The membrane free sonoelectroanalytical determination of trace levels of lead and cadmium in human saliva

In this paper, square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV), synergistically coupled with an ultrasonically enhanced preconcentration step has been shown to yield a quantitative determination of lead and cadmium in human saliva at a membrane free in situ plated mercury thin film glassy carbon electrode. The sensitivity was facilitated by acoustic streaming which promoted efficient mass transport to the electrode thus reducing sampling times. Cavitation was responsible for cleaning and activating the electrode surface, this was essential in order to obtain a reproducible and representative signal. In silent conditions electrode fouling leading to fluctuations in the baseline current and signal depression, precluded accurate quantitative analyses. The results presented herein provide an extension to the proof of concept given in the authors' earlier work, with the analysis of lead in human saliva as opposed to artificial saliva reported. We also address the hitherto unreported detection and determination of cadmium in this medium. Results for both were independently verified by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Close agreement between lead concentration determined by sono-SWASV and independent and blind ICP-MS is reported for human saliva samples having a total lead content of 0.92 microg L(-1) and 5 microg L(-1) with a detection limit of 0.5 microg L(-1). Microaddition calibration data for cadmium additions of 0.0125 microg L(-1) to samples spiked with 2.5 microg L(-1) and 5.0 microg L(-1) (reflecting levels in workers occupationally exposed) exhibited close agreement with the known total cadmium in the samples. A detection limit of 1 microg L(-1) cadmium in saliva has been established.     

Characterization of noncovalent complexes formed between minor groove binding molecules and duplex DNA by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry

The noncovalent complex formed in solution between minor groove binding molecules and an oligonucleotide duplex was investigated by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The oligonucleotide duplex formed between two sequence-specific 14-base pair oligonucleotides was observed intact by ESI-MS and in relatively high abundance compared to the individual single-stranded components. Only sequence-specific A:B duplexes were observed, with no evidence of random nonspecific aggregation (i.e., A:A or B:B) occurring under the conditions utilized. Due to the different molecular weights of the two 14-base pair oligonucleotides, unambiguous determination of each oligonucleotide and the sequence-specific duplex was confirmed through their detection at unique mass-to-charge ratios. The noncovalent complexes formed between the self-complementary 5′-dCGCAAATTTGCG-3′ oligonucleotide and three minor groove binding molecules (distamycin A, pentamidine, and Hoechst 33258) were also observed. Variation of several electrospray ionization interface parameters as well as collision-induced dissociation methods were utilized to characterize the nature and stability of the noncovalent complexes. The noncovalent complexes upon collisional activation dissociated into single-stranded oligonucleotides and single-stranded oligonucleotides associated with a minor groove binding molecule. ESI-MS shows potential for the study of small molecule-oligonucleotide duplex interactions and determination of small molecule binding stoichiometry.     

LiM2(NCN)Br3 (M = Sr,Eu): Synthesis and Crystal Structures of Solid‐State Carbodiimides with Empty Tetrahedral Metal Entities

Two solid‐state carbodiimide compounds, LiM₂(NCN)Br₃ (M = Sr, Eu), with characteristic empty tetrahedral M₄ entities have been synthesized using a flux route, and their structures were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The new phases LiSr₂(NCN)Br₃ and LiEu₂(NCN)Br₃ are isotypical with the corresponding iodides and crystallize in the cubic system (( , Z = 16) but with smaller unit cells (a = 14.641(1) Å for LiSr₂(NCN)Br₃ and 14.572(1) Å for LiEu₂(NCN)Br₃). The extended structures comprise two interpenetrating three‐dimensional networks: the first one is built from isolated M₄ tetrahedra capped by NCN^2? anions on their triangular faces while the second is made from vertex‐sharing LiBr₆ octahedra. The linear NCN^2? anions exhibit the symmetrical carbodiimide shape and serve as linkers between the tetrahedral entities.     

Particle chaos in the Earth's magnetotail

Nonlinear particle dynamics is studied both in current sheets and near neutral lines. The parameter governing particle chaos in a current sheet with a constant normal component, B(n), is kappa=(R(min)/rho(max))(1/2), where R(min) is the minimum field line radius of curvature and rho(max) is the maximum gyroradius. In such a current sheet, motion can be viewed as a combination of a component normal to the current sheet and a tangential component. The parameter kappa represents the ratio of the characteristic time scale of the normal component to the tangential, and thus, particle chaos is maximized for kappa approximately 1. For kappa<1, the slow motion preserves the action integral of the fast motion, J(z), except near the separatrix, the phase space boundary separating motion that crosses the current sheet midplane from that which does not. Near a linear neutral line, it is found that the parameter b(n), which is the ratio of the characteristic vertical and horizontal field strengths, rather than kappa governs particle chaos. In the limit b(n)<1, the slow motion again preserves J(z), and J(z) has the same analytic form as in a constant B(n) current sheet. In the limit of b(n)<1, the structure of x-p(x) phase space is controlled by the stable and unstable manifolds associated with the unstable fixed point orbit at (x,p(x))=(0,0), and this structure lies along a contour of constant J(z).     

