Structural control in self-standing mesostructured silica oriented membranes and xerogels

Large pore (a = 150-200 A) wormlike and highly oriented cubic (IM3m space group) and 2D-hexagonal (P6m) mesostructured xerogels have been reproducibly synthesised by Evaporation-Induced Self Assembly (EISA). Mesostructure control was attained by changing the template (nonionic block copolymer) and water (h = [H2O]/[Si]) ratio.     

MIL-50, an open-framework GaPO with a periodic pattern of small water ponds and dry rubidium atoms: a combined XRD,NMR, and computational study

A new fluorinated gallium phosphate, MIL-50, has been synthesized under mild hydrothermal conditions using 1,6-diaminohexane. The chemical formula of MIL-50 is Rb(2)Ga(9)(PO(4))(8)(HPO(4))(OH)F(6).2N(2)C(6)H(18).7H(2)O. The structure is a network of hexameric units of Ga(3)(PO(4))(3)F(2) and Ga(3)(PO(4))(2)(HPO(4))F(3) via corner sharing. It creates a three-dimensional open-framework delimiting 6- and 18-ring channels running along the c axis. The diprotonated 1,6-diaminohexane and water molecules are trapped within the 18-ring pores, whereas the rubidium cations reside in the 6-ring ones. A double quantum (31)P NMR experiment and partial charge calculations indicate that water molecules are present under the form of periodic small clusters, lowering the multiplicity of one phosphorus site, P3. Though water hops within the clusters, the motion leaves the water pattern periodic. Rubidium is so tightly embedded into the framework that water moving in the large 18-ring channels does not reach it, leaving it therefore dry. The crystal framework may be ascribed to the orthorhombic space group Cmc2(1) (n degrees 36), a = 32.1510(2), b = 17.2290(3), c = 10.2120(1) A. The periodic water pattern has a different symmetry than that of the framework. A method has been devised to superpose the two sublattices that coexist in the same unit cell in order to have full occupancy of each site and to perform Madelung summations. This original method is of general interest for most zeolitic materials exhibiting a different symmetry for the framework and the template sublattices.     

A β-glucosidase from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

The filamentous fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, grown on a xylose medium, was found to excrete one β-glucosidase (β-glu x). The enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration, anion-exchange chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) gel filtration chromatography. Its molecular mass was estimated to be 130 kDa by HPLC gel filtration and 60 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, suggesting that β-glu x may be a homodimer. For p-nitrophenyl β-d-glucopyranoside hydrolysis, apparent K _m and V _max values were found to be 0.09 mM and 193 U/mg, respectively, while optimum temperature and pH were 55–60°C and pH 5.0, respectively. β-Glu x was strongly inhibited by Fe²⁺ and activated about 35% by Ca²⁺. β-Glu x possesses strong transglucosylation activity in comparison with commercially available β-glucosidases. The production rate of total glucooligosaccharides (GOSs) from 30% cellobiose at 50°C and pH 5.0 for 6 h with 0.6 U/mL of enzyme preparation was 80 g/L. It reached 105 g/L under the same conditions when using cellobiose at 350 g/L (1.023 M). Finally, GOS structure was determined by mass spectrometry and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.     

Performance of quantitative analyses by liquid chromatography–electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry: from external calibration to isotopomer-based exact matching

Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is a versatile coupling system which combines both selectivity and sensitivity and certainty. Hence, it is generally considered as the most reliable technique to quantify chemical compounds in complex matrices. In the present paper, we evaluate the performance of LC-MS/MS methods for the quantification of 3-nitrotyrosine in human urine in order to point out its dependence on the design of the quantification method, and emphasize the role of matrix effects in the performance. We compare external and internal calibrations, isotope dilution and isotopomer-based exact matching. The role of both sample preparation and multiple transitions monitoring is particularly addressed.     

On the occupation times of cones by Brownian motion

Summary We study some features concerning the occupation timeA _t of a d-dimensional coneC by Brownian motion. In particular, in the case whereC is convex, we investigate the asymptotic behaviour ofP(A₁u0, when the Brownian motion starts at the vertex ofC. We also give the precise integral test, which decides whether a.s., lim inf _t A _t/(tf(t))=0 or for a decreasing functionf.