In this letter we study adiabatic and isocurvature perturbations in the frame of inflation with multiple sound speeds involved. We suggest this scenario can be realized by a number of generalized scalar fields with arbitrary kinetic forms. These scalars have their own sound speeds respectively, so the propagations of field fluctuations are individual. Specifically, we study a model constructed by two DBI type actions. We find that the critical length scale for the freezing of perturbations corresponds to the maximum sound horizon. Moreover, if the mass term of one field is much lighter than that of the other, the entropy perturbation could be quite large and so may give rise to a growth outside sound horizon. At cubic order, we find that the non-Gaussianity of local type is possibly large when entropy perturbations are able to convert into curvature perturbations. We also calculate the non-Gaussianity of equilateral type approximately.

Halogenated quinones are a class of carcinogenic intermediates and newly identified chlorination disinfection byproducts in drinking water. 13-Hydroperoxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid (13-HPODE) is the most extensively studied endogenous lipid hydroperoxide. Although it is well known that the decomposition of 13-HPODE can be catalyzed by transition metal ions, it is not clear whether halogenated quinones could enhance its decomposition independent of metal ions, and if so, what are the unique characteristics and similarities? Here we show that 2,5-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (DCBQ) could markedly enhance the decomposition of 13-HPODE and formation of the reactive lipid alkyl radicals such as pentyl and 7-carboxyheptyl radicals, and the genotoxic 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), through the complementary application of ESR spin-trapping, HPLC-MS and GC-MS methods. Interestingly, two chloroquinone-lipid alkoxyl conjugates were also detected and identified from the reaction between DCBQ and 13-HPODE. Analogous results were observed with other halogenated quinones. This represents the first report that halogenated quinoid carcinogens can enhance the decomposition of the endogenous lipid hydroperoxide 13-HPODE and formation of reactive lipid alkyl radicals and genotoxic HNE via a novel metal-independent nucelophilic substitution coupled with homolytic decomposition mechanism, which may partly explain their potential genotoxicity and carcinogenicity.

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