The structure of free radical metabolites detected by EPR spin trapping and mass spectroscopy from halocarbons in rat liver microsomes

Electron impact (EI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) combined with EPR spin trapping was used to detect and identify the free radical metabolites of various halocarbons in rat liver microsomal dispersions. EPR spectra of the spin adducts of radical metabolites derived from fluorine-containing halocarbons display fluorine hyperfine splitting, which can be used as proof for the identification of this kind of halocarbon-derived free radical spin adduct. For halocarbons without fluorine atoms, MS/MS was found to be a very useful and simple method for the detection and identification of the structures of halocarbon-derived spin adducts from radical metabolites. The molecular ions from spin adducts of these halocarbon-derived free radical intermediates were observed for the first time by scanning the precursor ion spectrum of m/z 57. These assignments were further confirmed by the use of perdeuterated tert-butyl PBN which provides the precursor ion spectrum of m/z 66.     

Osteonecrosis after contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet arthroscopic laser meniscectomy

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this report is to describe two cases of osteonecrosis that occurred after arthroscopic meniscectomy with a contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser system. The patients developed increasing knee pain and disability 5 months and 6 months after laser meniscectomy. MR imaging showed subchondral osteonecrosis in the femoral condyle and tibial plateau immediately adjacent to the site of laser meniscectomy in both patients. One patient required a total knee replacement to alleviate knee symptoms, and the other patient required a tibial osteotomy and surgical elevation of collapsed tibial articular surface. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this complication of laser arthroscopic meniscectomy has not been reported in the radiology literature. The clinical and MR imaging features of this important complication are described and possible causative mechanisms are discussed.     

Studies on the stability of oxygen radical spin adducts of a new spin trap: 5-methyl-5-phenylpyrroline-1-oxide (MPPO)

A new spin trap, 5-methyl-5-phenylpyrrolin-1-oxide (MPPO), has been evaluated with respect to the intrinsic stabilities of the hydroxyl and superoxide (or hydroperoxyl) radical spin adducts. Hydroxyl or superoxide radicals were generated using various sources in the presence of MPPO, and the hydroxyl or superoxide radical spin adduct of MPPO was detected by EPR spectroscopy. The time course of spontaneous decay of the EPR signal from hydroxyl or superoxide spin adducts followed first-order kinetics and the half-life was dependent on the pH of the medium. At pH 7.4 the half-life times are 76.4 and 5.7 min for the hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl/superoxide spin adducts, respectively. Structural factors which could influence the decay rates are also discussed.     

Correlational structure of the MCMI-III personality disorder scales and comparisons with other data sets

We examine the correlational structure of the personality disorder (PD) scales from the MCMI-III (Millon, 1994) among 614 college students. The correlation matrix from our nonclinical sample was highly similar to the clinical sample matrices reported by Millon (1994). Further analyses revealed that the correlation matrices from a variety of MCMI data sets are generally similar to one another, but are only moderately similar to PD correlation matrices based on other assessment techniques. PD correlation matrices based on different assessment techniques are generally not very similar to one another. Two-, 3-, and 4-factor solutions for the MCMI-III PD scales are reported and provide a framework for integrating apparently conflicting findings from previous work. The 4-factor solution was most meaningful and was consistent with the 5-factor model of PD.     

Generation of the Gaussian-like HE11 mode from gyrotron TEOn mode mixtures at 70 GHz

This work reports calculations and measurements on mode converters for the transformation of TEOn gyrotron mode mixtures (primarily TEO2) into the linearly polarized HE11 hybrid mode at 70 GHz. This mode is ideal for quasi-optical launching systems for ECRH of plasmas. Mode transducers with axisymmetric radius perturbations convert the gyrotron TEOn mode composition into the TEO1 mode. Proper matching of the phase differences between the various modes and of the perturbation amplitudes of the several converter sections is required. The TEO1 wave is used for long-distance transmission through smooth-walled overmoded waveguides. A mode converter with constant diameter and periodically perturbed curvature transfers the unpolarized TEO1 mode into the polarized TE11 wave. The experimentally determined ΣTEOn-to-TEO1 conversion efficiency is (98.5±1)% (99% predicted) while the TEO1-to-TE11 transformer has a (94±2)% efficiency (93% theoretically); ohmic losses are included. The “Gaussian-like” HE11 mode with axisymmetric power distribution and almost no cross polarization is produced in a circumferentially corrugated TE11-to-HE11 mode transducer with a measured conversion efficiency of (98.3±1.5)% (98.5% predicted). The overall efficiency of the complete mode converter system in the desired mode was determined to be (91±2.5)%. High-power operation (200kW, 100ms) has been successfully demonstrated.