Influence of Cyclodextrins on the Kinetics of Oxidation of Amino Acids and BSA by Hydrazyl Radicals

The kinetics of oxidation of amino acids (Arg, His, Lys, Phe, Thr and Tyr), a dipeptide (Gly-His), and BSA (bovine serum albumin) by two persistent water soluble free radicals of the hydrazyl type has been studied.The rate decreases in the order Arg>Lys>Tyr>Thr>HisBSAPheGly-His with bothfree radicals. Addition to the reaction mixture of - and -cyclodextrin decreases the oxidation rate, probably due to amino acidencapsulation in the cyclodextrin cavity. -Cyclodextrin protects more efficiently against oxidation than -cyclodextrin.     

The microscopic investigation of structures of moving flux lines by neutron and muon techniques

We have used a variety of microscopic techniques to reveal the structure and motion of flux line arrangements, when the flux lines in low T _c type II superconductors are caused to move by a transport current. Using small-angle neutron scattering by the flux line lattice (FLL), we are able to demonstrate directly the alignment by motion of the nearest-neighbor FLL direction. This tends to be parallel to the direction of flux line motion, as had been suspected from two-dimensional simulations. We also see the destruction of the ordered FLL by plastic flow and the bending of flux lines. Another technique that our collaboration has employed is the direct measurement of flux line motion, using the ultra-high-resolution spectroscopy of the neutron spin-echo technique to observe the energy change of neutrons diffracted by moving flux lines. The muon spin rotation (μSR) technique gives the distribution of values of magnetic field within the FLL. We have recently succeeded in performing μSR measurements while the FLL is moving. Such measurements give complementary information about the local speed and orientation of the FLL motion. We conclude by discussing the possible application of this technique to thin film superconductors.     

Investigation of the quantitative properties of the quadrupole orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer with electrospray ionisation using 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine

This paper describes the investigation of the potential of a quadrupole orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Q-TOF) equipped with an atmospheric pressure ionisation interface for quantitative measurements of small molecules separated by reversed phase liquid chromatography. To this end, the detection limits and linear dynamic range in particular were studied in an LC/MS/MS experiment using 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine standards and 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine for internal standardisation. In a second phase, the experiment was repeated with real biological extracts (whole blood, serum, and vitreous humour). A calibration for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and its metabolite 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine was prepared in each of these matrices again using 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine as internal standard. The resulting quantitative data were compared with those obtained by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection for the same extracts. The Q-TOF results revealed excellent sensitivity and a linear dynamic range of nearly four decades (2-10 000 pg on-column, r(2) = 0.9998, 1/x weighting). Furthermore, all the calibration curves prepared in biological material were superimposable, LC/MS/MS and LC-fluorescence, and the quantitative results for actual samples compared very favourably. It was concluded that the Q-TOF achieves a linear dynamic range for quantitative LC/MS/MS work exceeding that of fluorescence detection and at much better absolute sensitivity. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Über das Leitvermögen und die Löslichkeitsverhältnisse in den beiden ternären Systemen Natrium-Kalium-Ammoniak und Natrium-Lithium-Ammoniak zwischen −40 und −70°

