Enhancing signal-to-noise ratio and resolution in low-field NMR relaxation measurements using post-acquisition digital filters

The traditional way to enhance signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals is to increase the number of scans. However, this procedure increases the measuring time that can be prohibitive for some applications. Therefore, we have tested the use of several post-acquisition digital filters to enhance SNR up to one order of magnitude in time domain NMR (TD-NMR) relaxation measurements. The procedures were studied using continuous wave free precession (CWFP-T₁) signals, acquired with very low flip angles that contain six times more noise than the Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill (CPMG) signal of the same sample and experimental time. Linear (LI) and logarithmic (LO) data compression, low-pass infinity impulse response (LP), Savitzky–Golay (SG), and wavelet transform (WA) post-acquisition filters enhanced the SNR of the CWFP-T₁ signals by at least six times. The best filters were LO, SG, and WA that have high enhancement in SNR without significant distortions in the ILT relaxation distribution data. Therefore, it was demonstrated that these post-acquisition digital filters could be a useful way to denoise CWFP-T₁, as well as CPMG noisy signals, and consequently reducing the experimental time. It was also demonstrated that filtered CWFP-T₁ method has the potential to be a rapid and nondestructive method to measure fat content in beef and certainly in other meat samples.     

Organotellurides as a source of organometallics: application in the synthesis of (+/−)-frontalin

A masked lithium homoenolate, generated by tellurium/lithium exchange, was reacted with epoxides. The lithium compound was also converted into other organometallics such as Grignard, and cuprates and the reactivity of those organometallics with epoxides was evaluated. The same building block was employed in the synthesis of (+/−)-frontalin.     

Heisenberg-limited Measurements and Sub-Planck Structures in Phase Space

It is shown how sub-Planck phase-space structures can be used to achieve Heisenberg-limited sensitivity in weak force measurements. Nonclassical states of harmonic oscillators, such as superpositions of coherent states, are shown to be useful for the measurement of weak forces that cause translations or rotations in phase space, which is done by entangling the quantum oscillator with a two-level system. This method is closely related to the Loschmidt echo techniques employed in nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. Implementations of this strategy in cavity QED and ion traps are described.     

Affine Arithmetic: Concepts and Applications

Affine arithmetic is a model for self-validated numerical computation that keeps track of first-order correlations between computed and input quantities. We explain the main concepts in affine arithmetic and how it handles the dependency problem in standard interval arithmetic. We also describe some of its applications.     

Synthesis of optically active 6-substituted 2-(aminomethyl)chromans

Three novel, optically active, 6-substituted 2-(aminomethyl)chromans were synthesized from readily available chroman 2-carboxylic acid precursors. These chroman-containing primary amines are useful building blocks for the synthesis of chroman-derived pharmaceutical agents.     

Electron spin lifetimes in Hg0.78Cd0.22 Te and InSb

We have made direct pump–probe measurements of spin lifetimes in long wavelength narrow-gap semiconductors at wavelengths between 4 and 10 μm and from 4 to 300 K. In particular, we measure remarkably long spin lifetimes, τ_s300 ps, even at 300 K for epilayers of degenerate n-type InSb. In this material the mobility is approximately constant between 77 and 300 K, and we find that τ_s is approximately constant in this temperature range. In order to determine the dominant spin relaxation mechanism we have investigated the temperature dependence of τ_s in non-degenerate lightly n-type Hg_0.78Cd_0.22Te of approximately the same band gap as InSb, and find that τ_s varies from 356 ps at 150 K to 24 ps at 300 K. Our results, both in magnitude and temperature dependence of τ_s, imply that the Elliott–Yafet model dominates in these materials.     

A modular integer GCD algorithm

This paper describes the first algorithm to compute the greatest common divisor (GCD) of two n-bit integers using a modular representation for intermediate values U, V and also for the result. It is based on a reduction step, similar to one used in the accelerated algorithm [T. Jebelean, A generalization of the binary GCD algorithm, in: ISSAC '93: International Symposium on Symbolic and Algebraic Computation, Kiev, Ukraine, 1993, pp. 111–116; K. Weber, The accelerated integer GCD algorithm, ACM Trans. Math. Softw. 21 (1995) 111–122] when U and V are close to the same size, that replaces U by (U−bV)/p, where p is one of the prime moduli and b is the unique integer in the interval (−p/2,p/2) such that . When the algorithm is executed on a bit common CRCW PRAM with O(nlognlogloglogn) processors, it takes O(n) time in the worst case. A heuristic model of the average case yields O(n/logn) time on the same number of processors.     

Memory effects in gas chromatographic detection with a microwave-induced plasma

Capillary gas chromatography coupled to microwave-inducedplasma detection furnishes sensitivity adequate for trace analysis when the signal is monitored at a carbon emission line. Work performed with one of these systems at high electronic gain for the carbon signal has revealed solvent band widths in excess of four minutes; these impeded quantification of peaks eluting after the solvent. This report discusses two phenomena which could be related to the unexpected intensity of this solvent response: photomultiplier tube saturation and carbon deposits in the quartz plasma discharge tube.     

Measurement of the neutron electric form factor via recoil polarimetry

The ratio G _e ⁿ /G _m ⁿ of the electric to the magnetic form factor of the neutron has been measured by analyzing the polarization of the recoiling neutron in quasi-elastic scattering of longitudinally polarized electrons from deuterium at the Q ² values of 0.45, 1.15, and 1.47 (GeV/c)². The experiment has been performed in Hall C of the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. With G _m ⁿ being known G _e ⁿ can be deduced. The preliminary results show that the lowest Q ² points follow the Galster parametrization and that the 1.47 (GeV/c)² point rises above this parametrization.Received: 30 September 2002, Published online: 22 October 2003PACS: 13.40.Gp Electromagnetic form factors - 14.20.Dh Protons and neutrons - 24.70. + s Polarization phenomena in reactions     

Kinetic and structural characterization of human manganese superoxide dismutase containing 3-fluorotyrosines

Incorporation of 3-fluorotyrosine and site-specific mutagenesis have been used with stopped-flow spectrophotometry and pulse radiolysis to investigate the catalytic properties of human manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD). All of the nine tyrosine residues in each of the four subunits of the homotetramer of human MnSOD were replaced with 3-fluorotyrosine. Previous studies showed that the crystal structures of the unfluorinated and fluorinated human MnSOD are nearly superimposable with the root-mean-square deviation for 198 -carbon atoms at 0.3 Å. However, the catalytic activity k_cat/K_m of the fluorinated MnSOD at 30 μM⁻¹ s⁻¹ was less than unfluorinated wild type at 800 μM⁻¹ s⁻¹. Comparison of the values of k_cat/K_m for fluorinated and unfluorinated wild-type andY34F MnSOD showed that this decrease for the fluorinated enzyme was in significant part due to 3-fluorotyrosine residues distant (>7 Å) from the active-site metal, not to 3-fluorotyrosine at position 34 close (5 Å) to the metal. Although many rate constants for the catalysis are decreased by this fluorination, the rate of dissociation of the product-inhibited complex appears unchanged by the presence of fluorinated tyrosines. These results suggest that Tyr34 is not a proton donor in the release of the product-inhibited complex, which involves protonation of a peroxo complex of the metal with release of hydrogen peroxide.