Measurement of cis and trans isomers of vitamin K1 in rat tissues by liquid chromatography with a C30 column

The purpose of this study was to validate a method for measuring vitamin K isomers in rat tissues by liquid chromatography (LC) with fluorescence detection after simple solvent extraction. This method uses separation on a C30 column, followed by zinc reduction and fluorescence measurement (243 nm, excitation; 430 nm, emission) to detect and quantitate vitamin K isomers. We were able to separate cis- and trans-vitamin K1 in methylene chloride extracts of homogenized rat livers and in hexane extracts of rat plasma. Tissue extracts were evaporated and rediluted with tetrahydrofuran-methanol (1 + 1) or methanol before being injected under isocratic conditions onto the LC column. Liver tissue of Fischer 344 rats fed a vitamin K1-containing diet ad libitum contained approximately 20 and 60 ng/g cis- and trans-vitamin K1, respectively. Mean recoveries of vitamin K1 isomers from spiked liver were 92 +/- 11% for cis-vitamin K1 and 106 +/- 5% for trans-vitamin K1. We recovered 96 +/- 8% of trans-vitamin K1 added at 1, 3, and 6 ng/mL to plasma (containing an endogenous level of 4 ng/g) from the same rats; we recovered 112 +/- 5% when trans-vitamin K1 was added to human serum (National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material 968C). This direct method shows significant potential for the selective measurement of vitamin K1 isomers in tissues.     

Control, Computing and Communications: Technologies for the Twenty-First Century Model T

In the early twentieth century, the Model T Ford defined the desirable, affordable automobile, enabled by new technologies in mechanics, materials, and manufacturing. Control, computing, communications, and the underlying software are the technologies that will shape the personal mobility experience of the twenty-first century. While the Model T was self-contained, the external reach of wireless communication technologies will define the boundaries of the twenty-first century automobile, which will be only one component in a large intelligent transportation infrastructure. This paper reviews advances in control for safety, fuel economy and reduction of tailpipe emissions, and new directions in computing, communication and software, including the interaction of the automobile with consumer electronic devices and the intelligent transportation infrastructure     

Parallel coil resonators for time-domain radiofrequency electron paramagnetic resonance imaging of biological objects

Resonators suitable for time-domain electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging at a radiofrequency capable of accommodating experimental animals such as mice are described. Design considerations included B(1) field homogeneity, optimal Q, spectral bandwidth, resonator ring-down, and sensitivity. Typically, a resonator with 25-mm diameter and 25-mm length was constructed by coupling 11 single loops in parallel with a separation of 2.5 mm. To minimize the resonator ring-down time and provide the necessary spectral bandwidth for in vivo imaging experiments, the Q was reduced predominantly by overcoupling. Capacitative coupling was utilized to minimize microphonic effects. The B(1) field in the resonator was mapped both radially and axially and found to be uniform and adequate for imaging studies. Imaging studies with phantom objects containing a narrow-line spin probe as well as in vivo objects administered with the spin probe show the suitability of these resonators for valid reproduction of the spin probe distribution in three dimensions. The fabrication of such resonators is simple and can be scaled up with relative ease to accommodate larger objects as well.     

Magnetic Relaxation in Nano-Phase Chromium Substituted Goethite

The magnetic and crystalline properties of chromium substituted goethite, -Fe_(1–x)Cr_(x)OOH (where x=0.00, 1.44, 3.00, 7.00, 10.14 wt.%) were studied using Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Transmission electron microscopy measurements showed that as the chromium concentration increased from 0 to 10.14 wt.%, the particle size decreased rapidly from 200 to 10 nm. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that no lattice strain was present, even for chromium concentrations as high as 10.14 wt.%. Mössbauer spectra recorded at 300 K showed the presence of superparamagnetic relaxation in each sample. The relative area of the doublet component decreased, while that of the sextet component increased as the temperature decreased from 300 to 77 K. The mean hyperfine field measured at 77 K decreased from 49.6 T for the pure goethite to 44.9 T for the 10.14 wt.% chromium substitution. This decrease in the hyperfine field was attributed to both decreasing particle size and increasing chromium concentration.     

A Mössbauer Study on Gray Stains in Electrogalvanized Steel

Transmission Mössbauer Spectroscopy (TMS) and Conversion Electron Mössbauer Spectroscopy (CEMS), together with X-ray diffraction (XRD) are applied to identify the origin of stain defects formed on one-side zinc-coated steel used in the automotive industry. The stained sheets were directly exposed to CEMS meanwhile absorbers for TMS were obtained by tape, scrapping, paper and ultrasound bath. Measurements, both by TMS and CEMS, show the presence of the -Fe signal in all the cases. CEMS measurements also indicate that a Mössbauer inactive coating covers the stained areas. Fe₃C and Fe–C signals, as minor ones, appear only when the absorber is prepared by paper. Results show that the stains are not due to a corrosion process and therefore the corrosion performance of the steel should not be affected by the presence of the stains over the non plated side. An incomplete cleaning of the oil used to protect the steel before entering the electrogalvanizing line would have produced the stains.     

