Optical biosensor with dispersion compensation

Dispersion limits performance in many optical systems. In surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors, the sensing area is an optical element in which the dispersion depends on the effective refractive index of the biochemical compounds to be measured. We report a method of compensating for wavelength dispersion in SPR biosensors employing two integrated diffractive optical coupling elements in a polymer substrate. The dispersion compensation is achieved over the whole dynamic measurement range and provides a biosensor more robust to wavelength fluctuations than prism-coupler SPR systems. The concept can readily be employed in other types of sensor measuring refractive-index changes.     

Analysis of lipid peroxidation kinetics. 1. Role of recombination of alkyl and peroxyl radicals

The kinetics of the lipid peroxidation reaction is only partly understood. Although the set of reactions constituting the overall reaction are believed to be known, it has not been possible to predict how the reaction will respond to a change of one or more of the parameters, e.g., initial concentrations of reactants or different ways of initiating the reaction, nor has it been possible to predict the time dependence of the products. The reason for these problems is the complicated structure of the kinetic scheme, which includes a chain reaction. In this work we perform an in-depth analysis of the importance of the individual reaction steps, and we introduce a new quasi-stationary concentration method based on the assumption that one or more concentrations vary much slower than the others. We show that it is justified to use a quasi-stationary concentration approximation for the alkyl radical L (*), but not for the peroxyl radicals LO 2 (*) as assumed in previous works. The method allows us to derive manageable analytical expressions. On the basis of literature values of the rate constants, we are able to introduce specific simplifications that allow us to obtain simple analytical expressions for the time dependence of all concentrations involved in the process.     

Relationship between the properties of radical cations and the rate constants and the substitution patterns in electrophilic aromatic substitution

By a charge transfer mechanism for electrophilic aromatic substitution the logarithmic plot of overall rate constants for substitution against ionization potentials is correctly predicted. Also, orientation of substitution is found to be correlated with the hyperfine coupling constants of the aromatic radical cation. The presence of radical cations under the conditions of electrophilic substitution is discussed.     

Thermolysis of 1,2-dithiolylium salts in the ion source of the mass spectrometer

1,2-Dithiolylium salts are thermolysed in the ion source of a mass spectrometer; some salts (group I) undergo thermolysis to give a stable dithiolyl radical where subsequent ionization gives rise to a mass spectrum in which the parent ion corresponds to the dithiolyl ion. The radical may be stabilized before ionization by expulsion of a hydrogen atom to form a neutral dithiole derivative, and then mass spectra exhibit abundant molecular ions corresponding to such dithiole derivatives.Other salts (group II) may expel a proton with formation of a carbene and subsequent dimerization to a tetrathiafulvalene.The thermolytic behaviour of 1,2-dithiolylium salts is compared with their electrochemical behaviour and several analogies are found.     

SYNTHESIS OF SALICYLTHIOAMIDES AND 4 H-1, 3, 2 BENZOXAZAPHOSPHORIN-DERIVATIVES

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that the dimer of p-methoxyphenylthionophosphinesulfide, 1, is a very superior thiation reagent, as ketones, amides, and esters are in most cases quantitatively converted to their thio-analogues.     

BRCA1 mutation screening using restriction endonuclease fingerprinting-single-strand conformation polymorphism in an automated capillary electrophoresis system

Efficient mutation scanning techniques are needed for the rapid detection of novel disease-associated mutations and rare-sequence variants of putative importance. The large size of the breast cancer 1 gene (BRCA1) and the many mutations found throughout its entire coding sequence make screening for mutations in this gene particularly challenging. We have developed a method for screening exon 11 of the BRCA1 gene based on restriction enzyme digestion of fluorescence-labeled polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products followed by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) using an automated capillary electrophoresis system, denoted capillary restriction endonuclease fingerprinting (REF)-SSCP electrophoresis. Using this strategy on a control set of samples, we were able to detect 17 of 18 known sequence alterations. The method was then applied to screen 73 Norwegian females with family histories of breast and/or ovarian cancer. A total of 172 sequence alterations were detected, including substitutions, insertions, and deletions. One novel substitution of unknown function was identified. Sequencing of all samples negative in the capillary REF-SSCP system gave no additional mutations confirming the high sensitivity of the described methodology. Capillary REF-SSCP electrophoresis appeared as a technically convenient technique, requiring amplification of fewer PCR fragments than traditional SSCP. The novel strategy allows high-throughput mutation scanning without radioactive labeling and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE).     

