Insecticidal Activity and Free Radical Scavenging Properties of Isolated Phytoconstituents from the Saudi Plant Nuxia oppositifolia (Hochst.)

Chromatographic purification of the alcoholic extract from the aerial parts of the Saudi plant Nuxia oppositifolia (Hochst.), Benth., resulted in five isolated phenolic compounds. Two flavones, hispidulin (1) and jaceosidin (2), and the phenylethanoid glycosides, verbascoside (3), isoverbascoside (4), and conandroside (5), were identified and their chemical structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses. The insecticidal activity of compounds 1 and 2, in addition to 11 compounds isolated in a previous research (6–16), was evaluated against the Yellow Fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Four compounds displayed adulticidal activity with LD₅₀ values of 2–2.3 μg/mosquito. Free radical scavenging properties of the plant extracts and compounds (1–5) were evaluated by measuring the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate radical cation (ABTS^•+) scavenging activity. All compounds exhibited notable activity, compared with the positive control, l-Ascorbic acid. This study suggests that N. oppositifolia could be a promising source of secondary metabolites, some with lethal adulticidal effect against Ae. aegypti.     

Fixed-nuclei and laboratory-frame formalisms for electron scattering by a spherical top,with full incorporation of symmetry

We discuss molecule-frame and laboratory-frame symmetry-adapted formalisms for electron scattering by a spherical top. The molecule-frame formalism is based on the fixed-nuclear-orientation approximation, both for electronically elastic scattering by a vibrationally rigid molecule and also for the more general case where electronic excitation and vibrational degrees of freedom are included. The laboratory-frame formalism is based on the exact symmetries of the problem, which are carefully related to the approximate symmetries of the molecule-frame treatment. We present both the forward and backward transformations between the two representations.     

Theory of chirality functions,generalized for molecules with chiral ligands

The theory of chirality functions described in a previous publication is generalized to allow for chiral ligands. In the earlier theory, all symmetry operations of the molecular frame could be thought of as permutations of the ligands among the sites; in the present work, improper rotations not only permute the ligands, but convert them into mirror images. The group that generates all isomers from a given ordered molecule belonging to a frame with n sites is now the hyperoctahedral group of order 2ⁿ n! consisting of all possible combinations of permutations and site reflections. The representation theory of these groups is described, and applied to the problem of constructing qualitatively complete chirality functions, and of deciding which ligand partitions, and which isomer mixtures, are chiral. It is found useful to classify chiral representations of the covering group as ligand specific and class specific. The ligand specific representations describe chiral properties which are common to all frames and arise purely from the chirality of the ligands, while the class specific representations describe the chiral properties of the frame. A number of examples are explicitly worked out.     

Optimization and development of a high-performance liquid chromatography-based one-site immunometric assay with chemiluminescence detection

Various practical and theoretical considerations were examined in the creation and optimization of a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based one-site immunometric assay. This method used an HPLC analyte analog column and post-column chemiluminescence detection. The specific analyte chosen as the model for this study was l-thyroxine (also known as T₄). In this technique, a sample containing thyroxine was first combined with an excess of anti-T₄ antibody Fab fragments that had earlier been conjugated with chemiluminescent acridinium ester labels. After incubation, the mixture was injected onto a column that contained immobilized T₄. The amount of thyroxine in the original sample was then determined by measuring the labeled Fab fragments that appeared in the non-retained fraction, or the decrease in excess Fab fragments that were bound to and later eluted from the column. Items considered in creating this assay included the preparation of acridinium ester-labeled Fab fragments, the detection of these fragments with a post-column reactor, and the creation of a suitable immobilized analog column for capturing excess labeled Fab fragments. The final method could measure T₄ in standards at clinically-relevant concentrations and provided a response within 1.5 min of sample injection, following a 20-45 min incubation with the labeled Fab fragments. Possible applications of this method include its use in clinical chemistry and the screening of proteomic or combinatorial libraries.     

