Evaluation and validation of the ABI 3700, ABI 3100, and the MegaBACE 1000 capillary array electrophoresis instruments for use with short tandem repeat microsatellite typing in a forensic environment

The demand for high-throughput DNA profiling has increased with the introduction of national DNA databases and has led to the development of automated methods of short tandem repeat (STR) profile production; however, a potential bottleneck still exists at the gel electrophoresis stage. Capillary electrophoresis sequencers capable of processing 96 samples with considerably reduced manual intervention are now available. In this paper, we compare the ABI Prism 377 slab-gel sequencer currently used by the Forensic Science Service with three leading capillary array electrophoresis instruments: the ABI Prism 3700, the Amersham MegaBACE 1000 and the 16-capillary ABI Prism 3100. We describe the experiments used to evaluate and validate these platforms for forensic use with the STR multiplex Ampf/STR SGMplus [1, 2], along with comparative data from the ABI Prism 377 sequencer.     

Novel mass spectral fragmentation of heptafluorobutyryl derivatives of acyl analogues of platelet-activating factor

Direct derivatization of the acyl analogue of platelet-activating factor (acyl-PAF) with heptafluorobutyric anhydride results in replacement of the phosphocholine moiety with a heptafluorobutyryl (HFB) group. Electron capture (EC) mass spectrometric analysis of this compound that makes use of negative ion detection along with subsequent accurate mass measurement and tandem mass spectrometry studies revealed that in addition to expected fragmentation due to losses of elements of HF, ketene, and/or acetic acid, there is a rearrangement reaction between the HFB group and the substituent on carbon-2 of the glycerol backbone. For 2-acetyl isomers, this fragmentation yields a characteristic ion at m/z 237; for 1-acetyl isomers, the analogous ion is observed at [M-135]⁻, along with a corresponding carboxylate anion. The use of the HFB derivative is invaluable for analysis of PAF homologues and analogues because it provides detailed structural information in combination with the high sensitivity of a gas chromatography combined with EC-mass spectrometry assay.     

Confirmation of phenylbutazone residues in bovine kidney by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A confirmatory method is described for phenylbutazone (PB) residues in bovine kidney tissue. Ground kidney tissue is diluted with water, and the mixture is made basic with 25% ammonium hydroxide in water; the lipids are extracted with ethyl and petroleum ethers. The ether layer is discarded, and the tissue is acidified with 6N HCl. PB residues are extracted with tetrahydrofuranhexane (1 + 4). The extract is passed through a silica solid-phase extraction column, and the eluate is evaporated to dryness. The residue is dissolved in acidified acetonitrile-water-acetic acid (50 + 49.4 + 0.6). A single quadrupole mass spectrometer coupled to a liquid chromatograph with an electrospray interface is used to confirm the identity of the PB residues in the kidney extract. Negative-ion detection with selected-ion monitoring of 4 ions is used. Sets of control and fortified-control kidney tissues (at 50, 100, and 200 ppb PB) and several kidney tissue field samples were analyzed for method validation. The method was tested further during the course of a survey to determine the incidence of PB residues in bovine kidney samples obtained from slaughterhouses across the country. In addition, the method was tested for use with an ion-trap mass spectrometer coupled to a liquid chromatograph, which allowed confirmation of PB at lower levels (5-10 ppb) in kidney tissue.     

Investigation of novel mediators for a glucose biosensor based on metal picolinate complexes

The metal complexes [Os(byp)(2)(pic)](+) and [Ru(byp)(2)(pic)](+) where byp is 2,2'-bipyridine and HPic is o-picolinic acid were synthesised and characterised using spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. These complexes were then evaluated as mediators for a glucose oxidase (GOx)-based biosensor. Results demonstrate the electrocatalytic behaviour of both metal couples towards regeneration of the flavoprotein GOx (FADH(2)) group, when co-immobilised with glucose oxidase. Surface immobilisation was achieved by potential cycling in aqueous solutions of the metal complexes at a glucose oxidase (GOx)/Nafion modified electrode. This proved successful in terms of catalytic efficiency and stability of redox sites. Kinetic parameters associated with both enzymatic and mediator reactions were estimated and the stability/performance properties of the sensor were tested.     

Electron impact and chemical ionization mass spectra of alkyldiphenylphosphine oxides

In the 70 e V electron impact mass spectra of a series of alkyldiphenylphosphine oxides (R?₂PO, R = Me, Et, n-Pr, i-Pr, n-Bu, i-Bu, t-Bu, neopentyl, n-decyl), molecular ions of low abundance are observed and [M + H]⁺ ions are formed to a small extent at high sample pressures. The major ions include [?₂PO]⁺, [?₂POH]⁺; [?₂CH₂PO]⁺ and [?₂CH₂POH]⁺ which are formed by rearrangement and cleavage processes. The chemical ionization mass spectra obtained with methane and isobutane reagents consist of [M + H]⁺ ions. The proton affinity of R?₂PO was found to be 219 ± 2.5 kcal mol^?1.     

