A fluorimetric and circular dichroism study of hemoglobin--effect of pH and anionic amphiphiles

In this work, bovine hemoglobin (Hb) has been studied mainly by the fluorescence method. pH has been found to exert a profound effect on Hb structure. This has been confirmed by fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) studies. The pH-induced change in quaternary structure of Hb indirectly affects its secondary structure. This in turn affects ligand binding to Hb at various pH. The binding of two amphiphiles, a bile salt and a surfactant, have been investigated. The pH-induced structural modification of Hb has been confirmed by studies with the well-known denaturant urea and the polarity probe ANS, which has been used as an extrinsic fluorophore.     

High-pressure liquid chromatographic determination of propoxyphene hydrochloride in tablets and capsules.

The determination of propoxyphene hydrochloride by gas chromatography (GC) has been examined. Under a number of operating conditions significant on-column decomposition has occurred. The amounts of decomposition have been found to be dependent on sample size, flow-rate, column temperature, liquid phase loading, and solid support material. In view of this work a high-pressure liquid chromatographic procedure for quantitating propoxyphene hydrochloride has been developed. This method has been found to be specific for propoxyphene hydrochloride in the presence of its heat decomposition products formed with and without acetaminophen. This method does not suffer from problems associated with GC procedures.     

The application of TiO2 photocatalysis for disinfection of water contaminated with pathogenic micro-organisms: a review

The use of semiconductor photocatalysis for treatment of water and air has been the topic of intense research activity over the past 20 years. This powerful process has also been extended to the disinfection of environments contaminated with pathogenic micro-organisms. This review summarizes recent developments concerned with the photocatalytic treatment of water contaminated with pathogenic micro-organisms presenting a potential hazard to animals and human beings.     

Smectic order parameters from diffusion data

Microcanonical molecular dynamics simulations have been performed in the smectic A phase of an elementary liquid-crystal model. Smectic order parameters and diffusion coefficients along directions parallel and perpendicular to the director have been calculated during the same trajectory for a number of state points. This has permitted the satisfactory testing of a procedure, adopted in the analysis of experimental self-diffusion coefficients, leading to an estimate of the temperature dependence of the smectic order parameters. This methodology has been then confidently applied to two smectogenic thermotropic liquid crystals belonging to the 4,4(')-di-n-alkyl-azoxybenzene series. The derived smectic order parameters are larger for the homologue compound with the longest alkyl chains. This is consistent with the well-established increased tendency, for members of a homologue series, to form a smectic phase as their alkyl chains become longer.     

Practical C-H functionalization of quinones with boronic acids

A direct functionalization of a variety of quinones with several boronic acids has been developed. This scalable reaction proceeds readily at room temperature in an open flask using inexpensive reagents: catalytic silver(I) nitrate in the presence of a persulfate co-oxidant. The scope with respect to quinones is broad, with a variety of alkyl- and arylboronic acids undergoing efficient cross-coupling. The mechanism is presumed to proceed through a nucleophilic radical addition to the quinone with in situ reoxidation of the resulting dihydroquinone. This method has been applied to complex substrates, including a steroid derivative and a farnesyl natural product.     

Chalcogens based glasses for IR fiber chemical sensors

Among chalcogens based glasses, a new composition has been studied in the system TeAsSe. This glass is interesting for its good optical properties, especially in the mid-infrared region from 2 to 18 μm. Particularly, IR optical fibers have been elaborated and optimized with the aim of using them as evanescent wave chemical sensors. For this kind of applications, a special fiber design, with a tapered zone, is required. This can be achieved by two different routes. The application to the detection of several compounds, such as ethanol, has been studied. More recently, detection experiments of biological tissues have been successfully carried out.     

Thiophene derivatives: A potent multitargeted pharmacological scaffold

Despite a significant work that has been done on thiophene, continuous efforts are still being made by the researchers to identify novel heterocyclic compounds with potential bioactivities. Thiophene nucleus has been extensively utilized by the researchers across the globe for the development of diverse bioactive heterocycles for hitting a wide range of biological targets. This review throws light on synthetic approaches that have been used for the synthesis of potential thiophene derivatives followed by the depth analysis of them with respect to their pharmacological significance. This review can help the medicinal chemists and researchers to develop novel leads having thiophene nucleus with high efficacy and reduced side effects.     

