Life Sciences Commons^™

Book Review Of "Natural Climate Variability And Global Warming: A Holocene Perspective" Edited By Richard W. Battarbee And Heather A. Binney, Shaily Menon

Shaily Menon

No abstract provided.

Phenotypic Leaf Variation In Avicennia Marina In Tropical Australia: Can Discrete Subpopulations Be Recognised In The Field?, Peter Saenger, Lyndon O. Brooks

Dr Lyndon O Brooks

The geographic patterns of phenotypic variation in leaf morphology traits were studied in the mangrove Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. in tropical Queensland, Australia, to determine whether discrete subpopulations could be recognised in the field. Significant differences in the various leaf characters occurred among the sites, which were not explained by longitude or latitude, nor by inter-site distances. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the estimated site means showed no coherent geographical groupings of the sites, suggesting that site populations do not follow a differentiation by distance model. Principal component analysis showed that site groupings with consistent leaf morphological characteristics could be identified, …

Is Philosophy Dead? Far From It, Charles Weijer

Charles Weijer

No abstract provided.

Rotman Institute Opening, Joseph Rotman, Janice Deakin, Jane Maienschein, Charles Weijer, Philip Kitcher

Charles Weijer

No abstract provided.

Integrating Geographic Information Systems And Multi-Criteria Analysis To Assess Suitable Species And Plantation Sites: A Case Study Assessing Elaeocarpus Grandis And Gevillea Robusta Suitability On The Nsw North Coast, Kristin Den Exter

Dr Kristin den Exter

No abstract provided.

(1e,3e)-1,4-Bis(4-Methoxyphenyl)Buta1,3-Diene, Gopinathan Narayan, Nigam P. Rath, Suresh Das

Nigam Rath

Superoxide Does React With Peroxides: Direct Observation Of The Haber-Weiss Reaction In The Gas Phase, Stephen J. Blanksby, G. B. Ellison, V. M. Bierbaum, S. Kato

Stephen Blanksby

Reactions of superoxide with hydrogen peroxide and organic hydroperoxides are observed as efficient processes in the gas phase and yield products – including the ozonide anion – that are consistent with the one-electron reduction of the peroxide.

Investigation Of The Gas Phase Reactivity Of The 1-Adamantyl Radical Using A Distonic Radical Anion Approach, D. G. Harman, Stephen J. Blanksby

Stephen Blanksby

The gas phase reactions of the bridgehead 3-carboxylato-1-adamantyl radical anion were observed with a series of neutral reagents using a modified electrospray ionisation linear ion trap mass spectrometer. This distonic radical anion was observed to undergo processes suggestive of radical reactivity including radical-radical combination reactions, substitution reactions and addition to carbon-carbon double bonds. The rate constants for reactions of the 3-carboxylato-1-adamantyl radical anion with the following reagents were measured (in units 10 12 cm3 molecule 1 s 1): 18O2 (85±4), NO (38.4±0.4), I2 (50±50), Br2 (8±2), CH3SSCH3 (12±2), styrene (1.20±0.03), CHCl3 (H abstraction 0.41±0.06, Cl abstraction 0.65±0.1), CDCl3 (D abstraction …

The Lowest Singlet And Triplet States Of The Oxylallyl Diradical, David A. Hrovat, Stephen J. Blanksby, W C. Lineberger, Andrei Sanov, Luis Verlarde, Weston T. Borden, Daniel J. Goebbert, Adam J. Gianola, Xin Zhou, Stephanie M. Villano, Takatoshi Ichino

Stephen Blanksby

Photodetachment of the oxyallyl radical anion leads to formation of the oxyallyl diradical, an elusive transient molecule involved in many organic reactions. As described by W. C. Lineberger et al. in their Communication on page 8509 ff., the photoelectron spectrum reveals that the oxyallyl ground state is singlet and the lowest triplet state is only 55 meV higher in energy. The spectral profile indicates that the planar singlet state is the transition state for ringopening of cyclopropanone, whilst the CCC bending motion is activated upon photodetachment to the triplet state.

