Particle ratios from a chiral SU(3) model

The measured particle ratios in central heavy-ion collisions are investigated within a chemical and thermal equilibrium chiral SU(3) σ?ω approach. Contrary to the commonly adopted non-interacting gas calculations, the chiral SU(3) model predicts modified effective hadron masses and effective chemical potentials in the medium and a transition to a chirally restored phase at high temperatures or chemical potentials. the influence of three different types of phase transitions is investigated. We show that the deduced freeze-out values considerably depend on the underlying model while the quality of the fit is approximately the same.     

Neutron activation and the JFK assassination, Part I. Data and interpretation

Five lead fragments from bullet cores from the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy in 1963 were analyzed twice by NAA, first by the FBI in 1964 and then by Vincent P. Guinn in 1977. Their concentrations of Sb have provided invaluable information about the number and origin of bullets that hit Kennedy and Texas Governor John B. Connally. While both analyses appeared to group the fragments into a body shot and a head shot, the FBI set contained a systematic error and Guinn's results from quarters of test bullets showed that the indicator element Sb varied enough over quarters to potentially merge the groups. The latter problem was resolved by the FBI replicate analyses, which showed that antimony was nearly homogeneos on the small scales of the fragments, and by the mechanism by which jacketed bullets break when hitting bone, which generates tiny fragments from a single break near the middle of the lead core. They collectively meant that the fragments within each group were formed on the scale of subfragments. The two groups were just as they appear because the larger quarter-bullet heterogeneities did not apply. This result substantiates Guinn's original conclusion that two and only two bullets from Lee Harvey Oswald's rifle struck the two men. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Potassium Iodide as a Chemical Actinometer for 254 nm Radiation: Use of lodate as an Electron Scavenger

Abstract— A solution of 0.6 M iodide and 0.1 M iodate in 0.01 M borate buffer (pH 9.25) can be used as a chemical actinometer to measure the incident fluence from a low-pressure mercury lamp that puts out more than 85% of its energy at 254 nm. The actinometric solution is optically opaque to light below 290 nm and is optically transparent to wavelengths greater than 330 nm. Hence, the solution absorbs all of the germicidal wavelengths but little if any of the ambient light normally present in the laboratory. Iodate acts as an electron scavenger and prevents the back reaction of the free electron with the iodine atom following UV excitation of KI. Irradiation results in the linear formation of triiodide, which is quantitated by measuring its absorbance at 352 nm. The quantum yield for this system is approximately 0.75 0.03 at 20.7A_oC or approximately three times greater than that obtained previously using nitrous oxide as an electron scavenger. A model is proposed to account for this difference. A precise expression to account for the concentration and temperature dependence of the quantum yield is given by pH = 0.75(1 + 0.23[C - 0.577])(1 + 0.02[T - 20.7]) where C is the concentration of iodide and T is the temperature. The concentration of iodide can be obtained from the absorbance at 300 nm prior to irradiation using 1.061 MJ cm⁻¹ as the molar extinction coefficient. This actinometric system meets the quality criteria established by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry with the caveat that it is designed to measure only germicidal radiation (i.e. wavelengths less than 290 nm).     

Synthesis and NMR studies of (13)C-labeled vitamin D metabolites

Isotope-labeled drug molecules may be useful for probing by NMR spectroscopy the conformation of ligand associated with biological hosts such as membranes and proteins. Triple-labeled [7,9,19-(13)C(3)]-vitamin D(3) (56), its 25-hydroxylated and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxylated metabolites (58 and 68, respectively), and other labeled materials have been synthesized via coupling of [9-(13)C]-Grundmann's ketone 39 or its protected 25-hydroxy derivative 43 with labeled A ring enyne fragments 25 or 26. The labeled CD-ring fragment 39 was prepared by a sequence involving Grignard addition of [(13)C]-methylmagnesium iodide to Grundmann's enone 28, oxidative cleavage, functional group modifications leading to seco-iodide 38, and finally a kinetic enolate S(N)2 cycloalkylation. The C-7,19 double labeling of the A-ring enyne was achieved by the Corey-Fuchs/Wittig processes on keto aldehyde 11. By employing these labeled fragments in the Wilson-Mazur route, the C-7,9,19 triple-(13)C-labeled metabolites 56, 58, and 68 as well as other (13)C-labeled metabolites have been prepared. In an initial NMR investigation of one of the labeled metabolites prepared in this study, namely [7,9,19-(13)C(3)]-25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) (58), the three (13)C-labeled carbons of the otherwise water insoluble steroid could be clearly detected by (13)C NMR analysis at 0.1 mM in a mixture of CD(3)OD/D(2)O (60/40) or in aqueous dimethylcyclodextrin solution and at 2 mM in 20 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) aqueous micellar solution. In the SDS micellar solution, a double half-filter NOESY experiment revealed that the distance between the H(19Z) and H(7) protons is significantly shorter than that of the corresponding distance calculated from the solid state (X-ray) structure of the free ligand. The NMR data in micelles reveals that 58 exists essentially completely in the alpha-conformer with the 3 beta-hydroxyl equatorially oriented, just as in the solid state. The shortened distance (H(19Z))-H(7)) in micellar solutions as compared to that in the solid state is most easily rationalized on the basis that the 5(10)-torsion angle in 58 is decreased in micellar solutions as compared to that in the solid state.     

