Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy of HSiBr: exploring the Si-Br bond through quadrupole hyperfine coupling

The 1(01)-0(00) (9-10 GHz) and 2(02)-1(01) (18-19 GHz) rotational transitions of HSi 79Br and HSi 81Br have been measured in a pulsed discharge jet expansion to an experimental uncertainty of approximately 1 kHz using Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. The data have yielded an effective rotational constant, the centrifugal distortion constant Dj, the bromine nuclear quadrupole coupling constants, and the bromine nuclear spin-molecular rotation interaction parameter for both isotopomers. The derived parameters have been compared to their values calculated ab initio, and the nuclear quadrupole coupling tensor has been used to investigate the Si-Br bond, giving a sigma bond ionic character of 0.60, a pi bond character of 0.22, and a total Si-Br ionic character of 0.38. These bond characteristics have been compared to trends in other halosilylenes, silanes, and the analogous carbenes.     

Efficient nonlinear phase shifts due to cascaded second-order processes in a counterpropagating quasi-phase-matched configuration

A counterpropagating quasi-phase-matched configuration is examined that is capable of efficiently producing second-order cascaded nonlinear phase shifts with minimal power lost to the second harmonic. For all-optical switching in a nonlinear Mach-Zehnder interferometer, the calculated minimum input power needed for switching (i.e., to yield a +/-pi/2 phase shift) is 40 times smaller than the power needed in the standard typeI copropagating configuration. The throughput of this counterpropagating device is 96% at the optimum switching point.     

Bioanalysis of dried saliva spot (DSS) samples using detergent-assisted sample extraction with UHPLC-MS/MS detection

Dried saliva spot (DSS) sampling is a non-invasive sample collection technique for bioanalysis that can be potentially implemented at the patient's home. A UHPLC-MS/MS assay was developed using detergent-assisted sample extraction to quantify BMS-927711, a drug candidate in development for the treatment of migraines, in human DSS. By implementing DSS sampling at the patients' home, the bioanalytical sample collection for pharmacokinetic evaluation can be done at the time of the acute migraine attack without the need for clinical visits. DSS samples were prepared by spotting 15 μL of liquid saliva onto regular Whatman FTA™ DMPK-C cards and verified with a UV lamp (at λ 254 nm or 365 nm) during DSS punching. The 4-mm DSS punches in a 96-well plate were sonicated with 200 μL of [¹³C₂, D₄]-BMS-927711 internal standard (IS) solution in 20/80 MeOH/water for 10 min, followed by sonication with 50 μL of 100 mM NH₄OAc with 1.0% Triton-X-100 (as detergent) prior to liquid-liquid extraction with 600 μL EtOAc/Hexane (90:10). UHPLC-MS/MS was performed with an Aquity^® UPLC BEH C18 Column (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.7 μm) on a Triple Quad™ 5500 mass spectrometer. The assay was linear with a concentration range from 2.00 to 1000 ng mL⁻¹ for BMS-927711 in human saliva. The intra- and inter-assay precision was within 8.8% CV, and the accuracy was within ±6.7% Dev of the nominal concentration values. This UHPLC–MS/MS assay has been successfully applied to determine the drug's pharmacokinetics within a clinical study. For the first time, we observed BMS-927711 exposure in human DSS, confirming the suitability of this sampling technique for migraine patients to use at home. Detergent-assisted extraction with Triton-X-100 could be very useful in DSS or other dried matrix spot (DMS) assays to overcome low or inconsistent analyte recovery issues.     

Oxidation of a mustard gas analogue using an aldehyde/O2 system catalyzed by V-doped mesoporous silica

Vanadium-doped mesoporous silica was shown to be an effective heterogeneous catalyst for the oxidation of a mustard gas analogue, 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES), in the presence of an aldehyde and molecular oxygen. The oxidation was shown to involve a radical mechanism, which was indicated by the appearance of an induction period when the reaction occurred in the presence of a free radical scavenger. The reaction was initially selective for the oxidation of CEES to the sulfoxide, CEESO, although oxidation of the sulfoxide to the sulfone occurred once all the CEES had been oxidized. Chemical analysis indicated that V species did not leach from the silica support when the reaction was performed in the fluorinated solvent HFE-7100.     

