Tandem mass spectrometric strategies for determination of sulfation positions and uronic acid epimerization in chondroitin sulfate oligosaccharides

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is a glycosaminoglycan consisting of repeating (HexA-GalNAc sulfate) disaccharides, the functions of which depend on patterns of sulfation and uronic acid epimerization. The correlation of biological activities with structure requires a strategy to determine the sequences of CS oligosaccharides without the need for total isolation. Tandem mass spectrometry has enabled the development of proteomics, based on CID fragmentation of ions produced from complex mixtures of proteolytic peptides, and has the potential for rapid sequencing of CS and other glycosaminoglycan classes. The most challenging aspects of CS sequencing are to distinguish GalNAc residues sulfated at the 4- versus the 6-position and uronic acid epimers. This work describes the utility of (1) reducing terminal derivatives and (2) control of precursor ion charge state for tandem mass spectrometric strategies for determining GalNAc sulfation positional isomers of CS. The capability of tandem MS to differentiate uronic acid epimers is also shown, providing evidence that complete or nearly complete information on CS covalent structure may be obtained using tandem MS.     

Six new 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones from Agarwood

Six new chromones, 6-methoxy-2-[2-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyllchromone (2), 6,8-dihydroxy-2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone (3), 6-hydroxy-2-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]chromone (4), 6-hydroxy-2-[2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]chromone (5), 7-hydroxy-2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone (6), and 6-hydroxy-7-methoxy-2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone (7) were isolated from the ether extract of agarwood in addition to a known compound, 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone or flidersiachromone (1). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods including UV, IR, and NMR spectral data and comparisons with the calculated values using the hydroxyl and methoxyl substituent increments of the chromone ring.     

A complete characterization for <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-resonant Klein-bottle polyhexes

A hexagonal tessellation K(p, q, t) on Klein bottle, a non-orientable surface with cross-cap number 2, is a finite-sized elemental benzenoid which can be produced from a p × q-parallelogram of hexagonal lattice with usual identifications of sides and with torsion t. Unlike torus, Klein bottle polyhex K(p, q, t) is not transitive except for some degenerated cases. We shall show, however, that K(p, q, t) does not depend on t. Accordingly, criteria for K(p, q, t) to be k-resonant for every positive integer k will be given. Moreover, we shall show that K(3, q, t) of 3-resonance are fully-benzenoid.      

叶绿素a分子在乙醇溶剂中的瞬态吸收研究

The excited state of Chlorophyll a is investigated by femtosecond transient absorption. The transient absorption spectra of Q band and By band of Chlorophyll a in ethanol have been observed. The fast kinetics of Chlorophyll a which exhibit two ultrafast components were also measured. The one is assigned to transient absorption of the inhomogeneously broadened ground state absorption spectrum, while the other is the response of the solvent to the change of the electron configuration in the excited state due to salvation dynamics of the polar solvent molecules. To understand the anisotropy of Chlorophyll a in ethanol, the anisotropy profile was also performed by 405 nm excitation and found that the anisotropy profile is 0.143. The possible combination of θda, θdb and η at excitation of By band has been simulated.     

An approach to analysis of single pier based on the variational principle in multi-layered soil

In this study, a variational approach to the settlement analysis of an axially loaded pier embedded in a multi-layered soil profile is presented. In this method, the soil profile and the embedded pier are divided into a number of sub-layers according to the actual number of soil layers observed in the field. The displacement shape function of each soil layer is given as a product of an exponential equation along the pier depth and the Bessel's solution in the radial direction. The displacement relationship among the layers can be derived through the transformation matrices. One of the major features of this method is that the total number of pier elements is the same as that of soil sub-layers. All the field components, such as the displacement, stress, and strain in the soil, can be calculated by closed-form solutions except that the only unknown variable is the value β which can be determined by iteration techniques. Comparisons were made with the results of finite element analysis and the field observation in pile-loaded tests.     

Optimal dividends in the dual model

The optimal dividend problem proposed by de Finetti [de Finetti, B., 1957. Su un’impostazione alternativa della teoria collettiva del rischio. In: Transactions of the XVth International Congress of Actuaries, vol. 2. pp. 433-443] is to find the dividend-payment strategy that maximizes the expected discounted value of dividends which are paid to the shareholders until the company is ruined or bankrupt. In this paper, it is assumed that the surplus or shareholders’ equity is a Lévy process which is skip-free downwards; such a model might be appropriate for a company that specializes in inventions and discoveries. In this model, the optimal strategy is a barrier strategy. Hence the problem is to determine b^∗, the optimal level of the dividend barrier. A key tool is the method of Laplace transforms. A variety of numerical examples are provided. It is also shown that if the initial surplus is b^∗, the expectation of the discounted dividends until ruin is the present value of a perpetuity with the payment rate being the drift of the surplus process.     

Imaging the reaction dynamics of OH + CD4. 2. Translational energy dependencies

The reaction of OH + CD4 is investigated in a crossed-beam experiment over the collisional energies ranging from reaction threshold of about 5 to 16 kcal/mol. Exploiting a time-sliced ion velocity imaging detection scheme, the coincident information on the two polyatomic product pairs, HOD and CD3, is revealed in a state-correlated manner. The recently discovered vibrational mode-correlation between the two products is found to persist over the full range of collision energies of this study. In addition, the energy dependencies of the correlated cross section, state distribution, and angular distribution are elucidated, providing an unprecedented insight into this important reaction.     

Rotationally selected product pair correlation in F+CD(4)-->DF(nu('))+CD(3)(nu=0,N)

The title reaction was studied in a crossed-beam experiment by imaging of state-selected products. The rotational state selection of the CD(3) products was achieved using (2+1) resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization. The coincident information on the DF coproducts was revealed in a state-resolved manner from time-sliced velocity map images. Significant dependences of both the correlated differential cross sections and the DF vibrational branching ratios on the "tagged" CD(3) rotation states were found. The dynamical implications of one of the major findings are discussed.     

以(真空紫外光+紫外光)-共振加强式多光子游离法侦测交叉分子束之甲基生成物

用(真空紫外光+紫外光)-共振加强式多光子游离法侦测甲基自由基.为证明此法之灵敏度,实验用交叉分子束反应F+CH4(CD4)→HF(DF)+CH3(CD3),其绝对灵敏度可达107/cm3.由所得之光谱,更精确地得到两个里德堡态3d2E″及3d 2A1′之光谱系数.     

Alkaline‐Earth Metal Cations as Structure Building Blocks for Molecular Cages with Entrapment and Controlled Release of Quintuple Ionic Aggregates

Currently, main‐group metal cations are totally neglected as the structure‐building blocks for the self‐assembly of supramolecular coordination metallocages due to the lack of directional bonding. However, here we show that a common Arrhenius acid–base neutralization allows the alkaline‐earth metal cations to act as charged binders, easily connecting two or more highly directional anionic transition‐metal‐based metalloligands to coordination polymers. With a metal salt such as K⁺PF₆^? added during the neutralization, the main‐group metal‐connected skeleton can be templated by the largest yet reported ionic‐aggregate anion, K₂(PF₆)₃^?, formed from KPF₆ in solution, into molecular metallocages, encapsulating the ion. Crystal‐structure details, DFT‐calculation results, and controlled‐release behavior support the presence of K₂(PF₆)₃^? as a guest in the cage. Upon removal of PF₆^? ions, the cage stays intact. Other ions like BF₄^? can be put back in.