Determination of Cd in sonicate slurries and leachates of biological and environmental materials by FI-CV-AAS

An analytical method for Cd analysis in solid samples which combines the ultrasonic slurry formation with cold vapour generation and atomic absorption spectrometry is described. The samples are suspended in HCl and sonicated until homogeneous and reduced particle size slurry formation. Several aspects were studied: acidity of the medium, sonication time, and slurry formation in different matrices. The procedure described permits the use of direct calibration, with KCN addition as masking agent of interfering ions (Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn) present in the environmental matrices. Supernatant analysis of these last samples experimentally shown that preparation of the suspension with 6 mol l(-1) HCl concentration led to quantitative extraction of Cd. Biological materials analysis needed the use of the standard addition calibration method due to the high matrix effect observed. Supernatant analysis in biological samples does not give a total Cd recovery for all of them. The detection limits observed for Cd were 0.05 and 0.2 mug l(-1) for supernatant and slurry analysis respectively in environmental samples, while in biological samples were 0.2 and 0.6 mug l(-1) for supernatant and slurry analysis, respectively. In all case the better precision was obtained for supernatant analysis (3-6%) than slurry analysis (6-12%). The results obtained by analysing different reference materials (sewage sludge, city waste incineration, Antarctic krill and human hair) showed good agreement with the certified value confirming the validity of such a method for Cd determination instead to wet digestion procedures.     

Elemental analysis of hair using PIXE-tomography and INAA

3D quantitative elemental maps of a section of a strand of hair were produced using a combination of PIXE-Tomography and simultaneous On/Off Axis STIM-Tomography at the University of Surrey Ion Beam Centre. The distributions of S, K, Cl, Ca, Fe and Zn were determined using the PIXE-T reconstruction package DISRA. The results were compared with conventional bulk PIXE analysis of tomographic data as determined using Dan32. The overall concentrations determined by PIXE were compared with elemental concentrations held in the University of Surrey Hair Database. All the entries currently in the database were produced using INAA. The merits and possible contributions of tomographic PIXE analysis to analysis of hair are discussed. The conclusions drawn from the PIXE-Tomography analysis can be used to argue for more stringent procedures for hair analysis at the University of Surrey.     

Vacuum fusion determination of oxygen in gadolinium,terbium metal and iron-terbium alloy

The extraction conditions for the accurate determination of oxygen in gadolinium, terbium and iron-terbium alloy using vacuum fusion analysis were studied. The influence of the gettering effect, the analyzing temperature and the weight ratio of the bath metal to the sample were investigated. Oxygen values of gadolinium and terbium were measured by the graphite crucible, the graphite capsule, the tin bath, the iron-tin bath and the platinum-tin bath techniques in the temperature range of 1500–2100 °C using vacuum fusion analysis. These oxygen values were compared with those obtained by inert gas fusion analysis. In inert gas fusion analysis, the samples were analyzed with iron and tin in a tin capsule, and the samples with platinum in a tin capsule were analyzed in a graphite capsule enclosing with carbon powder. Oxygen values of both metal samples in the graphite capsule at 2000 °C, with an iron-tin bath at 1850 °C and a platinum-tin bath at 2000 °C in vacuum fusion analysis, were respectively in good agreement within their errors; the oxygen values of gadolinium were also in good agreement with that from inert gas fusion analysis in the iron-tin bath, but those of terbium were not in agreement. This agreement for gadolinium guarantees the reliability of the conditions for the accurate determination, and the difference of oxygen values for terbium suggests a need for further consideration on the conditions of the inert gas fusion analysis.     

A strategy for qualitative and quantitative profiling of Angelicae Pubescentis Radix and detection of its analgesic and anti-inflammatory components by spectrum–effect relationship and multivariate statistical analysis

