Analysis of erythromycin and tylosin in bovine muscle using disposable screen printed electrodes

A disposable electrochemical enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of two macrolides (erythromycin and tylosin) in bovine muscle was developed using a screen printed electrode (SPE) system as a differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) transducer with mouse anti-erythromycin (and anti-tylosin) monoclonal antibodies (MAb) serving as molecular recognition elements. The immunochemical system makes use of the competition assay principle, and employs an erythromycin (or tylosin)-BSA conjugate as coating molecule. After competition between free and coated analyte for the antibodies, the activity of the alkaline phosphatase labelled antiglobulins was measured electrochemically using 1-naphthylphosphate as substrate. Using standard solutions of erythromycin and tylosin, the detection limit of the assay was 0.2 ng mL(-1) determined to be for erythromycin and 2.0 ng mL(-1) for tylosin, while the sensitivity (25% inhibition concentration) was 1.0 ng mL(-1) for erythromycin and 3.0 ng mL(-1) for tylosin. The suitability of the assay for quantification of erythromycin and tylosin in bovine muscle was also studied. Spiked and real samples were analysed using the immunosensor system developed here. The ELISA showed precision values (relative standard deviation, RSD%) ranging from 4 to 9% for erythromycin and from 8 to 15% for tylosin; the accuracy (relative error, RE%) ranged from -11 to 6% and from -4 to 12% for erythromycin and tylosin, respectively. Results obtained on real samples were confirmed by micro-liquid chromatography coupled on line with tandem mass spectrometry (micro-LC-MS-MS), using an atmospheric pressure ionisation (API) source and an ionspray (IS) interface. The latter provides unequivocal identification and quantification of the analytes at the level of interest.     

Lie-group method of solution for steady two-dimensional boundary-layer stagnation-point flow towards a heated stretching sheet placed in a porous medium

The boundary-layer equations for two-dimensional steady flow of an incompressible, viscous fluid near a stagnation point at a heated stretching sheet placed in a porous medium are considered. We apply Lie-group method for determining symmetry reductions of partial differential equations. Lie-group method starts out with a general infinitesimal group of transformations under which the given partial differential equations are invariant. The determining equations are a set of linear differential equations, the solution of which gives the transformation function or the infinitesimals of the dependent and independent variables. After the group has been determined, a solution to the given partial differential equations may be found from the invariant surface condition such that its solution leads to similarity variables that reduce the number of independent variables of the system. The effect of the velocity parameter λ, which is the ratio of the external free stream velocity to the stretching surface velocity, permeability parameter of the porous medium k ₁, and Prandtl number Pr on the horizontal and transverse velocities, temperature profiles, surface heat flux and the wall shear stress, has been studied.     

The effect of inversion of the ester group on the mesophase behaviour of some azo/ester compounds

Five homologous series of 4-substituted phenyl 4′-(4″-alkoxy phenylazo) benzoates (In_a–?e) were prepared in which, within each homologous series, the length of the terminal alkoxy group varies between 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 carbons, while the other terminal substituent, X, is a polar group that alternatively changed from CH₃O, CH₃, H, Br, and CN groups. Compounds prepared were characterised by infrared, mass, and H¹-NMR spectroscopy and their mesophase behaviour investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarised light microscopy (PLM). The results were discussed in terms of mesomeric and polarisability effects. Only for the lower group of compounds, I8_a-e, that showed a nematic phase, the nematic-to-isotropic transition temperatures (T_N–I) were successfully correlated to the polarisability anisotropy of bonds to the substituent X. A comparative study was made between the investigated compounds and two previously prepared isomeric groups. In the first group of isomers, 4-(4′alkoxy phenylazo) phenyl 4″-substituted benzoates (IIn_a–e), the ester groups are inverted. While in the second, 4-(4′-substituted phenylazo) phenyl 4″-alkoxy benzoates (IIIn_a–e), two modifications were made, inversion of the COO group, and exchange of the two wing substituents     

Determination of lead and cadmium in tap water and apple leaves after preconcentration on a new acetylacetone bonded polyurethane foam sorbent

The present work describes a rapid, cost-effective analytical procedure for the determination of lead and cadmium in environmental samples by off-line preconcentration with polyurethane foam (PUF) functionalised with acetylacetone by covalent coupling through the–N=N–group. The optimum pH ranges for quantitative uptake were 5–7, 6–7 for lead and cadmium, respectively. The kinetics of metal uptake by the new foam was found to be fast, reaching equilibrium in a few minutes. Metal ions were sorbed in the minicolumn, eluted with acid solutions and determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometer (FAAS). Under the optimum conditions, the preconcentration factors obtained were 288 for Cd and 224 for Pb. The limits of detection of the proposed procedure were 0.09 and 0.07 µg L^?1 for Pb and Cd, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was less than 10%. The accuracy of the method was estimated by using environmental samples that were spiked with Cd and Pb ions. The capacity of the acetylacetone bonded PUF (AA-BPUF) sorbent at optimum conditions has been found to be 4.5, 6.9 µmol g^?1 of sorbent for Pb and Cd, respectively.     

Formation of doubly charged ions in field ionization mass spectra of para substituted acetophenones

The doubly charged [M]²⁺, [M+1]²⁺ and [M-O]²⁺ ions are observed in the field ionization mass spectra of para substituted acetophenones. The effect of the type of the substituent on the formation of the doubly charged ions is described.     

