Ribonucleotide and ribonucleoside determination by ambient pressure ion mobility spectrometry

Detection limits and reduced mobilities for 12 ribonucleotides and 4 ribonucleosides were measured by ambient pressure electrospray ionization-ion mobility spectrometry (ESI-IMS). With the instrument used in this study it was possible to separate some of these compounds within mixtures. Detection limits reported for ribonucleotides and ribonucleosides ranged from 15 to 300 pmol and the reduced mobilities ranged from 41 to 56 suggesting that ambient pressure ESI-IMS may be used for their rapid and sensitive separation and detection. This report demonstrates that it was possible to use ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) to obtain a spectrum for the separation of nucleotides and nucleosides in less than 1 min. The application holds great promise for nucleotide analysis in the area of separating DNA fragments in genome sequencing and also for forensics DNA typing examinations used for the identification of blood stains in crime scenes and paternity testing.     

A Validated LC Method for the Quantitation of Cefotaxime in pH-Sensitive Nanoparticles

A sensitive and rapid routine LC method was validated for measuring cefotaxime incorporated in three different pH-sensitive nanoparticles. The drug was chromatographed on a C18 reversed-phase column; the mobile phase used was 0.05 M aqueous ammonium acetate, acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran (87:11:2, v/v) adjusted to pH 5.5 with acetic acid. The flow rate was 1 mL min^?1 and cefotaxime was quantified at 254 nm, with a sensitivity range of 0.005 AUFS. The validated method was specific, linear (R ² ≥ 0.999), precise and accurate in a concentration range of 0.2–50.0 μg mL^?1. The method was rapid, selective and suitable for evaluation of cefotaxime in pH-sensitive Eudragit nanoparticles.     

Experimental investigation of long-wavelength optical lattice vibrations in quaternary AlxInyGa1−x−yN alloys and comparison with results from the pseudo-unit cell model

Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies have been utilized to measure long-wavelength optical lattice vibrations of high-quality quaternary Al_xIn_yGa_1−x−yN thin films at room temperature. The Al_xIn_yGa_1−x−yN films were grown on c-plane (0 0 0 1) sapphire substrates with AlN as buffer layers using plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE) technique with aluminum (Al) mole fraction x ranging from 0.0 to 0.2 and constant indium (In) mole fraction y=0.1. Pseudo unit cell (PUC) model was applied to investigate the phonons frequency, mode number, static dielectric constant, and high frequency dielectric constant of the Al_xIn_yGa_1−x−yN mixed crystals. The theoretical results were compared with the experimental results obtained from the quaternary samples by using Raman and FTIR spectroscopies. The experimental results indicated that the Al_xIn_yGa_1−x−yN alloy had two-mode behavior, which includes A₁(LO), E₁(TO), and E₂(H). Thus, these results are in agreement with the theoretical results of PUC model, which also revealed a two-mode behavior for the quaternary nitride. We also obtained new values of E₁(TO) and E₂(H) for the quaternary nitride samples that have not yet been reported in the literature.     

Structural,optical and electrical properties of undoped and Si-doped AlxGa1−xN thin films on Si (1 1 1) substrate grown by PA-MBE

We have studied the structural properties of undoped and Si-doped Al_xGa_1?xN/GaN/AlN on Si (1 1 1) substrate prepared by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE) using high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In comparison with undoped AlGaN, the roughness and dislocation density on the surface of the AlGaN layer decrease with Si doping. Full width half maximum (FWHM) of the undoped and Si-doped samples were equal to 0.69° and 0.52°, respectively. This indicates that the Si doping improves the crystalline quality of the Al_xGa_1?xN layer compared with the undoped one. Raman scattering measurement reveals that the optical phonon modes of A₁(LO) and E₂(H) of the AlGaN show a one-mode and two-modes behavior, respectively. The Fourier-transform infrared reflectance (FTIR) investigation confirms the one-mode (two-mode) behavior of the LO (TO) phonon in our samples. This is in good agreement with Raman measurement. Finally, the barrier height (Φ_B) of undoped and Si-doped Al_xGa_1?xN samples was found to be 0.86 and 0.74 eV, respectively.     

Strongly Irreducible Submodules of Modules

Strongly irreducible submodules of modules are defined as follows： A submodule N of an Rmodule M is said to be strongly irreducible if for submodules L and K of M, the inclusion L ∩ K ∈ N implies that either L ∈ N or K ∈ N. The relationship among the families of irreducible, strongly irreducible, prime and primary submodules of an R-module M is considered, and a characterization of Noetherian modules which contain a non-prime strongly irreducible submodule is given.     

Electrochemical behavior of anthraquinone in aqueous solution in presence of a non-ionic surfactant

Cyclic voltammetric behavior of anthraquinone in aqueous medium has been studied in presence of a non-ionic surfactant, Triton X-100 (TX-100) using sodium salt of anthraquinone-2-sulphonic acid (AQS) as the electro-active species. When cathodic potential is applied, the anthraquinone (AQ) group of AQS is reduced to its dianion. In the reverse scan, the oxidation of AQ²⁻ gives AQ. The electrochemical behavior shows a profound influence from the dissolved state of TX-100 in aqueous media. Spectrophotometric results indicate interaction between AQ and TX-100. A CEC (chemical–electrochemical–chemical) mechanism with the electrochemical reaction coupled with preceding interaction of AQS with TX-100 and following protonation reaction of reduced AQ has been proposed.     

Synthesis and solution properties of a pH‐responsive cyclopolymer of zwitterionic ethyl 3‐(N,N‐diallylammonio)propanephosphonate

The zwitterionic monomer, ethyl 3‐(N,N‐diallylammonio)propanephosphonate, was cyclopolymerized in aqueous solutions using t‐butylhydroperoxide or ammonium persulfate as initiators to afford a polyphosphonobetaine (PPB). The protonation of P(?O)OEtO^– and deprotonation of ? NH⁺ groups in PPB by HCl and NaOH, gave the corresponding cationic polyphosphononic acid (CPP) and anionic polyphosphonate (APP). The presence of two pH‐responsive functionalities in APP has led to establish the equilibria: APP ? PPB ? CPP, the position of which very much dictates the viscosity behavior of its aqueous solution. The PPB demonstrated “antipolyelectrolyte” viscosity behavior; however, in contrast to many polycarbo‐ and polysulfo‐betaines, it was found to be soluble in salt‐free water as well as in salt‐added solutions. Basicity constant (K₁) of the amine group in APP, as determined by potentiometric technique, were found to be “apparent,” and as such followed the modified Henderson‐Hasselbalch equation. The study demonstrated a correlation between the basicity constants and viscosity values. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of phenylhydrazine and P-bromophenylhydrazine by hexacyanoferrate(III) in acidic medium

Kietics of oxidation of phenylhydrazine and p-bromophenylhydrazine by hexacyanoferrate(III) in acidic medium have been studied. The reactions follow similar kinetics, being first order with respect to both hydrazine and exacyanoferrate(III) and inverse first order with respect to the hydrogen ion. Addition of hexacyanoferrate(II) has no retarding effect on the rate of oxidation. The effects of varying ionic strength, dielectric constant, and temperature on the reaction rates have been investigated. A plausible mechanism has been proposed to account for the experimental results. Benzene and bromobenzene have been identified as the oxidation products.