Use of D–T-produced fast neutrons for in vivo body composition analysis: a reference method for nutritional assessment in the elderly

Body composition has become the main outcome of many nutritional intervention studies including osteoporosis, malnutrition, obesity, AIDS, and aging. Traditional indirect body composition methods developed with healthy young adults do not apply to the elderly or diseased. Fast neutron activation (for N and P) and neutron inelastic scattering (for C and O) are used to assess in vivo elements characteristic of specific body compartments. Non-bone phosphorus for muscle is measured by the ³¹P(n,)²⁸Al reaction, and nitrogen for protein via the ¹⁴N(n,2n)¹³N fast neutron reaction. Inelastic neutron scattering is used to measure total body carbon and oxygen. Body fat is derived from carbon after correcting for contributions from protein, bone, and glycogen. Carbon-to-oxygen ratio (C/O) is used to measure the distribution of fat and lean tissue in the body and to monitor small changes of lean mass. A sealed, D–T neutron generator is used for the production of fast neutrons. Carbon and oxygen mass and their ratio are measured in vivo at a radiation exposure of less than 0.06 mSv. Gamma-ray spectra are collected using large BGO detectors and analyzed for the 4.43 MeV state of carbon and 6.13 MeV state of oxygen, simultaneously with the irradiation. P and N analysis by delayed fast neutron activation is performed by transferring the patient to a shielded room equipped with an array of NaI(Tl) detectors. A combination of measurements makes possible the assessment of the quality of fat-free mass. The neutron generator system is used to evaluate the efficacy of new treatments, to study mechanisms of lean tissue depletion with aging, and to investigate methods for preserving function and quality of life in the elderly. It is also used as a reference method for the validation of portable instruments of nutritional assessment.     

Synthesis of β-tosylethylhydrazine and its use in preparation of N-protected pyrazoles and 5-aminopyrazoles

β-Tosylethylhydrazine (6) can be prepared efficiently in one step from commercially available p-tolyl vinyl sulfone (7) and hydrazine hydrate. This hydrazine reacts with both 1,3-diketones and conjugated ynones in glacial acetic acid to provide a variety of N-tosylethyl-protected (TSE) pyrazoles in good yields. The TSE group can be removed from the pyrazoles using potassium t-butoxide in THF at −30 °C-rt. In addition, hydrazine 6 condenses with β-ketonitriles and β-aminoacrylonitriles to afford 5-aminopyrazoles, which can be deprotected by brief treatment with NaOEt in EtOH/DMSO at 45 °C.     

Analysis of grid file algorithms

Grid file algorithms were suggested in [12] to provide multi-key access to records in a dynamically growing file. We specify here two algorithms and derive the average sizes of the corresponding directories. We provide an asymptotic analysis. The growth of the indexes appears to be non-linear for uniform distributions:O(v ^c ) orO(v ), wherec=1+b^–1, =1+(s-1)/(sb+1),s is the number of attributes being used,v the file size, andb the page capacity of the system. Finally we give corresponding results for biased distributions and compare transient phases.     

Enantioselective catalytic epoxidation of nonfunctionalized prochiral olefins by dissymmetric chiral Schiff base complexes of Mn(III) and Ru(III) metal ions II

A series of new dissymmetric chiral Schiff base complexes has been obtained by a systematic condensation of (1S,2S)(+)-diaminocyclohexane and 3-acetyl-4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-pyrone with salicylaldehyde, 5-chloro-, 5-methoxy-and 5-nitrosalicylaldehyde and by subsequent metallation with manganese and ruthenium. The characterization of the complexes 1–8 was accomplished by physico chemical studies viz. microanalysis, IR-, UV/VIS-, and CD spectral studies, optical rotation, molar conductance measurements and cyclic voltammetry. Enantioselective epoxidation of non functionalised olefins, viz. cis-stilbene, trans-3-nonene and trans-4-octene with iodosyl benzene as oxidant was demonstrated in the presence of catalytic amounts of chiral Mn(III) and Ru(III) dissymmetric Schiff base complexes. Good optical yields of epoxides were obtained for the catalyst 4 with the substrates trans-3-nonene and cis-stilbene.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 1-substituted-1-(pyridin-2-yl)methylamines by diastereoselective reduction of enantiopure N-p-toluenesulfinyl ketimines

Reduction of enantiopure N-p-toluenesulfinyl ketimines derived from 2-pyridyl ketones affords N-p-toluenesulfinyl amines with good yields and diastereoselectivities.     

