Calix[4]crown in dual sensing functions with FRET

A new calix[4]crown chemosensor based on dual sensing probes reveals Pb²⁺ ion selectivity over other metal ions, which arises from a hypsochromic shift of azo units in UV spectrum as well as a fluorescence enhancement of pyrenyl parts in fluorescence spectrum via a suppressed FRET.     

Erratum to “Lower bounds for the eigenvalues of the basic Dirac operator on a Riemannian foliation” [J. Geom. Phys. 51 (2004) 166–182]

We correct some statements in the paper mentioned in the title.     

Pressure- and heat-induced insertion of CO2 into an auxetic small-pore zeolite

When the small-pore zeolite natrolite is compressed at ca. 1.5 GPa and heated to ca. 110 °C in the presence of CO(2), the unit cell volume of natrolite expands by 6.8% and ca. 12 wt % of CO(2) is contained in the expanded elliptical channels. This CO(2) insertion into natrolite is found to be reversible upon pressure release.     

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry of cuticular lipid profiles can differentiate sex, age, and mating status of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes

Malaria is a devastating mosquito-borne disease, which affects hundreds of millions of people each year. It is transmitted predominantly by Anopheles gambiae, whose females must be >10 days old to become infective. In this study, cuticular lipids from a laboratory strain of this mosquito species were analyzed using a mass spectrometry method to evaluate their utility for age, sex and mating status differentiation. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), in conjunction with an acenaphthene/silver nitrate matrix preparation, was shown to be 100% effective in classifying A. gambiae females into 1, 7–10, and 14 days of age. MALDI-MS analysis, supported by multivariate statistical methods, was also effective in detecting cuticular lipid differences between the sexes and between virgin and mated females. The technique requires further testing, but the obtained results suggest that MALDI-MS cuticular lipid spectra could be used for age grading of A. gambiae females with precision greater than with other available methods.     

Diastereoselective diaza-Cope rearrangement reaction

Steric effect is used to obtain a highly diastereoselective rearrangement reaction.     

Liouville type theorems for p-harmonic maps

Let M be a complete Riemannian manifold and let N be a Riemannian manifold of non-positive sectional curvature. Assume that at all x∈M and at some point x₀∈M, where μ₀>0 is the least eigenvalue of the Laplacian acting on L²-functions on M. Let 2?q?p. Then any q-harmonic map of finite q-energy is constant. Moreover, if N is a Riemannian manifold of non-positive scalar curvature, then any q-harmonic morphism of finite q-energy is constant.     

Laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry fingerprinting of complex hydrocarbon mixtures: application to crude oils using data mining techniques

Crude oil fingerprints were obtained from four crude oils by laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) using a silver nitrate cationization reagent. Replicate analyses produced spectral data with a large number of features for each sample (>11,000 m/z values) which were statistically analyzed to extract useful information for their differentiation. Individual characteristic features from the data set were identified by a false discovery rate based feature selection procedure based on the analysis of variance models. The selected features were, in turn, evaluated using classification models. A substantially reduced set of 23 features was obtained through this procedure. One oil sample containing a high ratio of saturated/aromatic hydrocarbon content was easily distinguished from the others using this reduced set. The other three samples were more difficult to distinguish by LDI-MS using a silver cationization reagent; however, a minimal number of significant features were still identified for this purpose. Focus is placed on presenting this multivariate statistical method as a rapid and simple analytical procedure for classifying and distinguishing complex mixtures.     

Comparison of noise power spectrum methodologies in measurements by using megavoltage X-ray energies

The noise power spectrum (NPS) is one of the most general methods for measuring the noise amplitude and the quality of an image acquired from a uniform radiation field. The purpose of this study was to compare different NPS methodologies by using megavoltage X-ray energies. The NPS evaluation methods in diagnostic radiation were applied to therapy using the International Electrotechnical Commission standard (IEC 62220-1). In order to measure the region of interest (ROI) of the NPS, we used the following five factors: the overlapping impact, the non-overlapping impact, the penumbra, the flatness and different ROI sizes. We used NPS from four different types of detectors, the CR-IP (computed radiography image plate: photo-stimulable phosphor screen), the CR-IP-lead (hexalon lead screen), the CR-IP-back [lanex TM fast back screen: {terbium-doped gadolinium oxysulfide granular phosphor screen (Gd₂O₂S:Tb,133 mg/cm²)} + 1-mm-thick copper plate and the CR-IP-front (lanex TM fast front screen). A Kodak 2000 RT photo-stimulable phosphor-based computed radiographic (CR) system showed that the normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) curve gradually decreased, in compliance with increasing spatial resolution. In addition, each detector showed a different reactivity of the NPS to megavoltage. The results of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) test (methods × detectors) revealed significant main effects of the methods [F(1, 4) = 53.543, P = 0.001 and of the detectors [F(1, 4) = 17.556, P = 0.001]. The present study revealed that various factors could be employed to produce megavoltage imaging (MVI) of the NPS and as a baseline standard for NPS control in MVI.

     

Pyrene-appended calix[4]crowned logic gates involving normal and reverse PET: NOR, XNOR and INHIBIT

As a novel sensing system, N-(1-pyrenylmethyl) amide-appended calix[4]crown-5 (2) and crown-6 (3) have been newly synthesized. Judging from the fluorescence changes upon the addition of cations, 3 having crown-6 ring showed the Pb²⁺ ion selectivity over other cations tested regarding fluorescence quenching. Upon the Pb²⁺ ion coordination to two amide oxygen atoms with aid of crown ring, a reverse-photo-induced electron transfer (PET) occurs in such a way that electrons transfer from the pyrene groups to the electron deficient amide oxygen atoms to give a quenched fluorescence. By the addition of either HClO₄ or triethylamine in the solution of 3, the fluorescence intensity decreased because of the reverse-PET from pyrene groups to protonated amide oxygen atoms and because of normal PET from the nitrogen anion formed by triethylamine to pyrene groups, respectively. For 3, NOR logic gate in which the strong fluorescence signal appears at 395 nm (output: 1) is operated only when neither of triethylamine nor Pb(ClO₄)₂ (inputs A and B) is added (A=B: 0). XNOR gate is also operated only when both of two inputs are added (triethylamine and HClO₄, A=B: 1) or when neither of two inputs is added (A=B: 0). Then, for 3, new INHIBIT gate system was also designed using such combinational inputs as HClO₄, Pb(ClO₄)₂ and triethylamine.