Standardization of BSE rapid test performances and experiences gathered during the implementation of large-scale testing

The accumulation of pathological prion protein is used as a diagnostic marker for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. According to European Union (EU) regulations cattle older than 30 months of age (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain by national law >24 months) and slaughtered for human consumption must be tested by using rapid tests for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Likewise fallen stock and clinically affected animals must be tested. This article gives a short overview of the incidence of BSE in Europe. The diagnostic hierarchy, i.e., the officially approved methodology for the confirmation of suspect rapid test cases, and the organization of the numerous laboratories involved in this large-scale testing for BSE are described. Special emphasis is given to necessary quality control measures currently in place for BSE rapid testing laboratories and to measures intended to assure a consistent performance of the commercially available rapid test kits.Presented at BERM-9—Ninth International Symposium on Biological and Environmental Reference Materials, 15–19 June 2003, Berlin, Germany.     

Structure and Magnetic Properties of Ce3Ge0.66In4.34 and Ce11Ge4.74In5.26

New indides Ce₃Ge_0.66In_4.34 and Ce₁₁Ge_4.74In_5.26 were synthesized from the elements by arc‐melting and subsequent annealing at 870 K. Single crystals were grown through special annealing procedures in sealed tantalum tubes in a high‐frequency furnace. Both compounds were investigated on the basis of X‐ray powder and single crystal data: I4/mcm, La₃GeIn₄ type, a = 848.8(1), c = 1192.0(2) pm, Z = 4, wR2 = 0.0453, 499 F² values, 17 variables for Ce₃Ge_0.66In_4.34 and I4/mmm, Sm₁₁Ge₄In₆ type (ordered version of the Ho₁₁Ge₁₀ type), a = 1199.3(2), c = 1662.0(3) pm, wR2 = 0.0507, 1217 F² values, 41 variables for Ce₁₁Ge_4.74In_5.26. The Ce₃Ge_0.66In_4.34 structure shows a mixed Ge/In occupancy on the 4c Wyckoff position. This site is octahedrally coordinated by cerium atoms. These octahedra share all edges, leading to a three‐dimensional network. The latter is penetrated by a two‐dimensional indium substructure which consists of flattened tetrahedra at In–In distances of 291 and 300 pm. The Ce₁₁Ge_4.74In_5.26 structure contains three crystallographically independent germanium sites. The latter are coordinated by eight or nine cerium neighbors. These CN8 and CN9 polyhedra are condensed to a complex network which is penetrated by a three‐dimensional indium network with In–In distances of 301–314 pm. The 16m site shows a mixed In/Ge occupancy. Chemical bonding in both compounds is dominated by the p elements. Both ternaries studied exhibit localized magnetism due to the presence of Ce³⁺ ions. The compound Ce₃GeIn₄ remains paramagnetic down to 1.72 K, whereas Ce₁₁Ge₄In₆ orders ferromagnetically at T_C = 7.5 K.     

Fe(III) coordination properties of a new saccharide-based exocyclic trihydroxamate analogue of ferrichrome

The coordination chemistry of a saccharide-based ferrichrome analogue, 1-O-methyl-2,3,4-tris-O-[4-(N-hydroxy-N-methylcarbamoyl)-n-butyrate]-alpha-d-glucopyranoside (H(3)L), is reported, along with its pK(a) values, Fe(III) and Fe(II) chelation constants, and aqueous-solution speciation as determined by spectrophotometric and potentiometric titration techniques. The use of a saccharide platform to synthesize a hexadentate trihydroxamic acid chelator provides some advantages over other approaches to ferrichrome models, including significant water solubility and hydrogen-bonding capability of the backbone that can potentially provide favorable receptor recognition and biological activity. The pK(a) values for the hydroxamate moieties were found to be similar to those of other trihydroxamates. Proton-dependent Fe(III)-H(3)L and Fe(II)-H(3)L equilibrium constants were determined using a model involving the sequential protonation of the iron(III)- and iron(II)-ligand complexes. These results were used to calculate the formation constants, log beta(110) = 31.86 for Fe(III)L and 12.1 for Fe(II)L(-). The calculated pFe value of 27.1 indicates that H(3)L possesses an Fe(III) affinity comparable to or greater than those of ferrichrome and other ferrichrome analogues and is thermodynamically capable of removing Fe(III) from transferrin. E(1/2) for the Fe(III)L/Fe(II)L(-) couple was determined to be -436 mV from quasi-reversible cyclic voltammograms at pH = 9, and the pH-dependent E(1/2) profile was used to determine the Fe(II)L(-) protonation constants.     

