Application of strategically designed sample composition to the rapid analytical screening of milk samples for polychlorinated biphenyls

Strategically designed sample composition (SSC) is a new technique that decreases the number of analytical determinations needed in routine screening to as few as the number of original sample specimens while providing information that is specific to them. Although this new technique has been applied to environmental studies, this paper describes its first application to food safety studies. Contamination of milk samples with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was chosen as a case study to show the usefulness and potential of the SSC technique with a fast analytical procedure that involves saponification of the samples and solid-phase microextraction of the PCBs. A total of 20 sample specimens can be analyzed in 11 determinations with excellent predictions of the positive samples and the concentration levels of the contaminants. The robustness of the strategy was investigated and demonstrated.     

Salt promoted adsorption chromatography of malted barley amylases

Summary A sequence for the fractionation of the amylasic components from a malted barley extract is proposed using two salt-promoted, adsorption processes: thiophilic interaction chromatography (TIC) and hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC).Two fractions containing -amylase activity were recovered during the thiophilic chromatography; the first was resolved in to -amylase I and -amylase I by HIC on a phenyl-sepharose column; an enrichment factor of 32 was achieved for -amylase I. The other amylasic component eluted from the thiophilic gel was characterized as -amylase II. Although the adsorption of malt amylases on phenylsepharose and the thiophilic adsorbent is salt promoted, the interactions involved in each case are clearly distinguished by the different behaviour and disparate salt effects.     

Latex Fractionation by Sedimentation and Colloidal Crystallization: The Case of Poly(styrene-co-acrylamide)

Poly(styrene-co-acrylamide) (PS-AAM) latex was prepared, fractionated by sedimentation under gravity, and characterized by PCS, infrared spectra, secondary and backscattered electron imaging in the scanning electron microscope, and electron spectroscopy imaging in an analytical transmission electron microscope. Three latex fractions were obtained. The lower fraction was opalescent and its particles were the more uniform, concerning size, chemical composition, and topochemical features. This lower fraction was still further fractionated by zonal centrifugation in a density gradient, yielding two fractions with similar macrocrystal-forming abilities but different sizes and chemical compositions. These results confirm those previously obtained for the PS-HEMA latex. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

The Suzuki coupling reaction in the stereocontrolled synthesis of 9-cis-retinoic acid and its ring-demethylated analogues.

The thallium-accelerated Suzuki coupling reaction of tetraenyl iodide 19 and cyclohexenyl boronate 18 afforded ethyl 9-cis-retinoate (12) in high yield. Both coupling partners of the Suzuki reaction are better reacted immediately after generation from their precursors, tetraenylstannane 10 and cyclohexenyl iodide 13. The geometrically homogeneous tetraenylstannane 10, comprising the polyenic side chain of ethyl 9-cis-retinoate and its ring-demethylated analogues, was synthesized by a stereoselective Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction. On the other hand, easily available cyclohexanones are ideal starting materials for preparation of the cyclohexenyl boronates required for the synthesis of the ring-modified 9-cis-retinoic acid analogues. For hindered cyclohexanones, hydrazones were converted to cyclohexenyl iodides. Iodine-lithium exchange and trapping with B(OMe)(3) then afforded the cyclohexenyl boronates. If the precursor cyclohexanone has secondary carbons, the alkenyllithium species was conveniently formed by elimination of the C,N-dilithiated intermediate obtained upon treating the trisylhydrazone with n-BuLi (Shapiro reaction). None of the above procedures allowed the generation of the more substituted organolithium from 2-methylcyclohexanone. However, the alternative Stille cross-coupling of 34 and 10 afforded 9-cis-1,1-bisdemethylretinoic acid 7. Both Suzuki and Stille coupling reactions took place under mild conditions, and the preservation of the retinoid side-chain geometry was therefore secured.     

Antisense-mediated isoform switching of steroid receptor coactivator-1 in the central nucleus of the amygdala of the mouse brain

Background

Antisense oligonucleotide (AON)-mediated exon skipping is a powerful tool to manipulate gene expression. In the present study we investigated the potential of exon skipping by local injection in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) of the mouse brain. As proof of principle we targeted the splicing of steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1), a protein involved in nuclear receptor function. This nuclear receptor coregulator exists in two splice variants (SRC-1a and SRC-1e) which display differential distribution and opposing activities in the brain, and whose mRNAs differ in a single SRC-1e specific exon.

Methods

For proof of principle of feasibility, we used immunofluorescent stainings to study uptake by different cell types, translocation to the nucleus and potential immunostimulatory effects at different time points after a local injection in the CeA of the mouse brain of a control AON targeting human dystrophin with no targets in the murine brain. To evaluate efficacy we designed an AON targeting the SRC-1e-specific exon and with qPCR analysis we measured the expression ratio of the two splice variants.

Results

We found that AONs were taken up by corticotropin releasing hormone expressing neurons and other cells in the CeA, and translocated into the cell nucleus. Immune responses after AON injection were comparable to those after sterile saline injection. A successful shift of the naturally occurring SRC-1a:SRC-1e expression ratio in favor of SRC-1a was observed, without changes in total SRC-1 expression.

Conclusions

We provide a proof of concept for local neuropharmacological use of exon skipping by manipulating the expression ratio of the two splice variants of SRC-1, which may be used to study nuclear receptor function in specific brain circuits. We established that exon skipping after local injection in the brain is a versatile and useful tool for the manipulation of splice variants for numerous genes that are relevant for brain function.     

Transfer measurements for the Ti+Ni systems at near barrier energies

Large enhancements have been observed in the sub-barrier fusion cross sections for Ti+Ni systems in our previous studies. Coupled channel calculations incorporating couplings to 2⁺ and 3⁻ states failed to explain these enhancements completely. A possibilty of transfer channels contributing to the residual enhancements had been suggested. In order to investigate the role of relevant transfer channels, measurements of one- and two-nucleon transfer were carried out for ^46,48Ti+⁶¹Ni systems. The present paper gives the results of these studies.