Resolution of equine estrogens using glass capillary columns

A rapid and specific procedure is described for the resolution of nine steroids present in conjugated estrogen preparations. Resolution is achieved on a short glass capillary column coated with Silar 10C after dual derivatization to oxime-trimethylsilyl ethers.     

Green chemistry and the evolution of flow analysis. A review

Flow analysis has achieved its majority as a well-established tool to solve analytical problems. Evolution of flow-based approaches has been analyzed by diverse points of view, including historical aspects, the commutation concept and the impact on analytical methodologies. In this overview, the evolution of flow analysis towards green analytical chemistry is demonstrated by comparing classical procedures implemented with different flow approaches. The potential to minimize reagent consumption and waste generation and the ability to implement processes unreliable in batch to replace toxic chemicals are also emphasized. Successful applications of greener approaches in flow analysis are also discussed, focusing on the last 10 years.     

污泥与煤和煤矸石共燃特性研究

利用STA 409 PC型同步热分析仪,对煤、煤矸石和污泥不同质量比样品的燃烧过程进行了热重分析。结果表明,单一煤和煤矸石的DTG曲线都只有一个明显的失重峰,污泥的DTG曲线有两个明显的失重峰,而混合物的DTG曲线都有两个失重峰。通过分析不同样品的混燃过程,发现随着煤所占质量比的增加,最大失重峰速率所对应的温度都有所降低。煤、煤矸石、污泥及其混合物的活化能为16.93kJ/mol～109.89kJ/mol。随着污泥所占质量比的增加,混合物的着火温度有所降低,当达到70%时,污泥与煤混合物的着火点接近单一污泥的着火点。     

Combining multivariate analysis and geochemical approaches for assessing heavy metal level in sediments from Sudanese harbors along the Red Sea coast

Multivariate statistical analysis and geochemical approaches were exploited for the assessment of the level of some heavy metals (Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb) in sediments from Sudanese harbors along the Red Sea coast. Principal component analysis, as a multivariate statistical analysis approach, was applied to identify contribution sources by heavy metals in sediments. While a single source (crustal) was recorded in the bulk sediments and coarse sediment grains (grain-size 1000-500 µm), two sources (crustal and anthropogenic) were recorded in fine sediment grains (grain-size < 500 µm). Furthermore, enrichment factor (EF), as a geochemical approach, appointed polluted sites by heavy metals in the study area. Based upon a previous study addressed the interpretation of EF values, minor to moderate anthropogenic enrichment were recorded in sediments from some sites in the study area. The main anthropogenic activities that believed to be the major sources of pollution by heavy metals in the study area are discharges from oil refinery, industry, shipping activity and domestic waste. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), as another multivariate statistical analysis approach, was applied for the concentrations of heavy metals in bulk sediments to group sediments according to their mineralogical composition. The output of HCA is that sediments from the Port-Sudan harbor can be divided mainly into three areas — east, west and south. For the Sawakin harbor, no apparent trend for the spatial distribution of heavy metals in sediments was recorded.     

Antiproliferative Effect of Colonic Fermented Phenolic Compounds from Jaboticaba (Myrciaria trunciflora) Fruit Peel in a 3D Cell Model of Colorectal Cancer

Jaboticaba is a Brazilian native berry described as a rich source of phenolic compounds (PC) with health promoting effects. PC from jaboticaba peel powder (JPP) have low intestinal bio-accessibility and are catabolized by gut microbiota. However, the biological implication of PC-derived metabolites produced during JPP digestion remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the antiproliferative effects of colonic fermented JPP (FJPP) in a 3D model of colorectal cancer (CRC) composed by HT29 spheroids. JPP samples fermented with human feces during 0, 2, 8, 24 or 48 h were incubated (10,000 µg mL⁻¹) with spheroids, and cell viability was assessed after 72 h. Chemometric analyses (cluster and principal component analyses) were used to identify the main compounds responsible for the bioactive effect. The antiproliferative effect of FJPP in the CRC 3D model was increased between 8 h and 24 h of incubation, and this effect was associated with HHDP-digalloylglucose isomer and dihydroxyphenyl-γ-valerolactone. At 48 h of fermentation, the antiproliferative effect of FJPP was negligible, indicating that the presence of urolithins did not improve the bioactivity of JPP. These findings provide relevant knowledge on the role of colonic microbiota fermentation to generate active phenolic metabolites from JPP with positive impact on CRC.     

