Shear buckling of infinite plates resting on tensionless elastic foundations

The buckling problem of an infinite thin plate resting on a tensionless Winkler foundation and subjected to shearing loads is investigated. The infinite plate is simplified to a one-dimensional mechanical model by assuming a lateral buckling mode function and a borderline function between contact and non-contact regions. After the governing differential equations for the plate sections in the contact and non-contact regions have been solved, the problem reduces to two nonlinear algebraic equations. Buckling coefficients for plates with simply supported edges and clamped edges are determined for a range of relative foundation stiffness factors. Comparison of the results with existing theory and finite element analyses shows good agreement.     

Module-assisted one-pot synthesis of [18F]SFB for radiolabeling proteins

The need of reliable production of N-succinimidyl 4-[¹⁸F]fluorobenzoate ([¹⁸F]SFB), a versatile ¹⁸F-labeled prosthetic group for protein labeling, has increased dramatically due to the easy availability of proteins or their engineered derivatives for targeted molecular imaging. A module-assisted radiosynthesis of [¹⁸F]SFB was developed using a three-step, one-pot procedure and ethyl 4-(trimethylammonium)benzoate triflate (1) as the starting material. The radiochemical transformations were carried out in a general-purpose, custom-made module and streamlined by an anhydrous deprotection strategy using t-BuOK/DMSO. After HPLC-purification, [¹⁸F]SFB was synthesized in radiochemical yields of 20–30% (n > 10, not decay-corrected) and excellent radiochemical and chemical purities (>98%). The total synthesis and purification time required is ~90 min. Using the purified [¹⁸F]SFB, three ¹⁸F-labeled proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA), chicken egg albumin (CEA) and transferrin, were synthesized in yields of 61.0–79.5%. The ¹⁸F-Annexin V for apoptosis imaging was also produced in 5% radiolabeling yield and >95% radiochemical purity.     

Selectivity of monolithic supports under overloading conditions and their use for separation of human plasma and isolation of low abundance proteins

Human serum albumin (HSA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) represent over 75% of all proteins present in human plasma. These two proteins frequently interfere with detection, determination and purification of low abundance proteins that can be potential biomarkers and biomarker candidates for various diseases. Some low abundance plasma proteins such as clotting factors and inhibitors are also important therapeutic agents. In this paper, the characterization of ion-exchange monolithic supports under overloading conditions was performed by use of sample displacement chromatography (SDC). If these supports were used for separation of human plasma, the composition of bound and eluted proteins in both anion- and cation-exchange mode is dependent on column loading. Under overloading conditions, the weakly bound proteins such as HSA in anion-exchange and IgG in cation-exchange mode are displaced by stronger binding proteins, and this phenomenon was not dependent on column size. Consequently, small monolithic columns with a column volume of 100 and 200 μL are ideal supports for high-throughput screening in order to develop new methods for separation of complex mixtures, and for sample preparation in proteomic technology.     

Is Dark Energy an illusion?

Much evidence has accumulated that within the context of general relativistic Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) cosmology there must exist a new, and gravitationally repulsive, substance in the Universe. The effect of this new type of energy density on the expansion of the Universe is to cause its acceleration, and the name that is given to it is ‘Dark Energy’. To say whether or not Dark Energy really exists, however, requires a definite model for the Universe. That is, to be sure of the existence of Dark Energy, and the cosmological acceleration it causes, we must first be sure of the cosmological model we are using to interpret our observations. This is the subject of the present contribution, which will concentrate on the observational status of the Copernican Principle, which is at the heart of the FRW model. In particular, we will outline recent progress that has been made toward answering the question ‘can the observations usually requiring the existence of Dark Energy be accounted for without introducing any new and exotic types of energy density, if we are prepared to give up some of the assumptions of the standard cosmological model?’, or, alternatively, ‘is Dark Energy an illusion?’.     

Photochromic and fluorescence properties of coumarin fulgimides

Four new fulgimides possessing a fluorescent coumarin unit were synthesized from the corresponding fulgides, and their photochromic as well as fluorescence properties were investigated. The open-ring forms of coumarin fulgimides were found to exhibit fluorescence in the visible region. Upon exposure to UV light, the fulgimides were transformed into the nonfluorescent closed-ring forms, which can be reverted to the initial fluorescent open-ring forms on exposure to visible light. The efficiency of quenching of fluorescence was as high as 95% at the photostationary state of UV irradiation.     

