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Sample records for ms-based structural analysis

  1. Sensitivity of GC-EI/MS, GC-EI/MS/MS, LC-ESI/MS/MS, LC-Ag(+) CIS/MS/MS, and GC-ESI/MS/MS for analysis of anabolic steroids in doping control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cha, Eunju; Kim, Sohee; Kim, Ho Jun; Lee, Kang Mi; Kim, Ki Hun; Kwon, Oh-Seung; Lee, Jaeick

    2015-01-01

    This study compared the sensitivity of various separation and ionization methods, including gas chromatography with an electron ionization source (GC-EI), liquid chromatography with an electrospray ionization source (LC-ESI), and liquid chromatography with a silver ion coordination ion spray source (LC-Ag(+) CIS), coupled to a mass spectrometer (MS) for steroid analysis. Chromatographic conditions, mass spectrometric transitions, and ion source parameters were optimized. The majority of steroids in GC-EI/MS/MS and LC-Ag(+) CIS/MS/MS analysis showed higher sensitivities than those obtained with other analytical methods. The limits of detection (LODs) of 65 steroids by GC-EI/MS/MS, 68 steroids by LC-Ag(+) CIS/MS/MS, 56 steroids by GC-EI/MS, 54 steroids by LC-ESI/MS/MS, and 27 steroids by GC-ESI/MS/MS were below cut-off value of 2.0 ng/mL. LODs of steroids that formed protonated ions in LC-ESI/MS/MS analysis were all lower than the cut-off value. Several steroids such as unconjugated C3-hydroxyl with C17-hydroxyl structure showed higher sensitivities in GC-EI/MS/MS analysis relative to those obtained using the LC-based methods. The steroids containing 4, 9, 11-triene structures showed relatively poor sensitivities in GC-EI/MS and GC-ESI/MS/MS analysis. The results of this study provide information that may be useful for selecting suitable analytical methods for confirmatory analysis of steroids. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. MS Based Metabonomics

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    Want, Elizabeth J.; Metz, Thomas O.

    2010-03-01

    Metabonomics is the latest and least mature of the systems biology triad, which also includes genomics and proteomics, and has its origins in the early orthomolecular medicine work pioneered by Linus Pauling and Arthur Robinson. It was defined by Nicholson and colleagues in 1999 as the quantitative measurement of perturbations in the metabolite complement of an integrated biological system in response to internal or external stimuli, and is often used today to describe many non-global types of metabolite analyses. Applications of metabonomics are extensive and include toxicology, nutrition, pharmaceutical research and development, physiological monitoring and disease diagnosis. For example, blood samples from millions of neonates are tested routinely by mass spectrometry (MS) as a diagnostic tool for inborn errors of metabolism. The metabonome encompasses a wide range of structurally diverse metabolites; therefore, no single analytical platform will be sufficient. Specialized sample preparation and detection techniques are required, and advances in NMR and MS technologies have led to enhanced metabonome coverage, which in turn demands improved data analysis approaches. The role of MS in metabonomics is still evolving as instrumentation and software becomes more sophisticated and as researchers realize the strengths and limitations of current technology. MS offers a wide dynamic range, high sensitivity, and reproducible, quantitative analysis. These attributes are essential for addressing the challenges of metabonomics, as the range of metabolite concentrations easily exceeds nine orders of magnitude in biofluids, and the diversity of molecular species ranges from simple amino and organic acids to lipids and complex carbohydrates. Additional challenges arise in generating a comprehensive metabolite profile, downstream data processing and analysis, and structural characterization of important metabolites. A typical workflow of MS-based metabonomics is shown in Figure

  3. Structure Elucidation of Unknown Metabolites in Metabolomics by Combined NMR and MS/MS Prediction.

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    Boiteau, Rene M; Hoyt, David W; Nicora, Carrie D; Kinmonth-Schultz, Hannah A; Ward, Joy K; Bingol, Kerem

    2018-01-17

    We introduce a cheminformatics approach that combines highly selective and orthogonal structure elucidation parameters; accurate mass, MS/MS (MS²), and NMR into a single analysis platform to accurately identify unknown metabolites in untargeted studies. The approach starts with an unknown LC-MS feature, and then combines the experimental MS/MS and NMR information of the unknown to effectively filter out the false positive candidate structures based on their predicted MS/MS and NMR spectra. We demonstrate the approach on a model mixture, and then we identify an uncatalogued secondary metabolite in Arabidopsis thaliana . The NMR/MS² approach is well suited to the discovery of new metabolites in plant extracts, microbes, soils, dissolved organic matter, food extracts, biofuels, and biomedical samples, facilitating the identification of metabolites that are not present in experimental NMR and MS metabolomics databases.

  4. Software ion scan functions in analysis of glycomic and lipidomic MS/MS datasets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haramija, Marko

    2018-03-01

    Hardware ion scan functions unique to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) mode of data acquisition, such as precursor ion scan (PIS) and neutral loss scan (NLS), are important for selective extraction of key structural data from complex MS/MS spectra. However, their software counterparts, software ion scan (SIS) functions, are still not regularly available. Software ion scan functions can be easily coded for additional functionalities, such as software multiple precursor ion scan, software no ion scan, and software variable ion scan functions. These are often necessary, since they allow more efficient analysis of complex MS/MS datasets, often encountered in glycomics and lipidomics. Software ion scan functions can be easily coded by using modern script languages and can be independent of instrument manufacturer. Here we demonstrate the utility of SIS functions on a medium-size glycomic MS/MS dataset. Knowledge of sample properties, as well as of diagnostic and conditional diagnostic ions crucial for data analysis, was needed. Based on the tables constructed with the output data from the SIS functions performed, a detailed analysis of a complex MS/MS glycomic dataset could be carried out in a quick, accurate, and efficient manner. Glycomic research is progressing slowly, and with respect to the MS experiments, one of the key obstacles for moving forward is the lack of appropriate bioinformatic tools necessary for fast analysis of glycomic MS/MS datasets. Adding novel SIS functionalities to the glycomic MS/MS toolbox has a potential to significantly speed up the glycomic data analysis process. Similar tools are useful for analysis of lipidomic MS/MS datasets as well, as will be discussed briefly. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. pyOpenMS: a Python-based interface to the OpenMS mass-spectrometry algorithm library.

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    Röst, Hannes L; Schmitt, Uwe; Aebersold, Ruedi; Malmström, Lars

    2014-01-01

    pyOpenMS is an open-source, Python-based interface to the C++ OpenMS library, providing facile access to a feature-rich, open-source algorithm library for MS-based proteomics analysis. It contains Python bindings that allow raw access to the data structures and algorithms implemented in OpenMS, specifically those for file access (mzXML, mzML, TraML, mzIdentML among others), basic signal processing (smoothing, filtering, de-isotoping, and peak-picking) and complex data analysis (including label-free, SILAC, iTRAQ, and SWATH analysis tools). pyOpenMS thus allows fast prototyping and efficient workflow development in a fully interactive manner (using the interactive Python interpreter) and is also ideally suited for researchers not proficient in C++. In addition, our code to wrap a complex C++ library is completely open-source, allowing other projects to create similar bindings with ease. The pyOpenMS framework is freely available at https://pypi.python.org/pypi/pyopenms while the autowrap tool to create Cython code automatically is available at https://pypi.python.org/pypi/autowrap (both released under the 3-clause BSD licence). © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Quality evaluation of LC-MS/MS-based E. coli H antigen typing (MS-H) through label-free quantitative data analysis in a clinical sample setup.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Keding; Sloan, Angela; McCorrister, Stuart; Peterson, Lorea; Chui, Huixia; Drebot, Mike; Nadon, Celine; Knox, J David; Wang, Gehua

    2014-12-01

    The need for rapid and accurate H typing is evident during Escherichia coli outbreak situations. This study explores the transition of MS-H, a method originally developed for rapid H antigen typing of E. coli using LC-MS/MS of flagella digest of reference strains and some clinical strains, to E. coli isolates in clinical scenario through quantitative analysis and method validation. Motile and nonmotile strains were examined in batches to simulate clinical sample scenario. Various LC-MS/MS batch run procedures and MS-H typing rules were compared and summarized through quantitative analysis of MS-H data output for a standard method development. Label-free quantitative data analysis of MS-H typing was proven very useful for examining the quality of MS-H result and the effects of some sample carryovers from motile E. coli isolates. Based on this, a refined procedure and protein identification rule specific for clinical MS-H typing was established and validated. With LC-MS/MS batch run procedure and database search parameter unique for E. coli MS-H typing, the standard procedure maintained high accuracy and specificity in clinical situations, and its potential to be used in a clinical setting was clearly established. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Evaluation of preparation methods for MS-based analysis of intestinal epithelial cell proteomes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hesselager, Marianne Overgaard; Codrea, Marius Cosmin; Bendixen, Emøke

    2015-01-01

    analyzed by LC and electrospray QTOF-MS. The methods were evaluated according to efficiency, purity, transmembrane protein recovery, as well as for suitability to large-scale preparations. Our data clearly demonstrate that mucosal shaving is by far the best-suited method for in-depth MS analysis in terms...... are low in abundance, and large amounts of sample is needed for their preparation and for undertaking MS-based analysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate three different methods for isolation and preparation of pig intestinal epithelial cells for MS-based analysis of the proteome. Samples were...... of ease and speed of sample preparation, as well as protein recovery. In comparison, more gentle methods where intestinal epithelial cells are harvested by shaking are more time consuming, result in lower protein yield, and are prone to increased technical variation due to multiple steps involved....

  8. A Guideline to Univariate Statistical Analysis for LC/MS-Based Untargeted Metabolomics-Derived Data

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    Maria Vinaixa

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Several metabolomic software programs provide methods for peak picking, retention time alignment and quantification of metabolite features in LC/MS-based metabolomics. Statistical analysis, however, is needed in order to discover those features significantly altered between samples. By comparing the retention time and MS/MS data of a model compound to that from the altered feature of interest in the research sample, metabolites can be then unequivocally identified. This paper reports on a comprehensive overview of a workflow for statistical analysis to rank relevant metabolite features that will be selected for further MS/MS experiments. We focus on univariate data analysis applied in parallel on all detected features. Characteristics and challenges of this analysis are discussed and illustrated using four different real LC/MS untargeted metabolomic datasets. We demonstrate the influence of considering or violating mathematical assumptions on which univariate statistical test rely, using high-dimensional LC/MS datasets. Issues in data analysis such as determination of sample size, analytical variation, assumption of normality and homocedasticity, or correction for multiple testing are discussed and illustrated in the context of our four untargeted LC/MS working examples.

  9. Structural Feature Ions for Distinguishing N- and O-Linked Glycan Isomers by LC-ESI-IT MS/MS

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    Everest-Dass, Arun V.; Abrahams, Jodie L.; Kolarich, Daniel; Packer, Nicolle H.; Campbell, Matthew P.

    2013-06-01

    Glycomics is the comprehensive study of glycan expression in an organism, cell, or tissue that relies on effective analytical technologies to understand glycan structure-function relationships. Owing to the macro- and micro-heterogeneity of oligosaccharides, detailed structure characterization has required an orthogonal approach, such as a combination of specific exoglycosidase digestions, LC-MS/MS, and the development of bioinformatic resources to comprehensively profile a complex biological sample. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) has emerged as a key tool in the structural analysis of oligosaccharides because of its high sensitivity, resolution, and robustness. Here, we present a strategy that uses LC-ESI-MS/MS to characterize over 200 N- and O-glycans from human saliva glycoproteins, complemented by sequential exoglycosidase treatment, to further verify the annotated glycan structures. Fragment-specific substructure diagnostic ions were collated from an extensive screen of the literature available on the detailed structural characterization of oligosaccharides and, together with other specific glycan structure feature ions derived from cross-ring and glycosidic-linkage fragmentation, were used to characterize the glycans and differentiate isomers. The availability of such annotated mass spectrometric fragmentation spectral libraries of glycan structures, together with such substructure diagnostic ions, will be key inputs for the future development of the automated elucidation of oligosaccharide structures from MS/MS data.

  10. Tandem mass spectrometry approach for the investigation of the steroidal metabolism: structure-fragmentation relationship (SFR) in anabolic steroids and their metabolites by ESI-MS/MS analysis.

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    Musharraf, Syed Ghulam; Ali, Arslan; Khan, Naik Tameem; Yousuf, Maria; Choudhary, Muhammad Iqbal; Atta-ur-Rahman

    2013-02-01

    Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) was used to investigate the effect of different substitutions introduced during metabolism on fragmentation patterns of four anabolic steroids including methyltestosterone, methandrostenolone, cis-androsterone and adrenosterone, along with their metabolites. Collision-induced dissociation (CID) analysis was performed to correlate the major product ions of 19 steroids with structural features. The analysis is done to portray metabolic alteration, such as incorporation or reduction of double bonds, hydroxylations, and/or oxidation of hydroxyl moieties to keto functional group on steroidal skeleton which leads to drastically changed product ion spectra from the respective classes of steroids, therefore, making them difficult to identify. The comparative ESI-MS/MS study also revealed some characteristic peaks to differentiate different steroidal metabolites and can be useful for the unambiguous identification of anabolic steroids in biological fluid. Moreover, LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of fermented extract of methyltestosterone, obtained by Macrophomina phaseolina was also investigated. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. A Novel MS-Cleavable Azo Cross-Linker for Peptide Structure Analysis by Free Radical Initiated Peptide Sequencing (FRIPS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iacobucci, Claudio; Hage, Christoph; Schäfer, Mathias; Sinz, Andrea

    2017-10-01

    The chemical cross-linking/mass spectrometry (MS) approach is a growing research field in structural proteomics that allows gaining insights into protein conformations. It relies on creating distance constraints between cross-linked amino acid side chains that can further be used to derive protein structures. Currently, the most urgent task for designing novel cross-linking principles is an unambiguous and automated assignment of the created cross-linked products. Here, we introduce the homobifunctional, amine-reactive, and water soluble cross-linker azobisimidoester (ABI) as a prototype of a novel class of cross-linkers. The ABI-linker possesses an innovative modular scaffold combining the benefits of collisional activation lability with open shell chemistry. This MS-cleavable cross-linker can be efficiently operated via free radical initiated peptide sequencing (FRIPS) in positive ionization mode. Our proof-of-principle study challenges the gas phase behavior of the ABI-linker for the three amino acids, lysine, leucine, and isoleucine, as well as the model peptide thymopentin. The isomeric amino acids leucine and isoleucine could be discriminated by their characteristic side chain fragments. Collisional activation experiments were conducted via positive electrospray ionization (ESI) on two Orbitrap mass spectrometers. The ABI-mediated formation of odd electron product ions in MS/MS and MS3 experiments was evaluated and compared with a previously described azo-based cross-linker. All cross-linked products were amenable to automated analysis by the MeroX software, underlining the future potential of the ABI-linker for structural proteomics studies. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  12. A laser ablation ICP-MS based method for multiplexed immunoblot analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Bang, Thomas Christian; Petersen, Jørgen; Pedas, Pai Rosager

    2015-01-01

    developed a multiplexed antibody-based assay and analysed selected PSII subunits in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). A selection of antibodies were labelled with specific lanthanides and immunoreacted with thylakoids exposed to Mn deficiency after western blotting. Subsequently, western blot membranes were...... analysed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), which allowed selective and relative quantitative analysis via the different lanthanides. The method was evaluated against established liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC...... by more than one technique. The developed method enables a higher number of proteins to be multiplexed in comparison to existing immunoassays. Furthermore, multiplexed protein analysis by LA-ICP-MS provides an analytical platform with high throughput appropriate for screening large collections of plants....

  13. MS-Based Analytical Techniques: Advances in Spray-Based Methods and EI-LC-MS Applications

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    Medina, Isabel; Cappiello, Achille; Careri, Maria

    2018-01-01

    Mass spectrometry is the most powerful technique for the detection and identification of organic compounds. It can provide molecular weight information and a wealth of structural details that give a unique fingerprint for each analyte. Due to these characteristics, mass spectrometry-based analytical methods are showing an increasing interest in the scientific community, especially in food safety, environmental, and forensic investigation areas where the simultaneous detection of targeted and nontargeted compounds represents a key factor. In addition, safety risks can be identified at the early stage through online and real-time analytical methodologies. In this context, several efforts have been made to achieve analytical instrumentation able to perform real-time analysis in the native environment of samples and to generate highly informative spectra. This review article provides a survey of some instrumental innovations and their applications with particular attention to spray-based MS methods and food analysis issues. The survey will attempt to cover the state of the art from 2012 up to 2017.

  14. ANALYSIS OF SPATIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF A SAMPLE OF HAMMĀMS IN MEDITERRANEAN CITIES

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    Roula Aboukhater

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available The hammām is a public building which is traditionally closely linked to socio cultural norms of the society that is supposed to serve. This paper seeks to answer questions about the logic by which such buildings respond to those complex socio cultural relations and the potentials offered by their spatial structures. The hypothesis in analyzing the internal layout is based on the ability of forms to adapt to socio cultural norms of certain societies and that they could be shaped to respond to social needs and to produce appropriate behavior. This study is based on the analysis of the morphological characteristics of the internal layouts of several hammāms, the socio-historical information, the direct observation of the spaces and face to face interviews with staff especially those working in hammām Ammuna in Damascus. The main objective is to explore the following questions: 1 How are hammāms “designed” to fulfi ll users’ social needs and their well-being in the internal spaces? 2 How architectural settings in the internal spaces of the hammām are “coded” or “structured” to produce appropriate social practice or behavior? This paper demonstrates that hammāms are the witnesses of a genius locus of adaptation of a building to sociocultural norms.

