A general approach to bosonization

We summarize recent developments in the field of higher dimensional bosonization made by Setlur and collaborators and propose a general formula for the field operator in terms of currents and densities in one dimension using a new ingredient known as a ‘singular complex number’. Using this formalism, we compute the Green function of the homogeneous electron gas in one spatial dimension with short-range interaction leading to the Luttinger liquid and also with long-range interactions that lead to a Wigner crystal whose momentum distribution computed recently exhibits essential singularities. We generalize the formalism to finite temperature by combining with the author’s hydrodynamic approach. The one-particle Green function of this system with essential singularities cannot be easily computed using the traditional approach to bosonization which involves the introduction of momentum cutoffs, hence the more general approach of the present formalism is proposed as a suitable alternative.      

Inhibitor screening of pharmacological chaperones for lysosomal β-glucocerebrosidase by capillary electrophoresis

Pharmacological chaperones (PCs) represent a promising therapeutic strategy for treatment of lysosomal storage disorders based on enhanced stabilization and trafficking of mutant protein upon orthosteric and/or allosteric binding. Herein, we introduce a simple yet reliable enzyme assay using capillary electrophoresis (CE) for inhibitor screening of PCs that target the lysosomal enzyme, β-glucocerebrosidase (GCase). The rate of GCase-catalyzed hydrolysis of the synthetic substrate, 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-d-glucopyranoside was performed using different classes of PCs by CE with UV detection under standardized conditions. The pH and surfactant dependence of inhibitor binding on recombinant GCase activity was also examined. Enzyme inhibition studies were investigated for five putative PCs including isofagomine (IFG), ambroxol, bromhexine, diltiazem, and fluphenazine. IFG was confirmed as a potent competitive inhibitor of recombinant GCase with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC ₅₀ ) of 47.5 ± 0.1 and 4.6 ± 1.4 nM at pH 5.2 and pH 7.2, respectively. In contrast, the four other non-carbohydrate amines were demonstrated to function as mixed-type inhibitors with high micromolar activity at neutral pH relative to acidic pH conditions reflective of the lysosome. CE offers a convenient platform for characterization of PCs as a way to accelerate the clinical translation of previously approved drugs for oral treatment of rare genetic disorders, such as Gaucher disease.     

Studies on preparation of 64Cu using (n,γ) route of reactor production using medium flux research reactor in India

⁶⁴Cu (t_1/2 12.7 h) is a versatile radionuclide owing to its unique decay scheme and exhibits three types of decay electron capture (41%), β⁻ (40%), β⁺ (19%) that is useful in nuclear medicine applications. Different batches of natural copper oxide (CuO) and 99.9% enriched ⁶³CuO targets were irradiated in research reactors at a neutron flux of 6.6 × 10¹² n cm⁻² s⁻¹ for duration of 3 days. Irradiated samples dissolved in hydrochloric acid solution were measured in HPGe-MCA system, the activity of ⁶⁴Cu, co-produced radionuclide impurities and radionuclide purity was determined. Average specific activity of 254 GBq ⁶⁴Cu per g Cu and ~348 GBq ⁶⁴Cu per g Cu was recorded at the end of irradiation from natural and enriched CuO targets, respectively.     

A new diastereoselective intramolecular electroreductive coupling of unsaturated β-ketoesters and β-ketoamides in ionic liquids at a tin cathode

The diastereoselective intramolecular electroreductive coupling of several β-ketoesters and β-ketoamides has been accomplished at a tin cathode in ionic liquids and isopropanol (9:1). The ionic liquids used are 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide [BMIM]Br, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [BMIM]BF₄, 1-methoxyethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoroacetate [MOEMIM]CF₃COO and 1-methoxyethyl-3-methylimidazolium mesylate [MOEMIM]Ms. This methodology offers a clean and green process for the synthesis of functionalized carbocycles in good yields with excellent stereochemical control at three stereogenic centres.     

Nanotube-grafted polyacrylamide hydrogels for electrophoretic protein separation

Multiwalled carbon nanotube-modified polyacrylamide gels have been employed for the electrophoretic separation of proteins. Two approaches are compared in this investigation, one using nanotubes only as fillers inside the gel matrix and the other using nanotubes as catalyst for polymerization of acrylamide. In both the cases, polymerization of acryl-amide/bisacrylamide has been carried out in situ in the presence of nanotubes dispersed in the gel buffer containing monomer and cross-linker. In the former case, initiator and catalyst have been added after ultrasonication of nanotubes in the gel buffer mixture where the nanotubes play the role of filler. On the other hand, the second approach precludes use of catalyst and involves addition of initiator alone during ultrasonication of nanotubes in the gel buffer containing monomer and cross-linker, which leads to the formation of nanotube-grafted gel after 25 min. When nanotubes are used as a catalyst instead of N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine, pore size distribution of the gel matrix and linearity of molecular weight calibration plots are found to be improved. In addition, other issues associated with the use of an external catalyst like handling the moisture-sensitive and corrosive reagent and associated irreproducibility are addressed in this approach.     

