Vibrational overtone initiated unimolecular dissociation of HOCH2OOH and HOCD2OOH: evidence for mode selective behavior

The vibrational overtone induced unimolecular dissociation of HMHP (HOCH(2)OOH) and HMHP-d(2) (HOCD(2)OOH) into OH and HOCH(2)O (HOCD(2)O) fragments is investigated in the region of the 4nu(OH) and 5nu(OH) bands. The unimolecular dissociation rates in the threshold region, corresponding to the 4nu(OH) band, exhibit measurable differences associated with excitation of the OH stretch of the alcohol versus the peroxide functional group, with the higher energy alcohol OH stretching state exhibiting a slower dissociation rate compared to the lower energy peroxide OH stretch in both HMHP and HMHP-d(2). Predictions using the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory give rates that are in reasonably good agreement with the measured dissociation rate for the alcohol OH stretch but considerably differ from the measured rates for the peroxide OH stretch in both isotopomers. The present results are interpreted as suggesting that the extent of intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) is different for the two OH stretching states associated with the two functional groups in HMHP, with IVR being substantially less complete for the peroxide OH stretch. Analysis of the OH fragment product state distributions in conjunction with phase-space theory simulation gives a D(0) value of 38+/-0.7 kcal/mole for breaking the peroxide bond in HMHP.     

活体肝胵Fasciola hepatica及其高氯酸萃取物的31P及13C NMR研究

本工作报道了用³¹P NMR谱定量分析活体肝胵Fasiciola hepatica中含磷化合物的实验方法及一些初步结果,测定了活体肝胵体内含磷化合物的弛豫时间T₁,观察了无灌注循环系统时肝胵体内pH值变化。利用高氯酸萃取物测得的³¹P NMR谱,定出了各谱峰的归属,观察了用含糖及缺糖培养液培养的肝胵糖类养料的代谢变化,并利用¹³C NMR谱肯定了肝胵体内主要含磷化合物之一的α-甘油磷酰胆碱³¹P NMR谱峰的归属。     

Ultra-low background measurements of decayed aerosol filters

Aerosol samples collected on filter media were analyzed using HPGe detectors employing varying background-reduction techniques in order to experimentally evaluate the opportunity to apply ultra-low background measurement methods to samples collected, for instance, by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty International Monitoring System (IMS). In this way, realistic estimates of the impact of low-background methodology on the sensitivity obtained in systems such as the IMS were assessed. The current detectability requirement of stations in the IMS is 30 μBq/m³ of air for ¹⁴⁰Ba, which would imply ~10⁶ fissions per daily sample. Importantly, this is for a fresh aerosol filter. One week of decay reduces the intrinsic background from radon daughters in the sample allowing much higher sensitivity measurement of relevant isotopes, including ¹³¹I. An experiment was conducted in which decayed filter samples were measured at a variety of underground locations using Ultra-Low Background (ULB) gamma spectroscopy technology. The impacts of the decay and ULB are discussed.     

Completions of partial metrics into value lattices

In this paper we investigate some notions of completion of partial metric spaces, including the bicompletion, the Smyth completion, and a new “spherical completion”. Given an auxiliary relation, we show that it arises from a totally bounded partial metric space, and the spherical completion of such a space is its round ideal completion. We also give an example of a totally bounded partial metric space whose bicompletion and Smyth completion are not continuous posets. Finally, we present an example of a totally bounded partial metric giving rise to the Scott and lower topologies of a continuous poset, but whose spherical completion is not a continuous poset.     

Photochemical generation of dihydrogen complexes of chromium and tungsten

Photolysis of solutions of M(CO)(6) (M = Cr, W) at low temperature in the presence of hydrogen gas affords Cr(CO)(5)(H(2)) (1) and W(CO)(5)(H(2)) (2). Complexes 1 and 2 are characterized as dihydrogen complexes based on short T(1) values for the hydride resonances and the observation of a large HD coupling in the HD derivatives. Irradiation of a phosphine-substituted derivative (PMe(3))Cr(CO)(5) in the presence of hydrogen gas gave similar results. Thus cis-(PMe(3))Cr(CO)(4)(H(2)) (3) and trans-(PMe(3))Cr(CO)(4)(H(2)) (4) were prepared and characterized by (1)H and (31)P NMR spectroscopy. When the photolysis reactions were carried out in methylene chloride, solvent binding competitive with hydrogen binding was observed. This was not observed in less coordinating solvents such as alkanes. Subsequent displacement of solvent by H(2) leads to the dihydrogen complexes. Complexes 1 and 2 are moderately acidic, with deprotonation effected by mild bases.     

Toward beta-amino acid proteins: a cooperatively folded beta-peptide quaternary structure

Folded polymers in nature are assembled from simple monomers and adopt complex folded structures through networks of stabilizing noncovalent interactions. These interactions define secondary and tertiary structure and in most cases specify a unique three-dimensional architecture. Individual secondary or tertiary structures can also associate with one another to form multi-subunit quaternary structures. Nonnatural folded polymers have potential for similar structural versatility. Here we describe a pair of beta3-peptides whose sequences were designed to promote a 14-helix structure in water, favor hetero-oligomer formation, and disfavor nonspecific aggregation. These beta3-peptides assemble noncovalently into a well-defined hetero-oligomer characterized by a defined stoichiometry, a highly stabilized secondary structure, and a cooperative melting transition (TM > 55 degrees C). This work demonstrates that beta3-peptides can assemble into defined, cooperatively folded quaternary structures and constitutes an important step toward designing protein-like assemblies from nonnatural polymers.     

Separation and quantification of N-acetyl-l-cysteine and N-acetyl-cysteine-amide by HPLC with fluorescence detection

N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) is a well-known antioxidant that is capable of facilitating glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis and replenishing intracellular GSH under oxidatively challenging circumstances. N-acetyl-cysteine-amide (NACA), the amide form of NAC, is a newly designed and synthesized thiol-containing compound which is believed to be more lipophilic and permeable through cell membranes than NAC. The metabolic and antioxidant effects of these compounds in vitro and in vivo are under investigation. However, an analytical method that can separate and quantify both compounds simultaneously is not yet available, to the best of our knowledge. Because of their structural similarities, the two compounds are difficult to separate using earlier HPLC methods which were designed for NAC quantification. Therefore, the goal of this work was to develop an HPLC method with fluorescence detection for simultaneous quantification of NAC and NACA in biological blood and tissue samples. A gradient HPLC program with fluorescence detection (lambda(ex) = 330 nm, lambda(em) = 376 nm) using N-(1-pyrenyl)maleimide (NPM) as the derivatizing agent was developed. The calibration curves were linear over a concentration range of 25-5000 nm (r(2) > 0.997). The coefficients of variation for within-run precision and between-run precision ranged from 0.67 to 5.23% and for accuracy ranged from 0.98 to 10.54%; the percentage relative recovery ranged from 94.5 to 102.8%. This new method provides satisfactory separation of NAC and NACA, along with other biological thiols, in 20 min with a 5 nm limit of detection (LOD) per 5 microL injection volume.