  15. Structure Annotation and Quantification of Wheat Seed Oxidized Lipids by High-Resolution LC-MS/MS.

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    Riewe, David; Wiebach, Janine; Altmann, Thomas

    2017-10-01

    Lipid oxidation is a process ubiquitous in life, but the direct and comprehensive analysis of oxidized lipids has been limited by available analytical methods. We applied high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to quantify oxidized lipids (glycerides, fatty acids, phospholipids, lysophospholipids, and galactolipids) and implemented a platform-independent high-throughput-amenable analysis pipeline for the high-confidence annotation and acyl composition analysis of oxidized lipids. Lipid contents of 90 different naturally aged wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) seed stocks were quantified in an untargeted high-resolution LC-MS experiment, resulting in 18,556 quantitative mass-to-charge ratio features. In a posthoc liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry experiment, high-resolution MS/MS spectra (5 mD accuracy) were recorded for 8,957 out of 12,080 putatively monoisotopic features of the LC-MS data set. A total of 353 nonoxidized and 559 oxidized lipids with up to four additional oxygen atoms were annotated based on the accurate mass recordings (1.5 ppm tolerance) of the LC-MS data set and filtering procedures. MS/MS spectra available for 828 of these annotations were analyzed by translating experimentally known fragmentation rules of lipids into the fragmentation of oxidized lipids. This led to the identification of 259 nonoxidized and 365 oxidized lipids by both accurate mass and MS/MS spectra and to the determination of acyl compositions for 221 nonoxidized and 295 oxidized lipids. Analysis of 15-year aged wheat seeds revealed increased lipid oxidation and hydrolysis in seeds stored in ambient versus cold conditions. © 2017 The author(s). All Rights Reserved.

  16. Analysis of phytochemical variations in dioecious Tinospora cordifolia stems using HPLC/QTOF MS/MS and UPLC/QqQLIT -MS/MS.

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    Bajpai, Vikas; Singh, Awantika; Chandra, Preeti; Negi, M P S; Kumar, Nikhil; Kumar, Brijesh

    2016-01-01

    The stem of dioecious Tinospora cordifolia (Menispermaceae) is a commonly used traditional Ayurvedic medicine in India having several therapeutic properties. To develop and validate LC-MS methods for the identification and simultaneous quantitation of various secondary metabolites and to study metabolomic variations in the stem of male and female plants. Ethanolic extract of stems were analysed by HPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS/MS for rapid screening of bioactive phytochemicals. High resolution MS and MS/MS in positive ESI mode were used for structural investigation of secondary metabolites. An UPLC/ESI-QqQ(LIT) -MS/MS method in MRM mode was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantitation of five bioactive alkaloids. Identification and characterisation of 36 metabolites including alkaloids, sesquiterpenes and phytoecdysteroids were performed using LC-MS and MS/MS techniques. The bioactive alkaloids such as jatrorrhizine, magnoflorine, isocorydine, palmatine and tetrahydropalmatine were successfully quantified in male and female plants. The mean abundances of magnoflorine jatrorrhizine, and oblongine were significantly (P Phytochemicals in the stem of male and female Tinospora cordifolia showed significant qualitative and quantitative variations. LC-MS and MS/MS methods can be used to differentiate between male and female plants based on their chemical profiles and quantities of the marker bioactive alkaloids. This chemical composition difference was also evident during vegetative stage when there were no male and female flowers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. The EIPeptiDi tool: enhancing peptide discovery in ICAT-based LC MS/MS experiments

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    Tradigo Giuseppe

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Isotope-coded affinity tags (ICAT is a method for quantitative proteomics based on differential isotopic labeling, sample digestion and mass spectrometry (MS. The method allows the identification and relative quantification of proteins present in two samples and consists of the following phases. First, cysteine residues are either labeled using the ICAT Light or ICAT Heavy reagent (having identical chemical properties but different masses. Then, after whole sample digestion, the labeled peptides are captured selectively using the biotin tag contained in both ICAT reagents. Finally, the simplified peptide mixture is analyzed by nanoscale liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS. Nevertheless, the ICAT LC-MS/MS method still suffers from insufficient sample-to-sample reproducibility on peptide identification. In particular, the number and the type of peptides identified in different experiments can vary considerably and, thus, the statistical (comparative analysis of sample sets is very challenging. Low information overlap at the peptide and, consequently, at the protein level, is very detrimental in situations where the number of samples to be analyzed is high. Results We designed a method for improving the data processing and peptide identification in sample sets subjected to ICAT labeling and LC-MS/MS analysis, based on cross validating MS/MS results. Such a method has been implemented in a tool, called EIPeptiDi, which boosts the ICAT data analysis software improving peptide identification throughout the input data set. Heavy/Light (H/L pairs quantified but not identified by the MS/MS routine, are assigned to peptide sequences identified in other samples, by using similarity criteria based on chromatographic retention time and Heavy/Light mass attributes. EIPeptiDi significantly improves the number of identified peptides per sample, proving that the proposed method has a considerable impact on the protein

  18. msBiodat analysis tool, big data analysis for high-throughput experiments.

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    Muñoz-Torres, Pau M; Rokć, Filip; Belužic, Robert; Grbeša, Ivana; Vugrek, Oliver

    2016-01-01

    Mass spectrometry (MS) are a group of a high-throughput techniques used to increase knowledge about biomolecules. They produce a large amount of data which is presented as a list of hundreds or thousands of proteins. Filtering those data efficiently is the first step for extracting biologically relevant information. The filtering may increase interest by merging previous data with the data obtained from public databases, resulting in an accurate list of proteins which meet the predetermined conditions. In this article we present msBiodat Analysis Tool, a web-based application thought to approach proteomics to the big data analysis. With this tool, researchers can easily select the most relevant information from their MS experiments using an easy-to-use web interface. An interesting feature of msBiodat analysis tool is the possibility of selecting proteins by its annotation on Gene Ontology using its Gene Id, ensembl or UniProt codes. The msBiodat analysis tool is a web-based application that allows researchers with any programming experience to deal with efficient database querying advantages. Its versatility and user-friendly interface makes easy to perform fast and accurate data screening by using complex queries. Once the analysis is finished, the result is delivered by e-mail. msBiodat analysis tool is freely available at http://msbiodata.irb.hr.

  19. A Collaborative Evaluation of LC-MS/MS Based Methods for BMAA Analysis: Soluble Bound BMAA Found to Be an Important Fraction

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    Elisabeth J. Faassen

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Exposure to β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA might be linked to the incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Analytical chemistry plays a crucial role in determining human BMAA exposure and the associated health risk, but the performance of various analytical methods currently employed is rarely compared. A CYANOCOST initiated workshop was organized aimed at training scientists in BMAA analysis, creating mutual understanding and paving the way towards interlaboratory comparison exercises. During this workshop, we tested different methods (extraction followed by derivatization and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS analysis, or directly followed by LC-MS/MS analysis for trueness and intermediate precision. We adapted three workup methods for the underivatized analysis of animal, brain and cyanobacterial samples. Based on recovery of the internal standard D3BMAA, the underivatized methods were accurate (mean recovery 80% and precise (mean relative standard deviation 10%, except for the cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya. However, total BMAA concentrations in the positive controls (cycad seeds showed higher variation (relative standard deviation 21%–32%, implying that D3BMAA was not a good indicator for the release of BMAA from bound forms. Significant losses occurred during workup for the derivatized method, resulting in low recovery (<10%. Most BMAA was found in a trichloroacetic acid soluble, bound form and we recommend including this fraction during analysis.

  20. Dansyl-peptides matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric (MALDI-MS) and tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) features improve the liquid chromatography/MALDI-MS/MS analysis of the proteome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiappetta, Giovanni; Ndiaye, Sega; Demey, Emmanuelle; Haddad, Iman; Marino, Gennaro; Amoresano, Angela; Vinh, Joëlle

    2010-10-30

    Peptide tagging is a useful tool to improve matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem mass spectrometric (MALDI-MS/MS) analysis. We present a new application of the use of the dansyl chloride (DNS-Cl). DNS-Cl is a specific primary amine reagent widely used in protein biochemistry. It adds a fluorescent dimethylaminonaphthalene moiety to the molecule. The evaluation of MALDI-MS and MS/MS analyses of dansylated peptides shows that dansylation raises the ionization efficiency of the most hydrophilic species compared with the most hydrophobic ones. Consequently, higher Mascot scores and protein sequence coverage are obtained by combining MS and MS/MS data of native and tagged samples. The N-terminal DNS-Cl sulfonation improves the peptide fragmentation and promotes the generation of b-fragments allowing better peptide sequencing. In addition, we set up a labeling protocol based on the microwave chemistry. Peptide dansylation proved to be a rapid and cheap method to improve the performance of liquid chromatography (LC)/MALDI-MS/MS analysis at the proteomic scale in terms of peptide detection and sequence coverage. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Identifying inaccuracy of MS Project using system analysis

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    Fachrurrazi; Husin, Saiful; Malahayati, Nurul; Irzaidi

    2018-05-01

    The problem encountered in project owner’s financial accounting report is the difference in total project costs of MS Project to the Indonesian Standard (Standard Indonesia Standard / Cost Estimating Standard Book of Indonesia). It is one of the MS Project problems concerning to its cost accuracy, so cost data cannot be used in an integrated way for all project components. This study focuses on finding the causes of inaccuracy of the MS Projects. The aim of this study, which is operationally, are: (i) identifying cost analysis procedures for both current methods (SNI) and MS Project; (ii) identifying cost bias in each element of the cost analysis procedure; and (iii) analysing the cost differences (cost bias) in each element to identify what the cause of inaccuracies in MS Project toward SNI is. The method in this study is comparing for both the system analysis of MS Project and SNI. The results are: (i) MS Project system in Work of Resources element has limitation for two decimal digits only, have led to its inaccuracy. Where the Work of Resources (referred to as effort) in MS Project represents multiplication between the Quantities of Activities and Requirements of resources in SNI; (ii) MS Project and SNI have differences in the costing methods (the cost estimation methods), in which the SNI uses the Quantity-Based Costing (QBC), meanwhile MS Project uses the Time-Based Costing (TBC). Based on this research, we recommend to the contractors who use SNI should make an adjustment for Work of Resources in MS Project (with correction index) so that it can be used in an integrated way to the project owner’s financial accounting system. Further research will conduct for improvement the MS Project as an integrated tool toward all part of the project participant.

  2. Characterization of Glycan Structures of Chondroitin Sulfate-Glycopeptides Facilitated by Sodium Ion-Pairing and Positive Mode LC-MS/MS

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    Nilsson, Jonas; Noborn, Fredrik; Gomez Toledo, Alejandro; Nasir, Waqas; Sihlbom, Carina; Larson, Göran

    2017-02-01

    Purification and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) characterization of glycopeptides, originating from protease digests of glycoproteins, enables site-specific analysis of protein N- and O-glycosylations. We have described a protocol to enrich, hydrolyze by chondroitinase ABC, and characterize chondroitin sulfate-containing glycopeptides (CS-glycopeptides) using positive mode LC-MS/MS. The CS-glycopeptides, originating from the Bikunin proteoglycan of human urine samples, had ΔHexAGalNAcGlcAGalGalXyl- O-Ser hexasaccharide structure and were further substituted with 0-3 sulfate and 0-1 phosphate groups. However, it was not possible to exactly pinpoint sulfate attachment residues, for protonated precursors, due to extensive fragmentation of sulfate groups using high-energy collision induced dissociation (HCD). To circumvent the well-recognized sulfate instability, we now introduced Na+ ions to form sodiated precursors, which protected sulfate groups from decomposition and facilitated the assignment of sulfate modifications. Sulfate groups were pinpointed to both Gal residues and to the GalNAc of the hexasaccharide structure. The intensities of protonated and sodiated saccharide oxonium ions were very prominent in the HCD-MS2 spectra, which provided complementary structural analysis of sulfate substituents of CS-glycopeptides. We have demonstrated a considerable heterogeneity of the bikunin CS linkage region. The realization of these structural variants should be beneficial in studies aimed at investigating the importance of the CS linkage region with regards to the biosynthesis of CS and potential interactions to CS binding proteins. Also, the combined use of protonated and sodiated precursors for positive mode HCD fragmentation analysis will likely become useful for additional classes of sulfated glycopeptides.

  3. High temperature liquid chromatography hyphenated with ESI-MS and ICP-MS detection for the structural characterization and quantification of halogen containing drug metabolites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vlieger, Jon S.B. de; Giezen, Mark J.N.; Falck, David; Tump, Cornelis; Heuveln, Fred van; Giera, Martin; Kool, Jeroen; Lingeman, Henk; Wieling, Jaap; Honing, Maarten; Irth, Hubertus; Niessen, Wilfried M.A.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Hyphenation of high temperature liquid chromatography to ICP-MS and ESI-MS. → Structural characterization of kinase inhibitor metabolites with high resolution MS n experiments. → Quantification of drug metabolites with ICP-MS based on Iodine detection. → Significant changes in ESI-MS response after small structural changes. - Abstract: In this paper we describe the hyphenation of high temperature liquid chromatography with ICP-MS and ESI-MS for the characterization of halogen containing drug metabolites. The use of temperature gradients up to 200 deg. C enabled the separation of metabolites with low organic modifier content. This specific property allowed the use of detection methods that suffer from (significant) changes in analyte response factors as a function of the organic modifier content such as ICP-MS. Metabolites of two kinase inhibitors (SB-203580-Iodo and MAPK inhibitor VIII) produced by bacterial cytochrome P450 BM3 mutants and human liver microsomes were identified based on high resolution MS n data. Quantification was done using their normalized and elemental specific response in the ICP-MS. The importance of these kinds of quantification strategies is stressed by the observation that the difference of the position of one oxygen atom in a structure can greatly affect its response in ESI-MS and UV detection.

  4. Characteristic fingerprinting based on macamides for discrimination of maca (Lepidium meyenii) by LC/MS/MS and multivariate statistical analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Yu; Zhang, Ji; Li, Hong; Wang, Yuan-Zhong; Li, Wan-Yi

    2016-10-01

    Macamides with a benzylalkylamide nucleus are characteristic and major bioactive compounds in the functional food maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp). The aim of this study was to explore variations in macamide content among maca from China and Peru. Twenty-seven batches of maca hypocotyls with different phenotypes, sampled from different geographical origins, were extracted and profiled by liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-UV/MS/MS). Twelve macamides were identified by MS operated in multiple scanning modes. Similarity analysis showed that maca samples differed significantly in their macamide fingerprinting. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to differentiate samples according to their geographical origin and to identify the most relevant variables in the classification model. The prediction accuracy for raw maca was 91% and five macamides were selected and considered as chemical markers for sample classification. When combined with a PLS-DA model, characteristic fingerprinting based on macamides could be recommended for labelling for the authentication of maca from different geographical origins. The results provided potential evidence for the relationships between environmental or other factors and distribution of macamides. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

  5. Whole-Genome Analysis of a Novel Fish Reovirus (MsReV Discloses Aquareovirus Genomic Structure Relationship with Host in Saline Environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhong-Yuan Chen

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Aquareoviruses are serious pathogens of aquatic animals. Here, genome characterization and functional gene analysis of a novel aquareovirus, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides reovirus (MsReV, was described. It comprises 11 dsRNA segments (S1–S11 covering 24,024 bp, and encodes 12 putative proteins including the inclusion forming-related protein NS87 and the fusion-associated small transmembrane (FAST protein NS22. The function of NS22 was confirmed by expression in fish cells. Subsequently, MsReV was compared with two representative aquareoviruses, saltwater fish turbot Scophthalmus maximus reovirus (SMReV and freshwater fish grass carp reovirus strain 109 (GCReV-109. MsReV NS87 and NS22 genes have the same structure and function with those of SMReV, whereas GCReV-109 is either missing the coiled-coil region in NS79 or the gene-encoding NS22. Significant similarities are also revealed among equivalent genome segments between MsReV and SMReV, but a difference is found between MsReV and GCReV-109. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis showed that 13 aquareoviruses could be divided into freshwater and saline environments subgroups, and MsReV was closely related to SMReV in saline environments. Consequently, these viruses from hosts in saline environments have more genomic structural similarities than the viruses from hosts in freshwater. This is the first study of the relationships between aquareovirus genomic structure and their host environments.

  6. Rapid Conformational Analysis of Protein Drugs in Formulation by Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Esmail Nazari, Zeinab; van de Weert, Marco; Bou-Assaf, George

    2016-01-01

    Hydrogen Deuterium Exchange coupled to Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS) has become an established method for analysis of protein higher-order structure. Here, we use HDX-MS methodology based on manual Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE) to allow fast and simplified conformational analysis of proteins under...... pharmaceutically relevant formulation conditions. Of significant practical utility, the methodology allows global HDX-MS analyses to be performed without refrigeration or external cooling of the setup. In Mode 1, we used DMSO-containing solvents for SPE, allowing the HDX-MS analysis to be performed at acceptable...... in formulation, using an internal HDX reference peptide (P7I) to control for any sample-to-sample variations in back exchange. Advantages of the methodology include low sample use, optimized excipient removal using multiple solvents, and fast data acquisition. Our results indicate that the SPE-HDX-MS system can...

  7. Applications of HPLC/MS in the analysis of traditional Chinese medicines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Miao; Hou, Xiao-Fang; Zhang, Jie; Wang, Si-Cen; Fu, Qiang; He, Lang-Chong

    2012-01-01

    In China, traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have been used in clinical applications for thousands of years. The successful hyphenation of high-Performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) has been applied widely in TCMs and biological samples analysis. Undoubtedly, HPLC/MS technique has facilitated the understanding of the treatment mechanism of TCMs. We reviewed more than 350 published papers within the last 5 years on HPLC/MS in the analysis of TCMs. The present review focused on the applications of HPLC/MS in the component analysis, metabolites analysis, and pharmacokinetics of TCMs etc. 50% of the literature is related to the component analysis of TCMs, which show that this field is the most populär type of research. In the metabolites analysis, HPLC coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry has been demonstrated to be the powerful tool for the characterization of structural features and fragmentation behavior patterns. This paper presented a brief overview of the applications of HPLC/MS in the analysis of TCMs. HPLC/MS in the fingerprint analysis is reviewed elsewhere. PMID:29403684

  8. MS-SQL data base programming

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Noh, Chang Bae; Kim, Nam Jung; Lee, Hyeong Gyo

    2002-07-15

    This is about MS-SQL data base programming which is divided into thirteen chapters. The contents of this book are to understand MS-SQL 2000 DBMS with its composition, new function and history of MS-SQL, to learn conception of data base, install, run and closing of MS-SQL 2000 DBMS, to deal with the basic of MS-SQL DBMS, to handle the intermediate level of MS-SQL DBMS, to deal with MS-SQL DBMS in advanced level, to practice query like changing data base and checking of data lists, function on its use and data diff, get date, date add, char, upper and system function, set-up of MS-SQL ODBC, constructing of web server of windows 2000, web programming using visual studio.net.making board and making reference room.

