Determination of some hydroxycholesterols in human serum samples

The simultaneous determination of some hydroxycholesterols in human serum samples is described. The procedure is based on hydrolysis and extraction of these compounds in serum samples, followed by removal of especially cholesterol (making use of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography) and derivatization of the purified compounds to their trimethylsilyl ethers and subsequent gas chromatography using flame ionization detection. Serum levels of 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterol, 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol and 26-hydroxycholesterol were determined in several groups of patients: normals, untreated patients suffering from cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis, patients suffering from cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis and treated with either chenodeoxycholic acid or cholic acid in an effective dose, patients suffering from cerebro-hepato-renal syndrome, patients suffering from hypercholesterolemia and treated with cholestyramine for prolonged periods and one patient presumed to be suffering from an inborn error of metabolism in bile acid synthesis. It can be concluded that the 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterol concentration in serum is a good parameter for establishing disorders involving the metabolic conversion of 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterol towards bile acids. In addition, 26-hydroxycholesterol levels in patients suffering from cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis are beyond detectable limits, even during treatment with bile acids in an effective dose, whereas in all other conditions this compound is substantially present.     

Construction of spiro[5.5]undecanes containing a quaternary carbon atom adjacent to a spirocentre via an Ireland ester Claisen rearrangement and RCM reaction sequence. Total syntheses of (±)-α-chamigrene, (±)-β-chamigrene and (±)-laurencenone C

Starting from cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, a combination of an Ireland ester Claisen rearrangement and RCM reactions was exploited for an efficient construction of spiro[5.5]undecanes containing a quaternary carbon atom adjacent to the spirocentre and the methodology was extended to complete total syntheses of three chamigrenes.     

Ion synthesis and laser annealing of Cu nanoparticles in Al2O3

Al₂O₃ samples with Cu nanoparticles, synthesised by ion implantation at 40 keV with a dose of 1×10¹⁷ ion/cm² and a current density from 2.5 to 12.5 μA/cm², were annealed using ten pulses from a KrF excimer laser with a single pulse fluence of 0.3 J/cm². The copper depth distribution, formation and modification of metal nanoparticles under the ion implantation and laser treatment were studied by Rutherford backscattering (RBS), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical spectroscopy. It was found that laser annealing leads to a reduction in the nanoparticle size without diffusion of metal atoms into the bulk. The change in particle size and the possibility for oxidation of the copper particles are examined in the framework of Mie theory. Calculations presented show that under excimer laser treatment, Cu nanoparticles are more likely to be reduced in size than to undergo oxidation. Received: 19 April 2001 / Accepted: 7 November 2001 / Published online: 23 January 2002     

Properties of isolated DNA bases, base pairs and nucleosides examined by laser spectroscopy

The vibronic spectra of laser desorbed and jet cooled guanine (G) adenine (A), and cytosine (C) consist of bands from four, two and two major tautomers respectively, as revealed by UV-UV and IR-UV double resonance spectroscopy. The vibronic spectrum of adenine around 277 nm consists of weak nπ^* and strong ππ^* transitions, based on IR-UV and deuteration experiments. Precise ionization potentials of G and A were determined with 2-color, 2-photon ionization. We also measured vibronic and IR spectra of several base pairs. GC exhibits a HNH ^... OH/NH ^... N/C=O ^... HNH bonding similar to the Watson-Crick GC base pair but with C as enol tautomer. One GG isomer exhibits non-symmetric hydrogen bonding with HNH ^... N/NH ^... N/C=O ^... HNH interactions. A second observed GG isomer has a symmetrical hydrogen bond arrangement with C=O ^... NH/NH ^... O=C bonding. Two CC isomers were observed with symmetrical C=O ^... NH/NH ^... O=C bonding and nonsymmetrical C=O ^... HNH/NH ^... N interaction, respectively. Guanosine (Gs), 2-DeoxyGs und 3-DeoxyGs each exhibit only one isomer in the investigated wavelength range around 290 nm with a strong intramolecular sugar(5-OH) ^... enolguanine(3-N) hydrogen bond. Received 16 June 2002 / Received in final form 15 July 2002 Published online 13 September 2002     

Pomeron-Odderon interference effects in electroproduction of two pions

We study Pomeron-Odderon interference effects giving rise to charge and single-spin asymmetries in diffractive electroproduction of a pair. We calculate these asymmetries, originating from both longitudinal and transverse polarizations of the virtual photon, in the framework of QCD and in the Born approximation, in a kinematical domain accessible to HERA experiments. We predict a sizable charge asymmetry with a characteristic dependence on the invariant mass of the pair, which makes this observable very important for establishing the magnitude of the Odderon exchange in hard processes. The single-spin asymmetry turns out to be rather small. We briefly discuss future improvements of our calculations and their possible effects on the results. Received: 18 July 2002 / Published online: 25 October 2002     

Traces on Noncommutative Homogeneous Spaces

We study properties of C*-algebraic deformations of homogeneous spaces G/Γ which are equivariant in the sense that they preserve the natural action of G by left translation. The center is shown to be isomorphic to C(G/G⁰_ρ) for a certain subgroup G⁰_ρ of G, and there is a 1-1 correspondence between normalised traces and probability measures on G/G⁰_ρ. This makes it possible to represent the deformed algebra as operators over L²(G/Γ). Applications to K-theory are also mentioned.     

Combined confocal and magnetic resonance microscopy

Confocal fluorescence optical microscopy and magnetic resonance microscopy are each used to study live cells in a minimally invasive way. Both techniques provide complementary information. Therefore, by examining cells simultaneously with both methodologies, more detailed information is obtained than is possible with each microscope individually. In this paper two configurations of a combined confocal and magnetic resonance microscope are described. The first configuration is capable of studying large single cells or three-dimensional cell agglomerates, whereas the second configuration is designed for the investigation of monolayers of mammalian cells. In both cases the sample compartment is part of a temperature regulated perfusion system. Images obtained with the combined system are shown forXenopus laevis oocytes, model JB6 tumor spheroids, and a single layer of Chinese hamster ovary cells. Finally, potential applications of the combined microscope are discussed.