Voltammetric sizing of a sphere.

The size of a glass sphere positioned in the center of a microdisk electrode is determined by using a simple electrochemical procedure and is confirmed, additionally, by a microscopical measurement of the sphere at the time of the electrochemical measurement. The cyclic voltammetric response of the naked electrode and of the electrode with the sphere positioned in its center is recorded over a wide range of scan rates (0.002-1.5 V s(-1)). The size of the sphere is then determined by comparison of the experimental voltammogram with simulations for each individual scan rate.     

Oxygenolysis of flavonoid compounds: DFT description of the mechanism for quercetin.

Flavonoids are naturally occurring phenol derivatives present in substantial amounts in a large variety of plants, fruits and vegetables daily eaten by humans. Most of these compounds exhibit several interesting biological activities, such as antiradical and antioxidant actions. Indeed, by complexation with specific enzymes, flavonoids are notably liable to metabolize molecular dioxygen. On the basis of experimental results describing oxygenolysis of the flavonoid quercetin, activated by the enzyme quercetin 2,3-dioxygenase (2,3-QD),ur attention has focused on the role of metal center in the activation of the substrate quercetin. Thus, in the present study, by means of DFT calculations at the B3LYP/ 6-31(+)G* level on model molecular systems, we describe different mechanisms for dioxygen metabolization by quercetin. Stationary points are described, and energetic and structural analyses along the reaction paths are reported. Our calculations show that the copper cation must act as an oxidant towards the substrate and that the reaction proceeds through a 1,3-cycloaddition.     

Zweikernige silylenverbrückte Cyclopentadienylrhodiumbis(ethen)-Komplexe,photochemische Reaktion mit Benzolderivaten und selektiver Einschluß von Methylcyclopentan in das Kristallgitter von [Me2Si{3-But-C5H3Rh(C2H4)2}2]

Dinuclear Silylene Bridged Cyclopentadienylrhodiumbis(ethene) Complexes, Photochemical Reaction with Benzene Derivatives, and Selective Inclusion of Methylcyclopentane into the Crystal Lattice of [Me₂Si{3-Bu^t-C₅H₃Rh(C₂H₄)₂}₂] By reaction of [{(C₂H₄)₂RhCl}₂] with Na₂[Me₂Si(C₅H₄)₂] or with Li₂[Me₂Si(3-Bu^t-C₅H₃)₂] in THF the dinuclear silylene bridged complexes [Me₂Si{C₅H₄Rh(C₂H₄)₂}₂] 1 and [Me₂Si{3-Bu^t-C₅H₃Rh(C₂H₄)₂}₂] 2 , respectively, were synthesized. Due to the asymmetric substitution of the five-membered rings and their hindered rotation around the Si? C axes, 2 is formed as three isomers. The X-ray structure analysis of 2 obtained from hexane reveals the selective inclusion of methylcyclopentane, the content of which in the solvent is about 17%, into the crystal lattice. UV irradiation of 1 in hexane in the presence of benzene causes elimination of the ethene ligands yielding the μ-η³:η³ benzene complex [Me₂Si(C₅H₄Rh₂)₂C₆H₆] which cannot be separated from unreacted 1 . However, separation is possible in case of the hexamethylbenzene compound 4 analogous with 3 .     

Influence of ethanol oxidation rate on the lactate/pyruvate ratio and phosphorylation state of the liver in fed rats.

The effect of the ethanol oxidation rate on the interaction between the phosphorylation state (the [ATP]/[ADP] X [HPO4]2- ratio) and the redox state (the free [NAD+]/[NADH] ratio) of the liver cytosol was studied in intact fed rats. The rate of ethanol oxidation was inhibited to different degrees with pyrazole. The ethanol oxidation rate had no influence on the liver lactate level but correlated significantly with the pyruvate level. Accordingly, a significant correlation was also found between the ethanol oxidation rate and the lactate/pyruvate ratio. The rate of ethanol oxidation correlated significantly with the liver 3-phosphoglycerate level. No change in the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate level was found. No correlation was found between the ethanol oxidation rate and the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate/3-phosphoglycerate redox couple. Ethanol administration slightly increased the liver ATP level, but the simultaneous administration of pyrazole eliminated this effect. Other adenine nucleotides and HPO4 2- were not changed. The changes in the rate of ethanol oxidation had no effect on the phosphorylation state in the fed liver. It is assumed that in the fed liver the phosphorylation state is so well stabilized that the redox level has no influence.     

Characterization of N-terminal processing of group VIA phospholipase A<Subscript>2</Subscript> and of potential cleavage sites of amyloid precursor protein constructs by automated identification of signature peptides in LC/MS/MS analyses of proteolytic digests

Dysregulation of proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) contributes to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease, and the Group VIA phospholipase A(2) (iPLA(2)beta) is the dominant PLA(2) enzyme in the central nervous system and is subject to regulatory proteolytic processing. We have identified novel N-terminal variants of iPLA(2)beta and previously unrecognized proteolysis sites in APP constructs with a C-terminal 6-myc tag by automated identification of signature peptides in LC/MS/MS analyses of proteolytic digests. We have developed a Signature-Discovery (SD) program to characterize protein isoforms by identifying signature peptides that arise from proteolytic processing in vivo. This program analyzes MS/MS data from LC analyses of proteolytic digests of protein mixtures that can include incompletely resolved components in biological samples. This reduces requirements for purification and thereby minimizes artifactual modifications during sample processing. A new algorithm to generate the theoretical signature peptide set and to calculate similarity scores between predicted and observed mass spectra has been tested and optimized with model proteins. The program has been applied to the identification of variants of proteins of biological interest, including APP cleavage products and iPLA(2)beta, and such applications demonstrate the utility of this approach.     

The application of NMR and MS methods for detection of adulteration of wine,fruit juices,and olive oil. A review

This review covers two important techniques, high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS), used to characterize food products and detect possible adulteration of wine, fruit juices, and olive oil, all important products of the Mediterranean Basin. Emphasis is placed on the complementary use of SNIF-NMR (site-specific natural isotopic fractionation nuclear magnetic resonance) and IRMS (isotope-ratio mass spectrometry) in association with chemometric methods for detecting the adulteration.