Glass and polymeric membrane electrodes for the measurement of pH in milk and cheese

While there is a considerable interest in the food industry in determining various analytes using ion-selective electrodes (ISEs), only few reports describe their use for direct measurements in food. In this study, the suitability of glass electrodes and ionophore-based solvent polymeric ISEs for the determination of pH in Process cheese, Cheddar cheese and milk was investigated. The liquid junction potential between a 3 M KCl bridge electrolyte and diluted as well as undiluted Process cheese was found to be negligible. Reference electrodes with ceramic plug and sleeve-type junctions performed well, although precautions needed to be taken to prevent plugging at the junctions. While the protein rennet casein posed no problems in pH measurements, the extraction of neutral lipophilic compounds or hydrophobic peptides into solvent polymeric membranes was evident, resulting in some loss of selectivity for monovalent cations upon exposure to cheese. However, it was found that ISEs based on tridodecylamine (R₃N) as ionophore and o-nitrophenyl octyl ether (oNPOE) as plasticizer can be used to accurately measure the pH of milk and, after desensitization of the electrodes in a cheese emulsion, of diluted Process cheese. Since pH measurements with a glass electrode showed that emulsions of cheese moderately diluted to a cheese content of 70% have the same pH as undiluted cheeses, it is possible to determine the pH in cheese with ionophore-based ISEs. R₃N membranes also performed well in undiluted milk.     

Formulation–composition map of a lecithin-based emulsion

Formulation–composition map is an interesting tool to predict the nature of an emulsion, stability, viscosity and nevertheless to decide the mixing protocol of its ingredients. Information based on optimum formulation (environmental conditions at which the affinity of an emulsifier for oil and for aqueous phase is same), which is depicted through hydrophilic–lipophilic deviation (HLD) concept, is necessary to make a formulation–composition map of an emulsion. In order to apply this concept in food emulsions, it is necessary to determine characteristic constants of each component of the system, i.e. the aqueous phase, the oil phase and the emulsifier at equilibrium. In this work formulation–composition map of a sunflower oil–water–lecithin system, based on the knowledge of phase behavior of lecithin at equilibrium and emulsification, was made. The shape of inversion line on formulation–composition map was not the classical stair type rather an almost vertical inversion line at water-fraction (f_w) near 0.20 was observed. It was supposed to be linked to the viscosity of oil phase which was 50 times the viscosity of aqueous phase. Additionally, emulsions were of oil-in-water (O/W) type for f_w higher than 0.20, but their viscosity and the drop size behavior with respect to salt concentration as formulation variable did not show the existence of transitional inversion line on formulation–composition map. Such map in advance can certainly facilitate the guidelines for dynamic emulsification.     

Extended applications of electric cell-substrate impedance sensing for assessment of the structure-function of α2β1 integrin

Electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) was applied to assess the structure-function of α2β1 integrin, receptor for collagen and laminin. On collagen-coated gold electrodes, expression of this integrin on human rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells (RDX2C2) yielded a five-fold increase in resistance when compared with mock transfected RD (RDpF) cells (34.5±5.2 versus 6.5±0.8 Ω/cell). An intermediate level of 16±2 Ω/cell was measured upon expression of an α2β1 mutant that lacked the α2 cytoplasmic domain (RDX2CO). On laminin, the resistance measured for RDX2C2 cells was also higher but only twice that of RDpF cells at 71±4 and 37±4 Ω/cell, respectively. In comparison, RDX2CO cells (38±4 Ω/cell), exhibiting no enhanced adhesive function, yielded a similar result to that of RDpF cells. On fibronectin, RDX2C2 and RDpF cells, exhibiting comparable levels of adhesion, were similar in resistance measurements at 85±5and 89±7 Ω/cell, respectively. It has been shown that deletion of α2 cytoplasmic domain results in dysregulated recruitment of the α2β1 mutant to focal adhesion complexes that mediate binding of fibronectin. RDX2CO cells on fibronectin, exhibiting reduced adhesive function, was associated with noticeably lower resistance (60±4 Ω/cell). Monitoring electroporation of the RD plasma membrane also indirectly validated cell attachment as reflected by the resistance measured. Results from this study demonstrated the potential of ECIS for study of the structure-function of βl integrin adhesion receptors.     

Clinical quality vs analytical performance: what are the right targets and target values?

For optimal performance of laboratory tests, testing processes should be designed to provide clinically useful quality and QC procedures should be selected to assure that the necessary clinical quality is achieved in routine production. One important issue is how to define clinical quality. Today’s practice guidelines, quality regulations, and quality standards provide some targets for analytical quality, but they fail to adequately address clinical quality. Target values for precision and accuracy are not the same as clinical quality, though analytical performance certainly contributes to the clinical quality of test results. How can we proceed in our quest to improve quality when there are inconsistencies and inadequacies in the specifications found in practice guidelines, regulations, and standards? Today target values are often being set for the wrong targets. A better approach is possible if we focus on test interpretation guidelines to define clinical quality, then derive specifications for the accuracy and precision that are appropriate for the method, as well the QC rules and numbers of control measurements that are necessary to guarantee the desired quality will be achieved in routine operation of the testing process.     

