Sensitive and real-time fiber-optic-based surface plasmon resonance sensors for myoglobin and cardiac troponin I

A sensor to detect markers of cardiac muscle cell death at less than 3 ng ml⁻¹ and in less than 10 min has been achieved. This fiber-optic-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is being applied to detect myoglobin (MG) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in HEPES buffered saline solution. An in vivo sensor for the early detection of the onset of myocardial infarction (MI) will greatly enhance the patient care. MG and cTnI are two biological markers released from dying cardiac muscle cells during an MI, and their detection at biologically-relevant levels can be diagnostic of MI. Antibodies specific to an antigen of interest are attached to a carboxymethylated dextran layer on a gold SPR surface. With the method developed, the lower limit of detection (LOD) for MG is 2.9 ng ml⁻¹ at 25 °C. The biological level for MG reaches 15-30 ng ml⁻¹ in patient blood after myocardial damage. A Langmuir adsorption isotherm describes the binding well. For cTnI, a lower detection limit of 1.4 ng ml⁻¹ was achieved in preliminary tests. cTnI levels are in the range of 1-3 ng ml⁻¹ in patient blood after myocardial damage. The antibody reaction with the carboxymethylated dextran surface was optimized by modifying the reaction pH, the temperature, and the dextran chain length.     

Linear connections on the quantum plane

A general definition has been proposed recently of a linear connection and a metric in noncommutative geometry. It is shown that to within normalization there is a unique linear connection on the quantum plane and there is no metric.     

Simple cation-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography optimized to the measurement of metabolites in the effluents from perfused rat livers using refractive index and ultraviolet detectors

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method designed to analyse effluents from perfused organs is described. In the case of rat liver, compounds released by the liver are readily separated and quantitated, using a strong cation exchanger (Aminex HPX 87H), two detectors connected in series (ultraviolet detector at 210 nm and refractive index detector), and by optimizing the concentration of sulphuric acid in the mobile phase. Chromatographic conditions described in the present work enable the quantitation, in a single run, of metabolites derived from the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolysis, ketogenesis, adenine nucleotides catabolism and ethanol oxidation. The advantage of this method stems from its ease of implementation, sensitivity and flexibility.     

ESR study of second stage nickel chloride graphite intercalation compound

The temperature dependences of g-factor and linewidth of C_11,3NiCl_2,13 single crystals have been measured from 10 to 400 K. The data indicate that nickel ions in graphite behave at low temperatures like Ising ions, with a phase transition occurring at about 30 K.     

Reconstruction of the Ir(110) surface: A mixed faceted (1 × 3) and (1 × 1) structure

Time-of-flight scattering and recoiling spectrometry (TOF-SARS) has been used to show that the reconstructed Ir(110) surface, following annealing to 1400 ° C, consists primarily of domains of faceted (1 × 3) structures (with two missing first-layer rows and one missing second-layer row); the data are consistent with secondary domains of (1 × 1) structures (with no missing rows). This structure is determined from scans of (i) backscattering (BS) versus incidence angle , (ii) forwardscattering (FS) versus , and (iii) FS versus scattering angle Θ.     

Electrophoresis at elevated hydrostatic pressure of the multiheme hydroxylamine oxidoreductase

The behavior of the multiheme protein hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (HAO) in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was studied at hydrostatic pressures up to 3 kbar at 25 degrees C. Due to the limited working volume of the high pressure vessel, the electrophoresis cells were miniaturized. A microcell which accommodates 6 capillary gel tubes is described. Between 1 bar and 1.5 kbar the enzyme did not undergo structural changes detectable in the gel system. At approximately 2 kbar the active form of the enzyme was partially dissociated. At higher pressures, the enzyme was converted to forms which were irreversibly inactive and had a higher apparent molecular mass, suggesting aggregation or denaturation.     

On the structure of the disordered Bi2Te4O11 phase

The structure of the disordered metastable Bi₂Te₄O₁₁ phase has been investigated using both neutron powder diffraction and reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) modelling. The average structure, of fluorite-type (space group ), is characterized by very high Debye-Waller parameters, especially for oxygen. Whereas the cations form a fairly well-defined FCC lattice, the oxygen sublattice is very disordered. It is shown that the local order is similar to that present in the stable monoclinic Bi₂Te₄O₁₁ phase. Clear differences are observed for the intermediate range order. The present phase is analogous to the “anti-glass” phases reported by Trömel in other tellurium-based mixed oxides. However, whereas Trömel defines anti-glass as having long range order but no short range order, it is shown here that this phase is best described as an intermediate state between the amorphous and crystalline states, i.e. having short and medium range order similar to that of tellurite glasses and a premise of long range order with the cations only.     

Detection of unwanted protein-bound ligands by capillary zone electrophoresis: the case of hidden ligands that stabilize cholinesterase conformation

Detection, identification and characterization of compounds present in purified proteins and biopharmaceuticals are of central interest. As well as chemical remedies, proteins of pharmacological interest have to exhibit their nakedness to become therapeutic drugs. Cholinesterases (ChE) are enzymes of major importance for detoxification of poisonous esters. Likewise, ChE are characterized by the high catalytic efficiency of an active site positioned at the bottom of a deep gorge. The gorge can be partially or fully occupied by ligands, i.e., substrates and inhibitors that are currently used in affinity chromatography purification steps. Accordingly, a suitable method allowing to analyse the presence of unwanted ligands and its influence on the functional conformation and stability of these enzymes was essential. We have developed CZE approaches for that purpose. The factors causing discrepancies between data for thermal unfolding of ChE by electrophoretic and by calorimetric methods were investigated. The presence of unwanted hidden ligands bound to purified enzymes was first demonstrated. The incidence of these ligands was discussed. Altogether, our results raised several questions concerning the real conformation of the native state of enzymes. Finally, CZE was proved to be a pertinent tool to validate the conformity of purified enzymes to a status of biopharmaceutical.     

Synthesis of thiazolines linked to a difluoromethylphosphonate diester via dithioester chemistry

[reaction: see text] A two-step, high-yielding synthesis of delta(2)-thiazolines containing a difluoromethylphosphonate diester moiety has been devised using a building block approach. Racemic or chiral beta-amino alcohols and diols were coupled with methyl difluoro(diethoxyphosphono)dithioacetate to give predominantly the corresponding beta-hydroxythioamides, which were then cyclized to provide a series of novel substituted delta(2)-thiazolines.