Optimization Strategy for Isocratic Separation of α-Aspartame and Its Breakdown Products by Reversed Phase Liquid Chromatography

α-Aspartame (L-α-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester) is increasingly being used in wide variety of commonly consumed food products. This structure contains ester and peptide bonds. The ester linkage may hydrolyze to produce L-α-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine or cyclohydrolyze to produce the corresponding diketopiperazine ring. This ring can open to form L-α-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine and ultimately this compound can hydrolyze to L-phenylalanine and L-aspartic acid. The pH, buffer type, concentration, the presence of water and temperature are other important factors affecting its stability. Because α-aspartame can lose its sweetness under these conditions determination of aspartame and its breakdown products is extremely important for diet foods quality. The optimum mobile phase for the chromatographic separation was found to be acetonitrile-water (20:80, ν/ν) with 5.10^?3 M hexanesulfonic acid and a pH of 2.6.     

An integrated coupled column liquid chromatography system for the determination of leukotriene metabolites in biological samples

Summary A fully integrated chromatographic system was developed for the determination of leukotrienes in biological samples using photodiode-array detection (PDAD), which eliminates time consuming manual sample handling steps. A special solid phase extraction, (SPE) methodology for leucotriene metabolite stability was developed which increased the recoveries and eliminates the contamination risk of biological samples. The inherent instability (autooxidation) of many of the leukotriene mediators, and the adsorption effects onto exposed surfaces in vials and in the chromatographic system were found to be very important parameters to control in order to circumvent high loss of sample analytes. By binding the cell supernatants to the functionalities of the SPE support stabilised these mediators. Cell culture samples were eluted through a disposable C₁₈ SPE column. The SPE columns were allowed to thaw and deposited in an automated sample handling unit (ASPEC XL). Desorption of the analytes was followed by a second on-line SPE step, to eliminate remaining interfering matrix compounds. Typical recoveries when stored at −70°C were in-between 55–97% except for (LTE₄) which was found to be around 40% after 72 days of storage. Seven reversed-phase packings were studied. Selectivity factors, as well as the separation efficiencies, were found to differ for the various C₁₈ bonded silica stationary phases. This integrated on-line column liquid chromatographic system was applied to the determination of leukotriene B₄, leukotriene C₄, leukotriene D₄, leukotriene and E₄ in human cell extracts using prostaglandin B₂ as the internal standard. More than 1500 biological samples were analysed. Some validation data are presented for unattended operations.     

Selective spectrophotometric determination of TNT in soil and water with dicyclohexylamine extraction

Contaminated land and groundwater remediation in military waste dumping sites often necessitates the use of simple, cost-effective, and rapid tests for detecting trinitrotoluene (TNT) residues in the field along with their dinitro-analogues. A simple, rapid, low-cost, and field-adaptable (on-site) colorimetric method was developed for quantifying TNT in the presence of RDX, PETN, picric acid, 2,4-DNT (dinitrotoluene), dinitrophenol, and dinitroaniline. Most commercialized methods for TNT assay-with the exception of Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory of the U.S. Army (CRREL) method-use proprietary chemicals, and the color stability and intensity are highly dependent on the composition of the organic solution comprised of acetone or methanol. The developed colorimetric method is based on the extraction of TNT from water-acetone solution into an organic solvent mixture of dicyclohexylamine (DCHA)-isobutyl methyl ketone (IBMK) (10:1, v/v), filtration through a filter paper into a stoppered optical cell containing anhydrous sodium sulfate, and measurement of the absorbance of the organic extract at 531 nm after 5 min. The red-violet color of the extract was due to intermolecular charge-transfer (CT) between the electron attracting TNT and electron-donating DCHA, and the molar absorptivity for TNT in final organic solution was (1.16 ± 0.02) × 10⁴ L mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹.The R.S.D. of the slope of calibration line was 0.7%. The LOD of the method in the final organic phase was 0.38 μM TNT, and LOD values expressed on the basis of original soil TNT content were 0.5, 1.3, and 1.5 ppm (μg g⁻¹) for clay, loamy clay, and sandy soils, respectively. Unlike other spectrophotometric methods, the developed assay was basically tolerant to common cations and anions found in soil and water at 100-fold weight ratios, and to soil humic acids. Among a number of compounds that may be encountered in polynitro-explosive storage and waste reclaimation sites such as picric acid, dinitrophenol, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, dinitroaniline, RDX, PETN, and tetryl, only tetryl interfered with the developed TNT assay. Water tolerance and exploitability over a wide pH range were other superiorities over the CRREL method. The CT-complex was relatively stable, as the absorbance of the organic extract was not significantly influenced from the dilution of the water-acetone phase. Aside from the extractive-photometric procedure established for aqueous solutions, a simulated field colorimetric assay for TNT directly applicable to soil was also devised, based on direct color development in a 4:1 (v/v) acetone-dicyclohexylamine organic extract of soil at a liquid-to-solid ratio of 5 mL g⁻¹.     

Application of Compton scattering normalization method to the analysis of uranium ore

Compton scattering normalization method is described for the analysis of uranium bearing ore respect to the usage of K X-rays of uranium. Minimum backscatter energy is obtained at a scatter angle of 180° with fixed point source geometry and collimation in appropriate conclusions. By normalizing the intensities of uranium K-lines to the Compton profile in the measured spectra, the results do not depend on several measuring parameters such as primary radiation intensity, matrix, composition, mass of the sample and measuring time. The method presented in this study indicates the convenience of uranium K-lines analysis for thick targets with an adequate measuring geometry.     

