Amino acid profiling using HRGC-FTIR oftert.-Butyldimethylsilyl derivatives

Summary The use of N, O (S)-tert.-Butyldimethylsilyl derivatives of amino acids for capillary gas chromatography and FTIR identification of amino acids is described. Rapid identification is achieved by computerised comparison of FTIR spectra. Derivatives that are characterised by identical sets of ions in gas chromatography-mass spectrometry experiments are clearly distinguished and identified by means of their infrared spectra. This, for example, is the case with alanine, -alanine and sarcosine, which norvaline and valine, and with norleucine, leucine and isoleucine. Unknows are also promptly detected. This is especially useful in screening biological samples for less common amino acids. Screening of hemoglogin hydrolysates for amino acid adducts is exemplified.Presented at the 17th International Symposium on Chromatography, September 25–30, 1988, Vienna, Austria.     

Calibration of the LNMRI Secondary Standard Ionization Chamber for 131I capsules used in nuclear medicine

The radionuclide ¹³¹I has been increasingly used in nuclear medicine therapy procedures. Nowadays, the ¹³¹I source administered to the patient is manufactured in two different geometries: solution and capsules. The purpose of this study is the accurate measurement of the activity present in a ¹³¹I capsule without destroys it. The methodology to determine the capsules activity is to obtain the calibration factor of an IG12 secondary standard activity measurement system based on the IG12 well-type ionization chamber set up at Brazilian national metrology laboratory for ionizing radiation (LNMRI) of institute of radiation protection and dosimetry (IRD).The result obtained, 6.4670?±?0.0381?×?10^?18?A?Bq^?1, is quite similar to the calibration factor of the ¹³¹I solution contained in the standard ampoule geometry, 6.4515?±?0.0368?×?10^?18?A?Bq^?1. After obtaining the calibration factor it was used to measure ¹³¹I therapy capsules in order to check the performance of radionuclide calibrators of some Brazilian nuclear medicine centers.     

SnCl<Subscript>2</Subscript>-catalyzed synthesis of carbamates from renewable origin alcohols

Effects of structure and reactivity of renewable origin alcohols in the conversion and selectivity of the SnCl₂-catalyzed reactions in the presence and absence of urea were assessed. Convenient simple and suitable method for the synthesis of carbamates from renewable origin alcohols and urea in one-step are provided. We have assessed the activity of SnCl₂ catalyst, a commercially affordable Lewis acid, in reactions of urea alcoholysis with different natural origin alcohols (geranyl, neryl, bornyl, cinnamyl, α-terpinyl and benzyl alcohols), aiming to synthesize carbamates, which are biologically active compounds, building blocks in organic synthesis and raw material to synthesize polyurethanes. The low cost of urea, the water tolerant catalyst and phosgene free reaction are positive aspects of this carbamates synthesis process. The different reaction pathways were assessed. A mechanism was proposed based on FT-IR experiments and experimental data.     

Survival schedules and the estimation of the basic reproduction number ($${{\varvec{R}}}_{0}$$) without the assumption of extreme cases

Closed form expressions for the estimation of \(\hbox {R}_{0}\) in age structured populations have been derived by making assumptions about the mortality of host populations. In general, these mortality assumptions tend to be unrealistic when compared with the survival schedules of most natural populations. Here, I review important results for the estimation of \(\hbox {R}_{0}\) when the force of infection is constant and age independent in age structured host populations. I also present the details of a simple method for \(\hbox {R}_{0}\) estimation that can use data on the age structure of a host population derived from cross-sectional epidemiological studies, provided a few but clearly stated assumptions are met. I illustrate the method using data from a cross-sectional study about cutaneous leishmaniasis exposure in dogs from an endemic rural village in Panamá and compare \(\hbox {R}_{0}\) estimates based on closed form expressions and using a smoothed survival schedule. Finally, the use of the smoothed survival schedule provided an R\(_{0}\) estimate bounded by those obtained using closed form expressions that make extreme assumptions about mortality.     