Capillary gel electrophoresis of single-stranded DNA fragments with UV detection

Capillary gel electrophoresis has proven to be a powerful tool in biomedical research. We report our investigation of some of the critical parameters affecting separations of single-stranded DNA fragments as monitored by ultraviolet (UV) absorbance detection. Although not as sensitive as laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), UV absorbance detection allows one to calculate quite accurately, and inexpensively, the molarity of each separated DNA fragment and, moreover, the signal “fading” effect normally observed with LIF detection can be, in many cases, substituted for fluorescence to detect the many different single-stranded DNAs, as well as for detection of sequencing reactions.     

Heterocyclic Rearrangement of 4,5,6,7-Tetrahydro-6,6-dimethyl-benzo[c][1,2,5]oxadiazol-4-one (Z)-Arylhydrazones into Corresponding 2-Aryl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazol-4-one Oximes

The thermal base-catalysed and photochemical transformation (Boulton-Katritzky rearrangement) of the title tetrahydrobenzo[c][1,2,5]oxadiazoles to tetrahydro-2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazoles is studied. Attempts to induce analogous rearrangement in tetrahydro-2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazol-4-one arylhydrazones or oximes failed. Some CNDO/2 calculation are also carried out.     

Heterogeneous thermal excitation and relaxation in supercooled liquids

We investigate a phenomenological model which rationalizes the effects of dielectric hole burning on the basis of heterogeneous dielectric and specific heat relaxation in supercooled liquids. The quantitative agreement between model predictions and dielectric hole-burning observations is lost if the assumption of correlated dielectric and thermal relaxation times is removed from the model. This suggests that dynamically distinct domains in real liquids are associated with a time constant which characterizes both the structural and thermal relaxation behaviors. The calculations demonstrate that the observed burn-induced modifications reflect the spectral selectivity and persistence time of the fictive temperatures within these domains, and that 100 or more cycles of the sinusoidal burn field can be required to saturate the heat accumulated in the slow degrees of freedom. It is also shown that the recovery of dielectric holes is entirely accounted for by the model, and that the persistence times do not provide direct insight into rate exchange processes. Additionally, the model predicts that the heating effects considered here are a significant source of nonlinear dielectric behavior, even in the absence of deliberate frequency selective hole burning.     

Three-coordinate [Cu(II)X(3)](-) (X=Cl, Br), trapped in a molecular crystal

Mixtures of [Ph(3)PNPPh(3)](+)Cl(-) with CuBr(2) (or CuBr(2)+CuCl(2)) in ethanol/dichloromethane yield crystals containing three-coordinate copper(II) with mixed chloride and bromide ligands, namely [Ph(3)PNPPh(3)](+)[CuCl(0.9)Br(2.1)](-) (1) and [Ph(3)PNPPh(3)](+)[CuCl(2.4)Br(0.6)](-) (2). The trigonal-planar coordination of copper(II) is angularly distorted but unambiguous, as there is no other halide ligand within 6.7 A of the copper atom. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on planar [CuClBr(2)](-) show that the energy surface for angle bending is very soft. Crystallisation in the presence of CH(3)CN yields [Ph(3)PNPPh(3)](+)[CuCl(0.7)Br(2.3)(NCCH(3))](-) (3), in which there is additional secondary coordination by NCCH(3) (Cu-N 2.44 A). DFT calculations of the potential energy surface for this secondary coordination show that it is remarkably flat (<3 kcal mol(-1) for a variation of Cu-N by 0.8 A). The crystal packing in 1, 2 and 3, which involves multiple phenyl embraces between [Ph(3)PNPPh(3)](+) ions and numerous C-H...Cl and C-H...Br motifs, is associated with intermolecular energies that are larger than the variations in intramolecular energies. For reference, the crystal structures of [Ph(3)PNPPh(3)(+)](2)[Cu(2)Cl(6)](2-) (4) and [Ph(3)PNPPh(3)(+)](2)[Cu(2)Br(6)](2-) (5) are described. We conclude 1) that three-coordinate copper(II) with monatomic halide ligands, although uncommon, can be regarded as normal, 2) that steric control by ligands is not necessary to enforce three-coordination, 3) that a hydrophobic aryl environment stabilises [Cu(Cl/Br)(3)](-), and 4) that the energy change in the transition from three- to four-coordinate copper(II) is very small (ca 5 kcal mol(-1)).