Coupled-channels study of projectile and target excitation in the scattering of 6Li from 12C and 16O

Coupled-channels calculations are presented tor elastic and inelastic ⁶Li + ¹²C scattering at E_c.m. = 16 MeV and 20 MeV, and for ⁶Li + ¹⁶O at 18.7 MeV. Excitation of states within ⁶Li, ¹²C and ¹⁶O are treated with rotational, rotation-vibration and vibrational models only. The 3⁺⁶Li and 2⁺¹²C states are strongly coupled to the elastic scattering and reduce the strengths of both the real and imaginary potentials. The 3^?16O state reduces only the strength of the imaginary potential. All other states are weakly coupled and have little effect on each other or the potential. The data are reasonably well described, with there being some preference for the 3^? state in ¹²C to be K = 0. Excitation of the 0₂⁺ state in ¹²C requires a combination of β-vibration and monopole breathing-mode form factors. The deformation lengths found are in poor agreement with those deduced from electron or proton scattering.     

Direct observations of the decay of beauty particles into charm particles

The associated production of a pair of beauty particles B^? and $\text{B}{}^0$ by a 350 GeV π^? interaction has been observed in an emulsion target inserted in an array of silicon microstrip detectors. Both beauty particles decay into charm particles, both of which are also observed to decay in the emulsion. Two negative muons were identified and their momenta measured in a large muon spectrometer. One muon has a p_T of 1.9 GeV/c and is associated with a beauty particle decay. The other, with a p_T of 0.45 GeV/c is associated with a charm particle decay. The flight times of the two beauty particles are respectively (0.8 ± 0.1) × 10^?13 s and (5⁺²_?1) × 10^?13 s. Alternative interpretations of this event have negligible probability.     

Maximum Entropy Reconstruction Methods in Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) is a spectroscopic technique that detects and characterizes molecules with unpaired electrons (i.e., free radicals). Unlike the closely related nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, EPR is still under development as an imaging modality. Athough a number of physical factors have hindered its development, EPR's potential is quite promising in a number of important application areas, including in vivo oximetry. EPR images are generally reconstructed using a tomographic imaging technique, of which filtered backprojection (FBP) is the most commonly used. We apply two iterative methods for maximum-entropy image reconstruction in EPR. The first is the multiplicative algebraic reconstruction technique (MART), a well-known row-action method. We propose a second method, known as LSEnt (least-squares entropy), that maximizes entropy and performs regularization by maintaining a desired distance from the measurements. LSEnt is in part motivated by the barrier method of interior-point programming. We present studies in which images of two physical phantoms, reconstructed using FBP, MART, and LSEnt, are compared. The images reconstructed using MART and LSEnt have lower variance, better contrast recovery, subjectively better resolution, and reduced streaking artifact than those reconstructed using FBP. These results suggest that maximum-entropy reconstruction methods (particularly the more flexible LSEnt) may be critical in overcoming some of the physical challenges of EPR imaging.     

Centrifugal distortion effects in the microwave spectrum of methylene cyanide

The rotational spectrum of methylene cyanide has been measured up to J = 62 and a total of 82 b-type transitions have been obtained. These data have been analyzed with a semirigid rotor Hamiltonian to give accurate rotational and centrifugal distortion constants. The rotational constants are (in MHz) $\text{A}$ = 20882.7537 ≠ 0.017, $\text{B}$ = 2942.3003. ≠ 0.0031, $\text{C}$ = 2616.7225 ≠ 0.0031 The quartic centrifugal distortion constants are (in MHz)

$\text{Δ}{}_{\mathrm{J}}\text{(1.855455 ≠ 0.014) x 10}{}^{\mathrm{?3}}\text{Δ}{}_{\mathrm{JK}}\text{= (?6.79218 ≠ 0.027) x 10}{}^{\mathrm{?2}}$

$\text{Δ}{}_{\mathrm{K}}\text{(8.621628 ≠ 0.013) x 10}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}\text{δ}{}_{\mathrm{J}}\text{= (4.892607 ≠ 0.016) x 10}{}^{\mathrm{?4}}$

$\text{δ}{}_{\mathrm{K}}\text{= (6.7501 ≠ 0.29) x 10}{}^{\mathrm{?3}}$

The uncertainties are twice the standard deviations in the constants obtained from the least squares analysis, and represent approximately 95% confidence limits.