Online Ozonolysis Methods For The Determination Of Double Bond Position In Unsaturated Lipids, Michael Thomas, Todd W. Mitchell, Stephen J. Blanksby

Stephen Blanksby

Modern lipidomics relies heavily on mass spectrometry for the structural characterization and quantification of lipids of biological origins. Structural information is gained by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) whereby lipid ions are fragmented to elucidate lipid class, fatty acid chain length, and degree of unsaturation. Unfortunately, however, in most cases double bond position cannot be assigned based on MS/MS data alone and thus significant structural diversity is hidden from such analyses. For this reason, we have developed two online methods for determining double bond position within unsaturated lipids; ozone electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (OzESI-MS) and ozone-induced dissociation (OzID). Both techniques utilize …

Prenylated Alkylbisphenols From Grevillea Whiteana, Stephen J. Blanksby, Hao Wang, Paul I. Forster, David N. Leach, Peter G. Waterman, Michael C. Thomas

Stephen Blanksby

Eleven new bisresorcinols including four mixtures each of two isomers and one resorcinol/phloroglucinol derivative, together with five known resorcinols have been isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of sterns of Grevillea whiteana. The new Compounds were identified as 4-(3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyl)grebustol-B (10a), 4'-(3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyl)grebustol-B (10b), 4-(4-hydroxy-3-methylbutyl)grebustol-B (2a) and 4'-(4-hydroxy-3-methylbutyl) rebustol-B (2b), 2,2-dimethyldihydropyrano grebustol-B (11a) and iso-2,2-dimethyldihydropyranogrebustol-B (11b), 2,2-dimethyl-3 xi-hydroxydihydropyranogrebustol-B (7a) and iso-2,2-dimethyl-3 xi-hydroxydihydropyranogrebustol-B (7b), 15-(2-(4-hydroxy-3-methylbutyl)-resorcinol-5-yl)-1-(phloroglucinolyl )-9(Z)pentadecen-one (whiteanone) (4), 5,5'-(hexadecan-diyl)bisresorcinol (12) and 2-methyl-5,5'-(8(Z)hexadecen-1,16-diyl)bisresorcinol (9). This is the first record of pyranobisresorcinols in the genus and the first report of a phloroglucinol terminal Phenolic unit in any Grevillea species.

Identification Of Abundant Alkyl Ether Glycerophospholipids In The Human Lens By Tandem Mass Spectrometry Techniques, Roger J. Truscott, Jane Deeley, Todd W. Mitchell, Michael Thomas, Stephen J. Blanksby

Stephen Blanksby

Previous studies have shown that the human lens contains glycerophospholipids with ether linkages. These lipids differ from conventional glycerophospholipids in that the sn-1 substituent is attached to the glycerol backbone via an 1-O-alkyl or an 1-O-alk-1'-enyl ether rather than an ester bond. The present investigation employed a combination of collision-induced dissociation (CID) and ozone-induced dissociation (OzID) to unambiguously distinguish such 1-O-alkyl and 1-O-alk-1'-enyl ethers. Using these methodologies the human lens was found to contain several abundant 1-O-alkyl glycerophos-phoethanolamines, including GPEtn(16:0e/9Z-18:1), GPEtn(11Z-18:1e/9Z-18:1), and GPEtn(18:0e/9Z-18:1), as well as a related series of unusual 1-O-alkyl glycerophosphoserines, including GPSer(16:0e/9Z-18:1), GPSer(11Z-18:1e/9Z-18:1), GPSer(18:0e/9Z-18:1) that to our …

Trapping Of A Tert-Adamantyl Peroxyl Radical In The Gas Phase, D. G. Harman, Stephen J. Blanksby

Stephen Blanksby

A bridgehead adamantyl peroxyl radical has been prepared and isolated in the gas phase by the reaction of a distonic radical anion with dioxygen in a quadrupole ion-trap mass spectrometer.

Fragmentation Pathways Of 2,3-Dimethyl-2,3-Dinitrobutane Cations In The Gas Phase, Martin Paine, Benjamin Kirk, Simon Ellis-Steinborner, Stephen J. Blanksby

Stephen Blanksby

2,3-Dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (DMNB) is an explosive taggant added to plastic explosives during manufacture making them more susceptible to vapour-phase detection systems. In this study, the formation and detection of gas-phase [M+H](+), [M+Li](+), [M+NH4](+) and [M+Na](+) adducts of DMNB was achieved using electrospray ionisation on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The [M+H](+) ion abundance was found to have a strong dependence on ion source temperature, decreasing markedly at source temperatures above 50 degrees C. In contrast, the [M+Na](+) ion demonstrated increasing ion abundance at source temperatures up to 105 degrees C. The relative susceptibility of DMNB adduct ions toward dissociation was investigated …

Ion-Molecule Reactions Of O,S-Dimethyl Methylphosphonothioate: Evidence For Intramolecular Sulfur Oxidation During Vx Perhydrolysis, Jilliarne Williams, Martin Paine, Stephen J. Blanksby, Michael L. Rogers, Andrew M. Mcanoy

