Determination of total copper in haemodialysis water by differential-pulse anodic stripping voltammetry

An anodic stripping voltammetric method was developed in order to determine copper in the water used to prepare haemodialysis solutions. The interference from organic matter was overcome by high-pressure bomb mineralization. The electrochemical results were compared with those obtained by using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and the correlation was excellent (r = 0.983, p < 0.001). The detection limit was 0.2 μg l^?1 copper.     

A recommended and verified procedure for in situ tryptic digestion of formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissues for analysis by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry

Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS) is a molecular imaging technology uniquely capable of untargeted measurement of proteins, lipids, and metabolites while retaining spatial information about their location in situ. This powerful combination of capabilities has the potential to bring a wealth of knowledge to the field of molecular histology. Translation of this innovative research tool into clinical laboratories requires the development of reliable sample preparation protocols for the analysis of proteins from formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) tissues, the standard preservation process in clinical pathology. Although ideal for stained tissue analysis by microscopy, the FFPE process cross‐links, disrupts, or can remove proteins from the tissue, making analysis of the protein content challenging. To date, reported approaches differ widely in process and efficacy. This tutorial presents a strategy derived from systematic testing and optimization of key parameters, for reproducible in situ tryptic digestion of proteins in FFPE tissue and subsequent MALDI IMS analysis. The approach describes a generalized method for FFPE tissues originating from virtually any source.     

Micropatterns of an extracellular matrix protein with defined information content

One powerful approach to understanding how cells process spatially variant signals is based on using micropatterned substrates to control the distribution of signaling molecules. However, quantifying spatially complex signals requires an appropriate metric. Here we propose that the Shannon information theory formalism provides a robust and useful way to quantify the organization of proteins in micropatterned systems. To demonstrate the use of informational entropy as a metric, we produced patterns of lines of fibronectin with varying information content. Fibroblasts grown on these patterns were sensitive to very small changes in informational entropy (6.6 bits), and the responses depended on the scale of the pattern.     

Air handling in clean laboratory environments: the reason for anomalously high boron background levels

The isotopic analysis of boron from material that carries only trace amounts of boron requires low boron blank levels. Large efforts are taken to keep blank levels low by purifying reagents. We performed exposure experiments and determined procedure blanks before and after the air-handling system was modified from silicate glass filters to polyethylene/polystyrole and active carbon filters. Our investigations demonstrate that the air-handling system may be the major source of boron blank in many laboratories, as the widely used silicate glass filters, which contain boron as a major component, in the form of borax and boric acid, release significant amounts of boron to the air.