Speciation analysis of trace elements in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease with special emphasis on metallothioneins

A speciation analysis of protein-bound elements in the cytosol of human brain was achieved by size exclusion chromatographical separation of the biomolecules and on-line detection of the metal profiles in the eluate by hyphenated inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Post-mortem samples from Alzheimer's disease brains and from brains of a control group were investigated to elucidate changes in the trace element distribution during the pathological process. Special attention was paid to the metallothioneins (MT) - cysteine-rich, metal-binding proteins of low molecular weight, existing in several isoforms. The isoform MT-3 is found especially in the brain and has a growth inhibition function on neurons. The MT peaks were identified in the element profiles. For this purpose, the metal binding capability and the heat stability of MT were taken into consideration. For verification, a comparison with pure MT-3 was carried out and further biochemical and analytical methods were applied to the fractions of the chromatographical run. A comparison between Alzheimer's disease and control brains showed a significant difference concerning the MT-1/-2 and MT-3 metal levels, leading to the assumption that there were oxidative processes having taken place in the Alzheimer's brain samples.     

Synthesis, Structure, and Antimicrobial Activity of Complexes of Pt(II), Pd(II), and Ni(II) with the Condensation Product of 2-(Diphenylphosphino)benzaldehyde and Semioxamazide

Complexes of Pt(II), Pd(II), and Ni(II) with the condensation derivative of 2-(diphenylphosphino)benzaldehyde and semioxamazide were synthesized, characterized, and their antimicrobial activity was evaluated. The ligand and the complexes were characterized by spectroscopic methods with the particular accent on NMR spectral analysis. For the palladium(II) complex, the crystal structure was determined by X-ray analysis. In all the complexes the ligand is coordinated as a tridentate via a P, N, O donor set. The Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes have a square planar geometry, whereas the geometry of the Ni(II) complex is tetrahedral. The ligand showed antibacterial and antifungal activity, which was enhanced upon complexation.     

Delocalization in platinum-alkynyl systems: a metal-bridged organic mixed-valence compound

A complex featuring two triarylamine redox centers bridged by Pt, trans-bis(triethylphosphine)-bis{4-[bis(4-methoxyphenyl)amino]phenylethynyl} platinum(II), has been synthesized as a model system for pi-conjugated Pt-containing polymers. Analysis of the intervalence charge-transfer band displayed by its mixed-valence monocation affords a quantitative assessment of electronic delocalization through the Pt bridge; this is found to be only slightly smaller than that determined for a benzene-bridged analogue. These results are supported by density functional theory calculations, which show that the active orbitals involved in the electron-transfer process in both cases have similar delocalization through the bridging unit.     

Tunable UV radiation at short wavelengths (188–240 nm) generated by sum-frequency mixing in lithium borate

Sum-frequency mixing (₃=₁+₂) of UV laser radiation (₁=266 nm and 213 nm) and tunable coherent infrared light (₂=1.2–2.6 m) in lithium borate (LBO) generates radiation at short wavelengths (₃=188–242 nm). The UV radiation at ₁ is produced by the fourth and fifth harmonic of a pulsed Nd-YAG laser. The infrared light is generated with an optical parametric oscillator of beta barium borate. The phase-matching angle is measured as function of ₃ and compared with calculated values. For UV laser radiation at shorter wavelengths (173 nm₁213 nm) the calculations predict an extension of the tuning range of the sum-frequency generated at ₃ to wavelengths as short as the LBO transmission cutoff at 160 nm.     

LCAO-MO-SCF-CI semi-empirical π-electron calculations on heteroaromatic systems

The electronic spectra and structure for phenol, the three dihydroxybenzene isomers, and - and -naphthol have been calculated using a modification of the Pariser-Parr-Pople method. Core integrals are defined to be essentially independent of geometry and orthogonalized atomic orbitals are used. The electronic transitions considered involve singlet-singlet and triplet-triplet ^* excitations. A limited configuration interaction has been included, involving either single electron excitations or both single and double electron excitations between the two highest occupied and the two lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals. Agreement between calculated and experimental values is good, and calculated values for oscillator strengths are considerably improved when double electron excitations are admitted.

---

Zusammenfassung Die Elektronenspektren und Struktur von Phenol, den drei Isomeren des Dihydroxybenzols und - und -Naphthol wurden mit einer Modifikation der PPP-Methode berechnet. Die Rumpfintegrale werden so definiert, daß sie im wesentlichen unabhängig von der Geometrie sind; es werden orthogonalisierte Atomorbitale benutzt. Die betrachteten Elektronenübergänge enthalten Singulett-Singulett- und Triplett-Triplett- ^*-Übergänge. Es wurde eine begrenzte Konfigurationswechselwirkung eingeschlossen, die nur Einelektronen- oder Ein- und Zweielektronenanregung zwischen den beiden höchsten besetzten und den beiden niedrigsten unbesetzten MO's enthält. Es besteht gute Übereinstimmung von berechneten und experimentellen Daten. Die berechneten Werte für Oszillatorenstärken werden erheblich verbessert, wenn man Zweielektronenanregung einbezieht.