Mechanistic aspects of the interaction of intercalating metal complexes with nucleic acids

Since the discovery of the intercalative binding mode, almost half a century ago, intense efforts have been devoted to design, synthesize and test new small molecules that can bind nucleic acids with improved recognition and affinity. Among them, metal bearing compounds play a principal role. Despite the plethora of different metal complexes which have been designed to react with DNA and which have been tested, the binding mechanisms have often not been analysed. This is unfortunate, considering the importance of understanding of the binding features in depth in order to optimise their biological effects. This review covers articles where an analysis of the kinetic aspects of the interaction between the target metal compound and nucleic acids has been carried out and details of the reaction mechanism are provided. Flat metal complexes (porphyrins), spherical complexes with protruding intercalating residues, azamacrocycle metallo-intercalators and intercalators with metal bearing pendant arms are the classes of molecules that have been taken into account. The limits of the SDS method, employed to measure the rates of drug dissociation from polynucleotides, are also discussed.     

Making and Breaking of C−N Bonds: Applications in the Synthesis of Unsymmetric Tertiary Amines and α-Amino Carbonyl Derivatives

An operationally simple process has been developed for the synthesis of unsymmetrical amines and α-amino carbonyl derivatives in the absence of a catalyst, ligand, oxidant, or any additives. Contrary to known reductive amination methods, this protocol is amenable to substrates containing other reducible groups. This process effectively results in consecutive cleavage and formation of C−N bonds. DFT studies and Hammett analysis provide useful insight into the mechanism. The role of noncovalent interactions as a stabilizing factor have been examined in the protocol. A wide range of alkyl-bromides have been coupled efficiently with a variety of dimethyl anilines to get unsymmetric tertiary amines with yields up to 90%. This methodology was further extended to the synthesis of α-amino carbonyl derivatives with yields up to 93%.     

Total syntheses of carbohydrates: organocatalyzed aldol additions of dihydroxyacetone

The selective total synthesis of carbohydrates with defined configuration has been of great interest for a long time. This field has been the domain of enzymatic methods so far. But now the recent development of several organocatalyzed aldol methodologies has made a selective synthetic approach to configuratively defined carbohydrates possible. This development and different strategies will be discussed in this concept article.     

Two new techniques for sample preparation in bioanalysis: Microextraction in packed sorbent (MEPS) and use of a bonded monolith as sorbent for sample preparation in polypropylene tips for 96-well plates

Analytical methods providing high throughput are required for the ever increasing number of samples in bioanalysis. Currently, the method of choice in bioanalysis is LC-MS-MS. This method is quite rapid and thereby the focus has been directed to sample preparation as being a bottleneck in total analysis systems. It has become necessary to develop sample preparation techniques to a new improved level. This development has been based on a systematic and scientific approach. The key factors in this development have been miniaturization, integration, and automation of the techniques. This review provides a short overview of recent developments. Special emphasis is on two techniques: microextraction in packed syringe (MEPS) and use of a monolithic acrylamide plug as sorbent in polypropylene tips primarily intended for use with 96-well plate systems.     

Synthesis,characterization, and curing of hyperbranched allyl ether–maleate functional ester resins

A model two-step synthesis of a saturated hyperbranched hydroxyl-terminated ester has been developed to show a synthesis route. Three different series of hyperbranched esters with different terminations have been synthesized to relate some of their properties to their structures. This route has then been used to synthesize three different allyl ethermaleate functional hyperbranched ester resins in a two-step procedure. The resins have been characterized with respect to rheology, structure, and properties, and the differences are discussed. The allyl ether-maleate functional resins have also been studied with respect to curing performance and final film properties. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

An Environment‐friendly Synthesis of 2,3‐Disubstituted‐2‐iminothiazoline‐4‐ones

A series of 2,3‐substituted‐2‐iminothiazoline‐4‐ones derivatives have been synthesized via an improved method including an auto‐catalyzed reaction. This method avoided using any extra catalyst except for the reaction material. This method has been successful in both the aromatic substituted 2‐iminothiazolines and the alkyl substituted 2‐iminothiazolines. The special product with a hydroxyl group on the 2‐iminogroup of 1,3‐thiazoline‐4‐ones has also been obtained unexpectedly. The possible mechanism has been proposed for the special process of dealkylation and hydroxylation. This method offered a special way to afford the 2‐hydroxyimino‐substituted thiazoline‐4‐one derivatives in an efficient and eco‐friendly way. The mechanism of the transformation under acid condition has also been proposed.     

