Sample “fingerprint

Molecules generally have a large number of bonds and each bond may have several IR-active vibrational modes. IR spectra are complex and have many overlapping absorption bands. IR spectra are sufficiently complex that the spectmm for each compound is unique and this makes IR spectra very useful for identifying compounds by direct comparison with spectra from authentic samples "fingerprinting"). 

In the human cell there are 23 pairs of chromosomes containing approximately 3000 million base pairs of DNA. Short sequences of DNA, perhaps with as few as 20 nucleotide units and sometimes radiolabeled, can be obtained either by chemical synthesis (gene machine) or from cloning. These short sequences can be used to probe for a complementary sequence by looking for the position to which they bind to any DNA sample under investigation, from blood for example. Such probes can detect as little as 100 fg of DNA and are the basis of forensic genetic fingerprinting tests. 

Powder diffraction patterns have three main features that can be measured t5 -spacings, peak intensities, and peak shapes. Because these patterns ate a characteristic fingerprint for each crystalline phase, a computer can quickly compare the measured pattern with a standard pattern from its database and recommend the best match. Whereas the measurement of t5 -spacings is quite straightforward, the determination of peak intensities can be influenced by sample preparation. Any preferred orientation, or presence of several larger crystals in the sample, makes the interpretation of the intensity data difficult. 

One of the most common modes of characterization involves the determination of a material s surface chemistry. This is accomplished via interpretation of the fiag-mentation pattern in the static SIMS mass spectrum. This fingerprint yields a great deal of information about a sample s outer chemical nature, including the relative degree of unsaturation, the presence or absence of aromatic groups, and branching. In addition to the chemical information, the mass spectrum also provides data about any surface impurities or contaminants. 

The basis of XRE analysis is the photoelectric absorption and the subsequent emission of X-ray photons characteristic of the fingerprints of analyte atoms in the sample. Element composition can be quantified by the relative intensities of the indivi-... 

A DNA fingerprint can be used for many purposes other than solving violent crimes. In particular, it can serve to identify deceased individuals. In June of 1998 the "Vietnam Unknown" buried in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery was identified by DNA technology. He was shown to be First Lieutenant Michael Blassie, shot down over Vietnam in May of 1972. DNA samples taken from his mother matched those obtained from his body. A month later Blassie, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, was reburied in a national cemetery located in that city. 

In the powder diffraction technique, a monochromatic (single-frequency) beam of x-rays is directed at a powdered sample spread on a support, and the diffraction intensity is measured as the detector is moved to different angles (Fig. 1). The pattern obtained is characteristic of the material in the sample, and it can be identified by comparison with a database of patterns. In effect, powder x-ray diffraction takes a fingerprint of the sample. It can also be used to identify the size and shape of the unit cell by measuring the spacing of the lines in the diffraction pattern. The central equation for analyzing the results of a powder diffraction experiment is the Bragg equation... 

A second unusual EPR spectrum was observed in the oxidized (as-isolated) protein (Fig. 3). This spectrum, which was assigned to an S = z system, was not reminiscent of any Fe-S cluster. Indeed, with g-values of 1.968, 1.953, and 1.903, it looked more like a molybdenum or tungsten spectrum. However, chemical analysis ruled out the possibility that this EPR spectrum arose from Mo or W, and the spectrum was assigned to an Fe-S center instead. The spin concentration, however, was sub stoichiometric and sample-dependent. Furthermore, when the as-isolated protein was oxidized with ferricyanide, it became EPR silent. This, together with the iron determination and the fingerprint of the reduced protein, led Hagen and colleagues to the... 

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