Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E Gratton

Publications and source records attributed to E Gratton.

160 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

A continuously variable frequency cross-correlation phase fluorometer with picosecond resolution.

A detailed description of the construction and performance of a variable frequency cross-correlation phase fluorometer is reported. The phase fluorometer operates over the frequency range 1-160 MHz with a maximum resolution of a few picoseconds. The effects of distortions introduced by the light modulator and the nonlinear dynode characteristic are discussed in terms of the harmonic content of the detected signal. A source of systematic errors due to nonhomogeneous modulation is also discussed with particular attention to the color effect of the photomultipliers. The application of the phase fluorometer to the measurement of very long and very short lifetimes is reported. Some application to the measurement of multiexponential decays is also illustrated.

Chloroplasts↗

Adiabatic compressibility of globular proteins.

The adiabatic compressibility of several globular proteins has been measured by using an ultrasonic technique in the frequency range 0.5 to 10 MHz. The contributions to the measured compressibility from the protein matrix and from surface processes involving ionization of side chains and solvation effects are discussed. The internal protein compressibility is very low, indicating the existence of "dynamic domains" which are tentatively assigned to secondary structure elements.

Animals↗

Correlation of IR spectroscopic, heat capacity, diamagnetic susceptibility and enzymatic measurements on lysozyme powder.

The interaction between protein and water is of fundamental importance for processes ranging from protein folding and enzymatic activity to anhydrobiosis. In this letter we bring together results from diverse types of measurements to give a unified picture of the hydration process for lysozyme. The data come principally from experiments with protein films and powders. The principal aim is to examine the relationship between the sites of water interaction, the extent of coverage, and the enzymatic activity, thus providing a better understanding of the relationship between water and enzyme dynamics.

Catalysis↗

Infrared stretching frequencies of CO in carbomonoxyhemoglobin from trout.

The infrared spectra of the carbomonoxy derivatives of the hemoglobin components I and IV from trout have been measured in the CO stretching frequency region using a high resolution infrared spectrometer. The CO stretching frequency of Hb I CO is very close to that of carbomonoxy human hemoglobin and is pH-independent. In contrast, the CO stretching frequency of Hb IV CO is higher and shows a small but significant pH dependence in the range 6.2-7.8. These results point to a decreased strength of the iron-CO bond in Hb IV CO at low pH, in agreement with the conclusions drawn from the reported difference spectra of Hb IV CO as a function of pH.

Animals↗

Role of frequency domain optical spectroscopy in the detection of neonatal brain hemorrhage--a newborn piglet study.

OBJECTIVE: Inability of continuous wave (CW) optical spectroscopy to measure changes in scattering, and the use of an arbitrary rather than an actual baseline, makes the CW method highly susceptible to errors that can lead to a false-positive or false-negative diagnosis. Our objective was to assess whether, and to what extent, the use of quantitative frequency domain spectroscopy would improve our ability to detect and monitor the development of brain hemorrhage. METHODS: A dual-channel frequency-domain tissue spectrometer (Model 96208, ISS, Inc., Champaign, IL) was used to monitor the development of experimental subcortical and periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in 10 newborn piglets (blood injection model). The multidistance approach was employed to calculate the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients and hemoglobin changes from the ac, dc, and phase values acquired at four different source-detector distances and at 752 nm and 830 nm. RESULTS: There were significant absorption and scattering changes in the subcortical hematoma (n = 5) and the IVH groups (n = 5). The smallest detectable amount of blood in the brain was 0.04 ml. Changes associated with subcortical hematoma were several times higher than those associated with IVH, and correlated better with the estimated cross-sectional area of the hematoma than with the volume of the injected blood. As opposed to IVH, there was a significant absorption difference between the injured (subcortical hematoma) and normal side of the brain, probably because in case of IVH a significant volume of the injected blood had accumulated/spread beyond the reach of the probe. CONCLUSION: Clearly, frequency-domain spectroscopy cannot increase our ability to quantify the volume (size) or the oxygenation of the injected blood, especially in the case of IVH. However, the ability to quantify the baseline tissue absorption and scattering would significantly improve diagnostic performance, and may allow for early identification and treatment of neonatal brain hemorrhage.

Animals↗