Determination of lawsone in henna powders by high performance thin layer chromatography

The lawsone content has been evaluated quantitatively in eight commercial henna powders and two collected henna leaves. The phenolic, chloroform-soluble fraction of the majority of the examined samples showed the presence of lawsone and two other pigments. Here we aimed to optimize high performance thin layer chromatography for the determination of lawsone. Upon using the optimized method the examined samples showed considerable variation in lawsone concentration ranging from 0.004 up to 0.608 wt%, indicating that some samples were almost devoid of lawsone. Some of these products were subjected to preliminary in vivo toxicity studies.     

Stability of neutral and negative donor impurity in a semiconductor cylindrical quantum dot

The stability of neutral (D⁰) and negative charged donor (D⁻) on- and off-center in anisotropic cylindrical quantum dot (CQD) is studied by use of a variational approach. Two-parameter anisotropic trial wave function which includes electron-correlation effects is utilized, to explore strong and weak confinement regions. A comparison between one and two-parameter trial wave functions results is introduced. The finite barrier height and the CQD dimensions, dependence of the “stability and the binding energy” of the D⁰ and the D⁻ is obtained. It has been shown that the donor's stability dependent on CQD dimensions and the confinement potential in strong confinement region but in weak confinement region, the stability of D⁰ and D⁻ is dependent strongly on the quantum dot (QD) radius R. It has been found that the donors D⁰ and D⁻ off-center are less stable than the on-center impurities, and also the off-center donors more stable in small CQDs. It has shown that the stability of D⁻ depends on the energy of the excess electron.     

Characterization of similarities between two n-frames of projectors

An n-frame on a Banach space $\text{X}$ is E=(E₁,?, E_n) where the E_j's are bounded linear operators on $\text{X}$ such that E_j≠0,

$\text{∑}\text{j=1}\text{n}\text{E}{}_{\mathrm{j}}$

, and E_jE_k=δ_jkE_k (j, k=1,?, n). It is known that if two n-frames E and F are sufficiently close to each other, then they are similar, that is, F_j=TE_jT^-1 with T a bounded linear operator. Among the operators which realize the similarity of the two frames, there is the balanced transformation U(F, E)=(Σⁿ_j=1F_jE_j)(Σⁿ_j=1E_jF_jE_j)^{$\text{-1}\text{2}$}. One of our main results is a local characterization of the balanced transformation. Another operator which implements the similarity between E and F is the direct rotation R(F, E). It comes up in connection with the study of the set of all n-frames as a Banach manifold with an affine connection. Finally, it is shown that for quite a large set of pairs of 2-frames, the direct rotation has a global characterization.     

Coordination compounds of hydrazine derivatives with transition metals. Part 27. Coordination chemistry of 4-amino-3-alkyl-5-thio-1,2,4-triazolines and 4-amino-5-oxo-3-thioxo-6-alkyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1,2,4-triazines

Summary Mono-, bis- and tris-ligand nickel(II) and cobalt(II) complexes with 4 amino-3-alkyl-5-thio-1,2,4-triazolines (HRL) (R=H, Me, or Et) and 4-amino-5-oxo-3-thioxo-6-methyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1,2,4-triazine (HL') have been prepared and characterized. In these complexes both HRL and HL' are in the neutral thione form. Nickel(II) and cobalt(II) complexes with mononegative thiolate ligands have been also isolated.The reaction of HL' with copper(II) salts in a molar ration of 11 results in the formation of [Cu(HL')X] (X=Cl or Br) and Cu(L')X (X=NO₃ or CH₃COO). However, in the presence of a large excess of HL' the reaction proceeds with partial reduction of Cu^II and both [Cu(HL')X₂] and [Cu(HL')₂]X have been isolated and characterized. The mechanism of copper(II) reduction by HL' is discussed.     

Determination of the chiral and achiral related substances of methotrexate by cyclodextrin-modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography

A cyclodextrin-modified micellar electrokinetic chromatographic (CD-MEKC) method for the determination of the most important potential impurities of methotrexate (MTX): 2,4-diamino-6-(hydroxymethyl)pteridine, aminopterine hydrate, 4-[N-(2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-pteridinylmethyl)-N-methylamino] benzoic acid, 4-[N-(2,4-diamino-6-pteridinylmethyl)-N-methylamino] benzoic acid, and the distomer D-MTX is presented. The MEKC separation of these compounds was optimized by applying a step-by-step approach. The addition of beta-CD to a conventional MEKC system, based on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as surfactant, showed to be essential for the enantioresolution of racemic MTX as well as for the separation of the achiral impurities. To achieve high-resolution factor between the peaks adjacent to the main component (L-MTX), as required in the analysis of related impurities, the separation conditions were stressed; in particular, the addition of methanol to the CD-MEKC system resulted in a very effective choice. Under the optimized final conditions (100 mM SDS and 45 mM beta-CD in a mixture of 50 mM borate buffer, pH 9.30-methanol (75:25 v/v)), the method was validated showing a general adequate accuracy (93-106% recovery) in the determination of L-MTX related substances at the impurity level of 0.12% w/w with a relative standard deviation (RSD)% lower than 8% (n = 4). The method was successfully applied to the analysis of pharmaceuticals (tablets and injections) which showed to contain the distomer D-MTX as major impurity and aminopterine hydrate as a further related substance in the commercial tablets.