Ethylene‐vinyl alcohol copolymers partially modified with benzoate groups: Study of their polymorphic behavior

The crystalline structure exhibited by terpolymers obtained through chemical modification with benzoyl chloride from an ethylene‐vinyl alcohol copolymer with a molar fraction in vinyl alcohol of 68%, EVOH68, has been studied by either wide angle X‐ray diffraction or small angle X ray scattering experiments and differential scanning calorimetry. The type of crystal lattice developed has been found to be strongly dependent on modification degree and thermal history. A highly‐disordered crystalline lattice with very small crystallites has been found for the quenched specimen with the highest benzoate content while the rest of fast cooled samples crystallized into an orthorhombic lattice. On the other hand, a monoclinic crystal cell has been observed in the slowly cooled specimens with low benzoate incorporation. At the last given thermal treatment, this monoclinic lattice evolves and seems to be transformed into an orthorhombic‐like crystal for the terpolymer with the highest modification ratio. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1026–1036, 2007     

Natural lycopene from Blakeslea trispora: all-trans lycopene thermochemical and structural properties

Structural and thermal properties of all-trans lycopene are described in the present paper. Different crystalline lycopene samples obtained from fermentation process and recrystallized lycopene were analyzed. Structural properties (NMR, mass spectrometry and powder X-ray diffraction) of lycopene were clarified with recent techniques. High purity sample analysis by differential scanning calorimetry was used to study thermal behavior of pure lycopene and with traces of isomers. But also this was correlated with HPLC method for determine lycopene purity and isomers in low proportion.     

Application of HPLC-PBMS to the identification of unknown components in a triterpenoid fraction of Arbutus unedo fruits

An extract fraction fruits of Arbutus unedo, L., was cleaned-up by column chromatography and shown by NMR to be a mixture of isomers that resists further attempts at separation by conventional chromatographic methods. High resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HRGC-MS) confirms the presence of triter-penoid isomers but does not allow separation of all the components. This can be improved by trimethylsilylation but the absence of molecular ions and the complex spectra are difficult to interpret. Complete separation can be achieved by high pressure liquid chro-matography (HPLC) coupled to a mass spectrometer by means of a particle beam interface (HPLC-PBMS). Four triterpene com-pounds are identified through analysis of the corresponding mass spectra: α-amyrin, β-amyrin, and Lupeol, have for the first time been identified in Arbutus unedo, L. Fruits. A new natural triterpene tentatively identified as olean-12-en-3β, 23-diol is described for the first time.     

Multifunctional Small Molecules as Potential Anti-Alzheimer’s Disease Agents

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a severe multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive loss of neurons in the brain. Despite research efforts, the pathogenesis and mechanism of AD progression are not yet completely understood. There are only a few symptomatic drugs approved for the treatment of AD. The multifactorial character of AD suggests that it is important to develop molecules able to target the numerous pathological mechanisms associated with the disease. Thus, in the context of the worldwide recognized interest of multifunctional ligand therapy, we report herein the synthesis, characterization, physicochemical and biological evaluation of a set of five (1a–e) new ferulic acid-based hybrid compounds, namely feroyl-benzyloxyamidic derivatives enclosing different substituent groups, as potential anti-Alzheimer’s disease agents. These hybrids can keep both the radical scavenging activity and metal chelation capacity of the naturally occurring ferulic acid scaffold, presenting also good/mild capacity for inhibition of self-Aβ aggregation and fairly good inhibition of Cu-induced Aβ aggregation. The predicted pharmacokinetic properties point towards good absorption, comparable to known oral drugs.     

Self-chemical ionization of diethylzinc

The self-chemical ionization of diethylzinc is examined by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry and semiempirical molecular orbital calculations. Electron impact of diethylzinc neutral produces the radical cation, C(4)H(15)Zn(+) (m/z x 122), which reacts further with the neutral (C(2)H(5))(2)Zn to give the following product ions: Zn(+) (m/z x 64), C(2)H(5)Zn(+) (m/z x 93), C(4)H(9)Zn(+) (m/z x 121), C(4)H(11)Zn(2)(+) (m/z x 187), and C(6)H(15)Zn(2)(+) (m/z x 215). To determine the structure and pathways for production of these ions, monoisotopic (12)C(4)H(15)(64)Zn(+), (64)Zn(+) and (12)C(2)H(5)(64)Zn(+) were individually isolated and reacted with the neutral background. We also performed semiempirical molecular orbital calculations (ZINDO/1). The molecular orbital calculations and experimental data are consistent in predicting that the ethyl group on the diethylzinc cation carries the positive charge. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.