Imaging of wood tissue by ToF-SIMS: Critical evaluation and development of sample preparation techniques

Tissue of Norway spruce wood was investigated by time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Different sample preparation techniques (including sectioning and drying) traditionally used for SEM analysis were compared and critically evaluated. A high contamination of wood surfaces by polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) introduced onto the sample during sectioning was detected by ToF-SIMS. A new protocol was developed and images of wood sections dried in different ways were compared. Main location of Mg, Na, K and Ca, but no lignin in membranes of bordered pits in spruce section surfaces was detected by ToF-SIMS imaging if critical point drying (CPD) or acetone extraction followed by drying under nitrogen flow (AEND) was applied. No specific locations of wood components as well as low signals from metal ions (Mg and Na) were observed on the wood surfaces of freeze-dried (FD) or air-dried (AD) sections. It was found that extractive substances, presenting on surfaces of FD and AD wood section, were evenly distributed on the surfaces and interfered with ToF-SIMS analysis. Our results indicated that ToF-SIMS imaging was critically sensitive to the sample preparation technique and a strict protocol for characterization of metals, lignin and polysaccharides in wood was suggested.     

Non‐vacuum field desorption ion source implemented under super‐atmospheric pressure

Standard field desorption (FD) ionization is implemented under high vacuum condition. In this paper, non‐vacuum FD is performed under a super‐atmospheric pressure environment using untreated tungsten wires as FD emitter, and the ion source was coupled to a commercial linear ion trap mass spectrometer. The operating pressure of the ion source was 6 bars which was high enough to provide sufficient dielectric strength to the working gas so that the high voltage that was required for FD could be applied to the emitter without occurrence of electrical discharge. Non‐volatile sample deposited on the bare tungsten wire FD emitter was heated by flowing direct current through the emitter. Similar to vacuum FD, the formation of conical protrusion of the liquefied sample layer under the strong electric field was also observed. Using the present ion source, high pressure field‐desorption of polar neutral compounds, organic salts and ionic liquids is demonstrated. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

(FD)~2TD计算金属表面场增强

本文首次利用依赖于频率的时域有限差分法(FD)2TD来计算隐失波激励下金属粒子表面的场增强。首先,利用(FD)2TD计算了三维球形银粒子的表面场增强,与国外文献[11]中用不同方法对此问题的计算结果进行了对比,结果较为相符,说明我们自己编写的(FD)2TD程序是可信的。然后,利用此程序计算了在全内反射条件下,处于介质板上纳米尺度边长的正三角形银粒子表面的场增强,给出了该正三角形银粒子三角端点存在场增强的所谓"热点"并给出了该处的场增强值随样品距离的变化曲线。     

Limitation of immunoaffinity column for the removal of abundant proteins from plasma in quantitative plasma proteomics

In plasma proteomics, before a proteome analysis, it is essential to prepare protein samples without high‐abundance proteins, including albumin, via specific preparation techniques, such as immunoaffinity capture. However, our preliminary experiments suggested that functional changes with use alter the ability of the immunoaffinity column. Thus, in this study, to evaluate the changes of the removal ability of abundant proteins from plasma by the immunoaffinity column, plasma proteome analysis was performed for the long‐term test for the reproducibility of the affinity column using the fluorogenic derivatization–liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method combined with an IgY column. The specific adsorption for albumin decreased with an increase in the number of the column usage before its expiration date. Moreover, it was demonstrated that hydrophobic high molecular weight compounds in plasma adsorbed onto the column materials surface contributed to the functional changes from specific immunoaffinity adsorption into hydrophobic interaction. These results suggested that, in quantitative plasma proteomics studies, it is important to keep in mind the risk of not only the nonselective loss but also the changes in the adsorption ability of the immunoafinity column. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Liquid phase microextraction applications in food analysis

Over the last years, liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) in its different application modes (single drop microextraction, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and hollow fiber-LPME) has been increasingly applied for the extraction of both inorganic and organic analytes from different matrices. Its advantages over conventional extraction procedures (simplicity, effectiveness, rapidity and low consumption of organic solvents) has also attracted its application in the complex food analysis field, in which it has clearly provided good and challenging results. A comprehensive review dealing with those articles published since its introduction till the end of March 2011 is presented, offering also a critical vision of the analytical potential of LPME for the analysis of foods.     

