Identification of metabolic markers in patients with type 2 Diabetes by Ultrafast gas chromatography coupled to electronic nose. A pilot study

Metabolomics is a potential tool for the discovery of new biomarkers in the early diagnosis of diseases. An ultra-fast gas chromatography system equipped to an electronic nose detector (FGC eNose) was used to identify the metabolomic profile of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) urine from Mexican population. A cross-sectional, comparative, and clinical study with translational approach was performed. We recruited twenty T2D patients and twenty-one healthy subjects. Urine samples were taken and analyzed by FGC eNose. Eighty-eight compounds were identified through Kovats's indexes. A natural variation of 30% between the metabolites, expressed by study groups, was observed in Principal Component 1 and 2 with a significant difference (p < 0.001). The model, performed through a Canonical Analysis of Principal coordinated (CAP), allowed a correct classification of 84.6% between healthy and T2D patients, with a 15.4% error. The metabolites 2-propenal, 2-propanol, butane- 2,3-dione and 2-methylpropanal, were increased in patients with T2D, and they were strongly correlated with discrimination between clinically healthy people and T2D patients. This study identified metabolites in urine through FGC eNose that can be used as biomarkers in the identification of T2D patients. However, more studies are needed for its implementation in clinical practice.     

Quantification of myo‐inositol, 1,5‐anhydro‐ D‐sorbitol,and D‐chiro‐inositol using high‐performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection in very small volume clinical samples

Inositol is a six‐carbon sugar alcohol and is one of nine biologically significant isomers of hexahydroxycyclohexane. Myo‐inositol is the primary biologically active form and is present in higher concentrations in the fetus and newborn than in adults. It is currently being examined for the prevention of retinopathy of prematurity in newborn preterm infants. A robust method for quantifying myo‐inositol (MI), D ‐chiro‐inositol (DCI) and 1,5‐anhydro‐ D ‐sorbitol (ADS) in very small‐volume (25 μL) urine, blood serum and/or plasma samples was developed. Using a multiple‐column, multiple mobile phase liquid chromatographic system with electrochemical detection, the method was validated with respect to (a) selectivity, (b) accuracy/recovery, (c) precision/reproducibility, (d) sensitivity, (e) stability and (f) ruggedness. The standard curve was linear and ranged from 0.5 to 30 mg/L for each of the three analytes. Above‐mentioned performance measures were within acceptable limits described in the Food and Drug Administration's Guidance for Industry: Bioanalytical Method Validation. The method was validated using blood serum and plasma collected using four common anticoagulants, and also by quantifying the accuracy and sensitivity of MI measured in simulated urine samples recovered from preterm infant diaper systems. The method performs satisfactorily measuring the three most common inositol isomers on 25 μL clinical samples of serum, plasma, milk, and/or urine. Similar performance is seen testing larger volume samples of infant formulas and infant formula ingredients. MI, ADS and DCI may be accurately tested in urine samples collected from five different preterm infant diapers if the urine volume is greater than 2–5 mL. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Australian Synchrotron User Meeting 2014

Synchrotron users and experts from Australia, New Zealand, and further afield congregated in November for the Australian Synchrotron User Meeting 2014. Around 200 members of the synchrotron community attended the highly anticipated meeting held, in conjunction with the New User Symposium, at the Australian Synchrotron's National Centre for Synchrotron Science. Early career researchers played a prominent role at the meeting. Their achievements highlighted the promising capabilities of the region's next generation of synchrotron scientists.     

Investigation of segmental reorganization within amphiphilic block polymer nanoparticles derived from shell crosslinked micelle templates: Shell crosslinked knedel-like inversion

The construction of nanoscopic materials by synthetic methodologies that iterate covalent and supramolecular interactions has been developed over the past three decades as a powerful method to afford complex functional materials. Indeed, the present study was nearly lost in the archives of dissertation research completed in 2001, which revealed nanoscale conformational dynamics in the segmental reorganization, and partial inversion, of topologically shell crosslinked knedel-like (SCK) nanoparticles. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 58, 204–214