Use of biosensors for rapid drug residue analysis without sample deconjugation or clean-up: a possible way forward.

The drug salbutamol (SBL) is a beta-agonist that may be used illegally as an animal growth promoter. SBL is also a good example of a drug which is excreted in the form of glucuronides and sulfates. Such metabolites cause complexities in analysing for the presence of drug residues. In the majority of cases a process of deconjugation and sample clean-up is required prior to analysis. This is both time consuming and causes some loss of accuracy. In this study, the urine of calves treated with SBL orally for 3 d was collected during and after medication. Samples were assayed before and after hydrolysis by two different methods, radioimmunoassay (RIA) and a newly developed biosensor immunoassay (BIA). Some samples were also analysed by GC-MS. The results clearly showed that both screening assays (RIA and BIA) found high concentrations of SBL residues throughout the study. This was especially true in the BIA method. It was also demonstrated that urine sample analysis without the need for deconjugation or clean-up could be achieved. Results obtained by GC-MS tended to be an order of magnitude lower than the corresponding screening test results. This work showed that biosensor based veterinary drug residue testing procedures can be developed which can generate results in real time without the need for time consuming sample preparation.     

Phenyl- and cyclopentylimino derivatization for double bond location in unsaturated C<Subscript>37</Subscript>-C<Subscript>40</Subscript> alkenones by GC-MS

A method for the identification of double bond locations in polyunsaturated long chain alkenones adapted to nanogram amounts as currently analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been developed. The method is based on interpretation of the electron impact mass spectra of the imino derivatives of the carbonyl groups using either cyclopentyl or phenyl substitutents. Other complementary derivatization methods such as elaidization and hydrogenation have also been used for structural characterization of these compounds. This application has led to the identification of a novel homologous series of di-, tri-, and tetraunsaturated ketones with carbon number chain lengths between 37 and 40 in coastal hypersaline sediments. The novel series identified shows a distribution in which the double bond position between different homologs is established by reference to the distance from the carbonyl group whereas the previously known alkenones were constituted by unsaturated homologs with double bonds located at defined distances of the terminal methyl. This difference points out to a dissimilar, but still unknown, biogenic precursor of these novel alkenones.     

CuO/γ-Al2O3单分散催化剂的XAFS研究

采用XAFS方法研究浸渍法制备并于低温焙烧的CuO/γ-Al2O3催化剂的局域结构.对于CuO负载量小于单层分散阈值的CuO/γ-Al2O3(0.4 mmol/100 m2),结果表明,CuO物种是以层状分散的孤立原子簇存在于γ-Al2O3载体表面,其第一近邻Cu－O配位环境的结构与晶态CuO的相似,键长和配位数分别为0.195 nm和4.对于CuO负载量等于单层分散阈值的CuO/γ-Al2O3(0.8 mmol/100 m2),已有少量的CuO纳米颗粒生成.对于CuO负载量大于单层分散阈值的CuO/γ-Al2O3(1.2 mmol/100 m2),其结构与多晶CuO的相近.基于CuO在γ-Al2O3载体上的三种不同分散状态的结构特点,我们提出了CuO/γ-Al2O3催化剂的结构模型.     

Separation of positional isomers by the use of coupled shape-selective stationary phase columns

The successful separation of 2- and 3-methyl-substituted positional isomers of butanol, butyl acetate, and butanoic acid and its ethyl ester, is reported. These compounds are of interest in the study of wine flavour, however the separation of the 2- and 3-methyl isomers may present problems, and more so in the presence of the wine matrix components, when single capillary column gas chromatography (GC) is used. The strategy to achieve separation was based on the use of shape-selective cyclodextrin derivative (CDD) capillary columns (commonly referred to as chiral columns). These columns provide simultaneous resolution of the enantiomeric pairs of the 2-methyl isomers, and at the same time the ability to separate the 3-methyl isomer from the 2-methyl is achieved in all but the case of the ( S)-2- and 3-methylbutanol. The advantages of using shape-selective columns to perform this study is demonstrated, with coupling of two CDD columns giving improved separations of these compounds. Although these compounds are relatively volatile, cryogenic modulated comprehensive two-dimensional GC was shown to provide good pulsed peak profiles with chiral separation in the first dimension when a thicker film trapping column segment was employed. The components of interest were well separated from other wine matrix components.     

Über das Verhalten der Opiansäure und ihrer Ester gegen einige Aldehydreactionen

Zusammenfassung Zu den früher von mir angeführten Gründen, welche für die aufgestellten Formeln der isomeren Opiansäureester sprechen, sind noch in erster Linie das Verhalten gegen Phenylhydrazin, sowie nach Versuchen Liebermann's das Verhalten gegen -Naphtylamin und Semicarbazid, in zweiter Linie das Verhalten gegen fuchsinschwefelige Säure, Diazobenzol-p-Sulfosäure und vielleicht auch das Verhalten gegen Essigsäureanhydrid und Natriumacetat hinzuzufügen. Da somit die Constitution der Opiansäureester genügend feststeht, ist eine Überprüfung der Beobachtungen Stabil's über die Ester der Phtalaldehydsäure wünschenswerth.Die Aldehydreactionen mit Resorcin und mit Nitroprussidnatrium versagen bei der Opiansäure und ihren Estern; auch die anderen oben erwähnten Farbenreactionen sind hier von geringem Werth.     

