Accurate,sensitive determination of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in human plasma,urine samples

Quantitative determination of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in human plasma and urine with high accuracy and precision provides significant information to monitor the underlying etiology of several diseases. In this regard, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry is a good choice owing to its great selectivity and sensitivity. Additionally, the hybrid quadrupole–time of flight–mass spectrometer systems provides easy identification of target compounds with superior mass measurements. In this study, an analytical method has been developed for simple, accurate and simultaneous determination of linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid in a short chromatographic analysis period. The developed method is suitable for the quantitative detection of these four compounds with detection limits ranging between 1.1–3.0 ng ml⁻¹ and its applicability was assessed in human urine and plasma samples. As a result, acceptable accuracy (between 83 and 111%) and good precision (<6%) were obtained for target compounds using matrix matching calibration strategy.     

三维荧光结合三阶校正算法快速检测水中酚类化合物

苯酚和麝香草酚等酚类化合物对人体和动植物有着严重危害，且这些酚类化合物往往同时存在于水体。由于苯酚和麝香草酚的激发和发射光谱重叠严重，常规荧光方法不能实现直接快速测定。基于三维荧光光谱结合四维平行因子（4-PARAFAC）算法，对存在未知干扰物的湖水中苯酚和麝香草酚进行定性和定量分析。利用三维平行因子和四维平行因子算法分解光谱数据，探索三阶校正算法的“三阶优势”。通过引入温度维来构建四维数据阵，将不同温度下扫描得到的激发发射矩阵沿样本维叠加得到四维数据阵，结合基于四维平行因子的三阶校正算法对目标分析物进行定性定量分析。为避免溶剂散射和仪器的影响，需要对扫描得到的激发发射矩阵信号进行预处理。通过空白扣除法和Delaunay三角内插值法去除激发发射矩阵中散射信号，再进一步进行激发发射校正，得到真实光谱。然后分别使用基于平行因子的二阶校正算法和基于四维平行因子的三阶校正算法对光谱数据进行分析，对比两种算法的分析结果。结果表明，四维数据阵并不是三维激发发射矩阵简单的叠加，得到的四维数据可能含有丰富的高维信息，有助于改善对分析物的测量结果。四维平行因子算法解析得到的湖水中苯酚和麝香草酚的平均回收率分别为97.7%±9.2%和96.5%±8.8%，预测均方根误差为0.047和0.057 μg·mL-1，预测相对误差低于10%，分析结果优于三维平行因子（平均回收率分别为105.7%±15.3%和111.0%±3.6%，预测均方根误差为0.090和0.056 μg·mL-1，预测相对误差高于10%）。实验表明，样本中存在复杂干扰背景和数据共线性严重时，三阶校正算法能够得到比二阶校正算法更满意的结果，为复杂体系中苯酚和麝香草酚的检测提供了可靠方法。     

火星车载激光诱导击穿光谱仪(MarsCoDe)在轨定标样品选取研究

我国首次火星全球遥感与区域巡视探测任务已获批立项，首个火星探测器也即将前往火星。为满足火星物质成分分析的需求，我国研制了不同类型的火星物质成分分析仪器，其中包括火星表面成分探测仪（MarsCoDe），应用了激光诱导击穿光谱技术（laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy，LIBS）。火星表面覆盖尘埃，探测仪器想要准确获取火星尘埃之下的物质成分，必须剥去尘埃或者进行破坏从而深入岩层取样。LIBS可以用激光烧蚀待测物体表面，获得深部物质光谱信息，在火星表面探测中具有其他仪器无法取代的优势。LIBS在火星探测中几乎适用于探测每一个元素，包括轻元素H，Li，Be，B，C，N，O等，帮助寻找有机物和含水地质过程的证据。由于LIBS在火星环境工作，等离子体的物理性质与地球上完全不同。为了确保火星车载LIBS返回数据的光谱质量，需要对LIBS在着陆后开展在轨定标。借助火星车的携带在轨定标样品，对探测数据进行在轨定标，确保返回数据的可靠性。定标样品的选择是一项十分重要的工作，存在仪器工程条件限制、定标样品类型的代表性、元素成分分布范围、样品稳定性等多种考虑因素，需满足科学任务的同时达到加工工艺要求。总结了国外已有的火星车载LIBS在轨定标的研究进展，重点分析了LIBS在轨定标样品选择依据、国外选择样品的优缺点，并总结经验提出了几点建议，为我国在轨定标工作提供参考。对火星探测数据的正确解译，对未来研究火星的起源、火星的长期地质演变过程等具有重要的科学意义。     