  9. MS-SQL data base programming

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noh, Chang Bae; Kim, Nam Jung; Lee, Hyeong Gyo

    2002-07-01

    This is about MS-SQL data base programming which is divided into thirteen chapters. The contents of this book are to understand MS-SQL 2000 DBMS with its composition, new function and history of MS-SQL, to learn conception of data base, install, run and closing of MS-SQL 2000 DBMS, to deal with the basic of MS-SQL DBMS, to handle the intermediate level of MS-SQL DBMS, to deal with MS-SQL DBMS in advanced level, to practice query like changing data base and checking of data lists, function on its use and data diff, get date, date add, char, upper and system function, set-up of MS-SQL ODBC, constructing of web server of windows 2000, web programming using visual studio.net.making board and making reference room.

  10. Cloud-based solution to identify statistically significant MS peaks differentiating sample categories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Jun; Ling, Jeffrey; Jiang, Helen; Wen, Qiaojun; Whitin, John C; Tian, Lu; Cohen, Harvey J; Ling, Xuefeng B

    2013-03-23

    Mass spectrometry (MS) has evolved to become the primary high throughput tool for proteomics based biomarker discovery. Until now, multiple challenges in protein MS data analysis remain: large-scale and complex data set management; MS peak identification, indexing; and high dimensional peak differential analysis with the concurrent statistical tests based false discovery rate (FDR). "Turnkey" solutions are needed for biomarker investigations to rapidly process MS data sets to identify statistically significant peaks for subsequent validation. Here we present an efficient and effective solution, which provides experimental biologists easy access to "cloud" computing capabilities to analyze MS data. The web portal can be accessed at http://transmed.stanford.edu/ssa/. Presented web application supplies large scale MS data online uploading and analysis with a simple user interface. This bioinformatic tool will facilitate the discovery of the potential protein biomarkers using MS.

  11. MALDI MS-based Composition Analysis of the Polymerization Reaction of Toluene Diisocyanate (TDI) and Ethylene Glycol (EG).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, Yeong Hee; Lee, Yeon Jung; Kim, Sung Ho

    2015-01-01

    This study describes an MS-based analysis method for monitoring changes in polymer composition during the polyaddition polymerization reaction of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and ethylene glycol (EG). The polymerization was monitored as a function of reaction time using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF MS). The resulting series of polymer adducts terminated with various end-functional groups were precisely identified and the relative compositions of those series were estimated. A new MALDI MS data interpretation method was developed, consisting of a peak-resolving algorithm for overlapping peaks in MALDI MS spectra, a retrosynthetic analysis for the generation of reduced unit mass peaks, and a Gaussian fit-based selection of the most prominent polymer series among the reconstructed unit mass peaks. This method of data interpretation avoids errors originating from side reactions due to the presence of trace water in the reaction mixture or MALDI analysis. Quantitative changes in the relative compositions of the resulting polymer products were monitored as a function of reaction time. These results demonstrate that the mass data interpretation method described herein can be a powerful tool for estimating quantitative changes in the compositions of polymer products arising during a polymerization reaction.

  12. MS/MS fragmentation-guided search of TMG-chitooligomycins and their structure-activity relationship in specific β-N-acetylglucosaminidase inhibition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usuki, Hirokazu; Yamamoto, Yukihiro; Kumagai, Yuya; Nitoda, Teruhiko; Kanzaki, Hiroshi; Hatanaka, Tadashi

    2011-04-21

    The reducing tetrasaccharide TMG-chitotriomycin (1) is an inhibitor of β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (GlcNAcase), produced by the actinomycete Streptomyces anulatus NBRC13369. The inhibitor shows a unique inhibitory spectrum, that is, selectivity toward enzymes from chitin-containing organisms such as insects and fungi. Nevertheless, its structure-selectivity relationship remains to be clarified. In this study, we conducted a structure-guided search of analogues of 1 in order to obtain diverse N,N,N-trimethylglucosaminium (TMG)-containing chitooligosaccharides. In this approach, the specific fragmentation profile of 1 on ESI-MS/MS analysis was used for the selective detection of desired compounds. As a result, two new analogues, named TMG-chitomonomycin (3) and TMG-chitobiomycin (2), were obtained from a culture filtrate of 1-producing Streptomyces. Their enzyme-inhibiting activity revealed that the potency and selectivity depended on the degree of polymerization of the reducing end GlcNAc units. Furthermore, a computational modeling study inspired the inhibitory mechanism of TMG-related compounds as a mimic of the substrate in the Michaelis complex of the GH20 enzyme. This study is an example of the successful application of a MS/MS experiment for structure-guided isolation of natural products.

  13. Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics for the Analysis of Chromatin Structure and Dynamics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monica Soldi

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Chromatin is a highly structured nucleoprotein complex made of histone proteins and DNA that controls nearly all DNA-dependent processes. Chromatin plasticity is regulated by different associated proteins, post-translational modifications on histones (hPTMs and DNA methylation, which act in a concerted manner to enforce a specific “chromatin landscape”, with a regulatory effect on gene expression. Mass Spectrometry (MS has emerged as a powerful analytical strategy to detect histone PTMs, revealing interplays between neighbouring PTMs and enabling screens for their readers in a comprehensive and quantitative fashion. Here we provide an overview of the recent achievements of state-of-the-art mass spectrometry-based proteomics for the detailed qualitative and quantitative characterization of histone post-translational modifications, histone variants, and global interactomes at specific chromatin regions. This synopsis emphasizes how the advances in high resolution MS, from “Bottom Up” to “Top Down” analysis, together with the uptake of quantitative proteomics methods by chromatin biologists, have made MS a well-established method in the epigenetics field, enabling the acquisition of original information, highly complementary to that offered by more conventional, antibody-based, assays.

  14. Novel Concepts of MS-Cleavable Cross-linkers for Improved Peptide Structure Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hage, Christoph; Falvo, Francesco; Schäfer, Mathias; Sinz, Andrea

    2017-10-01

    The chemical cross-linking/mass spectrometry (MS) approach is gaining increasing importance as an alternative method for studying protein conformation and for deciphering protein interaction networks. This study is part of our ongoing efforts to develop innovative cross-linking principles for a facile and efficient assignment of cross-linked products. We evaluate two homobifunctional, amine-reactive, and MS-cleavable cross-linkers regarding their potential for automated analysis of cross-linked products. We introduce the bromine phenylurea (BrPU) linker that possesses a unique structure yielding a distinctive fragmentation pattern on collisional activation. Moreover, BrPU delivers the characteristic bromine isotope pattern and mass defect for all cross-linker-decorated fragments. We compare the fragmentation behavior of the BrPU linker with that of our previously described MS-cleavable TEMPO-Bz linker (which consists of a 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxy moiety connected to a benzyl group) that was developed to perform free-radical-initiated peptide sequencing. Comparative collisional activation experiments (collision-induced dissociation and higher-energy collision-induced dissociation) with both cross-linkers were conducted in negative electrospray ionization mode with an Orbitrap Fusion mass spectrometer using five model peptides. As hypothesized in a previous study, the presence of a cross-linked N-terminal aspartic acid residue seems to be the prerequisite for the loss of an intact peptide from the cross-linked products. As the BrPU linker combines a characteristic mass shift with an isotope signature, it presents a more favorable combination for automated assignment of cross-linked products compared with the TEMPO-Bz linker. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  15. Analysis of acrylamide by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS in processed Japanese foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ono, H; Chuda, Y; Ohnishi-Kameyama, M; Yada, H; Ishizaka, M; Kobayashi, H; Yoshida, M

    2003-03-01

    Acrylamide concentrations in processed foods (63 samples covering 31 product types) from Japan were analysed by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS methods. The limit of detection and limit of quantification of acrylamide were 0.2 ng x ml(-1) (6 fmol) and 0.8 ng x ml(-1) (22 fmol), respectively, by LC-MS/MS, and those of 2,3-dibromopropionamide derived from acrylamide were 12 ng x ml(-1) (52 fmol) and 40 ng x ml(-1) (170 fmol), respectively, by GC-MS. Repeatability given as RSD was 1000 microg x kg(-1). The concentrations in non-whole potato-based snacks, rice crackers processed by grilling or frying, and candied sweet potatoes were lower compared with those in the potato crisps and the whole potato-based fried snacks. One of the whole potato-based fried snacks, however, showed low acrylamide concentration (instant precooked noodles and won-tons were <100 microg x kg(-1) with only one exception. Roasted barley grains for 'Mugi-cha' tea contained 200-600 microg x kg(-1) acrylamide.

  16. Dried blood spot analysis of creatinine with LC-MS/MS in addition to immunosuppressants analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koster, Remco A.; Greijdanus, Ben; Alffenaar, Jan-Willem C.; Touw, Daan J.

    In order to monitor creatinine levels or to adjust the dosage of renally excreted or nephrotoxic drugs, the analysis of creatinine in dried blood spots (DBS) could be a useful addition to DBS analysis. We developed a LC-MS/MS method for the analysis of creatinine in the same DBS extract that was

  17. EPOR-Based Purification and Analysis of Erythropoietin Mimetic Peptides from Human Urine by Cys-Specific Cleavage and LC/MS/MS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, Matthias; Thomas, Andreas; Schänzer, Wilhelm; Thevis, Mario

    2015-09-01

    The development of a new class of erythropoietin mimetic agents (EMA) for treating anemic conditions has been initiated with the discovery of oligopeptides capable of dimerizing the erythropoietin (EPO) receptor and thus stimulating erythropoiesis. The most promising amino acid sequences have been mounted on various different polymeric structures or carrier molecules to obtain highly active EPO-like drugs exhibiting beneficial and desirable pharmacokinetic profiles. Concomitant with creating new therapeutic options, erythropoietin mimetic peptide (EMP)-based drug candidates represent means to artificially enhance endurance performance and necessitate coverage by sports drug testing methods. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to develop a strategy for the comprehensive detection of EMPs in doping controls, which can be used complementary to existing protocols. Three model EMPs were used to provide proof-of-concept data. Following EPO receptor-facilitated purification of target analytes from human urine, the common presence of the cysteine-flanked core structure of EMPs was exploited to generate diagnostic peptides with the aid of a nonenzymatic cleavage procedure. Sensitive detection was accomplished by targeted-SIM/data-dependent MS2 analysis. Method characterization was conducted for the EMP-based drug peginesatide concerning specificity, linearity, precision, recovery, stability, ion suppression/enhancement, and limit of detection (LOD, 0.25 ng/mL). Additionally, first data for the identification of the erythropoietin mimetic peptides EMP1 and BB68 were generated, demonstrating the multi-analyte testing capability of the presented approach.

  18. Performance of laser ablation. Quadrupole-based ICP-MS coupling for the analysis of single micrometric uranium particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fabien Pointurier; Amelie Hubert; Anne-Claire Pottin

    2013-01-01

    In this paper we describe the application of laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) coupling to particle analysis, i.e., the determination of the isotopic composition of micrometric uranium particles. The performances of this analysis technique are compared with those of the two reference particle analysis techniques: secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and fission track-thermo-ionization mass spectrometry (FT-TIMS), based on the measurement of the isotopic ratios of 235 U/ 238 U in particles present in an inter-comparison particulate sample. The agreement of the results obtained using LA-ICP-MS with target values and with the results obtained using FT-TIMS and SIMS was good. Accuracy was equivalent to that of the other two techniques (±3 % deviation). However, relative experimental uncertainties present with LA-ICP-MS (7 %) were higher than those present with FT-TIMS (4.5 %) and SIMS (3 %). Furthermore, measurement yield of LA-ICP-MS coupling was close to that obtained with the same quadrupole ICP-MS for the measurement of a liquid sample (∼10 -4 ), but lower than that obtained with FT-TIMS and SIMS, respectively, by a factor of 10 and 20, although the particles analyzed using LA-ICP-MS were most likely smaller (diameter ∼0.6 μm, containing 4-7 fg of 235 U). Nevertheless, thanks to the brevity of the signals obtained, the detection capacity for low isotopic concentrations by LA-ICP-MS coupling is equivalent to that of FT-TIMS, although it remains well below that of SIMS (x 15). However, with more sensitive double focusing ICP-MS, performances equivalent to those achieved using SIMS could be obtained. (author)

  19. Monoacylglycerol Analysis Using MS/MSALL Quadruple Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fei Gao

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Monoacylglycerols (MAGs are structural and bioactive metabolites critical for biological function. Development of facile tools for measuring MAG are essential to understand its role in different diseases and various pathways. A data-independent acquisition method, MS/MSALL, using electrospray ionization (ESI coupled quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (MS, was utilized for the structural identification and quantitative analysis of individual MAG molecular species. Compared with other acylglycerols, diacylglycerols (DAG and triacylglycerols (TAG, MAG characteristically presented as a dominant protonated ion, [M + H]+, and under low collision energy as fatty acid-like fragments due to the neutral loss of the glycerol head group. At low concentrations (<10 pmol/µL, where lipid-lipid interactions are rare, there was a strong linear correlation between ion abundance and MAG concentration. Moreover, using the MS/MSALL method the major MAG species from human plasma and mouse brown and white adipose tissues were quantified in less than 6 min. Collectively, these results demonstrate that MS/MSALL analysis of MAG is an enabling strategy for the direct identification and quantitative analysis of low level MAG species from biological samples with high throughput and sensitivity.

  20. Simultaneous analysis of 17 diuretics in dietary supplements by HPLC and LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woo, H; Kim, J W; Han, K M; Lee, J H; Hwang, I S; Lee, J H; Kim, J; Kweon, S J; Cho, S; Chae, K R; Han, S Y; Kim, J

    2013-01-01

    In order to test health foods for illegally added diuretics for weight loss, we developed simple, rapid, selective, and sensitive methods using HPLC and LC-MS/MS for the simultaneous analysis of 17 diuretics in dietary supplements. HPLC conditions were set with a Capcell-pak C18, using a mobile phase consisting of gradient conditions, UV detection at 254 nm and validated for linearity (r(2)> 0.999), precision (CV ≤ 3%), recoveries (90.4-102.8%) and reproducibility. Identification and quantification of 17 diuretics were accomplished by ion-spray LC-MS/MS using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The chromatographic separation was carried out under the reversed-phase mechanism on an HSS-T3 column. The LC-MS/MS method was validated for linearity (r(2)> 0.99) and precision (CV Diuretics were not detected in all samples. Extraction recovery was also investigated and the extraction recoveries in different formulations were from 88% to 110% and from 81% to 116% using HPLC and LC-MS/MS, respectively. There was no significant difference in recoveries in the type of dietary supplements. Based on this result, the developed methods to monitor illegal drug adulterations in dietary supplements using HPLC and LC-MS/MS are simple, fast and reliable. Therefore, it is applicable to routine drug-adulteration screening.

  1. The collaboratory for MS3D: a new cyberinfrastructure for the structural elucidation of biological macromolecules and their assemblies using mass spectrometry-based approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Eizadora T; Hawkins, Arie; Kuntz, Irwin D; Rahn, Larry A; Rothfuss, Andrew; Sale, Kenneth; Young, Malin M; Yang, Christine L; Pancerella, Carmen M; Fabris, Daniele

    2008-11-01

    Modern biomedical research is evolving with the rapid growth of diverse data types, biophysical characterization methods, computational tools and extensive collaboration among researchers spanning various communities and having complementary backgrounds and expertise. Collaborating researchers are increasingly dependent on shared data and tools made available by other investigators with common interests, thus forming communities that transcend the traditional boundaries of the single research laboratory or institution. Barriers, however, remain to the formation of these virtual communities, usually due to the steep learning curve associated with becoming familiar with new tools, or with the difficulties associated with transferring data between tools. Recognizing the need for shared reference data and analysis tools, we are developing an integrated knowledge environment that supports productive interactions among researchers. Here we report on our current collaborative environment, which focuses on bringing together structural biologists working in the area of mass spectrometric based methods for the analysis of tertiary and quaternary macromolecular structures (MS3D) called the Collaboratory for MS3D (C-MS3D). C-MS3D is a Web-portal designed to provide collaborators with a shared work environment that integrates data storage and management with data analysis tools. Files are stored and archived along with pertinent meta data in such a way as to allow file handling to be tracked (data provenance) and data files to be searched using keywords and modification dates. While at this time the portal is designed around a specific application, the shared work environment is a general approach to building collaborative work groups. The goal of this is to not only provide a common data sharing and archiving system, but also to assist in the building of new collaborations and to spur the development of new tools and technologies.

  2. Analysis of Translocation-Competent Secretory Proteins by HDX-MS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tsirigotaki, A.; Papanastasiou, M.; Trelle, M. B.

    2017-01-01

    Protein folding is an intricate and precise process in living cells. Most exported proteins evade cytoplasmic folding, become targeted to the membrane, and then trafficked into/across membranes. Their targeting and translocation-competent states are nonnatively folded. However, once they reach...... the appropriate cellular compartment, they can fold to their native states. The nonnative states of preproteins remain structurally poorly characterized since increased disorder, protein sizes, aggregation propensity, and the observation timescale are often limiting factors for typical structural approaches...... such as X-ray crystallography and NMR. Here, we present an alternative approach for the in vitro analysis of nonfolded translocation-competent protein states and their comparison with their native states. We make use of hydrogen/deuterium exchange coupled with mass spectrometry (HDX-MS), a method based...

