Optical studies of pulsed-laser fragmentation of biliary calculi

The fragmentation of gallstones and kidney stones using pulsed visible laser radiation has recently been demonstrated; however, the fragmentation mechanism is not well understood. The temporal and spectral characteristics of the bright flash of light accompanying fragmentation of gallstones were studied using 0.8 and 360-s-long, 690-nm-wavelength, dye-laser pulses. Time-resolved visible emission spectra show a broad continuum upon which line spectra are superimposed. The continuum emission is due to free-free and free-bound electron transitions indicative of a plasma and the line spectra are due to neutral and ionized calcium. Initiation of this plasma is fluence rather than intensity dependent. A model is proposed in which laser energy is coupled to the plasma, which then impulsively expands, generating intense acoustic transients which fracture the stone.     

On the statistical mechanics of the traveling salesman problem

We consider the statistical mechanics of the traveling salesman problem (TSP) and develop some representations to study it. In one representation the mean field theory has a simple form and brings out some of the essential features of the problem. It shows that the system has spontaneous symmetry breaking at any nonzero temperature. In general the phase progressively changes as one decreases the temperature. At low temperatures the mean field theory solution is very sensitive to any small perturbations, due to the divergence of some local susceptibilities. This critical region extends down to zero temperature. We perform the quenched average for a nonmetric TSP in the second representation and the resulting problem is more complicated than the infinite-range spin-glass problem, suggesting that the free energy landscape may be more complex. The role played by frustration in this problem appears explicitly through the localization property of a random matrix, which resembles the tight binding matrix of an electron in a random lattice.     

Direct dynamics trajectory study of the reaction of formaldehyde cation with D2: vibrational and zero-point energy effects on quasiclassical trajectories

Quasiclassical, direct dynamics trajectories have been used to study the reaction of formaldehyde cation with molecular hydrogen, simulating the conditions in an experimental study of H2CO+ vibrational effects on this reaction. Effects of five different H2CO+ modes were probed, and we also examined different approaches to treating zero-point energy in quasiclassical trajectories. The calculated absolute cross-sections are in excellent agreement with experiments, and the results provide insight into the reaction mechanism, product scattering behavior, and energy disposal, and how they vary with impact parameter and reactant state. The reaction is sharply orientation-dependent, even at high collision energies, and both trajectories and experiment find that H2CO+ vibration inhibits reaction. On the other hand, the trajectories do not reproduce the anomalously strong effect of nu2(+) (the CO stretch). The origin of the discrepancy and approaches for minimizing such problems in quasiclassical trajectories are discussed.     

OPTICAL AND THERMAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NATURAL (Sepia officinalis) MELANIN

Abstract The optical properties and the thermal diffusivity of natural cuttlefish ( Sepia officinalis ) melanin have been measured. The optical absorption and scattering properties of melanin particles were determined at 580 nm and 633 nm, using photometric and photothermal techniques. For the photometric studies, the absorption and the transport scattering coefficients were determined from the measurements of diffuse reflectance and transmittance. The scattering anisotropy was obtained from an additional measurement of the total attenuation coefficient and independently obtained by goniometry. For photothermal studies, pulsed photothermal radiometry was used to deduce the absorption and transport scattering coefficients via a model based on optical diffusion theory. Pulsed photothermal radiometry was also used to provide the thermal diffusivity of solid melanin pressed pellets.     

Multiphoton ionization vibrational state selection of H2O, D2O and HDO

We present a study of single color (2 + 1) resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) of H₂O, D₂O, and HDO via several Rydberg states lying in the energy range from 80 000 to 86 000 cm⁻¹. Photoelectron spectra (PES) show that the corresponding cations can be vibrationally state-selected for most vibrational states. The exception is the bend of H₂O⁺ and HDO⁺, where mixing in the REMPI intermediate level results in weak ion intensity and only 50% state purity.     

