Hesseltins B-G, novel meroterpenoids from a new Penicillium species

Six new meroterpenoid compounds, hesseltins B-G, were isolated from Penicillium species along with the previously described hesseltin A. A further 14 compounds, which turned out to be photoisomers, were detected during purification and were subsequently isolated. The structures of these analogues were elucidated by comparison of their NMR spectral data with that of hesseltin A. None of the new hesseltins showed antiviral activity in a Herpes simplex virus type 2 assay.     

Temperature dependence of photoinduced electron transfer within self-associated porphyrin: guanine monophosphate complexes

In the current report, the temperature dependence of photoinduced electron transfer between tetrakis-(4-tetramethylpyridyl)porphine (T4MPyP) and guanine monophosphate (GMP) has been examined. In the presence of GMP the fluorescence lifetime analysis reveals a Lorentzian distribution of lifetimes centered at 0.7 ns with a width of 0.9 ns displaying significant temperature dependence. Fitting temperature dependent data to the Marcus equation gives a reorganizational energy (λ) for the electron transfer reaction of 0.6 eV and an electronic coupling factor (H_AB) of 3×10⁻³ eV. These results suggest conformational regulation of electron transfer within the non-covalent porphyrin:nucleotide complex.     

Radiative decay ofJ/ψ into γ π+ π−

The radiative decayJ/ψ → γ π⁺ π^? has been studied using the 8.6 millionJ/ψ produced in the DM2 experiment at the DCIe ⁺e^? storage rings at Orsay. The π⁺ π^? mass spectrum shows a cleanf ₂ (1270) signal, and the possible presence of two other states at thef ₂ (1720) andf ₄ (2030) masses. For thef ₂ (1270), the branching ratio BR(J/ψ →γf)xBR(f→π⁺ π^?) is measured to be (7.50±0.30±1.12)×10^?4, and the spin analysis prefers theJ=2 assignment, with helicity parametersx=0.83±0.06 andy=0.01±0.06. The existence of higher mass states is discussed.     

Announcing the Burtin graphic contest winners

The graphics contest announced in Volume 23, Issue 4, of CHANCE asked readers to create a display of a 1951 data set on antibiotic effectiveness. The three winners of the contest are Mark Nicolich, Brian Schmotzer, and Dibyojyoti Haldar. The winners’ graphs are different, yet communicate the same information—each compares the antibiotics and bacteria and succinctly summarizes the influence of the gram staining factor.     

Synthesis of crystalline Ge nanoclusters in PE-CVD-deposited SiO2 films

The synthesis of evenly distributed Ge nanoclusters in plasma-enhanced chemical-vapour-deposited (PE-CVD) SiO₂ thin films containing 8 at. % Ge is reported. This is of importance for the application of nanoclusters in semiconductor technology. The average diameter of the Ge nanoclusters can be controlled in the range of 3–6 nm by variation of the annealing parameters. Using a combination of transmission electron microscopy and Raman-scattering spectroscopy, the nanoclusters were shown to be crystalline. However, photoluminescence measurements showed no light emission that could be definitively correlated to the presence of the nanoclusters. PACS 61.82.Rx; 78.67.Bf; 81.07.Bc     

The influence of oxide/nitride surface layers on diffusion in Si and SiGe

The effect of surface capping on the super- and undersaturation of point defects in Si has been investigated by the diffusion of deep (400 nm) and shallow (200 nm) high concentration profiles of boron grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Additional information is extracted from the self-diffusion of Ge in the Si-like Si_0.50Ge_0.50-matrix. The objective is to investigate the injection of vacancies and interstitials from surface or bulk with the aim of obtaining inert diffusion conditions . PACS 61.72.Ji; 66.30.-h; 68.55.Ln; 68.35.Dv; 81.65.-b