Stephen Blanksby

The alkaline perhydrolysis of the nerve agent O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioate (VX) was investigated by studying the ion-molecule reactions of HOO- with O,S-dimethyl methylphosphonothioate in a modified linear ion-trap mass spectrometer. In addition to simple proton transfer, two other abundant product ions are observed at m/z 125 and 109 corresponding to the S-methyl methylphosphonothioate and methyl methylphosphonate anions, respectively. The structure of these product ions is demonstrated by a combination of collision-induced dissociation and isotope-labeling experiments that also provide evidence for their formation by nucleophilic reaction pathways, namely, (i) S(N)2 at carbon to yield the S-methyl methylphosphonothioate anion and (ii) nucleophilic …

Tandem Mass Spectrometry Of Deprotonated Iodothyronines, A. M. Couldwell, M. C. Thomas, Todd Mitchell, A. Hulbert, Stephen J. Blanksby

Stephen Blanksby

In order to assist with the development of more selective and sensitive methods for thyroid hormone analysis the [M-H]– anions of the iodothyronines; T4, T3, rT3, (3,5)-T2 and the non-iodinated thyronine (T0) have been generated by negative ion electrospray mass spectrometry. Tandem mass spectra of these ions were recorded on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and show a strong analogy with the fragmentation pathways of the parent compound, tyrosine. All iodothyronines also show significant abundances of the iodide anion in their tandem mass spectra, which represents an attractive target for MRM analysis, given that iodothyronines are the only iodine bearing …

A Comparison Of The Gas Phase Acidities Of Phospholipid Headgroups:Experimental And Computational Studies, M. C. Thomas, Todd Mitchell, Stephen J. Blanksby

Stephen Blanksby

Proton-bound dimers consisting of two glycerophospholipids with different headgroups were prepared using negative ion electrospray ionization and dissociated in a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Analysis of the tandem mass spectra of the dimers using the kinetic method provides, for the first time, an order of acidity for the phospholipid classes in the gas phase of PE < PA << PG < PS < PI. Hybrid density functional calculations on model phospholipids were used to predict the absolute deprotonation enthalpies of the phospholipid classes from isodesmic proton transfer reactions with phosphoric acid. The computational data largely support the experimental acidity trend, with the exception of …

Ion-Molecule Reactions Reveal Facile Radical Migration In Peptides, Stephen J. Blanksby, Benjamin N. Moore, Ryan R. Julian

Stephen Blanksby

Ion-molecule reactions between molecular oxygen and peptide radicals in the gas phase demonstrate that radical migration occurs easily within large biomolecules without addition of collisional activation energy.

Balancing Limiting Factors & Economic Drivers For Sustainable Midwestern Us Agricultural Residue Feedstock Supplies, Wally W. Wilhelm, J. Richard Hess, Douglas L. Karlen, Jane M. F. Johnson, David J. Muth Jr., John M. Baker, Hero T. Gollany, Jeff M. Novak, Diane E. Scott, Gary E. Varvel

Douglas L Karlen

Advanced biofuels will be developed using cellulosic feedstock rather than grain or oilseed crops that can also be used for food and feed. To be sustainable, these new agronomic production systems must be economically viable without degrading the soil and other natural resources. This review examines six agronomic factors that collectively define many of the limits and opportunities for harvesting crop residue for biofuel feedstock in the midwestern United States. The limiting factors include soil organic carbon, wind and water erosion, plant nutrient balance, soil water and temperature dynamics, soil compaction, and off-site environmental impacts. These are discussed in relationship …

Fast, Flexible Function-On-Scalar Regression, With An Application To Brain Development, Philip T. Reiss, Lei Huang

Philip T. Reiss

No abstract provided.

2,2′,5,5′-Tetra­Chloro­Benzidine, Onome Ugono, Marcel Douglas, Nigam P. Rath, Alicia M. Beatty

Nigam Rath

2,2′,5,5′-Tetra­Chloro­Benzidine, Onome Ugono, Marcel Douglas, Nigam P. Rath, Alicia M. Beatty

Alicia Beatty

Floristic Investigation Of Crooked Creek Community Of Juan Solomon Park, Indianapolis Indiana, Raelene M. Crandall, Rebecca W. Dolan

Rebecca W. Dolan

The protection of plant resources in urban areas is a growing conservation concern. Inventory activities that document species presence and stewardship plans that protect and enhance these areas are needed. The results of a botanical inventory of the Crooked Creek Community Juan Solomon Park in Indianapolis, Indiana, are reported in this paper. The 46-acre park contains three distinct habitats, supporting a wide variety of plants. One hundred seventy-nine vascular plant species from 64 families were identified, including 53 (29.6%) non-native species that are naturalizing within the park. Despite its high percentage of alien species and urban setting, the park is …

