Three-dimensional printed sample load/inject valves enabling online monitoring of extracellular calcium and zinc ions in living rat brains

We have developed a simple and low-cost flow injection system coupled to a quadruple ICP-MS for the direct and continuous determination of multi-element in microdialysates. To interface microdialysis sampling to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS), we employed 3D printing to manufacture an as-designed sample load/inject valve featuring an in-valve sample loop for precise handling of microliter samples with a dissolved solids content of 0.9% NaCl (w/v). To demonstrate the practicality of our developed on-line system, we applied the 3D printed valve equipped a 5-μL sample loop to minimize the occurrence of salt matrix effects and facilitate an online dynamic monitoring of extracellular calcium and zinc ions in living rat brains. Under the practical condition (temporal resolution: 10h(-1)), dynamic profiling of these two metal ions in living rat brain extracellular fluid after probe implantation (the basal values for Ca and Zn were 12.11±0.10mg L(-1) and 1.87±0.05μg L(-1), respectively) and real-time monitoring of the physiological response to excitotoxic stress elicited upon perfusing a solution of 2.5mM N-methyl-d-aspartate were performed.

Disappearance of Ising nature in Ca3ZnMnO6 studied by high-field ESR

High-field electron spin resonance measurements of an antiferromagnet Ca3ZnMnO6 isostructure, with the Ising-chain multiferroic Ca3CoMnO6, have been carried out. Two distinct resonance modes were observed below TN = 25 K, which is well explained by conventional antiferromagnetic resonance theory with easy-plane anisotropy. The zero-field spin gap is derived to be about 166 GHz, originating from the easy-plane anisotropy and exchange interaction. Our result suggests that the Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction, which may induce spin canting, is absent. Disappearance of Ising anisotropy in Ca3ZnMnO6 suggests that the Co(4+) ion, as well as the Co-Mn superexchange, plays an important role for the Ising nature in Ca3CoMnO6.

In vivo measurement of extravasation of silver nanoparticles into liver extracellular space by push-pull-based continuous monitoring system

With the increasing prevalence of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in various products, whether such AgNPs will introduce new injury mechanisms from new pathologies remains to be determined. From the toxicokinetic viewpoint, it is vital to have in-depth knowledge of their in vivo transport kinetics and extravasation phenomenon. By combining push-pull perfusion sampling, in-tube solid phase extraction, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, we used an in vivo push-pull-based continuous monitoring system to investigate in vivo transport kinetics of extracellular AgNPs in living rat liver with a detection limit and temporal resolution of 0.64μgL(-1) and 10min, respectively. Before administration into living rats, the pre-incubation in DMEM with 10% FBS for 8h was adopted as the optimized exposure condition for the used AgNPs. After repeated-dose treatments, we observed a higher concentration of AgNPs in the liver extracellular space, suggesting that AgNP clearance by the reticuloendothelial system (RES) may be blocked by a prior administration of AgNPs. Future studies on AgNP distribution in different liver compartments (blood stream, extracellular space and Kupffer cells/hepatocytes) are necessary for defining the risks and benefits of AgNP applications.

Investigation of C-terminal domain of SARS nucleocapsid protein-Duplex DNA interaction using transistors and binding-site models

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) were used to sense the binding between double stranded DNA (dsDNA) and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) nucleocapsid protein (N protein). The sensing signals were the drain current change of the HEMTs induced by the protein-dsDNA binding. Binding-site models using surface coverage ratios were utilized to analyze the signals from the HEMT-based sensors to extract the dissociation constants and predict the number of binding sites. Two dissociation constants, K _D1 = 0.0955 nM, K _D2 = 51.23 nM, were obtained by fitting the experimental results into the two-binding-site model. The result shows that this technique is more competitive than isotope-labeling electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). We demonstrated that AlGaN/GaN HEMTs were highly potential in constructing a semiconductor-based-sensor binding assay to extract the dissociation constants of nucleotide-protein interaction.