The first intermolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation with beta-lactams

The first intermolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation of a variety of aromatic substrates with azetidinones is described. The Friedel-Crafts acylations are performed under very mild conditions, using trifluoromethanesulfonic acid to produce beta-amino aromatic ketones in excellent yields.     

Determination of the fluoride distribution in rabbit bone using instrumental neutron activation analysis

An instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) technique, based on the¹⁹F(n,)²⁰F reaction, has been development for the determination of fluoride in bone. The purpose was to study fluoride distribution in different kinds of bone samples using a rabbit model. The rationale for the study stems from the posible correlation between fluoride in bone and osteoporosis. The sodium concentration in the bone was used to correct the²⁰F peak area for the²³F(n,)²⁰F contribution. Two secondary standards, teflon tape and teflon coated dacron line, were used to quantify fluoride concentration. They proved to be stable and consistent with respect to their fluoride concentration. Bone specimens from 10 sites and two tooth samples were analyzed for fluoride. Fluoride concentration ranged from 305 ppm in the tibia long bone to 585 ppm in the humerus trochanter end and the magnitude of fluoride concentration levels is age depdentent. The detection limit of the fluoride is approximately 5 ppm using a 100 mg bone sample.     

Catalytic synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocycles (a review)

The process of the catalytic synthesis of a number of nitrogenous heterocyclic compounds based on the utilization of reactions involving the amination of oxygen-containing heterocycles, the dehydration cyclization of amino alcohols, the deamination of di- and polyamines, and the intermolecular dehydration cyclization of glycols with diamines have been considered.     

High-resolution single-stranded DNA analysis on 4.5 cm plastic electrophoretic microchannels

Plastic microchannels (4.5 cm long) fabricated from an etched glass master were tested for high-resolution single-stranded DNA analysis. Using replaceable denaturing linear polyacrylamide as sieving matrix, one-color separation of a fragment sizing standard with single-base resolution (R > 0.5) was achieved up to 275 bases. Two-color sizing analysis of four loci short tandem repeat (STR) allelic ladder (CSF1PO, TPOX, TH01, vWA) with single-base resolution (R = 0.62) on TH01 alleles 9.3 (198 bp) and 10 (199 bp) was demonstrated. An average standard deviation of +/- 0.06 bp and +/-0.11 bp in sizing 32 alleles of the CTTv ladder was attained between runs and between channels, respectively. Four-color sequencing separation of a terminator sequencing standard showed a base-calling accuracy of 99.1% out to 320 bases in 13 min.     

Post-column reaction detection of biotin in human plasma ultrafiltrate based on laser-induced fluorescence energy transfer in the far-red spectral region

High performance liquid chromatography followed by post-column reaction detection in the far-red spectral region provides added sensitivity and selectivity. A homogeneous fluorescence energy transfer assay in the competitive mode based on the binding of biotin and streptavidin was developed as an on-line post-column reaction detection system. The labels used for energy transfer were R-Phycoerythrin conjugated to biotin and Cyanine 5 labeled with streptavidin. The energy transfer peak was measured at 670 nm and excitation was achieved using the 488 nm line of an argon ion laser. The biotin concentration in plasma ultrafiltrate ranged from 0.024 to 6.12 ng/mL (n = 6). The precision of the two controls, 0.24 and 2. 44 ng/mL, was found to be 18.70% and 9.92% relative standard deviation respectively. Accuracy was 10.47% and 1.95% difference from spiked, respectively (n = 6). The limit of detection was 21.70 pg/mL (8.90 x 10(-11)M) calculated based on a factor of 2x the standard deviation of the blank (n = 6). The correlation coefficient for the calibration curve was found to be 0.9995. Recovery from plasma ultrafiltrate at 2.44 ng/mL was 103.40% (n = 6). Detection selectivity was indicated by the absence of background fluorescence in six different plasma samples collected from six individual donors. Endogenous levels were detected in two of the six pools of plasma ultrafiltrates.