Zusammenfassung Es ist gezeigt worden, daß das Leitvermögen von Kalium-Natrium, sowie von Lithium-Natrium-Legierungen. in ihren verdünnten Lösungen mit Ammoniak praktisch additiv ist und keine Anzeichen von Verbindungen, wie sie für erstere zu erwarten wären, anzeigt.Aus den Knickpunkten der gemessenen Kurven der Abhängigkeit der Leitfähigkeit von der Verdünnung an der Stelle des Überganges von gesättigten in ungesättigte Lösungen, konnte in guter Übereinstimmung mit analytischen Daten gezeigt werden, daß das Diagramm der gegenseitigen Löslichkeit von Natrium und Kalium aus drei Ästen besteht, den Löslichkeitslinien von reinem Natrium, von der Verbindung Na₂K und von reinem Kalium, wogegen im System Lithium-Natrium der Kurvenzug der gegenseitigen Löslichkeit praktisch additivem Verhalten entspricht, der Übergang der Löslichkeitskurven von Lithium und Natrium praktisch nicht zu differenzieren ist.Nach Festlegung der Mischungslücke im System Na-NH₃ in Abhängigkeit von der Temperatur nach der in vorliegender Arbeit verwendeten Methodik, sowie des Fehlens einer Mischungslücke in den Systemen Kalium-NH₃ und Lithium-NH₃ im gleichen Bedingungsbereich wurden nach der gleichen Methode bei –55° die Grenzen der Mischungslücke in den beiden ternären Systemen Na-NH₃-K und Na-NH₃-Li festgelegt.Vorliegende Arbeit wurde auf Veranlassung des Institutsvorstandes Prof. Dr. R.Kremann durchgeführt und danken wir ihm für die während der Arbeit und besonders bei ihrer Abfassung geleistete Mithilfe.     

Direct experimental determination of grain boundary excess volume in metals

The grain boundary excess volume, i.e., the grain boundary expansion, e{GB}, was experimentally determined for high-angle grain boundaries in nickel using the direct technique of high-precision difference dilatometry. Values of e{GB}=(0.35±0.04)×10{-10} m and e{GB}=(0.32±0.04)×10{-10} m were obtained by measuring the removal of grain boundary volume upon grain growth for two different types of ultrafine-grained samples. The results are discussed in comparison to values obtained so far from indirect techniques and from computer simulations. It demonstrates the strength of the presented novel, direct approach for grain boundary expansion measurements.     

Cavity resonances and mutual coupling in concave waveguide arrays

A method is presented for the mutual coupling analysis of concave, circular cylindrical or spherical waveguide arrays. The array is considered as a set of waveguides that are coupled through a prefectly conducting, lossless cavity, which leads to an equivalent multiport network. The corresponding scattering matrix is obtained by matching the cavity and waveguide fields over the guide apertures and solving the resulting equation by Galerkin's method. In particular the complications are discussed, which arise from the possibly large number of degenerate, resonant cavity modes. A result obtained is the general condition that at a resonance the total aperture field (for all waveguide apertures) must be orthogonal to the set of degenerate, resonant cavity modes. This leads, with certain exceptions, to zero coupling between the guides whenever the total number of aperture modes (for all waveguides) is less than or equal to the number of resonant cavity modes.     

Free volumes in bulk nanocrystalline metals studied by the complementary techniques of positron annihilation and dilatometry

Free-volume type defects, such as vacancies, vacancy-agglomerates, dislocations, and grain boundaries represent a key parameter in the properties of ultrafine-grained and nanocrystalline materials. Such free-volume type defects are introduced in high excess concentration during the processes of structural refinement by severe plastic deformation. The direct method of time-differential dilatometry is applied in the present work to determine the total amount and the kinetics of free volume by measuring the irreversible length change upon annealing of bulk nanocrystalline metals (Fe, Cu, Ni) prepared by high-pressure torsion (HPT). In the case of HPT-deformed Ni and Cu, distinct substages of the length change upon linear heating occur due to the loss of grain boundaries in the wake of crystallite growth. The data on dilatometric length change can be directly related to the fast annealing of free-volume type defects studied by in situ Doppler broadening measurements performed at the high-intensity positron beam of the FRM II (Garching, Munich, Germany).     

In situ probing of fast defect annealing in Cu and Ni with a high-intensity positron beam

A high-intensity positron beam is used for specific in?situ monitoring of thermally activated fast defect annealing in Cu and Ni on a time scale of minutes. The atomistic technique of positron-electron annihilation is combined with macroscopic high-precision length-change measurements under the same thermal conditions. The combination of these two methods as demonstrated in this case study allows for a detailed analysis of multistage defect annealing in solids distinguishing vacancies, dislocations, and grain growth.