In vivo monitoring of distributional transport kinetics and extravasation of quantum dots in living rat liver

Although the unique optical properties of surface-modified quantum dots (QDs) have attracted wide interest in molecular biology and bioengineering, there are very few reports of their in vivo biodistribution, due to a lack of analytical techniques for characterizing the dynamic variation of QDs in living animals. In this study, we used an in vivo online monitoring system and a batch-wise elemental analytical method to investigate the biodistribution/extravasation of various surface-modified CdTeSe/ZnS (QDs) in rat liver. It is found that the surface modification dictated not only the blood retention profile but also the degree of extravasation and the clearance of extracellular QDs, making it an important variable for regulating the transfer and exchange process of QDs among three physiological compartments-bloodstream, extracellular space and Kupffer cells/hepatocytes.

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors for protein-peptide binding affinity study

Antibody-immobilized AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) were used to detect a short peptide consisting of 20 amino acids. One-binding-site model and two-binding-site model were used for the analysis of the electrical signals, revealing the number of binding sites on an antibody and the dissociation constants between the antibody and the short peptide. In the binding-site models, the surface coverage ratio of the short peptide on the sensor surface is relevant to the electrical signals resulted from the peptide-antibody binding on the HEMTs. Two binding sites on an antibody were observed and two dissociation constants, 4.404×10(-11) M and 1.596×10(-9) M, were extracted from the binding-site model through the analysis of the surface coverage ratio of the short peptide on the sensor surface. We have also shown that the conventional method to extract the dissociation constant from the linear regression of curve-fitting with Langmuir isotherm equation may lead to an incorrect information if the receptor has more than one binding site for the ligand. The limit of detection (LOD) of the sensor observed in the experimental result (~10 pM of the short peptide) is very close to the LOD (around 2.7-3.4 pM) predicted from the value of the smallest dissociation constants. The sensitivity of the sensor is not only dependent on the transistors, but also highly relies on the affinity of the ligand-receptor pair. The results demonstrate that the AlGaN/GaN HEMTs cannot only be used for biosensors, but also for the biological affinity study.

Chemically differentiating ascorbate-mediated dissolution of quantum dots in cell culture media

To investigate the dynamic dissolution of quantum dots (QDs) in cell culture media, in this study we constructed an online automatic analytical system comprising a sequential in-tube solid phase extraction (SPE) device and an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometer. By means of selectively extracting QDs and cadmium ions (Cd(2+)) onto the interior surface of the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tube, this novel SPE device could be used to determine the degree of QD dissolution through a simple adjustment of sample acidity. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to exploit PTFE tubing as a selective SPE adsorbent for the online chemical differentiation of QDs and Cd(2+) ions with the goal of monitoring the phenomenon of QD dissolution in complicated biological matrices. We confirmed the analytical reliability of this system through comparison of the measured Cd-to-QD ratios to the expected values. When analyzing QDs and Cd(2+) ions at picomolar levels, a temporal resolution of 8 min was required to load sufficient amounts of the analytes to meet the sensitivity requirements of the ICP mass spectrometer. To demonstrate the practicability of this developed method, we measured the dynamic variations in the Cd-to-QD705 ratio in the presence of ascorbate as a physiological stimulant to generate reactive oxygen species in cell culture media and trigger the dissolution of QDs; our results suggest that the ascorbate-induced QD dissolution was dependent on the time, treatment concentration, and nature of the biomolecule.

Preventive vertebroplasty for adjacent vertebral bodies: a good solution to reduce adjacent vertebral fracture after percutaneous vertebroplasty

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Adjacent VCF frequently occurs after percutaneous vertebroplasty. Our aim was to evaluate PrVP in the prevention of PVNO-adjacent VCF.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Radiographs of 68 patients who initially presented with a single-level unhealed fracture and underwent vertebroplasty were retrospectively reviewed for the occurrence of PVNO fracture. Patients in the nonpreventive group (n = 33) underwent TVP only for a vertebra with an unhealed fracture. The preventive group (n = 35) underwent PrVP combined with TVP. We injected bone cement into the caudal part of the superior adjacent vertebra and the cephalic part of the inferior adjacent vertebra to perform PrVP.

RESULTS

The incidences of PVNO fracture in adjacent vertebra next to a vertebra cemented at the patient's first vertebroplasty (within 6 months: 24% versus 3%, P = .012; within 1 year: 30% versus 3%, P = .006; >4 years: 39% versus 3%, P = .006) markedly decreased in the preventive group compared with the nonpreventive group. PVNO fracture was found in 26% of vertebrae adjacent to the first TVP level in the nonpreventive group and in 2% of vertebrae adjacent to a PrVP level in the preventive group after inclusion of all PrVP procedures. Approximately 33% of patients in the nonpreventive group underwent repeat vertebroplasty, mainly due to adjacent fractures. Only 3% of patients in the preventive group underwent repeated procedures. None of the vertebrae cemented for PrVP or TVP developed PVNO refracture.