This study established a spectrum–effect relationship method for screening and quantifying the analgesic and anti-inflammatory active ingredients in Angelicae Pubescentis Radix (AP) by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole mass spectrometry detector analysis (UPLC–QDA). First, the fingerprint of AP was established to determine the common peaks. Next, six batches of AP samples, with significant differences, were selected for evaluation of pharmacological activity. Subsequently, the spectrum–effect relationship was used to screen the active ingredients. Finally, the screened ingredients were quantified using UPLC–QDA. In total, 21 common peaks were identified and four effective compounds (bergapten, columbianetin acetate, osthole and isoimperatorin) were selected using the gray relational analysis and partial least squares regression analysis. Quantitative analysis showed that the content of the four effective compounds was the highest in a randomly selected batch, S7 (Hubei). To our knowledge, this is the first attempt that evaluated the quality and spectrum–effect relationship of AP by quantitative analysis and chemometrics. This study identified the key pharmacologically active components of AP and thereby improved the quality evaluation system of AP. This method has broad application prospects for screening effective components and will be helpful in establishing more reliable, scientific and reasonable quality standards for AP and other traditional Chinese medicines.     

An accurate and sensitive analysis of trace and ultratrace metallic impurities in plastics by NAA

Neutron activation analysis (NAA) has been studied to improve the accuracy and sensitivity of the analysis of trace and ultratrace metallic impurities in plastic materials. There are two main problems in the analysis of plastics by NAA. First the contamination during sample preparation, especially sample crushing procedure is very serious for ultratrace analysis. Another problem is the destruction of the sample capsule due to the pressure build-up by the gases formed during neutron irradiation. A simple preparation technique of the sample crushing method using liquid nitrogen and reducing the capsule pressure by a pin hole was developed to solve the above problems. Two different irradiation and seven cooling conditions were also investigated to optimize the experimental conditions. A SRM from NIST (1632b coal) has been used to investigate the accuracy of the analysis. More than thirty elements could be analyzed in the range of sub-ppb to percent. Samples analyzed in this work were polyethylene and polypropylene which were made by different manufacturing procedure, and pigments. Two kinds of plastic products used for food and drug containers were also analyzed. It was found that NAA could be a powerful technique for the analysis of metallic impurities in plastics even though their concentrations were at ultratrace levels.     

对地表水109项指标分析方法进行优化整合的探讨

分析了我国现行《地表水环境质量标准》109项分析方法的不足之处。归纳总结了目前地表水中无机元素和有机污染物的最新分析方法,提出了将地表水109项指标的分析方法由80种整合为32种的建议。     

Determination of ethanol in fuel ethanol and beverages by Fourier transform (FT)-near infrared and FT-Raman spectrometries

Fourier transform-near infrared (FT-NIR) and FT-Raman spectrometries have been used to design partial least squares (PLS) calibration models for the determination of the ethanol content of ethanol fuel and alcoholic beverages. In the FT-NIR measurements the spectra were obtained using air as reference, and the spectral region for PLS modeling were selected based on the spectral distribution of the relative standard deviation in concentration. In the FT-Raman measurements hexachloro-1,3-butadiene (HCBD) has been used as an external standard. In the PLS/FT-NIR modeling for ethanol fuel analysis 50 ethanol fuel standards (84.9-100% (w/w)) were used (25 in the calibration, 25 in the validation). In the PLS/FT-Raman modeling 25 standards were used (13 in the calibration, 12 in the validation). The PLS/FT-NIR and FT-Raman models for beverage analysis made use of 24 standards (0-100% (v/v)). Twelve of them contained sugars (1-5% (w/w)), one-half was used in the calibration and the other half in the validation. Different spectral pre-processing were used in the PLS modeling, depending on the type of sample investigated. In the ethanol fuel analysis the FT-NIR pre-processing was a 17 points smoothed first derivative and for beverages no spectral pre-processing was used. The FT-Raman spectra were pre-processed by vector normalization in the ethanol fuel analysis and by a second derivative (17 points smoothing) in the beverage analysis. The PLS models were used in the analysis of real ethanol fuel and beverage samples. A t-test has shown that the FT-NIR model has an accuracy equivalent to that of the reference method (ASTM D4052) in the analysis of ethanol fuel, while in the analysis of beverages, the FT-Raman model presents an accuracy equivalent to the reference method. The limits of detection for NIR and Raman calibration models were 0.05 and 0.2% (w/w), respectively. It has also been shown that both techniques, present better results than gas chromatography (GC) in evaluating the ethanol content of beverages.     

