Probing electron-phonon excitations in molecular junctions by quantum interference.

Electron-phonon coupling is a fundamental inelastic interaction in condensed matter and in molecules. Here we probe phonon excitations using quantum interference in electron transport occurring in short chains of anthraquinone based molecular junctions. By studying the dependence of molecular junction's conductance as a function of bias voltage and temperature, we show that inelastic scattering of electrons by phonons can be detected as features in conductance resulting from quenching of quantum interference. Our results are in agreement with density functional theory calculations and are well described by a generic two-site model in the framework of non-equilibrium Green's functions formalism. The importance of the observed inelastic contribution to the current opens up new ways for exploring coherent electron transport through molecular devices.

Cooper-pair pump as a quantized current source.

A new charge quantization in a phase-polarized Cooper-pair pump is proposed, based on the topological properties of its Hamiltonian ground state over a three-dimensional parameter space P. The charge is quantized using a set of paths in P covering the surface of a torus, and is a multiple of the integer Chern index c1 of this surface. This quantization is asymptotic but the pumped charge converges rapidly to the quantized value with the increase in the path frequency. The topological nature of the current makes this Cooper-pair pump implementation an excellent candidate for a metrological current standard.

Resonant Cooper pair tunneling through a double-island qubit.

We have measured transport in the Coulomb blockade regime through a quantum system consisting of two superconducting islands coupled by a Josephson junction. The double island is weakly connected to leads by small superconducting tunnel junctions. At low bias voltages, a new resonant transport process for Cooper pairs is observed. The results show that Cooper pair transport can be used as a probe of the macroscopic energy levels of the double island.

Oral administration of dehydroepiandrosterone to healthy men: alteration of the urinary androgen profile and consequences for the detection of abuse in sport by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) replacement therapy as compensation for high age-related decline of DHEA and DHEA sulfate production is a matter of intense investigation, since many beneficial effects have been proven, or are suggested and expected. Therefore, DHEA abuse by athletes has been considered by the International Olympic Committee, which banned the substance recently. As DHEA for oral supplementation is easily available, we decided to investigate the effect on the urinary androgen profile of administration along this route of a single substitution dose of 50 mg. Quantitative analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring demonstrated that the drug was readily absorbed with 50 to 75% recovery of dosing after 24 h, and with glucuro- and sulfoconjugates of DHEA, androsterone, and etiocholanolone as the most abundant metabolites. In agreement with reported data found in blood, conversion of exogenous DHEA to the principal biologically active androgen, testosterone, was low but proven to be real by the administration of deuterium-labeled DHEA and the subsequent identification and quantification of deuterium-labeled testosterone. A concentration threshold of 300 micrograms/L of DHEA glucuronide is proposed for the screening of DHEA abuse in sport, but a single replacement dose can only be detected during 8 h. Such a short detection period is the consequence of considerable first-pass hepatic metabolism and also of the high interindividual variability of circulating and urinary DHEA and DHEA sulfate concentrations.

Combined profile of androgen glucuro- and sulfoconjugates in post-competition urine of sportsmen: a simple screening procedure using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

An analytical screening procedure has been developed for the estimation of total androgen conjugates in post-competition urine, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with computerized data acquisition and concentration calculation. Rapid acid-catalyzed methanolysis is a key feature of the method, which allows simultaneous cleavage of glucuronides and sulfates. Analytical data generated by this method for testosterone and epitestosterone are in accordance with our previous results obtained by more accurate isotope dilution mass spectrometry. The usefulness of the ratio of testosterone glucuronide-total epitestosterone as an aid for a better discrimination between physiologically high and pharmacologically high ratios of testosterone glucuronide-epitestosterone glucuronide, which was demonstrated previously, has been confirmed here.