CONCLUSIONS

Preventive vertebroplasty for the adjacent vertebra combined with TVP for the fractured vertebra is effective in the prevention of propagation of PVNO adjacent fractures, thus reducing the necessity of multiple repeat vertebroplasty procedures.

In vivo monitoring of the transfer kinetics of trace elements in animal brains with hyphenated inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry techniques

The roles of metal ions to sustain normal function and to cause dysfunction of neurological systems have been confirmed by various studies. However, because of the lack of adequate analytical method to monitor the transfer kinetics of metal ions in the brain of a living animal, research on the physiopathological roles of metal ions in the CNS remains in its early stages and more analytical efforts are still needed. To explicitly model the possible links between metal ions and physiopathological alterations, it is essential to develop in vivo monitoring techniques that can bridge the gap between metalloneurochemistry and neurophysiopathology. Although inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a very powerful technique for multiple trace element analyses, when dealing with chemically complex microdialysis samples, the detection capability is largely limited by instrumental sensitivity, selectivity, and contamination that arise from the experimental procedure. As a result, in recent years several high efficient and clean on-line sample pretreatment systems have been developed and combined with microdialysis and ICP-MS for the continuous and in vivo determination of the concentration-time profiles of metal ions in the extracellular space of rat brain. This article reviews the research relevant to the development of analytical techniques for the in vivo determination of dynamic variation in the concentration levels of metal ions in a living animal.

Characterization and composition of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in water and estuarine sediments from Gao-ping River, Taiwan

The objective of this study was to determine the concentrations and possible sources of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in water and estuarine sediments from Gao-ping River in order to evaluate the environmental quality of aquatic system in southern Taiwan. High concentrations of heavy metals including Cr, Zn, Ni, Cu and As, ranging from 10.7 to 180 mg/kg-dry weight (dw), were detected in sediments from Gao-ping River. When normalized to the principal component analysis (PCA), swinery and electroplating wastewaters were found to be the most important pollution sources for heavy metals. Of various organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues detected, aldrin and total-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) were frequently found in sediments. The total concentrations of OCPs were in the range 0.47-47.4 ng/g-dw. Also, the total-HCH, total-cyclodiene, and total-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were in the range 0.37-36.3, 0.21-19.0, and 0.44-1.88 ng/g-dw, respectively. The polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in sediments from Gao-ping River ranged between 0.37 and 5.89 ng/g-dw. The PCB concentrations are positively correlated to the organic contents of the sediment particles. alpha-HCH was found to be the dominant compound of HCH in the sediments, showing that long-range transport may be the possible source for the contamination of HCH in sediments from Gao-ping River. In summary, trace amounts of POPs in estuarine sediments from Gao-ping River were detected, showing that there still exist a wide variety of POP residues in the river sediments in Taiwan. These POP residues may be mainly from long-range transport and weathered agricultural soils, while heavy metal contamination is primarily from the swinery and industrial wastewaters.

Electrical transport studies of individual IrO(2) nanorods and their nanorod contacts

We have studied the electrical transport properties of individual single-crystalline IrO(2) nanorods prepared by the metal-organic chemical vapour deposition method. With the help of the standard electron-beam lithographic technique, individual nanorods are contacted by Cr/Au submicron electrodes from above. Utilizing two-probe, three-probe and four-probe measurement configurations, not only the intrinsic electrical transport properties of the individual nanorods but also the electronic contact resistances, R(c)(T), have been determined from 300 K down to liquid-helium temperatures. Our measured resistivity behaviour of the nanorods is in close agreement with the current theoretical understanding of this rutile material. On the other hand, we found that the temperature behaviour of the electronic contact resistance obeys the law [Formula: see text] over an extremely wide temperature range, from approximately 100 K down to liquid-helium temperatures. This latter conduction process is ascribed to the hopping of electrons through nanoscale Cr granules and/or an amorphous coating incidentally formed at the interface between the submicron Cr/Au electrode and the nanorod.