Nylon tube-immobilized creatinine iminohydrolase and glutamate dehydrogenase in serum and urine creatinine analysis

Immobilized enzyme nylon-tube reactors incorporating creatinine iminohyrolase (CI) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) were used to assay creatinine in serum and urine. Optimum substrate concentrations for the assay were determined. The reactors were incorporated into a continuous flow system for creatinine analysis. The method was evaluated with respect to linearity, sample interaction, precision, accuracy, and analytical recovery. Comparison studies were carried out with a standard Jaffé method and the effect of interfering substances was investigated. From the results obtained, it was concluded that the assay was suitable as a simple, reliable, and specific method for serum and urine creatinine determinations.     

煤热解过程中气态硫及气态烃逸出的同步在线分析

建立了一种简单的在线同时检测煤热解过程中气态硫及烃类选出的方法-TPD-FPD＆FID。检测装置由可实现程序升温的微型热解反应器(TPD)、在线的火焰光度检测器和火焰离子化检测器(FPD)及数据采集系统构成，数据处理方法简单。应用此方法对神木煤进行了分析，得到了其气态硫及烃类选出的动态特征。并通过对比实验验证了此方法的准确性及重复性。     

固相微萃取在水样污染物检测中的应用

固相微萃取是一种具有高灵敏度、回收率和重复性等优点的前处理技术,广泛应用于水中痕量污染物的处理,本文从固相微萃取装置、基本原理及其在水样污染物检测的中应用展开介绍,并以固相微萃取作为主题检索词,利用ISI Web of Knowledge中Web of Science引文数据库,对1998年到2012年间的相关文献进行计量分析。结果表明,固相微萃取主要应用于水样前处理,杀虫剂是主要的富集对象,气相、液相色谱以及质谱是常使用的检测器。     

Concerning the Role of σ-Hole in Non-Covalent Interactions: Insights from the Study of the Complexes of ArBeO with Simple Ligands

The structure, stability, and bonding character of some exemplary LAr and L-ArBeO (L = He, Ne, Ar, N₂, CO, F₂, Cl₂, ClF, HF, HCl, NH₃) were investigated by MP2 and coupled-cluster calculations, and by symmetry-adapted perturbation theory. The nature of the stabilizing interactions was also assayed by the method recently proposed by the authors to classify the chemical bonds in noble-gas compounds. The comparative analysis of the LAr and L-ArBeO unraveled geometric and bonding effects peculiarly related to the σ-hole at the Ar atom of ArBeO, including the major stabilizing/destabilizing role of the electrostatic interactionensuing from the negative/positive molecular electrostatic potential of L at the contact zone with ArBeO. The role of the inductive and dispersive components was also assayed, making it possible to discern the factors governing the transition from the (mainly) dispersive domain of the LAr, to the σ-hole domain of the L-ArBeO. Our conclusions could be valid for various types of non-covalent interactions, especially those involving σ-holes of respectable strength such as those occurring in ArBeO.     

The analysis of serum urate utilizing immobilized uricase

The evaluation of a method for the estimation of serum urate using immobilized uricase is described, the resultant hydrogen peroxide produced being measured by the oxidative coupling of 3,5-dichloro-2-hydroxybenzenesulfonate and 4-aminophenazone in the presence of peroxidase. A continuous-flow analysis system incorporating the uricase tube was established, and the results obtained were correlated with an automated phosphotungstate method and with a manual uricase method employing an LKB 8600 Rate Reaction Analyser. The effect of ascorbic acid on the analysis of serum urate and the elimination of this interference by the use of ascorbate oxidase was also investigated. The precision, correlation, and high specificity obtained show that this is a satisfactory method for use in routine clinical laboratory works.     

MolADI: A Web Server for Automatic Analysis of Protein–Small Molecule Dynamic Interactions

Protein–ligand interaction analysis is important for drug discovery and rational protein design. The existing online tools adopt only a single conformation of the complex structure for calculating and displaying the interactions, whereas both protein residues and ligand molecules are flexible to some extent. The interactions evolved with time in the trajectories are of greater interest. MolADI is a user-friendly online tool which analyzes the protein–ligand interactions in detail for either a single structure or a trajectory. Interactions can be viewed easily with both 2D graphs and 3D representations. MolADI is available as a web application.     

