Fourier transform infrared spectrum of thioketene,CH2CS

The FTIR spectrum of the unstable species thioketene, CH₂CS, has been detected in a vapor-phase flow pyrolysis system. The region 800–3500 cm^?1 has been surveyed with a resolution of 1 cm^?1, enabling the frequencies of the six fundamentals which lie above 800 cm^?1 to be determined. Certain bands have been studied under very high resolution and the results of the analyses of the perpendicular bands ν₇ and ν₃ + ν₈, observed with a resolution of 0.01 and 0.005 cm^?1 respectively, are presented. The ground state constant, A₀, is determined as 286 453.60(58) cm^?1.     

Equilibrium O2 distribution in the Zn2+-protoporphyrin IX deoxymyoglobin mimic: application to oxygen migration pathway analysis

Proton spin relaxation induced by the triplet ground state of O(2) in the zinc-containing diamagnetic analogue of sperm whale deoxymyoglobin has been measured as a function of oxygen concentration. As no covalent binding of oxygen to the metal occurs in the zinc species, the relaxation effects of O(2) on the protein (1)H resonances arise exclusively via much weaker noncovalent interactions. The relaxation effects at the amide proton sites are found to be highly localized and are derived almost exclusively from O(2) binding at the four previously identified xenon binding sites. Relative binding constants of 1.0, 0.08, 0.07, and 0.23 were determined for the Xe 1, Xe 2, Xe 3, and Xe 4 sites, respectively. In combination with earlier measurements of the kinetics of the heme binding of oxygen, these equilibria measurements enable a more detailed analysis of models characterizing O(2) entry and egress. A correlation is established between the fraction of O(2) which enters the Fe(2+)-binding site via rotation of the distal histidine side chain (so-called "histidine gate") and the experimentally observable O(2) (or CO) lifetime in the Xe 1 site. A physiological role for these secondary oxygen binding sites is proposed in enhancing the efficiency of the O(2) association reaction by rendering more favorable its competition with water binding in the distal heme pocket.     

Red Blood Cells Polarize Green Laser Light Revealing Hemoglobin′s Enhanced Non‐Fundamental Raman Modes

In general, the first overtone modes produce weak bands that appear at approximately twice the wavenumber value of the fundamental transitions in vibrational spectra. Here, we report the existence of a series of enhanced non‐fundamental bands in resonance Raman (RR) spectra recorded for hemoglobin (Hb) inside the highly concentrated heme environment of the red blood cell (RBC) by exciting with a 514.5 nm laser line. Such bands are most intense when detecting parallel‐polarized light. The enhancement is explained through excitonic theory invoking a type C scattering mechanism and bands have been assigned to overtone and combination bands based on symmetry arguments and polarization measurements. By using malaria diagnosis as an example, we demonstrate that combining the non‐fundamental and fundamental regions of the RR spectrum improves the sensitivity and diagnostic capability of the technique. The discovery will have considerable implications for the ongoing development of Raman spectroscopy for blood disease diagnoses and monitoring heme perturbation in response to environmental stimuli.     

Near-field diffraction in a two-dimensional V-groove and its role in SERS

Optical field distribution in micro-nano geometries of miniaturized optical devices is often significantly different from that in identical but macroscopic geometries. Plasmon effects and near-field diffraction can enhance the local field intensity, leading to enhanced cross section for light absorption and scattering, which can be utilized in substrate-enhanced spectroscopies for the detection of trace amounts of adsorbed chemicals. A specific problem is an ingenious but only empirically described way to enhance signal intensity in Raman spectroscopy by the use of a substrate patterned with gold coated micron size pyramidal pits. While Raman enhancement on nanostructured substrates is generally attributed to surface plasmons, here the micron size, and thus the sub-wavelength to near-wavelength dimensions suggest that resonant enhancement emanating from optical near-field diffraction might also play a role. To answer this question, light diffraction in a projection of the pyramidal pit: a V-groove, was modelled with a modified Neerhoff-Mur formalism suitable to calculate electromagnetic field distribution in sub-wavelength structures. Under the boundary conditions a perfect conductor screen was assumed, which excludes plasmon effects. The calculations show that interference in the cavity causes a modest resonant increase in local intensity and that near-field diffraction strongly influences the field distribution, which is explained with the electrodynamic edge effect. The magnitude of the resonant electric field on its own cannot account for the experimentally observed Raman enhancement. However, a resonant enhancement of a similar magnitude is expected for the emitted Stokes frequencies. In this case the geometry implements the conditions for the classical electromagnetic Raman enhancement, ~E(4), in a good agreement with experimental results.     