On-Line HPLC-UV/Nano-TiO2-ICPMS System for the Determination of Inorganic Selenium Species

We have developed an UV/nano-TiO2 vapor generation (VG) device that when coupled between a chromatographic column and an ICP mass spectrometer provides a simple and sensitive hyphenated method for the determination of Se(IV) and Se(VI) without the need to use conventional chemical VG techniques. Because our proposed VG device allows both Se(IV) and Se(VI) species in the column effluent to be converted on-line into volatile Se products, which are then measured directly by the ICPMS, the safety risks and the probability of contamination arising from the use of additional chemicals are both low. To achieve the maximum signal intensity, we optimized a number of the operating parameters of the UV/nano-TiO2 VG device, including the acidity, the amounts of TiO2 and formic acid, and the length of the reaction coil, with respect to their effects on the reduction efficiency of the analyte species. This hyphenated method achieves excellent detection limits-0.06 and 0.03 ng mL(-1) for Se(IV) and Se(VI), respectively-because of the high efficiencies of the conversions of Se(IV) and Se(VI) to their respective volatile products and the lower blank level achieved, relative to those of other traditional systems. In addition, because the conversion efficiency of the analyte selenium species reached its maximum level within 36 s of irradiation, the working time (approximately 12 min) was limited primarily by time required for the chromatographic separation. A series of validation experiments-analysis of the 1643e Standard Reference Material and natural water samples-indicated that our proposed methods can be applied satisfactorily to the determination of inorganic selenium species in water samples.

Determination of trace Al in silicon carbide by epithermal neutron activation

An approach based on utilization of epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA) is proposed for determination of trace Al in silicon carbide (SiC) materials. The feasibility and restrictions of the ENAA were evaluated in terms of the associated uncertainties that resulted from counting and from propagation in calculations. Experimental measurements were carried out under the specified irradiation and measurement conditions, where the results of a set of SiC standards for accuracy testing were compared with the calculated uncertainties. It is shown that the epithermal neutron activation is a simple and reliable method practically useful for analysis of SiC containing Al in concentrations (f(Al)) higher than 10(-3) weight fraction by the use of a typical nuclear reactor; the associated uncertainties can be suppressed to less than 12%. The influences of neutron quality or the cadmium ratio in 27Al(n,gamma)28Al reaction on the applicable concentrations of Al in SiC are also predicted and discussed.

Continuous in vivo Monitoring of Blood Diffusible Calcium Using On-line Microdialysis Sampling Coupled with Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A direct, rapid and continuous in vivo monitoring of diffusible calcium in the blood of living rabbits has been developed using microdialysis sampling coupled on-line with flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Microdialysates perfused through implanted microdialysis probes were collected with a sample loop on an injection valve and directly introduced into the flame atomizer by a carrier solution. An ultrapure saline solution (0.9% NaCI, pH 7.2) was used as the perfusion solution at a flow rate of 20 microI min(-1) via the microdialysis probe. A 0.1% La solution in 0.5% HNO3 solution was employed as the carrier solution at a nebulizer uptake flow rate of 2.5 ml min(-1). The interval for each determination was 2.5 min (2 min of sampling time, 20 s of read time and 10 s of washing time). The performance characteristics of the on-line microdialysis-FAAS system were validated as follows: linearity range, 0 - 100 mg l(-1); detection limit (3a, n = 7), 3.66 mg l(-1); precision (RSD, n = 50), 6.2%. For the evaluation of analytical accuracy, the proposed on-line method was compared with the in vivo no net flux method. The use of an on-line microdialysis-FAAS system permitted the in situ, dynamic and continuous in vivo monitoring of diffusible calcium in the blood of the living rabbits after CaCl2 administration with a temporal resolution of 2.5 min.

Comparative study on conventional and low-flow nebulizers for arsenic speciation by means of microbore liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The performance of conventional and low-flow nebulizer systems with liquid chromatography in differentiating four arsenic species in urine was evaluated. Two low-flow (DIN and MCN) chamber assemblies and a conventional (CFN) nebulizer-spray chamber assembly were compared in the hyphenation of anion-exchange microbore liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Under optimal analytical conditions, the detection limits of the four arsenic species were 0.2-0.6 ng ml(-1) for all the nebulizer systems tested. The chromatographic resolution was best in the case of DIN due to its minimal off-column dead volume and superior transport efficiency. Four arsenic species were determined in the certified reference materials NIST SRM 2670E and 2670N.

