Piperazine-based buffers for liposome coating of capillaries for electrophoresis

Anionic liposomes can be coated on fused-silica capillaries for electrophoresis in the presence of N-(hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N'-(2-ethanesulfonic acid) (HEPES) as background electrolyte (BGE) solution. In this work, the interaction of various compounds with zwitterionic and anionic phospholipid coatings was studied with HEPES at pH 7.4 as BGE solution. The chromatographic and electrophoretic behavior of three test sample solutions (anionic, cationic, and neutral) was investigated for evaluation of the phospholipid coatings. Our results show that hydrophobic interactions between analytes and the phospholipid coating are important for the migration of charged analytes. In addition, the performances of other piperazine-based buffers, i.e., N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N'-(2-hydroxypropanesulfonic acid), piperazine-N,N'-bis(2-ethanesulfonic acid), and piperazine-N,N'-bis(hydroxypropane sulfonic acid), at pH 7.4, as liposome solvent and BGE solution were evaluated and compared with the performance of HEPES at pH 7.4. The anionic liposome solution comprised 80/20 mol% phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine. A simple test solution was selected and the chromatographic and electrophoretic migration behavior of the analytes was evaluated. The results show that, in addition to HEPES, other piperazine-based buffers at pH 7.4 are suitable for coating of fused-silica capillaries with anionic liposomes.     

Ion-selective electrodes for determination of organic ammonium ions: Ways for selectivity control

The influence of the ISE membrane composition on the selectivity for primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary alkylammonium cations, as well as for cations of physiologically active amines, has been investigated. Factors studied include the effect of plasticizer (2-nitrophenyl octyl ether, o-NPOE; dibutyl phthalate, DBP; dinonyl adipate, DNA; tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate, TEHP) and ion exchanger (potassium tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl)borate, K(TpClPB); potassium tris(nonyloxy)benzenesulfonate, K(TNOBS)), as well as that of the lipophilic cationic additive (tetradecylammonium nitrate, (TDA)NO(3)) and neutral carrier (dibenzo-18-crown-6) presence in membrane. It has been established that plasticizer nature affects K(i,j)(pot) values both when the target and/or foreign ions have non-ionic polar groups capable of specific interaction with plasticizer, and when the only difference consists in the substitution degree of their ionic groups. K(i,j)(pot) values for quaternary alkylammonium cations over primary-tertiary ones change in the following order: TEHP>DBP approximately DNA>o-NPOE. The highest K(i,j)(pot) value change is achieved for the primary-quaternary alkylammonium cation pair, amounting to 3 and 4.7 orders for membranes containing K(TNOBS) and K(TpClPB) as ion exchangers, respectively. In its turn, the ion exchanger influence on the selectivity depends on plasticizer nature, it being maximal for o-NPOE (about 2 orders) and practically non-existent for TEHP. On the whole, as compared to K(TpClPB)-based ISEs, those based on K(TNOBS) show higher selectivity for primary-tertiary alkylammonium cations over quaternary ones. Incorporation of (TDA)NO(3) into membrane causes further improvement of selectivity for primary-tertiary alkylammonium cations in the case of K(TNOBS) only. The maximal total effect of the ion exchanger and lipophilic ionic additive is observed for ISEs with DNA-plasticized membranes and is over 3 orders. The influence of crown ether on the selectivity also depends significantly upon ion exchanger and plasticizer nature. For ISEs with o-NPOE-plasticized membranes the K(i,j)(pot) value changes can be as great as 3 (ion exchanger K(TNOBS)) and even 4.5 (ion exchanger K(TpClPB)) orders. On the contrary, for ISEs with TEHP-plasticized membranes the crown ether effect on the selectivity is unessential. The results obtained are explained by peculiarities of organic ammonium cations solvating by plasticizer and association of cations with ion exchangers.     

Characterization of Two Bulgarian Herbs for Use as Biosorbents for Copper(II)

Abstract

Two biomaterials based on the abundant Bulgarian medicinal plants Mentha spicata L. (denoted as MS) and Ruta graveolens L. (denoted as RG) were investigated as environmentally friendly biosorbents for Cu(II) removal from aqueous solutions. Grain size distribution, slurry pH, texture parameters, thermal behavior and mineralogical composition of MS and RG were determined. Instrumental methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray-diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, differential thermal analysis (DTA), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used for their characterization. It was demonstrated that the surface morphology of both materials is rough and contains pores that could entrap different pollutants, as well as functional groups that can attach metal ions. In order to examine the feasibility of these materials for use as biosorbents for heavy metals, adsorption experiments were performed. The results for the removal of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution reveal capabilities suggesting that both materials have potential to be used as promising, efficient and low-cost biosorbents.     