  3. BioSunMS: a plug-in-based software for the management of patients information and the analysis of peptide profiles from mass spectrometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Xuemin

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background With wide applications of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS and surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS, statistical comparison of serum peptide profiles and management of patients information play an important role in clinical studies, such as early diagnosis, personalized medicine and biomarker discovery. However, current available software tools mainly focused on data analysis rather than providing a flexible platform for both the management of patients information and mass spectrometry (MS data analysis. Results Here we presented a plug-in-based software, BioSunMS, for both the management of patients information and serum peptide profiles-based statistical analysis. By integrating all functions into a user-friendly desktop application, BioSunMS provided a comprehensive solution for clinical researchers without any knowledge in programming, as well as a plug-in architecture platform with the possibility for developers to add or modify functions without need to recompile the entire application. Conclusion BioSunMS provides a plug-in-based solution for managing, analyzing, and sharing high volumes of MALDI-TOF or SELDI-TOF MS data. The software is freely distributed under GNU General Public License (GPL and can be downloaded from http://sourceforge.net/projects/biosunms/.

  4. A high-throughput urinalysis of abused drugs based on a SPE-LC-MS/MS method coupled with an in-house developed post-analysis data treatment system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Wing-Chi; Yau, Tsan-Sang; Wong, Ming-Kei; Chan, Lai-Ping; Mok, Vincent King-Kuen

    2006-10-16

    A rapid urinalysis system based on SPE-LC-MS/MS with an in-house post-analysis data management system has been developed for the simultaneous identification and semi-quantitation of opiates (morphine, codeine), methadone, amphetamines (amphetamine, methylamphetamine (MA), 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)), 11-benzodiazepines or their metabolites and ketamine. The urine samples are subjected to automated solid phase extraction prior to analysis by LC-MS (Finnigan Surveyor LC connected to a Finnigan LCQ Advantage) fitted with an Alltech Rocket Platinum EPS C-18 column. With a single point calibration at the cut-off concentration for each analyte, simultaneous identification and semi-quantitation for the above mentioned drugs can be achieved in a 10 min run per urine sample. A computer macro-program package was developed to automatically retrieve appropriate data from the analytical data files, compare results with preset values (such as cut-off concentrations, MS matching scores) of each drug being analyzed and generate user-defined Excel reports to indicate all positive and negative results in batch-wise manner for ease of checking. The final analytical results are automatically copied into an Access database for report generation purposes. Through the use of automation in sample preparation, simultaneous identification and semi-quantitation by LC-MS/MS and a tailored made post-analysis data management system, this new urinalysis system significantly improves the quality of results, reduces the post-data treatment time, error due to data transfer and is suitable for high-throughput laboratory in batch-wise operation.

  5. Urinary amino acid analysis: a comparison of iTRAQ-LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, and amino acid analyzer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaspar, Hannelore; Dettmer, Katja; Chan, Queenie; Daniels, Scott; Nimkar, Subodh; Daviglus, Martha L; Stamler, Jeremiah; Elliott, Paul; Oefner, Peter J

    2009-07-01

    Urinary amino acid analysis is typically done by cation-exchange chromatography followed by post-column derivatization with ninhydrin and UV detection. This method lacks throughput and specificity. Two recently introduced stable isotope ratio mass spectrometric methods promise to overcome those shortcomings. Using two blinded sets of urine replicates and a certified amino acid standard, we compared the precision and accuracy of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of propyl chloroformate and iTRAQ derivatized amino acids, respectively, to conventional amino acid analysis. The GC-MS method builds on the direct derivatization of amino acids in diluted urine with propyl chloroformate, GC separation and mass spectrometric quantification of derivatives using stable isotope labeled standards. The LC-MS/MS method requires prior urinary protein precipitation followed by labeling of urinary and standard amino acids with iTRAQ tags containing different cleavable reporter ions distinguishable by MS/MS fragmentation. Means and standard deviations of percent technical error (%TE) computed for 20 amino acids determined by amino acid analyzer, GC-MS, and iTRAQ-LC-MS/MS analyses of 33 duplicate and triplicate urine specimens were 7.27+/-5.22, 21.18+/-10.94, and 18.34+/-14.67, respectively. Corresponding values for 13 amino acids determined in a second batch of 144 urine specimens measured in duplicate or triplicate were 8.39+/-5.35, 6.23+/-3.84, and 35.37+/-29.42. Both GC-MS and iTRAQ-LC-MS/MS are suited for high-throughput amino acid analysis, with the former offering at present higher reproducibility and completely automated sample pretreatment, while the latter covers more amino acids and related amines.

  6. HR-LC-MS based analysis of two antibacterial metabolites from a marine sponge symbiont Streptomyces pharmamarensis ICN40.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joseph, Francis-Joseph Rosemary Sharmila; Iniyan, Appadurai Muthamil; Vincent, Samuel Gnana Prakash

    2017-10-01

    On the effort to screen antibiotics against Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an actinomycete strain which can produce bactericidal compound was isolated from a marine sponge of Kanyakumari Coast, India. Two anti-MRSA compounds (PVI401 and PVI402) were isolated from the fermentation plates of Streptomyces pharmamarensis ICN40. TLC bioautography analysis yielded two active spots with Rf value of 0.75 (PVI401) and 0.8 (PVI402) from the crude extract. Both the compounds were characterized by HR-LC-MS analysis. LC-MS based de-replication analysis found out the compound PVI401 with an exact mass of 376.09435 Da and PVI402 with an exact mass of 273.26795 Da were found to be unidentified. Antibacterial spectrum showed significant minimal inhibitory concentration as 0.5 μg/ml of PVI401 and 2 μg/ml of PVI402 against MRSA. The whole organism zebrafish safety evaluation exhibited the compound PVI402 is safe upto 1 mg/ml 40 μg/ml of PVI401 exhibited thrombosis in cardiac chamber and this compound exhibited 44 μg/ml of LC 50 against HepG2 hepatic carcinoma cell line. Both the compounds may be identified further for its structural novelty and clinical studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. LFQuant: a label-free fast quantitative analysis tool for high-resolution LC-MS/MS proteomics data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wei; Zhang, Jiyang; Xu, Changming; Li, Ning; Liu, Hui; Ma, Jie; Zhu, Yunping; Xie, Hongwei

    2012-12-01

    Database searching based methods for label-free quantification aim to reconstruct the peptide extracted ion chromatogram based on the identification information, which can limit the search space and thus make the data processing much faster. The random effect of the MS/MS sampling can be remedied by cross-assignment among different runs. Here, we present a new label-free fast quantitative analysis tool, LFQuant, for high-resolution LC-MS/MS proteomics data based on database searching. It is designed to accept raw data in two common formats (mzXML and Thermo RAW), and database search results from mainstream tools (MASCOT, SEQUEST, and X!Tandem), as input data. LFQuant can handle large-scale label-free data with fractionation such as SDS-PAGE and 2D LC. It is easy to use and provides handy user interfaces for data loading, parameter setting, quantitative analysis, and quantitative data visualization. LFQuant was compared with two common quantification software packages, MaxQuant and IDEAL-Q, on the replication data set and the UPS1 standard data set. The results show that LFQuant performs better than them in terms of both precision and accuracy, and consumes significantly less processing time. LFQuant is freely available under the GNU General Public License v3.0 at http://sourceforge.net/projects/lfquant/. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Urinary Amino Acid Analysis: A Comparison of iTRAQ®-LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, and Amino Acid Analyzer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaspar, Hannelore; Dettmer, Katja; Chan, Queenie; Daniels, Scott; Nimkar, Subodh; Daviglus, Martha L.; Stamler, Jeremiah; Elliott, Paul; Oefner, Peter J.

    2009-01-01

    Urinary amino acid analysis is typically done by cation-exchange chromatography followed by post-column derivatization with ninhydrin and UV detection. This method lacks throughput and specificity. Two recently introduced stable isotope ratio mass spectrometric methods promise to overcome those shortcomings. Using two blinded sets of urine replicates and a certified amino acid standard, we compared the precision and accuracy of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of propyl chloroformate and iTRAQ® derivatized amino acids, respectively, to conventional amino acid analysis. The GC-MS method builds on the direct derivatization of amino acids in diluted urine with propyl chloroformate, GC separation and mass spectrometric quantification of derivatives using stable isotope labeled standards. The LC-MS/MS method requires prior urinary protein precipitation followed by labeling of urinary and standard amino acids with iTRAQ® tags containing different cleavable reporter ions distinguishable by MS/MS fragmentation. Means and standard deviations of percent technical error (%TE) computed for 20 amino acids determined by amino acid analyzer, GC-MS, and iTRAQ®-LC-MS/MS analyses of 33 duplicate and triplicate urine specimens were 7.27±5.22, 21.18±10.94, and 18.34±14.67, respectively. Corresponding values for 13 amino acids determined in a second batch of 144 urine specimens measured in duplicate or triplicate were 8.39±5.35, 6.23±3.84, and 35.37±29.42. Both GC-MS and iTRAQ®-LC-MS/MS are suited for high-throughput amino acid analysis, with the former offering at present higher reproducibility and completely automated sample pretreatment, while the latter covers more amino acids and related amines. PMID:19481989

  9. Analysis of nanoparticles using the ICAP Q ICP-MS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kutscher, Daniel; McSheehy-Ducos, Shona; Lindemann, Torsten

    2014-01-01

    The analysis of Nanoparticles (NPs) has become one of the hot topics in analytical chemistry. However, detailed knowledge about potential risks or hazards is still unavailable. Two approaches have been developed in recent years using ICP-MS as a detection system: hyphenation of an appropriate...... separation technique like Field-Flow-Fractionation (FFF), or direct analysis using spICP-MS. The separation of particles and particle mixtures using FFF is based on the differing mobilities of different particle sizes in a laminar liquid flow. FFF is compatible for particle sizes in the low nm to low μm...... range and is thus perfectly suited for the separation of different NPs. Combined with other detection systems such as dynamic light scattering, it can provide also additional information about the particles of interest, like shape. In comparison, spICP-MS is able to analyze NPs directly based...

  10. UPLC-MS/MS analysis for antioxidant components of Lycii Fructus based on spectrum-effect relationship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xian-Fei; Chen, Juan; Yang, Jun-Li; Shi, Yan-Ping

    2018-04-01

    Lycii Fructus is widely cultivated in the Northwest China. It is well-known for its antiaging effect in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), but the effective components are not clear. In this work, the ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was used to study the antioxidant components of Lycii Fructus through analyzing the spectrum-effect relationship, and the positive correlation components with antioxidant activity were partially identified. The extractums of Lycii Fructus were adsorbed with macroporous resin, and then eluted with water and 30%, 60%, 90% ethanol in turn. The extract fraction eluted with 60% ethanol was determined as the best, and was taken for subsequent experiments. With the above separation method, UPLC fingerprints of thirty batches of Lycii Fructus (from different areas) were obtained, and thirty common peaks were selected through similarity analysis (SA). Combined with the data of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) assays, the spectrum-effect relationship was studied. The results showed that the main peaks with antioxidant activity were P14, P26, P8, and P21 for DPPH, and P26, P14, P21, and P19 for ABTS. Using the UPLC-MS/MS data, peaks P14, P19, P21, and P30 were respectively identified as chlorogenic acid, quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin, and then the results were confirmed through comparison with the standards and other references. Finally, their strong antioxidant activities were validated experimentally. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. High-throughput, 384-well, LC-MS/MS CYP inhibition assay using automation, cassette-analysis technique, and streamlined data analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halladay, Jason S; Delarosa, Erlie Marie; Tran, Daniel; Wang, Leslie; Wong, Susan; Khojasteh, S Cyrus

    2011-08-01

    Here we describe a high capacity and high-throughput, automated, 384-well CYP inhibition assay using well-known HLM-based MS probes. We provide consistently robust IC(50) values at the lead optimization stage of the drug discovery process. Our method uses the Agilent Technologies/Velocity11 BioCel 1200 system, timesaving techniques for sample analysis, and streamlined data processing steps. For each experiment, we generate IC(50) values for up to 344 compounds and positive controls for five major CYP isoforms (probe substrate): CYP1A2 (phenacetin), CYP2C9 ((S)-warfarin), CYP2C19 ((S)-mephenytoin), CYP2D6 (dextromethorphan), and CYP3A4/5 (testosterone and midazolam). Each compound is incubated separately at four concentrations with each CYP probe substrate under the optimized incubation condition. Each incubation is quenched with acetonitrile containing the deuterated internal standard of the respective metabolite for each probe substrate. To minimize the number of samples to be analyzed by LC-MS/MS and reduce the amount of valuable MS runtime, we utilize timesaving techniques of cassette analysis (pooling the incubation samples at the end of each CYP probe incubation into one) and column switching (reducing the amount of MS runtime). Here we also report on the comparison of IC(50) results for five major CYP isoforms using our method compared to values reported in the literature.

  12. A comparison between DART-MS and DSA-MS in the forensic analysis of writing inks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drury, Nicholas; Ramotowski, Robert; Moini, Mehdi

    2018-05-23

    Ambient ionization mass spectrometry is gaining momentum in forensic science laboratories because of its high speed of analysis, minimal sample preparation, and information-rich results. One such application of ambient ionization methodology includes the analysis of writing inks from questioned documents where colorants of interest may not be soluble in common solvents, rendering thin layer chromatography (TLC) and separation-mass spectrometry methods such as LC/MS (-MS) impractical. Ambient ionization mass spectrometry uses a variety of ionization techniques such as penning ionization in Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART), and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in Direct Sample Analysis (DSA), and electrospray ionization in Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI). In this manuscript, two of the commonly used ambient ionization techniques are compared: Perkin Elmer DSA-MS and IonSense DART in conjunction with a JEOL AccuTOF MS. Both technologies were equally successful in analyzing writing inks and produced similar spectra. DSA-MS produced less background signal likely because of its closed source configuration; however, the open source configuration of DART-MS provided more flexibility for sample positioning for optimum sensitivity and thereby allowing smaller piece of paper containing writing ink to be analyzed. Under these conditions, the minimum sample required for DART-MS was 1mm strokes of ink on paper, whereas DSA-MS required a minimum of 3mm. Moreover, both techniques showed comparable repeatability. Evaluation of the analytical figures of merit, including sensitivity, linear dynamic range, and repeatability, for DSA-MS and DART-MS analysis is provided. To the forensic context of the technique, DART-MS was applied to the analysis of United States Secret Service ink samples directly on a sampling mesh, and the results were compared with DSA-MS of the same inks on paper. Unlike analysis using separation mass spectrometry, which requires sample

  13. Ferro-based derivatizing agents for LC/MS an LC/EC/MS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Seiwert, Bettina

    2007-01-01

    Within this thesis, the development and application of ferrocene-based derivatizing agents for LC/MS and LC/EC/MS is presented. The advantages of derivatization by ferrocenes are the similtaneous introduction of a mass tag and an electroactive group, which make them ideally suited for LC/MS and

  14. MASPECTRAS: a platform for management and analysis of proteomics LC-MS/MS data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rader Robert

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The advancements of proteomics technologies have led to a rapid increase in the number, size and rate at which datasets are generated. Managing and extracting valuable information from such datasets requires the use of data management platforms and computational approaches. Results We have developed the MAss SPECTRometry Analysis System (MASPECTRAS, a platform for management and analysis of proteomics LC-MS/MS data. MASPECTRAS is based on the Proteome Experimental Data Repository (PEDRo relational database schema and follows the guidelines of the Proteomics Standards Initiative (PSI. Analysis modules include: 1 import and parsing of the results from the search engines SEQUEST, Mascot, Spectrum Mill, X! Tandem, and OMSSA; 2 peptide validation, 3 clustering of proteins based on Markov Clustering and multiple alignments; and 4 quantification using the Automated Statistical Analysis of Protein Abundance Ratios algorithm (ASAPRatio. The system provides customizable data retrieval and visualization tools, as well as export to PRoteomics IDEntifications public repository (PRIDE. MASPECTRAS is freely available at http://genome.tugraz.at/maspectras Conclusion Given the unique features and the flexibility due to the use of standard software technology, our platform represents significant advance and could be of great interest to the proteomics community.

  15. Analysis of multiple vitamin D metabolites by ultra-performance supercritical fluid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPSFC-MS/MS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkinson, Carl; Taylor, Angela; Storbeck, Karl-Heinz; Hewison, Martin

    2018-06-15

    In recent years, increased interest in the human health benefits of vitamin D has led to demand for improved analysis of patient vitamin D 'status'. Studies to date have focused primarily on a single vitamin D metabolite, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, despite the existence of a broad range of vitamin D metabolites, referred to as the vitamin D metabolome. This study reports on the development of a rapid UPSFC-MS/MS method for the analysis of nine vitamin D metabolites in human serum. Optimum separation was obtained with a Lux-Cellulose chiral column. We observed an orthogonal elution order when compared with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). The order of elution was reversed based on hydroxyl- group number, however elution order did not differ between isomeric changes in hydroxyl- group position or epimers. Although UPSFC yielded superior resolution and selectivity over previously developed UHPLC-MS/MS methods, improvements in sensitivity could not be achieved owing to the lower injection volume required for UPSFC relative to UHPLC. Method validation was performed on the developed UPSFC-MS/MS method and found to be within acceptable limits. Applying the method to the analysis of human serum samples showed a significant correlation with serum concentrations of metabolites measured by UHPLC-MS/MS (25OHD3 r = 0.997, P=<0.001, and 3-epi-25OHD3 r = 0.996, P ≤0.001). These data indicate that UPSFC provides an efficient analytical platform for rapid analysis of multiple vitamin D metabolites from serum. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Non-enzymolytic adenosine barcode-mediated dual signal amplification strategy for ultrasensitive protein detection using LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Wen; Li, Tengfei; Shu, Chang; Ji, Shunli; Wang, Lei; Wang, Yan; Li, Duo; Mtalimanja, Michael; Sun, Luning; Ding, Li

    2018-05-10

    A method is described for the determination of proteins with LC-MS/MS enabled by a small molecule (adenosine) barcode and based on a double-recognition sandwich structure. The coagulation protein thrombin was chosen as the model analyte. Magnetic nanoparticles were functionalized with aptamer29 (MNP/apt29) and used to capture thrombin from the samples. MNP/apt29 forms a sandwich with functionalized gold nanoparticles modified with (a) aptamer15 acting as thrombin-recognizing element and (b) a large number of adenosine as mass barcodes. The sandwich formed (MNP/apt29-thrombin-apt15/AuNP/adenosine) can ben magnetically separated from the sample. Mass barcodes are subsequently released from the sandwiched structure for further analysis by adding 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid. Adenosine is then detected by LC-MS/MS as it reflects the level of thrombin with impressively amplified signal. Numerous adenosines introduced into the sandwich proportional to the target concentration further amplify the signal. Under optimized conditions, the response is linearly proportional to the thrombin concentration in the range of 0.02 nM to 10 nM, with a detection limit of 9 fM. The application of this method to the determination of thrombin in spiked plasma samples gave recoveries that ranged from 92.3% to 104.7%. Graphical abstract Schematic representation of a method for the determination of thrombin with LC-MS/MS. The method is based on a double-recognition sandwiched structure. With LC-MS/MS, mass barcodes (adenosine) are detected to quantify thrombin, which amplifies the detection signal impressively.

