Simultaneous quantification of leukotrienes and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids in cell culture medium using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Leukotrienes (LTs) and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs) are important bioactive lipid mediators that participate in various pathophysiological processes. To advance understanding of the mechanisms that regulate these mediators in physiological and pathological processes, an analytical method using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry for the simultaneous quantification of LTB₄, LTC₄, LTD₄, LTE₄, 5‐HETE_, 8‐HETE, 12‐HETE and 15‐HETE in cell culture media was developed. A Supel?‐Select HLB solid‐phase extraction cartridge was used for sample preparation. The compounds were separated on a C₁₈ column using gradient elution with acetonitrile–water–formic acid (20:80:0.1, v/v/v) and acetonitrile–formic acid (100:0.1, v/v). The calibration curves of LTB₄, LTD₄, LTE₄ and HETEs were linear in the range of 0.025–10 ng/mL, and the calibration curve of LTC₄ was linear in the range of 0.25–10 ng/mL. Validation assessment showed that the method was highly reliable with good accuracy and precision. The stability of LTs and HETEs was also investigated. Using the developed method, we measured LTs and HETEs in the culture supernatant of the human mast cell line HMC‐1. The present method could facilitate investigations of the mechanisms that regulate the production, release and signaling of LTs and HETEs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Physical aging in amorphous poly(ethylene furanoate): Enthalpic recovery,density, and oxygen transport considerations

The current work utilizes three separate techniques to study the physical aging process in amorphous poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF), which is a recently introduced engineering thermoplastic with enhanced properties compared to petroleum‐sourced poly(ethylene terephthalate). Differential scanning calorimetry aging experiments were conducted at multiple aging temperatures and times, and the resultant enthalpic recovery values compared to the theoretical maximum enthalpy loss evaluated from calculations involving extrapolation of the equilibrium liquid line. Density measurements reveal densification of the matrix for the aged versus unaged samples, and provide an estimate for the reduction in free volume for the aged samples. Complementary oxygen permeation and pressure‐decay sorption experiments provide independent verification of the free volume reduction mechanism for physical aging in glassy polymers. The current work provides the first detailed aging study for PEF. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 389–399     

Simple and Precise Quantification of Iron Catalyst Content in Carbon Nanotubes Using UV/Visible Spectroscopy

Iron catalysts have been used widely for the mass production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with high yield. In this study, UV/visible spectroscopy was used to determine the Fe catalyst content in CNTs using a colorimetric technique. Fe ions in solution form red–orange complexes with 1,10-phenanthroline, producing an absorption peak at λ=510 nm, the intensity of which is proportional to the solution Fe concentration. A series of standard Fe solutions were formulated to establish the relationship between optical absorbance and Fe concentration. Many Fe catalysts were microscopically observed to be encased by graphitic layers, thus preventing their extraction. Fe catalyst dissolution from CNTs was investigated with various single and mixed acids, and Fe concentration was found to be highest with CNTs being held at reflux in HClO₄/HNO₃ and H₂SO₄/HNO₃ mixtures. This novel colorimetric method to measure Fe concentrations by UV/Vis spectroscopy was validated by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, indicating its reliability and applicability to asses Fe content in CNTs.     

The Determination of Protonation Constants of Some Amino Acids and Their Esters by Potentiometry in Different Media

In this study, stoichiometric protonation constants of L-tyrosine, L-cysteine, L-tryptophane, L-lysine, and L-histidine, and their methyl and ethyl esters in water and ethanol–water mixtures of 30, 50, and 70% ethanol (v/v), were determined potentiometrically using a combined pH electrode system calibrated as the concentration of hydrogen ion. Titrations were performed at 25^∘C and the ionic strength of the medium was maintained at 0.10 mol⋅L⁻¹ using sodium chloride. Protonation constants were calculated by using the BEST computer program. The effect of solvent composition on the protonation constants is discussed. The log₁₀ K₂ values of esters generally decreased with increasing ethanol content. However, the log₁₀ K₁ values of the esters of L-tyrosine, L-cysteine, and L-tryptophane were found to increase with increasing ethanol content in contrast those of L-lysine and L-histidine esters.     