Characterization of a highly stable zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction chromatography stationary phase based on hybrid organic–inorganic particles

We have characterized a sulfobetaine stationary phase based on 1.7 μm ethylene-bridged hybrid organic–inorganic particles, which is intended for use in hydrophilic interaction chromatography. The efficiency of a column packed with this material was determined as a function of flow rate, demonstrating a minimum reduced plate height of 2.4. The batch-to-batch reproducibility was assessed using the separation of a mixture of acids, bases, and neutrals. We compared the retention and selectivity of the hybrid sulfobetaine stationary phase to that of several benchmark materials. The hybrid sulfobetaine material gave strong retention for polar neutrals and high selectivity for methyl groups, hydroxy groups, and configurational isomers. Large differences in cation and anion retention were observed among the columns. We characterized the acid and base stability of the hybrid sulfobetaine stationary phase, using accelerated tests at pH 1.3 and 11.0, both at 70°C. The results support a recommended pH range of 2–10. We also investigated the performance of columns packed with this material for metal-sensitive analytes, comparing conventional stainless steel column hardware to hardware that incorporates hybrid surface technology to mitigate interactions with metal surfaces. Compared to the conventional columns, the hybrid surface technology columns showed a greatly improved peak shape.     

Erratum to: Determination of metal ion content of beverages and estimation of target hazard quotients: a comparative study

This is a correction to the following paper: Hague T, Petroczi A, Andrews PR, Barker J, Naughton DP: Determination of metal ion content of beverages and estimation of target hazard quotients: a comparative study. Chem Central J 2008, 2:13.     

A genetic algorithm for optimizing defective goods supply chain costs using JIT logistics and each-cycle lengths

The competitive environment of global markets has forced many manufacturers to select the most appropriate supply chain network (SCN) for reduction of total costs and wasted time. Cost reduction and selection of the appropriate length of each period are two important factors in the competitive market that are often not addressed comprehensively by researchers. In our study, we proposed genetic algorithms (GAs) for optimising a novel mathematical model of the defective goods supply chain network (DGSCN). In the proposed model, we assumed that all imperfect-quality products are not repairable, whereas those considered as scrap are directly sold to customers at a low price. The objective of the proposed model is to minimise the costs of production, distribution, holding and backorder. In addition to minimising the costs, the model can determine the economic production quantity (EPQ), the appropriate length of each cycle (ALOEC) and the quantities of defective products, scrap products and retailer shortages using Just-In-Time logistics (JIT-L). We used the GAs and a Cplex solver with probability parameters and various dimensions for validation of the studied model in real-life situations, and we compared the outputs to demonstrate the performance of the model. Additionally, to identify the appropriate length of each cycle (ALOEC), we needed to solve the model using exact parameters and same dimensions and prefer to use Lingo for this application.     

Comment on "Optical conversion of conical intersection to avoided crossing" by Y. Arasaki and K. Takatsuka, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2010, 12, 1239

A recent paper in this journal proposed the conversion of conical intersections to avoided crossings by lowering the symmetry with an optical field. The article also claimed that the characters of nonadiabatic transitions caused by avoided crossings and conical intersections are qualitatively different. The present comment shows that this proposal and this claim result from an incorrect appreciation of the nature of conical intersections and avoided crossings. Conical intersections are moved, not removed, by almost all perturbations. Furthermore, there is no dichotomy between avoided crossing mechanisms and conical intersection mechanisms; as the parameters of the problem change and the typical locally avoided crossing involved in nonadiabatic dynamics becomes farther from the conical intersection, there is a gradual shift in the nature of the nonadiabatic transitions, with a continuum of possible behaviors, not just two.     

The effect of pulsed electric fields on biological cells:experiments and applications

The effect of pulsed electric fields with amplitudes in the range of 100 V/cm-100 kV/cm on bacteria and aquatic nuisance species has been explored. The pulse duration was so short that heating of the biological matter could be neglected. The electrical energy required for lysing of bacteria, or stunning of aquatic species, decreases when the pulse duration is reduced. For lysing of Eschericia coli, this tendency has been proven to hold for pulsewidths as short as 60 ns. For macroorganisms, however, it was found that for pulsewidths of less than 5 μs, the tendency is reversed: the energy required to affect the macroorganisms increases again. This minimum in energy, or maximum in efficiency, respectively, can be understood by taking the time required for electrical charging of the cell membrane into account. Applications of the pulsed electric field technique (PEFT) are in biofouling prevention, debacterialization of liquids, and in the field of medicine. A series of field tests on biofouling prevention in a cooling system with untreated water as coolant has demonstrated the economic feasibility of the electro-technology