DNA microarray: a high throughput approach for methylation detection

We described a DNA microarray-based method combined with bisulphite treatment of DNA and regular PCR to examine hyper-methylation in promoter 1A of APC gene. A set of oligonucleotide probes were designed and immobilized on the aldehyde-coated glass slides for detecting the methylation pattern of 15 selected CpG sites in the region. The methylation status of 30 colorectal tumor samples have been examined by both of methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR) and the present microarray method. The methylation pattern of the 15 CpG sites for the samples have been obtained with the microarray. A total of 19 samples out of 30 were methylated by microarray, in which five samples cannot be detected by MS-PCR due to the methylated CpG patterns not accordant to the MS-PCR primers. The detecting ratio for methylation of APC gene of colorectal tumor samples increased from 46.7% with MS-PCR to 63.3% with the microarray, which successfully demonstrated that DNA microarray-based method not only can obtained the methylation patterns for the related genes, but also decrease the false-negative results of methylation status by the conventional MS-PCR for the investigated genes.     

Vinyl-polymerization of norbornene with novel anilido–imino nickel complexes/methylaluminoxane: Abnormal influence of polymerization temperature on molecular weight of polynorbornenes

Herein reported are investigations of norbornene polymerization by novel anilido–imino nickel complexes [(Ar¹NCHC₆H₄NAr²)NiBr]₂ (Ar¹ = Ar² = 2,6-dimethylphenyl, 1; Ar¹ = 2,6-dimethylphenyl, Ar² = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, 2; Ar¹ = Ar² = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, 3; Ar¹ = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, Ar² = 2,6-dimethylphenyl, 4) activated with methylaluminoxane (MAO). It was found that at polymerization temperatures below 50 °C, the average molecular weights of the obtained polynorbornenes catalyzed by these four catalytic systems increase with raising temperature, displaying bimodal distribution in GPC curves. The abnormal influence of polymerization temperature could be attributed to the existence of two kinds of catalytic species: heterobimetallic species LNi(II)(μ-Me)₂AlMe₂ (I) and monometallic species LNi(II)Me (II) (L = anilido–imino ligand) at lower temperature. The former affords a lower molecular weight polymer and the latter higher molecular weight one. With raising polymerization temperature above 50 °C, the species I disappears and only species II exists in polymerization systems, resulting in a normal relation of molecular weight to polymerization temperature. From a kinetic study of the norbornene polymerization catalyzed by 1/MAO catalyst at 70 °C, the polymerization rate (R_p) can be expressed by the formulation: R_p = k[NBE]^1.93[Ni]^0.88. Moreover, the mechanism of the norbornene polymerization using the anilido–imino nickel complexes activated with MAO is also presented and discussed.     

Crystal structure and luminescence property of ternary terbium p-aminobenzoic acid complexes with different second ligands

Ternary terbium complexes with p-aminobenzoic acid (HL), [TbL₃(DMSO)(H₂O)]₂ (1), [TbL₃(DMF)(H₂O)]₂ (2) and [TbL₃(Bpy)(H₂O)]₂·2H₂O (3) (DMSO=dimethyl sulfoxide, DMF=N, N- dimethylformamide, Bpy=2, 2′- bipyridyl) have been synthesized, and their crystal structures determined. The luminescence properties of these complexes, including both the emission quantum yield and the fluorescence lifetime, have been investigated. The effect of a second ligand on the crystal structure and luminescence property of the ternary terbium p-aminobenzoic acid complexes, and the relationship between luminescence properties and crystal structure, including coordination mode of the L⁻ ligand and the characteristics of a second ligand, are discussed.     

A Novel Nano-Sensor Based on Rhodamine-β-Isothiocyanate – Doped Silica Nanoparticle for pH Measurement

A novel and simple enzymatic method for the determination of trace cyanide in marine fish is presented. This method is based on the conversion of metal-cyanide complexes by a fungal enzyme extract containing cyanide hydratase (E.C. 4.2.1.66; CyHT) and formamidase (E.C. 3.5.1.49) into formate and ammonia. The formate produced in the sample pretreated with the fungal enzymes was measured by adding formate dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.2.1.2; FDH) and excess NAD⁺. The NADH formed accordingly was monitored at 340nm. The cyanide calibration curve was found to be linear in the range of 10–100µM, and the detection limit was 1.1µM (0.0286ppm). The proposed biotest was successfully applied to the determination of trace cyanide in a tropical marine food fish species (Russells Snapper (Lutjamus russellii)) which had been exposed to cyanide.     