Benzimidazolium surfactants for modification of clays for use with styrenic polymers

Nanocomposites of polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) were prepared with two new homologous benzimidazolium surfactants used as organic modifications for the clays. The morphology of the polymer/clay hybrids was evaluated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), showing good overall dispersion of the clay. The thermal stability of the polymer/clay nanocomposites was enhanced, as evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis. From cone calorimetric measurements, the peak heat release rate of the nanocomposites was decreased by about the same amount as seen for other organically-modified, commercially available clays.     

Zinc Oxide Based Coatings for the UV-Protection of Wood for Outdoor Applications

Summary: Nano-sized zinc oxide (ZnO) was chosen as a suitable candidate for the UV-protection of coatings. ZnO-based acrylate coatings were applied to polycarbonate plates, glass plates and impregnated wood. Coated samples were artificially weathered (Xenon test) for at least 1500 hours and studied with regards to their optical and mechanical properties, such as color shifts (yellowing), as well as to changes in brightness, transparency or hydrophobicity. The prepared wood coatings showed reduced yellowing and improved optical properties.     

The applicability of the kinetic method for measuring relative affinities of macromolecules for polyatomic substrates

This paper is a review of the kinetic method for the determination of thermochemical values for gas-phase molecules. In addition, we have explored the utility of the kinetic method to obtain meaningful relative binding energies of macromolecules for polyatomic substrates using a system comprising poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) oligomers and doubly protonated diaminoalkanes. The major factors which determined the suitability of the kinetic method for this system were identified as (i) the structural arrangement of the parent ion complex, (ii) possible reverse activation barriers, and (iii) the evaluations of Δ(ΔS?). Molecular mechanics/molecular dynamics (MM/MD) simulations, together with ion mobility spectrometry, suggests the parent ion complexes represent a relatively equal sharing of the substrate between two the PMMA oligomers within the complex and that the two PMMA oligomers interact almost exclusively with the substrate, and not with each other. MS/MS of the trimeric parent complexes resulted in one PMMA unit leaving as a neutral which suggests very limited coulombic repulsion (that would contribute to a reverse activation barrier). The drift times of PMMA-diaminoalkane complexes that were generated directly by ESI-MS or by dissociation of a trimeric PMMA-diaminoalkane-PMMA complex were found to be identical, and when combined with MM/MD simulations suggested that the product PMMA-diaminoalkane dication has the same conformation as it does when part of a trimeric complex. This is evidence for Δ(ΔS?) ? Δ(ΔS) and using a statistical mechanics approach, Δ(ΔS) ? 0. The effective temperature variable in the kinetic method expression was found to decrease as a function of the size of the trimeric complex, suggesting that the population distribution of the dissociating ensemble of complexes narrows as size increases.     

Keto-coumarin scaffold for photoinitiators for 3D printing and photocomposites

The purposes of this paper are moving toward (a) the development of a new series of photoinitiators (PIs) which are based on the keto-coumarin (KC) core, (b) the introduction of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as inexpensive and safe sources of irradiation, (c) the study of the photochemical mechanisms through which the new PIs react using different techniques such as Fourier transform infrared, UV–visible or fluorescence spectroscopy, and so on, (d) the use of such compounds (presenting good reactivity and excellent photopolymerization initiating abilities) for two specific and high added value applications: 3D printing (@405 nm) and preparation of thick glass fiber photocomposites with excellent depth of cure, and finally (e) the comparison of the performance of these KC derivatives versus other synthesized coumarin derivatives. In this study, six well-designed KC derivatives ( KC-C , KC-D , KC-E , KC-F , KC-G , and KC-H ) are examined as high-performance visible-light PIs for the cationic polymerization of epoxides as well as the free-radical polymerization of acrylates upon irradiation with LED@405 nm. Excellent polymerization rates are obtained using two different approaches: a photo-oxidation process in combination with an iodonium (Iod) salt and a photo-reduction process when associated with an amine (N-phenylglycine or ethyl 4-(dimethylamino)benzoate). High final reactive conversions were obtained. A full picture of the involved photochemical mechanisms is provided.     