对固体圆二色光谱测试方法的再认识——兼谈“浓度效应”

对近期发展的固体圆二色(CD)光谱测试方法进行了概述、评价和比较, 着重探讨了“浓度效应”的存在使固体CD光谱失真的原因. 通过对本课题组和其他作者已报道的四种化合物的固体CD谱再测试的反思, 强调了依手性化合物的手性光谱学性质不同, 根据浓度梯度实验选择其合适测试浓度的必要性. 对固有手性的阻转异构化合物(S)-1,1'-联二萘酚(S-BINOL)进行了成膜法固体CD谱浓度梯度测试, 发现所得固体薄膜CD谱中也存在着“浓度效应”     

对固体圆二色光谱测试方法的再认识——兼谈“浓度效应”

对近期发展的固体圆二色(CD)光谱测试方法进行了概述、评价和比较, 着重探讨了“浓度效应”的存在使固体CD光谱失真的原因. 通过对本课题组和其他作者已报道的四种化合物的固体CD谱再测试的反思, 强调了依手性化合物的手性光谱学性质不同, 根据浓度梯度实验选择其合适测试浓度的必要性. 对固有手性的阻转异构化合物(S)-1,1'-联二萘酚(S-BINOL)进行了成膜法固体CD谱浓度梯度测试, 发现所得固体薄膜CD谱中也存在着“浓度效应”     

对固体圆二色光谱测试方法的再认识——兼谈“浓度效应”

对近期发展的固体圆二色(CD)光谱测试方法进行了概述、评价和比较, 着重探讨了“浓度效应”的存在使固体CD光谱失真的原因. 通过对本课题组和其他作者已报道的四种化合物的固体CD谱再测试的反思, 强调了依手性化合物的手性光谱学性质不同, 根据浓度梯度实验选择其合适测试浓度的必要性. 对固有手性的阻转异构化合物(S)-1,1'-联二萘酚(S-BINOL)进行了成膜法固体CD谱浓度梯度测试, 发现所得固体薄膜CD谱中也存在着“浓度效应”     

Application of jäntti's method to volumetric adsorption measurements

Jäntti introduced a method to calculate the adsorption equilibrium by measuring the actual adsorbed amount three times after a change to the gas pressure. By this method the experimental time for adsorption measurement can be considerably shortened. The procedure was developed for use in adsorption measurements where the adsorbed masses are directly measured with a balance. In the present paper we will demonstrate that the method is particularly useful in volumetric (manometric) measurements.     

Neutral loss of amino acid residues from protonated peptides in collision-induced dissociation generates N- or C-terminal sequence ladders

The widespread occurrence of the neutral loss of one to six amino acid residues as neutral fragments from doubly protonated tryptic peptides is documented for 23 peptides with individual sequences. Neutral loss of amino acids from the N-terminus of doubly charged tryptic peptides results in doubly charged y-ions, forming a ladder-like series with the ions [M + 2H](2+) = y(max) (2+), y(max - 1) (2+), y(max - 2) (2+), etc. An internal residue such as histidine, proline, lysine or arginine appears to favor this type of fragmentation, although it was sometimes also observed for peptides without this structure. For doubly protonated non-tryptic peptides with one of these residues at or near the N-terminus, we observed neutral loss from the C-terminus, resulting in a doubly charged b-type ion ladder. The analyses were performed by Q-TOF tandem mass spectrometry, facilitating the recognition of neutral loss ladders by their 2+ charge state and the conversion of the observed mass differences into reliable sequence information. It is shown that the neutral loss of amino acid residues requires low collision offset values, a simple mechanistic explanation based on established fragmentation rules is proposed and the utility of this neutral loss fragmentation pathway as an additional source for dependable peptide sequence information is documented.     

考虑偏差值的中立型区间交叉效率研究

在不确定性环境下,当决策单元(DMU)的投入产出数据为区间数形式时,为解决决策单元之间既不是合作也不是竞争关系时的交叉评价问题,本文提出一种中立型区间交叉效率模型。从所有被评价者的角度出发解决评价权重的选取问题,以决策单元投入得分的平均偏差与产出得分的平均偏差之和最小化为目标,建立决策单元在最佳和最差两种生产状态下的中立型区间交叉效率模型。在本文提出的中立型模型视角下,DMU的投入得分平均偏差和产出得分平均偏差之和达到最小。算例结果表明该中立型区间交叉效率模型的有效性,解决了不确定性环境下的交叉评价问题,保证评价的客观公正,更加符合现实。