TXRF spectrometry in the bioanalytical sciences: A brief review

This work describes the basic principles of Total-reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry and some of its most outstanding applications for investigating metal traces, mainly in biological and biomedical samples. TXRF is an analytical technique that combines the versatility of elemental analysis by X-ray energy dispersion with a low detection limit in the order of picograms of absolute mass or a few ppb (μg L⁻¹) as concentration. The microanalytical capacity of TXRF allows the study of small sample quantities. The TXRF can perform qualitative and mass ratio analyses of the elements present in a sample of only a few hundred nanograms. These properties are of great importance in the research of metal traces in biological systems, as they allow fast, precise, and accurate characterisation of the elemental fingerprint at trace level. Its successful application in studies of the coordination kinetics of new platinum-based antitumor drugs with DNA, its application in the study profile of the metal in healthy and cancerous human tissues, or even its application in the study of the processes of metal diffusion through cell membranes are just a few examples of TXRF capabilities in the biomedical sciences. This brief review's main objective is to provide an overview of the physical principles and possibilities of TXRF spectrometry. It also highlights some of the most outstanding applications that have been developed so far, mainly in the biological field, so that the reader can evaluate their potential applications.     

Numerical Simulation of a Multi-Output Radar Orthogonal Waveform Based on a Chaos Optimization Algorithm

Russian Physics Journal - Aiming at problems of low probability of interception and poor anti-jamming performance of the multi-output radar, the numerical simulation based on a chaos optimization...     

Cost-allocation problems for fuzzy agents in a fixed-tree network

Fuzzy Optimization and Decision Making - Cost-allocation problems in a fixed network are concerned with distributing the costs for use by a group of clients who cooperate in order to reduce such...     

Using an ANP performance management framework to manage the development of transversal competences in University degrees

Organisations are concerned about measuring the performance of the product/service they deliver to their customers. In all types of organisations, if a proper performance assessment is to be developed, it should be measured in different dimensions. At University, the new study programs include the development and assessment of transversal competences due to their importance in enhancing the abilities and improving the employability of students. The achievement of transversal competences can be assessed in different levels/stages; for example, the 1st and 2nd years of a Bachelor’s degree; the 3rd and 4th years of a Bachelor’s degree and at Master’s level. The purpose of this paper is to integrate the research into performance management in organisations to develop an approach consisting of four components (a methodology, a solid and integrated performance management framework, graphical diagrams and quantitative techniques) to assess and manage the achievement of transversal competences through the different levels of study using a consolidated approach. The proposal uses the Analytic Network Process (ANP) to model dependences and feedback among the elements of the competences.

     

A methodology to select suppliers to increase sustainability within supply chains

Central European Journal of Operations Research - Sustainability practice within supply chains remains in an early development phase. Enterprises still need tools that support the integration of...     

Hardware-in-the-loop simulation of wave energy converters based on dielectric elastomer generators

Dielectric elastomer generators (DEGs) are soft electrostatic generators based on low-cost electroactive polymer materials. These devices have attracted the attention of the marine energy community as a promising solution to implement economically viable wave energy converters (WECs). This paper introduces a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation framework for a class of WECs that combines the concept of the oscillating water columns (OWCs) with the DEGs. The proposed HIL system replicates in a laboratory environment the realistic operating conditions of an OWC/DEG plant, while drastically reducing the experimental burden compared to wave tank or sea tests. The HIL simulator is driven by a closed-loop real-time hydrodynamic model that is based on a novel coupling criterion which allows rendering a realistic dynamic response for a diversity of scenarios, including large scale DEG plants, whose dimensions and topologies are largely different from those available in the HIL setup. A case study is also introduced, which simulates the application of DEGs on an OWC plant installed in a mild real sea laboratory test-site. Comparisons with available real sea-test data demonstrated the ability of the HIL setup to effectively replicate a realistic operating scenario. The insights gathered on the promising performance of the analysed OWC/DEG systems pave the way to pursue further sea trials in the future.

     

Analysis of Vibration Signals of Drivetrain Failures in Wind Turbines for Condition Monitoring

Experimental Techniques - In the last years, the wind industry has increased in a large scale. A wind turbine out of service leeds to high costs due to both maintenance and repair costs and the...     

Association measures for interval variables

Advances in Data Analysis and Classification - Symbolic Data Analysis (SDA) is a relatively new field of statistics that extends conventional data analysis by taking into account intrinsic data...     

Synthesis,characterization, thermal properties and biological activity of diazine-ring containing hydrazones and their metal complexes

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - New coordination compounds have been synthesized by reacting Zn(II) and Co(II) nitrate or acetate in the presence of triethylamine with Schiff-base...     

Popular branchings and their dual certificates

Mathematical Programming - Let G be a digraph where every node has preferences over its incoming edges. The preferences of a node extend naturally to preferences over branchings, i.e., directed...