Selecting parameters and limits for equipment operational qualification

While operational qualification (OQ) is a well-established term within equipment qualification, users of equipment often become unsure when it comes to implementation. The biggest problem is how to select procedures and acceptance criteria. Should these be the vendor's specifications or should the users define their own limits, and, if so, how? Should all instruments of the same type have the same values or should these be optimized for each individual instrument? This article will provide an overall strategy and specific examples for HPLC on how to select procedures and acceptance limits that are based on efficient use of resources, on practicality and on the intended use of the equipment.     

A structural analysis of the complexes of (S,S)-dimethylpyridino-18-crown-6 with (R) and (S)-[α-(1-naphthyl)ethyl]ammonium perchlorate by NMR techniques and molecular modeling

Significant - interaction is found in the complexes of (S, S)-dimethylpyridino-18-crown-6 with (R)- and (S)-[-(1-naphthyl)ethyl]ammonium perchlorate. This finding is supported by the¹H NOESY NMR spectral technique, greater chemical shift changes of aromatic protons in both host and guest molecules upon complexation, and by molecular mechanics calculations. Because of the flexibility of the ligand, the tripod hydrogen bonding causes¹³C relaxation times of all periphery carbons to decrease without significant selectivity. Rotational energy barrier calculations of the methyl groups of the complexed ligand also show that the (S, S)-host-(R)-guest is the more stable complex.     

Relationship of rotational correlation time from EPR spectroscopy and protein-membrane interaction

A study was carried out to determine if rotational correlation time of spin-labeled hen egg lysozyme (HEL) interacting with ultrafiltration membranes could be used to infer protein-membrane interaction. Polysulfone and cellulosic membranes, which have notably different adsorption properties, and membranes with varying pore sizes were used in this study. Based on this study, it was determined that the rotational correlation time does reflect variations in protein adsorption and pore plugging on membranes. The rotational correlation times for the highly adsorbent polysulfone (2.82 × 10⁻⁸ s) were significantly higher than those obtained from proteins on cellulosic membranes (0.62 × 10⁻⁸ s) and from those in solution (0.17 × 10⁻⁸ s). Rotational correlation time was also increased due to steric hindrance associated with pore plugging, although it was not as significant as the adsorption effect. This study indicates that the rotational time constant can be used to infer the type of protein-membrane interaction.     

液相色谱/大气压化学电离飞行时间质谱分析氢化可的松中微量杂质

采用液相色谱/大气压化学电离飞行时间质谱测定氢化可的松对照品中微量杂 质，并采用源内碰撞诱导解离质谱进行了结构定性分析。方法简单，可靠，重现性 好。     

Protein secondary structure and stability determined by combining exoproteolysis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

In the post-genomic era, several projects focused on the massive experimental resolution of the three-dimensional structures of all the proteins of different organisms have been initiated. Simultaneously, significant progress has been made in the ab initio prediction of protein three-dimensional structure. One of the keys to the success of such a prediction is the use of local information (i.e. secondary structure). Here we describe a new limited proteolysis methodology, based on the use of unspecific exoproteases coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), to map quickly secondary structure elements of a protein from both ends, the N- and C-termini. We show that the proteolytic patterns (mass spectra series) obtained can be interpreted in the light of the conformation and local stability of the analyzed proteins, a direct correlation being observed between the predicted and the experimentally derived protein secondary structure. Further, this methodology can be easily applied to check rapidly the folding state of a protein and characterize mutational effects on protein conformation and stability. Moreover, given global stability information, this methodology allows one to locate the protein regions of increased or decreased conformational stability. All of this can be done with a small fraction of the amount of protein required by most of the other methods for conformational analysis. Thus limited exoproteolysis, together with MALDI-TOF MS, can be a useful tool to achieve quickly the elucidation of protein structure and stability.     

