A Comparison of Two Variational Methods

A discussion is given of the relation between the maximum functionaltheorem and Schwinger's variational principle, and it is shownthat the bound given by Schwinger's principle is better thanor the same as that given by the maximum functional theorem.     

Analysis of monoamine oxidase enzymatic activity by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography and inhibition by beta-carboline alkaloids occurring in foods and plants

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-containing enzyme located at the outer membranes of mitochondria that catalyzes the oxidative deamination of biogenic and xenobiotic amines. We have used a chromatographic method to measure MAO-enzymatic activity by using kynuramine as a non-selective substrate with its MAO-oxidation product subsequently analyzed by RP-HPLC-DAD and HPLC-mass spectrometry (MS). This method was applied to study the kinetic parameters, inhibition and reaction products of MAO recombinant enzymes in presence of tetrahydro-beta-carboline and beta-carboline alkaloids occurring in foods, plants and mammals. Analysis by HPLC showed that tetrahydro-beta-carbolines or beta-carbolines were not modified by MAO. Several beta-carbolines such as tryptoline (1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline) and 1-methyltryptoline (1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline) were inhibitors of MAO-A; instead their corresponding 6-hydroxy-derivatives (6-hydroxytryptoline and 6-hydroxy-1-methyltryptoline) lacked this activity. Tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acids were unable to inhibit MAO enzymes. In contrast, their oxidation products, i.e. the fully aromatic beta-carbolines (norharman and harman), acted as good inhibitors of MAO. Two tetrahydro-beta-carbolines (i.e. tryptoline and 1-methyltryptoline) occurring in foods were isolated by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and RP-HPLC from selected samples of sausages and the corresponding extracts exhibited good inhibition properties over MAO-A. These results suggest that beta-carbolines from foods, plants, and mammals may exert inhibitory actions on MAO enzymes.     

Further Gurtin-type Variational Principles for Linear Initial Value Problems

Following the variational principles for linear initial valueproblems associated with the wave and heat conduction equationsdiscussed by Gurtin and Leitmann and using time convolutionsit is shown that general variational principles exist for theseproblems with sources on the boundaries and within the regionunder consideration.     

Modified Locally One Dimensional Methods for Parabolic Partial Differential Equations in Two Space Variables

In this note we consider the locally one dimensional methodas discussed in Gourlay & Mitchell (1969, 1972) and indicatehow this scheme can be used to solve accurately a parabolicpartial differential equation in two space variables.