Covalent chemistry and conformational dynamics of topologically chiral amide-based molecular knots

The readily available in gram quantities tris(allyloxy)knot of the amide-type 5 (knotane) can be completely and partially deprotected with nBu(3)SnH in the presence of a palladium catalyst resulting in hydroxyknotanes 7-9. These, in turn, react with diethylchlorophosphate giving rise to knotanes equipped with between one and three phosphoryl groups. Sulfonylation of bis(allyloxy)monohydroxyknotane 8 with p-toluenesulfonyl chloride and, following removal of one or two allyl groups from the intermediate monosulfonate 13, give rise to sulfonyloxy-allyloxy-hydroxy- and sulfonyloxy-dihydroxy-knotanes 15 and 14, respectively. This provides a convenient method for the preparation of knotanes with any substitution pattern. All new knotanes have been isolated in preparative amounts and as highly pure substances with an exception of allyloxy-dihydroxyknotane 9. This compound could only be obtained as a mixture with the corresponding monohydroxy-derivative 8. The structures of all synthesized compounds were established by means of FAB and MALDI TOF mass spectrometry, (1)H and (31)P NMR spectroscopy. The triphosphorylated knotane 10 exhibits high solubility in alcohols, allowing its complete enantiomeric resolution with a commercially available chiral HPLC column. (1)H,(1)H DQF-COSY correlation spectroscopy along with H/D exchange experiments and ab initio calculations provided the first detailed (1)H NMR signal assignments of knotanes in [D(6)]DMSO solution. The combination of variable temperature (1)H and (31)P NMR spectroscopy and molecular modeling has been applied to study the conformational behavior of the new knotanes in different solvents. It has been shown that in DMSO solution at room temperature knotanes exist in a relatively rigid nonsymmetrical conformation similar to that found in the solid state while faster conformational exchange leading to the average D(3) symmetrical structure was detected in a number of other solvents.     

Tetraazadibora[3, 3]paracyclophane

Starting from the para‐phenylenediamine derivative HN(SiMe₃)‐C₆H₄‐NH(SiMe₃), a lithiation and subsequent borylation give [(MeO)₂B]N(SiMe₃)‐C₆H₄‐N(SiMe₃)[B(OMe)₂] ( 1 ), the hydridation of which yields Li₂[(H₃B)N(SiMe₃)‐C₆H₄‐N(SiMe₃)(BH₃)] ( 2 ). Applying ZrCl₄ upon 2 initiates a condensation to give the title compound [‐N(SiMe₃)‐p‐C₆H₄‐N(SiMe₃)‐BH‐]₂, a hetero[3, 3]paracyclophane with two N‐B‐N chains that connect the para‐phenylene units. The product 3 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁.     

2,2-Dioxo-1H-thieno[3,4-c][1,2]thiazines. Synthesis and some reactions of a new heterocycle

The first synthesis of substituted 2,2-dioxo-1-phenyl-1H-thieno[3,4-c][1,2]thiazines 2 and some of their reactions are achieved. Compounds 2 were prepared from the 3,5-dimethyl-1,1-dioxo-1,2-thiazine-4-carbaldehydes 1 by reaction with sulfur and triethyl amine in dimethylformamide under mild conditions. They were characterized spectroscopically and by X-ray structure analysis. The formylation, chlorination and oxidation of 2 are reported.     

Polymer diffusion in quenched disorder: A renormalization group approach

We study the diffusion of polymers through quenched short-range correlated random media by renormalization group (RG) methods, which allow us to derive universal predictions in the limit of long chains and weak disorder. We take local quenched random potentials with second momentv and the excluded-volume interactionu of the chain segments into account. We show that our model contains the relevant features of polymer diffusion in random media in the RG sense if we focus on the local entropic effects rather than on the topological constraints of a quenched random medium. The dynamic generating functional and the general structure of its perturbation expansion inu andv are derived. The distribution functions for the center-of-mass motion and the internal modes of one chain and for the correlation of the center of mass motions of two chains are calculated to one-loop order. The results allow for sufficient cross-checks to have trust in the one-loop renormalizability of the model. The general structure as well as the one-loop results of the integrated RG flow of the parameters are discussed. Universal results can be found for the effective static interactionwu–v0 and for small effective disorder coupling on the intermediate length scalel. As a first physical prediction from our analysis, we determine the general nonlinear scaling form of the chain diffusion constant and evaluate it explicitly as for .