Case Study: Doping Substances in Equestrian Food Supplements

In the course of investigations on equestrian supplemental products for the presence of doping substances, two products were found to contain forbidden substances. As reported earlier a plant extract (Mexican cactus extract) named “Energy 5” contained the anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) stanozolol, 17β-hydroxy-17α-methyl-5α-androstane-3β-ol (3β,5α-THMT) as well as mestanolone not declared on the label. In the present study, a product called “Super Kalm Paste” was tested. Analysis by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed that the preparation contained the class I anti-arrhythmics quinine (trade names Kinidin^TM, Durules) and cinchonine. The samples were prepared according to a sample preparation procedure established for anabolic steroids in nutritional supplements for humans. The sample treatment comprised the extraction and purification of the analytes as well as the chemical conversion with N-methyl-N-trimethylsilyl-trifluoracetamide (MSTFA) to yield the trimethylsilyl (TMS)-derivatives. To verify whether the administration of such products could lead to positive doping tests, a pilot excretion study on “Energy 5” was conducted with two geldings, and urine samples were collected. Gas chromatography - high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) after solid phase extraction and mixed derivatisation has demonstrated the presence of the stanozolol metabolite 16β-hydroxy-stanozolol in urine samples after “Energy 5” application.     

Pentakis(methoxycarbonyl)cyclopentadiene,a strong organic acid: Crystal and molecular structures of HC5(CO)2Me)5 and Li[C5(CO2Me)5](H2O)

Contrary to some previously depicted structures, the proton in HC₅(CO₂Me)₅ is bonded to two oxygens rather than to carbon; the lithium ion in Li[C₅(CO₂Me)₅] (H₂O) is tetrahedrally coordinated by two carbonyl oxygens from one C₅ anion, one from a second anion, and a water molecule.     

Synthesis of 5-alkylidene-2,5-dihydropyrrol-2-ones and their ring-transformation into 5,6-dihydrobenzo[h]chromones, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrochromones and pyran-4-ones

Acid-mediated ring-transformations of 5-alkylidene-2,5-dihydropyrrol-2-ones, available by cyclization of 1,3-diketone dianions with bis(imidoyl) dichlorides of oxalic acid, resulted in formation of functionalized pyran-4-ones, such as 5,6-dihydrobenzo[h]chromones and 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrochromones.     

Synthesis of sodium tantalate nanorods by alkalide reduction

NaTaO3 nanorods were synthesized with high (>90%) yield by reduction of TaCl5 with THF solutions of the alkalide K+(15C5)2Na-, followed by product annealing under dynamic vacuum at 250 and 600 degrees C. In addition to the nanorods, the product is comprised of 5-10% approximately 10-nm diameter spheroidal NaTaO3 nanocrystals. The nanorods are generally longer than 500 nm, with some exceeding 1 mum, and 10-100 nm wide, with aspect ratios that vary between 10 and 20:1. Select area electron diffraction patterns of individual nanorods indicate that each nanorod is a single crystal with its axis oriented in the [010] direction.     

Thermal analysis and X-ray studies of chiral ferroelectric liquid crystalline materials and their binary mixtures

Summary Thermal properties of a homologous series of ferroelectric liquid crystals S-(-)-[4-(2-n-alkoxy-propionyloxy)]biphenyl-4'-[n-alkoxy-(3,5-dimethyl)]benzoate have been investigated by polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The mesophases were identified and confirmed by X-ray too. Three binary mixtures were prepared from the individual homologues. In one of the mixtures (Mix1), the ferroelectric SmC* phase has broadened and became enantiotropic. This mesophase remained monotropic in the other two mixtures (Mix2, Mix3). The chiral nematic N* phase did not appear in Mix1, but remained monotropic for the other two mixtures. Two molecular parameters, the layer spacing and the average intermolecular distance have been calculated from the X-ray results for the homologues and their mixtures. An intercalated tail-to-tail packing of molecules was found both in the single compounds and their mixtures resulting in the layer spacing about half of the molecular length of the single compounds.     

Distribution of integral points on some hyperboloids of one sheet

Results of B. F. Skubenko (Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Mat.,26, 721–752 (1962)) are generalized to indefinite ternary quadratic formsf(x)=f ₀(Cx), which are contained in the simplest formf ₀(x)=x ₁ x ₃–x _r ^e We prove that the integral points on the hyperboloid of one sheetf(x)=m,m<0, are uniformly distributed over area (in the sense of hyperbolic metric) and over residue classes for given modulus.Translated from Zapiski Nauchnykh Seminarov Leningradskogo Otdeleniya Matematicheskogo Instituta im. V. A. Steklova AN SSSR, Vol. 121, pp. 83–93, 1983.     

Analytical Detectors Based on Microplasma Spectrometry

Miniaturizing all dimensions of apparatus, such as electronics and computers, is the current trend followed by scientists in various fields. The idea of Lab-on-a-Chip has significantly expanded and found its broad applications in analytical chemistry. Microplasmas can act as a sample excitation source and are the miniaturized versions of full-sized plasmas. These can be created in various forms, such as direct current, microwave induced, capacitively coupled and inductively coupled plasmas. Scaling down the size would reduce the amount of gases, liquids and consumables required, as well as the sample analysis time, which in turn would decrease the operating costs. Therefore, several research groups are involved in the development of microplasmas for utilisation in analytical instruments.     

Note sur le mécanisme réactionnel de la transposition de Dimroth. Une étude ab initio

An ab initio study of the Dimorth rerarrangement of the -amino-1,2,3,4-tetrazole leads to the conclusion teht in vapour phase the rate determining step is not the ring-chain isomerism, but is either the Z-E iomerism around the C?N double bond or the 1,3-sigmatropic shift of the proton.