Homoclinic bifurcation in a Hodgkin-Huxley model of thermally sensitive neurons

We study global bifurcations of the chaotic attractor in a modified Hodgkin-Huxley model of thermally sensitive neurons. The control parameter for this model is the temperature. The chaotic behavior is realized over a wide range of temperatures and is visualized using interspike intervals. We observe an abrupt increase of the interspike intervals in a certain temperature region. We identify this as a homoclinic bifurcation of a saddle-focus fixed point which is embedded in the chaotic attractors. The transition is accompanied by intermittency, which obeys a universal scaling law for the average length of trajectory segments exhibiting only short interspike intervals with the distance from the onset of intermittency. We also present experimental results of interspike interval measurements taken from the crayfish caudal photoreceptor, which qualitatively demonstrate the same bifurcation structure. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.     

Quantitative evaluation of mechanosensing of cells on dynamically tunable hydrogels

Thin hydrogel films based on an ABA triblock copolymer gelator [where A is pH-sensitive poly(2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDPA) and B is biocompatible poly(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC)] were used as a stimulus-responsive substrate that allows fine adjustment of the mechanical environment experienced by mouse myoblast cells. The hydrogel film elasticity could be reversibly modulated by a factor of 40 via careful pH adjustment without adversely affecting cell viability. Myoblast cells exhibited pronounced stress fiber formation and flattening on increasing the hydrogel elasticity. As a new tool to evaluate the strength of cell adhesion, we combined a picosecond laser with an inverted microscope and utilized the strong shock wave created by the laser pulse to determine the critical pressure required for cell detachment. Furthermore, we demonstrate that an abrupt jump in the hydrogel elasticity can be utilized to monitor how cells adapt their morphology to changes in their mechanical environment.     

Novel Carboxyl Esterase Preparations for the Resolution of Linalyl Acetate

 Biocatalytic resolution of the tertiary terpene alcohol (±)-linalool was accomplished via hydrolysis of its corresponding acetate ester using two highly enantiospecific enzymes (E > 100). The latter were identified in a crude cell-free extract of Rhodococcus ruber DSM 43338 and could be separated by (partial) protein purification. Since they showed opposite enantiopreference, they were termed (R)- and (S)-linalyl acetate hydrolase (LAH). The activity and selectivity of the enzyme preparations was markedly dependent on the fermentation conditions.     

Electrochemical Assay to Quantify the Hydroxyl Radical Scavenging Activity of Medicinal Plant Extracts

A new electrochemical assay has been developed which is based on quantifying the attack of OH^. radicals on a self‐assembled thiol monolayer on electrodes in the presence and absence of antioxidants. The OH^. radicals were produced in Fenton solutions. The radical scavengers diminish the concentration of the OH^. radicals in the Fenton solution, and the extent of thiol layer destruction is monitored with the help of a redox probe in solution, the signal of which is only generated at SAM‐free electrode surface. The results of the electrochemical assay were compared with those of the standard DPPH^. assay. In case of each plant extract, an excellent linear correlation was observed between the radical scavenging activity and the concentration of plant extracts; however, the scavenging properties of different plants strongly differ in the electrochemical and the DPPH^. assay. Since the proposed new method probes the reactivity of radical scavengers towards OH^., one of the most important reactive oxygen radicals in tissues, it is supposed to provide much more relevant information than the DPPH^. or other assays.     

Element determination in medieval soil samples by total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis

An aqua regia extraction procedure for heavy metals in soils optimised for total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis is presented. The procedure is applied to 92 soil samples of medieval layers from the city area of Dortmund. Sixteen elements (P, S, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Ag, Sn, and Pb) were used to characterise 17 sample sites. The results are projected onto the medieval urban structure of Dortmund. Two sites loaded with non-ferrous heavy metal could be detected and correlated with archaeological data. The efficiency and repeatability of the proposed extraction procedure is discussed.     

