Automated chemical separations in routine activation analysis

In recent years increased information is required about the distribution of elements at low concentration levels in the biosphere. Neutron activation analysis can play an important role if it can supply many data at relatively low cost. As some of the concentrations are too low for determination by non-destructive techniques, equipment for chemical separations on a routine basis is necessary. For environmental studies a separation scheme has been developed successfully for arsenic, antimony, cadmium, copper, mercury, selenium and zinc. It is based on a combination of distillation and ion-exchange. Special attention is paid to the prevention of interference from bromine and sodium. Additional information about chromium, cobalt, nickel and tungsten can easily be obtained. Experience gathered with an automated instrument for fifty samples a week is described.     

高岭石吸附乙烯和苯的Delft分子力学研究

运用Ｄｅｌｆｔ分子力学（ＤＭＭ）程序及其粘土和共轭烯烃力场，计算研究了高岭石对乙烯和苯的吸附作用，探讨了吸附对粘土晶体和有机分子的结构、电荷分布和能量的影响，求得了高岭石吸附乙烯和苯的吸附热等重要物理量．     

Cytotoxicity and Antiproliferative Effect of Hypericin and Derivatives after Photosensitization

The toxicity on three human tumor cell lines (A431, HeLa and MCF7) of five phenanthroperylenequinones (hypericin and derivatives) and two perylenequinones (cercosporin and calphostin C) was investigated after photosensitization (4 J/cm²). Furthermore, the antiproliferative effect on HeLa cells was studied for the phenanthroperylenequinones. Hypericin, 2,5-dibromohypericin, 2,5,9,12-tetrabromohypericin and perylenequinones displayed a potent cytotoxic and antiproliferative effect in the nanomolar range. Hypericin dicarboxylic acid exhibited no photoactivity. In general, the antiproliferative activity correlated well with the photocytotoxicity. However, the nonphotocytotoxic compound hexamethylhypericin showed potent antiproliferative activity in the nanomolar range, probably exerting its action by protein kinase C inhibition. Without light irradiation, no cytotoxic and antiproliferative effect was observed for any photocytotoxic phenanthroperylenequinone compound. Furthermore, confocal laser microscopy revealed that the subcellular localization in A431 cells was similar for the photoactive compounds; the photosensitizers were mainly concentrated in the perinuclear region, probably corresponding with the Golgi apparatus and the endoplasmic reticulum. In addition, the accumulation of the photosensitizers in HeLa cells was investigated. All compounds except hypericin dicarboxylic acid were found to concentrate to a large extent in the cells. The compound 2,5,9,12-tetrabromohypericin seemed intrinsically more effective than hypericin since the intracellular concentration of the bromoderivative was a magnitude of order lower than that of hypericin although both compounds showed similar photobiological activity.     

Infrared,raman and nmr study of (Ch2CH)3Snx compounds (X = Cl,Br, I)

The infrared, Raman and (¹H, ¹³C) NMR spectra of trivinyltin chloride, bromide and iodide have been analyzed and discussed. The vibrational assignment has been confirmed by an approximate normal coordinate analysis. Evidence has been found for a marked influence of the X substituent on the tin-carbon bond due to isovalent rehybridization. Variations in the π electron system of the vinyl group are hardly significant.     

Thermodynamic evidence for Ca2+-mediated self-aggregation of Lewis X gold glyconanoparticles. A model for cell adhesion via carbohydrate-carbohydrate interaction

Thermodynamic evidence for the selective Ca(2+)-mediated self-aggregation via carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions of gold glyconanoparticles functionalized with the disaccharides lactose (lacto-Au) and maltose (malto-Au), or the biologically relevant trisaccharide Lewis X (Le(X)-Au), was obtained by isothermal titration calorimetry. The aggregation process was also directly visualized by atomic force microscopy. It was shown in the case of the trisaccharide Lewis X that the Ca(2+)-mediated aggregation is a slow process that takes place with a decrease in enthalpy of 160 +/- 30 kcal mol(-)(1), while the heat evolved in the case of lactose and maltose glyconanoparticles was very low and thermal equilibrium was quickly achieved. Measurements in the presence of Mg(2+) and Na(+) cations confirm the selectivity for Ca(2+) of Le(X)-Au glyconanoparticles. The relevance of this result to cell-cell adhesion process mediated by carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions is discussed.     