多功能基和氮杂冠醚键合固定相的制备与鉴定

在全多孔微粒硅胶表面进行连续固－液相反应,制备氯丙基（ＣＰＳ）、乙二醇氨丙基（ＤＥＡＰ）、３－［氮杂１８－冠－６］－丙基（ＢＣＰ）键合固定相。采用有机元素分析、功能基分析、热分析、红外光谱和金属离子络合容量测定等对键合相进行鉴定和表征。化学和仪器分析结果表明,键合反应按预定路线进行。键合固定相具有各种色谱性能,其极性效应对分离选择性起重要作用。     

Combination of quantitative analysis and chemometric analysis for the quality evaluation of three different frankincenses by ultra high performance liquid chromatography and quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry

Frankincense has gained increasing attention in the pharmaceutical industry because of its pharmacologically active components such as boswellic acids. However, the identity and overall quality evaluation of three different frankincense species in different Pharmacopeias and the literature have less been reported. In this paper, quantitative analysis and chemometric evaluation were established and applied for the quality control of frankincense. Meanwhile, quantitative and chemometric analysis could be conducted under the same analytical conditions. In total 55 samples from four habitats (three species) of frankincense were collected and six boswellic acids were chosen for quantitative analysis. Chemometric analyses such as similarity analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, and principal component analysis were used to identify frankincense of three species to reveal the correlation between its components and species. In addition, 12 chromatographic peaks have been tentatively identified explored by reference substances and quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. The results indicated that the total boswellic acid profiles of three species of frankincense are similar and their fingerprints can be used to differentiate between them.     

Quality assessment of crude and processed Arecae semen based on colorimeter and HPLC combined with chemometrics methods

Raw Arecae Semen, the seed of Areca catechu L., as well as Arecae Semen Tostum and Arecae semen carbonisata are traditionally processed by stir‐baking for subsequent use in a variety of clinical applications. These three Arecae semen types, important Chinese herbal drugs, have been used in China and other Asian countries for thousands of years. In this study, the sensory technologies of a colorimeter and sensitive validated high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection were employed to discriminate raw Arecae semen and its processed drugs. The color parameters of the samples were determined by a colorimeter instrument CR‐410. Moreover, the fingerprints of the four alkaloids of arecaidine, guvacine, arecoline and guvacoline were surveyed by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Subsequently, Student's t test, the analysis of variance, fingerprint similarity analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, factor analysis and Pearson's correlation test were performed for final data analysis. The results obtained demonstrated a significant color change characteristic for components in raw Arecae semen and its processed drugs. Crude and processed Arecae semen could be determined based on colorimetry and high‐performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector coupled with chemometrics methods for a comprehensive quality evaluation.     

聚酰胺吸附法和超声提取法在合成着色剂分析中的应用对比

分别采用聚酰胺吸附法和超声提取法对饮料中合成着色剂进行提取,高效液相色谱分析.对比研究上述2种样品前处理方法在饮料中合成着色剂分析中的应用.研究结果表明,2种前处理方法的检测结果无显著差异,但在分析时间、操作复杂性、分析成本及杂质峰的影响等方面有显著差别.     

Optimizing the extraction and analysis of DHEA sulfate, corticosteroids and androgens in urine: application to a study of the influence of corticosteroid intake on urinary steroid profiles

A method of detecting and quantifying dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) sulfate, corticosteroids, and androgens has been developed. All of the compounds were first extracted from urine using solid phase extraction (SPE), enzymatically hydrolyzed, and separated into three samples using a second SPE. A DHEA sulfate sample was acetylated and re-extracted using SPE for purification before analysis. Corticosteroid samples were oxidized and re-extracted using liquid/liquid extraction for analysis. Androgen samples were acetylated and re-extracted using SPE prior to analysis. The extraction and analysis methods were investigated and optimized. Analyses were performed with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography/flame ionization detection (GC/FID). The entire procedure was then applied to the study of urine profiles of healthy volunteers and patients treated with corticosteroids. The results showed that the quantities of androgens found in patient urines were lower than in those of healthy volunteers. In addition, other metabolites were detected in patient urines.     

