Determination of 3-methyl-2,4-nonanedione in red wines using methanol chemical ionization ion trap mass spectrometry

A compound associated with oxidized flavor in red wines was recently-identified as 3-methyl-2,4-nonanedione (MND). In order to quantify it, positive chemical ionization (PCI) in an ion trap was studied using conventional liquid reagents such as methanol, acetonitrile, and acetone, as well as non-conventional liquid reagents such as ethyl acetate, diethyl ether, pentane, isohexane, and heptane. Under laboratory conditions, very different response factors were obtained with MND depending on the gas. We also compared the detection limit of conventional CI with hybrid chemical ionization (HCI). Finally, this compound was quantified in red wines by liquid/liquid extraction without any derivatization steps, followed by GC/MS-CI analysis, using methanol as the reagent gas. Coelutions of compounds with the same m/z were checked using methanol-d(4). The method we developed was linear in the 10-300 ng/L range of MND concentrations, with satisfactory repeatability. The detection limit was 4.3 ng/L, over 3 times lower than the olfactory perception threshold of this compound (16 ng/L). The suitability of this method for assaying this diketone in red wine was demonstrated by the analyzing many wines from different vintages.     

Propagation of super-Gaussian field distributions

The near- and far-field propagation of initially super-Gaussian field distributions is discussed. upon propagation, the beam profile is shown to undergo distortions of a magnitude which increases with the super-Gaussian order. These distortions can lead to a significant increase of the on-axis intensity in the near-field. The beam quality, evaluated both in terms of the beam parameter product and theM ² factor, is shown to decrease as the super-Gaussian order gets larger. These calculations also illustrate the difficulties associated with theM ² factor when characterizing the propagation of a beam with increasingly sharp edges. The effect of the transmission of the super-Gaussian field through a super-Gaussian graded-reflectivity mirror (GRM) is also discussed. The results of this study have direct implication in the domain of GRM resonator design.     

Intermediate coupling model description of55Fe and57Fe

The properties of the negative parity states of⁵⁵Fe and⁵⁷Fe are investigated in the framework of the intermediate coupling model. In the model, a neutron or a quasineutron is coupled to anharmonic vibrations of the core. Anharmonicities of the vibrations are estimated through the observed properties of the core. Energy levels, spectroscopic factors and electromagnetic properties have been calculated. The results of the present calculations are also compared with available experimental results and other theoretical results. The model reasonably accounts for many of the properties of the low-lying states.     

Structural study of hexacarbonyldi-μ-mercaptobenzothiazolato(μS,N) dimanganese

The structure of hexacarbonyldi--mercaptobenzothiazolato(S,N)dimanganese, [Mn(CO)₃mbt]₂, has been solved using three-dimensional X-ray data. The compound crystallizes in the space groupC2/c, with unit-cell constantsa = 14.38(2),b = 11.84(2),c = 13.90(2) Å, and = 94.70(8) °. Least-squares refinement of the positional and anisotropic thermal parameters gives a finalR value of 0.048 for 2090 independent reflections. The results are compared with those obtained with the previously reported isomorphous complex of rhenium, and the structural arrangement is discussed in terms of metalic corrosion inhibition.Equipe de Recherche Associée au C.N.R.S. No 608     

A food freshness sensor using the multistate response from analyte-induced aggregation of a cross-reactive poly(thiophene)

A single cross-reactive conjugated polymer generates a multidimensional response capable of identifying and differentiating between 22 structurally similar and biologically relevant amines with 97% accuracy in a highly competitive aqueous environment. Statistical analysis on an array of wavelengths was used to assess the viability of this approach. In a separate investigation, the multidimensional response from a single cross-responsive poly(thiophene) has been analyzed using a different ratiometric method to quantify the amount of biogenic amine present in a fish matrix, thereby evaluating the quality of the food.     

