Dimethylsulfoxide as a kinetic booster for the chemical generation of singlet oxygen in methanol

The kinetic booster effect of dimethylsulfoxide on the chemical generation of singlet oxygen, ¹O₂, from the disproportionation of hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by molybdate ions in methanol has been evidenced by detection of the IR luminescence of ¹O₂ at 1270 nm and by ⁹⁵Mo NMR spectroscopy. DMSO interacts rapidly, through a direct oxygen transfer with the stable tetraperoxomolybdate , leading to DMSO₂ and to the unstable triperoxomolybdate , which releases ¹O₂. The procedure was applied to accelerate the dark singlet oxygenation of β-citronellol and α-terpinene.     

New approach for measurement of non-SHBG-bound testosterone in human plasma

Testosterone (T) circulates in the blood tightly bound to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and weakly to albumin. Measuring protein unbound T (free) or non-SHBG-bound T rather than total T has been recommended for the evaluation of androgen disorders in humans. Ammonium sulfate precipitation has been widely used to separate [SHBG-T] complex from free and albumin-bound T. To achieve more specificity in this separation, we used monoclonal anti-SHBG antibody and developed a suitable and convenient immunoassay for measuring non-SHBG-bound T. Magnetic beads were covalently coupled to a monoclonal anti-SHBG antibody to capture [SHBG-T] complex from plasma samples. Magnetic separation was then performed to allow measurement of non-SHBG-bound T in the supernatant by direct radioimmunoassay. When 300 μL of plasma samples were incubated at room temperature with 10 μL of anti-SHBG beads, residual SHBG concentration was undetectable in the supernatant. The specificity of proteins retained on anti-SHBG beads was further demonstrated by peptide mass fingerprint on a MALDI-TOF analyzer. The non-specific adsorption of T on beads was low (5%), and dissociation of T from SHBG-T complex was less than 5% after 180 min of incubation. The plasma concentrations of non-SHBG-bound T using anti-SHBG beads were highly correlated to those obtained using ammonium sulfate precipitation. We conclude that SHBG immunocapture is a highly specific and useful tool for an experimental direct measurement of plasma non-SHBG-bound T. This methodology is also convenient and appropriate for routine and automated assay.     

Characterization of metal glycinate complexes by electrospray Q-TOF-MS/MS and their determination by capillary electrophoresis–ICP-MS: application to premix samples

A method was developed for the determination of metal complexes with glycine (glycinates, [M(Gly)_x(H₂O)_y(SO₄)_z]_n, where M denotes Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe) in premix samples used for the preparation of animal feeds enriched in essential trace elements. The method was based on the extraction of the glycinates with 10 mM ammonium acetate (pH 7.4) followed by their determination using capillary electrophoresis with ICP MS detection. The stability of the glycinates in solution was verified by electrospray TOF-MS. Each supplement was shown to be a mixture of complexes, with polymerization degrees ranging from n = 1 to n = 4 (depending on the metal), that were fully or partially dehydrated. The metal glycine complex moiety was found to be preserved during capillary electrophoresis. The detection limits, calculated as three times the standard deviation of the blank plus the blank, were between 0.05 and 0.2 μg mL⁻¹ (as the metal), and the calibration curves were linear, allowing the analysis of premix samples. Repeatability for glycinate standards was below 12%, and analytical precision was typically within 15%.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the reaction of Cl atoms with HO2 radicals

The kinetic and mechanism of the reaction Cl + HO₂ → products (1) have been studied in the temperature range 230–360 K and at total pressure of 1 Torr of helium using the discharge‐flow mass spectrometric method. The following Arrhenius expression for the total rate constant was obtained either from the kinetics of HO₂ consumption in excess of Cl atoms or from the kinetics of Cl in excess of HO₂: k₁ = (3.8 ± 1.2) × 10^?11 exp[(40 ± 90)/T] cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1, where uncertainties are 95% confidence limits. The temperature‐independent value of k₁ = (4.4 ± 0.6) × 10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 at T = 230–360 K, which can be recommended from this study, agrees well with most recent studies and current recommendations. Both OH and ClO were detected as the products of reaction (1) and the rate constant for the channel forming these species, Cl + HO₂ → OH + ClO (1b), has been determined: k_1b = (8.6 ± 3.2) × 10^?11 exp[?(660 ± 100)/T] cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 (with k_1b = (9.4 ± 1.9) × 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 at T = 298 K), where uncertainties represent 95% confidence limits. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 317–327, 2001     

Synthesis of a Fluorescent Naphthalenic Ligand of Melatonin Receptors

Abstract: The synthesis of a fluorescent naphthalenic derivative, as a potential ligand of melatonin receptors is described through a multisteps procedure from 1-(2-acetylaminoethyl)-7-methoxynaphthalene.     

Hitting time of large subsets of the hypercube

We study the simple random walk on the n‐dimensional hypercube, in particular its hitting times of large (possibly random) sets. We give simple conditions on these sets ensuring that the properly rescaled hitting time is asymptotically exponentially distributed, uniformly in the starting position of the walk. These conditions are then verified for percolation clouds with densities that are much smaller than (n log n)^‐1. A main motivation behind this article is the study of the so‐called aging phenomenon in the Random Energy Model, the simplest model of a mean‐field spin glass. Our results allow us to prove aging in the REM for all temperatures, thereby extending earlier results to their optimal temperature domain. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2008