Asset pricing for an affine jump‐diffusion model using an FD method of lines on nonuniform meshes

We present a novel numerical scheme for the valuation of options under a well‐known jump‐diffusion model. European option pricing for such a case satisfies a 1 + 2 partial integro‐differential equation (PIDE) including a double integral term, which is nonlocal. The proposed approach relies on nonuniform meshes with a focus on the discontinuous and degenerate areas of the model and applying quadratically convergent finite difference (FD) discretizations via the method of lines (MOL). A condition for observing the time stability of the fully discretized problem is given. Also, we report results of numerical experiments.     

混合二肽的场解吸质谱

为了探索生物化学、生物医学中混合寡肽的分析问题,对未衍生的混合二肽场解吸质谱进行了研究(图1和图2)。在图1图2中出现了所有二肽的准分子离子[M+H]~+,除此外还出现了[2M+H]~+、[M_(AB)+H]~+、[M_(AC)+H]~+等集聚离子,这些集聚离子能用于进一步确定各个肽的分子量。     

基于不完整描述样本的制冷系统故障诊断研究

制冷系统故障信息样本中的部分特征缺失时,已有的故障诊断模型无法使用这些样本。为解决该问题,提出了一种新颖的故障诊断策略。该诊断策略可通过以下步骤实现:(1)在部分问题描述与历史数据库的相互作用及领域知识的基础上,产生了用于特征转换的相似转换矩阵;(2)将不完整描述样本中的未知特征转变为与其相关的已知特征,形成检索目标;(3)通过计算和比较检索目标与数据库中样本间的相似度,得到最佳案例,将该案例中的相应值赋予未知特征;(4)运用已有的故障诊断模型及再生的完整描述样本,对制冷系统进行故障诊断。利用实验数据对该诊断策略进行验证,取得了满意的结果。     

有尾焰动力飞行体电磁脉冲效应数值分析

 利用时域有限差分方法分析了动力段飞行体的等离子体高温尾焰对飞行体电磁脉冲效应的影响。计算结果表明：尾焰的存在极大地改变了飞行体蒙皮上感应电流密度的波形及分布;带尾焰飞行体感应皮电流密度不同于无尾焰时的情况;飞行体蒙皮感应电流密度的波形为衰减振铃信号波形,振铃周期等于电流波在整个飞行体和尾焰长度上流动两次的时间。     

Single-element ultrasonic transducer modeling using a hybrid FD–PSTD method

In a recent publication [E. Filoux, S. Callé, D. Certon, M. Lethiecq, F. Levassort, Modeling of piezoelectric transducers with combined pseudospectral and finite-difference methods, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 123 (6) (2008) 4165–4173], a new finite-difference/pseudospectral time-domain (FD–PSTD) algorithm was presented and used to model the generation of acoustic waves by a piezoelectric resonator and their propagation in the structure and the surrounding water. In this paper, the model has been extended to simulate the two-dimensional behaviour of a complete single-element transducer, composed of the resonator, a backing and a front matching layer. This further version of the model takes into account the mechanical loss in materials, and enables the calculation of electrical impedance, which is a characteristic of high interest to optimize the performance of ultrasonic transducers. The impedance curves of a PZT [URL: http://www.ferroperm-piezo.com (last viewed 04/2008); B. Jaffe, R.S. Roth, S. Marzullo, Piezoelectric properties of lead zirconate-lead titanate solid-solution ceramics, J. Appl. Phys. 25 (1954) 809–810] plate-based high-frequency transducer, with a 50 MHz thickness resonant frequency, were compared to those of a KLM model [R. Krimholtz, D.A. Leedom, G.L. Matthei, New equivalent circuit for elementary piezoelectric transducers, Electron. Lett. 6 (1970) 398–399] in the one-dimensional case. The acoustical properties were also found to be in good agreement with those obtained using the finite element (FE) method of ATILA^® software in two-dimensional configuration.