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry with additives to 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid

Selected benzoic acid derivatives and related substances were used as additives to 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5DHB) and the performance of the mixtures in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry was investigated. Using benzoic acid derivatives substituted at position 2 and/or 5 or related substances as a co-matrix in the 1–10% range with 2,5DHB results in improved ion yields and signal-to-noise ratio of analyte molecules, especially for the high-mass range. The enhanced performance is prominent for 2-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzoic acid and exists for both proteins and oligosaccharides. It is suggested that the improvement is caused by a disorder in the 2,5DHB crystal lattice allowing ‘softer’ desorption. Charge transfer from matrix ions to additive molecules at the expense of analyte ionization gives a simple explanation for the deteriorating effects of some tested additives.     

A new route to achiral and chiral 1,2-bis(phosphino)ethanes, 1-arsino-2-phosphinoethanes, and 1,3-bis(phosphino)propanes and the molecular structure and catalytic activity of some rhodium(I) complexes derived thereof

A series of unsymmetrical 1,2-bis(phosphino)ethanes R(2)PCH(2)CH(2)PR'(2) and 1-arsino-2-phosphinoethanes R(2)AsCH(2)CH(2)PR'(2) mainly with bulky substituents R and R' were prepared from the cyclic sulfate by stepwise cleavage of the carbon-oxygen bonds by LiPR(2) and LiPR'(2) or LiAsR(2) and LiPR'(2), respectively. Analogously, racemic mixtures of R(2)PCH(2)CH(Me)PPh(2)(R =iPr, Cy ) as well as the enantiomers (R)-, (R)- and (R)-tBu(2)PCH(2)CH(Me)PPh(2)(R)- were obtained from the corresponding unsymmetrical cyclic sulfates and (S)-. On a similar route, the racemates of the 1,3-bis(phosphino)propanes R(2)PCH(2)CH(2)CH(Me)PPh(2)(R =iPr, tBu ), optically pure (R)- and (S,S)-iPr(2)PCH(Me)CH(2)CH(Me)PPh(2)(S,S)- were prepared. The reaction of [[RhCl([small eta](4)-C(8)H(12))](2)] with chelating ligands L-L, where L-L is R(2)PCH(2)P(men)(2)(R =iPr, Ph; men =(1S,2R,5S)-menthyl), Cy(2)AsCH(2)P(men)(2), or (R)-, (R)-, (R)-, (R)- and (S,S)-, in the presence of AgPF(6), gave the complexes [Rh(eta(4)-C(8)H(12))(L-L)]PF(6) which were used as pre-catalysts in the hydrogenation of the methyl ester of alpha-acetamidocinnamic acid (ACM). Depending on L-L, the solvent, the temperature and the pressure of H(2), optical yields of up to 69% ee were achieved. For two of the rhodium complexes, and, the molecular structures were determined by X-ray crystallography.     

Strategy of analysis for the estimation of the bioavailability of zinc in foodstuffs

After the application of simulated digestive fluids (gastric and intestinale fluid) as extraction solutions, AAS and differential pulse anodic-stripping voltammetry (DPASV) were used as analytical methods in combination with ion-exchange procedures for the determination of zinc species and total zinc contents. The ion exchange procedure and the shifting of electrochemical potentials as well as changes of the calibration slope after standard addition in the polarographic analysis allowed discriminating statements with regard to a possible resorption of zinc. On the basis of these methods, a strategy is presented for in vitro investigations of the bioavailability of zinc in foodstuffs.     

Thin-layer chromatography combined with diode laser desorption/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry

The desorption of an analyte by a continuous wave diode laser from a porous surface of a thin-layer plate covered with a graphite suspension is presented. The thermally desorbed analyte molecules are ionized in the gas phase by a corona discharge at atmospheric pressure. Therefore, both essential processes--the desorption and the ionization of analyte molecules, which are often performed in one step--are separated. The target preparation is easy and fast since no additional extraction process is required. The mass spectrometric background signal was mostly limited to the low mass range showing no interference with typical compounds of interest. In this study, the calmative and antihypertensive drug reserpine was chosen as model analyte, which is often used for specification of mass spectrometers. No fragmentation was observed because of efficient collisional cooling under atmospheric pressure. The influence of diode laser power and the composition of the graphite suspension were investigated, and a primary optimization was performed.     

ACTION SPECTRA FOR THE PHOTOLYSIS OF 5-IODODEOXYURIDINE IN DNA AND RELATED MODEL SYSTEMS: EVIDENCE FOR SHORT-RANGE ENERGY TRANSFER*

Abstract— A variety of polynucleotides containing 5-iodouracil residues were irradiated in aqueous solution with wavelengths between 240 and 313 nm. From the rate of deiodination the photochemical cross sections (a_B) were determined as a function of the irradiation wavelength (A). The expression was used to relate the observed values of _B to the intrinsic quantum yield, φ_INT, and to the absorption cross sections, and for the iodinated and noniodinated residues, respectively. φ_INT is the probability an excited iodouracil residue will deiodinate, while the parameter b is a measure of the number of noniodinated bases which contribute their excitation energy to the deiodination process. For IdUrd and poly(5-iodouridylic acid), the average values of φ_INT calculated from the experimental _B values were 0.0202 and 0.0188, respectively, for irradiation in air. In native, denatured, and depurinated DNA in which IdUrd was substituted for 10% of the Thd, the average φ_INT values were 0.0069, 0.0088, and 0.0153, respectively, indicating an enhancement in φ_INT upon decreasing the order of the polynucleotide. In contrast, the average values of b bor the same set of compounds were found to be 4 , 2 and 0.4, respectively, indicating a decrease in b with decreasing polynucleotide order, i.e. a loss of base stacking decreases the extent of energy transfer. A value of b= 4 for native DNA is assumed to mean that the extent of energy transfer in native DNA is limited to four base donors per iodouracil residue serving as an energy trap.