Real‐time reaction monitoring by probe electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Probe electrospray ionization (PESI) is a modified version of the electrospray ionization (ESI), where the capillary for sampling and spraying is replaced by a solid needle. High tolerance to salts and direct ambient sampling are major advantages of PESI compared with conventional ESI. In this study, PESI‐MS was used to monitor some biological and chemical reactions in real‐time, such as acid‐induced protein denaturation, hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) of peptides, and Schiff base formation. By using PESI‐MS, time‐resolved mass spectra and ion chromatograms can be obtained reproducibly. Real‐time PESI‐MS monitoring can give direct and detailed information on each chemical species taking part in reactions, and this is valuable for a better understanding of the whole reaction process and for the optimization of reaction parameters. PESI‐MS can be considered as a potential tool for real‐time reaction monitoring due to its simplicity in instrumental setup, direct sampling with minimum sample preparation and low sample consumption. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimization of a holographic memory setup using an LCD and a PVA-based photopolymer

Holographic data pages were stored in a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/acrylamide (AA) photopolymer. This material is formed of AA photopolymers which are considered interesting materials for recording holographic memories. A liquid crystal device was used to modify the object beam and store the data pages in the material. During the storage process, some parameters like exposure time, beam ratio and reading beam intensity were controlled to obtain high image quality after the reconstruction process. The bit error rate (BER) was calculated fitting the histograms of the images to determine what parameters improve the quality of the images.     

Are metal alkoxides linear owing to electrostatic repulsion?

Density functional theory calculations on [LnCp2APh] (Ln = La, Lu; Cp = eta 5-C5H5; A = O, S; Ph = C6H5) suggest that the linearity of the Ln-O-C vectors arises largely as a result of electrostatic repulsion between the alpha carbon and the trivalent metal centre.     

Assessment of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the determination of 2,4,5-TP in water and soil

A highly sensitive and specific indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is described for Silvex, 2-(2,4,5 trichlorophenoxy)propionic acid, (2,4,5-TP). One specific feature of the immunoassay is the use of simple chemical activation of chlorophenoxy acids to prepare both the immunizing and coating conjugates. The assay is based on the use of polyclonal antibodies raised against 2,4,5-TP, and a peroxidase-labeled secondary antibody for colorimetric detection. The effect of different chemical conditions (pH, and salt and detergent concentration) on immunoassay performance has been studied. Under the best conditions the least detectable dose and the sensitivity (IC(50)) for 2,4,5-TP were 0.05 micro g L(-1) and 0.80 micro g L(-1), respectively. The optimized immunoassay was also highly specific, showing little (6.9% for 2,4,5-T) or no cross-reactivity with other similar herbicides. The assay was used to determine 2,4,5-TP in water and soils. The excellent recoveries obtained (mean values ranging between 89% and 104%) make this immunoassay a suitable screening method for either environmental monitoring or laboratory quantification of 2,4,5-TP.     

Isothermal volume variations in lipid vesicle suspensions. A new evidence of intervesicle fusion kinetics

Summary In the present study of fusion between lipid vesicles performed by thermomechanical analysis, isothermal volume variation has been shown to be a reliable tool to follow these kinetics without introducing perturbing probes. In fact, the fusion process is accompanied by bilayer strain release which causes an overall volume decrease of the fused vesicles. Volumetric variations induced by side processes, such as adhesion or ion binding onto the vesicle surface, were accounted for in our measurements. Moreover, by the same technique we followed segregation effects of the membrane lipid components in mixed vesicles. The systems examined were neutral and anionic phospholipids containing vesicles. The role of temperature, vesicle size, lipid composition as well as the influence of different cations were also investigated.     

An automatic method for determination of glycosylated hemoglobins using low-pressure liquid chromatography

Several studies have revealed a correlation between blood levels of glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), a minor form of hemoglobin (Hb) present at elevated concentrations in patients with diabetes mellitus. To facilitate a clinical study of the level of circulating HbA1c we have developed an automatic chromatographic system. An efficient separation of HbA1c from HbA0 and other rapid hemoglobins (HbA1a, HbA1b) was achieved on Bio-Rex-70 columns using three buffers. This system allows the daily analysis of 40 samples. The mean level of HbA1c in normal subjects was 5.4 +/- 0.4%. The method also detects the presence of elevated levels of HbF and the most frequent forms of abnormal hemoglobin (HbS, HbC).     

High molecular weight polyacetylenes from the nudibranch Peltodoris actromaculata and the sponge Petrosia ficiformis

Two series of high molecular weight straight chain polyacetylenes (C₄₆, C₄₉ and C₄₉, C₅₂, C₅₅) have been isolated from two marine invertebrates and partially characterized.     

Kinetics of particle growth VII. NH4NO3from the NH3-O3 reaction in the presence of air and water vapor

Our earlier work on the formation of particulate NH₄NO₃ in the NH₃? O₃ reaction at 25°C is extended to include air as a diluent and H₂O vapor as an additive. More extensive data at different values of [NH₃]/[O₃]₀ were obtained also, where [O₃]₀ is the initial O₃ concentration. In our earlier work we concluded that NH₄NO₃ vapor was dissociated to NH₃ + HNO₃ and that the HNO₃ was removed by diffusion to the walls with a rate coefficient k_diff = 0.4 min^?1 or by condensation on the suspended particles. Particles were nucleated by 8 NH₃? HNO₃ pairs when their concentration product reached 5.8 × 10²⁷ molec²/cm⁶ with a rate coefficient k_nucl of 6.2 × 10^?224 cm⁴⁵/min and removed by coagulation with a rate coefficient k_coag of 1.3 × 10^?7 cm³/min. A corrected calculation modifies the number of pairs required to 6–7 with a correspondingly changed value of k_nucl. With the more extensive data of the present study the indications are that the vapor-phase NH₄NO₃ monomer is not dissociated and that its diffusion constant for loss to the walls varies between 0.3 and 0.9 min^?1 for different reaction conditions. Nucleation occurs when the NH₄NO₃ vapor concentration reaches 1.0 × 10¹² molec/cm³ via. where r is 9 and the nucleation rate coefficient k_nucl is 3 × 10^?108 cm²⁴/min. With 5.0 or 9.5 torr of H₂O vapor present, there is an excess of particles produced over that expected from this rate coefficient, indicating an additional nucleation step in which H₂O vapor participates directly to produce a hydrated salt. The coagulation coefficient of (1.87 ± 0.14) × 10^?7 cm³/min found here is in good agreement with that found previously.