Use of disposable open tubular ion exchange pre-columns for in-line clean-up of serum and plasma samples prior to capillary electrophoretic analysis of inorganic cations

A simple analytical system using disposable, open-tubular ion exchange clean-up precolumns coupled in-line to capillary electrophoresis for direct injection of biological samples is presented. The clean-up precolumns were prepared from fused silica capillaries by thermally initiated layer-by-layer polymerization of poly(butadiene-maleic acid) (PBMA) directly on the capillary wall. Typically, 6 cm long precolumns with 4-layers of PBMA were used for sample pretreatment. A robust and reproducible coupling between the precolumn (75 μm ID) and the analytical capillary (50 μm ID) was achieved using an inexpensive, commercially available low dead volume union. No extra dispersion of the analyte zones was observed. Proteins and other high molecular weight compounds from biological sample matrices were retained on the cation-exchanger sites of the precolumn, which eliminated their adsorption on analytical capillary walls and ensured stable electroosmotic flow and migration times of target analytes. Unretained small inorganic cations migrated freely into the analytical capillary for separation and detection. Applicability of the sample clean-up procedure was proved by determination of major inorganic cations in blood serum and plasma samples using capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection. Separations were performed in background electrolyte solution consisting of 15 mM L-arginine, 12.5 mM maleic acid, 3 mM 18-crown-6 at pH 5.5 and repeatabilities of migration times and peak areas were below 1.5% and 7.3%, respectively. Less than 1 μL of biological sample was required for injection.     

The Assembly‐Disassembly‐Organization‐Reassembly Mechanism for 3D‐2D‐3D Transformation of Germanosilicate IWW Zeolite

Hydrolysis of germanosilicate zeolites with the IWW structure shows two different outcomes depending on the composition of the starting materials. Ge‐rich IWW (Si/Ge=3.1) is disassembled into a layered material (IPC‐5P), which can be reassembled into an almost pure silica IWW on treatment with diethoxydimethylsilane. Ge‐poor IWW (Si/Ge=6.4) is not completely disassembled on hydrolysis, but retains some 3D connectivity. This structure can be reassembled into IWW by incorporation of Al to fill the defects left when the Ge is removed.     

Heterodiffusion of chromium and cobalt in liquid iron

The heterodiffusion has been studied by the method of stationary diffusion source. In that method the saturated radioactive vapour of the diffusing element comes into contact with the liquid in which diffusion is being studied. Two variants of that method were applied and the diffusion coefficients of chromium and cobalt in liquid iron were determined, i.e.D _{(Cr→Fe, 1860K)}= =4·9×10^?5cm²/s andD _{(Co→Fe, 1820K)}=5×10^?5cm²/s, respectively. The values of maximum concentration of chromium in Fe-samples after diffusion were of the order of 10^?1 to 10^?2 wt-%, those of cobalt of 10^?4 wt-%. This experimental method is rather simple and the results obtained are in good conformity with other measurements.     

An Ising model for the stress relaxation of solids

A kinetic theory of stress relaxation of solids as a cooperative process is proposed. The theory is based on a two-state model for the relaxation. It is shown that the conventional mean field approximation leads to an exponential dependence of the rate of stress relaxation on the stress while the multiplicative approximation of Vol'kenstein et al. leads to a power law. It is argued that the exponential law should be valid initially in the relaxation process while the power law is appropriate when the system is nearer equilibrium, which is in qualitative agreement with recent experimental findings.     

The effect of X-ray coherence on crystalline diffraction

The importance of respecting the coherent properties of X-rays in the physical interpretation of the profiles of the X-ray diffraction patterns is pointed out. Drawing the analogy between Young's experiment and two-atom X-ray scattering, the author applies the elementary theory of coherence, developed for light optics, to X-ray diffraction by a linear atomic lattice. As his considerations concerning the effect of coherence on diffraction by such a lattice are impossible to verify experimentallly, he tests their correctness by spectrographical measurements of the width of an optical grating diffraction line under different coherence and experimental conditions. The paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr. A. Vaíek, Professor of the J. E. Purkyn University in Brno, who died on November 16, 1966.     

