Dissociation energy of the hydrogen molecule at 10−9^{-9} accuracy

The ionization energy of ortho-H$_2$ has been determined to be $E^\mathrm{o}_\mathrm{I}(\mathrm{H}_2)/(hc)=124\,357.238\,062(25)$ cm$^{-1}$ from measurements of the GK(1,1)--X(0,1) interval by Doppler-free two-photon spectroscopy using a narrow band 179-nm laser source and the ionization energy of the GK(1,1) state by continuous-wave near-infrared laser spectroscopy. $E^\mathrm{o}_\mathrm{I}$(H$_2$) was used to derive the dissociation energy of H$_2$, $D^{N=1}_{0}$(H$_2$), at $35\,999.582\,894(25)$ cm$^{-1}$ with a precision that is more than one order of magnitude better than all previous results. The new result challenges calculations of this quantity and represents a benchmark value for future relativistic and QED calculations of molecular energies.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Determination of the Interval between the Ground States of Para- and Ortho- H2

ISSN:0031-9007ISSN:1079-711

Rifampin pharmacokinetics in children, with and without human immunodeficiency virus infection, hospitalized for the management of severe forms of tuberculosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Rifampin is a key drug in antituberculosis chemotherapy because it rapidly kills the majority of bacilli in tuberculosis lesions, prevents relapse and thus enables 6-month short-course chemotherapy. Little is known about the pharmacokinetics of rifampin in children. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of rifampin in children with tuberculosis, both human immunodeficiency virus type-1-infected and human immunodeficiency virus-uninfected.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifty-four children, 21 human immunodeficiency virus-infected and 33 human immunodeficiency virus-uninfected, mean ages 3.73 and 4.05 years (<it>P </it>= 0.68), respectively, admitted to a tuberculosis hospital in Cape Town, South Africa with severe forms of tuberculosis were studied approximately 1 month and 4 months after commencing antituberculosis treatment. Blood specimens for analysis were drawn in the morning, 45 minutes, 1.5, 3.0, 4.0 and 6.0 hours after dosing. Rifampin concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. For two sample comparisons of means, the Welch version of the t-test was used; associations between variables were examined by Pearson correlation and by multiple linear regression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The children received a mean rifampin dosage of 9.61 mg/kg (6.47 to 15.58) body weight at 1 month and 9.63 mg/kg (4.63 to 17.8) at 4 months after commencing treatment administered as part of a fixed-dose formulation designed for paediatric use. The mean rifampin area under the curve 0 to 6 hours after dosing was 14.9 and 18.1 μg/hour/ml (<it>P </it>= 0.25) 1 month after starting treatment in human immunodeficiency virus-infected and human immunodeficiency virus-uninfected children, respectively, and 16.52 and 17.94 μg/hour/ml (<it>P </it>= 0.59) after 4 months of treatment. The mean calculated 2-hour rifampin concentrations in these human immunodeficiency virus-infected and human immunodeficiency virus-uninfected children were 3.9 and 4.8 μg/ml (<it>P </it>= 0.20) at 1 month after the start of treatment and 4.0 and 4.6 μg/ml (<it>P </it>= 0.33) after 4 months of treatment. These values are considerably less than the suggested lower limit for 2-hour rifampin concentrations in adults of 8.0 μg/ml and even 4 μg/ml</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Both human immunodeficiency virus-infected and human immunodeficiency virus-uninfected children with tuberculosis have very low rifampin serum concentrations after receiving standard rifampin dosages similar to those used in adults. Pharmacokinetic studies of higher dosages of rifampin are urgently needed in children to assist in placing the dosage of rifampin used in childhood on a more scientific foundation.</p

Interactions of Photosystem I with Plasmonic nanostructures

The plasmonic interaction effects of various nanostructures on the fluorescence properties of photosystem I as found by single-molecule spectroscopy are summarized. The used nanostructures are spherical Au nanoparticles, silver island films as well as hexagonal arrays of nanometer-sized Au- and Ag-triangles (the Fischer patterns). The fluorescence emission of photosystem I is intensified due to coupling with these nanostructures. For single photosystem I complexes, enhancement factors of up to 37 were observed. The average enhancements vary between 2.2 for Au Fischer pattern and 9 for spherical Au nanoparticles. The enhancement of the fluorescence of photosystem I demonstrates in all cases a strong wavelength dependence. This wavelength dependence can be explained by the spatially largely extended multichromophore composition of photosystem I complexes. From the viewpoint of the usability of these nanostructures for spectroscopic signal enhancement, the Fischer patterns are beneficial, due to their very low autoluminescence

Hydrography of a transatlantic section from Portugal to the Newfoundland Basin

Hydrographie data (salinity, temperature, oxygen, silicate, and phosphate) obtained on 5 stations ("Meteor" cruise 23, leg C, 8 to 26 June 1971) on a section from Lisbon, Portugal, to 44° N, 43° W (Newfoundland Basin) by both water sampling and in situ observation by the "Bathysonde" (STD), are summarized. A strong core of Mediterranean water was found at the eastern boundary of the section (38.5° N, 11.5° W). At this station, the core is accompanied by low nutrient concentrations and brings about an extended oxygen minimum (ca. 500 to 1400 m depth). The core quickly weakens towards the west and is, at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, only apparent in the Bathysonde data. Two salinity maxima are observed within the core of Mediterranean water, the center of which speads along the isopycnal σt = 27.7. Dissolved oxygen shows a rapid concentration increase with depth below the Mediterranean water core; concentration variations with depth below the range of this increase are only small. The mean deep-water oxygen concentration increases from 5.5 ml/kg (below 2500 m) to 6.20 ml/kg (below 1500 m) in an east-west direction on the section. The upper boundary of the deep-water oxygen concentration range thereby rises from 2000 to 1300 m; this boundary marks the upper boundary of the Arctic Intermediate water. Core depths of Arctic Intermediate and of Iceland-Scotland overflow water, are derived from the potential-temperature/salinity diagrams obtained in the western basin, and are extended to the other stations by assuming lateral spreading to occur along isopycnal surfaces. The core depths for the Intermediate water obtained in this manner, are supported also by the potential-temperature to silicate relations. The bottom water of the westernmost station of the section, at 44° N, 43° W, is of Denmark Strait origin, and it produces a distinct reversal in the vertical trends of salinity, silicate, phosphate, and oxygen, at 4300 m depth. The concentration of the nuclear-weapon produced nuclide tritium increases within the Denmark Strait water core towards the bottom. Further tritium concentration peaks appear in the intermediate and deep water at this station. At the next Station east on the section at 43° N 34 ° W, tritium concentrations are essetially zero below 2000 m depth, and are distinctly smaller than on the westernmost station, between 600 m and 2000 m depth. This "Meteor" section was track F of the Atlantic network of the international Geochemical Ocean Sections Program (GEOSECS)