Phase transitions in the product of spontaneous polymerization of the acrylamide complex of calcium nitrate

Phase transitions in the spontaneously polymerized acrylamide-calcium nitrate system have been studied by X-ray diffraction analysis. The polymerization occursvia the stage of formation of crystalline particles, which exist in a homogeneous solution and are identical to crystallites in chemical composition. At the stage of particle formation, the degree of crystallinity is 60 %, the particle size is 65 nm, and paracrystallinity is 0.0208. An amorphous metal-containing polymer is the final structural state of the system.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1764–1766, September, 1995.This work was financially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Project No. 93-03-4162).     

Application of vibronic spectroscopy to conformational analysis. Investigations of molecules of carbonyl compounds

Application of vibronic spectroscopy to the conformational analysis of molecules in the ground and excited electronic states is reviewed. The basic concepts of the method as well as its methodological and technical aspects are discussed. The abilities of vibronic spectroscopy are exemplified by the results obtained for molecules of carbonyl compounds.The review is based on a report at the Vibrational Spectroscopy Conference dedicated to the 80th birthday of B. I. Stepanov (Minsk, Belarus', October 3–5, 1993).Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 783–791, May, 1994.This work was performed with the partial financial support of the Russian.Universities State Program.     

Sediment Assessment of the Pchelina Reservoir,Bulgaria

The temporal dynamics of anthropogenic impacts on the Pchelina Reservoir is assessed based on chemical element analysis of three sediment cores at a depth of about 100–130 cm below the surface water. The ¹³⁷Cs activity is measured to identify the layers corresponding to the 1986 Chernobyl accident. The obtained dating of sediment cores gives an average sedimentation rate of 0.44 cm/year in the Pchelina Reservoir. The elements’ depth profiles (Ti, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Mo, Sn, Sb, Pb, Co, Cd, Ce, Tl, Bi, Gd, La, Th and U_nat) outline the Struma River as the main anthropogenic source for Pchelina Reservoir sediments. The principal component analysis reveals two groups of chemical elements connected with the anthropogenic impacts. The first group of chemical elements (Mn, Fe, Cr, Ni, Cu, Mo, Sn, Sb and Co) has increasing time trends in the Struma sediment core and no trend or decreasing ones at the Pchelina sampling core. The behavior of these elements is determined by the change of the profile of the industry in the Pernik town during the 1990s. The second group of elements (Zn, Pb, Cd, Bi and U_nat) has increasing time trends in Struma and Pchelina sediment cores. The increased concentrations of these elements during the whole investigated period have led to moderate enrichments for Pb and U_nat, and significant enrichments for Zn and Cd at the Pchelina sampling site. The moderately contaminated, according to the geoaccumulation indexes, Pchelina Reservoir surface sediment samples have low ecotoxicity.     

Analysis of Volatile Molecules Present in the Secretome of the Fungal Pathogen Candida glabrata

Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis and Candida tropicalis are the four most common human fungal pathogens isolated that can cause superficial and invasive infections. It has been shown that specific metabolites present in the secretomes of these fungal pathogens are important for their virulence. C. glabrata is the second most common isolate world-wide and has an innate resistance to azoles, xenobiotics and oxidative stress that allows this fungal pathogen to evade the immune response and persist within the host. Here, we analyzed and compared the C. glabrata secretome with those of C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis and the non-pathogenic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In C. glabrata, we identified a different number of metabolites depending on the growth media: 12 in synthetic complete media (SC), 27 in SC-glutamic acid and 23 in rich media (YPD). C. glabrata specific metabolites are 1-dodecene (0.09 ± 0.11%), 2,5-dimethylundecane (1.01 ± 0.19%), 3,7-dimethyldecane (0.14 ± 0.15%), and octadecane (0.4 ± 0.53%). The metabolites that are shared with C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis and S. cerevisiae are phenylethanol, which is synthesized from phenylalanine, and eicosane and nonanoic acid (identified as trimethylsilyl ester), which are synthesized from fatty acid metabolism. Phenylethanol is the most abundant metabolite in all fungi tested: 26.36 ± 17.42% (C. glabrata), 46.77 ± 15.58% (C. albicans), 49.76 ± 18.43% (C. tropicalis), 5.72 ± 0.66% (C. parapsilosis.) and 44.58 ± 27.91% (S. cerevisiae). The analysis of C. glabrata’s secretome will allow us to further our understanding of the possible role these metabolites could play in its virulence.     

