"The great escape" from antiaromaticity: reduction of strained pyrenes

The two-electron reduction of strained pyrenes ([7](2,7)pyrenophanes) with lithium metal leads to the formation of a new sigma-bond as a means to "escape" strained antiaromaticity.     

4-Fluorinated L-lysine analogs as selective i-NOS inhibitors: methodology for introducing fluorine into the lysine side chain

In the literature, the introduction of fluorine into bioactive molecules has been known to enhance the biological activity relative to the parent molecule. Described in this article is the synthesis of 4R-fluoro-L-NIL (12) and 4,4-difluoro-L-NIL (23) as part of our iNOS program. Both 12 and 23 were found to be selective iNOS inhibitors as shown in Table 2 below. Secondarily, methodology to synthesize orthogonally protected 4-fluoro-L-lysine and 4,4-difluoro-L-lysine has been developed.     

All-optical regenerative memory for long term data storage

We describe a novel all-optical regenerative memory comprising two nonlinear optical switching gates coupled by an optical fibre storage loop. Binary pulse patterns were stored in the memory circuit for periods of several hours. This long term storage corresponds to > 10 billion circulations around the fibre storage loop.     

Intrinsic equations for a relaxed elastic line on an oriented surface

Hilbert and Cohn-Vossen [2, p. 221] incorrectly suggested a flexible knitting needle, constrained to conform to a surface, as one model for a geodesic on a surface. This model actually gives a relaxed elastic line on the surface, and is not generally a geodesic unless the surface lies in a plane or on a sphere.In this paper we derive the intrinsic equations for a relaxed elastic line on an oriented surface. This formulation should give a more direct and more geometric approach to questions concerning relaxed elastic lines on a surface. We apply this formulation to give alternate proofs of some results of [3] found by the less direct method of Lagrange multipliers and to give additional results about relaxed elastic lines on various surfaces. For further considerations of a relaxed elastic line on a surface as a model of the DNA molecule, see [3].Partially supported by NIH grant GM 36284-01.     

The reactions of [Co(η-C5H5)(CO)(L)] (L = R3P or RNC) with carbon disuphide and organoisothiocyanates

The reactions of [Co(η-C₅H₅)(CO)(PR₃)] or [Co(η-C₅GH₅)(CO)₂]/R₃P mixtures (R = alkyl or aryl) with CS₂ in refluxing CS₂ or CS₂/toluene gives rise to [Co(η-C₅H₅)(PR₃)(CS)], [Co(η-C₅H₅)(PR₃)(CS₂)], [Co(η-C₅H₅)(PR₃)(CS₃)], and [Co₃(η-C₅H₅)₃ (CS)(S)] in reasonable yields. The corresponding reactions using PhNCS give [Co(η-C₅H₅)(PPh₃)(PhNCS)] and a polymeric species which appears to be [Co₄(η-C₅H₅)₄ (PhNCS)]. Similar products are obtained with [Co(η-C₅H₅)(CO)(CNR)] or [Co(η0C₅H₅)(CO)₂]/RNC mixtures.     

Hydrogen abstraction by fluorine atoms under conditions of thermal initiation: Hydrocarbons and fluorinated hydrocarbons

Modified nuclear recoil techniques have been used to obtain accurate relative bimolecular rate coefficients for thermally induced hydrogen abstraction reactions by atomic fluorine. New results are reported for 12 hydrocarbons and partially fluorinated hydrocarbons studied at 303°K.     

Isolated peptidoglycan glycosyltransferases from different organisms produce different glycan chain lengths

Peptidoglycan is an essential component of bacterial cell wall. The glycan strands of peptidoglycan are synthesized by enzymes called peptidoglycan glycosyltransferases (PGTs). Using a high-resolution SDS-PAGE assay, we compared the glycan strand lengths of four different PGTs from three different organisms (Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus). We report that each enzyme makes a polymer having an intrinsic characteristic length that is independent of the enzyme:substrate ratio. The glycan strand lengths vary considerably, depending on the enzyme. These results indicate that each enzyme must have some mechanism, as yet unknown, for controlling product length. The observation that different PGTs produce different length glycan chains may have implications for their cellular roles and for the three-dimensional structure of bacterial peptidoglycan.     

Influence of recent vegetation on labile and recalcitrant carbon soil pools in central Queensland, Australia: evidence from thermal analysis-quadrupole mass spectrometry-isotope ratio mass spectrometry

The effect of a recent vegetation change (<100 years) from C(4) grassland to C(3) woodland in central Queensland, Australia, on soil organic matter (SOM) composition and SOM dynamics has been investigated using a novel coupled thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry-quadrupole.mass spectrometry-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (TG-DSC-QMS-IRMS) system. TG-DSC-QMS-IRMS distinguishes the C isotope composition of discrete SOM pools, showing changes in labile, recalcitrant and refractory carbon in the bulk soil and particle size fractions which track the vegetation changes. Analysis of evolved gases (by QMS) from thermal decomposition, rather than observed weight loss, proved essential in determining the temperature at which SOM decomposes, because smectite and kaolinite clays contribute to observed weight losses. The delta(13)C analyses of the CO(2) evolved at different temperatures for bulk soil and particle size-separates showed that most of the labile SOM under the more recent woody vegetation was C(3)-derived carbon whereas the delta(13)C values in the recalcitrant SOM showed greater C(4) contributions. This indicated a shift from grass (C(4))- to tree (C(3))-derived carbon in the woodland, which was also supported by the two-phase (13)C enrichment with depth, i.e. C(3) vegetation dominated the top soil (0-10 cm), but the C(4) contribution increased with depth (more gradual). This is perturbed by the inclusion of charcoal from forest fires ((14)C age incursions) and by the deep incorporation of C(3) carbon due to root penetration.