Ultrafast gas chromatography coupled to electronic nose to identify volatile biomarkers in exhaled breath from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: A pilot study

An analytical method to identify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the exhaled breath from patients with a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using a ultrafast gas chromatography system equipped with an electronic nose detector (FGC eNose) has been developed. A prospective study was performed in 23 COPD patients and 33 healthy volunteers; exhalation breathing tests were performed with Tedlar bags. Each sample was analyzed by FCG eNose and the identification of VOCs was based on the Kovats index. Raw data were reduced by principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical discriminant analysis [canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP)]. The FCG eNose technology was able to identify 17 VOCs that distinguish COPD patients from healthy volunteers. At all stages of PCA and CAP the discrimination between groups was obvious. Chemical prints were correctly classified up to 82.2%, and were matched with 78.9% of the VOCs detected in the exhaled breath samples. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated the sensitivity and specificity to be 96% and 91%, respectively. This pilot study demonstrates that FGC eNose is a useful tool to identify VOCs as biomarkers in exhaled breath from COPD patients. Further studies should be performed to enhance the clinical relevance of this quick and ease methodology for COPD diagnosis.     

The High Energy X-ray telescope (HE) onboard the Insight-HXMT astronomy satellite

The Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope(Insight-HXMT) is a broadband X-ray and γ-ray(1-3000 ke V) astronomy satellite. One of its three main telescopes is the High Energy X-ray telescope(HE). The main detector plane of HE comprises 18 Na I(Tl)/Cs I(Na) phoswich detectors, where Na I(Tl) is used as the primary detector to measure ~ 20-250 ke V photons incident from the field of view(FOV) defined by collimators, and Cs I(Na) is used as the active shielding detector to Na I(Tl) by pulse shape discrimination. Additionally, Cs I(Na) is used as an omnidirectional γ-ray monitor. The HE collimators have a diverse FOV,i.e. 1.1°×5.7°(15 units), 5.7°×5.7°(2 units), and blocked(1 unit). Therefore, the combined FOV of HE is approximately5.7°×5.7°. Each HE detector has a diameter of 190 mm resulting in a total geometrical area of approximately 5100 cm2, and the energy resolution is ~15% at 60 ke V. For each recorded X-ray event by HE, the timing accuracy is less than 10 μs and the deadtime is less than 10 μs. HE is used for observing spectra and temporal variability of X-ray sources in the 20-250 ke V band either by pointing observations for known sources or scanning observations to unveil new sources. Additionally, HE is used for monitoring the γ-ray burst in 0.2-3 Me V band. This paper not only presents the design and performance of HE instruments but also reports results of the on-ground calibration experiments.     

DIOPTAS: a program for reduction of two-dimensional X-ray diffraction data and data exploration

The amount of data collected during synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments is constantly increasing. Most of the time, the data are collected with image detectors, which necessitates the use of image reduction/integration routines to extract structural information from measured XRD patterns. This step turns out to be a bottleneck in the data processing procedure due to a lack of suitable software packages. In particular, fast-running synchrotron experiments require online data reduction and analysis in real time so that experimental parameters can be adjusted interactively. Dioptas is a Python-based program for on-the-fly data processing and exploration of two-dimensional X-ray diffraction area detector data, specifically designed for the large amount of data collected at XRD beamlines at synchrotrons. Its fast data reduction algorithm and graphical data exploration capabilities make it ideal for online data processing during XRD experiments and batch post-processing of large numbers of images.     