The use of an immobilized enzyme nylon tube reactor incorporating a four enzyme system for creatinine analysis

A single immobilized enzyme nylon tube reactor was produced incorporating a four enzyme system for the analysis of creatinine. The enzyme activity ratios in the coupling solution used to prepare the reactor were found to be of extreme importance in governing the activity of the latter. The reactor was incorporated into a continuous flow analysis system used to assay creatinine in urine samples and the results were correlated with a manual technique employing the same enzyme system in solution. The precision, correlation, high specificity, simplicity, and speed of the analysis were concluded to be factors in favor of the method's suitability for urine creatinine determinations.     

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Harmirins,Novel Harmine–Coumarin Hybrids as Potential Anticancer Agents

As cancer remains one of the major health burdens worldwide, novel agents, due to the development of resistance, are needed. In this work, we designed and synthesized harmirins, which are hybrid compounds comprising harmine and coumarin scaffolds, evaluated their antiproliferative activity, and conducted cell localization and cell cycle analysis experiments. Harmirins were prepared from the corresponding alkynes and azides under mild reaction conditions using Cu(I) catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition, leading to the formation of the 1H-1,2,3-triazole ring. Antiproliferative activity of harmirins was evaluated in vitro against four human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HCT116, SW620, and HepG2) and one human non-cancer cell line (HEK293T). The most pronounced activities were exerted against MCF-7 and HCT116 cell lines (IC₅₀ in the single-digit micromolar range), while the most selective harmirins were 5b and 12b, substituted at C-3 and O-7 of the β-carboline core and bearing methyl substituent at position 6 of the coumarin ring (SIs > 7.2). Further experiments demonstrated that harmirin 12b is localized exclusively in the cytoplasm. In addition, it induced a strong G1 arrest and reduced the percentage of cells in the S phase, suggesting that it might exert its antiproliferative activity through inhibition of DNA synthesis, rather than DNA damage. In conclusion, harmirin 12b is a novel harmine and coumarin hybrid with significant antiproliferative activity and warrants further evaluation as a potential anticancer agent.     

Zuckeranalyse mit GC,HPLC, DC und enzymatisch — Ein Vergleich der Methoden

Zusammenfassung Es wird eine Übersicht über die verschiedenen Methoden der Zuckeranalyse gegeben. Vorbereitung, Trennung, Bestimmung und Auswertung einer Kohlenhydrat-analyse mit Hilfe von Gas-, Flüssig- und Dünnschicht-chromatographie, sowie durch enzymatische Analyse werden diskutiert. Aufgrund von Literaturangaben und eigenen Arbeiten werden Spezifität, Präzision, Empfindlichkeit, Zeitbedarf und Kosten der einzelnen Methoden einander gegenübergestellt. Einige Auswahlkriterien als Entscheidungshilfe zur Wahl der optimalen Methode werden aufgeführt.

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Surgar analysis by GC, HPLC, TLC and enzymatic method; a comparison

Summary A survey is given of the different methods for sugar analysis. The preparation, separation, determination and evaluation of a carbohydrate analysis are discussed, comparing gas, liquid and thin-layer chromatography as well as the enzymatic method. Based on information in the literature and personal experience a comparison is made based on selectivity, precision, sensitivity, time requirement and cost of the difeerent methods. Some criteria are listed to help select the most favourable method.

     

Spin Hamiltonians in Magnets: Theories and Computations

The effective spin Hamiltonian method has drawn considerable attention for its power to explain and predict magnetic properties in various intriguing materials. In this review, we summarize different types of interactions between spins (hereafter, spin interactions, for short) that may be used in effective spin Hamiltonians as well as the various methods of computing the interaction parameters. A detailed discussion about the merits and possible pitfalls of each technique of computing interaction parameters is provided.