Temperature program optimization by computer simulation for the capillary GC analysis of fatty acid methyl esters on biscyanopropyl siloxane phases

The selectivity of capillary columns coated with biscyanopropyl siloxane stationary phases for the separation of fatty acid methyl esters has been optimized by means of computer-assisted column temperature optimization software. Temperature programming rates yielding the highest resolution in the shortest analysis time were selected for split, splitless, and on-column injection operated in the constant pressure and pressure programmed modes.     

Comparison of polydimethyl siloxane stationary phases with 5% and 50% phenyl substitution for the separation of organophosphorus and organonitrogen pesticides under optimized gas chromatographic conditions

The CGC analysis of 25 organophosphorus and organonitrogen pesticides was optimized on two different stationary phases, namely a 5% diphenyl dimethyl silicone (SE-54 type) and a 50% diphenyl dimethyl silicone (OV-17 type) by selecting the best temperature program conditions, using computer simulation.     

Engineering strategy to improve peptide analogs: from structure-based computational design to tumor homing

We present a chemical strategy to engineer analogs of the tumor-homing peptide CREKA (Cys-Arg-Glu-Lys-Ala), which binds to fibrin and fibrin-associated clotted plasma proteins in tumor vessels (Simberg et al. in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:932–936, 2007) with improved ability to inhibit tumor growth. Computer modeling using a combination of simulated annealing and molecular dynamics were carried out to design targeted replacements aimed at enhancing the stability of the bioactive conformation of CREKA. Because this conformation presents a pocket-like shape with the charged groups of Arg, Glu and Lys pointing outward, non-proteinogenic amino acids α-methyl and N-methyl derivatives of Arg, Glu and Lys were selected, rationally designed and incorporated into CREKA analogs. The stabilization of the bioactive conformation predicted by the modeling for the different CREKA analogs matched the tumor fluorescence results, with tumor accumulation increasing with stabilization. Here we report the modeling, synthetic procedures, and new biological assays used to test the efficacy and utility of the analogs. Combined, our results show how studies based on multi-disciplinary collaboration can converge and lead to useful biomedical advances.     

Association of bound states of the coulomb potential with resonances of the coulomb potential perturbed by a barrier

In the present article we show how the bound states of the Coulomb potential may be associated with resonances that occur when this potential is perturbed by a barrier potential. The main idea is to trace the bound states on successive switching on of the barrier perturbation. It is found that those bound states that are localized inside the barrier are highly sensitive to variation with respect to the barrier height, whereas those that are localized outside are less sensitive. However, there are certain intervals for the barrier height when the role of being “a state localized inside the barrier” is shifted from one bound state to another. The result can be pictured as a “relay race,” where the “deliveries of the baton” are carried out over corresponding avoided crossings. The baton is ultimately handed over to a shape-type resonance state.     

Component reconstruction in the primary space of spectra and concentrations. Alternating regression and related direct methods

A set of methods that extract the spectral components in a chromatographic run is considered. The methods do not need libraries of previously known spectra or retention times. The methods have been developed for two-dimensional spectra but they can also be used for chromatographic analyses with a single-channel detector. The methods are direct; they do not use principal components as the starting point. Alternating regression (AR) remains in the primary space of spectra and concentrations during the calculations. Random numbers are used as the starting spectra. Regression is used to solve first for the concentrations, then for the spectra. The method uses two kinds of constraints: all spectra and concentrations are forced to be positive; and all concentration profiles are forced to a unimodal shape with a single local maximum. It is assumed that all observations are a linear sum of components. Compact alternating regression (CAR) is a new variant of the basic AR. The idea is to replace multiplication of a large matrix by two multiplications of smaller matrices. This typically speeds up the iterations by a factor of ten. AR and CAR have been successfully used with combined techniques such as gas chromatography—mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography with UV—visible detection. The reliability of the solution is checked by repeatedly injecting noise and performing the analysis several times. This produces estimates of confidence intervals. AR and CAR have recently been extended to handle single-dimensional signals. Examples are single-channel detectors such as the flame ionization detector in gas or liquid chromatography with a fixed-wavelength UV detector. A batch of samples is used as the observation matrix. As a result, one obtains both the concentrations and the elution shapes of individual chromatographic peaks.     

Effects of various washing procedures on the chromium content of human scalp hair

The effects of four wash procedures on the concentration of chromium in a pooled sample of human scalp hair are compared. The wash solutions examined are Triton X-100, sodium lauryl sulphate, acetone, and a mixture (1 + 1) of hexane and ethanol. The plateaux reached for hair chromium concentration are functions of the number of washings, and are characteristic for each wash solution. The wash procedure recommended involves two 20-min washes with aqueous 1% sodium lauryl sulphate solution after a hexane rinse.     

On stochastic approximation of the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the expectation of a random matrix

In applications of signal processing and pattern recognition, eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the statistical mean of a random matrix sequence are needed. Iterative methods are suggested and analyzed, in which no sample moments are used. Convergence is shown by stochastic approximation theory.     

Gas chromatographic optimization studies on the side chain and ring regioisomers of methylenedioxymethamphetamine

Gas chromatographic (GC) optimization studies are conducted for the 10 methylenedioxyphenethylamine regioisomeric substances related to the drug of abuse 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Ecstasy). These 10 compounds, having the same molecular weight and equivalent major mass spectral fragments, are not completely resolved using typical GC-mass spectrometry screening methods for illicit drugs. MDMA coelutes with at least one nondrug regioisomer under standard drug screening conditions. Separation of the 10 regioisomers is studied using stationary phases of varying polarities. Resolution optimization shows that very slow program rates give the best separation for the nonpolar stationary phases, requiring analysis times of as much as 85 min. Narrow-bore columns containing the same nonpolar stationary phases improve the analysis time to approximately 29 min. The polar stationary phase DB-35MS allows high-temperature programming rates, yielding complete resolution of all 10 compounds in less than 7 min. Temperature program optimization studies on the DB-35MS phase allow the separation time to be reduced to approximately 4.5 min.     

Co-eluent effect in partition chromatography. Rhamnose-xylose separation with strong and weak cation-exchangers in aqueous ethanol

The effect of ethanol in aqueous eluent on the chromatographic separation was studied at 298 K. Two sugars, L-rhamnose and D-xylose, were separated by using strong and weak cation-exchangers as a stationary phase. The ionic form of the resins was Na+ or Ca2+. The separations were carried out with sugar feed concentrations up to 35 wt% and with both low (about 1%) and high (about 10%) feed volume to bed volume ratios. The separation of the sugars was improved by adding ethanol into the eluent. The separation was also significantly enhanced when the weak cation-exchangers with the greatest affinity for water were used instead of strong cation-exchangers as a separation medium for the sugars having different hydrophilicities. The experimental data were successfully explained with a rate-based column model, which accounted for the volume changes of the stationary phase. A thermodynamic sorption model was utilized in column calculations.