Molecular ion fragmentation and its effects on mass isotopomer abundances of fatty acid methyl esters ionized by electron impact

We have analyzed the isotopomer abundance ratios of an equimolar mixture of nine fatty acid methyl esters (decanoate, undecanoate, laurate, tridecanoate, myristate, pentadecanoate, palmitate, heptadecanoate, and stearate) by selected-ion monitoring gas chromatography/electron impact/mass spectrometry (GC/EI/MS). The abundance of the second lowest m/z isotopomer (IM1) increased disproportionately compared with the abundance of the lowest m/z isotopomer (IM0) as a function of: (1) increasing sample size; (2) decreasing repeller voltage; and (3) decreasing alkyl chain length. We also compared the abundance of the third lowest m/z isotopomer (IM2) and the abundance of the second lowest m/z isotopomer (IM1) of methyl palmitate and [4,4-2H2]methyl palmitate. We observed that the IM2/IM1 for methyl palmitate was significantly lower than IM2/IM1 for [4,4-2H2]methyl palmitate. From these results, as well as a consideration of basic principles of ion chemistry and ion physics, we conclude that gas-phase chemistry, specifically proton (or deuteron) transfer from fragment ions to molecules, is a major contributor to the sample size dependence observed in mass isotopomer abundance measurements of fatty acid methyl esters ionized by EI. Our results and analysis do not support hydrogen abstraction as the reaction mechanism. In addition, we calculate that rearranged molecular ions are unlikely to contribute significantly to intermolecular proton transfer because of their relatively brief lifetime. We also discuss alternative analytical techniques which might improve the precision and accuracy of isotopomer measurements by reducing molecular ion fragmentation.     

Determination of steroids in human plasma using temperature-dependent inclusion chromatography for metabolomic investigations

Clinical and metabolomic investigations of complex human fluids require cost-effective methodologies that can rapidly assess the steroid hormone milieu of individual samples. The efficiency of quantification of many steroids is limited using immunoassays as these methods can only measure a single component of biological samples and are dependent upon the specificity of the antiserum used in the protocol. In this study, we optimised the solid-phase extraction protocol for the extraction of a range of steroids of varied polarity from estetrol to progesterone from human plasma. The final SPE procedure for efficient extraction of steroids was a washing mixture of 5 ml of 30% methanol and an elution solvent of 2 ml of 100% methanol using 0.5 g C-18 cartridges. This protocol resulted in a high recovery rate, ranging from 85.2 to 99.9% for both the internal standard (7,8-dimethoxyflavone) and steroids of interest. We also improved the separation methodology of our previous work using temperature dependent inclusion chromatography with a mobile phase composition of 35% acetonitrile and 12 mM of beta-cyclodextrin at 29 degrees C. Under these conditions most of the fluid components including estetrol were detected in the first 10 min with progesterone appearing at 43 min. This method is simplistic, inexpensive and reproducible with the capabilities of accurate quantification of steroids. Therefore it could have numerous clinical and metabolomic applications.     

Rate constants for hydrogen abstraction reactions of the sulfate radical,SO4−. Alcohols

Rate constants have been determined for the reactions of SO₄^? with a series of alcohols, including hydrated formaldehyde. The SO₄^? radical was produced by the laser-flash photolysis of persulfate, S₂O₈^2?. Rate constants for the reactions of SO₄^? with alcohols range from 1.0 × 10⁷ for methanol to 3.4 × 10⁸ M^?1 s^?1 for 1-octanol. Rate constants for the reactions of SO₄^? with deuterated methanol and ethanol are lower by about a factor of 2.5. For methanol, ethanol, and 2-propanol, the temperature dependence of the rate constant was determined over the range 10–45°C.     

Formation of 1,1-alpha,alpha-glycosidic bonds by intramolecular aglycone delivery. A convergent synthesis of trehalose

[reaction: see text] We report a new synthesis of trehalose analogs that involves the use of intramolecular aglycone delivery for stereoselective formation of the 1,1-alpha,alpha-glycosidic bond. The glycosylation reaction afforded the desired isomer exclusively and in good yield.     

The nonuniformly moving edge dislocation

The motion of an edge dislocation starting from rest and moving thereafter nonuniformly on its slip-plane is analyzed by means of Laplace transforms in space and time, with detailed treatment of the singularities involved. The stress and particle velocities are derived in the form of an integral over the history of the motion in the case of a general motion and in closed form in the special case of a dislocation starting from rest and moving with constant velocity thereafter.