Determination of Pesticide Residues in Fruit and Vegetables by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry with Multivariate Response Surface Methodology

Multivariate response surface methodology optimization using Placket–Burman and Box–Behnken designs were respectively used for the screening and optimization of significant factors for liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Consequently, the optimized instrument successfully improved the sample preparation protocol and the method was validated. However, modified QuEChERS dispersive solid phase extraction coupled with ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction were used for the determination of multi-pesticide residues in fruit and vegetable samples. The analysed samples were jackfruit, strawberries, cucumber, pears, and carrots. The resulting linearity range (5–400?µg/kg) and regression coefficient (>0.99) results were satisfactory. The 94.2 and 95.8% accuracy (89–138%) and precision (0–25%) results were satisfactory and within the recommended ranges (≤20%) and (70–120%), respectively. The limits of detection (0.01–0.54?µg/kg) and quantitation (0.03–1.79?µg/kg) were excellent. The matrix effects (≤?87%) for all analysed samples were not significant. The estimated measurement uncertainties (≤27%) were within the acceptable range (≤50%). Justifiably, the response surface methodology optimized instrument and sample treatment techniques were reliable and convenient for multi-pesticide residue determination in various fruits and vegetables.     

An integrated strategy for the geographical origin traceability of Goji berries by antioxidants characteristic fingerprint based online ultra-performance liquid chromatography-2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl- photodiode array detector-mass spectrometry combined with multivariate statistics analysis

Goji berries are now becoming increasingly popular in the human diet due to their potential health benefits. Unscrupulous traders deliberately mislabel with certain origins to gain illegal profits, which seriously affected the consumers’ benefits. In this study, an online ultra-performance liquid chromatography-2,2-diphenyl-1 -picrylhydrazyl-photodiode array detector-electrospray ionization-quadrupole time of flight mass was developed for rapid screening and identification of the antioxidants from Goji berry; then, the antioxidants characteristic fingerprint was established and explored in the origins discrimination of Goji berries from China combined with multivariate statistics analysis. As a result, twenty-eight compounds were screened from Goji berry extract, 19 of which were identified by accurate molecular and ultraviolet information according to references. Principal components analysis and partial least squares discrimination analysis achieved the accurate classification from the four regions, eight compounds were selected as origin-related antioxidant markers with variable importance in projection >1 and one-way analysis of variance (P<0.05), including rutin, rutin di-hexose, P-coumaric acid tri-hexose, dicaffeoylquinic acid isomer, Quercetin-rhamno-di-hexoside, peak14, peak16, and peak27. This study provides a feasible strategy for the geographical origins discrimination of Goji berries based on antioxidant ingredients difference and will be helpful for improving the quality control level of Goji berries.     

Simultaneous determination of naphazoline and pyridoxine in eye drops using excitation–emission matrix fluorescence coupled with second-order calibration method based on alternating trilinear decomposition algorithm

A novel method is developed for the direct determination of naphazoline hydrochloride(NAP) and pyridoxine hydrochloride(VB6) in commercial eye drops. By using excitation–emission matrix(EEM)fluorescence coupled with second-order calibration method based on the alternating trilinear decomposition(ATLD) algorithm, the proposed approach can achieve quantitative analysis successfully even in the presence of unknown and uncalibrated interferences. The method shows good linearity for NAP and VB6 with correlation coefficients greater than 0.99. The results were in good agreement with the labeled contents. To further confirm the feasibility and reliability of the proposed method, the same batch samples were analyzed by multiple reaction monitoring(MRM) based on LC–MS/MS method.T-test demonstrated that there are no significant differences between the prediction results of the two methods. The satisfactory results obtained in this work indicate that the use of the second-order calibration method coupled with the EEM is a promising tool for industrial quality control and pharmaceutical analysis due to its advantages of high sensitivity, low-cost and simple implementation.     

Calibration transfer employing univariate correction and robust regression

This paper proposes a new method for calibration transfer, which was specifically designed to work with isolated variables, rather than the full spectrum or spectral windows. For this purpose, a univariate procedure is initially employed to correct the spectral measurements of the secondary instrument, given a set of transfer samples. A robust regression technique is then used to obtain a model with low sensitivity with respect to the univariate correction residuals. The proposed method is employed in two case studies involving near infrared spectrometric determination of specific mass, research octane number and naphthenes in gasoline, and moisture and oil in corn. In both cases, better calibration transfer results were obtained in comparison with piecewise direct standardization (PDS). The proposed method should be of a particular value for use with application-targeted instruments that monitor only a small set of spectral variables.