Asynchronous magnetic bead rotation (AMBR) biosensor in microfluidic droplets for rapid bacterial growth and susceptibility measurements

Inappropriate antibiotic use is a major factor contributing to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. The long turnaround time (over 24 hours) required for clinical antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) often results in patients being prescribed empiric therapies, which may be inadequate, inappropriate, or overly broad-spectrum. A reduction in the AST time may enable more appropriate therapies to be prescribed earlier. Here we report on a new diagnostic asynchronous magnetic bead rotation (AMBR) biosensor droplet microfluidic platform that enables single cell and small cell population growth measurements for applications aimed at rapid AST. We demonstrate the ability to rapidly measure bacterial growth, susceptibility, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of a small uropathogenic Escherichia coli population that was confined in microfluidic droplets and exposed to concentrations above and below the MIC of gentamicin. Growth was observed below the MIC, and no growth was observed above the MIC. A 52% change in the sensor signal (i.e. rotational period) was observed within 15 minutes, thus allowing AST measurements to be performed potentially within minutes.     

A comparison of predicted and experimental vibrational spectra in some small fluorocarbons

The vibrational assignments of difluoromethane, cis and trans 1,2-difluoroethylene, trifluoroethylene, 2-fluoropropene, 1,1-difluoroethylene, and tetrafluoroethylene have been reassessed in the light of recent theoretical work. Inconsistent experimental wave number values and assignments have been clarified, and some changes to the experimental assignments are proposed. The assignments compare favorably with recent scaled density functional theory calculations using the hybrid three-parameter B3-PW91 density functional.     

The thermal decomposition of transition-metal complexes containing heterocyclic ligands: I. Benzothiazole complexes

Enthalpies of the decomposition reactions MX₂L₂(c)→MX₂(c) + 2L (g), where M is Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, or Cd, X is Cl and/or Br, and L is benzothiazole or 2-methyl-benzothiazole have been measured by use of a differential scanning calorimeter. Specific heats and enthalpies of sublimation of some of the complexes have been obtained.     

Sequential Injection/Mid-Infrared Spectroscopic Analysis of an Acetone‐Butanol‐Ethanol Fermentation: Analyte Cross‐Correlation Effects

Mid‐infrared spectroscopy together with sequential injection analysis (SIA) and partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis was used to monitor acetone‐butanol‐ethanol (ABE) fermentations under different fermentation conditions. Five analytes were simultaneously predicted (acetone, acetate, butyrate, n‐butanol, and glucose). In order to compare the overall model prediction ability, a relative average of the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) across all five analytes was employed. To form a PLS model devoid of any cross‐correlations between analytes, a synthetic calibration data set was created by the SIA system. As a test of their robustness, PLS models from synthetic samples and those from real fermentation samples were compared and used to predict samples from the opposite data set and from independent “acid‐crash” fermentations. The PLS model developed from the synthetic samples proved to be far more robust and accurate and used fewer factors than PLS models from the real fermentations, which were found to contain analyte cross‐correlations. The use of synthetic data enabled more accurate selection of factors and showed the importance of investigating spectral regression coefficients plots to aid and confirm appropriate factor selection. In addition, an alternative method of factor selection was proposed, using a “similarity measure” between the regression coefficient plots of factors for certain analytes and their standard spectra. Predictions using this method of factor selection over the common “minimum from an error vs. factor” plot proved to be more accurate and used far fewer factors.     

Methods for identifying and characterizing interactions involving RNA

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