Preparation,Separation and Identification of Partially Methylated Alditol Acetates for use as Standards in Methylation Analysis

A procedure is described for a simple preparation that produces mixtures of a majority of the possible O-methylated alditol acetate derivatives of neutral monosaccharides. The derivatives can be used as standards to determine both the linkage positions and the precise identities of sugar constituents in cell wall poly-saccharides.     

Peculiarities of magnetic and spin effects in a biradical/stable radical complex (three-spin system). Theory and comparison with experiment

The field dependencies of biradical recombination probability in the presence of paramagnetic species with spins S(3) = 1 and S(3) = (1)/(2) have been calculated in the framework of the density matrix formalism. To describe the effect of the "third" spin on the spin evolution in biradical, we have also considered the spin exchange interaction between the added spin and one of the paramagnetic biradical centers. A characteristic feature of the calculated field dependencies is the existence of several extrema with positions and magnitudes depending on the signs and values of the exchange integrals in the system. The method proposed can be used to describe the effect of spin catalysis. It is shown that for the system with the third spin S(3) = 1 spin catalysis manifests itself stronger than in the case of spin S(3) = (1)/(2). The dependence of spin catalysis efficiency on the exchange interaction with the third spin has an extremum with position independent of the value of the spin added.     

Modeling magnetic field effects in multispin systems

A model is proposed for calculating magnetic field effects formed in a radical triad composed of a biradical and a paramagnetic particle. To describe the influence of the “third” spin on the spin evolution in a biradical, the electron spin exchange interaction of the added spin with one of the paramagnetic centers of the biradical has been considered. Calculating the field dependence of the recombination probability of the biradical-oxygen complex revealed both an increase in recombination probability earlier attributed to spin catalysis and the influence of the values and signs of the exchange interaction in the complex on the shape of the magnetic-field effect dependence. Calculation results are in agreement with the experimental data on the photolysis of 7,7’-dimethyl-silanorbornadiene in aerated and deaerated solution.     

Detection methods and performance criteria for genetically modified organisms

Detection methods for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are necessary for many applications, from seed purity assessment to compliance of food labeling in several countries. Numerous analytical methods are currently used or under development to support these needs. The currently used methods are bioassays and protein- and DNA-based detection protocols. To avoid discrepancy of results between such largely different methods and, for instance, the potential resulting legal actions, compatibility of the methods is urgently needed. Performance criteria of methods allow evaluation against a common standard. The more-common performance criteria for detection methods are precision, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, which together specifically address other terms used to describe the performance of a method, such as applicability, selectivity, calibration, trueness, precision, recovery, operating range, limit of quantitation, limit of detection, and ruggedness. Performance criteria should provide objective tools to accept or reject specific methods, to validate them, to ensure compatibility between validated methods, and be used on a routine basis to reject data outside an acceptable range of variability. When selecting a method of detection, it is also important to consider its applicability, its field of applications, and its limitations, by including factors such as its ability to detect the target analyte in a given matrix, the duration of the analyses, its cost effectiveness, and the necessary sample sizes for testing. Thus, the current GMO detection methods should be evaluated against a common set of performance criteria.     

Cyclization of Acetylenic Compounds

Cheap acetylene produced by a new process can compete with ethylene as a starting material for the large-scale production of a number of organic products. Hydroquinone and methylated hydroquinones, which are valuable industrial starting materials or intermediates, are obtained by catalytic cyclizations.