Assay of glutathione in must and wines using capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence detection. Changes in concentration in dry white wines during alcoholic fermentation and aging

Glutathione (GSH) was assayed in must and wine using capillary electrophoresis coupled with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection. Sample preparation involved conjugating thiols with monobromobimane (MBB) in a 2-(N-cyclohexylamino)ethanesulfonic acid [CHES] buffer (179mM). The electrophoretic conditions were 30kV with a capillary length of 105cm from the inlet to the detector (120cm total length) and a 50microm inner diameter. Under these conditions, the complete separation from the other main non-volatile thiols took less than 20min. We also described the optimum conditions for derivatizing wine samples with MBB to increase eletrophoretic sensitivity. The detection limit for glutathione assay is 65nmol/L. This simple, sensitive method provides a specific assay of glutathione in reduced form, as the sample preparation technique does not modify the balance of oxidized and reduced forms. We used this method to monitor changes in the reduced glutathione content of a white wine during alcoholic fermentation and barrel aging.     

Synthesis and characterization of variable-architecture thermosensitive polymers for complexation with DNA

Copolymers of N-isopropylacrylamide with a fluorescent probe monomer were grafted to branched poly(ethyleneimine) to generate polycations that exhibited lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior. The structures of these polymers were confirmed by spectroscopy, and their phase transitions before and after complexation with DNA were followed using ultraviolet and fluorescence spectroscopy and light scattering. Interactions with DNA were investigated by ethidium bromide displacement assays, while temperature-induced changes in structure of both polymers and polymer-DNA complexes were evaluated by fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, laser Doppler anemometry, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) in water and buffer solutions. The results showed that changes in polymer architecture were mirrored by variations in the architectures of the complexes and that the overall effect of the temperature-mediated changes was dependent on the graft polymer architecture and content, as well as the solvent medium, concentrations, and stoichiometries of the complexes. Furthermore, AFM indicated subtle changes in polymer-DNA complexes at the microstructural level that could not be detected by light scattering techniques. Uniquely, variable-temperature aqueous-phase AFM was able to show that changes in the structures of these complexes were not uniform across a population of polymer-DNA condensates, with isolated complexes compacting above LCST even though the sample as a whole showed a tendency for aggregation of complexes above LCST over time. These results indicate that sample heterogeneities can be accentuated in responsive polymer--DNA complexes through LCST-mediated changes--a factor that is likely to be important in cellular uptake and nucleic acid transport.     

Multiple ionization of argon in coincidence with projectile ions in 60–120 MeV Si q+-Ar collisions

A projectile ion-recoil ion coincidence technique has been employed to study the multiple ionization and the charge transfer processes in collisions of 60–120 MeV Si ^q+ (q = 4−14) ions with neutral argon atoms. The relative contribution of different ionization channels, namely; direct ionization, electron capture and electron loss leading to the production of slow moving multiply charged argon recoil ions have been investigated. The data reported on the present collision system result from a direct measurement in the considered impact energy for the first time. The total ionization cross-sections for the recoil ions are shown to scale as q ^1.7/E _p ^0.5 , where E _p is the energy in MeV of the projectile and q its charge state. The recoil fractions for the cases of total- and direct ionizations are found to decrease with increasing recoil charge state j. The total ionization fractions of the recoils are seen to depend on q and to show the presence of a ‘shell-effect’ of the target. Further, the fractions are found to vary as 1/j ² upto j = 8+. The average recoil charge state 〈j〉 increases slowly with q and with the number of lost or captured electrons from or into the projectile respectively. The projectile charge changing cross-sections σ _qq′ are found to decrease with increasing q for loss ionization and to increase with q for direct-and capture ionization processes respectively. The physics behind various scaling rules that are found to follow our data for different ionization processes is reviewed and discussed.     

Transfer measurements for the Ti+Ni systems at near barrier energies

Large enhancements have been observed in the sub-barrier fusion cross sections for Ti+Ni systems in our previous studies. Coupled channel calculations incorporating couplings to 2⁺ and 3⁻ states failed to explain these enhancements completely. A possibilty of transfer channels contributing to the residual enhancements had been suggested. In order to investigate the role of relevant transfer channels, measurements of one- and two-nucleon transfer were carried out for ^46,48Ti+⁶¹Ni systems. The present paper gives the results of these studies.