Quark confinement and the short-range component of general affine gauge gravity

Within the framework of a gauge field theory based on the general affine space-time symmetry, we propose a certain purely quadratic gauge field lagrangian. In the large-scale region it yields an Einstein-Cartan-like gravity with Newton's constant generated spontaneously, while in the particle domain it yields a renormalizable theory with a confining potential applying to quarks and not to leptons.     

Vector states in e+e− annihilation at 3.9–4.5 GeV

The structure observed at SPEAR in e⁺e^? annihilation in the energy range 3.9–4.5 GeV is explained in an SU(8) × SL(3, R) color quark model. The model can account for the mass differences, total hadronic and leptonic widths, as well as for the rise in, and the magnitude of, R. Main predictions are the SU(3) properties of these states, strong suppression of their decays into the ψ(3.1) and the existence of another vector meson around 6 GeV.     

Identification of members of the annexin family in the detergent-insoluble fraction of rat Morris hepatoma plasma membranes

For proteomic analysis, plasma membranes of rat hepatocellular carcinoma Morris hepatoma 7777 were selectively solubilized according to the previously developed method [D. Josic, K. Zeilinger, Methods Enzymol. 271 (1996) 113-134]. If the Triton X100 insoluble pellet is subsequently extracted, several proteins can be solubilized. These proteins can be classified in two groups according to their molecular size. The proteins with apparent molecular weights in SDS-PAGE between 70 and 75 kDa belong to the first group. Smaller proteins, with apparent molecular weights between 30 and 45 kDa, are members of the second group. The main protein of higher molecular weight was also found in the Triton X100 insoluble extract from normal rat liver plasma membranes. This protein was identified as Annexin A6. The proteins from the second group are practically absent in the Triton X100 insoluble extract from rat liver. These proteins are present in relatively high concentrations in plasma membranes of Morris hepatoma 7777. Both groups of detergent-insoluble proteins from Morris hepatoma 7777 were further analyzed with SELDI-TOF and LC electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. From the first group, Annexin A6, together with two other integral plasma membrane proteins, was identified. In the second group of proteins with apparent molecular weights between 30 and 45kDa, further members of the annexin family, Annexins A1, A2, A4, A5 and A7 were identified. The possible role of these low molecular size annexins as potential cancer biomarkers is discussed.     

Glycosylation and metastases

The change of cellular glycosylation is one of the key events in malignant transformation and neoplastic progression, and tumor‐related glycosylation alterations are promising targets in both tumor diagnosis and therapy. Both malignant transformation and neoplastic progression are the consequence of gene expression alterations and alterations in protein expression. Micro environmental factors such as extracellular matrix (ECM) also play an important role in their growth and metastasis. Tumor‐associated glycans are important biomarker candidates for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, and analytical methods for their detection were developed recently. Glycoproteomics that use mass spectrometry for identification of cancer antigens and structural analysis of glycans play a key role in the investigation of changes of glycosylation during malignant transformation and tumor development and metastasis. Deep understanding of glycan remodeling in cancer and the role of glycosyltransferases that are involved in this process will require a detailed profiling of glycosylation patterns of tumor cells, and corresponding analytical methods for their detection were developed.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of aniline and derivatives in environmental waters at nanogram per litre levels using fluorescamine pre-column derivatization

Summary Fluorescamine (fluram) has been used as a fluorogenic compound for pre-column derivatization of aniline and some derivatives. Anilines were derivatized with fluram in citrate buffer media (pH 5.5) to form pyrrolinones. The highly fluorescence pyrrolinones were isolated and pre-concentrated by solid phase extraction. A reversed phase, Spherisorb RP-8 column and tetrahydrofuran: water:formic acid (42:56:2) mobile phase was used for separation. Detection method was by a sensitive fluorimetric method and quantitation was at 395 and 495 nm. The various parameters such as reaction conditions between anilines and fluram, solid phase extraction and chromatographic separation were optimized. Calibrations were linear over the range considered with excellent correlation coefficients (r>0.999). Relative standard deviations are less than 2.5 % and detection limits for aniline,p-toluidine, 4-chloroaniline and 4-bromoaniline were 6, 30, 6 and 8 ng L⁻¹, respectively. This method has been used successfully for the determination of anilines in environmental waters.     

Molecular mass determination of plasma-derived glycoproteins by ultraviolet matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry with internal calibration

Human plasma-derived antithrombin III (AT-III), factor IX (FIX) and vitronectin (VN) were characterized as native glycoproteins and in their de-N-glycosylated form by means of MALDI mass spectrometry. The average molecular masses of the three complex glycoproteins were determined applying internal calibration with high-mass, well-defined protein calibrants. Internal calibration generated for the 47 kDa yeast protein enolase a mass precision in the continuous and delayed extraction mode of +/-0.12 and +/-0.022%, respectively. The achievable mass accuracy for such a high-mass, unmodified protein was in the range of 0.02% in the continuous mode, which turned out to be better than in the delayed extraction mode. Purification of all (glyco) proteins (even the calibration proteins) by means of ZipTip technology and direct elution with a solvent system containing the appropriate MALDI matrix turned out to be a prerequisite to measure the exact molecular masses with an internal calibration. The average molecular masses of the two different forms of AT-III, namely AT-III(alpha) and AT-III(beta), were shown to be 57.26 and 55.04 kDa, respectively. The 2.22 kDa mass difference is attributed to the known difference in carbohydrate content at one specific site (Asn-135). After exhaustive de-N-glycosylation (by means of PNGase F) of the alpha- and beta-form and subsequent MALDI-MS analysis, average molecular masses of 48.96 and 48.97 kDa, respectively, were obtained. These values are in good agreement (-0.15%) with the calculated molecular mass (49.039 kDa) of the protein part based on SwissProt data. The molecular mass of the heavily post-translational modified glycoprotein FIX was found to be 53.75 kDa with a peak width at 10% peak height of 4.5 kDa, because of the presence of many different posttranslational modifications (N- and O-glycosylation at multiple sites, sulfation, phosphorylation, hydroxylation and numerous gamma-carboxyglutamic acids). MALDI-MS molecular mass determination of the native, size-exclusion chromatography-purified, VN sample revealed that the glycoprotein was present as dimer with molecular mass of 117.74 kDa, which could be corroborated by non-reducing SDS-PAGE. After sample treatment with guanidine hydrochloride and mass spectrometric analysis, a single, new main component was detected. The molecular mass turned out to be 59.45 kDa, representing the monomeric form of VN, known as V75. The determined molecular mass value was shown to be on one hand lower than from SDS-PAGE and on the other higher than the calculated amino acid sequence molecular mass (52 277 Da), pointing to the well-known SDS-PAGE bias and to considerable post-translational modifications. Further treatment of the sample with a reducing agent and subsequent MALDI-MS revealed two new components with molecular masses of 49.85 and 9.41 kDa, corresponding to V65 and V10 subunits of VN. PNGase F digest of the V75 and V65 units and MS analysis, exhibiting a molecular mass reduction of 6.37 kDa in both cases, verified the presence of a considerable amount of N-glycans.     

Characteristics of environmental tritium distribution in the Belgrade region

This work presents the continuation of our measurements reported earlier. The³H concentration in samples of precipitations, river waters and underground waters in the Belgrade region were continuously measured. We now present the results of these measurements for the period 1979–1984. Beside establishing the characteristics of the environmental tritium distribution, some hydrological peculiarities in the Belgrade water supply region have been analyzed.