Comparison of total folate concentrations in foods determined by microbiological assay at several experienced U.S. commercial laboratories

Analysis of total folate concentration measured by microbiological assay in a variety of foods submitted in a routine manner to experienced laboratories that regularly perform folate analysis on fee-for-service basis was evaluated. Homogenates of fresh strawberries, frozen spinach, orange juice, frozen meat and vegetable pizza, dry macaroni, and dried pinto beans were prepared and stored under conditions previously determined to maintain stability of folate content. An aliquot of each composite and of 3 certified reference materials were sent on each of 4 occasions to 4 laboratories. Results for macaroni and pizza, the only folic acid-fortified foods, had considerably lower between-laboratory variation (CV(B)) with CV(B) of 9-11% versus >45% for other foods. Mean total folate ranged from 14 to 279 microg/100 g for a mixed vegetable reference material, from 5 to 70 microg/100 g for strawberries, and from 28 to 81 microg/100 g for wholemeal flour. Only 1 laboratory reported using a tri-enzyme extraction, and all laboratories used folic acid fortified foods as internal control materials. Users of commercial total folate analysis should understand the uncertainty in values determined by microbiological assay, particularly for foods containing primarily naturally occurring folate, which may not be apparent when replicate samples are not submitted for analysis.     

Synthesis and characterization of molybdenum oxo complexes of two tripodal ligands: reactivity studies of a functional model for molybdenum oxotransferases

Reaction of the tetradentate ligand N-(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (L-OH) with MoO2Cl2 in methanol in the presence of NaOMe and PF6- results in the formation of [MoO2(L-O)]PF6. Similarly, the reaction of N-(2-mercaptobenzyl)-N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (L-SH) with MoO2(acac)2 leads to the formation of [MoO2(L-S)]+. The dioxo-molybdenum complex [MoO2(L-O)]+ reacts with phosphines in methanol to afford phosphine oxides and an air-sensitive molybdenum complex, tentatively identified as [Mo(IV)O(L-O)(OCH3)]. The latter complex is capable of reducing biological oxygen donors such as DMSO or nitrate, thereby mimicking the activity of DMSO reductase and nitrate reductase. Reaction of [MoO2(L-O)]PF6 with PPh3 in other solvents than methanol leads to the formation of the Mo(V) dimer [(L-O)OMo(micro-O)MoO(L-O)](PF6)2. The crystal structures of [MoO2(L-O)]PF6 and the micro-oxo bridged dimer are presented.     

SEDIMENTATION ANALYSIS OF DNA PHOTOOXIDIZED IN THE PRESENCE OF THIOPYRONINE

Abstract. Illumination of single-stranded φ×174 phage DNA with visible lightλ > 500 nm) in the presence of the sensitizer thiopyronine results in both chain scissions detectable by velocity sedimentation in neutral medium and in alkali-labile bonds which yield secondary strand breaks after alkaline treatment. Compared with the generation of primary strand breaks, the formation of alkali-labile sites seems to be the predominant reaction.
Photodynamic treatment of homogeneous double-stranded Ta, phage DNA leads to changes in the overall conformation of DNA as revealed by an initial increase of the sedimentation coefficient. The simultaneous occurrence of different effects (decrease of molecular weight, increase of effective DNA flexibility) is particularly evident from changes in the sedimentation coefficient distribution. The fact that both processes influence the sedimentation behaviour questions the common procedure of calculating double-strand break numbers from sedimentation coefficient distributions on the basis of s#-M relations which are valid for intact DNA only.
Photooxidized double-stranded DNA exhibits an increased sensitivity against shear forces.     

Coordination Chemistry of Acrylamide 4. Crystal Structures and IR Spectroscopic Properties of Acrylamide Complexes with CoII,NiII, and ZnII nitrates

Acrylamide complexes of metal nitrates: [M(O‐OC(NH₂)CHCH₂)_n(H₂O)_m][NO₃]₂ (M = Co( 1 ), Ni( 2 ) (n = 6 and m = 0) and Zn( 3 ) (n = 4 and m = 2)) have been determined by using single crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. All complexes crystallize in the triclinic space group . The structures of 1 and 2 represent octahedral species [M(AAm)₆]²⁺ (AAm = O‐OC(NH₂)CHCH₂ and M = Co or Ni) and uncoordinated nitrate ions. The structure of 3 involves the octahedral cation [Zn(AAm)₄(H₂O)₂]²⁺ in which the Zn²⁺ environment includes oxygen atoms of four acrylamide and two water molecules that are stabilized using ionic nitrate ions. The observations of the solid‐state IR spectroscopic vibrational frequencies of these acrylamide complexes are in agreement with the crystal structures.     

Black holes and everyday physics

Black holes have piqued much curiosity. But thus far they have been important only in remote subjects like astrophysics and quantum gravity. We show that the situation can be improved. By a judicious application of black hole physics, one can obtain new results in everyday physics. For example, black holes yield a quantum universal upper bound on the entropy-to-energy ratio for ordinary thermodynamical systems which was unknown earlier. It can be checked, albeit with much labor, by ordinary statistical methods. Black holes set a limitation on the number of species of elementary particles-quarks, leptons, neutrinos-which may exist. And black holes lead to a fundamental limitation on the rate at which information can be transferred for given message energy by any communication system.This Essay received the first award from the Gravity Research Foundation for the year 1981-Ed.     