Studies on the production feasibility of 64Cu by (n, p) reactions on Zn targets in Dhruva research reactor

⁶⁴Cu is an useful radionuclide for both PET imaging and targeted therapy, as it decays by three different modes, namely, electron capture (41%), ??^? (40%) and positron emission (19%). ⁶⁴Cu is generally produced by ⁶⁴Ni (p, n) reaction in a cyclotron for medical use. High specific activity ??no carrier added?? grade ⁶⁴Cu by ⁶⁴Zn (n, p) route is an alternative for research studies and was hence explored. 10?mg zinc foil target (48.63% in ⁶⁴Zn) was irradiated in the medium flux reactor Dhruva at a thermal neutron flux of ~5.6?×?10¹³ n?cm^?2?s^?1 for 3?days. The irradiated Zn foil was dissolved in 5?mL 10?M HCl and ⁶⁴Cu was separated by anion exchange chromatography (Dowex 1?×?8; 100?C200 mesh) at 3?M HCl conditions. ⁶⁴Cu radioactivity content and its radionuclide purity were ascertained by ??-ray spectrometry using HPGe detector coupled to a 4?K multichannel analyser system. Radiochemical separation yielded a radionuclidic purity of 99.9% ⁶⁴Cu.     

Analysis of native amino acid and peptide enantiomers by high-performance liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mass spectrometry was used for the separation and detection of amino acid and peptide enantiomers. With detection limits as low as 250 pg, 25 amino acids enantiomers were baseline resolved on a Chirobiotic T chiral stationary phase. APCI demonstrated an order of magnitude better sensitivity over electrospray ionization (ESI) for free amino acids and low molecular mass peptides at the high LC flow-rates necessary for rapid analysis. As the peptide chain length increased (peptides with M(r) > or = 300 Da), however, ESI proved to be the more ideal atmospheric pressure ionization source. A mobile phase consisting of 1% (w/w) ammonium trifluoroacetate in methanol and 0.1% (w/w) formic acid in water increased the sensitivity of the APCI method significantly. A step gradient was then used to separate simultaneously all 19 native protein amino acid enantiomers in less than 20 min using extracted ion chromatograms.     

Transforming chiral liquid chromatography methodologies into more sensitive liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry without losing enantioselectivity

LC-electrospray ionization (ESI) MS conditions were optimized for the individual chiral separation of 19 compounds of pharmaceutical interest using the macrocyclic glycopeptide-based chiral stationary phases in both polar organic and reversed-phase modes (RPM). The influence of mobile phase composition and MS additive type on sensitivity was investigated for all classes of compounds tested. Compounds with amine or amide groups were efficiently separated, ionized, and detected with the addition of 0.1% (w/w) ammonium trifluoroacetate to the solvent system in either the reversed-phase or polar organic mode (POM). Macrocyclic glycopeptide coupled column technology was initially used to screen all chiral compounds analyzed. Baseline resolution of enantiomers was then achieved with relatively short retention times and high efficiencies on Chirobiotic T, Chirobiotic V or Chirobiotic R narrow bore chiral stationary phases. The polar organic mode offered better limits of detection (as low as 100 pg/ml) and sensitivity over reversed-phase methods. An optimum flow-rate range of 200-400 microl/min was necessary for sensitive chiral LC-ESI-MS analysis.     

Combining Topological and Steric Constraints for the Preparation of Heteroleptic Copper(I) Complexes

Heteroleptic copper(I) complexes have been prepared from a macrocyclic ligand incorporating a 2,9‐diphenyl‐1,10‐phenanthroline subunit ( M30 ) and two bis‐phosphines, namely bis[(2‐diphenylphosphino)phenyl] ether (POP) and 1,3‐bis(diphenylphosphino)propane (dppp). In both cases, the diphenylphosphino moieties of the PP ligand are too bulky to pass through the 30‐membered ring of M30 during the coordination process, hence the formation of C_2v‐symmetrical pseudo‐rotaxanes is prevented. When POP is used, X‐ray crystal structure analysis shows the formation of a highly distorted [Cu( M30 )(POP)]⁺ complex in which the POP ligand is only partially threaded through the M30 unit. This compound is poorly stable as the Cu^I cation is not in a favorable coordination environment due to steric constraints. By contrast, in the case of dppp, the bis‐phosphine ligand undergoes both steric and topological constraints and adopts a nonchelating coordination mode to generate [Cu₂( M30 )₂(μ‐dppp)](BF₄)₂. This compound exhibits metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer (MLCT) emission characterized by a very large Stokes’ shift (≈200 nm) that is not attributed to a dramatic structural distortion between the ground and the emitting states but to very weak MLCT absorption transitions at longer wavelengths. Accordingly, [Cu₂( M30 )₂(μ‐dppp)](BF₄)₂ shows unusually high luminescence quantum yields for Cu^I complexes, both in solution and in the solid state (0.5 and 7 %, respectively).