Limit of detection estimator for second-order bilinear calibration

A new approach is developed for estimating the limit of detection in second-order bilinear calibration with the generalized rank annihilation method (GRAM). The proposed estimator is based on recently derived expressions for prediction variance and bias. It follows the latest IUPAC recommendations in the sense that it concisely accounts for the probabilities of committing both types I and II errors, i.e. false positive and false negative declarations, respectively. The estimator has been extensively validated with simulated data, yielding promising results.     

Two New Antiferromagnetic Nickel(II) Complexes Bridged by Azido Ligands in the Cis Position. Effect of the Counteranion on the Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties

Two new nickel(II) end-to-end azido-bridged compounds, cis-catena-[NiL(2)(&mgr;-N(3))](n)()(ClO(4))(n)().nH(2)O (1) and [Ni(2)L(4)(&mgr;-N(3))(2)](PF(6))(2) (2), were synthesized and characterized; L is 2-(aminoethyl)pyridine. The crystal structures of 1 and 2 were solved. Complex 1: monoclinic system, space group P2(1)/a, a = 8.637(2) ?, b = 18.9995(7) ?, c = 12.3093(7) ?, beta = 105.92(2) degrees, Z = 4. Complex 2: triclinic system, space group P&onemacr;, a = 9.139(7) ?, b = 10.124(3) ?, c = 12.024(2) ?, alpha = 70.407(14) degrees, beta = 84.19(2) degrees, gamma = 67.67(4) degrees, Z = 1. In the two complexes the nickel atom is situated in a similarly distorted octahedral environment. The two complexes are different; 1 is a one-dimensional helicoidal complex with the two L ligands and the two end-to-end azido bridges in a cis arrangement while complex 2 is a dinuclear system with two end-to-end azido bridges, indicating the extreme importance of the counteranion present (ClO(4)(-) for 1 and PF(6)(-) for 2). The magnetic properties of the two compounds were studied by susceptibility measurements vs temperature. The chi(M) vs T plot for 1 shows the shape for a weakly antiferromagnetically coupled nickel(II) one-dimensional complex without a maximum until 4 K. In contrast, for complex 2 the shape of the chi(M) vs T curve shows a maximum near 40 K, indicating medium antiferromagnetic coupling. From the spin Hamiltonian -J(ij)()S(i)()S(j)(), J values for 1 and 2 were less than -1 and -29.1 cm(-)(1), respectively. The magnetic behavior for 1 and 2 may be explained in terms of the overlap between magnetic orbitals, taking into account the torsion of the Ni(II) atoms and azido-bridging ligands in the two structures.     

Ferrocenoyl peptides with sulfur-containing side chains: synthesis, solid state and solution structures

The synthesis and full characterization of a number of amino acid and dipeptide derivatives with sulfur-containing side chains derived from ferrocene carboxylic acid and ferrocene-1,1′-dicarboxylic acid is presented. In particular, compounds Fc-CO-(Aaa)_n-OMe (4) and Fe[C₅H₄-CO-(Aaa)_n-OMe]₂ (3) with (Aaa)_n = Cys(Bzl) (a), Cys(Bzl)-Cys(Bzl) (b), Cys(p-OMe-Bzl) (c), Cys(p-OMe-Bzl)-Cys(p-OMe-Bzl) (d), Met (e), and Met-Met (f) were prepared. Also, the free acid derivatives Fe[C₅H₄-CO-Met-OH]₂ (6e) and Fc-CO-Met-OH (7e) were prepared and characterized. The solid state structures of 3a, 4b, and 4e were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 3a shows a 1,3′ substitution pattern on the Cp rings in the solid state. Structures in solution were determined by NMR, IR and CD spectroscopy, with particular emphasis on the question of hydrogen bonding and helical chirality of the metallocene. As an example, the full assignment for the Cp signals in the disubstituted derivative 3a was achieved by simulation of the ¹H NMR signals from the cyclopentadienyl ring in combination with 2D-NOESY spectra. In solution, 3a has the known 1,2′ substitution pattern, which is stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonds.     

Analysis of sorption and bioavailability of different species of mercury on model soil components using XAS techniques and sensor bacteria

