Application of solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to the determination of volatile organic compounds in end-exhaled breath samples

Analysis of exhaled air is of particular interest as an indicator of health as well as a tool for the diagnosis of diseases. It is also a very attractive procedure for the biological control of the exposition to hazardous solvents. This kind of analysis presents numerous advantages over other methods, the most important being that it is not an invasive procedure and, therefore, it is well accepted and can be applied to a wide range of compounds. Furthermore, the analysis is simplified since the matrix is less complex that in the case of blood or urine. In spite of these obvious advantages and the good results obtained, analysis of exhaled air is not in daily use, probably due to the fact that there are no normalized systems of sampling, thus making the interpretation of the results difficult. In this paper, a method for the determination of tetrachloroethylene in exhaled air using solid-phase microextraction is presented. This method, which can be applied to other volatile organic compounds, was developed with special emphasis of end-exhaled breath sampling. The sample is collected in a glass tube whose ends are closed once the exhalation is finished. The tube has an orifice sealed with a septum through which the fiber is inserted. Then, the fiber is desorbed in the injector of a gas chromatograph and the analysis is accomplished using mass spectrometry for the identification and quantification of the components. The proposed system avoids the need of complex sampling equipment and allows analysis of the alveolar fraction. Additionally, the system is economical and easy to handle, thus facilitating the development of normalized methods and its routine use in field studies.     

Calorimetric studies of the association of chitin and chitosan with sodium dodecyl sulfate

The interaction of hydrophobic chitin and chitosan with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has been studied by titration calorimetry at 298.15K. The nature of interaction of the surfactant and biopolymers was followed by enthalpy interaction profiles. The mixing enthalpy curves were determined by mixing SDS solutions above their critical micelle concentration with chitin and chitosan suspensions in different concentrations. The Gibbs free energy of aggregation values were -23.21, -22.71 and -21.53 kJ mol(-1) for chitin in 0.02, 0.05 and 0.1% concentration, respectively, and 28.30, 24.38 and 24.20 kJ mol(-1) for chitosan in 0.02, 0.05 and 0.1% concentration, respectively. The critical aggregation concentration (cac) obtained by calorimetric data gave 6.32, 7.07 and 9.14 mmol kg(-1) in 0.02, 0.05 and 0.1% concentration, respectively, for chitin and 2.09, 4.91 and 5.11 mmol kg(-1) for chitosan in 0.02, 0.05 and 0.1% concentration, respectively.     

Distinguishing sources of N2O in European grasslands by stable isotope analysis

Nitrifiers and denitrifiers are the main producers of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N(2)O). Knowledge of the respective contributions of each of these microbial groups to N(2)O production is a prerequisite for the development of effective mitigation strategies for N(2)O. Often, the differentiation is made by the use of inhibitors. Measurements of the natural abundance of the stable isotopes of N and O in N(2)O have been suggested as an alternative for the often unreliable inhibition studies. Here, we tested the natural abundance incubation method developed by Tilsner et al.1 with soils from four European grasslands differing in long-term management practices. Emission rates of N(2)O and stable isotope natural abundance of N(2)O and mineral N were measured in four different soil incubations: a control with 60% water-filled pore space (WFPS), a treatment with 60% WFPS and added ammonium (NH(4) (+)) to support nitrifiers, a control with 80% WFPS and a treatment with 80% WFPS and added nitrate (NO(3) (-)) to support denitrifiers. Decreases in NH(4) (+) concentrations, linked with relative (15)N-enrichment of residual NH(4) (+) and production of (15)N-depleted NO(3) (-), showed that nitrification was the main process for mineral N conversions. The N(2)O production, however, was generally dominated by reduction processes, as indicated by the up to 20 times larger N(2)O production under conditions favouring denitrification than under conditions favouring nitrification. Interestingly, the N(2)O concentration in the incubation atmospheres often levelled off or even decreased, accompanied by increases in delta(15)N and delta(18)O values of N(2)O. This points to uptake and further reduction of N(2)O to N(2), even under conditions with small concentrations of N(2)O in the atmosphere. The measurements of the natural abundances of (15)N and (18)O proved to be a valuable integral part of the natural abundance incubation method. Without these measurements, nitrification would not have been identified as essential for mineral N conversions and N(2)O consumption could not have been detected.     

Comparison of extraction methods for the recovery, amplification and species-specific analysis of DNA from bone and bone meals

We report the effect of several parameters on the efficiency of recovery of DNA from animal bones. The effects of preheating the samples (at either 60 degrees C or 100 degrees C) at different intervals (from 1 h to overnight) in different media (water, 0.5 M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), or 0.5 M EDTA + 0.05% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were investigated. The effect of slight (5 min) or intense (30 min) pretreatments with ultrasound was also evaluated. Several different treatments with proteinase K (ranging from 200 to 800 microg, and lasting from 1 to 3 h) at 65 degrees C were also considered. Additionally, two different DNA extraction methods (based on silica resins and purification columns, respectively) were evaluated. The recovery of DNA from the samples was 40% higher when the bones were preheated in 0.5 M EDTA at 60 degrees C for 1 h, this being followed by treatment with 800 microg of proteinase K for 3 h. The DNA thus obtained was successfully amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a set of primers specific to a 359 bp region of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, and the species of origin were identified by visualizing the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) with the endonucleases PalI and MboI.     