Deciphering the Selectivity of Bombyx mori Pheromone Binding Protein for Bombykol over Bombykal: A Theoretical Approach

In this article we report calculations dedicated to estimate the selectivity of the Bombyx mori pheromone binding protein towards the two closely related pheromonal components Bombykol and Bombykal. The selectivity is quantified by the binding free‐energy difference, obtained either by the thermodynamic integration or by the MM‐GBSA approach. In the latter, the selectivity is decomposed on a per‐residue basis, which identifies the residues considered crucial for the selectivity of the protein for Bombykol over Bombykal. A discussion on the role of Bombyx mori pheromone binding protein is provided on the basis of these results.     

A study of the influence of impurities when discriminating between the terminal and penultimate copolymerization models

We investigate the effect of the presence of reactive impurities during copolymerization on mathematical model discrimination and determine if impurities adversely affect the model discrimination process, depending on the criteria and response(s) used. Nonlinear mechanistic process models are employed in a multiresponse statistical discrimination scenario. The investigation also considers, via several case studies, the extremely interesting question of whether impurity effects could lead to incorrect choices about the copolymerization mechanism itself (terminal versus penultimate model). The answers to the above questions are that reactive impurities do affect the model discrimination process and, what is more, they may mislead researchers as to the choice of the copolymerization mechanism. The latter unexpected result is further illustrated with experimental data from the literature. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2319–2332, 2000     

High-Order Scheme for a Nonlinear Maxwell System Modelling Kerr Effect

This paper is devoted to the derivation of an efficient numerical scheme for the Kerr–Maxwell system. We begin by studying the 1-D Riemann problem. We obtain a result of existence and uniqueness for large data. Then we develop a high-order Roe solver and exhibit solutions in 1-D and 2-D simulations.     

A quarter of a century after its synthesis and with >200 papers based on its use, `Co(CO3)0.5(OH)·0.11H2O′ proves to be Co6(CO3)2(OH)8·H2O from synchrotron powder diffraction data

The successful attempt to solve the crystal structure of Co(CO₃)_0.5(OH)·0.11H₂O (denoted CCH ), based on synchrotron powder diffraction data, leads to a drastic revision of the chemical formula to Co₆(CO₃)₂(OH)₈·H₂O [hexacobalt(II) bis(carbonate) octahydroxide monohydrate] and to a hexagonal cell instead of the orthorhombic cell suggested previously [Porta et al. (1992). J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans. 88 , 311–319]. This results in a new structure‐type related to malachite involving infinite chains of [CoO₆] octahedra sharing edges along a short c axis, delimiting tunnels having a three‐branched star section. All reports discussing cobalt hydroxycarbonates ( CCH ) without any structural knowledge and especially its topotactic decomposition into Co₃O₄ have, as a result, to be reconsidered.     

Electrochemical Monitoring of the Early Events of Hydrogen Peroxide Production by Mitochondria

Mitochondria consume oxygen in the respiratory chain and convert redox energy into ATP. As a side process, they produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), whose physiological activities are still not understood. However, current analytical methods cannot be used to monitor mitochondrial ROS quantitatively and unambiguously. We have developed electrochemical biosensors based on peroxidase‐redox polymer‐modified electrodes, providing selective detection of H₂O₂ with nanomolar sensitivity, linear response over five concentration decades, and fast response time. The release of H₂O₂ by mitochondria was then monitored under phosphorylating or inhibited respiration conditions. We report the detection of two concomitant regimes of H₂O₂ release: large fluxes (hundreds of nM ) under complex III inhibition, and bursts of a few nM immediately following mitochondria activation. These unprecedented bursts of H₂O₂ are assigned to the role of mitochondria as the hub of redox signaling in cells.