Instrumentation for luminescence methods of analysis

Reactions which produce light (bioluminescence and chemiluminescence) can be used to measure as little as a picogram (10^?12 g) of analyte, such as ATP, NADH and many organic and inorganic compounds. The light levels produced are extremely low and instruments with special features are required for their measurement.     

Characterization of stimuli-sensitive polymers for biomedical applications

Stimuli-sensitive polymers were synthesized by copolymerizing varying ratios of N-isopropyl acrylamide(NIPAAm) and acrylic acid(AAc). The influence of polyelectrolytes on the lower critical solution temperatures(LCSTs) of these temperature/pH sensitive polymers was investigated in the pH range of 2-12. Polyelectrolyte complexes were prepared by mixing poly(NIPAAm-co-AAc) as anionic polyelectrolyte with poly(allyl amine)(PAA) or poly(L-lysine)(PLL) as cationic polyelectrolytes, respectively. Back titration was performed to determine the pK_a values of PAAc in poly(NIPAAm-co-AAc) and to study the effect of comonomer ionization on the cloud point temperature. The effect of polyelectrolyte complex formation on the conformation of PLL was studied as a function of temperature by means of circular dichroism(CD). The swelling ratio of poly(NIPAAm-co-AAc) hydrogels as a function of pH at various temperature was obtained by measuring the weight of the hydrogels in buffer solutions. The LCSTs of the poly(NIPAAm-co-AAc) were strongly affected by pH, polyelectrolyte solutes, AAc content, and charge density. The influence of more hydrophobic PLL as a polyelectrolyte on the cloud point of PNIPAAm/water in the copolymer was stronger than that of poly(allyl amine)(PAA). Indomethacin was loaded into these hydrogels, and controlled release of this molecule from the hydrogel was determined under various temperature and pH conditions using UV/Vis spectrophotometry.     

Evidence for a monomeric structure of nonribosomal Peptide synthetases

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) are multimodular biocatalysts that bacteria and fungi use to assemble many complex peptides with broad biological activities. The same modular enzymatic assembly line principles are found in fatty acid synthases (FAS), polyketide synthases (PKS), and most recently in hybrid NRPS/PKS multienzymes. FAS as well as PKS are known to function as homodimeric enzyme complexes, raising the question of whether NRPS may also act as homodimers. To test this hypothesis, biophysical methods (size exclusion chromatography, analytical equilibrium ultracentrifugation, and chemical crosslinking) and biochemical methods (two-affinity-tag-system and complementation studies with enzymes being inactivated in different catalytic domains) were applied to NRPS subunits from the gramicidin S (GrsA-ATE), tyrocidine (TycB(1)-CAT and TycB(2-3)-AT.CATE), and enterobactin (EntF-CATTe) biosynthetic systems. These methods had revealed the dimeric structure of FAS and PKS previously, but all three NRPS systems investigated are functionally active as monomers.     

Spectrophotometric methods for the determination of tolnaftate

Two simple and sensitive visible spectrophotometric methods (methods A and B) for the determination of tolnaftate in bulk samples and formulations are described. Method A (lambda(max) 490 nm) involves the reaction of tolnaftate with 2,6-dichloroquinone-4-chlorimide (DCQC: Gibb's reagent), while method B (lambda(max) 530 nm) is based on a similar reaction of the drug with p-N,N-dimethylphenylene diamine in the presence of chloramine-T. Both these methods are applicable to pure samples as well as formulations of the drug.     

An Efficient Way for Glycosylation of Spirostanol

Using thioglycosides as donors, trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (TMSOTf) and N-iodosuccinimide(NIS) as promoter, a modified procedure for the glycosylation of spirostanol was developed. A series of saponins were synthesized in mild condition with excellent yields.     

Advanced studies for the application of high-performance capillary electrophoresis for the analysis of yessotoxin and 45-hydroxyyessotoxin

Yessotoxins (YTXs) are a group of polyether toxins which have been previously reported as responsible for seafood contamination in several places worldwide. Despite their toxicity, which is not yet fully discussed, YTXs have been reported as an interference in the success of mouse bioassay for the determination of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins, and therefore, efficient and reliable analytical methodologies are required to evaluate their presence, avoiding false positives for DSP. High-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) is presented in this work as an alternative to HPLC technique widely used for the analysis of YTXs. Improvements in the applicability of HPCE have been carried out through the development of different CE modes as well as different detection modes. With this aim, micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) has been considered for an increased selectivity while an increased sensitivity was achieved by using sample stacking. Moreover, the coupling of CE with mass spectrometry allowed the confirmation of YTXs present in the contaminated samples evaluated in this work. The results obtained showed the potential of CE as an alternative to HPLC for the analysis of YTXs present in naturally contaminated samples.     

