Derivatization-independent cholesterol analysis in crude lipid extracts by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry: applications to a rabbit model for atherosclerosis

Direct measurement of various sterols in crude lipid extracts in a single experiment from limited biological samples is challenging. Current mass spectrometry (MS) based approaches usually require chemical derivatization before subjecting to MS analysis. Here, we present a derivatization-independent method for analyzing various sterols, including cholesterol and its congeners, using liquid chromatography and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Based on the specific tandem mass spectrometry pattern of cholesterol, multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions were used to quantify free cholesterol and its fatty acyl esters. Several cholesterol oxidation products could also be measured using the upfront liquid chromatography separation and specific MRM transitions. The method was validated alongside established enzymatic assays in measuring total cholesterol. As a proof of concept, we analyzed plasma sterols in rabbits administrated with a high cholesterol diet (HCD) which is a classical atherosclerotic model. Free cholesterol, cholesterol esters, 7-hydroxycholesterol, and 7-ketocholesterol were elevated in plasma of rabbits on HCD. This method could also serve as an excellent tool for quantitative analysis of other sterols such as ergosterol and sitosterol in other organisms beside mammalian. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, our results indicated dramatic increases of the ratio of ergosterol esters to free ergosterol in both yeh2Δ and tgl1Δ cells, which are consistent with the function of the respective enzymes.     

Interaction of microbubbles with high intensity pulsed ultrasound

High intensity pulsed ultrasound, interacting with microbubble contrast agents, is potentially useful for drug delivery, cancer treatment, and tissue ablation, among other applications. To establish the fundamental understanding on the interaction of a microbubble (in an infinite volume of water) with an ultrasound pressure field, a numerical study is performed using the boundary element method. The response of the bubble, in terms of its shape at different times, the maximum bubble radius obtained, the oscillation time, the jet velocity, and its translational movement, is studied. The effect of ultrasound intensity and initial bubble size is examined as well. One important outcome is the determination of the conditions under which a clear jet will be formed in a microbubble in its interaction with a specific sound wave. The high speed jet is crucial for the aforementioned intended applications.     

Numerical investigation on radiation characteristics of discrete-frequency noise from scarf and scoop aero-intakes

Numerical studies have been carried out to investigate the detailed geometrical effects of full three-dimensional aero-intakes on the radiation of the discrete-frequency rotor-stator interaction noise. The near-field acoustic radiation characteristics and the far-field directivity patterns from the scarf and scoop aero-intakes with three different scarf/scoop angles are quantitatively analyzed and compared. The near-field predictions were obtained by solving the linearized Euler equations with computational aeroacoustic techniques consisting of high-order finite difference scheme, non-reflecting boundary conditions, overset grids and parallel computational methods. For the prediction of far-field directivity pattern, the Kirchhoff integral method was applied. By comparing the directivities of discrete-frequency noise radiating from the scarf and the scoop aero-intakes with that from an axisymmetric aero-intake, it is shown that the 7 dB noise reduction at downward peak radiation angle can be achieved by using the scoop aero-intake with scoop angle of 15°, and the 5 dB noise reduction by the scarf aero-intake with the scarf angle of 15°. The scattering of the radiating acoustic wave by the background mean flow around the aero-intakes shifts the peak lobe radiation angle toward ground and increases the amplitude of the acoustic pressure compared with the cases without mean flow effect. Overall, the scoop aero-intake was found to be more effective than the scarf and the axisymmetric aero-intakes in view of the lower noise radiation toward ground.     

Analysis of charge conduction mechanisms in nitrided SiO2 Film on 4H SiC

Seven different thicknesses (2-20 nm) of nitrided SiO₂ on n-type 4H-SiC have been employed to investigate the charge conduction mechanism through these oxides. Several potential mechanisms have been identified. The mechanisms are depending on electric field and oxide thickness. A relationship plot among these three parameters has been established.     

Heavy-tailed value-at-risk analysis for Malaysian stock exchange

This article investigates the comparison of power-law value-at-risk (VaR) evaluation with quantile and non-linear time-varying volatility approaches. A simple Pareto distribution is proposed to account the heavy-tailed property in the empirical distribution of returns. Alternative VaR measurement such as non-parametric quantile estimate is implemented using interpolation method. In addition, we also used the well-known two components ARCH modelling technique under the assumptions of normality and heavy-tailed (student-t distribution) for the innovations. Our results evidenced that the predicted VaR under the Pareto distribution exhibited similar results with the symmetric heavy-tailed long-memory ARCH model. However, it is found that only the Pareto distribution is able to provide a convenient framework for asymmetric properties in both the lower and upper tails.     

Spin-lattice interactions mediated by magnetic field

Application of a magnetic field offers an incisive opportunity to tune competing interactions in complex materials. Here we probe field-induced changes in the local structure of DyMn2O5 by using magnetoinfrared spectroscopy. The high tunability of the dielectric constant and ferroelectric polarization with field is well documented in the literature, but the lattice response on the microscopic level remains unknown. In this work, we reveal the dynamic nature of the local structural response to field and analyze it in terms of calculated mode displacements and local lattice distortions.     

Type-II Red Phosphorus: Wavy Packing of Twisted Pentagonal Tubes

Elemental phosphorus exhibits fascinating structural varieties and versatile properties. The unique nature of phosphorus bonds can lead to the formation of extremely complex structures, and detailed structural information on some phosphorus polymorphs is yet to be investigated. In this study, we investigated an unidentified crystalline phase of phosphorus, type-II red phosphorus (RP), by combining state-of-the-art structural characterization techniques. Electron diffraction tomography, atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), powder X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy were concurrently used to elucidate the hidden structural motifs and their packing in type-II RP. Electron diffraction tomography, performed using individual crystalline nanowires, was used to identify a triclinic unit cell with volume of 5330 ų, which is the largest unit cell for elemental phosphorus crystals up to now and contains approximately 250 phosphorus atoms. Atomic-resolution STEM imaging, which was performed along different crystal-zone axes, confirmed that the twisted wavy tubular motif is the basic building block of type-II RP. Our study discovered and presented a new variation of building blocks in phosphorus, and it provides insights to clarify the complexities observed in phosphorus as well as other relevant systems.