Aqueous p-nitrotoluene oxidation induced with direct glow discharge plasma

A plasma induced degradation process has been studied to treat 4-nitrotoluene (4-NT) present as an aqueous pollutant. The plasma was locally generated from a glow discharge around a tip of a platinum anode in an electrolytic solution. The influence of initial pH and Fe²⁺ on the degradation was examined. Major intermediates resulting from the degradation process were identified. Amongst the aromatic intermediates, p-hydroxybenzoic acid was the predominant degradation product. The formation of oxalic acid, malic acid was also observed. The final products of degradation were NH ₄ ⁺ , NO ₃ ⁻ and CO₂. Based on the analysis of intermediates and the kinetic considerations, the degradation was shown to follow a pseudo-first order reaction hence, a possible reaction pathway was proposed.     

Fluorescence ratiometric pH sensor prepared from covalently immobilized porphyrin and benzothioxanthene

A fluorescence ratiometric sensor for pH determination is described in this paper. The sensor incorporated the pH-sensitive dye meso-5,10,15,20-tetra-(4-allyloxyphenyl)porphyrin (TAPP) as an indicator and a pH-insensitive dye N-(2-methacryloxyethyl)benzo[k,l]thioxanthene-3,4-dicarboximide (MBTD), a benzothioxanthene derivative, as a reference for fluorescence ratiometric measurement. To prevent leakage of the dyes, both were photocopolymerized with acrylamide, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate on the silanized glass surface. The reproducibility and response time of the prepared sensor were sufficient. Most common coexisting inorganic ions and organic compounds did not interfere with pH sensing. In the acidic pH range from 1.5 to 5.0 the fluorescence intensity ratio of the two dyes varied linearly as a function of pH. The sensing membrane was found to have a lifetime of at least one month. The sensor was applied to the analysis of waste water and artificial samples.     

SPME-GC-MSD for Determination of Nine Phenyl Compounds in Snow Water in Beijing China

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) then capillary gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection have been used for determination of nine phenyl compounds in snow water in Beijing City. Headspace extraction with a fiber coated with 100 µm PDMS was used to extract the compounds. Extraction and desorption times were optimized at 8 and 2 min, respectively. Relative standard deviation (RSD) of the analytical method was found to be less than 5%. The linear range was wide and limits of detection were less than 5 ng mL⁻¹ for the nine target analytes. Several phenyl compounds at ng mL⁻¹ levels were detected in snow samples in Beijing, indicating the corresponding air pollution.     

Synthesis,structure, and thermal decomposition of a novel one-dimensional chain complex of manganese(II) with 2,2-diphenic acid and 1,10-phenanthroline

A novel one-dimensional (1D) chain coordination polymer [Mn₂(2,2′-dipha)₂(phen)]_n has been synthesized by hydrothermal reaction, and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, TGA, and X-ray diffraction. Orange crystals crystallized in the monoclinic system, space group C2/c with a = 19.393(7) Å, b = 19.183(7) Å, c = 19.729(7) Å, β = 90.826(6)°, V = 7338(5) ų, Z = 8. In the crystal structure, one manganese atom is six-coordinated with four carboxylate oxygen atoms from one pentadentate 2,2′-dipha ligand and two tetradentate 2,2′-dipha ligands, and with two nitrogen atoms of one phen ligand, giving a slightly distorted octahedral geometry. The other manganese atom is five-coordinated with five oxygen atoms from two tetradentate 2,2′-dipha ligands and two pentadentate 2,2′-dipha ligands and has a trigonal bipyramidal environment. The TGA curve shows that the compound is stable below 310°.     

Sm2Fe17合金的氢化-歧化过程演化

通过X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)和能谱分析(EDX)等手段重点研究了Sm2Fe17合金在氢化-歧化过程中的相组成、相的变化以及微观结构的演化规律。研究表明：在0．1MPa的H2气氛下，Sm2Fe17合金首先吸氢；400℃时合金出现部分脱氢现象；在T≥500℃逐渐开始歧化为SmHx和α—Fe，同时生成了大量的微晶或非晶组织；随着温度的升高，合金中的微晶非晶逐渐晶化，750℃时晶化完全，晶粒长大至20～100nm。通过对Sm2Fe17合金的氢化一歧化过程研究，建立了该过程的微观结构变化规律的物理模型。     

小分子阿特拉津和罂粟碱检测的免疫芯片技术研究

采用蛋白芯片竞争法对小分子半抗原的污染物进行检测。在获得特异性抗体的前提下,首先将阿特拉津半抗原进行了衍生化,然后将该衍生物和氨基罂粟碱分别与载体蛋白质卵清蛋白(OVA)进行偶联。实验证明新合成的完全抗原能够与其相应抗体发生特异性的结合。实验还对蛋白芯片检测阿特拉津进行了条件优化,其抗体固定化时间为2h,用卵清蛋白为封闭液的封闭时间为1h,样品稀释液pH值为8．0。并对阿特拉津及罂粟碱进行了定性、定量实验,结果表明：荧光信号强度随待测物浓度的降低而增强,有一定的线性趋势,阿特拉津检出限为0．001mg/L,罂粟碱检出限为0．01mg/L。