Aggregation behavior of tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin in AOT/water/decane microemulsions

AOT/water/decane microemulsions have been used to entrap the water-soluble 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TPPS4). Quasi-elastic light scattering technique has confirmed the confinement of the porphyrin and its various aggregates into the inner water pool. Various species have been detected as function of the size of the microemulsions, concentration of the porphyrin, pH, and aging of the solutions by using a combination of UV-vis absorption, steady fluorescence emission, fluorescence lifetime measurements, and time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy. Under neutral pH conditions, the porphyrin is present as the free base monomer (S414) in the inner water compartment, and it is free to rotate when the size of the droplet is large enough and the porphyrin concentration is low. On increasing the concentration and/or decreasing the microemulsion size, a H-dimer of the free base (S406) is prevalently formed. Aging both the S414 and S406 species leads to the formation of a new species (S424), which has been postulated as a H-type dimer of the diacid porphyrin. On decreasing the pH, the species S414 and S406 almost instantaneously convert into the diacid porphyrin, which is monomeric (S434). This latter is an intermediate in the eventual formation of J-aggregated TPPS4 (S490). A marked stability has been observed for the S424 species, which do not interconvert on changing the pH of the bulk aqueous phase.     

Microfluidic sensor based on integrated optical hollow waveguides

A simple integrated optical refractometric sensor based on hollow-core antiresonant reflecting optical waveguides is proposed. The sensor uses the antiresonant reflecting guidance mechanism and permits one to measure the refractive index of a liquid filling the core by simply monitoring the transmitted spectrum. The device has been made with standard silicon technology, and the experimental results confirm numerical simulations performed in one- and two-dimensional geometry. The sensor exhibits a linear response over a wide measurement range (1.3330-1.4450) and a resolution of 9 x 10(-4) and requires a small analyte volume.     

Superoxide dismutase targets NO from GSNO to Cysbeta93 of oxyhemoglobin in concentrated but not dilute solutions of the protein

The role of hemoglobin (Hb) in transmitting the vasodilatory property of NO throughout the vascular system is of much current interest. NO exchange between Hb and low-molecular-weight nitrosothiols such as S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) has been speculated and reported in vitro. Previously, we reported that NO delivery from GSNO to Cysbeta93 of human oxyHb is prevented in the presence of the Cu chelators, neocuproine, and DTPA.(1) In the present work, 5 mM solutions of commercial human Hb were found by ICP-MS to contain approximately 20 microM Cu and Zn, suggesting the presence of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), which was confirmed by Western blotting. SOD activity measurements were consistent with the presence of approximately 20 microM CuZnSOD monomer in 5 mM Hb solutions, which is the physiological concentrations of these proteins in the red blood cell. Incubation of 3.75 mM oxyHb (15 mM heme; 7.5 mM Cysbeta93) with 3.75 or 7.5 mM GSNO gave rise to 50% or 100% S-nitrosation, respectively, of Cysbeta93 as monitored by FTIR nu(SH) absorption, whereas excess GSNO over Cysbeta93 converted oxyHb to metHb due to the reaction, oxyHb + NO<==>metHb + NO(3)(-). Removal of CuZnSOD by anion-exchange chromatography yielded an oxyHb sample that was unreactive toward GSNO, and replacement with bovine CuZnSOD restored reactivity. Addition of 1 microM GSNO (Cysbeta93/GSNO = 1) to solutions diluted 10(4)-fold from physiological concentrations of oxyHb and CuZnSOD resulted largely in metHb formation. Thus, this work reports the following key findings: CuZnSOD is an efficient catalyst of NO transfer between GSNO and Cysbeta93 of oxyHb; metHb is not detected in oxyHb/GSNO incubates containing close to the physiological concentration (5 mM) of Hb and CuZnSOD when the Cysbeta93/GSNO molar ratio is 0.5 to 1.0, but metHb is detected when the total Hb concentration is low micromolar. These results suggest that erythrocyte CuZnSOD may play a critical role in preserving the biological activity of NO by targeting it from GSNO to Cysbeta93 of oxyHb rather than to its oxyheme.     

Experimental results on neutrino-electron scattering

A determination of sin² θ _w based on measurements of elastic scattering of muon-neutrinos and muon-anti-neutrinos on atomic electrons is described. These purely leptonic processes were studied using the CHARM calorimeter exposed to neutrino and antineutrino wide-band beams at the CERN super proton synchrotron. A total of 83±16 neutrino-electron and 112±21 antineutrino-electron events have been detected. From the measurement of the ratio of muon-neutrino and muon-antineutrino cross-sections a value of sin² θ _w =0.211±0.037 was obtained.     

Untersuchung von Schokolade, Marzipan, Zucker, Fruchtsaft, Marmelade, Gelee usw

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Untersuchung von Fetten und ?len.

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Balancing-compensation system for the vertically moving elements of the machine tools with numerical control

The main topic consists of enhancing the geometrical and positioning accuracy of the machine tools with numerical control. Currently, in order to minimize the errors met during the vertical motions of the moving elements in the structure of a machine tool, various systems are used that are relatively complex and whose adjustments are difficult to do. This work is presenting a balancing–compensation system of the elements moving vertically that includes three invention patents; it has a simple structure that is easily adaptable to various types of machine tools. The newness element of the balancing-compensation system is represented by the pressure regulator being used, whose operation principle and design is described into detail. The related results have been reified in increasing by approximately 10 times the geometrical accuracy and, by default, the positioning accuracy of the element moving in a vertical plane.