Radio-high-performance liquid chromatography for ecotoxicity assessment of insect growth regulators

The described radiochromatographic method permits fast and high-sensitivity monitoring of soil biodegradation products of an insect growth regulator for its environmental risk assessment. We analyzed and compared two diastereoisomers of ethyl N-(2-(4-[(2-hydroxycyclohexyl) methyl]phenoxy)ethyl)carbamate, namely its cis-(1S,2S) isomer JN-W330 and a trans-(1R,2S) isomer JN-W331. Microbial conversion of the cis-isomer to the trans-isomer was proved by mass spectrometry analyzer. Among the chromatographic columns tested, the best separation was found with a 125 mm x 4 mm i.d. column packed with Supersphere 100 RP-C18, 5 microm and an acetonitrile-water gradient. The detection limit for the both isomers was in the range of 120-250 Bq (0.3-0.8 ng) at a concentration of 2 ng/ml with radiometric detection. The calibration curves for standard solutions were linear in the range of 150Bq-150kBq (r = 0.996). The method enabled us to compare the analyzed juvenoids with biologically active oostatic peptides in terms of their environmental safety.     

Volumetric determination of Pt(IV) in the presence of Ir,Pd, and Rh with ferrous ammonium sulfate in alkaline mannitol medium

A potentiometric reductimetric method for the determination of platinum (Pt(IV)Pt(II)) with a standard Fe(II) solution in an alkaline medium of mannitol is described. The method, the error of which does not exceed 2%, can be used in the presence of palladium, iridium, and rhodium.     

SPECTROCSOPIC STUDIES OF PURINES—III. PROPERTIES OF PURINES SUBSTITUTED AT THE SIXTH AND NINTH POSITIONS*

Abstract— We have investigated the effects of solvent and pH on the absorption and emission propertied of various 6- and 9-substituted purines as a means of examining the nature of the directed not only at deteriming the relative energies of (π,π*) and (π,π*) states, but in particular, at examining the nature and energies of the two lowest-lying (π,π*) states. For examplem, the attachment of a methyl or ribosyl group to the N9 of purine does not change the relative energies of the lowest-lying (π,π*) and (π,π*) states; thus, the latter is the singlet of lowest energy. However, the lowest singles in derivatives formed by substitution at C6 are(π,π*) states—i.e. there is no long-wavelength tail in the absorption spectra and florescence is comparable in intensity to phosphorescence. Further the absence of emission from neutaral adenine at room temperature is due to temperature quenching. Both lowest (π–π*) transtions. are contained under a common envelope and cannot be resolved in the absorption spectra. The shoulder observed in some of these compounds on the long-wavelength slope of absorption envelope is vibrational in nature. Consideration of the effects of solvents on absorption and the analysis of luminescence spectra make it possible to locate the relative position of these (π–π*) transitions within the common envelope. In compounds with an -H on N9 and a free (aza) N1 (e.g. adenine, anionic hupoxanthine) the weaker, solvent-sensitive (W) band has a higher energy then the more intense, solvent-insensitive (S) band. When N1 is protonated, (e.g., in hypoxanthine or cationic adenine) and/or when methyl or ribosyl is substituted at N9, the order of these bands is inverted due ot a red shift of the W band. This shift is most apparent in the 9-substituted hypoxanthines, where in non-polar solvents the W band can be readily resolved in the absoption spectra. This inversion results in a red shift of both fluorescence and phophorescence and an increase of the P/F ratio. When chlorine or iodine is attached at C6 only phosphorescence having a very short lifetime appears due to heavy atom enhancement of single—triplet transitions.     

Conformations of the ten-membered ring in 5,10-secosteroids I. X-ray and NMR. Analysis of (E)-3 β-hydroxy-5,10-seco-1(10)-cholesten-5-one esters

X-ray structure determination of the p-bromobenzoate 2b of one of the (E/Z)-isomeric 3β-hydroxy-5,10-seco-1(10)-cholesten-5-ones confirmed the (E)-configuration proposed previously and showed the cyclodecenone ring to adopt an extended crown conformation of type A ₁ (Fig. 9). Analysis of the ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR. spectra of acetate 2a revealed that in solution the ten-membered ring of this steroid exists in at least two distinct forms, the predominant (about 85%) corresponding to the solid-state conformation of 2b (= A ₁), and the minor most likely to B ₂ (Fig. 9). From NMR. data the energy difference between the two species and the relevant activation energy were estimated. A number of conformational force field calculations using a simplified partial structural model was performed; but the computed energy differences between the various possible conformations do not reproduce the effective situation, neither in solution nor in the crystal lattice, indicating that additional effects such as the transannular interaction of the double bond with the carbonyl group may strongly influence the thermodynamic stability of the system. The conformations deduced were used to rationalize the stereochemical course of different chemical reactions of 2a .     