High affinity of water-soluble cryptophanes for cesium cations

Exceptionally high affinity for cesium cations was achieved in aqueous solution using two enantiopure cryptophanes. Complexation of cesium was evidenced by (133)Cs NMR spectroscopy and by electronic circular dichroism (ECD). Binding constants as high as 6 × 10(9) M(-1) have been measured by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Very strong complexation of rubidium cations (K ~10(6) M(-1)) has also been measured. Chiral hosts allowed the detection of the two cations at low concentrations (μM) using ECD.     

Recent Advance of Tellurium for Biomedical Applications

Tellurium(Te) nanomaterials have aroused a wide interest in semiconductor, thermoelectric, piezoelectric, as well as biomedical applications. The last decades of reports indicated a major nanostructure of one-dimensional (1D) Te on account of its inherent structural anisotropy. Two-dimenional(2D) Te has been newly developed and drawn a lot of interests recently. This review presents the intrinsic biological potential of Te-based nanomaterials and summarizes their up-to-date advance in phototherapy and reactive oxygen species(ROS)-related applications in the biomedical field.     

Cross-section TEM for examinations of selective tungsten CVD for via hole filling

The reaction between tungsten layers [deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) as well as by physical vapor deposition (PVD)] and an aluminium alloy (AlSi) has been investigated. For CVD tungsten layers deposited on AlSi by silane reduction of WF₆ the formation of an aluminium fluoride interlayer has been established by cross-section transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). At the interface between PVD-W and AlSi, an intermetallic compound may be formed depending on the thermal treatment. A crystalline intermediate layer has been found after annealing at 400°C (twice for 30 min), whereas an interface between as deposited double layers showed no interlayer. For all samples investigated, diffusion of aluminium into the tungsten layer was observed. The diffusion depth depends on the heat treatment and the tungsten morphology. Intermediate layers — if they exist — limit the diffusion but do not act as a diffusion barrier.     

抗帕金森性精神病药物哌马色林的合成

以对羟基苯乙酸为原料,经酯化、烷基化、酯水解、酰化、霍夫曼重排、水解和酰化反应合成了N-(4-异丁氧基苄基)氨基甲酸苯酯(9);再以对氟苄氨和N-甲基-4-哌啶酮为原料经过还原胺化生成4-(4-氟苄基氨基)-1-甲基哌啶(10);最后中间体(9)和中间体(10)经氨解反应合成哌马色林,总收率为50.2%,其结构经1H NMR和13C NMR确证。     

A new strategy for the development of monoclonal antibodies for the determination of human procalcitonin in serum samples

Procalcitonin (PCT)—a diagnostic serum parameter for bacterial infection and sepsis—is of great interest in the field of biosensors for point-of-care testing. Its detection needs specific biological recognition elements, such as antibodies. Herein, we describe the development and characterization of rat monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for PCT, and their application in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for the determination of PCT in patient serum samples. From about 50 mAbs, two mAbs, CALCA 2F3 and CALCA 4A6, were selected as a pair with high affinity for PCT in sandwich immunoassays. Both mAbs could be used either as capture or as detection mAb. They were Protein G-purified and biotinylated when used as detection mAb. The setup of two sandwich ELISAs with standards of human recombinant (hr) PCT, using either CALCA 2F3 (assay A) or CALCA 4A6 (assay B) as capture mAbs and the biotinylated mAbs CALCA 4A6 or CALCA 2F3, respectively, as detection mAbs, led to highly specific determinations of PCT without cross-reactivity to calcitonin and katacalcin. Test midpoints (IC₅₀) of both assays were determined for hrPCT standards in 4% (w/v) human serum albumin and found with 2.5 (assay A) and 2.7 μg L⁻¹ (assay B). With both sandwich ELISAs a collection of eight patient serum samples have been determined in comparison to the determination by the Elecsys BRAHMS PCT assay. Good correlations between our prototype ELISAs and the BRAHMS assay could be demonstrated (R ²: assay A, 0.996 and assay B, 0.990). The use of these newly developed anti-PCT mAbs should find broad applications in immunosensors for point-of-care diagnostics of sepsis and systemic inflammation processes.