A new profile likelihood confidence interval for the mean probability of detection in collaborative studies of binary test methods

A confidence interval for the probability of detection across laboratories (LPOD) for qualitative methods, described in the AOAC INTERNATIONAL guidelines for validation of microbiological methods for food and environmental surfaces, is considered. It is demonstrated that under certain conditions, the observed confidence of this confidence interval can be rather low, so that statistical minimum requirements are not fulfilled. A new profile likelihood confidence interval based on a latent random laboratory effect approach is proposed. Observed confidence levels for this confidence interval demonstrate its applicability already for a small number of laboratories.     

A Journey from Thermally Tunable Synthesis to Spectroscopy of Phenylmethanimine in Gas Phase and Solution

Phenylmethanimine is an aromatic imine with a twofold relevance in chemistry: organic synthesis and astrochemistry. To tackle both aspects, a multidisciplinary strategy has been exploited and a new, easily accessible synthetic approach to generate stable imine-intermediates in the gas phase and in solution has been introduced. The combination of this formation pathway, based on the thermal decomposition of hydrobenzamide, with a state-of-the-art computational characterization of phenylmethanimine laid the foundation for its first laboratory observation by means of rotational electric resonance spectroscopy. Both E and Z isomers have been accurately characterized, thus providing a reliable basis to guide future astronomical observations. A further characterization has been carried out by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, showing the feasibility of this synthetic approach in solution. The temperature dependence as well as possible mechanisms of the thermolysis process have been examined.     

Minimizing Side Product Formation in Alkyne Functionalization of Ruthenium Complexes by Introduction of Protecting Groups

The synthesis of alkyne functionalized bipyridine ruthenium complexes are reported. The improved synthetic approach through application of stable protecting groups prevents formation of possible side products while facilitating purification. By applying copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions (CuAAC) pyrene units with flexible alkyl linkers are introduced at the periphery of the complex, opening up various applications including surface immobilization and DNA intercalation. All complexes are characterized structurally as well as photophysically, especially regarding the influence of the introduced alkyne and triazolyl substituents on their photophysical behavior.     

Formulation of Cannabidiol in Colloidal Lipid Carriers

In this study, the general processability of cannabidiol (CBD) in colloidal lipid carriers was investigated. Due to its many pharmacological effects, the pharmaceutical use of this poorly water-soluble drug is currently under intensive research and colloidal lipid emulsions are a well-established formulation option for such lipophilic substances. To obtain a better understanding of the formulability of CBD in lipid emulsions, different aspects of CBD loading and its interaction with the emulsion droplets were investigated. Very high drug loads (>40% related to lipid content) could be achieved in emulsions of medium chain triglycerides, rapeseed oil, soybean oil and trimyristin. The maximum CBD load depended on the type of lipid matrix. CBD loading increased the particle size and the density of the lipid matrix. The loading capacity of a trimyristin emulsion for CBD was superior to that of a suspension of solid lipid nanoparticles based on trimyristin (69% vs. 30% related to the lipid matrix). In addition to its localization within the lipid core of the emulsion droplets, cannabidiol was associated with the droplet interface to a remarkable extent. According to a stress test, CBD destabilized the emulsions, with phospholipid-stabilized emulsions being more stable than poloxamer-stabilized ones. Furthermore, it was possible to produce emulsions with pure CBD as the dispersed phase, since CBD demonstrated such a pronounced supercooling tendency that it did not recrystallize, even if cooled to −60 °C.     

Materials,Furnaces, and Texts: How to Write About Making Glass Colours in the Seventeenth Century

Johann Kunckel's Ars Vitraria Experimentalis (1679) is arguably the most important text on seventeenth-century glassmaking. As an augmented German translation of Italian (1612) and English (1662) editions, Kunckel presented a complex and layered text that contained a plethora of recipes, elaborate commentaries and annotations, and various appendices dealing with glass-related technologies and arts. We reworked four recipes for rosichiero glass (a transparent red glass) in Kunckel's book to discover what strategies Kunckel employed to help readers engage with the recipes and to make the recipes work in the specificity of their own workshop. We learned that Kunckel regularly neglected to test the Italian recipes, and that not all of his corrections are improvements, thereby specifying our understanding of the “codification of error” as a strategy to write down colour-making knowledge. Instead, Kunckel made the choice to educate his readers on the very mechanisms of glass colouring to allow them to intervene to influence the colour of the glass and to gain further control over the making process. He argued that the colour of glass is sensitive to the manner in which ingredients are sourced and processed, and emphasised the importance of furnace management in optimising the colour of glass.