The Excited‐State Dynamics of Phycocyanobilin in Dependence on the Excitation Wavelength

The primary light‐induced processes of phycocyanobilin were studied by means of transient‐grating spectroscopy, whereby the excitation wavelength was varied over the spectral region of the ground‐state absorption. On the basis of the results obtained, both the rate of the photoreaction in phycocyanobilin and the ratio of the decay of different excited‐state species via two decay channels depend on the excitation wavelength. Furthermore, the formation of the photoreaction product is also dependent on the pump color. These data support a recently established model for the primary photoprocesses in phycocyanobilin. In addition, phycocyanobilin protonated at the basic pyrrolenine‐type nitrogen atom was included in the transient absorption study. The decay behavior was found to be almost unchanged when compared with the unprotonated form, and this suggests that protonation of the tetrapyrrole ring structure has no effect on the overall photochemistry.     

Preparation of Silica-Silk Fibroin-Polyurethane Composite Films via a Sol-Gel Route

A tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)-derived sol aged for 0 h–6 h at room temperature was mixed with a polyurethane (PU) matrix. A composite of silk fibroin (SF) powders and acrylamide (AAm) was dispersed in the sol-PU mixture and dried isothermally at temperatures between 25°C and 120°C to obtain composite films. Three competitive reactions take place, i.e., those between silica-silica, SF-PU and silica-organic phases, during formation of the composite films. These reactions determine the properties such as morphology and homogeneity of the composite films. IR absorption bands for amide groups (–CONH–), C=O (amide I, 1730 cm^–1) and N–H (amide II, 1530 cm^–1) become larger with decreasing aging time of TEOS-derived sol, or increasing drying temperature. DTA exothermic peak due to the thermal decomposition of SF-AAm composite, on the composite films prepared from the 0 h-aged sol or dried at more than 50°C, shifts toward higher temperature by 44 K or more than 63 K respectively, as compared to the SF-AAm composite. Shorter aging time of TEOS-derived sol and higher drying temperature increased the extent of dispersibility, among SF-AAm composite, PU and silica, to bring a composite film more homogeneous.     

从静态应力松弛实验求材料准松弛时间谱的一种数值计算方法

避开繁琐困难的函数求解过程，采用数值计算方法，从常规的静态应力松弛实验，直接求被测材料的松弛单元的表现松弛强度．主松弛时间τ０由单－ＭＡＸＷＥＬＬ模型求得，其他松弛时间分别约取为１０（－２）·τ０，１０（－１）·τ０，１０１·τ０，１０３·τ０。应力松弛万程取５参数模型，记为谱的强度ａｉ（或Ａｉ）通过多元线性回归，由最小二乘法确定．对一种天然橡胶试样在不同温度下的松弛曲线进行处理，回归值与原始实验值吻合良好，不同温度下的松弛单元对总松弛的贡献，反映出温度对松弛过程的活化作用．     

Advanced kinetic tools for the evaluation of decomposition reactions

Summary An advanced kinetic study on the thermal behaviour of pyrotechnic ignition mixtures has been carried out by differential scanning calorimetry using different B/KNO3 mixtures (50:50, 30:70, 20:80) as a model reaction. The experimental conditions applied (isochoric conditions/closed crucibles and isobaric conditions/open crucibles) as well as the composition of the mixtures noticeably influences the relative thermal stabilities of the energetic materials. The kinetic study focused on the prediction of the thermal stability of the different mixtures both in extended temperature ranges and under temperature conditions at which ordinary investigation would be very difficult. Using advanced numerical tools [1], thermal ageing and influence of the complex thermal environment on the heat accumulation conditions were computed. This can be done for any surrounding temperature profile such as isothermal, non-isothermal, stepwise, modulated, shock, adiabatic conditions and additionally for temperature profiles reflecting real atmospheric temperature changes (yearly temperature profiles of different climates with daily minimal and maximal fluctuations). Applications of accurate decomposition kinetics enabled the determination of the time to maximum rate under adiabatic conditions (TMR_ad) with a precision given by the confidence interval of the predictions. This analysis can then be applied for the examination of the effects of the surrounding temperature for safe storage or transportation conditions (e.g. determination of the safe transport or storage temperatures).