Determination of uranium in rocks by instrumental activation-analysis using epithermal neutrons

A rapid non-destructive neutron-activation method for the determination of uranium in rocks is described. The method is based on activation with epithermal neutrons and subsequent measurement of the 74 keV gamma-ray of (239)U. Results given for some standard rocks are in good agreement with literature data. The precision of the method is about 5 % and the limit of detection is of the order of 0.1 ppm in silicate rocks.     

Investigation of the pharmacokinetics of celecoxib by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

A new method for the quantification of celecoxib in human plasma based on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mass spectrometry (MS) after liquid-liquid extraction is presented. The method is rapid, sensitive and highly selective. The retention time of celecoxib was 2.3 min. The limit of quantification was 5 microg/L. Rofecoxib was used as internal standard. After validation, the method was used to study the pharmacokinetic profile of celecoxib following administration of a single oral dose (200 mg) in 12 healthy volunteers. Since celecoxib should be metabolized primarily by cytochrome 2C9 (CYP2C9), a poor metabolizer (PM) for this cytochrome P450 enzyme was included in the study. Pharmacokinetic characteristics (mean +/- SD) of extensive metabolizers (EM) were t(max) 2.9+/-1.2h, c(max) 842+/-280 microg/L, AUC(infinity) 6246+/-2147 microg h/L and t(1/2) 7.8+/-2.7h. The area under the curve (AUC(infinity)) for the PM was 12561 microg h/L. However, we found no noticeable increase in half life in the PM (11.5 h) after a single dose of celecoxib.     

A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the quantification of both etoricoxib and valdecoxib in human plasma

A practicable and selective liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry assay for the determination of two cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, etoricoxib and valdecoxib, in human plasma is presented. The analytical technique is based on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) mass spectrometry (Finnigan Mat LCQ ion trap). Mass analysis was performed in the positive ion mode. The ion trap was operated in the tandem MS mode (MS2) and the transitions of etoricoxib (m/z 359.2 --> 280.3) and valdecoxib (m/z 315.1 --> 235.1) were followed by selected reaction monitoring. Retention times of etoricoxib and valdecoxib were 1.05 and 1.08 min, respectively. The method was validated over a linear range 10-2500 and 5-1000 microg/L using the other substrate as internal standard. After validation, the method was used to study the pharmacokinetic pro fi le of etoricoxib or valdecoxib in a healthy volunteer after administration of a single oral dose (valdecoxib, 20 mg; etoricoxib, 90 mg). The presented method was suf fi cient to cover more than 90% of the area under the plasma concentration time curve.     

Stereoselective high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of the enantiomers of ketamine and norketamine in plasma.

An enantioselective high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the quantitation of the enantiomers of ketamine and its major metabolite norketamine in human plasma is described (assay I). The procedure involved extraction of the compounds from alkalized plasma into cyclohexane. Stereoselective separation was achieved with a prepacked alpha 1-acid glycoprotein column without any derivatization procedure. A second assay using a conventional reversed-phase column to determine total (racemic) ketamine and norketamine is also described. Because of interfering plasma peaks (assay II) the cyclohexane solution was reextracted into 1 M hydrochloric acid. The detection wavelength was 215 nm for all substances. The limit of quantification of the method was ca. 40 ng/ml in plasma. The assays were sensitive and reproducible. The method was demonstrated to be sensitive for stereoselective pharmacokinetic studies of ketamine after clinical doses.     

Bioluminescent detection of insect pheromones using an enzyme-based flow injection analysis system

The combination of flow injection analysis with chemiluminescent detection is shown to provide extremely selective and sensitive detection of insect pheromones which possess an aldehyde moiety. The flow injection analysis system provides reproducible control of both the reaction chemistry and the sample introduction process. Microliter volume samples can be precisely handled and analyzed with this experimental configuration. The detection system is based on the luciferase-catalyzed oxidation of reduced flavin mononucleotide which occurs in the presence of aldehydes with carbon backbones of between 14 and 16 carbons. A limit of detection of 3 fmol of tetradecyl aldehyde is demonstrated and the system is shown to be insensitive to the presence of various organic solvents up to concentrations of approximately 10%. The key experimental variables which control sensitive detection of pheromone at the femtomole level with be investigated and discussed.     

