Thermodynamically Stable,Photoreversible Pharmacology in Neurons with One‐ and Two‐Photon Excitation

Photoswitchable bioprobes enable bidirectional control of cell physiology with different wavelengths of light. Many current photoswitches use cytotoxic UV light and are limited by the need for constant illumination owing to thermal relaxation in the dark. Now a photoswitchable tetrafluoroazobenzene(4FAB)‐based ion channel antagonist has been developed that can be efficiently isomerized in two separate optical channels with visible light. Importantly, the metastable cis configuration showed very high stability in the dark over the course of days at room temperature. In neurons, the 4FAB antagonist reversibly blocks voltage‐gated ion channels with violet and green light. Furthermore, photoswitching could also be achieved with two‐photon excitation yielding high spatial resolution. 4FAB probes have the potential to enable long‐term biological studies where both ON and OFF states can be maintained in the absence of irradiation.     

Self-interaction correction and isotropic hyperfine parameter of light atoms

Numerical self-consistent field (SCF) calculations in density functional theory (DFT) and the local spin-density approximation (LSDA) were performed for the light atoms H, Li, B, C, N, O and F, in order to investigate the effect of the self-interaction correction (SIC) on the isotropic (or contact) hyperfine parameter A_ISO. In contrast to the findings for certain 3d-metals and compounds, results for light-atom SI-corrected A_ISO present no improvement over the LSDA values. We show that relatively modest changes to the correlation potential can lead to significant improvement of densities near the nucleus and the related A_ISO, suggesting a direction for future improvements in DFT functionals.     

Postmortem activation analysis: Preliminary observations in the preterm infant

Few data exist on the elemental composition of the human body during infancy. The scarcity of the data is due, in part, to the destructive nature of total body analyses normally required for the classical chemical approach. To help determine such data for infants, we have developed a neutron activation facility for nondestructive postmortem analyses. The system consists of a multisource²⁴¹AmBe irradiator and a multidetector NaI(T1) whole body counter. The total body contents of K, Ca, P, Na and Cl are determined. Postmortem examinations have been performed in twelve infant cadavers. These results are compared with those of the reference fetus.     

Monoclonal antibody purification ofTrichoderma reesei EG I

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology -     

Transformations between monomeric,dimeric, and trimeric phosphazanes: oligomerizing NP analogues of olefins

Isolation and characterization of a crystal mixture of iminophosphine 1 and diphosphazane 2 (R = Mes*, X = OTf) is enabled by the steric interactions between bulky substituents implicating monomer/dimer 1/2 equilibria and the conclusion is supported by the observation of a ring-expansion reaction to give a triphosphazane 3 (R = Dipp, X = Cl).     

Mass spectra of some 2-, 3-, and 4-pyridinecarboxylic acids. Further evidence of a N-H interaction for loss of carbon dioxide

Mass spectra of 3-acetamido-, 3-methoxy-, and 4-methoxy-2-pyridinecarboxylic acids, 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid, 4-nitro-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid N-oxide, 2-chloro- and 2-nitro-x-pyridinecarboxylic acids (X = 3 and 5), 2-chloro- and 2-nitro-4-pyridinecarboxylic acids, and 4-pyridinecarboxylic acid are reported. The 2-pyridinecarboxylic acids lost carbon dioxide (M-44) as has been reported. The 3-pyridinecarboxylic acids showed no definite trend in fragmentation; however, the 4-pyridinecarboxylic acids lost OH (M-17) first. This change in fragmentation pat-tern is due to an interaction of the ring nitrogen and carboxyl group in the 2-pyridinecarboxylic acids which is not present in the 4-pyridinecarboxylic acids.     

Preparation and molecular structure of a pyrazolyl-ruthenium complex, Ru{C3H2NN(SO2tol)}(dppe)Cp*

The reaction between RuCl(dppe)Cp* and Me₃SiCCC(SiMe₃)NNHTs has given the pyrazole derivative (1), which was characterised by a single-crystal X-ray structure determination. Complex 1 is probably formed by attack of the NTs group on the π-complexed desilylated alkyne, with concomitant loss of a proton.     

The Application of Diffusing-Wave Spectroscopy to Monitor the Phase Behavior of Emulsion-Polysaccharide Systems

Droplet aggregation is an important cause of instability in emulsions because it may, on one hand, lead to an increased creaming rate, resulting in fast separation of a concentrated emulsion phase (creamed layer). On the other hand, it may also lead to the formation of a stabilizing, droplet-based network. Early detection of instability is often difficult due to the high turbidity and viscosity of more concentrated food emulsions. The applicability of diffusing-wave spectroscopy (DWS) for monitoring droplet aggregation and creaming was studied using a model system consisting of a protein-stabilized emulsion, to which a soluble polymer ("thickener") was added. This addition leads to an increased solvent viscosity and may induce droplet aggregation. In addition, the redistribution process of emulsion droplets in aggregating concentrated emulsions was directly observed by confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM). By DWS the decrease of the droplet mobility caused by the viscosity increase of the continuous phase could be separated from the effect of droplet aggregation. Moreover, a distinction could be made between aggregation, leading to increased creaming rates and that leading to the formation of a stabilizing droplet network. The potential of DWS for in situ measurement of the stability of concentrated emulsions is discussed. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.