Quantitative analysis of Codelac Broncho tablets and syrup by high-pressure liquid chromatography

A procedure was proposed for quantitative analysis of Codelac Broncho tablets and syrup, a new original drug, by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The active principles of the tablets were separated in 6 min with an efficient resolution of all component peaks. Preproduction tablet samples were analyzed. The results of the analysis meet the requirements of normative technical documentation and technologic loads. The adequacy of the results was validated by the analysis of model solutions that contained all active principles and adjuvants. For the syrup, two versions of analysis were proposed, in isocratic and gradient elution modes. These versions are virtually equivalent with respect to the analysis time and precision. The isocratic elution version is, however, easier to implement and is proposed for inclusion into the draft pharmacopoeic standards for commercial production.     

血清和血清外泌体的蛋白质组分析及其在肝内胆管癌中的应用

外泌体是由各种类型细胞在正常或非正常生理情况下分泌释放至细胞外且携带多种生物活性分子的细胞外囊泡,在细胞间通讯和免疫应答等生物过程中发挥着重要作用。肝内胆管癌是一种胆道上皮恶性肿瘤,早期无明显临床症状且生存率较低,目前常用的诊断手段包括依赖于影像设备的诊断方式和灵敏度及特异性较低的诊断标志物等,这些手段的不足对发展新的特异性标志物提出了需求。该文对血清中的外泌体进行了分离和表征,并采用液相色谱-质谱技术针对健康组与肝内胆管癌患者组的血清样本和血清外泌体样本进行了无标记定量蛋白质组学分析,分别从两种类型样本中鉴定并筛选到271和430种可信蛋白质。基于血清样本和血清外泌体样本的可信蛋白质定量表达值进行多维统计分析都能将健康组与肝内胆管癌患者组良好地区分开。对血清样本中鉴定到的蛋白质进行差异蛋白质筛选,肝内胆管癌患者组相对于健康组有15个上调和8个下调蛋白质;对血清外泌体样本中鉴定到的蛋白质进行差异蛋白质筛选,肝内胆管癌患者组相对于健康组有33个上调和18个下调蛋白质;基于两种样本筛选到的差异蛋白质中仅有4个是重复的,且基于血清外泌体样本的51个差异蛋白质中有35个蛋白质属于外泌体蛋白质数据库。针对差异蛋白质进行生物学信息分析,与差异蛋白质相关的分子功能、生物过程和信号通路主要涉及天然免疫反应、炎症反应和凝血等过程。该研究为发现肝内胆管癌的潜在生物标志物和探究肝内胆管癌的发生、发展和转移等过程提供了参考和借鉴价值。此外,通过比较研究发现血清外泌体样本能够获得较多的差异蛋白质和生物学信息,证明了外泌体作为组学分析样本的价值和应用潜力。     

液相色谱-毛细管气相色谱/质谱离线联用分析烟草中的挥发性及半挥发性成分

建立了一种用于烟草样品中挥发性、半挥发性成分分析的液相色谱-毛细管气相色谱/质谱(LC-CGC/MS)离线联用方法。研究了LC-CGC/MS的分离机理。LC分析选用氨基分析柱(250 mm×2.0 mm, 5 μm)作为分析柱,正己烷-二氯甲烷-乙腈(90:6.6:3.4, v/v/v)作为流动相,对挥发性、半挥发性成分进行分离,收集得到5个馏分,并存放在5个氮吹瓶中。多次进样并收集相同时间段的馏分,氮吹浓缩至1 mL,然后分别进行CGC/MS分析,所用的CGC柱为DB-5MS(60 m×0.25 mm×0.25 μm)。结果显示,与直接采用CGC/MS分析相比,采用LC-CGC/MS分析复杂样本的效果更好,定性的可靠性更高。     

Mechanism Construction and Simulation for High-temperature Combustion of n-Propylcyclohexane

A detailed mechanism covering 545 species and 3105 reactions for high-temperature combustion of n-propylcyclohexane（n-PCH）, generated via a mechanism generation program（ReaxGen） developed by our research group, was validated in this study. A semi-detailed mechanism involved with 195 species and 573 reactions and a skeletal mechanism concerned with 108 species and 393 reactions were obtained by means of rate-of-production analysis and path flux analysis（PFA）, respectively. In order to validate the reliability of these mechanisms, ignition delay time, laminar flame speed and concentration profiles of important species were simulated with the help of CHEMKIN software. Numerically predicted results of our mechanisms are in very good agreement with available experimental data. Finally, major reaction pathways of n-PCH combustion and important reactions during the combustion process were investigated by reaction pathway analysis and sensitivity analysis, respectively. The results indicate that these mechanisms are reliable for describing the auto-ignition characteristics of n-PCH. These mechanisms would also be helpful to computational fluid dynamics（CFD） for engine design. Moreover, this systematic approach used in our study, which combines mechanism construction, simplification, validation and analysis for n-PCH, may also be employed to construct mechanisms for the high-temperature combustion of other cycloalkanes with one ring.     