The solid state structure of arene-mercury(II) complexes from magic-angle spinning carbon-13 NMR and the solution carbon-13 NMR of some complexes of mercury(II) with arenes having bulky aliphatic substituents

The cross-polarization magic angle spinning ¹³C NMR spectra of Hg(SbF₆)₂ - 2 Arene (Arene = C₆HMe₅, 1,2,4,5-C₆H₂Me₄, 1,2,3,4-C₆H₂Me₄, or C₆H₆) have been measured. The spectra of the complexes of C₆HMe₅ and 1,2,4,5-C₆H₂Me₄ are consistent with static η¹-bonding of the mercury to the arene at an unsubstituted carbon atom, while the spectra of the 1,2,3,4-C₆H₂Me₄ and C₆H₆ complexes show the arene to have time-averaged C_s or C₂, and C₆ symmetry respectively, at the temperature of measurement (300 K).The reduced temperature ¹³C NMR spectra of Hg(Arene)_n²⁺ (n = 1 or 2; Arene = 1,3,5-C₆H₃R₃ (R = Me, i-Pr, or t-Bu)) in SO₂ solution are also reported and affirm that in these intramolecularly mobile species the mercury bonds in an η¹-manner, with unsubstituted aryl carbon atoms being the strongly preferred point of mercury attachment. This site preference is further demonstrated by the solution ¹³C NMR spectra of Hg(Arene)_n²⁺ (Arene = 1,2,3,4-C₆H₂-Me₄, n = 1 or 2; Arene = 1,4-C₆H₄R₂, R = Me or t-Bu, n = 1). The spectra of the 1,4-C₆H₄R₂ complexes and Hg(p-C₆H₄-t-BuMe)²⁺ provide clear evidence for steric influence of the binding site.Like Hg(C₆Me₆)₂²⁺, but unlike most of the complexes of substituted benzenes which have been studied, Hg(1,3,5-C₆H₃-i-Pr₃)₂²⁺ exchanges only slowly with excess free ligand.     

Crystal structure of thiogermanic acid H(4)Ge(4)S(10)

X-ray diffraction analysis reveals the thiogermanic acid H(4)Ge(4)S(10) possesses discrete adamantane-like Ge(4)S(10)(4)(-) complex anions. Each thioanion is composed of four corner shared GeS(2.5)(-) tetrahedral units. Crystals were grown from anhydrous liquid hydrogen sulfide reactions with glassy germanium sulfide at room temperature. The crystal structure was solved and refined from single crystal diffractometer data (Mo Kalpha radiation) obtained at 173 K. H(4)Ge(4)S(10) is triclinic, centrosymmetric space group Ponemacr;, with a = 8.621(4) A, b = 9.899(4) A, c = 10.009(4) A, alpha = 85.963(7) degrees, beta = 64.714(7) degrees, gamma = 89.501(8) degrees, and Z = 2. Average bridging and terminal d(Ge-S) distances are 2.229 and 2.206 A, respectively. Vibrational mode assignments are reported from Raman scattering and IR absorption spectra of polycrystalline samples. The nu(s)(Ge-S-Ge) and nu(s)(Ge-S(-)) stretching modes are observed at 354 and 405 cm(-)(1), respectively.     

Folate antagonists. 6. Synthesis and antimalarial effects of fused 2,4-diaminothieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines

2,4-Diamino-5,7-dihydro-6H-thiopyrano[4′,3′:4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrirnidine, 2,4-diamino-9H-mdeno[1′,2′:4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine, 2,4-diamino-5H-indeno[2′,1′:4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine, 9,11-diamino-5,6-dihydronaphtho[1′,2′:4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine, 7,9-diamino-5,6-dihydronaphtho[2′,1′:4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine, 2,4-diamino-7-benzy]-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido[4′,3′:4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine, and various 2,4-diamino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-[1]benzothieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines were synthesized by cyclization of the requisite fused 2-aminothio-phenene-3-carbonitriles utilizing chloroformamidine hydrochloride in diglyme. Several compounds exhibited strong inhibitory effects against Streptococcus faecalis (MGH-2), Staphylococcus aureus (UC-76), Streptococcus faecium (ATCC 8043), Lactobacillus casei (ATCC 7469), and Pediococcus cerevisiae (ATCC 8081) in vitro, and three compounds displayed antimalarial activity against Plasmodium berghei in mice and P. falciparum (Uganda I) in vitro.     

A new route of oxygen isotope exchange in the solid phase: demonstration in CuSO4.5H2O

Temperature-programmed desorption mass spectrometry (TPD-MS) measurements on [(18)O]water-enriched copper sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO(4).5H(2)(18)O) reveal an unambiguous occurrence of efficient oxygen isotope exchange between the water of crystallization and the sulfate in its CuSO(4) solid phase. To the best of our knowledge, the occurrence of such an exchange was never observed in a solid phase. The exchange process was observed during the stepwise dehydration (50-300 degrees C) of the compound. Specifically, the exchange promptly occurs somewhere between 160 and 250 degrees C; however, the exact temperature could not be resolved conclusively. It is shown that only the fifth, sulfate-associated, anionic H(2)O molecule participates in the exchange process and that the exchange seems to occur in a preferable fashion with, at the most, one oxygen atom in SO(4). Such an exchange, occurring below 250 degrees C, questions the common conviction of unfeasible oxygen exchange under geothermic conditions. This new oxygen exchange phenomenon is not exclusive to copper sulfate but is unambiguously observed also in other sulfate- and nitrate-containing minerals.