Determination of 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol and 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol glucuronide in edible fillet tissue of rainbow trout and channel catfish by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography

3-Trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) is a pesticide used for the selective control of sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) in stream and river tributaries of the Great Lakes. To determine concentrations of TFM and TFM glucuronide in the edible fillet tissue of fish during sea lamprey control treatments, an analytical method was developed to determine the concentrations of these residues in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss; RBT) and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatis; CCF). Homogenized fillets were extracted with methanol-water (80 + 20). TFM and TFM glucuronide were isolated from coextractives by C18 solid-phase extraction. TFM glucuronide was hydrolyzed to TFM by the addition of beta-glucuronidase to the TFM glucuronide extract. The extracts were analyzed separately by liquid chromatography with UV-visible detection. Recoveries from TFM-fortified CCF and RBT tissues were 84.1 and 96.1%, respectively. The method detection limits (MDLs) are 2.4 ng/g for TFM-fortified tissues of CCF and 3 ng/g for those of RBT. Recoveries were 78.8 and 77% from TFM glucuronide-fortified CCF and RBT tissues, respectively. The MDLs for TFM glucuronide-fortified tissues are 3.5 and 6.9 ng/g for CCF and RBT, respectively.     

Mass spectrometric characterization of two novel inflammatory peptides from the venom of the social wasp Polybia paulista

The social wasp P. paulista is relatively common in southeast Brazil causing many medically important stinging incidents. The seriousness of these incidents is dependent on the amount of venom inoculated by the wasps into the victims, and the characteristic envenomation symptoms are strongly dependent on the types of peptides present in the venom. In order to identify some of these naturally occurring peptides available in very low amounts, an analytical protocol was developed that uses a combination of reversed-phase and normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of wasp venom for peptide purification, with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight post-source decay mass spectrometry (MALDI-Tof-PSD-MS) and low-energy collision-induced dissociation (CID) in a quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (QTof-MS/MS) instrument for peptide sequencing at the sub-picomole level. The distinction between Leu and Ile was achieved both by observing d-type fragment ions obtained under CID conditions and by comparison of retention times of the natural peptides and their synthetic counterparts (with different combinations of I and/or L at N- and C-terminal positions). To distinguish the isobaric residues K and Q, acetylation of peptides was followed by Q-Tof-MS analysis. The primary sequences obtained were INWLKLGKMVIDAL-NH(2) (MW 1611.98 Da) and IDWLKLGKMVMDVL-NH(2) (MW 1658.98 Da). Micro-scale bioassay protocols characterized both peptides as presenting potent hemolytic action, mast cell degranulation, and chemotaxis of polymorphonucleated leukocyte (PMNL) cells. The primary sequences and the bioassay results suggest that these toxins constitute members of a new sub-class of mastoparan toxins, directly involved in the occurrence of inflammatory processes after wasp stinging.     

Probing adsorbed fibronectin layer structure by kinetic analysis of monoclonal antibody binding

Adsorbed protein layers are often away from equilibrium and thus exhibit history dependent structures. We use the kinetics of monoclonal antibody binding, as measured using optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS), to investigate the structure of adsorbed fibronectin (Fn) layers formed under different kinetic paths. For all of the layers investigated, we find no difference between the apparent adsorption rate constants of (i) monoclonal antibodies specific to Fn's cell binding site (alpha-Fn) and (ii) monoclonal antibodies specific to cytochrome c (alpha-CC, as a control), indicating initial adsorption of antibodies to be non-specific. For certain layers, the saturation density and the initial projected area per antibody differ significantly between alpha-Fn and alpha-CC, suggesting specific binding to follow the initial non-specific attachment. The fraction of antibodies binding specifically to the Fn layer, and the number of Fn binding sites per specific binding event, are estimated in terms of the difference in initial projected areas between alpha-Fn and alpha-CC. For a Fn layer formed at a bulk concentration of 2 microg/mL, we find a decrease in specific binding with an increase in Fn layer formation time, suggesting post-adsorption structural changes of a lower density adsorbed layer diminish binding site availability. Conversely, for a Fn layer formed at a bulk concentration of 40 microg/mL, we find an increase in specific binding with an increase in the aging time of the Fn layer, implying post-adsorption structural changes reveal binding sites for a higher density adsorbed layer.     

Preparation of an eight-membered sesquiterpene lactone resulting from sequential Gif System GoAgg(III) and MCPBA oxidation of (+)-10beta,14-dihydroxy-allo-aromadendrane

Studies aimed at a comparison of chemical, biomimetic (Gif system GoAgg(III))and enzymatic (CHMO) transformations of natural (+)-10beta,14-dihydroxy-allo-aromadendrane have led to preparation of an eight-member sesquiterpene lactone.     

Static light scattering from microgel particles: model of variable dielectric permittivity

We perform static light scattering experiments on a dilute suspension of microgel particles and model the resultant form factors Pq by assuming an exponentially decaying dielectric permittivity. The result is that Pq is a Lorentzian function of the scattering wavevector q for length scales greater than the particle size; the width approximately corresponding to twice the particle radius. This simple model reasonably accounts for scattered light from both swollen and shrunken microgel phases.