Determination of diastereomerization barrier of some flavanones by high-performance liquid chromatography methods

The rate constants and activation energy barriers DeltaG# of diastereomerization reaction of flavanones: naringin, narirutin, hesperidin and neohesperidin were determined. The stopped-flow HPLC (SFM-HPLC), dynamic HPLC (D-HPLC) and enantioselective HPLC combined with the classical kinetic method were applied for determination of these parameters. It was found that the rate constants of diastereomerization were about eight times higher for naringin and narirutin (1.9 x 10(-5) s(-1)) than for hesperidin and neohesperidin (2.4 x 10(-6) s(-1)). No significant differences in the rate of diastereomerization were found between neohesperidosides and corresponding rutinosides.     

Application of the chromatographic retention index system for the estimation of the calibration constants of permeation passive samplers with polydimethylsiloxane membranes

The paper presents the results of research on the calibration of permeation passive samplers equipped with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes using the physico-chemical properties of the analytes. Strong correlations were found between the calibration constants of the samplers and the linear temperature-programmed retention indices of the analytes determined on columns coated with pure PDMS (r2 = 0.914). These correlations make it possible to estimate the calibration constants for unidentified analytes, which is impossible when using conventional procedures. This, in turn, enables the deployment of permeation passive samplers in the same way in which active samplers are deployed. The reproducibility of the calibration constants determined in different laboratories and retention indices determined using different chromatographic systems was very good, indicating that the calibration constants estimated using this approach should be reproducible as well. The approach proposed should lead to more widespread use of permeation passive samplers.     

Surface speciation of As(III) and As(V) in relation to charge distribution

The adsorption of As(III) and As(V) on goethite has been studied as a function of pH and loading. The data can be successfully described with the charge distribution (CD) model (extended Stern layer option) using realistic species observed by EXAFS. The CD values have been derived theoretically. Therefore, the Brown bond valence approach has been applied to MO/DFT optimized geometries of a series of hydrated complexes of As(III) and As(V) with Fe(III) (hydr)oxide. The calculated ionic CD values have been corrected for the effect of dipole orientation of interfacial water, resulting in overall interfacial CD coefficients that can be used to describe the surface speciation as a function of pH and loading. For As(III), the main surface species is a bidentate complex and a minor contribution of a monodentate species is found, which is in agreement with EXAFS. The CD values have also been fitted. Such an analysis of the adsorption data resulted in the same surface species. The fitted CD values for the bidentate complex points to the presence of strong AsO bonds with the surface and a weaker AsOH bond with the free OH ligand. This agrees quantitatively with the MO/DFT optimized geometry. Interpretation of free fitted CD values for As(V) binding suggests that the main surface species is a non-protonated bidentate complex (B) with a contribution of a singly protonated surface complex (MH) at sub-neutral pH and high loading. In addition, a protonated bidentate surface complex (BH) may be present. The same species are found if the theoretical CD values are used in the data analysis. The pH dependency of surface speciation is strongly influenced by the charge attribution of adsorbed species to the electrostatic surface plane while the effect of loading is primarily controlled by the amount of charge attributed to the 1-plane, illustrating the different action of the CD value. The MO/DFT geometry optimizations furthermore suggest that for As(V) the B, MH and BH surface complexes may have very similar AsFe distances which may complicate the interpretation of EXAFS data.     

Oxidative extraction versus total decomposition of soil in the determination of thallium

An aqua regia extraction and a total decomposition of soil were compared in terms of thallium determination. A sequential extraction of soil, according to the BCR protocol, was also performed for additional information on thallium distribution in soil fractions. Certified reference material—soil GBW 07401 of Chinese origin, containing 1 ± 0.2 ppm of thallium was used in these experiments. Thallium was determined by flow injection-differential pulse-anodic stripping voltammetry (FI-DP-ASV). Only 35% of total thallium was extracted in the aqua regia extraction, while the total decomposition led to satisfactory recovery. The sequential extraction showed that only 5% of thallium in GBW 07401 is dissolvable in the four BCR procedure fractions, and that 95% of the element is entrapped in the residual parent matter. These results show that the aqua regia extraction does not ensure complete thallium extraction from soil. Surprisingly, the total decomposition is significantly less time consuming than the aqua regia extraction.     

RNA-mediated sequestration of the RNA helicase eIF4A by Pateamine A inhibits translation initiation

Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) is a member of the DEAD-box family of putative RNA helicases whose members are involved in many aspects of RNA metabolism. eIF4A is thought to facilitate binding of 43S preinitiation complexes to mRNAs by unwinding secondary structures present in the 5' untranslated region. Pateamine A, a small-molecule inhibitor of translation initiation, acts in an unusual manner by stimulating eIF4A activity. Herein, we report the elucidation of pateamine's mode of action. We demonstrate that Pateamine A is a chemical inducer of dimerization that forces an engagement between eIF4A and RNA and prevents eIF4A from participating in the ribosome-recruitment step of translation initiation.     

Bias field influence on dielectric spectra of B phases of bent-core thioesters

Smectic B₂ phase of bent-core 1,3-phenylene bis{4-[(4-dodecyloxybenzoyl)sulfanyl]benzoate} (12OSOR) and a mixture 12R9AF have been studied using dielectric and electrooptic methods. 12R9AF is a mixture of bent-core 12OSOR and calamitic chiral MHPSBO9 materials. The B₂ phase of 12R9AF mixture is shifted to lower temperatures by about 10 °C in comparison with pure 12OSOR. Spontaneous polarization of the mixture is comparable with spontaneous polarization of pure compound. Dielectric measurements were done using dielectric spectrometer based on Agilent 4294A impedance analyzer. Dielectric spectra measured with bias field for B₂ phase of 12OSOR and 12R9AF show two well separated relaxation processes.     

Synthesis,structure, and antibacterial evaluation of new N‐substituted‐3‐amino‐ 5‐oxo‐4‐phenyl‐2,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazole‐1‐carbothioamides

Novel N‐substituted‐3‐amino‐5‐oxo‐4‐phenyl‐2,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazole‐1‐carbothioamide derivatives were synthesized by means of two methods. First is the cyclization reaction of 1‐(cyanophenyl)acetyl‐4‐substituted thiosemicarbazide, and the second one is reaction of cyanophenyl acetic acid hydrazide with isothiocyanate. Structures of new compounds were confirmed by elemental analysis, ¹H NMR, and X‐ray diffraction analysis. Biological evaluation showed that some of them possess promising antibacterial activities. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 21:215–221, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20598     

A five-parameter Markov model for simulating the paths of sedimenting particles

The random initial positions of particles in any sedimentation experiment and the extreme sensitivity of the creeping-motion equations to even minute variations in these positions imply that the detailed results from one experiment provide no detailed information about another experiment. However, the five statistical parameters obtained by following the three-dimensional trajectories of spheres form the basis of a Markov model that quickly and accurately simulates the typical behaviour of individual spheres. In this model, velocities are continuous, but nowhere differentiable. The joint position-velocity processes (one for each direction) are both Markov and Gaussian. Thus, no integration is required to produce a position-velocity skeleton. When continuity conditions are imposed, this sequence of values provides all the coefficients of a fourth-degree interpolating polynomial that closely imitates the smooth paths of spheres in real suspensions.     

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