Transformation of malonic acid adsorbed on a clay-mineral by gamma irradiation

The effect of clay on the radiolysis of malonic acid solutions was studied. The results showed an enhanced of decarboxylation rather than condensation reactions.     

Synthesis of heterocyclic systems with a carbohydrate fragment

Levoglucosenone reacts with α-aminoazoles to yield azolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine systems fused with a carbohydrate fragment. The reaction oocurs much more smoothly than in the case of other α,β-unsaturated ketones. The reactions of levoglucosenone with β-dicarbonyl compounds (dimedone, barbituric acid) in the presence of a base results in the pyran ring closure, which has never been observed earlier in reactions of β-dicarbonyl compounds with α,β-unsaturated ketones under the conditions of basic catalysis. The structures of products were established by IR and NMR spectroscopy. For Part 3, see Ref. 1. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 553–558, March, 1997.     

杂多酸催化合成乙酸乙酯

回流吸附法制备的负载型12-钨磷酸(HPW/C)是合成乙酸乙酯的高效催化剂。最佳反应条件下乙醇转化率达96％,酯化选择性100％。催化剂的高活性是由于HPW在活性炭上高度分散,使活性位增多,有效酸量增大。HPW/C还具有热稳定性高和不易流失等优点。     

Reducing systems of linear differential equations to a passive form

In this paper, an application of the Riquer-Thomas-Janet theory is described for the problem of transforming a system of partial differential equations into a passive form, i.e., to a special form which contains explicitly both the equations of the initial system and all their nontrivial differential consequences. This special representation of a system markedly facilitates the subsequent integration of the corresponding differential equations. In this paper, the modern approach to the indicated problem is presented. This is the approach adopted in the Knuth-Bendix procedure [13] for critical-pair/completion and then Buchberger's algorithm for completion of polynomial ideal bases [13] (or, alternatively, for the construction of Groebner bases for ideals in a differential operator ring [14]). The algorithm of reduction to the passive form for linear system of partial differential equations and its implementation in the algorithmic language REFAL, as well as the capabilities of the corresponding program, are outlined. Examples illustrating the power and efficiency of the system are presented.     

Optimal tristance anticodes in certain graphs

For z₁,z₂,z₃∈Zⁿ, the tristance d₃(z₁,z₂,z₃) is a generalization of the L₁-distance on Zⁿ to a quantity that reflects the relative dispersion of three points rather than two. A tristance anticodeA_d of diameter d is a subset of Zⁿ with the property that d₃(z₁,z₂,z₃)?d for all z₁,z₂,z₃∈A_d. An anticode is optimal if it has the largest possible cardinality for its diameter d. We determine the cardinality and completely classify the optimal tristance anticodes in Z² for all diameters d?1. We then generalize this result to two related distance models: a different distance structure on Z² where d(z₁,z₂)=1 if z₁,z₂ are adjacent either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, and the distance structure obtained when Z² is replaced by the hexagonal lattice A₂. We also investigate optimal tristance anticodes in Z³ and optimal quadristance anticodes in Z², and provide bounds on their cardinality. We conclude with a brief discussion of the applications of our results to multi-dimensional interleaving schemes and to connectivity loci in the game of Go.     

Absolutely indecomposable symmetric matrices

Let A be a symmetric matrix of size n×n with entries in some (commutative) field K. We study the possibility of decomposing A into two blocks by conjugation by an orthogonal matrix T∈Mat_n(K). We say that A is absolutely indecomposable if it is indecomposable over every extension of the base field. If K is formally real then every symmetric matrix A diagonalizes orthogonally over the real closure of K. Assume that K is a not formally real and of level s. We prove that in Mat_n(K) there exist symmetric, absolutely indecomposable matrices iff n is congruent to 0, 1 or −1 modulo 2s.