Exploratory Study Using Urinary Volatile Organic Compounds for the Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) biomarkers are lacking in clinical practice. We therefore explored the pattern and composition of urinary volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in HCC patients. This was done in order to assess the feasibility of a potential non-invasive test for HCC, and to enhance our understanding of the disease. This pilot study recruited 58 participants, of whom 20 were HCC cases and 38 were non-HCC cases. The non-HCC cases included healthy individuals and patients with various stages of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), including those with and without fibrosis. Urine was analysed using gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (GC–IMS) and gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC–TOF-MS). GC–IMS was able to separate HCC from fibrotic cases with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.97 (0.91–1.00), and from non-fibrotic cases with an AUC of 0.62 (0.48–0.76). For GC-TOF-MS, a subset of samples was analysed in which seven chemicals were identified and tentatively linked with HCC. These include 4-methyl-2,4-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)pent-1-ene (2TMS derivative), 2-butanone, 2-hexanone, benzene, 1-ethyl-2-methyl-, 3-butene-1,2-diol, 1-(2-furanyl)-, bicyclo(4.1.0)heptane, 3,7,7-trimethyl-, [1S-(1a,3β,6a)]-, and sulpiride. Urinary VOC analysis using both GC–IMS and GC-TOF-MS proved to be a feasible method of identifying HCC cases, and was also able to enhance our understanding of HCC pathogenesis.     

ChemInform Abstract: High Pressure Phase Transitions in Scheelite Structured Fluoride: ErLiF4.

ErLiF₄ is prepared by solid state reaction of stoichiometric amounts of LiF and ErF₃ (1.     

Morphology of InN nanorods using spectroscopic Raman imaging

We report the vibrational properties of vertical and oblique InN nanorods (NRs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Surface optical (SO) Raman mode at 561 cm⁻¹, belonging to E₁ symmetry [SO(E₁)], is identified along with symmetry allowed Raman modes of E₂(low), E₂(high), and E₁(LO) at 87, 489, and 589 cm⁻¹, respectively, corresponding to wurtzite InN phase. Usually, SO phonon modes arise due to breakdown of translational symmetry of surface potential at surface defects, which are attributed by the surface roughness. Intensity distribution of E₁(LO) and SO(E₁) phonon modes over a specified area have been analysed using Raman area mapping with an optical resolution of 400 nm. Imaging with E₁(LO) phonon mode, originating from the bulk of the sample, distinguishes the vertical NRs alone. We are able to resolve NR morphologies in both vertical and oblique cases with additional Raman mapping analysis of SO(E₁) phonon mode, emerging from the surface irregularities, which are confined to the tip of MBE grown NRs. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.