Schnelle Trennung von Barium aus einem Gemisch von Spaltprodukten

Zusammenfassung Eine Methode zur schnellen und selektiven Trennung von Barium aus einem Gemisch von Spaltprodukten wurde ausgearbeitet, die auf der Fällung des Bariumsulfats in Anwesenheit von äDTA beruht. Die Selektivität wurde durch Messung der -Spektren und der Zerfallskurven ÜberprÜft. Die Schnelligkeit der Methode wird durch die Abtrennung des Kernisomers ^137m Ba aus einem im Gleichgewicht befindlichen Gemisch von ^137m Ba und ¹³⁷Cs gezeigt.Das angefÜhrte Verfahren eignet sich fÜr die Herstellung von radiochemisch reinem Barium, fÜr die quantitative Auswertung der Kontamination der Spaltprodukte und fÜr die Berechnung des Alters radioaktiver atmosphärischer Niederschläge.

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Summary A method has been developed for the rapid and selective isolation of barium from a mixture of fission products, based on precipitating barium sulphate in EDTA medium. The selectivity was checked by measuring -spectra and by decay curve analysis. The rapidity of the method is illustrated by the isolation of the ^137mBa isomer from an equilibrium mixture of ¹³⁷Cs+^137m Ba.The method described is convenient for preparing radiochemically pure barium, for a quantitative evaluation of a decontamination with fission products and for determining the age of radioactive fall-out.

     

A note on the radical of a Banach algebra

Relying on the results of the paper [5], we show that the Jacobson radical of a Banach algebra can be characterized as the set of exactly those elements perturbations by which leave the spectrum invariant. A number of corollaries are listed.     

UV Light-induced Crosslinking of the Complementary Strands of Plasmid pUC19 DNA Restriction Fragments

Restriction fragments of pUC19 DNA were irradiated by various doses of UV light and analyzed by denaturing (alkaline) agarose gel electrophoresis. The irradiation generated retarded species whose mobility indicated two crosslinked DNA strands. Quantitative analysis of the experimental data provided an empirical equation relating the fraction of crosslinked DNA molecules to their length and to the dose of their irradiation by UV light. This equation can be used to predict the crosslinking behavior of pUC19-like DNA molecules whose primary structures do not much differ from a random nucleotide sequence. The amount of interstrand crosslinks increased with the (A+T) content of the pUC19 DNA fragments but the dependence was not clear-cut to indicate that oligonucleotide composition of DNA played a significant role as well.     

Structure and mechanical properties of poly(l-lactide)/layered silicate nanocomposites

Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) masterbatches with the intercalated and the exfoliated morphology were prepared by ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone in the presence of organomodified montmorillonite (MMT) Cloisite 30B. Poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) nanocomposites with Cloisite 30B or PCL masterbatches were prepared by melt blending. The effects of the silicate type, MMT content and the nanocomposite morphology on thermal and mechanical properties of PLLA nanocomposites were examined. The montmorillonite particles in PLLA/Cloisite 30B and PLLA/intercalated masterbatch nanocomposites were intercalated. In contrary to expectations, the exfoliated silicate layers of exfoliated masterbatch were not transferred into the PLLA matrix. Due to a low miscibility of PCL and PLLA, MMT remained in the phase-separated masterbatch domains. The stress-strain characteristics of PLLA nanocomposites, Young modulus E, yield stress σ_y and yield strain ε_y, decreased with increasing MMT concentration, which is associated with the increase in PCL content. The expected stiffening effect of MMT was low due to a low aspect ratio of its particles and was obscured by both plastifying effects of PCL and low PLLA crystallinity. Interestingly, in contrast to the neat PLLA, ductility was enhanced in all PLLA/Cloisite 30B materials and in PLLA/masterbatch nanocomposites with low MMT concentrations.     

Biocompatible hydrogels based on chitosan,cellulose/starch,PVA and PEDOT:PSS with high flexibility and high mechanical strength

Fabricating mechanically strong hydrogels that can withstand the conditions in internal tissues is a challenging task. We have designed hydrogels based on multicomponent systems by combining chitosan, starch/cellulose, PVA, and PEDOT:PSS via one-pot synthesis. The starch-based hydrogels were homogeneous, while the cellulose-based hydrogels showed the presence of cellulose micro- and nanofibers. The cellulose-based hydrogels demonstrated a swelling ratio between 121 and 156%, while the starch-based hydrogels showed higher values, from 234 to 280%. Tensile tests indicated that the presence of starch in the hydrogels provided high flexibility (strain at break?>?300%), while combination with cellulose led to the formation of stiffer hydrogels (elastic moduli 3.9–6.6 MPa). The ultimate tensile strength for both types of hydrogels was similar (2.8–3.9 MPa). The adhesion and growth of human osteoblast-like SAOS-2 cells was higher on hydrogels with cellulose than on hydrogels with starch, and was higher on hydrogels with PEDOT:PSS than on hydrogels without this polymer. The metabolic activity of cells cultivated for 3 days in the hydrogel infusions indicated that no acutely toxic compounds were released. This is promising for further possible applications of these hydrogels in tissue engineering or in wound dressings.

Graphical abstract