Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry fingerprinting of essential oils: Spices from the Labiatae family

Polar components of the methanolic extracts of the essential oils of the spices Origanum dictamnus, Origanum vulgare, Origanum majorana and Rosmarinus officinalis, all four belonging to the Labiatae family, were investigated by direct infusion electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) both in the negative and positive ion modes. Characteristic ESI mass spectra with many diagnostic ions were obtained for the extracts of all four spices, serving for fast and reliable identification of these species. Tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS), which often forms a series of fragment ions, and this additional MS dimension increases selectivity for authenticity and adulteration tests for spice essential oils. The MS technique also provides complementary information of component structures revealing the presence of important bioactive components.     

Electronic Interactions of Cyclopropyl Groups: Synthesis and Photoelectron Spectra of Model Compounds Derived from Triasterane,Nortricyclane and Norbornane

The syntheses of the new hydrocarbons trimethylenetriasterane 12 , trispirocyclopropanetriasterane 3 , trispirocyclopropanenortricyclane 4 , and of the trispirocyclopropanenorbornanes 5, 6 , and 7 are reported. 12 contains six vinylcyclopropane units rigidly held in an antiperiplanar (ap) conformation in a D_3h symmetric framework. 3 and 4 are the first model compounds with bicyclopropyl units rigidly fixed in an s-trans (ap) conformation (Θ = 180°). Their PE spectra reveal that the interaction parameter β_ww = −1.73 eV for this arrangement is the same as that for Θ = 0°.     

Fifteen years with index-linked mortgages: Successes and failures

Index-linked mortgage loans were introduced in Denmark in 1982 in an inflationary environment. After 15 years, it is time to reevaluate the efficiency and relevance of that instrument in a low-inflation environment and an internationalized open capital market where, by 1996 for the first time, the outstanding value of indexed mortgage bonds dropped. By eliminating the inflation risk, inflation risk-averse investors should accept a lower yield on indexed bonds and the funding cost should be reduced. However, the opposite seems to be the result in the Danish case. There, the longest and the most risky mortgage bonds on the market were created as a precondition for receiving subsidies on social housing. The results has been an expensive budget deficit financing. In the private sector, debtors are free to choose between indexed and nominal loans to a rather limited extent. Indexed loans have been a failure. And the lack of a call option for prepayment has created problems in a very illiquid market.     

Verification of Invertibility of Complicated Functions over Large Domains

A new method to decide the invertibility of a given high-dimensional function over a domain is presented. The problem arises in the field of verified solution of differential algebraic equations (DAEs) related to the need to perform projections of certain constraint manifolds over large domains. The question of invertibility is reduced to a verified linear algebra problem involving first partials of the function under consideration. Different from conventional approaches, the elements of the resulting matrices are Taylor models for the derivatives of the functions.The linear algebra problem is solved based on Taylor model methods, and it will be shown the method is able to decide invertibility with a conciseness that often goes substantially beyond what can be obtained with other interval methods. The theory of the approach is presented. Comparisons with three other interval-based methods are performed for practical examples, illustrating the applicability of the new method.     

Kapillarkräfte in Suspensionen: Rheologische Eigenschaften und potenzielle Anwendungen

It has been found that in suspensions capillary forces play an essential role between the disperse phase and the continuous phase in respect of their rheological behavior. In this review it is shown, that the rheological behavior of a disperse phase, which is dispersed in a continuous phase, can be changed significantly by adding a small amount (< 1 %) of a secondary liquid that is not mixable with the bulk phase. This effect now can be used to modify product properties specifically.     

Un ≪Système ouvert ≫ Une conception danoise

II est de plus en plus nécessaire que les nouveaux systèmes de construction soient conformes aux conventions internationales, en ce qui concerne les performances, les dimensions et la compatibilité. Cet article explique comment on satisfait à ces conventions, en élaborant un nouveau système de construction danois, pour les bâtiments à étages multiples, concu par les Ingénieurs-Conseils Lemming et Eriksson.     

Contaminants, diet, plasma fatty acids and smoking in Greenland 1999-2005

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to monitor and assess human exposure to pollution in the Arctic which presents a potential future health risk for the local populations. Epidemiological studies in Greenland have shown that human blood levels of several organic contaminants are very high, especially in the North where people depend on local food. In East Greenland (Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresbysund)) the population shows the highest blood levels of several persistent organic pollutants found in Arctic countries, especially PCB, the levels of which exceed Canadian guideline levels. As in other Arctic countries, the predominant source of these contaminants is the local diet. However, other factors such as smoking may influence the metabolism and thereby the accumulation of toxic substances. STUDY DESIGN: This project is part of the human health program of the ongoing circumpolar "Artic Monitoring and Assessment Programme". Lifestyle, anthropometric factors, and dietary survey results covering 500 men and women from 6 Greenlandic districts were analyzed along with other factors blood lipids, fatty acid profiles, heavy metals and concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). RESULTS: The dietary survey showed that the traditional food on the average provided 20-30% of the total energy intake. However, the relative monthly meal intake of seal, whale, polar bear, fish and game, and the composition of imported food, varied between districts. Seal and polar bear intake, and, in particular all the plasma n-3 fatty acids, were significantly correlated with organic contaminant concentrations, (betaHCH, chlordanes, DDTs, Hexachlorobenzene, Mirex, PCBs, and toxaphenes) p<0.01(). After adjusting for age, district, dietary factors or plasma n-3 fatty acids, smoking was significantly correlated with high levels of all the above mentioned POPs. CONCLUSION: The main predictors of high contaminant levels in Greenland were age, district, male gender, smoking and high plasma n-3/n-6 ratio as a marker of high dietary intake of local marine mammals.