Determination of trace elements in bone by two-jet plasma atomic emission spectrometry

This paper describes an analytical method for trace element determination in bone tissues. The study of the influence of the bone matrix showed that the addition of 25% ground bone to graphite powder with introduced impurities did not affect the analytical signal of elements in the spectral excitation in a two-jet plasma. On basis of these investigations a method for direct multielement analysis of bone tissues was suggested. The sample preparation procedure consisted in mixing powdered bone (particle size 30 μm or less) with a spectroscopic buffer (graphite powder plus NaCl) in ratio 1:3 or to a greater extent depending on the analyte concentration. Reference samples based on graphite powder were used for construction of calibration curves. The NaCl concentration in analyzed and calibration samples was 15 wt%. The effect of particle size was revealed from the determination of Ba, Sr, and Mg. To eliminate this effect, treatment of the samples with nitric acid was proposed. The validation of the technique was confirmed by comparison of the analysis results of a bone sample with those obtained by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry after wet acid digestion. The limits of detection estimated for 20 elements were the following (μg g^-1): 0.1 (Ag), 1.0 (Al), 1.0 (Ba), 0.1 (Be), 1.2 (Bi), 0.4 (Cd), 1.0 (Co), 0.2 (Cu), 0.6 (Cr), 1.9 (In), 2 (Fe), 0.3 (Ga), 0.4 (Mn), 0.4 (Mo), 0.7 (Ni), 1.0 (Pb), 0.7 (Sn), 0.8 (Tl), 5 (Sr), 1.0 (Zn).     

On the perturbation of the group generalized inverse for a class of bounded operators in Banach spaces

Given a bounded operator A on a Banach space X with Drazin inverse AD and index r, we study the class of group invertible bounded operators B such that I+AD(B−A) is invertible and R(B)∩N(Ar)={0}. We show that they can be written with respect to the decomposition X=R(Ar)⊕N(Ar) as a matrix operator, , where B₁ and are invertible. Several characterizations of the perturbed operators are established, extending matrix results. We analyze the perturbation of the Drazin inverse and we provide explicit upper bounds of ‖B^?−AD‖ and ‖BB^?−ADA‖. We obtain a result on the continuity of the group inverse for operators on Banach spaces.     

A note on compact operators on matrix domains

We establish some identities or estimates for the operator norms and Hausdorff measures of noncompactness of linear operators given by infinite matrices that map the matrix domains of triangles in arbitrary BK spaces with AK, or in the spaces of all convergent or bounded sequences, into the spaces of all null, convergent or bounded sequences, or of all absolutely convergent series. Furthermore, we apply these results to the characterizations of compact operators on the matrix domains of triangles in the classical sequence spaces, and on the sequence spaces studied in [I. Djolovi?, Compact operators on the spaces and , J. Math. Anal. Appl. 318 (2) (2006) 658-666; I. Djolovi?, On the space of bounded Euler difference sequences and some classes of compact operators, Appl. Math. Comput. 182 (2) (2006) 1803-1811].     

The infrared-driven cis–trans isomerization of nitrous acid HONO III: A mixed quantum–classical simulation

A mixed quantum–classical simulation of the IR-driven cis–trans isomerization of HONO in a Kr matrix at 30 K is presented, treating the hydrogen atom as quantum particle and the Kr matrix as well as intermolecular degrees of freedom of the ONO-body as classical. A new method is presented to time-propagate the coupled set of equations in a DVR basis in internal spherical coordinates, rather than in laboratory frame fixed cartesian coordinates. In spherical coordinates, a much more precise computation of the weak vibrational couplings is possible using a still manageable basis size. Good qualitative agreement between simulation and experiment is obtained, underestimating relaxation and isomerization rates by a modest factor ≈5. Upon matrix fluctuations, frequent curve crossings occur between the initially excited OH-stretch vibration and a closely lying combination mode of torsional and bending coordinate that lead to a transfer of population. The subsequent pathway of energy flow is deduced and discussed within a tier model, where trans-states, that belong to the second tier, are populated through a first tier of states that is composed of combinations of bending and torsional excitations. No specific energy pathway is revealed that would funnel the hydrogen atom directly towards the trans-side, hence the experimentally observed high cis → trans quantum yield of close to one probably has to be explained in a statistical scenario on a timescale much longer than that of the present simulation.     

Selective determination of acidic pharmaceuticals in wastewater using molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction

The determination of acidic pharmaceuticals, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs and clofibric acid (metabolite of clofibrate), at low ng L⁻¹ levels in wastewater requires highly selective and sensitive analytical procedures. The removal of matrix components during sample preparation results in significant benefits towards reducing the matrix effects during LC-MS analysis. Therefore this work describes a simple method to enrich and clean up NSAIDs and clofibric acid from sewage water using molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE). Final analysis was performed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The performance of this method has been evaluated in fortified tap and sewage water in terms of recovery, precision, linearity, and method quantification limit. Recovery for all compounds ranged in all matrices between 84 and 116% with intra-day R.S.D. values below 11.5%. Matrix effect evaluation demonstrated that even complex sample matrixes, such as pond or sewage water did not showed significant ion suppression/enhancement compared to tap water. The performance of the method was further emphasized by the study of pond water, which receives treated water from a sewage treatment plant in south Sweden. Raw sewage and treated water were also tested. In those samples, all acidic pharmaceuticals were detected in concentration above method quantification limits ranging from 5.1 to 5153.0 ng L⁻¹.     