Size distribution analysis of single and bi-component polymer and inorganic particle systems by comparison of two analysis methods in analytical ultracentrifuge

Sedimentation velocity runs were performed on organic and inorganic particles with analytical ultracentrifugation and the diameter and diameter distribution analysis was carried out with Sedfit and VelXLAI data analysis programs. The particles were measured either as pure components or as mixtures of different organic or inorganic particles using different weight ratios of these components. Polymer particles with peak diameters of ≈15 and 32-35 nm and inorganic particles with peak diameters of ≈5 and ≈32 nm were used and the particles also differed in the extent of polydispersity. The mixtures of particles in the weight ratios of 50:50, 90:10 and 95:5 of smaller to larger particles or vice versa were studied. The aim was to compare the performance of the analysis programs to characterize the various polymer and inorganic particle samples of varying complexity. The analysis programs were compared with each other not only for peak particle diameters and their size distributions, but also for the cumulative fractions of components of the particle mixtures.     

油品族组成的详细分析和燃油中芳烃的分析

用毛细管液相色谱-毛细管气相色谱联用方法详细分析了航空煤油、各种柴油、润滑油、抽出油和塔底油的族组成。在毛细管液相色谱上分离得到的单环、双环、三环、四环和稠环芳烃族,经过多位存储接口后,顺序进入毛细管气相色谱,通过毛细管气相色谱对每个族组分作详细分析及定量。用单检测器的二维毛细管气相色谱切割-反吹方法定性定量分析汽油、航空煤油中的各种芳烃,从第一维柱流出的组分和第二维柱流出的组分都先后进入同一氢火焰离子化检测器中,因此能用质量校正响应因子归一化方法准确定量分析而不需要标准样。用上述技术分析实际样品,证明了     

Revalidation and long-term stability of National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Materials 1566, 1567, 1568, and 1570

Multiple units of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) 1566 Oyster Tissue, 1567 Wheat Flour, 1568 Rice Flour, and 1570 Trace Elements in Spinach, produced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, then the National Bureau of Standards), were analyzed 17-20 years after the original certification dates and 12-15 years after the certificates became invalid. Instrumental neutron activation analysis and thermal neutron prompt gamma-ray activation analysis were used to measure mass fractions for 27 elements in these SRMs to revalidate them for use in quality assurance (QA) programs required for food analysis programs within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. With the exception of Se in SRM 1567, all element mass fractions were in agreement with certified values and literature data. Some evidence of B loss from SRM 1568 was observed. These materials were judged to be suitable for continued use in QA programs. Findings showed that these matrixes exhibited stability of moisture, mass fraction, and weight basis for far longer (> or =15 years) than was indicated by the 5-year validity statement on the NIST Certificates of Analysis.     

Discrimination of Alismatis Rhizoma based on chromatographic fingerprint,multiple components quantification,and pattern recognition analysis

A simple, sensible, and reliable HPLC–DAD method was first developed for fingerprint analysis of Alismatis Rhizoma, and then applied to analyze 85 samples from three main cultivated areas. In all, 40 common fingerprint peaks were designated, and six of which were definitely identified. Then, the combinatory analysis using similarity evaluation, principal component analysis, and orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis revealed clear chemical consistency between samples from Fujian and Jiangxi provinces and substantial differences between those from Fujian/Jiangxi and Sichuan provinces. Furthermore, six components were dug out as potential chemical markers for distinguishing Alismatis Rhizoma from different areas, among which five were qualified for quantitative analysis. In conclusion, the combination of chemical fingerprint, multiple components quantification, and pattern recognition analysis was rather powerful and useful in discriminating Alismatis Rhizoma from different regions, which was a benefit for quality control.