Development and validation of an analytical methodology for the determination of p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE and p,p′-DDD in fish oil pills

An analytical methodology was proposed and validated to be applied to the determination of p,p′-DDT and its metabolites p,p′-DDE and p,p′-DDD in fish oil. The analytical procedure presented in this paper involves a single-step clean up process prior to the analysis. A solution of 1,2,3,4-tetrachloronaphtalene was used as internal standard.The analytical technique used was gas chromatography coupled to an electron capture detector. Details on the validation process are provided.The limits of detection ranged from 2.6 to 4.7 pg μL^− 1. The BCR 598 standard reference material (cod liver oil) was used to evaluate the performance of the methodology with satisfactory recoveries for all the compounds.The analytes were determined in three different fish oil pills sold in Spain as a supplementary vitamin support. The sum of p,p′-DDT and metabolites was from 13.2 to 51.3 ng g^− 1, the dominant compound being p,p′-DDE.     

Synthesis and Characterization of a [Mn12O12(O2CR)16(H2O)4] Complex Bearing Paramagnetic Carboxylate Ligands. Use of a Modified Acid Replacement Synthetic Approach

Summary.  A new modified approach for the synthesis of Mn₁₂ clusters, based on the use of complex [Mn₁₂O₁₂(O₂C ^t Bu)₁₆(H₂O)₄] (2) as starting material to promote the acidic ligand replacement, is presented here. This new synthetic approach allowed us to obtain complex [Mn₁₂O₁₂(O₂CC₆H₄N(O^•) ^t Bu)₁₆(H₂O)₄] (3), whose preparation remained elusive by direct replacement of the acetate groups of Mn₁₂Ac (1). Complex 3 bearing open-shell radical units, was prepared to increase the total spin number of its ground state, and consequently, to increase T _B , with the expectation that the radical ligands may couple ferromagnetically with the Mn₁₂ core. Unfortunately, magnetic measurements of complex 3 revealed that the sixteen radical carboxylate ligands interact antiferromagnetically with the Mn₁₂ core to yield a S = 2 magnetic ground state. Corresponding author. E-mail: vecianaj@icmab.es Received March 27, 2002; accepted May 2, 2002     

Structural basis for recognition of bacterial cell wall teichoic acid by pseudo-symmetric SH3b-like repeats of a viral peptidoglycan hydrolase

Endolysins are bacteriophage-encoded peptidoglycan hydrolases targeting the cell wall of host bacteria via their cell wall-binding domains (CBDs). The molecular basis for selective recognition of surface carbohydrate ligands by CBDs remains elusive. Here, we describe, in atomic detail, the interaction between the Listeria phage endolysin domain CBD500 and its cell wall teichoic acid (WTA) ligands. We show that 3′O-acetylated GlcNAc residues integrated into the WTA polymer chain are the key epitope recognized by a CBD binding cavity located at the interface of tandem copies of beta-barrel, pseudo-symmetric SH3b-like repeats. This cavity consists of multiple aromatic residues making extensive interactions with two GlcNAc acetyl groups via hydrogen bonds and van der Waals contacts, while permitting the docking of the diastereomorphic ligands. Our multidisciplinary approach tackled an extremely challenging protein–glycopolymer complex and delineated a previously unknown recognition mechanism by which a phage endolysin specifically recognizes and targets WTA, suggesting an adaptable model for regulation of endolysin specificity.

Combining genetic, biochemical and computational approaches, we elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying the recognition of Listeria wall teichoic acid by bacteriophage-encoded SH3b repeats.     

Fluorescence Lifetime Spectroscopy of Glioblastoma Multiforme¶

Fluorescence spectroscopy of the endogenous emission of brain tumors has been researched as a potentially important method for the intraoperative localization of brain tumor margins. We investigated the use of time‐resolved, laser‐induced fluorescence spectroscopy for demarcation of primary brain tumors by studying the time‐resolved spectra of gliomas. The fluorescence of human brain samples (glioblastoma multiforme, cortex and white matter: six patients, 23 sites) was induced ex vivo with a pulsed nitrogen laser (337 nm, 3 ns). The time‐resolved spectra were detected in a 360–550 nm wavelength range using a fast digitizer and gated detection. Parameters derived from both the spectral‐ (intensities from narrow spectral bands) and the time domain (average lifetime) measured at 390 and 460 nm were used for tissue characterization. We determined that high‐grade gliomas are characterized by fluorescence lifetimes that varied with the emission wavelength (>3 ns at 390 nm, <1 ns at 460 nm) and their emission is overall longer than that of normal brain tissue. Our study demonstrates that the use of fluorescence lifetime not only improves the specificity of fluorescence measurements but also allows a more robust evaluation of data collected from brain tissue. Combined information from both the spectraland the time domain can enhance the ability of fluorescencebased techniques to diagnose and detect brain tumor margins intraoperatively.     