Enantiopure Chiral Macrocyclic Lanthanide Complexes Derived from (R)-2,2′-Diamino-1,1′-binaphthyl and 2,6-Diformylpyridine

The template condensation of (R)-2,2′-diamino-1,1′-binaphthyl and 2,6-diformylpyridine leads to lanthanide(III) complexes of the new chiral hexaaza macrocycle L that adopts highly twisted conformation in [LnL](NO₃)₃ complexes. The complexes have been characterised by ESI MS spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. The analogous N₂O₄ chiral crown ether L2 that has the same carbon skeleton as L does not exhibit tendency to bind lanthanide(III) ions. The X-ray crystal structure of L2 exhibit squeezed conformation of the macrocycle and spatial disposition of donor atoms that does not predispose it for coordination of lanthanide(III) ions.     

碳化树脂全孔结构分析

本文阐述了改良的MP法,对含中孔和微孔的碳化树脂,用改良的MP法计算其微孔分布;用模型法计算其中孔分布,两种方法分析的和表示其全部孔结构分析。     

A kinetic study of methane conversion by a dinitrogen microwave plasma

Conversion of CH₄ with a N₂ microwave plasma (2.45 GHz) is studied. The experiments cover the absorbed microwave power range 300–700 W with 17–62% of methane in the gas mixture, with pressures of 10–40 mbar and flow rates of 140–650 ml· min^–1. The yields of C₂ hydrocarbons and dihydrogen are analyzed by gas chromatography. The distance of methane addition downstream of the plasma plays an important role on the composition and the concentration of the products obtained. This distance mainly determines the energy concentrated in the active species of the plasma when they react with methane. Different behaviors for acetylene formation, on the one hand, and for ethane and ethene formation, on the other hand, have been observed, and this finding allows us to propose a kinetic mechanism for the decay of methane and for the formation of C₂ hydrocarbons.     

Design and Synthesis of Glycosylated Aromatic Nitrogen Mustard Derivatives

Antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy(ADEPT) is a new strategy for the treatment of cancer that has arisen in recent twenty years, the main merits of which are that it can improve the selectivity of anticancer drugs and reduce the side effects in remote tissue. In the present study, two prodrugs-glycosylated aromatic nitrogen mustard derivatives were synthesized. Glucose and lactose were converted into glycosyl donors-trichloroacetimidate; the obtained glycosyl donors were glycosylated with p-nitrophenol(glycosyl donors) to form β-glucosyl p-nitrobenzene and β-lactosyl p-nitrobenzene that were protected by acetyl in a stereoselective manner; the two products were reduced by zinc dust and then treated with ethylene oxide, afforded two glycosylated nitrogen mustard derivatives that were protected by acetyl; the last step was to deacetylate and then afforded the two target compounds that could be used as prodrugs of ADEPT for further Anti-tumor research.     

Influence of the Excited States of Atomic Nitrogen N(<Superscript>2</Superscript>D) and N(<Superscript>2</Superscript>P) on the Transport Properties of Nitrogen. Part I: Atomic Nitrogen Properties

In this paper, calculated values of the viscosity and thermal conductivity of atomic nitrogen, taking into account three species (the ground and two excited states), are presented. The calculations, which assume that the temperature dependent probability of occupation of the states is given by the Boltzmann factor, are performed for atmospheric-pressure in the temperature range from 1,000 to 20,000 K. Six collision integrals are used in calculating the transport coefficients and we have introduced new averaged collision integrals where the weight associated at each interacting species pair is the probable collision frequency. The influence of the collision integral values and energy transfer between two different species is studied. These results are compared which those of published theoretical studies.