  17. Metabolomic and elemental analysis of camel and bovine urine by GC-MS and ICP-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahamad, Syed Rizwan; Alhaider, Abdul Qader; Raish, Mohammad; Shakeel, Faiyaz

    2017-01-01

    Recent studies from the author's laboratory indicated that camel urine possesses antiplatelet activity and anti-cancer activity which is not present in bovine urine. The objective of this study is to compare the volatile and elemental components of bovine and camel urine using GC-MS and ICP-MS analysis. We are interested to know the component that performs these biological activities. The freeze dried urine was dissolved in dichloromethane and then derivatization process followed by using BSTFA for GC-MS analysis. Thirty different compounds were analyzed by the derivatization process in full scan mode. For ICP-MS analysis twenty eight important elements were analyzed in both bovine and camel urine. The results of GC-MS and ICP-MS analysis showed marked difference in the urinary metabolites. GC-MS evaluation of camel urine finds a lot of products of metabolism like benzene propanoic acid derivatives, fatty acid derivatives, amino acid derivatives, sugars, prostaglandins and canavanine. Several research reports reveal the metabolomics studies on camel urine but none of them completely reported the pharmacology related metabolomics. The present data of GC-MS suggest and support the previous studies and activities related to camel urine.

  18. LC-MS-BASED METABOLOMICS OF XENOBIOTIC-INDUCED TOXICITIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chi Chen

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Xenobiotic exposure, especially high-dose or repeated exposure of xenobiotics, can elicit detrimental effects on biological systems through diverse mechanisms. Changes in metabolic systems, including formation of reactive metabolites and disruption of endogenous metabolism, are not only the common consequences of toxic xenobiotic exposure, but in many cases are the major causes behind development of xenobiotic-induced toxicities (XIT. Therefore, examining the metabolic events associated with XIT generates mechanistic insights into the initiation and progression of XIT, and provides guidance for prevention and treatment. Traditional bioanalytical platforms that target only a few suspected metabolites are capable of validating the expected outcomes of xenobiotic exposure. However, these approaches lack the capacity to define global changes and to identify unexpected events in the metabolic system. Recent developments in high-throughput metabolomics have dramatically expanded the scope and potential of metabolite analysis. Among all analytical techniques adopted for metabolomics, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS has been most widely used for metabolomic investigations of XIT due to its versatility and sensitivity in metabolite analysis. In this review, technical platform of LC-MS-based metabolomics, including experimental model, sample preparation, instrumentation, and data analysis, are discussed. Applications of LC-MS-based metabolomics in exploratory and hypothesis-driven investigations of XIT are illustrated by case studies of xenobiotic metabolism and endogenous metabolism associated with xenobiotic exposure.

  19. Amino acid analysis in physiological samples by GC-MS with propyl chloroformate derivatization and iTRAQ-LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dettmer, Katja; Stevens, Axel P; Fagerer, Stephan R; Kaspar, Hannelore; Oefner, Peter J

    2012-01-01

    Two mass spectrometry-based methods for the quantitative analysis of free amino acids are described. The first method uses propyl chloroformate/propanol derivatization and gas chromatography-quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-qMS) analysis in single-ion monitoring mode. Derivatization is carried out directly in aqueous samples, thereby allowing automation of the entire procedure, including addition of reagents, extraction, and injection into the GC-MS. The method delivers the quantification of 26 amino acids. The isobaric tagging for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) method employs the labeling of amino acids with isobaric iTRAQ tags. The tags contain two different cleavable reporter ions, one for the sample and one for the standard, which are detected by fragmentation in a tandem mass spectrometer. Reversed-phase liquid chromatography of the labeled amino acids is performed prior to mass spectrometric analysis to separate isobaric amino acids. The commercial iTRAQ kit allows for the analysis of 42 physiological amino acids with a respective isotope-labeled standard for each of these 42 amino acids.

  20. Probing the 3-D Structure, Dynamics, and Stability of Bacterial Collagenase Collagen Binding Domain (apo- versus holo-) by Limited Proteolysis MALDI-TOF MS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sides, Cynthia R.; Liyanage, Rohana; Lay, Jackson O.; Philominathan, Sagaya Theresa Leena; Matsushita, Osamu; Sakon, Joshua

    2012-03-01

    Pairing limited proteolysis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to probe clostridial collagenase collagen binding domain (CBD) reveals the solution dynamics and stability of the protein, as these factors are crucial to CBD effectiveness as a drug-delivery vehicle. MS analysis of proteolytic digests indicates initial cleavage sites, thereby specifying the less stable and highly accessible regions of CBD. Modulation of protein structure and stability upon metal binding is shown through MS analysis of calcium-bound and cobalt-bound CBD proteolytic digests. Previously determined X-ray crystal structures illustrate that calcium binding induces secondary structure transformation in the highly mobile N-terminal arm and increases protein stability. MS-based detection of exposed residues confirms protein flexibility, accentuates N-terminal dynamics, and demonstrates increased global protein stability exported by calcium binding. Additionally, apo- and calcium-bound CBD proteolysis sites correlate well with crystallographic B-factors, accessibility, and enzyme specificity. MS-observed cleavage sites with no clear correlations are explained either by crystal contacts of the X-ray crystal structures or by observed differences between Molecules A and B in the X-ray crystal structures. The study newly reveals the absence of the βA strand and thus the very dynamic N-terminal linker, as corroborated by the solution X-ray scattering results. Cobalt binding has a regional effect on the solution phase stability of CBD, as limited proteolysis data implies the capture of an intermediate-CBD solution structure when cobalt is bound.

  1. Collagen-based proteinaceous binder-pigment interaction study under UV ageing conditions by MALDI-TOF-MS and principal component analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero-Pastor, Julia; Navas, Natalia; Kuckova, Stepanka; Rodríguez-Navarro, Alejandro; Cardell, Carolina

    2012-03-01

    This study focuses on acquiring information on the degradation process of proteinaceous binders due to ultra violet (UV) radiation and possible interactions owing to the presence of historical mineral pigments. With this aim, three different paint model samples were prepared according to medieval recipes, using rabbit glue as proteinaceus binders. One of these model samples contained only the binder, and the other two were prepared by mixing each of the pigments (cinnabar or azurite) with the binder (glue tempera model samples). The model samples were studied by applying Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to their mass spectra obtained with Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The complementary use of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to study conformational changes of secondary structure of the proteinaceous binder is also proposed. Ageing effects on the model samples after up to 3000 h of UV irradiation were periodically analyzed by the proposed approach. PCA on MS data proved capable of identifying significant changes in the model samples, and the results suggested different aging behavior based on the pigment present. This research represents the first attempt to use this approach (PCA on MALDI-TOF-MS data) in the field of Cultural Heritage and demonstrates the potential benefits in the study of proteinaceous artistic materials for purposes of conservation and restoration. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Application of LC–MS/MS for quantitative analysis of glucocorticoids and stimulants in biological fluids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamshed Haneef

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Liquid chromatography tandem mass chromatography (LC–MS/MS is an important hyphenated technique for quantitative analysis of drugs in biological fluids. Because of high sensitivity and selectivity, LC–MS/MS has been used for pharmacokinetic studies, metabolites identification in the plasma and urine. This manuscript gives comprehensive analytical review, focusing on chromatographic separation approaches (column packing materials, column length and mobile phase as well as different acquisition modes (SIM, MRM for quantitative analysis of glucocorticoids and stimulants. This review is not meant to be exhaustive but rather to provide a general overview for detection and confirmation of target drugs using LC–MS/MS and thus useful in the doping analysis, toxicological studies as well as in pharmaceutical analysis. Keywords: LC–MS/MS, Ionization techniques, Glucocorticoids, Stimulants, Hyphenated techniques, Biological fluid

  3. MassSieve: Panning MS/MS peptide data for proteins

    OpenAIRE

    Slotta, Douglas J.; McFarland, Melinda A.; Markey, Sanford P.

    2010-01-01

    We present MassSieve, a Java-based platform for visualization and parsimony analysis of single and comparative LC-MS/MS database search engine results. The success of mass spectrometric peptide sequence assignment algorithms has led to the need for a tool to merge and evaluate the increasing data set sizes that result from LC-MS/MS-based shotgun proteomic experiments. MassSieve supports reports from multiple search engines with differing search characteristics, which can increase peptide sequ...

  4. Dissociation Behavior of a TEMPO-Active Ester Cross-Linker for Peptide Structure Analysis by Free Radical Initiated Peptide Sequencing (FRIPS) in Negative ESI-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hage, Christoph; Ihling, Christian H; Götze, Michael; Schäfer, Mathias; Sinz, Andrea

    2017-01-01

    We have synthesized a homobifunctional amine-reactive cross-linking reagent, containing a TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxy) and a benzyl group (Bz), termed TEMPO-Bz-linker, to derive three-dimensional structural information of proteins. The aim for designing this novel cross-linker was to facilitate the mass spectrometric analysis of cross-linked products by free radical initiated peptide sequencing (FRIPS). In an initial study, we had investigated the fragmentation behavior of TEMPO-Bz-derivatized peptides upon collision activation in (+)-electrospray ionization collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-CID-MS/MS) experiments. In addition to the homolytic NO-C bond cleavage FRIPS pathway delivering the desired odd-electron product ions, an alternative heterolytic NO-C bond cleavage, resulting in even-electron product ions mechanism was found to be relevant. The latter fragmentation route clearly depends on the protonation of the TEMPO-Bz-moiety itself, which motivated us to conduct (-)-ESI-MS, CID-MS/MS, and MS 3 experiments of TEMPO-Bz-cross-linked peptides to further clarify the fragmentation behavior of TEMPO-Bz-peptide molecular ions. We show that the TEMPO-Bz-linker is highly beneficial for conducting FRIPS in negative ionization mode as the desired homolytic cleavage of the NO-C bond is the major fragmentation pathway. Based on characteristic fragments, the isomeric amino acids leucine and isoleucine could be discriminated. Interestingly, we observed pronounced amino acid side chain losses in cross-linked peptides if the cross-linked peptides contain a high number of acidic amino acids. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

  5. Automated Liquid Microjunction Surface Sampling-HPLC-MS/MS Analysis of Drugs and Metabolites in Whole-Body Thin Tissue Sections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kertesz, Vilmos [ORNL; Van Berkel, Gary J [ORNL

    2013-01-01

    A fully automated liquid extraction-based surface sampling system utilizing a commercially available autosampler coupled to high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) detection is reported. Discrete spots selected for droplet-based sampling and automated sample queue generation for both the autosampler and MS were enabled by using in-house developed software. In addition, co-registration of spatially resolved sampling position and HPLC-MS information to generate heatmaps of compounds monitored for subsequent data analysis was also available in the software. The system was evaluated with whole-body thin tissue sections from propranolol dosed rat. The hands-free operation of the system was demonstrated by creating heatmaps of the parent drug and its hydroxypropranolol glucuronide metabolites with 1 mm resolution in the areas of interest. The sample throughput was approximately 5 min/sample defined by the time needed for chromatographic separation. The spatial distributions of both the drug and its metabolites were consistent with previous studies employing other liquid extraction-based surface sampling methodologies.

  6. 'The surface management system' (SuMS) database: a surface-based database to aid cortical surface reconstruction, visualization and analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickson, J.; Drury, H.; Van Essen, D. C.

    2001-01-01

    Surface reconstructions of the cerebral cortex are increasingly widely used in the analysis and visualization of cortical structure, function and connectivity. From a neuroinformatics perspective, dealing with surface-related data poses a number of challenges. These include the multiplicity of configurations in which surfaces are routinely viewed (e.g. inflated maps, spheres and flat maps), plus the diversity of experimental data that can be represented on any given surface. To address these challenges, we have developed a surface management system (SuMS) that allows automated storage and retrieval of complex surface-related datasets. SuMS provides a systematic framework for the classification, storage and retrieval of many types of surface-related data and associated volume data. Within this classification framework, it serves as a version-control system capable of handling large numbers of surface and volume datasets. With built-in database management system support, SuMS provides rapid search and retrieval capabilities across all the datasets, while also incorporating multiple security levels to regulate access. SuMS is implemented in Java and can be accessed via a Web interface (WebSuMS) or using downloaded client software. Thus, SuMS is well positioned to act as a multiplatform, multi-user 'surface request broker' for the neuroscience community.

  7. Study of the performance of three LC-MS/MS platforms for analysis of perfluorinated compounds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Llorca, Marta; Farre, Marinella [IDAEA-CSIC, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Barcelona (Spain); Pico, Yolanda [Universitat de Valencia, Laboratori de Nutricio i Bromatologia, Facultat de Farmacia, Burjassot, Valencia (Spain); Barcelo, Damia [IDAEA-CSIC, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Barcelona (Spain); King Saud University, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)

    2010-10-15

    The analytical suitabilities of three different liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) systems, (1) triple quadrupole (QqQ), (2) conventional 3D ion trap (IT), and (3) quadrupole-linear IT (QqLIT), to determine trace levels of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in fish and shellfish were compared. Sample preparation was performed using alkaline extraction and solid-phase-extraction cleanup. This evaluation was focused on both quantitative (sensitivity, precision, and accuracy) and qualitative (identification capabilities) aspects. In the three instruments, the former facet was evaluated using selected reaction monitoring (SRM), which is the standard mode for quantitative LC-MS/MS analysis. Accuracy was similar in the three systems, with recoveries always over 70 %. Precision was better for the QqLIT and QqQ systems (7-15%) than for the IT system (10-17%). The QqLIT (working in SRM mode) and QqQ systems offered a linear dynamic range of at least 3 orders of magnitude, whereas that of the IT system was 2 orders of magnitude. The QqLIT system achieved at least 20-fold higher sensitivity than the QqQ system, and this was at least tenfold higher sensitivity than for the IT system. In the IT system, identification was based on sensitive full mass range acquisition and MS{sup n} fragmentation and in the QqLIT system, it was based on the use of an information-dependent-acquisition scan function, which allows the combination of an SRM or MS full scan acting as the survey scan and an enhanced product ion scan followed by MS{sup 3} as the dependent scan in the same analysis. Three instruments were applied to monitor the content in fish and shellfish (anchovies, swordfish, tuna, mussels, and oysters) obtained from Valencia and Barcelona markets (Spain). The eight target PFCs were detected at mean concentrations in the range from 10 ng kg {sup -1} (perfluoro-7-methyloctanoic acid and perfluoro-1-decanesulfonate) to 4,200 ng kg {sup -1} (perfluoropentanoic acid

  8. MS-based analytical methodologies to characterize genetically modified crops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Cañas, Virginia; Simó, Carolina; León, Carlos; Ibáñez, Elena; Cifuentes, Alejandro

    2011-01-01

    The development of genetically modified crops has had a great impact on the agriculture and food industries. However, the development of any genetically modified organism (GMO) requires the application of analytical procedures to confirm the equivalence of the GMO compared to its isogenic non-transgenic counterpart. Moreover, the use of GMOs in foods and agriculture faces numerous criticisms from consumers and ecological organizations that have led some countries to regulate their production, growth, and commercialization. These regulations have brought about the need of new and more powerful analytical methods to face the complexity of this topic. In this regard, MS-based technologies are increasingly used for GMOs analysis to provide very useful information on GMO composition (e.g., metabolites, proteins). This review focuses on the MS-based analytical methodologies used to characterize genetically modified crops (also called transgenic crops). First, an overview on genetically modified crops development is provided, together with the main difficulties of their analysis. Next, the different MS-based analytical approaches applied to characterize GM crops are critically discussed, and include "-omics" approaches and target-based approaches. These methodologies allow the study of intended and unintended effects that result from the genetic transformation. This information is considered to be essential to corroborate (or not) the equivalence of the GM crop with its isogenic non-transgenic counterpart. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Possibilities of LA-ICP-MS technique for the spatial elemental analysis of the recent fish scales: Line scan vs. depth profiling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hola, Marketa; Kalvoda, Jiri; Novakova, Hana; Skoda, Radek; Kanicky, Viktor

    2011-01-01

    LA-ICP-MS and solution based ICP-MS in combination with electron microprobe are presented as a method for the determination of the elemental spatial distribution in fish scales which represent an example of a heterogeneous layered bone structure. Two different LA-ICP-MS techniques were tested on recent common carp (Cyprinus carpio) scales: (a)A line scan through the whole fish scale perpendicular to the growth rings. The ablation crater of 55 μm width and 50 μm depth allowed analysis of the elemental distribution in the external layer. Suitable ablation conditions providing a deeper ablation crater gave average values from the external HAP layer and the collagen basal plate. (b)Depth profiling using spot analysis was tested in fish scales for the first time. Spot analysis allows information to be obtained about the depth profile of the elements at the selected position on the sample. The combination of all mentioned laser ablation techniques provides complete information about the elemental distribution in the fish scale samples. The results were compared with the solution based ICP-MS and EMP analyses. The fact that the results of depth profiling are in a good agreement both with EMP and PIXE results and, with the assumed ways of incorporation of the studied elements in the HAP structure, suggests a very good potential for this method.