Distribution and fate of organochlorine pesticide residues in sediments from the selected rivers in Taiwan

The contamination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in sediments from selected rivers in Taiwan was investigated to evaluate the pollution potentials and hazard in river sediments. Da-han River and Erh-jen River were selected as the target rivers due to their serious pollution. A total of 40 surface sediment samples were collected at five sampling stations along the rivers. Results showed that the concentrations of various pesticides in sediments were in the range of 0.57-14.1 ng/g for sigmaHCH, 0.05-0.15 ng/g for aldrin, 0.12-5.8 ng/g for dieldrin, 0.22-0.64 for endrin, 0.24-6.37 ng/g for endosulfan and 0.21-8.81 ng/g for EDDT (p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT). Among the OCPs, sigmaHCH, endosulfan and sigmaDDT were the most dominant compounds in the river sediments. Endosulfan sulfate was the most frequent detected compound in the sediments from the selected rivers. Also, sigmaDDT, dieldrin and beta-HCH were in abundance. Different contamination patterns between the selected river sediments were also observed. Da-han River was mainly contaminated with endosulfan sulfate and sigmaDDT. Whereas the main pesticides in Erh-jen River were beta-HCH and sigmaDDT. Among the cyclodiene compounds, dieldrin was in abundance in most of the sediments. Moreover, the frequencies of detection of the metabolites were higher than those of parent compounds, depicting that the sediments have contaminated for a long time. The results obtained in this study showed that there still exist a variety of OCP residues in the river sediments in Taiwan.

Composition and distribution of organochlorine pesticide residues in surface sediments from the Wu-Shi River Estuary, Taiwan

The contamination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in sediments from the Wu-Shi River estuary was investigated to evaluate the pollution potentials and distribution of OCPs in central Taiwan. A total of 19 sediment samples were collected at five sampling stations along the River estuary. The concentrations of OCPs were in the range of 0.99-14.5 ng/g-dry weight (dw) for sigmaHCH (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, delta-HCH), 0.46-13.4 ng/g-dw for sigma cyclodiene and 0.53-11.4 ng/g-dw for sigmaDDT (p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT). The mean concentrations of sigmaHCH, sigma cyclodiene and sigmaDDT were 3.79, 4.87 and 2.51 ng/g-dw, respectively. The total concentrations of OCPs correspond to 1.73-71.9 microg/g-OC when normalized to TOC contents. Among the organochlorine pesticides, endosulfan sulfate, beta-HCH, and p,p'-DDD were the most dominant compounds in the sediments with the average concentrations of 1.97, 3.43 and 2.08 ng/g, respectively. Also, different contamination patterns among sampling seasons were observed. The measured concentrations of OCPs collected in spring were higher than those in autumn and winter. A linear relationship between sediment characteristics and OCP residues was also demonstrated. The results obtained in this study show that there still exist a variety of organochlorine pesticide residues in the sediments from the near shore of central Taiwan.

Comparison of different digestion methods for total decomposition of siliceous and organic environmental samples

A comparison was made of different digestion methods for the total decomposition of siliceous and organically environmental samples prior to their analysis by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). In the present study, three different digestion methods, including microwave-assisted, hot plate heating and pressurized digestion (pressure bomb), were employed for the determination of nine heavy metals, i.e. Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in sediment, soil, sludge and oil. The investigation of different combinations of acids through their analytical performance demonstrated that HCl plays a vital role in the determination of silver. The combination of HNO3 and HCl possesses more reactive ability in oxidizing organic matter. The recoveries of all elements of interest in sediment (NIST 2704) obtained by different digestion methods were found to be 86% to 113%, while microwave assisted digestion with various combinations of HNO3-HCl-HF and HNO3-HClO4-HF was considered to be a viable alternative to the conventional digestion systems because of its more intensive reaction conditions. The analytical results of four certified reference materials with different matrices, including sediment (GBW 07305), soil (GBW 07411), sludge (BCR R-143) and oil (NIST 1085a), by the microwave-assisted acid digestion method indicated that the recoveries of all elements of interest were more than 85% and the throughput of applied analytical method could be elevated significantly.