Radionuclides in a sediment trap and bottom sediment samples from the eastern Turkish coast of the Black Sea

Summary Radionuclide (¹³⁷Cs, ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) concentrations were determined in a sediment trap and bottom sediment samples collected from a station at the eastern Turkish coast of the Black Sea. The specific activity of the ¹³⁷Cs radionuclide in the settling particles ranged from 0.04±0.01 to 0.10±0.02 Bq^. g^-1dry weight. The calculated flux rate of the ¹³⁷Cs was between 0.37 and 2.59 Bq^. m^-2. d^-1in the sampling periods of 2002 and 2003. The ¹³⁷Cs concentration in the bottom sediment profile were between 0.039±0.013-9.083±0.017 Bq^. g^-1dry weight in the same station. The vertical profile of the radionuclides suggests that they have little mobility during the 17 years after the Chernobyl accident.     

Bienzymatic analytical microreactors for glucose, lactate, ethanol, galactose and l-amino acid monitoring in cell culture media

A new alternative method for bioprocess monitoring based on bienzymatic analytical microreactors integrated in a flow injection analysis (FIA) system is described. Glucose-, alcohol-, lactate-, galactose- and l-amino acid oxidases (GO, AO, LacO, GalO and LAAO) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) are immobilized on controlled pore glass (CPG) and used for the development of glucose, ethanol, lactate, galactose and amino acid sensors. The analytical methodology is based on HRP catalysed reaction of hydrogen peroxide produced by oxidases with phenol-4-sulfonic acid and 4-aminoantipyrine. The immobilized enzymes are characterized and used for preparation of the packed bed analytical microreactors. Shelf life and operational stability of the microeactors are determined. GO/HRP, AO/HRP and LAAO/HRP microreactors showed excellent shelf life, they could be stored and reused for more than 6 months with no or very little activity loss, while GalO/HRP and LacO/HRP could be stored for shorter periods of time (10-20 days). Operational stability of GO and LacO microreactors was very good: an equivalent to 16,900 FIA injections of 25 μl to a LacO microreactor resulted in loss of half of its activity, immobilized GO was so stable that it was impossible to evaluate enzyme halflife. Immobilized GalO and LAAO lose their operational activity much faster: approximately 1400 and 8000 FIA injections of the respective substrate solution in a FIA set-up resulted in 50% activity loss. The methods with all the described microreactors were successfully validated using off-line samples from S. cerevisiae, E. coli and mesenchymal stem cell cultures with HPLC as the reference method.     

1,1-二氟乙烷和1,2-二氟乙烷分子内原子间非键相互作用

用从头算势诱导极小二乘拟合(PD/LSF)和(exp-6-1)函数研究了1,1-二氟乙烷和1,2-二氟乙烷分子内非键原子间的相互作用。计算结果表明, 同分异构体的能量稳定性差, 在于分子内非键原子间的相互作用。该模式提供了一种简单、实用的研究分子内非键相互作用的方法。     

镧系元素杂多钼磷酸钾的合成与性质研究

本文首次报道了K_(17)[Ln(P_2Mo_(17)O_(61))_2]·xH_2O(Ln=La~(3+),Ce~(3+),pr~(3+),Nd~(3+),Sm~(3+),Eu~(3+),Gd~(3+),Tb~(3+),Yb~(3+))的合成方法,取测定结果表明,与(?)系离子配位的配体P_2Mo_(17)O♂♀~-为α_2-型,Ln的配位数为8,推测其结构类似于K_(16)[Ce(Ⅳ)(α_2-P_2W_(17)O_(61))_2]·xH_2O,还进行了UV光谱、CV、极谱、TG-DTA及磁化率等性质的研究。     

Flammability studies of 3-methyl pyridine/water system

In industrial processes, information on the safety property of chemicals is essentially crucial for safe handling during unit operations. Ensuring the safe use of combustible or flammable substances in processes is unlikely without detailed investigations of their flammability characteristics and related hazards. We studied 3-methyl pyridine (3-picoline), e.g., flammability limits (LFL/UFL), maximum explosion pressure (P _max), maximum explosion pressure rise (dP/dt)_max, minimum oxygen concentration (MOC), vapor deflagration index (K _g), and characterized the influence of inert steam (H₂O) on critical parameters for 3-picoline/water mixtures at 270°C, 1 atm, various oxygen concentrations, and vapor mixing ratios (100/0, 30/70, 10/90 and 5/95 vol.%) with a 20-L-Apparatus in simulated conditions, respectively. The results showed that the flammability characteristics of 3-picoline_(aq) all increased with the oxygen concentration. However, as the composition of inert steam increased, the flammability parameters and the degree of fire and explosion hazards were significantly reduced, instead. This study elucidated the flammability properties of 3-picoline mixed with inert steam. The conclusions could be applied to proactively prevent the relevant processes from incurring fire and explosion accidents.