  10. Possibilities of LA-ICP-MS technique for the spatial elemental analysis of the recent fish scales: Line scan vs. depth profiling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hola, Marketa [Department of Chemistry, Masaryk University of Brno, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Kalvoda, Jiri, E-mail: jkalvoda@centrum.cz [Department of Geological Sciences, Masaryk University of Brno, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno (Czech Republic); Novakova, Hana [Department of Chemistry, Masaryk University of Brno, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Skoda, Radek [Department of Geological Sciences, Masaryk University of Brno, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno (Czech Republic); Kanicky, Viktor [Department of Chemistry, Masaryk University of Brno, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno (Czech Republic)

    2011-01-01

    LA-ICP-MS and solution based ICP-MS in combination with electron microprobe are presented as a method for the determination of the elemental spatial distribution in fish scales which represent an example of a heterogeneous layered bone structure. Two different LA-ICP-MS techniques were tested on recent common carp (Cyprinus carpio) scales: (a)A line scan through the whole fish scale perpendicular to the growth rings. The ablation crater of 55 {mu}m width and 50 {mu}m depth allowed analysis of the elemental distribution in the external layer. Suitable ablation conditions providing a deeper ablation crater gave average values from the external HAP layer and the collagen basal plate. (b)Depth profiling using spot analysis was tested in fish scales for the first time. Spot analysis allows information to be obtained about the depth profile of the elements at the selected position on the sample. The combination of all mentioned laser ablation techniques provides complete information about the elemental distribution in the fish scale samples. The results were compared with the solution based ICP-MS and EMP analyses. The fact that the results of depth profiling are in a good agreement both with EMP and PIXE results and, with the assumed ways of incorporation of the studied elements in the HAP structure, suggests a very good potential for this method.

  11. LC-MS/MS Peptide Mapping with Automated Data Processing for Routine Profiling of N-Glycans in Immunoglobulins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Bhavana; Jiang, Xinzhao Grace; Chen, Louise; Zhang, Zhongqi

    2014-06-01

    Protein N-Glycan analysis is traditionally performed by high pH anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC), reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), or hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) on fluorescence-labeled glycans enzymatically released from the glycoprotein. These methods require time-consuming sample preparations and do not provide site-specific glycosylation information. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) peptide mapping is frequently used for protein structural characterization and, as a bonus, can potentially provide glycan profile on each individual glycosylation site. In this work, a recently developed glycopeptide fragmentation model was used for automated identification, based on their MS/MS, of N-glycopeptides from proteolytic digestion of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Experimental conditions were optimized to achieve accurate profiling of glycoforms. Glycan profiles obtained from LC-MS/MS peptide mapping were compared with those obtained from HPAEC, RPLC, and HILIC analyses of released glycans for several mAb molecules. Accuracy, reproducibility, and linearity of the LC-MS/MS peptide mapping method for glycan profiling were evaluated. The LC-MS/MS peptide mapping method with fully automated data analysis requires less sample preparation, provides site-specific information, and may serve as an alternative method for routine profiling of N-glycans on immunoglobulins as well as other glycoproteins with simple N-glycans.

  12. LC-MS based Metabolomics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Magdenoska, Olivera

    . The analytical tools applied for analysis of intracellular metabolites should be capable to cope with the large number of metabolites to be analyzed and the complex matrix in the samples. Therefore the combination of separation and detection techniques is commonly applied for analysis of intracellular........ In the studies conducted during this Ph.D. the developed method was used to understand how the genetic manipulations in various organisms, influence the levels of their intracellular metabolites. The method development was divided into three steps: i) optimization of the MS detection, ii) establishment...... of the MS detection aimed to determine multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions of the analytes and to increase the sensitivity by testing different ion-source parameters and collision energies. This resulted in optimized detection of more than 50 intracellular metabolites. During the optimization...

  13. Analysis of benzodiazepines and their metabolites using DBS cards and LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Heesang; Park, Yujin; Jo, Jiyeong; In, Sangwhan; Park, Yonghoon; Kim, Eunmi; Pyo, Jaesung; Choe, Sanggil

    2015-10-01

    Dried Blood Spot (DBS) has been used a blood extraction method for inherited metabolic disorder screening since 1960s. With introduction of LC-MS/MS, not only DBS could be used to analysis drugs in small blood volume, but in various fields, such as toxicology, drug therapeutic monitoring, drug diagnostic screening, and illicit drugs. In toxicology field, many drugs (e.g. benzodiazepines, acetaminophen, small molecule drugs) have been tested with DBS. Compared with earlier blood extraction methods (SPE and LLE), DBS has lots of advantages; lower blood volume (less than 50μL), shorter analysis time caused by a more concise analysis procedure and lower cost. We optimized the DBS procedure and LC-MS/MS conditions for 18 benzodiazepines, seven benzodiazepine metabolites, and one z-drug (zolpidem) analysis in blood. 30μL of whole blood was spotted on FTA DMPK card C and dried for 2h in a desiccator. A 6-mm disk was punched and vortexed for 1min in a centrifuge tube with 300μL methanol/acetonitrile mixture (1:1, v/v). After evaporation, redissolved in 100μL mobile phase of LC-MS/MS and 5μL was injected. In the analysis for 26 target compounds in blood, all of the method validation parameters - LLOD, LLOQ, accuracy (intra- and inter-assay), and precision (intra- and inter-assay) - were satisfied with method validation criteria, within 15%. The results of matrix effect, recovery, and process efficiency were good. We developed a fast and reliable sample preparation method using DBS for 26 benzodiazepines, benzodiazepine metabolites, and z-drug (zolpidem). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Improved LC-MS/MS method for the quantification of hepcidin-25 in clinical samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbas, Ioana M; Hoffmann, Holger; Montes-Bayón, María; Weller, Michael G

    2018-06-01

    Mass spectrometry-based methods play a crucial role in the quantification of the main iron metabolism regulator hepcidin by singling out the bioactive 25-residue peptide from the other naturally occurring N-truncated isoforms (hepcidin-20, -22, -24), which seem to be inactive in iron homeostasis. However, several difficulties arise in the MS analysis of hepcidin due to the "sticky" character of the peptide and the lack of suitable standards. Here, we propose the use of amino- and fluoro-silanized autosampler vials to reduce hepcidin interaction to laboratory glassware surfaces after testing several types of vials for the preparation of stock solutions and serum samples for isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC-MS/MS). Furthermore, we have investigated two sample preparation strategies and two chromatographic separation conditions with the aim of developing a LC-MS/MS method for the sensitive and reliable quantification of hepcidin-25 in serum samples. A chromatographic separation based on usual acidic mobile phases was compared with a novel approach involving the separation of hepcidin-25 with solvents at high pH containing 0.1% of ammonia. Both methods were applied to clinical samples in an intra-laboratory comparison of two LC-MS/MS methods using the same hepcidin-25 calibrators with good correlation of the results. Finally, we recommend a LC-MS/MS-based quantification method with a dynamic range of 0.5-40 μg/L for the assessment of hepcidin-25 in human serum that uses TFA-based mobile phases and silanized glass vials. Graphical abstract Structure of hepcidin-25 (Protein Data Bank, PDB ID 2KEF).

  15. Evaluation of various QuEChERS based methods for the analysis of herbicides and other commonly used pesticides in polished rice by LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pareja, Lucía; Cesio, Verónica; Heinzen, Horacio; Fernández-Alba, Amadeo R

    2011-02-15

    Four different extraction and clean-up protocols based on the QuEChERS method were compared for the development of an optimized sample preparation procedure for the multiresidue analysis of 16 commonly applied herbicides in rice crops using LC-QqQ/MS. Additionally the methods were evaluated for the analysis of 26 insecticides and fungicides currently used in rice crops. The methods comprise, in general, the hydratation of the sample with water followed by the extraction with acetonitrile, phase separation with the addition of different salts and finally a clean-up step with various sorbents. Matrix effects were evaluated for the 4 studied methods using LC-QqQ/MS. Additionally LC-TOF/MS was used to compare the co-extractants obtained with the four assayed methodologies. Thirty-six pesticides presented good performance with recoveries in the range 70-120% and relative standard deviations below 20% using 7.5 g of milled polished rice and the buffered acetate QuEChERS method without clean-up at both fortification levels: 10 and 300 μg kg(-1). The other six pesticides presented low recovery rates, nevertheless all these analytes could be analyzed with at least one of the other three studied procedures. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Analysis of the constituents in jojoba wax used as a food additive by LC/MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tada, Atsuko; Jin, Zhe-Long; Sugimoto, Naoki; Sato, Kyoko; Yamazaki, Takeshi; Tanamoto, Kenichi

    2005-10-01

    Jojoba wax is a natural gum base used as a food additive in Japan, and is obtained from jojoba oil with a characteristically high melting point. Although the constituents of jojoba oil have been reported, the quality of jojoba wax used as a food additive has not yet been clarified. In order to evaluate its quality as a food additive and to obtain basic information useful for setting official standards, we investigated the constituents and their concentrations in jojoba wax. LC/MS analysis of the jojoba wax showed six peaks with [M+H]+ ions in the range from m/z 533.6 to 673.7 at intervals of m/z 28. After isolation of the components of the four main peaks by preparative LC/MS, the fatty acid and long chain alcohol moieties of the wax esters were analyzed by methanolysis and hydrolysis, followed by GC/MS. The results indicated that the main constituents in jojoba wax were various kinds of wax esters, namely eicosenyl octadecenoate (C20:1-C18:1) (1), eicosenyl eicosenoate (C20:1-C20:1) (II), docosenyl eicosenoate (C22:1-C20:1) (III), eicosenyl docosenoate (C20:1-C22:1) (IV) and tetracosenyl eiosenoate (C24:1-C20:1) (V). To confirm and quantify the wax esters in jojoba wax directly, LC/MS/MS analysis was performed. The product ions corresponding to the fatty acid moieties of the wax esters were observed, and by using the product ions derived from the protonated molecular ions of wax esters the fatty acid moieties were identified by MRM analysis. The concentrations of the wax esters I, II and III, in jojoba wax were 5.5, 21.4 and 37.8%, respectively. In summary, we clarified the main constituents of jojoba wax and quantified the molecular species of the wax esters without hydrolysis by monitoring their product ions, using a LC/MS/MS system.

  17. UPLC-MS/MS-Based Profiling of Eicosanoids in RAW264.7 Cells Treated with Lipopolysaccharide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jae Won Lee

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available While both the pro- and anti-inflammatory effects of several eicosanoids have been widely studied, the degree of inflammation in cells that results from various eicosanoids has yet to be comprehensively studied. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS treatment on eicosanoid content in RAW264.7 cells. An Ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS-based profiling method was used to analyze the eicosanoid contents of RAW264.7 cells treated with different LPS concentrations. The profiling data were subjected to statistical analyses, such as principal component analysis (PCA and hierarchical clustering analysis. LPS treatment increased nitric oxide production and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, in a concentration-dependent manner. In total, 79 eicosanoids were identified in the cells. RAW264.7 cells treated with different LPS concentrations were well differentiated in the PCA score plot. A heatmap was used to identify the eicosanoids that were up- or down-regulated according to the degree of inflammation and LPS concentration. Thirty-nine eicosanoids were upregulated and seven were down-regulated by LPS treatment in a concentration-dependent manner. Our novel UPLC-MS/MS technique can profile eicosanoids, and can evaluate the correlations between inflammation and eicosanoid metabolism.

  18. Analysis of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate in environmental samples by GC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elhottová, D; Tríska, J; Petersen, S O; Santrůcková, H

    2000-05-01

    Application of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) can significantly improve trace analyses of compounds in complex matrices from natural environments compared to gas chromatography only. A GC-MS/MS technique for determination of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), a bacterial storage compound, has been developed and used for analysis of two soils stored for up to 319 d, fresh samples of sewage sludge, as well as a pure culture of Bacillus megaterium. Specific derivatization of beta-hydroxybutyrate (3-OH C4:0) PHB monomer units by N-tert-butyl-dimethylsilyl-N-methyltrifluoracetamide (MTBSTFA) improved chromatographic and mass spectrometric properties of the analyte. The diagnostic fragmentation scheme of the derivates tert-butyldimethylsilyl ester and ether of beta-hydroxybutyric acid (MTBSTFA-HB) essential for the PHB identification was shown. The ion trap MS was used, therefore the scan gave the best sensitivity and with MS/MS the noise decreased, so the S/N was better and also with second fragmentation the amount of ions increased compared to SIM. The detection limit for MTBSTFA-HB by GC-MS/MS was about 10(-13) g microL(-1) of injected volume, while by GC (FID) and GC-MS (scan) it was around 10(-10) g microL(-1) of injected volume. Sensitivity of GC-MS/MS measurements of PHB in arable soil and activated sludge samples was down to 10 pg of PHB g(-1) dry matter. Comparison of MTBSTFA-HB detection in natural soil sample by GC (FID), GC-MS (scan) and by GC-MS/MS demonstrated potentials and limitations of the individual measurement techniques.

  19. Biomarker discovery in low-grade breast cancer using isobaric stable isotope tags and two-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (iTRAQ-2DLC-MS/MS) based quantitative proteomic analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouchal, Pavel; Roumeliotis, Theodoros; Hrstka, Roman; Nenutil, Rudolf; Vojtesek, Borivoj; Garbis, Spiros D

    2009-01-01

    The present pilot study constitutes a proof-of-principle in the use of a quantitative LC-MS/MS based proteomic method for the comparative analysis of representative low-grade breast primary tumor tissues with and without metastases and metastasis in lymph node relative to the nonmetastatic tumor type. The study method incorporated iTRAQ stable isotope labeling, two-dimensional liquid chromatography, nanoelectrospray ionization and high resolution tandem mass spectrometry using the hybrid QqTOF platform (iTRAQ-2DLC-MS/MS). The principal aims of this study were (1) to define the protein spectrum obtainable using this approach, and (2) to highlight potential candidates for verification and validation studies focused on biomarkers involved in metastatic processes in breast cancer. The study resulted in the reproducible identification of 605 nonredundant proteins (p biomarker discovery program.

  20. UPLC-MS/MS based diagnostics for epithelial ovarian cancer using fully sialylated C4-binding protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanabe, Kazuhiro; Matsuo, Koji; Miyazawa, Masaki; Hayashi, Masaru; Ikeda, Masae; Shida, Masako; Hirasawa, Takeshi; Sho, Ryuichiro; Mikami, Mikio

    2018-05-01

    Serum levels of fully sialylated C4-binding protein (FS-C4BP) are remarkably elevated in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and can be used as a marker to distinguish ovarian clear cell carcinoma from endometrioma. This study aimed to develop a stable, robust and reliable liquid chromatography-hybrid mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) based diagnostic method that would generalize FS-C4BP as a clinical EOC biomarker. Glycopeptides derived from 20 μL of trypsin-digested serum glycoprotein were analyzed via UPLC equipped with an electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer. This UPLC-MS/MS-based diagnostic method was optimized for FS-C4BP and validated using sera from 119 patients with EOC and 127 women without cancer. A1958 (C4BP peptide with two fully sialylated biantennary glycans) was selected as a marker of FS-C4BP because its level in serum was highest among FS-C4BP family members. Preparation and UPLC-MS/MS were optimized for A1958, and performance and robustness were significantly improved relative to our previous method. An area under the curve analysis of the FS-C4BP index receiver operating characteristic curve revealed that the ratio between A1958 and A1813 (C4BP peptide with two partially sialylated biantennary glycans) reached 85%. A combination of the FS-C4BP index and carbohydrate antigen-125 levels further enhanced the sensitivity and specificity. © 2017 The Authors. Biomedical Chromatography published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Use of capillary GC-MS for identification of radiation-induced DNA base damage: Implications for base-excision repair of DNA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dizdaroglu, M.