The present work studies the adsorption behaviour of mercury species on different soil components (montmorillonite, kaolinite and humic acid) spiked with CH₃HgCl and CH₃HgOH at different pH values, by using XAS techniques and bacterial mercury sensors in order to evaluate the availability of methyl mercury on soil components. The study details and discusses different aspects of the adsorption process, including sample preparation (with analysis of adsorbed methyl mercury by ICP-OES), the various adsorption conditions, and the characterization of spiked samples by XAS techniques performed at two synchrotron facilities (ESRF in Grenoble, France and HASYLAB in Hamburg, Germany), as well as bioavailability studies using mercury-specific sensor bacteria. Results show that XAS is a valuable qualitative technique that can be used to identify the bonding character of the Hg in mercury environment. The amount of methyl in mercury adsorbed to montmorillonite was pH-dependent while for all soil components studied, the bond character was not affected by pH. On the other hand, clays exhibited more ionic bonding character than humic acids did with methyl mercury. This interaction has a higher covalent character and so it is more stable for CH₃HgOH than for CH₃HgCl, due to the higher reactivity of the hydroxyl group arising from the possible formation of hydrogen bonds.The bioavailability of methyl mercury adsorbed to montmorillonite, kaolinite and humic acids was measured using recombinant luminescent sensor bacterium Escherichia coli MC1061 (pmerBR_BSluc). In case of contact exposure (suspension assays), the results showed that the bioavailability was higher than it was for exposure to particle-free extracts prepared from these suspensions. The highest bioavailability of methyl mercury was found in suspensions of montmorillonite (about 50% of the total amount), while the bioavailabilities of kaolinite and humic acids were five times lower (about 10%). The behaviour of methyl mercury in the presence of montmorillonite could be explained by the more ionic bonding character of this system, in contrast to the more covalent bonding character observed for humic acids. Thus, XAS techniques seem to provide promising tools for investigating the mechanisms behind the observed bioavailabilities of metals in various environmental matrices, an important topic in environmental toxicology.     

Factor Xa: Simulation studies with an eye to inhibitor design

Factor Xa is a serine protease which activates thrombin and plays a key regulatory role in the blood-coagulation cascade. Factor Xa is at the crossroads of the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of coagulation and, hence, has become an important target for the design of anti-thrombotics (inhibitors). It is not known to be involved in other processes than hemostasis and its binding site is different to that of other serine proteases, thus facilitating selective inhibition. The design of high-affinity selective inhibitors of factor Xa requires knowledge of the structural and dynamical characteristics of its active site. The three-dimensional structure of factor Xa was resolved by X-ray crystallography and refined at 2.2 Å resolution by Padmanabhan and collaborators. In this article we present results from molecular dynamics simulations of the catalytic domain of factor Xa in aqueous solution. The simulations were performed to characterise the mobility and flexibility of the residues delimiting the unoccupied binding site of the enzyme, and to determine hydrogen bonding propensities (with protein and with solvent atoms) of those residues in the active site that could interact with a substrate or a potential inhibitor. The simulation data is aimed at facilitating the design of high-affinity selective inhibitors of factor Xa.     

The effect of amino acid deletions and substitutions in the longest loop of GFP

Background  

The effect of single and multiple amino acid substitutions in the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from Aequorea victoria has been extensively explored, yielding several proteins of diverse spectral properties. However, the role of amino acid deletions in this protein -as with most proteins- is still unknown, due to the technical difficulties involved in generating combinatorial in-phase amino acid deletions on a target region.     

A Convenient Stereoselective Synthesis of (1R,2S,3R,4S)-3-(Neopentyloxy)isoborneol

A convenient preparation of (1R,2S,3R,4S)-3-(neopentyloxy)isoborneol (= (1R,2S,3R,4S)-3-(2,2-dimethyl-propoxy)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol; 1a ), a valuable chiral auxiliary, is described. The synthesis involves six steps starting from the readily available camphorquinone ( 5 ) and gives 1a in 48% overall yield. The key step is the chemoselective hydrolysis of the less hindered 1,3-dioxolane moiety in the camphorquinone di-acetal 4 .     

Enhanced chemical reworkability of DGEBA thermosets cured with rare earth triflates using aromatic hyperbranched polyesters (HBP) and multiarm star HBP‐b‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) as modifiers

A hyperbranched aromatic polyester (HBPOH) has been synthesized, and poly(ε‐caprolactone) arms have been grown on some of its end hydroxyl groups (HBPCL). These modifiers have been used in cationic diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A formulations cured with ytterbium triflate as cationic initiator. The effect of HBPOH and HBPCL on the curing kinetics has been studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The obtained materials have been characterized by dynamomechanical analysis, DSC, thermogravimetric analysis and mechanical tests. The modifiers are incorporated into the thermosetting network because of the participation of the end hydroxyl groups in the cationic curing of epoxides by the activated monomer mechanism. Homogeneous thermosets have been obtained with a remarkable increase in impact strength without sacrificing elastic modulus or hardness. A compromise between the rigid structure of the aromatic hyperbranched core and the flexibilizing effect of the poly(ε‐caprolactone) arms is believed to be responsible for the overall thermal and mechanical properties of the materials. The use of these polymeric modifiers increases the thermal stability of the resulting materials because of the low degradability of the aromatic ester groups in the hyperbranched core and the incorporation of the modifier into the network structure. However, the presence of such ester groups makes them reworkable by hydrolysis or alcoholysis in an alkaline medium, thus opening a way for recovery of valuable substrates. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.