Biomedical subjects

Shoujun Xu

Publications and source records attributed to Shoujun Xu.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Magnetic resonance imaging with an optical atomic magnetometer.

We report an approach for the detection of magnetic resonance imaging without superconducting magnets and cryogenics: optical atomic magnetometry. This technique possesses a high sensitivity independent of the strength of the static magnetic field, extending the applicability of magnetic resonance imaging to low magnetic fields and eliminating imaging artifacts associated with high fields. By coupling with a remote-detection scheme, thereby improving the filling factor of the sample, we obtained time-resolved flow images of water with a temporal resolution of 0.1 s and spatial resolutions of 1.6 mm perpendicular to the flow and 4.5 mm along the flow. Potentially inexpensive, compact, and mobile, our technique provides a viable alternative for MRI detection with substantially enhanced sensitivity and time resolution for various situations where traditional MRI is not optimal.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging↗

PubMed2005

On the interaction of electrons with betaine zwitterions.

Betaine is a permanent zwitterion. The molecular betaine anion has been generated in a hybrid, infrared desorption-electron photoemission source and its photoelectron spectrum recorded. The photoelectron spectrum of the betaine anion is characteristic of a dipole bound anion, and its vertical detachment energy was measured to be 0.29+/-0.03 eV. Calculations by Rak, Skurski, and Gutowski [J. Chem. Phys. 114, 10673 (2001)] had found the betaine anion to be a dipole bound anion with a vertical detachment energy of 0.28 eV. We also measured the vertical detachment energy of deprotonated betaine to be approximately 1.9 eV.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

The stabilization of arginine's zwitterion by dipole-binding of an excess electron.

The arginine parent anion was generated by a newly developed, infrared desorption-electron photoemission hybrid anion source. The photoelectron spectrum of the arginine anion was recorded and interpreted as being due to dipole binding of the excess electron. The results are consistent with calculations by Rak, Skurski, Simons, and Gutowski, who predicted the near degeneracy of arginine's canonical and zwitterionic dipole bound anions. Since neutral arginine's zwitterion is slightly less stable than its canonical form, this work also demonstrates the ability of an excess electron to stabilize a zwitterion, just as ions and solvent molecules are already known to do.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Dark structures in molecular radiationless transitions determined by ultrafast diffraction.

The intermediate structures formed through radiationless transitions are termed "dark" because their existence is inferred indirectly from radiative transitions. We used ultrafast electron diffraction to directly determine these transient structures on both ground-state and excited-state potential energy surfaces of several aromatic molecules. The resolution in space and time (0.01 angstrom and 1 picosecond) enables differentiation between competing nonradiative pathways of bond breaking, vibronic coupling, and spin transition. For the systems reported here, the results reveal unexpected dynamical behavior. The observed ring opening of the structure depends on molecular substituents. This, together with the parallel bifurcation into physical and chemical channels, redefines structural dynamics of the energy landscape in radiationless processes.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Direct determination of hydrogen-bonded structures in resonant and tautomeric reactions using ultrafast electron diffraction.

We elucidate the keto-enol tautomeric equilibrium in acetylacetone, the structure of both keto and enol forms, and the nature of the intramolecular O-H...O HB in enolic acetylacetone using our ultrafast electron diffraction apparatus, thereby shedding new light on the nature of the hydrogen bond in resonant tautomeric structures. The enolic structure exhibits some pi-resonance delocalization; however, this delocalization is not strong enough to give a symmetric skeletal geometry. The long O...O distance in the refined structure renders the homonuclear O-H...O hydrogen bond in acetylacetone localized and asymmetric.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Onset of metallic behavior in magnesium clusters.

We have measured the photoelectron spectra of mass-selected magnesium cluster anions, Mg- n, over the size range, n=3-35. Their s-p band gaps were observed to close at n=18, signaling the onset of metallic behavior. Electronic shell structure was implicated by gap "reopenings" and mass spectral magic numbers. Complementary calculations are presented in the companion paper [P. H. Acioli and J. Jellinek, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 213402 (2002)]].

Journal Article↗