    1985-01-01

    Application of GC-MS to characterization of radiation-induced base products of DNA and DNa base-amino acid crosslinks is presented. Samples of γ-irradiated DNa were hydrolyzed with formic acid, trimethylsilylated and subjected to GC-MS analysis using a fused silica capillary column. Hydrolysis conditions suitable for the simultaneous analysis of the radiation-induced products of all four DNA bases in a single run were determined. The trimethylsilyl derivatives of these products had excellent GC-properties and easily interpretable mass spectra. The complementary use of t-butyldimetylsilyl derivatives was also demonstrated. Moreover, the usefulness of this method for identification of radiation-induced DNA base-amino acid crosslinks was shown using γ-irradiated mixtures of thymine and tyrosine or phenylalanine. Because of the excellent resolving power of capillary GC and the instant and highly sensitive identification by MS, GC-MS is suggested as a suitable technique for identification of altered bases removed from DNA by base-excision repair enzymes

  2. An analytical approach based on ESI-MS, LC-MS and PCA for the quali-quantitative analysis of cycloartane derivatives in Astragalus spp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Napolitano, Assunta; Akay, Seref; Mari, Angela; Bedir, Erdal; Pizza, Cosimo; Piacente, Sonia

    2013-11-01

    Astragalus species are widely used as health foods and dietary supplements, as well as drugs in traditional medicine. To rapidly evaluate metabolite similarities and differences among the EtOH extracts of the roots of eight commercial Astragalus spp., an approach based on direct analyses by ESI-MS followed by PCA of ESI-MS data, was carried out. Successively, quali-quantitative analyses of cycloartane derivatives in the eight Astragalus spp. by LC-ESI-MS(n) and PCA of LC-ESI-MS data were performed. This approach allowed to promptly highlighting metabolite similarities and differences among the various Astragalus spp. PCA results from LC-ESI-MS data of Astragalus samples were in reasonable agreement with both PCA results of ESI-MS data and quantitative results. This study affords an analytical method for the quali-quantitative determination of cycloartane derivatives in herbal preparations used as health and food supplements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. A rapid and sensitive method for the simultaneous analysis of aliphatic and polar molecules containing free carboxyl groups in plant extracts by LC-MS/MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bonaventure Gustavo

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Aliphatic molecules containing free carboxyl groups are important intermediates in many metabolic and signalling reactions, however, they accumulate to low levels in tissues and are not efficiently ionized by electrospray ionization (ESI compared to more polar substances. Quantification of aliphatic molecules becomes therefore difficult when small amounts of tissue are available for analysis. Traditional methods for analysis of these molecules require purification or enrichment steps, which are onerous when multiple samples need to be analyzed. In contrast to aliphatic molecules, more polar substances containing free carboxyl groups such as some phytohormones are efficiently ionized by ESI and suitable for analysis by LC-MS/MS. Thus, the development of a method with which aliphatic and polar molecules -which their unmodified forms differ dramatically in their efficiencies of ionization by ESI- can be simultaneously detected with similar sensitivities would substantially simplify the analysis of complex biological matrices. Results A simple, rapid, specific and sensitive method for the simultaneous detection and quantification of free aliphatic molecules (e.g., free fatty acids (FFA and small polar molecules (e.g., jasmonic acid (JA, salicylic acid (SA containing free carboxyl groups by direct derivatization of leaf extracts with Picolinyl reagent followed by LC-MS/MS analysis is presented. The presence of the N atom in the esterified pyridine moiety allowed the efficient ionization of 25 compounds tested irrespective of their chemical structure. The method was validated by comparing the results obtained after analysis of Nicotiana attenuata leaf material with previously described analytical methods. Conclusion The method presented was used to detect 16 compounds in leaf extracts of N. attenuata plants. Importantly, the method can be adapted based on the specific analytes of interest with the only consideration that the

  4. An endoglycosidase-assisted LC-MS/MS-based strategy for the analysis of site-specific core-fucosylation of low-concentrated glycoproteins in human serum using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as example.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lang, Robert; Leinenbach, Andreas; Karl, Johann; Swiatek-de Lange, Magdalena; Kobold, Uwe; Vogeser, Michael

    2018-05-01

    Recently, site-specific fucosylation of glycoproteins has attracted attention as it can be associated with several types of cancers including prostate cancer. However, individual glycoproteins, which might serve as potential cancer markers, often are very low-concentrated in complex serum matrices and distinct glycan structures are hard to detect by immunoassays. Here, we present a mass spectrometry-based strategy for the simultaneous analysis of core-fucosylated and total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in human serum in the low ng/ml concentration range. Sample preparation comprised an immunoaffinity capture step to enrich total PSA from human serum using anti-PSA antibody coated magnetic beads followed by consecutive two-step on-bead partial deglycosylation with endoglycosidase F3 and tryptic digestion prior to LC-MS/MS analysis. The method was shown to be linear from 0.5 to 60 ng/ml total PSA concentrations and allows the simultaneous quantification of core-fucosylated PSA down to 1 ng/ml and total PSA lower than 0.5 ng/ml. The imprecision of the method over two days ranged from 9.7-23.2% for core-fucosylated PSA and 10.3-18.3% for total PSA depending on the PSA level. The feasibility of the method in native sera was shown using three human specimens. To our knowledge, this is the first MS-based method for quantification of core-fucosylated PSA in the low ng/ml concentration range in human serum. This method could be used in large patient cohorts as core-fucosylated PSA may be a diagnostic biomarker for the differentiation of prostate cancer and other prostatic diseases, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Furthermore, the described strategy could be used to monitor potential changes in site-specific core-fucosylation of other low-concentrated glycoproteins, which could serve as more specific markers ("marker refinement") in cancer research. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Aptamer based peptide enrichment for quantitative analysis of gonadotropin-releasing hormone by LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richards, S L; Cawley, A T; Cavicchioli, R; Suann, C J; Pickford, R; Raftery, M J

    2016-04-01

    Over recent years threats to racing have expanded to include naturally occurring biological molecules, such as peptides and proteins, and their synthetic analogues. Traditionally, antibodies have been used to enable detection of these compounds as they allow purification and concentration of the analyte of interest. The rapid expansion of peptide-based therapeutics necessitates a similarly rapid development of suitable antibodies or other means of enrichment. Potential alternative enrichment strategies include the use of aptamers, which offer the significant advantage of chemical synthesis once the nucleic acid sequence is known. A method was developed for the enrichment, detection and quantitation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in equine urine using aptamer-based enrichment and LC-MS/MS. The method achieved comparable limits of detection (1 pg/mL) and quantification (2.5 pg/mL) to previously published antibody-based enrichment methods. The intra- and inter-assay precision achieved was less than 10% at both 5 and 20 pg/mL, and displayed a working dynamic range of 2.5-100 pg/mL. Significant matrix enhancement (170 ± 8%) and low analytical recovery (29 ± 15%) was observed, although the use of an isotopically heavy labelled GnRH peptide, GnRH (Pro(13)C5,(15)N), as the internal standard provides compensation for these parameters. Within the current limits of detection GnRH was detectable up to 1h post administration in urine and identification of a urinary catabolite extended this detection window to 4h. Based on the results of this preliminary investigation we propose the use of aptamers as a viable alternative to antibodies in the enrichment of peptide targets from equine urine. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Multiresidue method for pesticide residue analysis in food of animal and plant origin based on GC or LC and MS or MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz, Eva; Muñoz, Gloria; Pineda, Laura; Serrahima, Eulalia; Centrich, Francesc

    2012-01-01

    A multiresidue method based on GC or LC and MS or MS/MS for the determination of 204 pesticides in diverse food matrixes of animal and plant origin is described. The method can include different stages of cleanup according to the chemical characteristics of each sample. Samples were extracted using accelerated solvent extraction. Those with a high fat content or that contained chlorophyll required further purification by gel permeation chromatography and/or SPE (ENVI-Carb). The methodology developed here was fully validated; the LOQs for the 204 pesticides are presented. The LOQ values lie between 0.01 to 0.02 mg/kg. However, in some cases, mainly in baby food, they were as low as 0.003 mg/kg, thereby meeting European Union requirements on maximum residue levels for pesticides, as outlined in European regulation 396/2005 and the Commission Directive 2003/13/EC. The procedure has been accredited for a wide scope of pesticides and matrixes by the Spanish Accreditation Body (ENAC) following ISO/IEC 17025:2005, as outlined in ENAC technical note NT-19.

  7. Comparison of LC-ESI-MS and GC-MS for the Analysis of a Synthetic Tabun Sample

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    D'Agostino, Paul

    2003-01-01

    Packed capillary LC-ESI-MS and capillary column GC-MS were compared for the analysis of a synthetic tabun sample as each method has advantages for the analysis of samples containing chemical warfare...

  8. Application of LC–MS/MS for quantitative analysis of glucocorticoids and stimulants in biological fluids

    OpenAIRE

    Haneef, Jamshed; Shaharyar, Mohammad; Husain, Asif; Rashid, Mohd; Mishra, Ravinesh; Parveen, Shama; Ahmed, Niyaz; Pal, Manoj; Kumar, Deepak

    2013-01-01

    Liquid chromatography tandem mass chromatography (LCâMS/MS) is an important hyphenated technique for quantitative analysis of drugs in biological fluids. Because of high sensitivity and selectivity, LCâMS/MS has been used for pharmacokinetic studies, metabolites identification in the plasma and urine. This manuscript gives comprehensive analytical review, focusing on chromatographic separation approaches (column packing materials, column length and mobile phase) as well as different acquisiti...

  9. Application of LC–MS/MS for quantitative analysis of glucocorticoids and stimulants in biological fluids

    OpenAIRE

    Haneef, Jamshed; Shaharyar, Mohammad; Husain, Asif; Rashid, Mohd; Mishra, Ravinesh; Parveen, Shama; Ahmed, Niyaz; Pal, Manoj; Kumar, Deepak

    2013-01-01

    Liquid chromatography tandem mass chromatography (LC–MS/MS) is an important hyphenated technique for quantitative analysis of drugs in biological fluids. Because of high sensitivity and selectivity, LC–MS/MS has been used for pharmacokinetic studies, metabolites identification in the plasma and urine. This manuscript gives comprehensive analytical review, focusing on chromatographic separation approaches (column packing materials, column length and mobile phase) as well as different acquisiti...

  10. Comprehensive analysis of proteins of pH fractionated samples using monolithic LC/MS/MS, intact MW measurement and MALDI-QIT-TOF MS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Chul; Patwa, Tasneem H.; Kreunin, Paweena; Miller, Fred R.; Huber, Christian G.; Nesvizhskii, Alexey I.; Lubman, David M.

    2012-01-01

    A comprehensive platform that integrates information from the protein and peptide levels by combining various MS techniques has been employed for the analysis of proteins in fully malignant human breast cancer cells. The cell lysates were subjected to chromatofocusing fractionation, followed by tryptic digestion of pH fractions for on-line monolithic RP-HPLC interfaced with linear ion trap MS analysis for rapid protein identification. This unique approach of direct analysis of pH fractions resulted in the identification of large numbers of proteins from several selected pH fractions, in which approximately 1.5 μg of each of the pH fraction digests was consumed for an analysis time of ca 50 min. In order to combine valuable information retained at the protein level with the protein identifications obtained from the peptide level information, the same pH fraction was analyzed using nonporous (NPS)-RP-HPLC/ESI-TOF MS to obtain intact protein MW measurements. In order to further validate the protein identification procedures from the fraction digest analysis, NPS-RP-HPLC separation was performed for off-line protein collection to closely examine each protein using MALDI-TOF MS and MALDI-quadrupole ion trap (QIT)-TOF MS, and excellent agreement of protein identifications was consistently observed. It was also observed that the comparison to intact MW and other MS information was particularly useful for analyzing proteins whose identifications were suggested by one sequenced peptide from fraction digest analysis. PMID:17206599

  11. NMR, ESI/MS, and MALDI-TOF/MS analysis of pear juice polymeric proanthocyanidins with potent free radical scavenging activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Es-Safi, Nour-Eddine; Guyot, Sylvain; Ducrot, Paul-Henri

    2006-09-20

    The structure of a polymeric proanthocyanidin fraction isolated from pear juice was characterized by NMR, ESI/MS, and MALDI-TOF/MS analyses, and its antioxidant activity was investigated using the DPPH free radical scavenging method. The results obtained from 13C NMR analysis showed the predominance of signals representative of procyanidins. Typical signals in the chemical shift region between 70 and 90 ppm demonstrated the exclusive presence of epicatechin units. The results obtained through negative ESI/MS analysis showed singly and doubly charged ions corresponding to the molecular mass of procyanidins with a degree of polymerization up to 22. The spectra obtained through MALDI-TOF/MS analysis revealed the presence of two series of tannin oligomers. Supporting the observations from NMR spectroscopy, the first series consists of well-resolved tannin identified as procyanidin polymers units with chain lengths of up to 25. A second series of monogalloyl flavan-3-ols polymers with polymerization degree up to 25 were also detected. This is the first mass spectrometric evidence confirming the existence of galloylated procyanidin oligomers in pear fruits. Within each of these oligomers, various signals exist suggesting the presence of several oligomeric tannins. The antioxidant properties of the polymeric fraction were investigated through reduction of the DPPH free radical, and the results obtained showed that the polymeric fraction exhibited a higher antioxidant power compared to those of (+)-catechin and B3 procyanidin dimer.

  12. Analysis of Parameters Assessment on Laminated Rubber-Metal Spring for Structural Vibration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salim, M.A.; Putra, A.; Mansor, M.R.; Musthafah, M.T.; Akop, M.Z.; Abdullah, M.A.

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents the analysis of parameter assessment on laminated rubber-metal spring (LR-MS) for vibrating structure. Three parameters were selected for the assessment which are mass, Young's modulus and radius. Natural rubber materials has been used to develop the LR-MS model. Three analyses were later conducted based on the selected parameters to the LR-MS performance which are natural frequency, location of the internal resonance frequency and transmissibility of internal resonance. Results of the analysis performed were plotted in frequency domain function graph. Transmissibility of laminated rubber-metal spring (LR-MS) is changed by changing the value of the parameter. This occurrence was referred to the theory from open literature then final conclusion has been make which are these parameters have a potential to give an effects and trends for LR-MS transmissibility. (paper)

  13. Quality Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Compounds in Xiaoyan Lidan Tablets: Fingerprint and Quantitative Analysis Using UPLC-MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Na Yang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available XiaoyanLidan tablets (XYLDTs are traditional Chinese medicines frequently used for syndromes of the liver and gallbladder, cholecystitis and cholangitis. To evaluate the consistency of the quality of commercial XYLDT preparations, we established a simple and reliable ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC method with a photodiode array (PDA detector and mass spectrometry (MS, including a fingerprint analysis and quantification of the main pharmacologically-active markers. In the UPLC-PDA detection-based fingerprint analysis of XYLDTs, approximately 39 peaks were found in the XYLDT chromatogram, 26 of which were attributed to Picrasmaquassioides, nine to Andrographis and four to Isodonserra. Subsequently, the structures of these bioactive markers were identified through ESI-MS analyses. Using the chemometricmethods of similarity analysis and principal component analysis, the five significant herbal componentswere determined as 4-methoxy-5-hydroxycanthin-6-one, andrographolide, dehydroandrographolide, neoandrographolide and rosmarinic acid, and these components were qualitatively assessed. Our experimental results demonstrated that combining the fingerprint analysis with UPLC-MS and multi-ingredient determination is useful for rapid pharmaceutical quality evaluation. Moreover, the combined approach can potentially differentiate the origin, determine the authenticity and assess the overall quality of the formulae.

  14. ICP-MS/MS-Based Ionomics: A Validated Methodology to Investigate the Biological Variability of the Human Ionome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konz, Tobias; Migliavacca, Eugenia; Dayon, Loïc; Bowman, Gene; Oikonomidi, Aikaterini; Popp, Julius; Rezzi, Serge

    2017-05-05

    We here describe the development, validation and application of a quantitative methodology for the simultaneous determination of 29 elements in human serum using state-of-the-art inductively coupled plasma triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS). This new methodology offers high-throughput elemental profiling using simple dilution of minimal quantity of serum samples. We report the outcomes of the validation procedure including limits of detection/quantification, linearity of calibration curves, precision, recovery and measurement uncertainty. ICP-MS/MS-based ionomics was used to analyze human serum of 120 older adults. Following a metabolomic data mining approach, the generated ionome profiles were subjected to principal component analysis revealing gender and age-specific differences. The ionome of female individuals was marked by higher levels of calcium, phosphorus, copper and copper to zinc ratio, while iron concentration was lower with respect to male subjects. Age was associated with lower concentrations of zinc. These findings were complemented with additional readouts to interpret micronutrient status including ceruloplasmin, ferritin and inorganic phosphate. Our data supports a gender-specific compartmentalization of the ionome that may reflect different bone remodelling in female individuals. Our ICP-MS/MS methodology enriches the panel of validated "Omics" approaches to study molecular relationships between the exposome and the ionome in relation with nutrition and health.

  15. HPLC-MS/MS method optimisation for matrix metalloproteinase 3 and matrix metalloproteinase 9 determination in human blood serum using target analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotnik, Petra; Krajnc, Metka Koren; Pahor, Artur; Finšgar, Matjaž; Knez, Željko

    2018-02-20

    A quantitative analysis of zinc endopeptidases matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) from human blood serum are presented. Both matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are present in human blood serum and can be used as biomarkers for different diseases. The analysis was performed using LC-MS/MS with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, based on two specific peptides of each MMP in comparison with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). While the conditions for the LC-MS/MS analysis of MMP9 peptides were previously reported for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, the analysis of MMP3 peptides was newly quantified for human blood serum herein for the first time. For MMP3, the linear behaviour was determined in the concentration range from 1.0-200.0ng/mL (R 2 =0.997) with an LLOD of 0.5ng/mL. For MMP9, linearity was determined in the concentration range from 6.5-65.0ng/mL (R 2 =0.995) with an LLOD of 2.0ng/mL. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Comparison of three officinal species of Callicarpa based on a biochemome profiling strategy with UHPLC-IT-MS and chemometrics analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Meng-Lu; Chang, Wen-Qi; Zhou, Jian-Liang; Yin, Ying-Hao; Xia, Wen-Rui; Liu, Jian-Qun; Liu, Li-Fang; Xin, Gui-Zhong

    2017-10-25

    Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) materials with closely related species are frequently fungible in clinical use. Therefore, holistic comparison of the composition in bioactive compounds is essential to evaluate whether they are equivalent in efficacy. Taking three officinal species of Callicarpa as a case, we proposed and validated a standardized strategy for the discrimination of closely related TCM materials, which focused on the extraction, profiling and multivariate statistical analysis of their biochemome. Firstly, serial liquid-liquid extractions were utilized to prepare different batches of Callicarpa biochemome, and the preparation yields were utilized for the normalization of sampling quantity prior to UHPLC-IT-MS analysis. Secondly, 34 compounds, including 19 phenylethanoid glycosides, 10 flavonoids and 5 terpenoids, were identified based on an untargeted UHPLC-IT-MS method. Thirdly, method validation of linearity, precision and stability showed that the UHPLC-IT-MS system was qualified (R 2 >0.995, RSDsupply chain of pharmaceutical suppliers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Wavelet-based peak detection and a new charge inference procedure for MS/MS implemented in ProteoWizard's msConvert.

