies should be performed to enhance the clinical relevance of this quick and ease methodology for COPD diagnosis.     

Least-squares support vector machines and near infrared spectroscopy for quantification of common adulterants in powdered milk

This paper proposes the use of the least-squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) as an alternative multivariate calibration method for the simultaneous quantification of some common adulterants (starch, whey or sucrose) found in powdered milk samples, using near-infrared spectroscopy with direct measurements by diffuse reflectance. Due to the spectral differences of the three adulterants a nonlinear behavior is present when all groups of adulterants are in the same data set, making the use of linear methods such as partial least squares regression (PLSR) difficult. Excellent models were built using LS-SVM, with low prediction errors and superior performance in relation to PLSR. These results show it possible to built robust models to quantify some common adulterants in powdered milk using near-infrared spectroscopy and LS-SVM as a nonlinear multivariate calibration procedure.     

Electrocatalysis of As(III) oxidation by cobalt oxide nanoparticles: measurement and modeling the effect of nanoparticle amount on As(III) oxidation potential

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - The performance of electrodes modified with electrochemically generated cobalt oxide nanoparticles for the oxidation of As(III) species was investigated by...     

Fast determination of thyroid stimulating hormone in human blood serum without chemical preprocessing by using infrared spectroscopy and least squares support vector machines

The least squares support vector machines (LS-SVM) was used to model infrared spectral data for TSH hormone secreted by thyroid, which regulates the basal metabolic rate. This model was used for direct estimation of the content of TSH in blood serum samples, and the results were comparable with those obtained with the conventional analytical method based on chemoluminescence methodology. Excellent agreement was observed between the conventional method and the newly developed calibration model based in analysis of spectral data with LS-SVM. The latter has clear advantages, because it is fast and requires no reagent once the measurements were done directly in the serum by using a simple mid-infrared spectrometer in the ATR mode. An important advantage observed in this calibration method based on LS-SVM is the remarkable capacity to avoid overfitting in the model-building step, that is, the developed method is highly robust.     

The ionized methylene transfer from the distonic radical cation +CH2-O-CH2 to heterocyclic compounds. A pentaquadrupole mass spectrometric study

Ion-molecule reactions of the mass-selected distonic radical cation ⁺CH₂-O-CH ₂ ^· (1) with several heterocyclic compounds have been investigated by multiple stage mass spectro- metric experiments performed in a pentaquadrupole mass spectrometer. Reactions with pyridine, 2-, 3-, and 4-ethyl, 2-methoxy, and 2-n-propyl pyridine occur mainly by transfer of CH ₂ ^+· to the nitrogen, which yields distonic N-methylene-pyridinium radical cations. The MS³ spectra of these products display very characteristic collision-induced dissociation chemistry, which is greatly affected by the position of the substituent in the pyridine ring. Ortho isomers undergo a δ-cleavage cyclization process induced by the free-radical character of the N-methylene group that yields bicyclic pyridinium cations. On the other hand, extensive CH ₂ ^+· transfer followed by rapid hydrogen atom loss, that is, a net CH⁺ transfer, occurs not to the heteroatoms, but to the aromatic ring of furan, thiophene, pyrrole, and N-methyl pyrrole. The reaction proceeds through five- to six-membered ring expansion, which yields the pyrilium, thiapyrilium, N-protonated, and N-methylated pyridine cations, respectively, as indicated by MS³ scans. Ion 1 fails to transfer CH ₂ ^+· to tetrahydrofuran, whereas a new α-distonic sulfur ion is formed in reactions with tetrahydrothiophene. Unstable N-methylene distonic ions, likely formed by transfer of CH ₂ ^+· to the nitrogen of piperidine and pyrrolidine, undergo rapid fragmentation by loss of the α-NH hydrogen to yield closed-shell immonium cations. The most thermodynamically favorable products are formed in these reactions, as estimated by ab initio calculations at the MP2/6-31G(d,p)//6-31G(d,p) + ZPE level of theory.     

The effect of point mutation on the equilibrium structural fluctuations of ferric Myoglobin

The ultrafast equilibrium fluctuations of the Fe(III)-NO complex of a single point mutation of Myoglobin (H64Q) have been studied using Fourier Transform 2D-IR spectroscopy. Comparison with data from wild type Myoglobin (wt-Mb) shows the presence of two conformational substates of the mutant haem pocket where only one exists in the wild type form. One of the substates of the mutant exhibits an almost identical NO stretching frequency and spectral diffusion dynamics to wt-Mb while the other is distinctly different in both respects. The remarkably contrasting dynamics are largely attributable to interactions between the NO ligand and a nearby distal side chain which provides a basis for understanding the roles of these side chains in other ferric haem proteins.     

An unexpected formation of pyrazolopyrimidines during the attempted to obtain 5-substituted tetrazoles from carbonitriles

In this Letter, we described the synthesis of new 5-(5-amino-1-aryl-1H-pyrazole-4-yl)-1H-tetrazoles 2a–c from 5-amino-1-aryl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitriles 1a–c as well as the unexpected 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives 6a–c from 5-amino-1-aryl-3-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitriles 4a–c, instead of 5-(5-amino-1-aryl-3-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-yl)-1H-tetrazoles 5a–c as desired. In an attempt to obtain these tetrazole derivatives containing the methyl group at C3-position in the pyrazole ring, the amino group in 5-amino-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitrile 4c was protected by the reaction with sodium hydride and di-tert-butyl-dicarbonate (Boc). The tetrazole derivative 5c was synthesized from the protected compound 7c using analogue methodology to obtain 2a–c and 6a–c.     

Phase modulation and ellipticity of the light transmitted through a smectic C* layer with short helix pitch

A chiral ferroelectric smectic C* liquid crystal (FLC) with the helix pitch p ₀?=?330 nm was developed to avoid any scattering of visible light when the helix is not unwound over a certain limit. Planar cells with different FLC layer thickness (16 and 44 μm) have been assembled with helix axis parallel to the glass plates and aligned along the rubbing direction. The ellipticity of the light passing through the cells vs. the electric field was investigated, and a method for evaluating the electrically controlled birefringence via ellipticity measurements has been established. We have found that the FLC cell is an optical retardation layer driven by the electric field, the effective birefringence being proportional to the square electric field. The physical origin of the electrically controlled phase shift of the light passing through the FLC layer has been analysed.     

Selective fluorescence quenching of 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene by nucleotides

[reaction: see text] The fluorescence quenching of 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene (DBO) by nucleotides has been studied. The quenching mechanism was analyzed on the basis of deuterium isotope effects, tendencies for exciplex formation, and the quenching efficiency in the presence of a molecular container (cucurbit[7]uril). Exciplex-induced quenching appears to prevail for adenosine, cytidine, and uridine, while hydrogen abstraction becomes competitive for thymidine and guanosine. Compared to other fluorescent probes, DBO responds very selectively to the type of nucleotide.