Crystallization of Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C N-(1-D-carboxyethyl)-L-norvaline dehydrogenase and its complex with NAD+

The novel NAD+-linked opine dehydrogenase from a soil isolate Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C belongs to an enzyme superfamily whose members exhibit quite diverse substrate specificites. Crystals of this opine dehydrogenase, obtained in the presence or absence of co-factor and substrates, have been shown to diffract to beyond 1.8 ? resolution. X-ray precession photographs have established that the crystals belong to space group P21212, with cell parameters a = 104.9, b = 80.0, c = 45.5 ? and a single subunit in the asymmetric unit. The elucidation of the three-dimensional structure of this enzyme will provide a structural framework for this novel class of dehydrogenases to enable a comparison to be made with other enzyme families and also as the basis for mutagenesis experiments directed towards the production of natural and synthetic opine-type compounds containing two chiral centres.     

Interfacial and intrafacial linkage isomerizations of rhenium complexes with aromatic molecules

The mechanisms for the interconversion of facial diastereomers of a variety of TpRe(CO)(L)(eta(2)-L(Ar)) complexes [L = (t)BuNC, pyridine (py), PMe(3), or 1-methylimidazole (MeIm); L(Ar) = benzene, anisole, naphthalene, 1-methylpyrrole, furan, or thiophene; Tp = hydridotris(pyrazolyl)borate] have been investigated by (1)H NMR spin saturation experiments. In addition, the rates and free energies of activation for these processes were calculated from spin saturation experiments and T(1) measurements. The operative mechanisms for interconversion of the pi diastereomers were found to be nondissociative, undergoing either an interfacial or intrafacial linkage isomerization. A comparison of the kinetic parameters for isomerization of related eta(2)-olefin complexes of the [TpRe(CO)(PMe(3))] and [CpRe(NO)(PPh(3))](+) fragments is also presented.     

Mode-locked Cr(2+):ZnSe laser

We describe active mode locking of a Cr(2+):ZnSe laser operating near 2.5 mum. The laser produces 4.4-ps transform-limited Gaussian-shaped pulses and produces 82 mW of average power.     

Efficient photoacids based upon triarylamine dialkylsulfonium salts

New triarylamine dialkylsulfonium salts that are photosensitive in the near-ultraviolet have been prepared. The quantum yields of photoacid generation were found to be approximately 0.5 and are independent of the counterion. On the other hand, the efficiencies of the sulfonium salts toward the photopolymerization of cyclohexene oxide depend on the counterion and the sulfonium substituents. Photopolymerization kinetic studies demonstrate that these triphenylamine sulfonium salts are highly efficient cationic photoinitiators.     

A parameterized ordering for cache-, register- and pipeline-efficient Givens QR decomposition

A parameterized ordering of Givens rotations and guidelines for choosing parameter values is presented in the context of QR decomposition. Although a standard selection of parameter values retrieves an ordering that corresponds to a well-known algorithm, we show that non-standard values decrease the execution time. We implement the new ordering on an Intel Pentium Pro system, a single thin POWER2 processor of the IBM SP2, and a single R8000 processor of the SGI POWER Challenge XL. On each machine, we observe performance that is more than twice that of the original ordering. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Continuous-wave broadly tunable Cr2+:ZnSe laser

We report room-temperature operation of an all-solid-state broadly tunable continuous-wave Cr(2+):ZnSe laser. Output power of 250 mW, an absorbed power slope efficiency of 63%, and continuous tunability from 2138 to 2760 nm are demonstrated.