Comprehensive Profiling by Non-targeted Stable Isotope Tracing Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry: A New Tool Complementing Metabolomic Analyses of Polar Metabolites

Mass spectrometry (MS) driven metabolomics is a frequently used tool in various areas of life sciences; however, the analysis of polar metabolites is less commonly included. In general, metabolomic analyses lead to the detection of the total amount of all covered metabolites. This is currently a major limitation with respect to metabolites showing high turnover rates, but no changes in their concentration. Such metabolites and pathways could be crucial metabolic nodes (e.g., potential drug targets in cancer metabolism). A stable-isotope tracing capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry (CE-MS) metabolomic approach was developed to cover both polar metabolites and isotopologues in a non-targeted way. An in-house developed software enables high throughput processing of complex multidimensional data. The practicability is demonstrated analyzing [U-¹³C]-glucose exposed prostate cancer and non-cancer cells. This CE-MS-driven analytical strategy complements polar metabolite profiles through isotopologue labeling patterns, thereby improving not only the metabolomic coverage, but also the understanding of metabolism.     

Copper-based metal–organic framework decorated by CuO hair-like nanostructures: Electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

We report a Cu-based metal–organic framework (MOF) decorated by CuO nanostructures as an efficient catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). MIL-53(Cu) was synthesized by a hydrothermal approach using 1,4-bezenedicarboxylic acid as organic precursor and further annealed at 300°C to form CuO nanostructures on its surface. The produced electrocatalyst, CuO@MIL-53(Cu), was characterized using various techniques. Under alkaline conditions, the developed electrocatalyst exhibited an overpotential of 801 and 336 mV versus RHE at 10 and 1 mA cm⁻², respectively. The reproducibility of the catalytic performance was validated using several electrodes. It was confirmed that the CuO hair-like nanostructures grown on MIL-53(Cu) using thermal treatment exhibit high OER activity, good kinetics and durability. CuO@MIL-53(Cu) is an economic noble-metal-free OER electrocatalyst. It has potential for application as anode material for sustainable energy technologies like batteries, fuel cells and water electrolysis.     

Monofluoroalkene-Isostere as a 19F NMR Label for the Peptide Backbone: Synthesis and Evaluation in Membrane-Bound PGLa and (KIGAKI)3

Solid-state ¹⁹F NMR is a powerful method to study the interactions of biologically active peptides with membranes. So far, in labelled peptides, the ¹⁹F-reporter group has always been installed on the side chain of an amino acid. Given the fact that monofluoroalkenes are non-hydrolyzable peptide bond mimics, we have synthesized a monofluoroalkene-based dipeptide isostere, Val-Ψ[(Z)-CF=CH]-Gly, and inserted it in the sequence of two well-studied antimicrobial peptides: PGLa and (KIGAKI)₃ are representatives of an α-helix and a β-sheet. The conformations and biological activities of these labeled peptides were studied to assess the suitability of monofluoroalkenes for ¹⁹F NMR structure analysis.     

A Micellar Mitotane Formulation with High Drug‐Loading and Solubility: Physico‐Chemical Characterization and Cytotoxicity Studies in 2D and 3D In Vitro Tumor Models

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare tumor and prognosis is overall poor but heterogeneous. Mitotane (MT) has been used for treatment of ACC for decades, either alone or in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy. Even at doses up to 6 g per day, more than half of the patients do not achieve targeted plasma concentration (14–20 mg L^?1) even after many months of treatment due to low water solubility, bioavailability, and unfavorable pharmacokinetic profile. Here a novel MT nanoformulation with very high MT concentrations in physiological aqueous media is reported. The MT‐loaded nanoformulations are characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and powder X‐ray diffraction which confirms the amorphous nature of the drug. The polymer itself does not show any cytotoxicity in adrenal and liver cell lines. By using the ACC model cell line NCI‐H295 both in monolayers and tumor cell spheroids, micellar MT is demonstrated to exhibit comparable efficacy to its ethanol solution. It is postulated that this formulation will be suitable for i.v. application and rapid attainment of therapeutic plasma concentrations. In conclusion, the micellar formulation is considered a promising tool to alleviate major drawbacks of current MT treatment while retaining bioactivity toward ACC in vitro.     

Two reversible enantiotropic phase transitions in a pentacoordinate silicon complex with an O,N,O′‐tridentate valinate ligand

Dimethyl[N‐(4‐oxidopent‐3‐en‐2‐ylidene)valinato‐κ³O,N,O′]silicon(IV), C₁₂H₂₁NO₃Si, (II), crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁. The chiral compound undergoes two sharp enantiotropic phase transitions upon cooling. The first transformation occurs at 163 K to yield a unit cell with one axis having double length. This intermediate‐temperature form has the monoclinic space group P2₁. The second transition takes place at 142 K and converts the single crystal into the low‐temperature form in the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁. This transition proceeds under tripling of the a axis of the high‐temperature form. Both phase transitions are fully reversible and correspond to order–disorder transitions of the isopropyl group of the valine unit in the ligand backbone. The phase transitions presented here raise questions, since they do not fit into the rules of group–subgroup relationships.     

Approximations of spectra of Schrödinger operators with complex potentials on ℝd

We study spectral approximations of Schrödinger operators T = ?Δ+Q with complex potentials on Ω = ?^d, or exterior domains Ω??^d, by domain truncation. Our weak assumptions cover wide classes of potentials Q for which T has discrete spectrum, of approximating domains Ω_n, and of boundary conditions on ?Ω_n such as mixed Dirichlet/Robin type. In particular, Re Q need not be bounded from below and Q may be singular. We prove generalized norm resolvent convergence and spectral exactness, i.e. approximation of all eigenvalues of T by those of the truncated operators T_n without spectral pollution. Moreover, we estimate the eigenvalue convergence rate and prove convergence of pseudospectra. Numerical computations for several examples, such as complex harmonic and cubic oscillators for d = 1,2,3, illustrate our results.