Development of a matrix solid-phase dispersion method for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sewage sludge samples

A new, single-step extraction and purification method based on matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) was developed to determine 17 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sewage sludge samples. The MSPD method consists of sample homogenisation, exhaustive extraction and clean-up by a single process. The different operational parameters of the method, such as the type of dispersant, type and amount of additives, clean-up co-sorbent and extractive solvent were evaluated. Reversed-phase (C18) and polymeric (Oasis HLB and Oasis MAX) materials, as well as normal phase sorbents (Florisil, silica, neutral alumina) and an inert support (sand) were tested to assess the sorbents effect on the yield and selectivity of the MSPD process. Analysis of extracts was performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with fluorescence detection.Quantification limits obtained for all of these considered compounds (between 0.0001 and 0.005 μg g⁻¹ dry mass) were well below of the limits recommended in the EU. The extraction yields for the different compounds obtained by MSPD ranged from 76.3% to 103.6%. On the other hand, the extraction efficiency of the optimised method is compared with that achieved by microwave-assisted extraction and the method was applied to the analysis of real sewage sludge samples. A certified reference material (sewage sludge (BCR 088)) and a reference material (sewage sludge (RTC-CNS312-04)) were used to validate the proposed method.     

六溴环十二烷异构体在鮰鱼体内的浓度分布与生物累积特征

研究了鮰鱼体内六溴环十二烷(HBCDs)异构体的浓度分布与生物累积特征。首先采用基质固相分散(MSPD)法,同位素稀释定量,高效液相色谱-电喷雾串联质谱(HPLC-ESI-MS/MS)检测技术,建立了渔业饲料和鱼体中α-HBCD、β-HBCD和γ-HBCD的分析方法。该法对α-HBCD、β-HBCD、γ-HBCD的回收率分别为80.7%~110.5%、80.1%~109.0%、86.9%~104.5%,其检出限分别为0.002、0.002、0.001 ng/g。采用所建立的方法对25个渔业饲料样品和30个鱼样品进行分析,三种异构体在渔业饲料中的检出率均为16%,在鱼产品中的检出率分别为10%、6.67%和10%。鱼中HBCDs含量与渔业饲料中HBCDs含量的比值(生物累积因子)的结果为:α-HBCD,0.78;β-HBCD,0.45;γ-HBCD,1.08。对HBCDs在配对的渔业饲料与鱼中的相关关系进行了研究。     

Low temperature IR spectroscopy and photochemistry of matrix-isolated α-pyridil

α-Pyridil [(C₆H₄NO)₂] has been isolated in low temperature argon and xenon matrices and studied by FTIR spectroscopy, supported by DFT(B3LYP)/6–311++G(d,p) calculations. Calculations predicted the existence of three different conformers exhibiting skewed conformations around the intercarbonyl bond and the two C₅H₄NC(O) fragments nearly planar. The two higher energy forms, TCG and CCSk were estimated theoretically to be, respectively, 21.0 and 35.1 kJ mol⁻¹ higher in energy than the most stable form, TTG. In consonance with the relatively high energies predicted by the calculations for the two less stable conformers of α-pyridil, only the most stable conformer was found spectroscopically to be present in the studied matrices. Infrared spectra obtained for the neat low temperature amorphous and crystalline states reveals that the TTG conformer is also the sole conformer present in these phases. UV irradiation (λ > 235 nm) of matrix-isolated α-pyridil led to its isomerization into unusual molecular species bearing Hückel-type pyridine (aza-benzvalene) rings.     

High-efficiency protein extraction from polyacrylamide gels for molecular mass measurement by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry

A simple and fast method of protein extraction from Coomassie Brilliant Blue (CBB)-stained polyacrylamide gels suited for molecular mass measurement of proteins by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) is reported. Proteins in CBB-stained gel pieces were extracted by a 10-min soaking in 0.1 M NaOH at 25 degrees C. The recovery of this one-step extraction method was 34-73% for proteins <67 kDa. CBB adduction to proteins during mass spectrometric analysis was avoided by a destaining step before the alkaline extraction. The molecular mass values of the extracted proteins coincided with those of purified proteins within +/-0.01-0.10% deviation for all the proteins <36 kDa. Because of the high extraction recovery, mass measurement was possible for the proteins extracted from CBB-stained gels with loaded protein quantities as little as 34 ng for cytochrome c, alpha-lactalbumin, myoglobin, beta-lactoglobulin, trypsinogen, and carbonic anhydrase (12.4-29.0 kDa), 340 ng for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (35.6 kDa) and albumin (66.3 kDa). This method provides a highly efficient approach to utilize CBB-stained one- or two-dimensional gels for whole protein analysis using MALDI-TOF-MS.     

Aggregation of acetic and propionic acid in argon matrices--a matrix isolation and computational study

Monomeric acetic acid MA and propionic acid MP were isolated in argon matrices at 10K by using a pulse deposition technique. The dimerization of the monomers was induced by warming the matrices from 10 to 40 K. Under these conditions the diffusion of small trapped molecules is rapid and the dimerization could be monitored directly by IR spectroscopy. Both carboxylic acids form the symmetrical dimers B with two strong C=O...HO hydrogen bridges as the thermodynamically most stable dimers. With acetic acid a less stable dimer AA could be obtained if high concentrations of acetic acid in argon were used during the deposition of the matrix. On annealing this dimer rearranges to the more stable BA. In contrast, propionic acid does not form a corresponding less stable dimer under any experimental condition. These observations are rationalized on the basis of DFT and ab initio calculations.