F?F coupling constants in dichlorotetrafluorocyclopropanes

The ¹⁹F NMR spectra of the cis- ( 1 ) and the trans-isomer ( 2 ) of the 1,2-dichlorotetrafluorocyclopropane and that of the 1,1-dichlorotetrafluorocyclopropane ( 3 ) have been investigated at different temperatures and in several solvents. From chemical shift calculations the two geminal fluorines in the cis-isomer ( 1 ) could be assigned and on this basis the two vicinal coupling constants of 1 , J_trans (ca. 140°) and J_cis (ca. 0°), were unequivocally distinguished. By frequency sweep double resonance J_trans has been shown to be of opposite sign to J_gem, whereas for J_cis the situation has been found to be reversed. Therefore J_trans is presumably negative and J_cis positive. Only the N(J_cis + J_trans) value could be extracted from the vicinal coupling constant in the fragment ? CFCl? CFCl? could be evaluated. It has been noted that J_cis is more sensitive to changes in temperature than is J_trans. The variations of J_cis and J_trans induced by solvents are, on the contrary, small and irregular and no correlation with the dielectric constant of the medium has been noted. The different temperature dependence of J_cis and J_trans can be useful for assigning the vicinal F? F coupling constants in cyclopropane derivatives and also for defining their signs. This method was applied to the coupling constants extracted from the ¹³C satellite spectrum of isomer 3 . The coupling constants results were compared with some literature data already known, and some rationalisation and correlations from the trends was attempted.     

19F NMR analysis of the fluorides of perfluorocyclohexane-sulphonic acid and of 3-trifluoromethylperfluorocyclopentane-1-sulphonic acid

From the electrochemical fluorination of the chloride and the fluoride of benzenesulphonic acid, in addition to the main product C₆F₁₁SO₂F, the side products C₅F₈(CF₃)SO₂F, a structural isomer of the main product and C₆F₁₀Cl? SO₂F are also obtained. The NMR analysis of these products was performed. Chemical shift and coupling constant values were obtained for all the compounds. The NMR parameters of the main product are compared with those of perfluoromethylcyclohexane according to the data of Jolley, Sutcliffe and Walker. From the NMR parameters of C₅F₈(CF₃)SO₂F it was possible to demonstrate that substitution on the ring for —SO₂F and CF₃— is of the 1,3 and not the 1,2 type.     

Contributions from higher twist effects to the quark fragmentation functions in neutrino data

Quark fragmentation functions are studied with ≈3500 charged current events induced in the bubble chamber Gargamelle by neutrinos of the SPS wide band beam, with 〈E_ν〉 ≈ 25 GeV. The Q² and W² regions covered by this experiment are Q² ≈ 0–40 GeV² and W² ≈ 1–100 GeV², the mean values being 〈Q²〉 = 6.5 GeV², 〈W²〉 = 22GeV². A correlation between the variables $\text{z =}\text{E}{}_{\mathrm{\pi }}\text{E}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>H</mtext>}}$ and $\text{y =}\text{E}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>H</mtext>}}\text{E}{}_{\mathrm{v}}$ is found in the data in the region Q² = 1–10 GeV², which can be explained in terms of higher twist effects. These effects reproduce the Q² evolution of the non-singlet moments of the fragmentation function without any need for logarithmic terms.     

Post-collision interactions in the (e,e′ Auger) coincidence spectra

Summary The argon LMM Auger energy spectra measured in a recent (e,e′ Auger) coincidence experiment are compared with the predictions of a semiclassical model of this post-collision interactions (PCI). The model satisfactorily reproduces both the measured shift towards higher energy and the observed lineshapes of the experimental spectra.     

Strange particle production by antineutrinos

Cross sections are presented for antineutrino production of Λ, Σ⁰ and K⁰ in strangeness changing reactions. Associated production reactions (ΔS = 0) have been observed in the charged and the neutral current channels. For the elastic reaction $\text{v}\text{p}\text{→ μ}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{Λ}$, estimates have been made of the axial transition form factor.     

