Preliminary investigation of the simultaneous detection of sugars,ascorbic acid,citric acid,and sodium benzoate in non-alcoholic beverages by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) was used for the simultaneous detection of sugars, ascorbic acid, citric acid, sodium and/or potassium benzoate in non-alcoholic beverages, with meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (MW 974) as a matrix. Using potassium hydroxide as dopant, fructose/glucose was detected as the potassiated molecule at m/z 219, whereas potassiated sucrose, [Sucrose. K](+), was detected at m/z 381. Using sodium hydroxide as dopant, the fructose and sucrose ions were detected at m/z 203 and 365, respectively. Citric acid generated multiple ions at m/z 269, 307, and 345, which were assigned to [Citricbond;H+2K](+), [Citricbond;2H+3K](+), and [Citricbond;3H+4K](+), respectively. However, a stored methanolic solution of citric acid produced additional ions at m/z 283, 297, and 321, which were attributed to [Citricbond;2H+CH(3)+2K](+), [Citricbond;3H+2CH(3)+2K](+), and [Citricbond;3H+CH(3)+3K](+), respectively, due to esterification that took place during storage. The limits of detection in water were: ascorbic acid, 0.30 wt%; citric acid, 0.5 wt%; and sodium benzoate, 0.001 wt%. In the beverage formulations, the limits of detection were: ascorbic acid 0.3 wt%, citric acid 0.3 wt%, and sodium benzoate 0.02 wt%. Spiking a water or beverage solution that contained ascorbic and/or citric acid with less than 0.6 wt% of tartaric acid lowered the detection limits of ascorbic and citric acids to 0.2 wt%. This study demonstrates the potential for using MALDI-TOFMS in the quality control analyses of non-alcoholic beverages, particularly with regard to the detection of low molecular weight organic acids in commercial beverage formulations.     

Determination of selenium in human tissues by atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple method is described for the determination of selenium in human tissues without the use of perchloric acid. Digestion with nitric and sulphuric acids is followed by hydride generation and atomic absorption spectrometry. Results for NBS bovine liver and IAEA horse kidney reference materials were in good agreement with assigned concentrations, as was also achieved with the perchloric acid digestion. Recovery of added selenium was >90%, and the relative standard deviation was 5.5% for within-batch and 6.9% for between-batch analyses. The values of selenium in heart tissue were 0.9–1.3 μg g^?1 dry weight.     

A Fast Direct Method for the Least Squares Solution of Slightly Overdetermined Sets of Linear Equations

Noble (1969) has described a method for the solution of N+Mlinear equations in N unknowns, which is based on an initialpartitioning of the matrix A, and which requires only the solutionof square sets of equations. He assumed rank (A) = N. We describehere an efficient implementation of Noble's method, and showthat it generalizes in a simple way to cover also rank deficientproblems. In the common case that the equation is only slightlyoverdetermined (M << N) the resulting algorithm is muchfaster than the standard methods based on M.G.S. or Householderreduction of A, or on the normal equations, and has a very similaroperation count to the algorithm of Cline (1973). Slightly overdetermined systems arise from Galerkin methodsfor non-Hermitian partial differential equations. In these systems,rank (A) = N and advantage can be taken of the structure ofthe matrix A to yield a least squares solution in (N²) operations.     

Runaway Electron Measurements in the EAST Tokamak

An experimental study of runaway electrons in the EAST tokamak has been performed by a recently developed multi‐channel hard x‐ray diagnostics based on NaI(TL) scintillator detectors. It is found that in the current quench phase, the inductive loop voltage plays an important role in the generation of runaway electrons. And the avalanche mechanism was the main mechanism for runaway electrons after the disruptions. The distribution and transportation of runaway electrons were also investigated by multi‐channel hard x‐ray diagnostics. It is also found that the intensity of runaway electrons emission in the core plasma was much higher than those in the downside of the cross‐section, while the emission intensity of runaway electrons in the core plasma was almost the same. Calculated shrinking coefficient of runaway electrons emission after the plasma disruption was about 26 m/s according to the experimental data (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Accurate determination of selenium in biological materials without perchloric acid for digestion

Selenium (10–80 μg kg^?1) is determined by hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry in mixed diet, faecal and urine samples and in standard reference materials (bovine liver, rice flour, wheat flour and horse kidney) after two digestion procedures. No difference was found in digestion efficiency between a nitric/sulphuric acid mixture and a nitric/sulphuric/perchloric acid mixture. The results suggest that the digestion of most biological materials for the determination of selenium does not require the use of perchloric acid.     

The three-nucleon system with the Reid and Gammel-Brueckner potentials

We report preliminary results for an extension of our calculations to the Reid and Gammel-Brueckner nucleon-nucleon potentials. The results for the Reid potential appear to disagree with those of some other calculations.