Humic acid-divalent cation interactions

The adsorption behavior of divalent cations M²⁺ (Cu, Ni, Co and Zn) with commercial humic acid (HAAl) and also with an extracted fraction of peat soil (HAPs) was followed in aqueous solution. The series of adsorption isotherms were fitted to a modified Langmuir equation. The maximum number of moles adsorbed gave: 0.55±0.02, 0.66±0.02, 0.54±0.02, 0.40±0.02 mmol per gram for HAAl and 0.63±0.03, 0.61±0.06, 0.55±0.02, 0.54±0.03 mmol/g for solid HAPs, for copper, nickel, zinc and cobalt, respectively. The same interaction followed calorimetrically gave endothermic values: 2.4±1.0, 8.4±0.9, 18.3±0.9, 10.6±0.9 kJ mol⁻¹ and 18.4±1.2, 15.9±1.4, 15.4±1.2, 15.0±1.2 kJ mol⁻¹ for HAAl and HAPs, respectively, for the same sequence. Because all Gibbs free energies were negative. Complexation must be accompanied by an increase in entropy.     

Stability of sulfonamides,nitrofurans, and chloramphenicol residues in preserved raw milk samples measured by liquid chromatography

A stability study was made of 10 antimicrobials: 6 sulfonamides, 3 nitrofurans, and chloramphenicol residues in raw milk samples preserved with 0.1 % potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) and 0.05% mercuric bichloride (HgCl2) during cold storage for 7 days. Preserved milk samples fortified with 50 ppb of each antimicrobial were analyzed by liquid chromatography (modified AOAC Method 993.32). Drugs were extracted with chloroform-acetone after solvent evaporation residues were dissolved with aqueous sodium acetate buffer solution (0.02M, pH 4.8), and fat was removed with hexane. Sulfonamides and chloramphenicol were detected at 275 nm (UV) by using a gradient system of sodium acetate buffer solution-acetonitrile starting at 95 + 5 (v/v) and finishing at 80 + 20 (v/v). Nitrofurans were detected at 375 nm (UV) isocratically with sodium acetate buffer solution-acetonitrile (80 + 20, v/v). Residues stability was measured through recovery data. Sulfamethoxazole, sulfachloropyridazine, nitrofurazone, furazolidone, and furaltadone residues remained stable in the presence of either preservative for 7 days. Sulfamethazine and chloramphenicol were not affected by K2Cr2O7, but had significant losses (p <0.05) when HgCl2 was used: 26.2 and 13.4%, respectively. Average recoveries of sulfamonomethoxine, sulfamerazine, and sulfathiazole significantly decreased by Day 7, with losses of 17.1, 17.2, and 23.2% for K2Cr2O7, and 23.3, 20.7, and 48.0% for HgCl2, respectively. During 5 days of cold storage all antimicrobials tested, except sulfathiazole, remained stable in milk samples preserved with 0.1 % K2Cr2O7 or 0.05% HgCl2.     

Comparative adsorption studies of indigo carmine dye on chitin and chitosan

The adsorption of indigo carmine dye onto chitin and chitosan from aqueous solutions was followed in a batch system. The ability of these materials to adsorb indigo carmine dye from aqueous solution was followed through a series of adsorption isotherms adjusted to a modified Langmuir equation. The maximum number of moles adsorbed was 1.24 +/- 0.16 x 10(-5) and 1.54 +/- 0.03 x 10(-4) mol g(-1) for chitin and chitosan, respectively. The same interactions were calorimetrically followed and the thermodynamic data showed exothermic enthalpic values of -40.12 +/- 3.52 and -29.25 +/- 1.93 kJ mol(-1) for chitin and chitosan, respectively. Gibbs free energies for the two adsorption processes of indigo carmine dye presented a positive value for chitin and a negative one for chitosan, reflecting that dye/surface interactions are thermodynamic favorable for chitosan and nonspontaneous for chitin at 298.15 K. The interaction processes were accompanied by an increase of entropy value for chitosan (90 +/- 6 J mol(-1)K(-1)) and a decrease for chitin (-145 +/- 13 J mol(-1)K(-1)). Thus, dye/chitosan interaction showed favorable enthalpic and entropic processes, reflecting thermodynamic stability of the formed complex, while dye/chitin interaction showed an exothermic enthalpic value and a highly nonfavorable entropic effect, resulting in a nonspontaneous thermodynamic system.     

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy study of nanostructured hydroxyapatite

Crystalline properties of synthetic nanostructured hydroxyapatite (n-HA) were studied using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The focal-series-restoration technique, obtaining exit-plane wavefunction and spherical aberration-corrected images, was successfully applied for the first time in this electron-beam-susceptible material. Multislice simulations and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were also employed to determine unequivocally that n-HA particles of different size preserve stoichiometric HA-like crystal structure. n-HA particles with sizes of twice the HA lattice parameter were found. These results can be used to optimize n-HA sinterization parameters to improve bioactivity.     

Buffer capacity of humic acid: thermodynamic approach

Commercial humic acid was dialyzed and characterized by infrared, UV/vis spectroscopy, (13)C NMR spectrometry, thermogravimetry, and elemental analysis. The dialyzed humic acid was titrated with HNO(3) and NaOH in order to obtain the buffer capacity value (beta). The humic acid presented buffer behavior by base and acid addition, and moreover, an excellent buffer capacity by addition of NaOH. Humic acid showed buffer action between pH 5.5 and 8.0, and a maximum buffer capacity at pH 6.0. The same study was followed calorimetrically to determinate the enthalpy of interaction between H(+)/OH(-) and buffer, which resulted in a maximum enthalpy of -38.49 kJ mol(-1) at pH 6.0. This value suggests that the buffer activity is based on chemisorption of proton and hydroxyl.