Characterisation and determination of indole alkaloids in frog-skin secretions by electrospray ionisation ion trap mass spectrometry

The characterisation of selected indole alkaloids in a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer is presented. Fragmentation profiles for tryptamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), N'-methyl 5-hydroxytryptamine (N'-methyl 5-HT), N',N'-dimethyl 5-hydroxytryptamine (bufotenine), N',N',N'-trimethyl 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HTQ), and N',N'-dimethyl 5-methoxytryptamine (5-MeODMT) are presented with proposed structures given for each product ion observed. Such MS(n) experiments can be used to differentiate the isobaric molecular ions of the compounds 5-HTQ (M(+)) and 5-MeODMT (MH(+)). The quantitative determination of certain indole alkaloids in the skin secretions of the Australian Golden Bell frog, Litoria aurea, by LC/ESI-ion trap MS is also presented. The concentrations of 5-HT, N'-methyl 5-HT and 5-HTQ were found to be 2.68, 0.26 and 0.54 microg per mg of skin secretion, respectively.     

The chemistry of 2'' ,3''-seconucleosides II. Reactions and biological properties of 2'',3''-secopyrimidine ribonucleosides

Reaction of 2',3'-secouridine with acetone gave the 3',5'-$\text{O}$-isopropylidene derivative (1) which upon treatment with mesylchloride gave the 2'-$\text{O}$-mesyl compound (2). Replacement of the mesyl group of 2 with halide could be effected by reaction with a metal halide in DMF. The 3',5'-$\text{O}$-isopropylidene group was removed simultaneously to give a 2'-halogeno-2'-deoxy-2',3'-secouridine. 2',3'-Dichloro-2',3'-dideoxy-2',3'-secouridine upon treatment with base gave 6($\text{R}$)-chloromethyl-2($\text{R}$)-(uracil-1-yl)-1,4-dioxane in addition to O²,2'-anhydro-3'-chloro-3'-deoxy-2',3'-secouridine, as previously reported. 2',3'-Dichloro-2',3'-dideoxy-5'-0-trityl-2',3'-secouridine was converted to 2',3'-dichloro-2',3'-dideoxy-2',3'-secocytidine (16) $\text{via}$ a triazole derivative. Compound 16 was unstable and appeared to form O²,2'-anhydro-3'-chloro-3'-deoxy-2,3'-secocytidine upon standing at room temperature. 5-Vinyl- and 5-($\text{E}$) (2-bromovinyl) uridine dialdehydes have been made, as well as a number of other 5-substituted 2',3'-secouridine derivatives. None of the compounds obtained showed significant activity against a number of virus strains or tumor cell lines, except for 5-($\text{E}$)(2-bromovinyl) uridine dialdehyde, which was inhibitory to the growth of human lymphoblast (Raji, Namalva) cells at a concentration of 28 μ/ml.     

Three-dimensional blow-up solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations

In this paper we extend the plane blow-up results of Grundy& McLaughlin (1997) to the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations.Using a solution structure originally due to Lin we first providenumerical evidence for the existence of blow-up solutions on- < x, z < , 0 y 1 with boundary conditions on y = 0and y = 1 involving derivatives of the velocity components.The formulation enables us to consider plane and radial flowas special cases. Various features of the computations are isolatedand are used to construct a formal asymptotic solution closeto blow-up. We show that the numerical and asymptotic analysesprovide a mutually consistent global picture which supportsthe conclusion that, for the family of problems we considerhere, blow-up in fact can take place in three dimensions butat an inverse linear rate rather than the faster inverse squareof the plane case.     

Direct detection of ion pairs by fluorescence enhancement

Sensor 1 signals the simultaneous presence of sodium and phosphate with an increased fluorescence signal in the manner of a photoionic AND logic gate.     

Long-term retention of ice-nucleating active Pseudomonas fluorescens by overwintering colorado potato beetles

Ice nucleating-active Pseudomonas fluorescens F264C was fed to Colorado potato beetles to determine bacterial retentioin in the beetle gut and its effect on the cold hardiness of this insect pest. The bacrterium was present in beetles recovered after overwintering in the field, seven months after their exposure to P. fluorescens. Retention was evident not only in the detection of the P. fluorescens ice nucleating gene, inaW, in bacterial cultures from beetle guts but also in the elevated supercooling points of some treated beetles.     

Extending the Entropy Stability Measure for Manpower Planning

In manpower planning, it is essential to be able to monitor stability of the length-of-service structure of the staff. Such a stability index is provided by the formula for entropy of a continuous distribution, evaluated for length of service. This measure improves on the previous discrete version by removing the necessity of introducing arbitrary tenure classes, thus facilitating inter-company comparisons. It is closely related to the entropy formula used in demography, and manpower planners may therefore avail themselves of results already used by demographers.     

Application of electrospray mass spectrometry in the detection and determination of Remazol textile dyes.

The electrospray (ES) behaviour of selected Remazol textile dyes, their hydrolysis products and the latters' reaction, following elution from a strong anion-exchange cartridge, with 30% concentrated HCl in MeOH, is studied and applied to the direct analysis of dye containing effluent. For unambiguous identification and determination of these textile dyes in effluents, it is necessary to resort to ES utilising MS-MS and MS3. Further, a tabular review of recent applications of HPLC-ES-MS and, to a lesser extent, CE-ES-MS with reference to drug and pesticide analysis is presented.     

Using phase-type models to cost stroke patient care across health,social and community services

Stroke disease places a heavy burden on society, incurring long periods of time in hospital and community care, and associated costs. Also stroke is a highly complex disease with diverse outcomes and multiple strategies for therapy and care. Previously a modeling framework has been developed which clusters patients into classes with respect to their length of stay (LOS) in hospital. Phase-type models were then used to describe patient flows for each cluster. Also multiple outcomes, such as discharge to normal residence, nursing home, or death can be permitted. We here add costs to this model and obtain the Moment Generating Function for the total cost of a system consisting of multiple transient phase-type classes with multiple absorbing states. This system represents different classes of patients in different hospital and community services states. Based on stroke patients’ data from the Belfast City Hospital, various scenarios are explored with a focus on comparing the cost of thrombolysis treatment under different regimes. The overall modeling framework characterizes the behavior of stroke patient populations, with a focus on integrated system-wide costing and planning, encompassing hospital and community services. Within this general framework we have developed models which take account of patient heterogeneity and multiple care options. Such complex strategies depend crucially on developing a deep engagement with the health care professionals and underpinning the models with detailed patient-specific data.     

Where to treat the older patient? Can Markov models help us better understand the relationship between hospital and community care?

We have previously used Markov models to describe movements of patients between hospital states; these may be actual or virtual and described by a phase-type distribution. Here we extend this approach to a Markov reward model for a healthcare system with Poisson admissions and an absorbing state, typically death. The distribution of costs is evaluated for any time and expressions derived for the mean and variances of costs. The average cost at any time is then determined for two scenarios: the Therapeutic and Prosthetic models, respectively. This example is used to illustrate the idea that keeping acute patients longer in hospital to ensure fitness for discharge, may reduce costs by decreasing the number of patients that become long-stay. In addition we develop a Markov Reward Model for a healthcare system including states, where the patient is in hospital, and states, where the patient is in the community. In each case, the length of stay is described by a phase-type distribution, thus enabling the representation of durations and costs in each phase within a Markov framework. The model can be used to determine costs for the entire system thus facilitating a systems approach to the planning of healthcare and a holistic approach to costing. Such models help us to assess the complex relationship between hospital and community care.