Sets of vectors with many orthogonal paris:

What is the most number of vectors inR ^d such that anyk+1 contain an orthogonal pair? The 24 positive roots of the root systemF ₄ inR ⁴ show that this number could exceeddk.     

Synthesis of 2-substituted benzofurans and indoles using functionalized titanium benzylidene reagents on solid phase

Titanium(IV) benzylidenes bearing a masked oxygen or nitrogen nucleophile in the ortho position were generated from thioacetals, using low-valent titanocene complex, Cp2Ti[P(OEt)3]2. Methylene acetal, alkyl ether, silyl ether, fluoro, tertiary amino, and N-alkyl, N-benzyl, N-prenyl, and N-silyl tert-butyl carbamate groups were tolerated in the titanium alkylidene reagents (Schrock carbenes). Aryl-chlorine bonds were stable to the titanium benzylidene functionality, but there was poor chemoselectivity for the reduction of the thioacetal in the presence of an aryl chloride. The titanium benzylidenes converted Merrifield and Wang resin-bound esters into enol ethers. The oxygen nucleophile was masked as a TMS ether, and when the resin-bound enol ethers bearing this ortho substituent were treated with 1% TFA in dichloromethane, benzofurans were released from resin in high yields. The chameleon catch strategy ensured excellent purity. In a similar way, N-alkylated and N-silylated tert-butyl carbamates were used for the synthesis of N-alkyl and N-Boc indoles, respectively. These traceless solid-phase syntheses of heterocycles are believed to involve postcleavage modification rather than cyclative termination.     

New Methods for the Synthesis of Glycosides and Oligosaccharides—Are There Alternatives to the Koenigs-Knorr Method? [New Synthetic Methods (56)]

Glycoproteins, glycolipids, and glycophospholipids (glycoconjugates) are components of membranes. The oligosaccharide residue is responsible for intercellular recognition and interaction; it acts as a receptor for proteins, hormones, and viruses and governs immune reactions. These significant activities have stimulated interest in oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. With their help it should be possible to clarify the molecular basis of these phenomena and to derive new principles of physiological activity. Major advances in the synthesis of oligosaccharides have been made by the use of the Koenigs-Knorr method, in which glycosyl halides in the presence of heavy-metal salts are employed to transfer the glycosyl group to nucleophiles. The disadvantages of this procedure have led to an intensive search for new methods. Such methods will be discussed in this article. Emphasis is placed on glycoside and saccharide formation by 1-O-alkylation, on the trichloroacetimidate method, and on activation through the formation of glycosylsulfonium salts and glycosyl fluorides.     

A theoretical interpretation of isotope effects in mixtures of light and heavy water—II

Solvent isotope effects for H₂O---D₂O mixtures and for ionic hydration equilibria in such mixtures can be calculated from the structure difference between D₂O and H₂O and that between HDO and H₂O and the relative amounts of the three waters. The behavior of acids in H₂O---D₂O mixtures is considered in detail. Dissociation constants of acetic acid are calculated over the complete range of deuterium concentrations and found to agree with the experimentally determined ones. The Gross equation for the dependence of isotope effect on mole fraction of deuterium for acid-catalyzed reaction of substrates S proceeding via SL⁺ transition states (L=H or D) is derived from first principles.     

The role of angular momentum in collision-induced vibration-rotation relaxation in polyatomics

Vibrational relaxation of the 6(1) level of S(1)((1)B(2u)) benzene is analyzed using the angular momentum model of inelastic processes. Momentum-(rotational) angular momentum diagrams illustrate energetic and angular momentum constraints on the disposal of released energy and the effect of collision partner on resultant benzene rotational excitation. A kinematic "equivalent rotor" model is introduced that allows quantitative prediction of rotational distributions from inelastic collisions in polyatomic molecules. The method was tested by predicting K-state distributions in glyoxal-Ne as well as J-state distributions in rotationally inelastic acetylene-He collisions before being used to predict J and K distributions from vibrational relaxation of 6(1) benzene by H(2), D(2), and CH(4). Diagrammatic methods and calculations illustrate changes resulting from simultaneous collision partner excitation, a particularly effective mechanism in p-H(2) where some 70% of the available 6(1)-->0(0) energy may be disposed into 0-->2 rotation. These results support the explanation for branching ratios in 6(1)-->0(0) relaxation given by Waclawik and Lawrance and the absence of this pathway for monatomic partners. Collision-induced vibrational relaxation in molecules represents competition between the magnitude of the energy gap of a potential transition and the ability of the colliding species to generate the angular momentum (rotational and orbital) needed for the transition to proceed. Transition probability falls rapidly as DeltaJ increases and for a given molecule-collision partner pair will provide a limit to the gap that may be bridged. Energy constraints increase as collision partner mass increases, an effect that is amplified when J(i)>0. Large energy gaps are most effectively bridged using light collision partners. For efficient vibrational relaxation in polyatomics an additional requirement is that the molecular motion of the mode must be capable of generating molecular rotation on contact with the collision partner in order to meet the angular momentum requirements. We postulate that this may account for some of the striking propensities that characterize polyatomic energy transfer.