Vibrational Spectroscopic Studies on the Hofmann Type Clathrates: M(1,6-diaminohexane)Ni(CN) 4 .G (M = Co, Ni or Cd; G = chlorobenzene, 1,2-, 1,3- or 1,4-dichlorobenzene)

New Hofmann-diaminohexane(dahxn)-type clathrates of the form M(1,6-dahxn)Ni(CN)₄.G (M = Co, Ni or Cd; G = chlorobenzene, 1,2-, 1,3 or 1,4-dichlorobenzene) were prepared inpowder form and their infrared spectra are reported. The spectral data suggest that these compounds are similar in structure to those of the Hofmann-diam-type clathrates. Their structure consists of planar polymeric layers, {M–Ni(CN)₄}, formedfrom Ni(CN)₄ anions coordinated to the bridging 1,6-diaminohexane molecules bound directly to the metal (M). The M atoms are bound to four N atoms of the CN ions and, the Ni atoms are surrounded by four C atoms of the CN groups in a square-planar layer.     

Study on labeling conditions of125I-synkavit by the iodogen method

Labeling conditions of synkavit (2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinol disodium phosphate) with iodine-125 have been studied. In this study, labeling temperature, reaction time, successive using of iodogen coated tubes, iodogen amount and synkavit concentrations have been determined to get optimum conditions for maximum labeling. Final results showed that when the labeling temperature, reaction time, synkavit concentration, and iodogen amount were, at room temperature, 15 min (in the case of successive using of three iodogen coated tubes), 2 mg ml^–1 and 5 mg, respectively; labeling yield was 90% and specific activities of the order of 555 GBq mmol^–1 (15 Ci mmol^–1) have been obtained.     

Radiometric titration based on colloidal and slow precipitate formation

Fluoride ions and, in about 0.005M concentration, tungstate ions form gelatinous precipitates, poorly soluble in water, with calcium ions. The radiometric determinations of the above ions are based on these reactions. Accurate radiometric determination can be carried out only if the gelatinous precipitate formed during titration can be properly separated from the solution. It has been found that in the case of fluoride ions the application of crystalline, easily filtrable Ca(COO)₂·H₂O or CaCO₃, and in the case of tungstate ions the application of CaWO₄ precipitate improves the filtration properties of⁴⁵CaF₂ and⁴⁵CaWO₄, respectively, formed during titration, whereby the radiometric determinations of the above ions become possible. Titrations were carried out with 0.05M and 0.005M CaCl₂ solutions, labelled with⁴⁵Ca.     

Microemulsion photopolymerization of methacrylates stabilized with sodium dodecyl sulfate and poly(N-acetylethylenimine) macromonomers

Methyl methacrylate and butyl methacrylate were polymerized in oil-in-water microemulsions that were stabilized by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). A poly(N-acetylethylenimine) (PNAEI) macromer was also included in the recipe, as a cosurfactant and a comonomer. Polymerizations were initiated by UV-irradiation. The average diameters of latex particles, obtained by STM, were in the range of 17-200 nm. The experimental data evidenced that the particle size was mainly dependent on the SDS/PNAEI ratio. Polymerization yields were around 75-85%. The synthesized copolymers have viscosity average molecular weights in the range of 2.1-2.4×10⁶ and glass transition temperatures of 38.0-43.5°C, lower than those obtained without using PNAEI. The investigation by means of FTIR and 1H-NMR techniques revealed that PNAEI was incorporated into the nanoparticles.     

Analysis of aerosols at the bosporus bridge of Istanbul

Air samples collected at the second Bosporus bridge of Istanbul which carries a heavy traffic load between Asia and Europe, were analyzed for 22 elements by the INAA method. Pb, Cd and Fe concentrations in the samples were determined by AAS. Iron concentrations were used as a cross check between the two methods. In order to define the enrichment factors for the elements in the bridge area, a sample collected from our university campus which can be considered as a rural site, was also analyzed. Differences were observed especially for Br, Al, Mg, Ti, Cu and Na between the two sites. Based on the results of the samples from the bridge, we got a value of 0.58(16) for the Br/Pb-ratio.     

On the construction of least favourable pairs of distributions

Summary Convex programming techniques were used by Witting and Krafft in [4] in order to reduce a testing problem for composite hypotheses to one for simple hypotheses. This is realized in terms of least favourable pairs of distributions, which represent the solution of the dual of a suitable program. Without further assumptions on the hypotheses, however, the results, derived that way (cf. Baumann [1], Österreicher [6] and Kusolitsch and Österreicher [5]), are of less practical impact. This is due to the fact that in this case the least favourable pairs depend on the level of the testing problem. Conditions avoiding this, were given by Huber and Strassen in [3]. These conditions make use of 2-alternating capacities in the sense of Choquet. The present paper offers a rather general principle of constructing the least favourable distribution in the case, when one of the two hypotheses is simple. This method works also for the local variation model and the Prohorov neighbourhood model in the case of monotone likelyhood ratio. For simple cases—subsuming the gross error model and the total variation model, for which the solution was given by Huber in [2]—a least favourable pair is obtained by using the mentioned technique of construction two times successively.