Isothermal diffusion studies of water-choline chloride-hydrogen chloride system

Sets of four diffusion coefficients were obtained for the water-choline chloridehydrogen chloride system at 25°C. The cross-term diffusion coefficients were found to be very large, and the electrostatic force is the dominant factor for these cross-term diffusion coefficients.     

Toward an international standard for PCR-based detection of foodborne Escherichia coli O157: validation of the PCR-based method in a multicenter interlaboratory trial

The performance of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for detection of Escherichia coli O157, previously validated on DNA extracted from pure cultures, was evaluated on spiked cattle swabs through an interlaboratory trial, including 12 participating laboratories from 11 European countries. Twelve cattle swab samples, spiked at 4 levels (0, 1-10, 10-100, and 100-1000 colony-forming units, in triplicate) with E. coli O157 were prepared centrally in the originating laboratory; the receiving laboratories performed pre-PCR treatment followed by PCR. The results were reported as positive when the correct amplicons were present after gel electrophoresis. The statistical analysis, performed on 10 sets of reported results, determined the diagnostic sensitivity to be 92.2%. The diagnostic specificity was 100%. The accordance (repeatability) was 90.0%, calculated from all positive inoculation levels. The concordance (reproducibility) was 85.0%, calculated from all positive inoculation levels. The concordance odds ratio (degree of interlaboratory variation calculated from all positive inoculation levels) was 1.58, indicating the robustness of the PCR method. Thus, the interlaboratory variation due to personnel, reagents, minor temperature or pH fluctuations and, not least, thermal cyclers, did not affect the performance of the method, which is currently being considered as part of an intenational PCR standard.     

The quettamines: a new class of isoquinoline alkaloids

Three quettamine type alkaloids, which incorporate either a benzofuran or a dihydrobenzofuran moiety within the molecular framework, have been obtained from $\text{Berberis}$$\text{baluchistanica}$. These are dihydrosecoquettamine ($\text{1}$), secoquettamine ($\text{2}$), and quettamine chloride ($\text{3}$). Alkaloids $\text{1}$ and $\text{3}$ are racemates. Hofmann degradation of quettamine ($\text{3}$) provides secoquettamine ($\text{2}$) and the styrene $\text{4}$ which has a trans relationship between the hydrogens at C-1 and C-α, thus indicating the identical stereochemistry in quettamine. Emde reduction of quettamine leads to dihydrosecoquettamine ($\text{1}$) and the stilbene $\text{5}$. Two other polar alkaloids in the plant are (+)-armepavine methochloride ($\text{6}$) and oblongine chloride ($\text{7}$). An oblongine type alkaloid must be the biogenetic precursor for the quettamines. Arguments are presented favoring direct oxidative coupling in the biogenesis of the cularine alkaloids.     

Synthesis and application of poly(phenylene ethynylene)s for bioconjugation: a conjugated polymer-based fluorogenic probe for proteases

A set of carboxylate-functionalized poly(phenylene ethynylene)s (PPEs) has been synthesized in which the carboxylic acid groups are separated from the polymer backbone by oligo(ethylene glycol) spacer units. These polymers are soluble in water and organic solvents and have photophysical properties that are sensitive to solvent conditions, with high salt content and the absence of surfactant promoting the formation of aggregates of relatively low quantum yield and long fluorescence lifetime. Quenching of these materials by the dinitrophenyl (DNP) chromophore (K(SV) approximately 10(4)) is also highly solvent-dependent. The presence of carboxylate groups far from the polymer backbone appended to each repeating unit allows for the postpolymerization modification of these PPEs with peptides by methods analogous to those described for carboxylate-functionalized small-molecule dyes. Covalent attachment of the fluorescence-quenching 14-mer Lys(DNP)-GPLGMRGLGGGGK to the PPE results in a nonemissive substrate whose fluorescence is restored upon treatment with trypsin. The rate of fluorescence turn-on in this case is increased 3-fold by the presence of surfactant, though the actual rate of peptide hydrolysis remains the same. A small-molecule mimic of the polymer-peptide system shows a smaller fluorescence enhancement upon treatment with trypsin, illustrating the value of polymer-based amplification in this sensory scheme.     

Purification and partial characterization of phospholipase A2 isoforms from human placenta.

Five isoforms of the human placental phospholipase A2 were identified and purified to near homogeneity. The purification of these enzymes involved gel permeation, ion-exchange and affinity chromatography. The apparent relative molecular mass of these proteins is 70,000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These enzymes have pH optima of 7 and 8. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of these enzymes revealed distinct pH optima for each of the isoforms with values ranging from 4.0 to 6.5. Three of the isoforms require calcium for activity whereas the other two forms exhibit 50% of their maximum activity without the presence of calcium.     