Intercalating nucleic acids (INAs) with insertion of N-(pyren-1-ylmethyl)-(3R,4R)-4-(hydroxymethyl)pyrrolidin-3-ol. DNA (RNA) duplex and DNA three-way junction stabilities

N-(Pyren-1-ylmethyl)-(3R,4R)-4-(hydroxymethyl)pyrrolidin-3-ol was synthesised from (3R,4R)-4-(hydroxymethyl)pyrrolidin-3-ol and (3R,4S)-4-[(1S)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl] pyrrolidin-3-ol using alkylation with 1-(chloromethyl)pyrene or reductive amination with pyrene-1-carbaldehyde and NaCNBH3. The incorporation of N-(pyren-1-ylmethyl)azasugar moiety into oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) as a bulge to form an intercalating nucleic acid (INA) induced a slight destabilization of INA-DNA duplex, whereas the INA-RNA duplex was strongly destabilized and 9 degrees C difference per modification in thermal stability between INA-DNA over INA-RNA duplexes was observed. The stabilization of a DNA three way junction (TWJ) was improved when the intercalator moiety was inserted into the junction region as a bulge.     

Synthesis of imidazoles as novel emivirine and S‐DABO analogues

5‐Alkyl‐4‐benzyl‐1,3‐dihydroimidazol‐2‐ones ( 3a‐d ) and 5‐alkyl‐4‐benzyl‐1,3‐dihydroimidazole‐2‐thiones (7a‐d) were prepared via Dakin West reaction on DL‐phenylalanine with the appropriate aliphatic acid anhydrides followed by hydrolysis and reaction with potassium cyanate or potassium thiocyanate. Compounds 3a‐d were alkylated with ethoxymethyl chloride to give the alkylated imidazoles 5a‐d which were considered analogues of Emivirine with deletion of carbonyl group at the 4‐position. Alkylation of 7a‐d afforded the corresponding S‐alkylated derivatives 8a‐p which in a similar way were considered analogues of S‐DABO. However all the imidazole derivatives were devoid of activity against HIV.     

Apparent Specific Volume Measurements of Poly(ethylene oxide), Poly(butylene oxide), Poly(propylene oxide), and Octadecyl Chains in the Micellar State as a Function of Temperature

Apparent specific densities of aqueous solutions of the diblock copolymers C18(EO)100, C18(EO)20, and (EO)92(BO)18 and the triblock copolymers (EO)25(PO)40(EO)25 and (EO)21(PO)47(EO)21 in the micellar state have been measured over a temperature range from 10 to 90 degrees C at concentrations between 1% and 5%, using an oscillating tube densitometer. From these measurements, apparent specific volumes of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(propylene oxide) (PPO), poly(butylene oxide) (PBO), and octadecane in the micellar state have been determined. The composition of the block copolymers was checked by NMR spectroscopy. Results were compared with published data for the polymers and bulk values for octadecane, respectively. The apparent specific density of PEO chains in the dissolved state was also measured for PEG4600 solutions at different concentrations and compared with results in the micellar state. The results presented in the paper are crucial in connection with analysis and modeling of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data from polymer and block copolymer micellar systems. PEO and PPO have a relatively low apparent partial specific volume in water at low temperatures. It is associated with water molecules making strong hydrogen bonds with the oxygen atoms on the polymer backbone. These water molecules gradually become disordered when the temperature is increased and the polymer apparent specific volume increases. For PBO in the micellar cores of PBO-PEO block copolymer micelles and in PNiPAM microgels, pronounced temperature dependence with the same origin is also found. The application of the derived results for the apparent specific volume of PEO for deriving contrast factors is demonstrated and the results are used in the analysis of SAXS data for semidilute solutions of PEG4600 in a broad temperature range.