Nitrosation of peptide bonds. Cleavage of nitrosated peptides by pyrrolidine and α-amino esters

The reaction of several α-amino acids and peptides (containing Gly, L-Ala, L-Leu, L- or DL-Phe, and/or L- or D-Val) with air-diluted nitrogen oxides has been studied to roughly mimic the N-nitrosation of peptide bonds that the contaminated urban air might produce in pulmonary tissues. Most N-protected α-amino acids give practically quantitative yields of N-nitroso derivatives. N-Protected dipeptides afford either dinitrosated peptides, mixtures of di- and mononitrosated compounds, selectively mononitrosated products, or no reaction at all, depending mainly on steric effects. The same trends are observed for some higher peptides. The (po1y)nitrosated Peptides, which retain the chirality of the starting materials, have been characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and are cleaved by pyrrolidine and amino esters under mild conditions to give (new) amides or peptides plus diazo derivatives.     

Directional operators and radial functions on the plane

LetEçS ¹ be a set with Minkowski dimensiond(E)1. We consider the Hardy-Littlewood maximal function, the Hilbert transform and the maximal Hilbert transform along the directions ofE. The main result of this paper shows that these operators are bounded onL _rad ^p (R²) forp>1+d(E) and unbounded whenp<1+d(E). We also give some end-point results.     

Evaluation of micellar liquid chromatography and capillary zone electrophoresis for dope control in sport

Micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) have been evaluated for the analysis of twelve banned drugs in sport including diuretics and -blockers. In MLC, a sodium dodecylsulphate aqueous solution has been used as mobile phase using an octadecylsilica column. In CZE, a pH 8 buffer solution and a silica capillary have been employed. Parameters of retention and efficiency have been compared. Limits of detection with UV detection at 254 nm and relative standard deviations for atenolol, furosemide, nadolol, spironolactone and triamterene were established and compared in both techniques. Examples of direct urine injection into the separation systems are presented. Drugs overlapping in MLC are well resolved in CZE, while the opposite is true for a limited number of drugs. Some interferences from urine may arise in CZE. The selectivity of analysis would be greatly enhanced by using both techniques, which require only filtration as pre-treatment.     

A closed model category for ()-connected spaces

For each integer , we give a distinct closed model category structure to the category of pointed spaces such that the corresponding localized category is equivalent to the standard homotopy category of -connected CW-complexes. The structure of closed model category given by Quillen to is based on maps which induce isomorphisms on all homotopy group functors and for any choice of base point. For each , the closed model category structure given here takes as weak equivalences those maps that for the given base point induce isomorphisms on for .

     

Synthesis of Enantiopure Primary Amines by Stereoselective Ring Opening of Chiral Octahydro-1,3-benzoxazines by Grignard and Organoaluminum Reagents

Chiral 1,3-perhydrobenzoxazines 1, 2, and 9-14, prepared by condensation of 8-(benzylamino)menthol with different aldehydes, react with alkylmagnesium bromides and trimethylaluminum leading to the open amino alcohols 3a-d, 4a-d, and 15-20 in excellent chemical yields and good to excellent diastereomeric excess. The sequential elimination of the menthol appendage by heating with P(2)O(5) and the benzyl group by hydrogenolysis lead to primary amines 7a-d, 8a-d, and 27-30 in excellent chemical yields and ee. The addition of the alkyl group from the Grignard derivatives and the methyl group from the trimethylaluminum occurs from opposite sides of the heterocycle, yielding the final primary amines with the same stereochemistry.     

A one-parameter family of hamiltonian structures for the KP hierarchy and a continuous deformation of the nonlinear WKP algebra

The KP hierarchy is hamiltonian relative to a one-parameter family of Poisson structures obtained from a generalized Adler map in the space of formal pseudodifferential symbols with noninteger powers. The resulting W-algebra is a one-parameter deformation of W_KP admitting a central extension for generic values of the parameter, reducing naturally to W _n for special values of the parameter, and contracting to the centrally extended W₁₊, W and further truncations. In the classical limit, all algebras in the one-parameter family are equivalent and isomorphic tow _KP. The reduction induced by setting the spin-one field to zero yields a one-parameter deformation of which contracts to a new nonlinear algebra of the W-type.Address after October 1993: Queen Mary and Westfield College, UK