Negative ions of ethylene sulfite

The formation of negative ions in molecular beams of ethylene sulfite (ES, alternately called glycol sulfite or ethylene glycol, C(2)H(4)SO(3)) molecules has been studied using both Rydberg electron transfer (RET) and free electron attachment methods. RET experiments with jet-cooled ES show an unexpected broad profile of anion formation as a function of the effective quantum number (n(*)) of the excited rubidium atoms, with peaks at n(max)(*) approximately 13.5 and 16.8. The peak at n(max)(*) approximately 16.8 corresponds to an expected dipole-bound anion with an electron binding energy of 8.5 meV. It is speculated that the peak at n(max)(*) approximately 13.5 derives from the formation of a distorted C(2)H(4)SO(3)(-) ion. We suggest that quasifree electron attachment promotes the breaking of one ring bond giving a long-lived acyclic anion and term this process incomplete dissociative electron attachment. Theoretical calculations of plausible ionic structures are presented and discussed. Electron beam studies of ES reveal the presence of multiple dissociative attachment channels, with the dominant fragment, SO(2)(-), peaking at 1.3 eV and much weaker signals due to SO(3)(-), SO(-), and (ES-H)(-) peaking at 1.5, 1.7, and 0.9 eV, respectively. All of these products appear to originate from a broad temporary negative ion resonance centered at approximately 1.4 eV.     

Les β-cétonitriles groupes protecteurs de la fonction amine. Préparation d'amino-alcools

β-Ketonitrile-Derived Protecting Groups of the Amino Function. Synthesis of Amino Alcohols The amino group of natural L -amino acid esters is protected by condensation with 2-oxocyclopentanenitrile ( 1 ) or 2-formyl-2-phenylacetonitrile ( 10 ). Only the ester group of the formed cyanoenamino esters 2 and 11 reacts with nucleophilic reagents such as organometallics (RMgX, RLi), borohydrides, or metal amides, whereas the cyanoenamino group is unchanged (Schemes 1 and 2). Cyanoenamino alcohols obtained by reduction of cyanoenamino esters 2 are hydrolyzed under acidic conditions to amino alcohols with retention of the configuration of the starting amino acid. This sequence of reactions allows to prepare derivatives of L -tyrosinol from (?)-L -tyrosine (see, e.g., Scheme 4). Cyanoenamino esters 11 are readily methylated at the N-atom to give N-methylated cyanoenamino esters (Scheme 3). This property is exploited on the way of a multistep procedure to obtain N-methylated amino alcohols homologous to natural (?)-(1R,2S)-ephedrine.     

The effects of different copper (and some other) catalysts on the conversion of triphenyl- and tetraphenyl- diazocyclopentadienes and of some phenyliodonium αα′-dicarbonylylides into arsonium and other ylides

Diazo-compounds or iodonium ylides may be converted into arsonium and other ylides when heated in solution with triphenylarsine or other suitable carbene (or carbenoid) acceptor, and with a suitable Cu derivative present. The effects of using different copper complexes and salts are described and discussed. Other metal derivatives were for the most part ineffective as catalysts.     

The isoindolobenzazepine alkaloids

Three Chilean barberries, $\text{Berberis}$$\text{actinacantha}$ Mart. ex Schult., $\text{B}$. $\text{darwinii}$ Hook and [ulbar|B. $\text{valdiviana}$Phil. (Berberidaceae), have yielded several new isoindolobenzazepine and protoberberine alkaloids. Novel isoindolobenzazepines are (±)-13-deoxychilenine ($\text{a}$), pictonamine ($\text{10}$), chileninone ($\text{12}$), (±)-chileniimi ($\text{18}$) and (±)-palmanine ($\text{19}$). Highly oxidized protoberberines of particular interest include (±)-O-methylprechilenine ($\text{6}$) and (±)-prepseudopalmanine ($\text{21}$), together with 13-methoxy-8-oxyberberine ($\text{8}$). Isoindolobenzazepine alkaloids arise biogenetically from the rearrangement of highly oxidized protoberberines.     

Magnetische Eigenschaften der Verbindungen BaMF4 und Pb2 MF6 (M=Mn,Fe, Co,Ni, Cu,Zn)

Zusammenfassung In den beiden untersuchten Doppelfluorid-Serien, BaMF₄ und Pb₂ MF₆ (M=Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn), zeigen die Verbindungen des Cu und des Zn ein anderes Verhalten als die übrigen. Die Zn-Verbindungen sind diamagnetisch, die Cu-Verbindungen paramagnetisch. Pb₂CuF₆ befolgt dasCuriesche Gesetz, während BaCuF₄ eineCurie-Weiss-Abweichung unterhalb 212 K aufweist.Im untersuchten Temperaturbereich zeigt sich für alle anderen Verbindungen, mit Ausnahme von Pb₂FeF₆, Antiferromagnetismus.

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Magnetic properties of the compounds BaMF₄ and Pb₂ MF₆ (M=Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn)

Two series of double fluorides, BaMF₄ and Pb₂ MF₆ (M=Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) have been studied, the compounds of Cu and Zn differing in behaviour from the others. The Zn componds are diamagnetic, the Cu compounds paramagnetic. Pb₂CuF₆ conforms toCurie's law while BaCuF₄ exhibits aCurie-Weiss deviation below 212° K.With the exception of Pb₂FeF₆, all the other compounds show antiferromagnetism in the studied temperature range.

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Mit 5 Abbildungen

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Herrn Prof. Dr.Hans Nowotny ergebenst gewidmet.