Selection of solvent load and first-stage pressure to reduce interference effects in inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

In inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry the first-stage pressure and solvent characteristics can strongly influence spectral and nonspectroscopic interference effects. By manipulating the pressure and solvent load, one can regulate the degree of analyte signal suppression observed in the presence of high concentrations (> 10 mM) of concomitants. Importantly, the same operating conditions that eliminate the matrix effects maintain the analytical utility of the system. However, for some interferent-analyte combinations, the identity of the concomitant anion and subsequent pH of the solution determine whether the interference effects can be eliminated entirely. The first-stage pressure does not appear to significantly affect the oxide-ion and doubly charged ion ratios; the solvent characteristics are the dominant factors that dictate these ratios.     

Recognition hysteresis of the acetylcholine receptor of torpedo Californica

The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAcChR) of the electric organ of Torpedo californica fish exhibits a pronounced hysteresis loop in the high affinity binding of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (AcCh). When increasing amounts of AcCh are added (pulse mode) an extremely long-lived, metastable conformer distribution is obtained (lower hysteresis branch) between low affinity AcCh binding states (R_l) and high (R_h) and very high (R_vh) affinity states. Dialysis conditions always lead to the equilibrium binding curve (upper hysteresis branch; K̄_A = 5 × 10⁻⁹M, 4°C; one A bound to the R-monomer of M_r ≈ 290 000). Cyclic, pulse mode addition and dilution of AcCh results in scanning loops within the main hysteresis. The kinetic analysis of the changes in free and bound AcCh during the open-system conditions of dialysis, that releases the metastability, shows that the AcCh (A) binding proceeds along an induced-fit pathway according to A+R_h ⇋ AR_n ⇋ AR_vh. The rate constant of the step AR_h → AR_vh is k₂ = 6 × 10⁻³s⁻¹ and that of the reverse step is k₋₂ = 3 × 10⁻⁴s⁻¹. Direct binding of A to free R_vh can be excluded. Therefore, the state R_vh does not preexist, it is induced and only stable, as AR_vh, by bound AcCh. The metastability can be described in terms of long-lived AR_vh ·R₁ hybrid dimers. Physiologically, the metastable hybrid may be viewed as a saving device: the functionally important, channel-active R₁ conformer is, at low AcCh-concentrations [A] < 1μM, prevented to convert to the desensitized states R_h and AR_vh. Furtheron, AcCh enhances the phosphorylation of phosphatidyl inositol and the auto-phosphorylation of the receptor. If the AcCh binding hysteresis causes a phosphorylation hysteresis the desensitized nAcChR may serve as a memory molecule of the transsynaptic information signalling of the neurotransmission.     

Viscoelastic type magnetic effects and self-gravity on the propagation of MHD waves

Meccanica - We take up the challenge to explain the correlation between the Jeans instability topic towards star formation within the accelerated expansion of universe and the role of torsional...     

Phonetogram Changes for Trained Singers Over a Nine-Month Period of Vocal Training

Professional vocalists encounter demands requiring voluntary control of phonation, while utilizing a considerable range of frequency and intensity. These quantifiable acoustic events can be measured and represented in a phonetogram. Previous research has compared the phonetograms of trained and untrained voices and found significant differences between these groups. This study was designed to assess the effects of vocal training for singers over a period of nine months. Phonetogram contour changes were examined, with the primary focus on expansion of frequency range and/or intensity control. Twenty-one first-year, master's level, vocal music students, who were engaged in an intensive vocal performance curriculum, participated in this study. Following nine months of vocal training, significant differences were revealed in the subjects' mean frequency range and minimum vocal intensity across frequency levels. There was no significant difference for the mean maximum vocal intensity across frequency levels following vocal training.     

Analysis of dissolution profiles of iron,zinc, and manganese from complex dietary supplements by ion chromatography and chemometrics

Four commercially available formulations containing iron, zinc, and manganese were subjected to dissolution profile testing during 60 min and the dissolution was analyzed by ion chromatography. The obtained curves were analyzed directly by principal component analysis (PCA). The main trend (87.1% of variance) was connected with average dissolution percentage over the investigated time. The second component (11.2% of variance) is connected with shape of dissolution profile. All metals behave in the similar way and the differences were connected with excipients. An additional fit was completed on 12 kinetic models: first order kinetics (4 variants), Higuchi (2 variants), Hixson-Crowell (2 variants), Korsemeyer-Peppas, Logistic (2 variants), Peppas-Sahlin, Quadratic (2 variants), Weibull (3 variants), and Zero order kinetics (2 variants). The ranking of the fitting was performed by Akaike information criteria (AIC) values with additional PCA analysis on them, an approach presented in literature for the first time. The main trend (67.4% of variance) was connected with average fit. The second (14.8% of variance) is connected with differences of fitting ability to investigated dissolution curves. This methodology brought an overall look to trends and variances inside obtained data, both the profile shape and fitting ability to particular models.     

Conformation of N(alpha)-substituted hydrazino acetamides in CDCl3, the precious help of the analysis of Deltadelta between amidic hydrogens, and correlation to the conformation of aza-beta3-peptides

[structures: see text] We studied the conformation of a series of primary amides in a solution of chloroform. Classical NMR tools such as dilution experiments, influence of DMSO, and 2D-NOESY, together with X-ray diffraction, were combined with an analysis of the difference of the chemical shift Deltadelta between the geminal amidic protons. This study was addressed in order to understand the conformation adopted by hydrazino acetamides 1a and 1b as model compounds for aza-beta3-peptides. In this manner, it was possible to show that the amidic group of these compounds acts as a H-bond donor and interacts with two different H-bond acceptors. We concluded that the hydrazinoturn, a specific bifurcated H-bond system observed in the solid state, is also the preferred conformation of hydrazino acetamides 1a and 1b in solution. Our results show that the short-range interaction with the N(alpha)-nitrogen lone pair not only stabilizes the C8 pseudocycle but could also contribute to the folding process of aza-beta3-peptides. In light of this, it could explain why aza-beta3-peptides develop a different H-bond network in comparison to their isosteric beta3-peptides analogues. Our work is in keeping with the recent interest of hydrazino peptides as an extension of the beta-peptide concept.