Chloride interference in the determination of bromate in drinking water by reagent free ion chromatography with mass spectrometry detection

Bromate, a well known by-product of the ozonation of drinking water, has been included among the substances which have to be monitored in the drinking water according to the last EC Directive 251/98 on potable water with a regulated limit of 10 microg l(-1). The need of performing routine analysis at this limit is a driving force for the developing of new simple and sensitive methods of detection, which should be also able to overcome the effect of matrix composition. This work explored the use of mass spectrometry detection with electrospray ionisation hyphenated to a reagent free ion chromatograph with hydroxide gradient elution for the determination of bromate in drinking water. The use of a high capacity hydroxide selective column operated in gradient mode allowed to avoid the interference by carbonate peak, which moved to longer retention times. The effect of increasing chloride concentrations from 0 to 250 mg l(-1), which is the guideline limit for drinking water in Directive 251/98/EC, was to decrease absolute mass spectrometric response and chromatographic efficiency and, on the consequence, to increase the effective detection limits. The effect of the chloride concentration on the detection of bromate is discussed.     

A comparative study on the application of hierarchical-agglomerative clustering approaches to organize outputs of reiterated docking runs

Reiterated runs of standard docking protocols usually provide a collection of possible binding modes rather than pinpoint a single solution. Usually, this ensemble is then ranked by means of an energy-based scoring function. However, since many degrees of approximation have to be introduced in the computation of the binding free energy, scoring functions cannot always rank the experimental pose among the top scorers. Cluster analysis might help to overcome this limit, provided that data clusterability has been earlier assessed. In this paper, first, we present a modified version of a test earlier developed by Hopkins to assess whether or not docking outputs show the natural tendency to be grouped in clusters. Then, we report the results of a comparative study on the application of different hierarchical-agglomerative cluster rules to partition docking outputs. The rule that was able to best manage the observed data was finally applied to the whole ensemble of poses collected from several docking tools. The combination of the average linkage rule with the cutting function developed by Sutcliffe and co-workers turned out to be an approach that meets all of the criteria required for a robust clustering protocol. Furthermore, a consensus clustering allowed us to identify the pose closest to the experimental one within a statistically significant cluster, whose number was always of few units.     

Raman spectroscopic characterization of a thiophene‐based active material for resistive organic nonvolatile memories

A combined theoretical and experimental Raman study is presented on a diphenyl bithiophene molecule known as a good candidate for the development of organic nonvolatile memory devices. Spectroscopic markers suitable to distinguish the different stable conformers of the molecule have been predicted and detected. The combined analysis of theoretical and experimental Raman spectra recorded in solution indicates that at room temperature a dynamical equilibrium, characterized by interconversion between the two more stable conformers (namely trans and cis), takes place and that the more populated species is the cis form. Referring to the solid phase instead, Raman spectra of single‐crystal samples show the presence of the only trans conformer, as confirmed by X‐ray measurements. Finally, Raman spectra of thin films, as those used for the memory device, were collected; samples just deposited from solution and after few hours from the deposition were analyzed. Following the evolution of selective spectroscopic Raman markers, an isomerization process from the abundant cis (as‐deposited) to the totally trans (after few hours) conformer in the solid phase was detected. These results open the way to the identification of the molecular isomers present in the thin film of the memory cell and finally of the active molecular species involved in the switching mechanism of the operating device. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A ketogenic diet increases succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and recovers age-related decrease in numeric density of SDH-positive mitochondria in cerebellar Purkinje cells of late-adult rats

Ketogenic diets (KDs) have been applied in the therapy of paediatric epilepsy for nearly a century. Recently, beneficial results have also been reported on metabolic disorders and neurodegeneration, designating aged individuals as possible recipients. However, KDs efficacy decrease after the suckling period, and very little is known about their impact on the aging brain. In the present study, the effect on the neuronal energetic supply of a KD containing 20% of medium chain triglycerides (MCT) was investigated in Purkinje cells of the cerebellar vermis of late-adult (19-month-old) rats. The animals were fed with the KD for 8 weeks, and succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) activity was cytochemically determined. The following parameters of SDH-positive mitochondria were evaluated by the use of a computer-assisted image analysis system connected to a transmission electron microscope: numeric density (Nv), average volume (V), volume density (Vv), and cytochemical precipitate area/mitochondrial area (R). Young, age-matched, and old animals fed with a standard chow were used as controls. We found significantly higher Nv in MCT-KD-fed rats vs. all the control groups, in young vs. late-adult and old controls, and in late-adult vs. old controls. V and Vv showed no significant differences among the groups. R was significantly higher in MCT-KD-fed rats vs. all the control animals, and in old vs. young and late-adult controls. Present data indicate that the ketogenic treatment counteracted age-related decrease in numeric density of SDH-positive mitochondria, and enhanced their metabolic efficiency. Given the central role of mitochondrial impairment in age-related physio-pathological changes of the brain, these findings may represent a starting point to examine novel potentialities for KDs.