---

Résumé Les spectres électroniques et les structures du phénol, des trois dihydroxybenzènes isomères, de l' et du naphtol ont été calculé pour une variante de la méthode de Pariser-Parr-Pople. Les intégrales de coeur sont définies de manière à être indépendantes de la géométrie et des orbitales atomiques orthogonalisées sont employées. On considère les transitions électroniques ^* singulet-singulet et triplet-triplet. Une interaction de configuration limitée a été effectuée en considérant soit des minoexcitations soit des mono et des diexcitations de la plus haute orbitale occupée aux deux orbitales libres les plus basses. L'accord entre les valeurs calculées et les valeurs expérimentales est bon, et les valeurs calculées des forces oscillatrices sont considérablement améliorées lorsque l'on tient compte des états diexcités.

---

---

This investigation was supported by a National Science Foundation grant, No. GB-4065. Abstracted in part from the Ph. D. thesis of G. W. Pukanic, Duquesne University, 1967.     

Studies of lambert's reaction: The formation of [Mn2(CO)8(μ-AsR2)2] complexes from tertiary arsines and [Mn2(CO)10] at high temperatures

Although very bulky ligands e.g.(o-MeC₆H₄)₃E or (μ-C₁₀H₇)₃E (E = P or As) are inert, the normal photochemical or thermal reaction of tertiary phosphines or arsines, L, with [Mn₂(CO)₁₀] is CO substitution with the formation of [Mn₂(CO)₈(L)₂] derivatives (I). At elevated temperatures some triarylarsines, R₃As, undergo Lambert's reaction with ligand fragmentation to give [Mn₂(CO)₈(μ-AsR₂)₂] complexes (II) (R = Ph, p-MeOC₆H₄, p-FC₆H₄, or p-CIC₆H₄) even though, in the absence of [Mn₂(CO)₁₀] R₃As are stable under the same conditions. Exceptional behaviour is exhibited by (p-Me₂NC₆H₄)_3- As which forms a product of type I; by some HN(C₆H₄)₂AsR which give a product of type II as a result of loss of the non-aryl groups R = PhCH₂, cyclo-C₆H₁₁, or MeO; and by Ph(α-C₁₀H₇₂P which is the only phosphine to form a product of type II, albeit in trace amounts only. The thermal decomposition of a n-butanol solution of [Mn₂(CO)₈(AsPh₃)₂] in a sealed tube gives C₆H₆ and [Mn₂(CO)₈(α-AsPh₂)₂], whilst in an open system in the presence of various tertiary phosphines, L, [Mn(H)(CO)₃(L)₂] are obtained. It is suggested that Lambert's reaction is a thermal fragmentation of [Mn(CO)₄(AsR₃]^* radicals, the first to be recognised. They lose the radical R^* which abstracts hydrogen from the solvent. The resulting [Mn(CO)₄(AsR₂)] moiety dimerises to [Mn₂(CO)_8-(α-AsR₂)₂]. the reaction is facilitated by the stability of the departing radical (e.g. PhCH₂ or MeO) and, as the crowding about As is relieved, by its size (e.g. Ph, cyclo-C₆H₁₁, o-MeC₆H₄, or α-C₁₀H₇). In general, phosphine-substituted radicals [Mn(CO)₄(PR)₃]^* do not undergo this decomposition, probably because the PC bonds are much stronger than AsC.     

Photodissociation of dimethylnitrosamine

Photodissociation of (CH₃)₂N-NO following S₁(nπ^*) ← S₀ excitation yields (CH₃)₂N^? and NO with a quantum yield of 1.03 ± 0.10. These fragments recombine leaving no stable photopioducts. A fraction of NO produced by photolysis is vibrationally excited. The rate of the NO(v = 1) relaxation in collision with (CH₃)₂N-NO, measured by IR fluorescence, is (1.47 ± 0.03) × 10⁴ s^?1 Torr^?1.     

Hyperfine structure in the configuration 4f 115d6s 2 of Er I

Hyperfine constants of low lying levels of the configuration 4f ¹¹5d6s ² in Er I have been measured for the only stable odd isotope,¹⁶⁷Er, using high resolution laseratomic-beam spectroscopy. Hyperfine parameters were evaluated from the experimental data using the effective tensor operator formalism. For this purpose eigenfunctions have been determined from an analysis of the fine structure energies of Er I as well as from ab initio multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock calculations. With the latter method also ab initio hyperfine constants for the levels investigated were evaluated. A comparison of calculated fine structure energies, Landég _J -factors and hyperfine constants with the experimental data allowed a test of the reliability of the fine structure and multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock wavefunctions. Effective nuclear electric quadrupole moments for¹⁶⁷Er have been determined from the experimental hyperfine constants using both calculated relativistic electronic radial integrals and hyperfine parameters for the 4f and 5d electrons in the configuration 4f ¹¹5d6s ² in Er I. From a comparison with the nuclear quadrupole moment measured in the mesic atom Sternheimer shielding factors are calculated. Configuration-interaction contributions to the radial integrals 〈r ^?3〉 _nl ⁰¹ of the 4f and 5d electrons have been determined.