Application of dilatometric analysis to the study of autoclaved calcium silicate materials

The process of shrinkage of calcium silicate hydrate was investigated by dilatometry up to 350 °C. The properties of this material are based on the formation of C–S–H phases during the reaction at temperatures between 180 and 205 °C and water vapor pressure lower than 16 bars. The main C–S–H phases are 11.3 Å tobermorite and xonotlite. 11.3 Å tobermorite converts to 9.3 Å tobermorite on air at temperatures around 300 °C. The hydrosilicate materials were prepared from quicklime and finely ground sand with different CaO/SiO₂ ratios under different hydrothermal conditions. The reaction time was 24 h. Materials based on xonotlite and tobermorite were produced, and the calcium silicate phases were characterized by XRD and TG/DTA methods. Dilatometry measurements were used to study the effect of heating conditions on sample shrinkage. Dehydration of hydrated calcium silicate minerals occurred during heating. The results show that sample shrinkage is dependent on the type and amount of C–S–H phases, the amount of bound water and formation of 9.3 Å tobermorite. All samples showed shrinkage after heating up to 350 °C, but this change was not irreversible for all samples after cooling to room temperature.

     

Current trends in isolation, separation, determination and identification of isoflavones: a review

Isoflavones are natural substances which elicit a number of physiological effects in living organisms. The substances are synthesized in plant tissues as protective agents against biotic stress (i. e. bacterial infection). Isoflavones are also an important dietary constituent in human nutrition. Modern trends in studies of isoflavones in plant materials and foodstuffs and procedures for chemical analyses of isoflavones in human body fluids and plant tissues are discussed in this review. Highly effective extraction and purification techniques, i. e. solid-phase extraction, accelerated-solvent extraction, and Soxhlet extraction, are presented. Latest procedures in chromatographic separation of isoflavones that apply different types of sorbents are described. Immunochemical analysis, electrochemical sensing of isoflavones, and spectrometric and other analytical techniques and their applications are also mentioned. Special attention is paid to the highly selective and sensitive technique of mass spectrometry and its application for identification of isoflavones and their glucosides in plants. Studies of interactions of isoflavones with cell receptors and a number of biologically active substances such as DNA and proteins are described. The review does not intend to give a complete overview of the topics considered but rather to present modern and most recent methods used in studies of isoflavones.     

Hyperfine interactions in nanocrystallized NANOPERM-type metallic glass containing Mo

NANOPERM-type alloy with chemical composition Fe₇₆Mo₈CuB₁₅ was studied by combination of ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and ⁵⁷Fe(¹⁰B, ¹¹B) nuclear magnetic resonance in order to determine distribution of hyperfine magnetic fields and evolution of relative concentration of Fe-containing crystalline phases within the surface layer and the volume of the nanocrystallized ribbons with annealing temperature. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed two crystallization stages at T_x1 ～ 510 ^°C and T_x2 ～ 640 ^°C, connected to precipitation of α-Fe and Fe(Mo,B) nanocrystals, respectively. The amorphous and partially crystalline state was obtained by annealing at several temperatures in the range 510-650 ^°C. The combination of conversion electron (CEMS) and transmission Mössbauer spectrometry (TMS) showed that annealing induces crystallization starting from both surfaces of the ribbons. For the as-quenched sample, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and CEMS revealed significant differences in the “air” and “wheel” sides of the ribbons, crystallites were preferentially formed at the latter. While SEM micrographs of annealed samples showed various mean diameters of the crystals at opposite sides of the ribbons, the amounts of crystalline volume derived from the CEMS spectra approximately equaled. Mössbauer spectra of annealed samples contained narrow sextet ascribed to crystalline α-Fe phase, three sextets with distribution of hyperfine field assigned to the interface regions of the nanocrystals and the contribution of the amorphous phases. In-field TMS performed at 4.2 K with magnetic moments aligned by external magnetic field enabled to properly determine in particular the contribution of the amorphous phases in the samples. Resulting distributions of the hyperfine fields were compared with ⁵⁷Fe(¹⁰B, ¹¹B) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra.