Comparison of denuder and impinger sampling for determination of gaseous toluene diisocyanate (TDI)

An air-sampling method employing denuders coated inside with a chemisorptive stationary phase has been evaluated for analysis of the hazardous gaseous 2,4 and 2,6 isomers of toluene diisocyanate (TDI). The denuder stationary phase consisted of polydimethylsiloxane (SE-30) to which dibutylamine (DBA) was added as a reagent for derivatization of TDI. The accuracy and precision of sampling by means of denuders were shown to differ only slightly from those of the established impinger method. The denuder method was, however, also shown to be suitable for long-term measurements (up to 8 h). The limit of determination (LOD) of the method, including LC-APCI-MS-MS analysis, was found to be 1.9 microg m(-3) and 1.2 microg m(-3) for 2,4- and 2,6-TDI, respectively, for short-term measurements (15 min). Significant lower LOD was obtained for long-term measurements. This is well below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 8-h TWA (time-weighted average) exposure limit, which is 40 microg m(-3) for the sum of the TDI isomers. The denuder method was also found to be robust and easy to handle. The samplers can be prepared several days before sampling with no loss in performance. The contents of denuders should, on the other hand, be extracted immediately after sampling to prevent degradation of the isocyanate derivatives formed.     

Regio- and Stereoselective Reactions of 17-Phenyl-18,19,20-trinorprostaglandin F(2)(alpha) Isopropyl Ester

Novel prostaglandin F(2)(alpha) derivatives, functionalized at C13 and C14, have been prepared. 17-Phenyl-18,19,20-trinorprostaglandin F(2)(alpha) isopropyl ester [(15S)-1] and its epimer [(15R)-1] were stereoselectively epoxidized, using Sharpless conditions, to produce each of the four diastereomeric epoxides (15S)-2, (15S)-3, (15R)-2, and (15R)-3. Treatment of the four epoxides with LiOH stereospecifically-produced the pentahydroxy substituted analogues 12 and 13. Alternatively, epoxides 2 and 3were allowed to react with thiophenolate ion. The attack of the sulfur nucleophile on the epoxide occurred at either C13 or C14 depending on the stereochemistry of the epoxide and of C15.     

Pion photoproduction on197Au to ground and isomeric states in197Hg

The lifetime of the 331.3 keV 0 ₂ ⁺ state in¹⁰⁰Zr has been measured at the gas-filled recoil separator for fission products JOSEF. By observing the delayed coincidences between theβ-particles populating the level and theE0 conversion electrons from its decay into the ground state, a half-life of 3.37±0.30 ns has been obtained. From the measured lifetime and the relative intensities of the 0 ₂ ⁺ →0 ₁ ⁺ and 0 ₂ ⁺ →2 ₁ ⁺ transitions, values of 0.493±0.015 for theE0 strength parameterρ, and of 16 single particle units forB(E2,2 ₁ ⁺ → 0 ₂ ⁺ ) have been deduced. The enhanced nature of theE0 transitions suggests mixing of the 0 ₁ ⁺ and 0 ₂ ⁺ states which may be estimated by comparing the experimentalB(E2) values for the 2 ₁ ⁺ →0 ₁ ⁺ and 2 ₁ ⁺ →0 ₂ ⁺ transitions with the predictions of the asymmetric VMI model.     

On the applicability of the “abt” concept

Kaiser's “abt” concept rests on the experimental establishment of a linear relation between band width at half height, b_0.5, and capacity ratio, k, according to His column specification quantity, h_real, is dependent on the square of the slope a, obtained from a linear regression analysis based on this relation. It is shown in the present paper that an improvement of the experimental conditions leading to a lower extra-column contribution to band broadening, b, introduces a tendency towards a negative curvature in the plot at low k values. The mean slope increases, and an uncritical linear regression would yield an h_real-value which is higher than before and which would be in the opposite direction to the requirements of a reliable column specification. Generally the linear regression analysis has to be moved to higher k regions in cases of curvature, especially as it is also shown that h_real is an estimation of the traditional HETP value, H∞, that would be obtained when k approaches infinity. This theoretically expected relation is a strong motivation for the use of h_real as a column specification, since the b_0.5-value associated with H∞ is expected to be practically independent of b.     

Conjugate addition with 2-pyridylcopper and lithium 2-pyridylcuprates

2-Pyridylcopper/dibutyl sulfide, 2-pyridylcopper/tributylphosphine, lithium di(2-pyridyl)cuprate and lithium (2-pyridyl)(phenyl)cuprate all add the 2-pyridyl group to 4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one in good yields. The cuprates also add the 2-pyridyl group to ethyl 3-phenylpropenoate.     

On the statistical independence of various column contributions to band broadening. Part 1: Second moment contributions from statistically independent,longitudinal diffusion in both phases

The total length-based second moment contribution from longitudinal sample diffusion in both phases on a column, σD , is derived by adding individual partial differential contributions to a partial differential equation accounting for the longitudinal diffusion processes only. Although each diffusion-dispersed sample part is equilibrated between two phases, the resulting σ,D (= 2D _mt _m + 2D _st _s) can be interpreted as the sum of two independent contributions in accordance with the variance addition rule. (D _m and D _s are the mean diffusion coefficients and t _mand t _s the mean residence times of the sample in the mobile and stationary phases, respectively.) The same σD expression is derived from the random walk model of Giddings by treating the diffusional process in each phase as statistically independent of the other processes. Under these conditions the broadening contribution from longitudinal diffusion in the mobile phase is shown to be independent of the velocity profile.     

Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA-binding protein,a molecular tool for improved sequence quality in pyrosequencing

Pyrosequencing is a four-enzyme bioluminometric DNA sequencing technique based on a DNA sequencing by synthesis principle. Currently, the technique is limited to analysis of short DNA sequences exemplified by single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis. In order to expand the field for pyrosequencing, the read length needs to be improved and efforts have been made to purify reaction components as well as add single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB) to the pyrosequencing reaction. In this study, we have performed a systematic effort to analyze the effects of SSB by comparing the pyrosequencing result of 103 independent complementary DNA (cDNA) clones. More detailed information about the cause of low quality sequences on templates with different characteristics was achieved by thorough analysis of the pyrograms. Also, real-time biosensor analysis was performed on individual cDNA clones for investigation of primer annealing and SSB binding on these templates. Results from these studies indicate that templates with high performance in pyrosequencing without SSB possess efficient primer annealing and low SSB affinity. Alternative strategies to improve the performance in pyrosequencing by increasing the primer-annealing efficiency have also been evaluated.     

Staudinger ligation: a peptide from a thioester and azide

[reaction: see text] The technique of native chemical ligation enables the total chemical synthesis of proteins. This method is limited, however, by an absolute requirement for a cysteine residue at the ligation juncture. Here, this restriction is overcome with a new chemical ligation method in which a phosphinobenzenethiol is used to link a thioester and azide. The product is an amide with no residual atoms.     

Charged-particle multiplicity distribution in 100-GeV/c \bar pd and π− interactions

We present data on \(\bar pn\) and π^? n collisions obtained from an exposure of the 30′' FNAL deuterium filled bubble chamber to a mixed \({{\bar p} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\bar p} {\pi ^ - }}} \right. \kern-0em} {\pi ^ - }}\) beam with a momentum of 100 GeV/c. We find that in 17±2% of the collisions with the antiproton there is an interaction on the spectator while for the collisions with π^? mesons the corresponding number is 15±2%. The \(\bar pn\) and π^? n multiplicity distributions have average charged multiplicities of 6.46±0.07 and 6.53±0.08 respectively. The average multiplicities for both types of interactions are slightly smaller than those for the corresponding reactions on hydrogen by an amount that is the same as observed at other energies. As an estimate of \(\bar pn\) annihilation we have calculated the difference \(\sigma _n (\bar pn) - \sigma _n (pn)\) for each prong numbern. We find an average multiplicity of 9±1, a value close to that for \(\bar pp\) annihilation at the same energy. combining our data with lower energy \(\bar pn\) annihilation data, we observe that the average negative multiplicity is systematically larger than that for \(\bar pp\) annihilation similar to the difference between neutron and proton target data with other beam projectiles.     

Selective determination of organophosphate flame retardants and plasticizers in indoor air by gas chromatography, positive-ion chemical ionization and collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry

Gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry with in-source ionization and dissociation was used in positive-ion chemical ionization (PICI) mode for the determination of organophosphate triesters in indoor air. These compounds are widely used as additive flame retardants and plasticizers in different types of materials and have become ubiquitous pollutants in indoor environments. When using collision-induced dissociation in PICI mode the fragmentation of the organophosphate triesters can be performed in a more controllable way than in electron ionization (EI) mode. The developed selected-reaction monitoring method provided high selectivity for the investigated compounds. For 8-h air measurements (corresponding to 1.5 m3 of sampled air) the limit of detection of the method was determined to be in the range 0.1-1.4 ng m(-3), which is comparable with nitrogen-phosphorus detection and about 50-fold lower than when using EI in selected-ion monitoring mode. The presented method was applied to samples from three common indoor environments, in which a number of organophosphate triesters were identified and quantified. The dominating compound was found to be tris(2-chloropropyl) phosphate, which occurred at levels up to 0.8 microg m(-3).