Development of a high-throughput screening method for racemase activity and its application to the identification of alanine racemase variants with activity towards l-arginine

A high-throughput solid phase screening method has been developed for alanine racemase. Conversion of an l-amino acid to the d-amino acid is detected by a d-amino acid oxidase, which is utilised as a reporter enzyme along with horseradish peroxidase and a colourimetric dye. This system has successfully been used to identify a mutant with increased activity towards arginine. Kinetic analysis and modelling studies have been performed to understand the effect of the mutations found.     

Modified active site coordination in a clinical mutant of sulfite oxidase

The molybdenum site of the Arginine 160 --> Glutamine clinical mutant of the physiologically vital enzyme sulfite oxidase has been investigated by a combination of X-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. We conclude that the mutant enzyme has a six-coordinate pseudo-octahedral active site with coordination of Glutamine Oepsilon to molybdenum. This contrasts with the wild-type enzyme which is five-coordinate with approximately square-based pyramidal geometry. This difference in the structure of the molybdenum site explains many of the properties of the mutant enzyme which have previously been reported.     

Preparation and polymerization of a diisocyanate from the Diels-Alder adduct of levopimaric acid and acrylic acid

Starting from tetrahydroabietic acid the model compounds tetrahydroabietoyl chloride, 2-aminoethyltetrahydroabietate hydrochloride, and 2-isocyanatoethyltetrahydroabietate have been prepared. Carbamate and urea derivatives of the isocyanate have been prepared. A Diels-Alder adduct of levopimaric acid and acrylic acid has been prepared and converted to its diacid chloride. The β-aminoethyl ester hydrochloride has been synthesized and converted to a diisocyanate which has been polymerized with poly(tetramethylene glycol) and also with p-phenylenediamine. Dimerex resin, a technical polymerized rosin, has been similarly converted to a diisocyanate. This isocyanate has not proven to be useful as a polymer-forming intermediate.     

Anodic Polarographic Behaviour of Hydrolyzed Penicillin V

Abstract

The electroactivity of a degradation product from penicillin V is described. This electroactive product is formed by acidic hydrolysis at pH 4.0 and heating at 90°C for 60 minutes.

This derivative has not been identified, but would seem to contain a thiol group. It gives a diffusion controlled anodic polarographic wave with a peak potential of -0.204 V versus SCE at pH 4.0.

The developed method has been applied to the analysis of penicillin V dosage forms and a recovery of 100.8 has been obtained.     

An improved clusterion-photoelectron coincidence technique for the investigation of the ionisation dynamics of clusters

The introduction of photoion-photoelectron coincidence techniques has made it possible to investigate photoionisation properties of heavy clusters, which are not accessible by conventional mass spectrometry. This technique has been further developed in combination with a zero-volt electron energy analyser and greatly improved in performance. The method has been applied to the investigation of different homogeneous and heterogeneous clusters. This type of cluster experiment requires both a very high resolution and a large dynamic range in order to identify also clusters present in low abundance. As an example, a series of coincidence mass spectra of Xe clusters has been recorded at different wavelengths. Below a photon energy of 11.1 eV, the range of observable clusters shifts to higher cluster sizes with decreasing energy. Appearance potentials and the binding energy of different cluster ions were obtained. Intensity fluctuations, already observed in spectra with electron bombardment ionisation (magic numbers), have also been detected in the coincidence spectra and become most pronounced near the ionisation threshold. This indicates that these fluctuations are caused by the size-dependent stability of the ionic and not the neutral cluster. Furthermore, the threshold size does not change linearly with cluster size. The binding energy per particle seems to change drastically aroundn=13 which indicates the existence of a shell structure in the cluster ion.     

DNA capillary electrophoresis using poly(vinyl alcohol). I. Inner capillary coating

Two new methods of inner capillary coating with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVAL) have been investigated and evaluated by performing DNA capillary electrophoresis (CE) using PVAL as a separation medium and by measuring the electroosmotic flow (EOF) mobility. The treatment of capillaries with a silanol-group modified PVAL (PVAL-Si) has been found to give good coating effects for improving the resolution of DNA CE and for reducing the EOF. This coating must be effectively achieved by combining the adsorptive property of PVAL chains onto silica with the reaction between the silanol groups of PVAL-Si and the silica surface. The adsorption of PVAL onto silica has been observed by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) for PVAL-Si as well as for a nonmodified PVAL as a control. The coating with PVAL that links to the capillary wall surface with more hydrolytically stable bonding, -Si-C-, has been formed by performing the Grignard reaction, followed by in-capillary polymerization of vinyl acetate (VAc) and hydrolysis. This coating has been found to be effective for improving the resolution of DNA CE and for reducing the EOF.