FLUORESCENCE QUANTUM YIELDS AND LIFETIMES FOR BACTERIOCHLOROPHYLL c

Abstract— Absorption and emission spectra of bacteriochlorophyll c dissolved in a variety of solvents were measured and fluorescence quantum yields determined from the integrated emission spectra. Values for the emission maxima calculated from the positions and bandwidths of the red absorption band using the Stepanov relationship agreed closely with the experimental values. Fluorescence quantum yields varied between 0.10 in methanol and 0.36 in tetrahydrofuran and in dibutylamine. Fluorescence lifetimes were also determined for bacteriochlorophyll c in four of the solvents, and ranged from 2.7 ns in methanol to 7.6 ns in dimethylsulfoxide.     

Stereochemical effects in supramolecular self-assembly at surfaces: 1-D versus 2-D enantiomorphic ordering for PVBA and PEBA on Ag(111)

We present investigations on noncovalent bonding and supramolecular self-assembly of two related molecular building blocks at a noble metal surface: 4-[trans-2-(pyrid-4-yl-vinyl)]benzoic acid (PVBA) and 4-[(pyrid-4-yl-ethynyl)]benzoic acid (PEBA). These rigid, rodlike molecules comprising the same complementary moieties for hydrogen bond formation are comparable in shape and size. For PVBA, the ethenylene moiety accounts for two-dimensional (2-D) chirality upon confinement to a surface; PEBA is linear and thus 2-D achiral. Molecular films were deposited on a Ag(111) surface by organic molecular beam epitaxy and characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy. At low temperatures (around 150 K), both species form irregular networks of flat lying molecules linked via their endgroups in a diffusion-limited aggregation process. In the absence of kinetic limitations (adsorption or annealing at room temperature), hydrogen-bonded supramolecular assemblies form which are markedly different. With PVBA, enantiomorphic twin chains in two mirror-symmetric species running along a high-symmetry direction of the substrate lattice form by diastereoselective self-assembly of one enantiomer. The chirality signature is strictly correlated between neighboring twin chains. Enantiopure one-dimensional (1-D) supramolecular nanogratings with tunable periodicity evolve at intermediate coverages, reflecting chiral resolution in micrometer domains. In contrast, PEBA assembles in 2-D hydrogen-bonded islands, which are enantiomorphic because of the orientation of the supramolecular arrangements along low-symmetry directions of the substrate. Thus, for PVBA, chiral molecules form 1-D enantiomorphic supramolecular structures because of mesoscopic resolution of a 2-D chiral species, whereas with PEBA, the packing of an achiral species causes 2-D enantiomorphic arrangements. Model simulations of supramolecular ordering provide a deeper understanding of the stability of these systems.     

Simultaneous determination of oxycodone and its major metabolite, noroxycodone, in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography

Oxycodone (14-hydroxy-7,8-dihydrocodeinone) is a potent opioid receptor agonist. In the present study, a liquid-liquid extraction-based reversed-phase HPLC method with UV detection was validated and applied for the analysis of oxycodone and its major metabolite, noroxycodone, in human plasma. The analytes were separated using a mobile phase, consisting of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer (8:92, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min, and UV detection at 205 nm. The retention times for oxycodone, noroxycodone and codein (internal standard) were 14.7, 13.8 and 10.2 min, respectively. The validated quantitation range of the method was 2-100 ng/mL for oxycodone and 10-100 ng/mL for noroxycodone. The developed procedure was applied to assess the pharmacokinetics of oxycodone and its metabolite following administration of a single 20 mg oral dose of oxycodone hydrochloride to one healthy male volunteer.