Electron Spin Density Distribution in the Polymer Phase of CsC 60 : Assignment of the NMR Spectrum

We present high resolution 133 Cs-13 C double resonance NMR data and 13 C-13 C NMR correlation spectra of 13 C enriched samples of the polymeric phase of CsC 60 . These data lead to a partial assignment of the lines in the 13 C NMR spectrum of CsC 60 to the carbon positions on the C 60 molecule. A plausible completion of the assignment can be made on the basis of an ab initio calculation. The data support the view that the conduction electron density is concentrated at the C 60 "equator," away from the interfullerene bonds. PACS numbers: 71.20.Tx, 76.70.Fz The electronic and magnetic properties of the alkali intercalated fullerides, A n C 60 , are still only partly understood. The case A Rb, Cs, n 1 has attracted particular interest The basic structural features of the polymer phase, such as the dimensions of the unit cell, C 60 center positions, and the 2 1 2 cycloaddition polymerization along the crystallographic a axis are widely supported through x-ray diffraction However the degree of deformation of the C 60 balls [25] and the rotational orientation of the polymer chains are less well characterized. Neutron diffraction NMR has proven a useful probe of structure and electronic properties both for the broader class of alkali intercalated fulleride materials In order to obtain sufficient sensitivity, samples of CsC 60 were synthesized using 13 C enriched fullerenes. These were prepared by packing and sintering 13 C enriched amorphous carbon into graphite tubes to create 13 C enriched carbon rods. The fullerenes were subsequently produced by arcing a 60 A, 25 V dc current between an ordinar

Theory of Distinct Crystal Structures of Polymerized Fullerides AC60, A=K, Rb, Cs: the Specific Role of Alkalis

The polymer phases of AC60 form distinct crystal structures characterized by the mutual orientations of the (C60-)n chains. We show that the direct electric quadrupole interaction between chains always favors the orthorhombic structure Pmnn with alternating chain orientations. However the specific quadrupolar polarizability of the alkali metal ions leads to an indirect interchain coupling which favors the monoclinic structure I2/m with equal chain orientations. The competition between direct and indirect interactions explains the structural difference between KC60 and RbC60, CsC60.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabl

The effect of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy on small for gestational age and stillbirth: a population based study

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are leading causes of maternal, fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, studies attempting to quantify the effect of hypertension on adverse perinatal outcomes have been mostly conducted in tertiary centres. This population-based study explored the frequency of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and the associated increase in small for gestational age (SGA) and stillbirth. METHODS: We used information on all pregnant women and births, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, between 1988 and 2000. Pregnancies were excluded if delivery occurred < 20 weeks, if birthweight was < 500 grams, if there was a high-order multiple pregnancy (greater than twin gestation), or a major fetal anomaly. RESULTS: The study population included 135,466 pregnancies. Of these, 7.7% had mild pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), 1.3% had severe PIH, 0.2% had HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets), 0.02% had eclampsia, 0.6% had chronic hypertension, and 0.4% had chronic hypertension with superimposed PIH. Women with any hypertension in pregnancy were 1.6 (95% CI 1.5–1.6) times more likely to have a live birth with SGA and 1.4 (95% CI 1.1–1.8) times more likely to have a stillbirth as compared with normotensive women. Adjusted analyses showed that women with gestational hypertension without proteinuria (mild PIH) and with proteinuria (severe PIH, HELLP, or eclampsia) were more likely to have infants with SGA (RR 1.5, 95% CI 1.4–1.6 and RR 3.2, 95% CI 2.8–3.6, respectively). Women with pre-existing hypertension were also more likely to give birth to an infant with SGA (RR 2.5, 95% CI 2.2–3.0) or to have a stillbirth (RR 3.2, 95% CI 1.9–5.4). CONCLUSIONS: This large, population-based study confirms and quantifies the magnitude of the excess risk of small for gestational age and stillbirth among births to women with hypertensive disease in pregnancy

In Vivo Assessment of Cold Adaptation in Insect Larvae by Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Background Temperatures below the freezing point of water and the ensuing ice crystal formation pose serious challenges to cell structure and function. Consequently, species living in seasonally cold environments have evolved a multitude of strategies to reorganize their cellular architecture and metabolism, and the underlying mechanisms are crucial to our understanding of life. In multicellular organisms, and poikilotherm animals in particular, our knowledge about these processes is almost exclusively due to invasive studies, thereby limiting the range of conclusions that can be drawn about intact living systems. Methodology Given that non-destructive techniques like 1H Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging and spectroscopy have proven useful for in vivo investigations of a wide range of biological systems, we aimed at evaluating their potential to observe cold adaptations in living insect larvae. Specifically, we chose two cold-hardy insect species that frequently serve as cryobiological model systems–the freeze-avoiding gall moth Epiblema scudderiana and the freeze-tolerant gall fly Eurosta solidaginis. Results In vivo MR images were acquired from autumn-collected larvae at temperatures between 0°C and about -70°C and at spatial resolutions down to 27 µm. These images revealed three-dimensional (3D) larval anatomy at a level of detail currently not in reach of other in vivo techniques. Furthermore, they allowed visualization of the 3D distribution of the remaining liquid water and of the endogenous cryoprotectants at subzero temperatures, and temperature-weighted images of these distributions could be derived. Finally, individual fat body cells and their nuclei could be identified in intact frozen Eurosta larvae. Conclusions These findings suggest that high resolution MR techniques provide for interesting methodological options in comparative cryobiological investigations, especially in vivo

Possible systematic errors in single-shot measurements of the trace of the diffusion tensor

There have been recent proposals of diffusion-weighting pulse sequences that purport to measure the trace of the diffusion tensor, or to weight an image by that rotationally invariant quantity. Here the effect of a time-dependent diffusion tensor on such sequences is investigated theoretically. It is found that the time dependence of the diffusion tensor both breaks the rotational invariance of the pulse sequence and affects the overall magnitude of the diffusion weighting. These deviations are calculated for two pulse sequences, with parameters relevant to experiments on brain tissue. The departure from rotational invariance is found to be surprisingly small: <1%, for reasonable parameters and ∼5% for the most extreme choice of parameters. The overall magnitude of the diffusion weighting, however, may be significantly altered; 10% is estimated for reasonable parameters. It is proposed that this effect should prove a sensitive probe of time dependence in the diffusion tensor. © 1996 Academic Press, Inc