Standardization in allergen determination

An overview is given of sensitization and allergic reaction on food, along with minimal eliciting doses for selected allergens (milk, egg, peanut), followed by the legislative situation in the European Community, the USA, Canada, Australia/New Zealand and Japan. The main focus of the paper discusses methods for food allergen determination (chromatography, DNA-based, antibody-based) and their limitations. Special emphasis is given on antibody-based systems, which are at the moment the most advanced and validated methods available. Examples are given of the current status of standardization for egg, milk, nuts, prolamins, glutelins and for clinical validated reference samples from the EU project EuroPrevall. Recommendations for ongoing activities are also included.     

[3+2] Cycloadditions of Metallo Nitrile Ylides and Metallo Nitrile Imines with Metal Carbonyl,Thiocarbonyl, and Isocyanide Complexes: Heterodimetallic Systems with Bridging Heterocycles [1]

The reactions of [Re(CO)₆]⁺, [FeCp(CO)₂CS]⁺ and [FeCp(CNPh)₃]⁺ with the metallo nitrile ylides [M^–{C⁺=N–C^–(H)CO₂Et}(CO)₅]^– (M = Cr, W) and the chromio nitrile imine [Cr^–{C⁺=N–N^–H}(CO)₅]^– (generated by mono‐α‐deprotonation of the parent isocyanide complexes) to give neutral 5‐metallated 1,3‐oxazolin‐ ( 1 ), 1,3‐thiazolin‐ ( 2 ), imidazolin‐ ( 3 , 4 ), 1,3,4‐oxdiazolin‐ ( 5 ), 1,3,4‐thiadiazolin‐ ( 6 ) and 1,3,4‐triazolin‐2‐ylidene ( 8 ) chromium and tungsten complexes represent the first all‐organometallic versions of Huisgen’s 1,3‐dipolar cycloadditions. The formation of 6 and 8 is accompanied by partial decomposition to (OC)₅Cr–C≡N–FeCpL₂ {L = CO ( 7 ), CNPh ( 9 )}. The structures of 4a and 5 have been characterized by X‐ray diffraction.     

Investigation of the pharmacokinetics of celecoxib by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

A new method for the quantification of celecoxib in human plasma based on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mass spectrometry (MS) after liquid-liquid extraction is presented. The method is rapid, sensitive and highly selective. The retention time of celecoxib was 2.3 min. The limit of quantification was 5 microg/L. Rofecoxib was used as internal standard. After validation, the method was used to study the pharmacokinetic profile of celecoxib following administration of a single oral dose (200 mg) in 12 healthy volunteers. Since celecoxib should be metabolized primarily by cytochrome 2C9 (CYP2C9), a poor metabolizer (PM) for this cytochrome P450 enzyme was included in the study. Pharmacokinetic characteristics (mean +/- SD) of extensive metabolizers (EM) were t(max) 2.9+/-1.2h, c(max) 842+/-280 microg/L, AUC(infinity) 6246+/-2147 microg h/L and t(1/2) 7.8+/-2.7h. The area under the curve (AUC(infinity)) for the PM was 12561 microg h/L. However, we found no noticeable increase in half life in the PM (11.5 h) after a single dose of celecoxib.     

Chiral capillary electrophoresis: facts and fiction on the reproducibility of resolution with randomly substituted cyclodextrins

Comparative enantioseparation of the enantiomers of 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diyl hydrogen phosphate was performed with cyclodextrin (CD)-modified capillary electrophoresis (CE). Two single isomers, beta-CD, heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-CD (TM-beta-CD), and heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-CD (DM-beta-CD) of 98% purity as well as heptakis(2,3-di-O-acetyl)-beta-CD were used and compared in terms of resolution power to randomly methylated and corresponding acetylated beta-CDs, which were synthesized in our laboratory. The methylated ones were characterized by means of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-(MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. By testing defined mixtures of single isomers and comparing their resolution power to randomly substituted CDs of similar degree of substitution we could show, that a simple characterization by the average molecular degree of substitution (DS) is not sufficient. In order to get reproducible results, a clearly defined substitution pattern is necessary, which is not given using randomly substituted CDs. Taken together, a validation of a chiral separation with "undefined" CD derivatives is almost impossible.