Research Data: Who Will Share What, With Whom, When, And Why?, Christine L. Borgman

Christine L. Borgman

The deluge of scientific research data has excited the general public, as well as the scientific community, with the possibilities for better understanding of scientific problems, from climate to culture. For data to be available, researchers must be willing and able to share them. The policies of governments, funding agencies, journals, and university tenure and promotion committees also influence how, when, and whether research data are shared. Data are complex objects. Their purposes and the methods by which they are produced vary widely across scientific fields, as do the criteria for sharing them. To address these challenges, it is necessary …

Recent Advances In The Climate Change Biology Literature: Describing The Whole Elephant, A. Townsend Peterson, Shaily Menon, Xingong Li

Shaily Menon

Climate change biology is seeing a wave of new contributions, which are reviewed herein. Contributions treat shifts in phenology and distribution, and both document past and forecast future effects. However, many of the current wave of contributions are observational and correlational, and few are experimental in nature, and too often a conceptual framework in which to contextualize the results is lacking. An additional gap is the lack of effective cross-linking among areas of research, for example, connection of sea-level rise and climate change implications for distributions of species, or evolutionary adaptation studies with distributional shift studies. Although numerous important contributions …

Distribution Of Health Care Expenditures For Hiv-Infected Patients, Ray Y. Chen, Neil A. Accortt, Andrew O. Westfall, Michael J. Mugavero, James L. Raper, Gretchen A. Cloud, Beth K. Stone, Jerome Carter, Stephanie Call, Maria Pisu, Jeroan J. Allison, Michael S. Saag

Jeroan J. Allison

BACKGROUND: Health care expenditures for persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United State determined on the basis of actual health care use have not been reported in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

METHODS: Patients receiving primary care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham HIV clinic were included in the study. All encounters (except emergency room visits) that occurred within the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital System from 1 March 2000 to 1 March 2001 were analyzed. Medication expenditures were determined on the basis of 2001 average wholesale price. Hospitalization expenditures were determined on …

Trends In Aids-Defining And Non-Aids-Defining Malignancies Among Hiv-Infected Patients: 1989-2002, Roger Bedimo, Ray Y. Chen, Neil A. Accortt, James L. Raper, Carol Linn, Jeroan J. Allison, John Dubay, Michael S. Saag, Craig J. Hoesley

Jeroan J. Allison

In a comparison of rates of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining malignancies (ADMs) for 1989-1996 versus 1997-2002, we found a decrease in ADMs (rate ratio, 0.31; P<.0001) and a significant increase in non-AIDS-defining malignancies (non-ADMs; rate ratio, 10.87; P<.0002). The mean CD4 cell count was lower among patients with ADMs than among those with non-ADMs. A longer duration of survival during highly active antiretroviral therapy might explain the increasing incidence of non-ADMs.

Synthesis And In Vitro Binding Of N,N-Dialkyl-2-Phenylindol-3-Ylglyoxylamides For The Peripheral Benzodiazepine Binding Sites, T. P. Homes, F. Mattner, Paul A. Keller, A. Katsifis

Paul Keller

A series of N,N-dialkyl-2-phenylindol-3-ylglyoxylamides bearing the halogens iodine and bromine were synthesised and their binding affinity for the peripheral benzodiazepine binding sites (PBBS) in rat kidney mitochondrial membranes were evaluated using [3H]-PK11195. Central benzodiazepine receptor (CBR) affinities were also evaluated in rat cortices using 3H-flumazenil to determine their selectivity for PBBS over CBR. The tested compounds had PBBS binding affinities (IC50) ranging from 7.86 nM to 618 nM, with all compounds showing high selectivity over the CBR (CBR IC50 > 5000 nM). Among the 12 compounds tested, those with a diethylamide group were the most potent. The highest affinity iodinated PBBS …

Synthesis Of Some Cyclic Indolic Peptoids As Potential Antibacterials, Vicki S. Au, John B. Bremner, Jonathan Coates, Paul A. Keller, Stephen G. Pyne

Paul Keller

The synthesis of cyclic peptoids containing an indole hydrophobic scaffold has been realised through the ring-closing metathesis of diallylated precursors. The precursors and their cyclic counterparts possessed poor antibacterial activity in contrast to previously reported cyclic peptoids containing hydrophobic scaffolds.

[60]Fullerene Amino Acids And Related Derivatives, Glenn A. Burley, Paul A. Keller, Stephen G. Pyne

Paul Keller

This paper is a review of the literature concerning the preparation of [60]fullerene amino acid and peptide derivatives. The structure and applications of these derivatives to the biological and material sciences is also presented.