First Report of Tubakia dryina in Buds and Shoots of Quercus cerris and Quercus robur.

Tubakia dryina (Sacc.) Sutt. (teleomorph Dicarpella dryina Belisario & Barr) is a widespread leaf pathogen in northern temperate zones and is mainly associated with Quercus spp. During 2000, T. dryina was isolated from seasonal samplings of endophytic fungal communities of Turkey (Q. cerris L.) and English (Q. robur L.) oaks. Samples were taken from healthy and declining trees showing no symptoms of T. dryina in a coppice with saplings in Piedmont (northwestern Italy). Fragments of freshly opened buds (1-year-old shoots) and leaves were surface-sterilized by immersion in 75% ethanol for 1 min, in a NaClO solution (3 to 4% active ingredient) for 3 min, and in 75% ethanol for 30 s, then plated on potato dextrose agar. T. dryina was found in all sampled tissues. Its frequency in buds was higher in healthy trees than in declining trees (≈25 versus 12%; analysis of variance test P < 0.05), whereas no difference was found in shoots. T. dryina was also isolated from asymptomatic leaves, but more often from declining trees than from healthy ones (≈40 versus 10%; P < 0.05). No differences were observed when comparing the two oak species. The fungus was previously reported in buds of Q. nigra L. in North America (2), and it has also been isolated from symptomatic leaves of Q. cerris in a 5-year-old plantation (1). T. dryina was found in other studies in leaves and dead twigs of Q. robur. To our knowledge, this is the first report of T. dryina in buds and shoots of European oak species, suggesting an important role of this fungus as either an endophyte or a latent pathogen associated with oak decline. References: (1) A. Belisario. Plant Dis. 77:647, 1993. (2) Y. C. Zhang and J. T. Walker. Plant Dis. 79:568, 1995.

Determination of illicit drugs and related substances by high-performance liquid chromatography with an electrochemical coulometric-array detector.

A general method for the simultaneous determination of fifteen common drugs (6-acetylmorphine, 3,4-methylenedioxymetamphetamine, buprenorphin, cocaine, codeine, dihydrocodeine, ethylmorphine, heroin, hydrocodone, lidocaine, methadone, morphine, naloxone, procaine and thebaine) was developed using reversed-phase HPLC and electrochemical detection. The separation of the drugs was achieved by using as the mobile phase 20 mM monobasic sodium phosphate-acetonitrile (90:10) with a gradient to 50% of the organic modifier, on a silica based C18 column (150 x 4.6 mm I.D.) of 3 microns particle size and by the selectivity supplied by an array of eight coulometric electrodes at increasing potential. It was possible to identify and to determine fifteen different drugs in the same chromatographic run in 50 min. The method was tentatively applied to the determination of drugs in extracts of human hair.

Determination of neurochemicals in biological fluids by using an automated high-performance liquid chromatographic system with a coulometric array detector.

The chromatographic separation of 33 neurochemicals was achieved by using a combined gradient of organic modifier, pH and counter-ion. A secondary separation of unresolved analytes was obtained by using electrochemical detection with a coulometric array of sixteen electrodes. The stability of the analytes was studied and data on analytical performance are reported in addition to a list of neurochemicals detected in a normal plasma sample.

Simultaneous determination of DOPAC, MHPG, 5-HIAA and HVA in CSF by direct injection on a liquid chromatograph with coulometric detection.

We describe a direct analysis for simultaneous determination of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylacetic acid (HVA). After ultrafiltration the samples are applied directly to a high-performance liquid chromatograph with coulometric detection. The appropriate choice of the potentials of the three-coulometric-electrode system eliminates many possible interfering substances. One chromatographic run requires less than 15 min. By this analytical system the lowest amount of DOPAC, MHPG, 5-HIAA and HVA detectable was 0.16, 0.18, 0.90, and 1.48 ng/ml respectively. Coefficient of variation was less than 5% for "within-run" precision and less than 10% for "between-run" precision.