    Science.gov (United States)

    French, William R; Zimmerman, Lisa J; Schilling, Birgit; Gibson, Bradford W; Miller, Christine A; Townsend, R Reid; Sherrod, Stacy D; Goodwin, Cody R; McLean, John A; Tabb, David L

    2015-02-06

    We report the implementation of high-quality signal processing algorithms into ProteoWizard, an efficient, open-source software package designed for analyzing proteomics tandem mass spectrometry data. Specifically, a new wavelet-based peak-picker (CantWaiT) and a precursor charge determination algorithm (Turbocharger) have been implemented. These additions into ProteoWizard provide universal tools that are independent of vendor platform for tandem mass spectrometry analyses and have particular utility for intralaboratory studies requiring the advantages of different platforms convergent on a particular workflow or for interlaboratory investigations spanning multiple platforms. We compared results from these tools to those obtained using vendor and commercial software, finding that in all cases our algorithms resulted in a comparable number of identified peptides for simple and complex samples measured on Waters, Agilent, and AB SCIEX quadrupole time-of-flight and Thermo Q-Exactive mass spectrometers. The mass accuracy of matched precursor ions also compared favorably with vendor and commercial tools. Additionally, typical analysis runtimes (∼1-100 ms per MS/MS spectrum) were short enough to enable the practical use of these high-quality signal processing tools for large clinical and research data sets.

  18. Report on the survey of geothermal development at Okushiri Island, Hokkaido. Geochemical survey (GC/MS and MS method); Hokkaido Okushiritou chinetsu kaihatsu chosa chikagaku chosa (GC/MS and MS ho) hokokusho

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1991-09-01

    To elucidate chemical components of soil gas in the Okushiri Island area, soil gas was collected by the method using charcoal adsorbent, and analysis was made by the GC/MS method. Out of the 19 measuring points, 17 points were set up near the measuring points in the FY 1998 survey by the finger print method. At the same measuring points, analytical survey by the MS method was also conducted to sort the type of soil gas. As a result of the GC/MS analysis, xylene or ethyl benzene was detected at 12 measuring points of all 19 measuring points, and from the distribution, it was predicted that there were anomaly zones in the district along the road of the Okushiri Island line and the district southward from the 5.8K Pass. These results were in harmony with the results of the survey by the finger print method. As to the sorting of soil gas based on the results of the MS analysis, the results were different at 8 measuring points from those of the survey by the finger print method in FY 1998. It was considered that the cause was the accidental vaporization of a large quantity of acetaldehyde, and acetaldehyde was regarded as a noise gas component that does not reflect the geothermal structure. (NEDO)

  19. Amino acid analysis in biological fluids by GC-MS

    OpenAIRE

    Kaspar, Hannelore

    2009-01-01

    Amino acids are intermediates in cellular metabolism and their quantitative analysis plays an important role in disease diagnostics. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based method was developed for the quantitative analysis of free amino acids as their propyl chloroformate derivatives in biological fluids. Derivatization with propyl chloroformate could be carried out directly in the biological samples without prior protein precipitation or solid-phase extraction of the amino acid...

  20. Development of an LC-MS based enzyme activity assay for MurC: application to evaluation of inhibitors and kinetic analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Gejing; Gu, Rong-Fang; Marmor, Stephen; Fisher, Stewart L; Jahic, Haris; Sanyal, Gautam

    2004-06-29

    An enzyme activity assay, based on mass spectrometric (MS) detection of specific reaction product following HPLC separation, has been developed to evaluate pharmaceutical hits identified from primary high throughput screening (HTS) against target enzyme Escherichia coli UDP-N-acetyl-muramyl-L-alanine ligase (MurC), an essential enzyme in the bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthetic pathway, and to study the kinetics of the enzyme. A comparative analysis of this new liquid chromatographic-MS (LC-MS) based assay with a conventional spectrophotometric Malachite Green (MG) assay, which detects phosphate produced in the reaction, was performed. The results demonstrated that the LC-MS assay, which determines specific ligase activity of MurC, offers several advantages including a lower background (0.2% versus 26%), higher sensitivity (> or = 10 fold), lower limit of quantitation (LOQ) (0.02 microM versus 1 microM) and wider linear dynamic range (> or = 4 fold) than the MG assay. Good precision for the LC-MS assay was demonstrated by the low intraday and interday coefficient of variation (CV) values (3 and 6%, respectively). The LC-MS assay, free of the artifacts often seen in the Malachite Green assay, offers a valuable secondary assay for hit evaluation in which the false positives from the primary high throughput screening can be eliminated. In addition, the applicability of this assay to the study of enzyme kinetics has also been demonstrated. Copyright 2004 Elsevier B.V.

  1. ICP-MS analysis for long-lived radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roos, P.

    2010-01-01

    Full text: Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is an attractive alternative for the analysis of radioisotopes having a half-life in the order of several hundred years and above. The technique should not be considered a replacement for radiometric measurements of these isotopes but merely an alternative. Similarly to radiometric techniques like alpha and beta spectrometry most analysis of 'low-level' concentrations by ICP-MS requires chemical isolation of the element in question. For 'ultra-low-level' concentrations this clean-up of the sample is usually even more necessary than for the alternative radiometric techniques. The presentation gives an overview of advantages and disadvantages in using ICP-MS and compares it to relevant radiometric alternatives. (author)

  2. Structural Analysis of Grounding Damages on MS DEXTRA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Preben Terndrup; Simonsen, Bo Cerup; Zhang, Shengming

    Sub-task 1.2 of DEXTREMEL deals with development of models for external ship collision and grounding dynamics and for internal ship structure dynamics. In order to get a better overview of the work performed in this task it has been decided to write two reports on the work. One dealing...... with internal and external collision dynamics and the present report which deals with structural analysis of grounding events.The first part of the present report is devoted to an energy balance for raking damage situations.Then follows a numerical study of the forces associated with cutting and crushing...

  3. The flexibility of a generic LC-MS/MS method for the quantitative analysis of therapeutic proteins based on human immunoglobulin G and related constructs in animal studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lanshoeft, Christian; Wolf, Thierry; Walles, Markus; Barteau, Samuel; Picard, Franck; Kretz, Olivier; Cianférani, Sarah; Heudi, Olivier

    2016-11-30

    An increasing demand of new analytical methods is associated with the growing number of biotherapeutic programs being prosecuted in the pharmaceutical industry. Whilst immunoassay has been the standard method for decades, a great interest in assays based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is evolving. In this present work, the development of a generic method for the quantitative analysis of therapeutic proteins based on human immunoglobulin G (hIgG) in rat serum is reported. The method is based on four generic peptides GPSVFPLAPSSK (GPS), TTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSK (TTP), VVSVLTVLHQDWLNGK (VVS) and FNWYVDGVEVHNAK (FNW) originating from different parts of the fraction crystallizable (Fc) region of a reference hIgG1 (hIgG1A). A tryptic pellet digestion of rat serum spiked with hIgG1A and a stable isotope labeled protein (hIgG1B) used as internal standard (ISTD) was applied prior LC-MS/MS analysis. The upper limit of quantification was at 1000μg/mL. The lower limit of quantitation was for GPS, TTP and VVS at 1.00μg/mL whereas for FNW at 5.00μg/mL. Accuracy and precision data met acceptance over three days. The presented method was further successfully applied to the quantitative analysis of other hIgG1s (hIgG1C and hIgG1D) and hIgG4-based therapeutic proteins on spiked quality control (QC) samples in monkey and rat serum using calibration standards (Cs) prepared with hIgG1A in rat serum. In order to extend the applicability of our generic approach, a bispecific-bivalent hIgG1 (bb-hIgG1) and two lysine conjugated antibody-drug conjugates (ADC1 and ADC2) were incorporated as well. The observed values on spiked QC samples in monkey serum were satisfactory with GPS for the determination of bb-hIgG1 whereas the FNW and TTP peptides were suitable for the ADCs. Moreover, comparable mean concentration-time profiles were obtained from monkeys previously dosed intravenously with ADC2 measured against Cs samples prepared either with hIgG1A in rat serum

  4. Wavelet-Based Peak Detection and a New Charge Inference Procedure for MS/MS Implemented in ProteoWizard’s msConvert

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    We report the implementation of high-quality signal processing algorithms into ProteoWizard, an efficient, open-source software package designed for analyzing proteomics tandem mass spectrometry data. Specifically, a new wavelet-based peak-picker (CantWaiT) and a precursor charge determination algorithm (Turbocharger) have been implemented. These additions into ProteoWizard provide universal tools that are independent of vendor platform for tandem mass spectrometry analyses and have particular utility for intralaboratory studies requiring the advantages of different platforms convergent on a particular workflow or for interlaboratory investigations spanning multiple platforms. We compared results from these tools to those obtained using vendor and commercial software, finding that in all cases our algorithms resulted in a comparable number of identified peptides for simple and complex samples measured on Waters, Agilent, and AB SCIEX quadrupole time-of-flight and Thermo Q-Exactive mass spectrometers. The mass accuracy of matched precursor ions also compared favorably with vendor and commercial tools. Additionally, typical analysis runtimes (∼1–100 ms per MS/MS spectrum) were short enough to enable the practical use of these high-quality signal processing tools for large clinical and research data sets. PMID:25411686

  5. A UPLC-MS/MS method for analysis of vancomycin in human cerebrospinal fluid and comparison with the chemiluminescence immunoassay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mei, Shenghui; Wang, Jiaqing; Zhu, Leting; Chen, Ruiling; Li, Xingang; Chen, Kai; Chen, Guangqiang; Zhou, Jianxin; Wang, Qiang; Zhao, Zhigang

    2017-08-01

    Vancomycin (VCM) is clinically used in treating patients with postoperative intracranial infections. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentration of VCM varies greatly among patients. To guide the dosage regimens, monitoring of VCM in CSF is needed. However a method for analysis of VCM in human CSF is lacking. An ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed and validated for analysis of VCM in human CSF, and the agreement of UPLC-MS/MS and chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) in the analysis of CSF VCM was evaluated. The ion transitions were m/z 725.5 > 144.1 for VCM and m/z 455.2 > 308.2 for methotrexate (internal standard). The agreement between UPLC-MS/MS and CLIA was evaluated by Bland-Altman plot in 179 samples. The calibration range of the UPLC-MS/MS method was 1-400 mg/L. The inaccuracy and imprecision were -0.69-10.80% and  0.98). The 95% limit of agreement of the ratio of CLIA to UPLC-MS/MS was 61.66-107.40%. Further studies are warranted to confirm the results. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  6. Controlling the structure of sequence-defined poly(phosphodiester)s for optimal MS/MS reading of digital information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amalian, J-A; Al Ouahabi, A; Cavallo, G; König, N F; Poyer, S; Lutz, J-F; Charles, L

    2017-11-01

    Digital polymers are monodisperse chains with a controlled sequence of co-monomers, defined as letters of an alphabet, and are used to store information at the molecular level. Reading such messages is hence a sequencing task that can be efficiently achieved by tandem mass spectrometry. To improve their readability, structure of sequence-controlled synthetic polymers can be optimized, based on considerations regarding their fragmentation behavior. This strategy is described here for poly(phosphodiester)s, which were synthesized as monodisperse chains with more than 100 units but exhibited extremely complex dissociation spectra. In these polymers, two repeating units that differ by a simple H/CH 3 variation were defined as the 0 and 1 bit of the ASCII code and spaced by a phosphate moiety. They were readily ionized in negative ion mode electrospray but dissociated via cleavage at all phosphate bonds upon collisional activation. Although allowing a complete sequence coverage of digital poly(phosphodiester)s, this fragmentation behavior was not efficient for macromolecules with more than 50 co-monomers, and data interpretation was very tedious. The structure of these polymers was then modified by introducing alkoxyamine linkages at appropriate location throughout the chain. A first design consisted of placing these low dissociation energy bonds between each monomeric bit: while cleavage of this sole bond greatly simplified MS/MS spectra, efficient sequencing was limited to chains with up to about 50 units. In contrast, introduction of alkoxyamine bonds between each byte (i.e. a set of eight co-monomers) was a more successful strategy. Long messages (so far, up to 8 bytes) could be read in MS 3 experiments, where single-byte containing fragments released during the first activation stage were further dissociated for sequencing. The whole sequence of such byte-truncated poly(phosphodiester)s could be easily re-constructed based on a mass tagging system which permits

  7. Application of survival analysis methodology to the quantitative analysis of LC-MS proteomics data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tekwe, Carmen D; Carroll, Raymond J; Dabney, Alan R

    2012-08-01

    Protein abundance in quantitative proteomics is often based on observed spectral features derived from liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) or LC-MS/MS experiments. Peak intensities are largely non-normal in distribution. Furthermore, LC-MS-based proteomics data frequently have large proportions of missing peak intensities due to censoring mechanisms on low-abundance spectral features. Recognizing that the observed peak intensities detected with the LC-MS method are all positive, skewed and often left-censored, we propose using survival methodology to carry out differential expression analysis of proteins. Various standard statistical techniques including non-parametric tests such as the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney rank sum tests, and the parametric survival model and accelerated failure time-model with log-normal, log-logistic and Weibull distributions were used to detect any differentially expressed proteins. The statistical operating characteristics of each method are explored using both real and simulated datasets. Survival methods generally have greater statistical power than standard differential expression methods when the proportion of missing protein level data is 5% or more. In particular, the AFT models we consider consistently achieve greater statistical power than standard testing procedures, with the discrepancy widening with increasing missingness in the proportions. The testing procedures discussed in this article can all be performed using readily available software such as R. The R codes are provided as supplemental materials. ctekwe@stat.tamu.edu.

  8. Simultaneous Release and Labeling of O- and N-Glycans Allowing for Rapid Glycomic Analysis by Online LC-UV-ESI-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chengjian; Lu, Yu; Han, Jianli; Jin, Wanjun; Li, Lingmei; Zhang, Ying; Song, Xuezheng; Huang, Linjuan; Wang, Zhongfu

    2018-05-24

    Most glycoproteins and biological protein samples undergo both O- and N-glycosylation, making characterization of their structures very complicated and time-consuming. Nevertheless, to fully understand the biological functions of glycosylation, both the glycosylation forms need to be analyzed. Herein we report a versatile, convenient one-pot method in which O- and N-glycans are simultaneously released from glycoproteins and chromogenically labeled in situ and thus available for further characterization. In this procedure, glycoproteins are incubated with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) in aqueous ammonium hydroxide, making O-glycans released from protein backbones by β-elimination and N-glycans liberated by alkaline hydrolysis. The released glycans are promptly derivatized with PMP in situ by Knoevenagel condensation and Michael addition, with peeling degradation almost completely prevented. The recovered mixture of O- and N-glycans as bis-PMP derivatives features strong ultraviolet (UV) absorbing ability and hydrophobicity, allowing for high-resolution chromatographic separation and high-sensitivity spectrometric detection. Using this technique, O- and N-glycans were simultaneously prepared from some model glycoproteins and complex biological samples, without significant peeling, desialylation, deacetylation, desulfation or other side-reactions, and then comprehensively analyzed by online HILIC-UV-ESI-MS/MS and RP-HPLC-UV-ESI-MS/MS, with which some novel O- and N-glycan structures were first found. This method provides a simple, versatile strategy for high-throughput glycomics analysis.

  9. Two-locus linkage analysis in multiple sclerosis (MS)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tienari, P.J. (National Public Health Institute, Helsinki (Finland) Univ. of Helsinki (Finland)); Terwilliger, J.D.; Ott, J. (Columbia Univ., New York (United States)); Palo, J. (Univ. of Helsinki (Finland)); Peltonen, L. (National Public Health Institute, Helsinki (Finland))

    1994-01-15

    One of the major challenges in genetic linkage analyses is the study of complex diseases. The authors demonstrate here the use of two-locus linkage analysis in multiple sclerosis (MS), a multifactorial disease with a complex mode of inheritance. In a set of Finnish multiplex families, they have previously found evidence for linkage between MS susceptibility and two independent loci, the myelin basic protein gene (MBP) on chromosome 18 and the HLA complex on chromosome 6. This set of families provides a unique opportunity to perform linkage analysis conditional on two loci contributing to the disease. In the two-trait-locus/two-marker-locus analysis, the presence of another disease locus is parametrized and the analysis more appropriately treats information from the unaffected family member than single-disease-locus analysis. As exemplified here in MS, the two-locus analysis can be a powerful method for investigating susceptibility loci in complex traits, best suited for analysis of specific candidate genes, or for situations in which preliminary evidence for linkage already exists or is suggested. 41 refs., 6 tabs.

  10. Simultaneous analysis of multiple classes of antimicrobials in environmental water samples using SPE coupled with UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS and isotope dilution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Ngoc Han; Chen, Hongjie; Do, Thanh Van; Reinhard, Martin; Ngo, Huu Hao; He, Yiliang; Gin, Karina Yew-Hoong

    2016-10-01

    A robust and sensitive analytical method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of 21 target antimicrobials in different environmental water samples. Both single SPE and tandem SPE cartridge systems were investigated to simultaneously extract multiple classes of antimicrobials. Experimental results showed that good extraction efficiencies (84.5-105.6%) were observed for the vast majority of the target analytes when extraction was performed using the tandem SPE cartridge (SB+HR-X) system under an extraction pH of 3.0. HPLC-MS/MS parameters were optimized for simultaneous analysis of all the target analytes in a single injection. Quantification of target antimicrobials in water samples was accomplished using 15 isotopically labeled internal standards (ILISs), which allowed the efficient compensation of the losses of target analytes during sample preparation and correction of matrix effects during UHPLC-MS/MS as well as instrument fluctuations in MS/MS signal intensity. Method quantification limit (MQL) for most target analytes based on SPE was below 5ng/L for surface waters, 10ng/L for treated wastewater effluents, and 15ng/L for raw wastewater. The method was successfully applied to detect and quantify the occurrence of the target analytes in raw influent, treated effluent and surface water samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. UHPLC-MS/MS Quantification Combined with Chemometrics for Comparative Analysis of Different Batches of Raw, Wine-Processed, and Salt-Processed Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Yang

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available An accurate and reliable method using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography combined with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS was established for simultaneous quantification of five major bioactive analytes in raw, wine-processed, and salt-processed Radix Achyranthis bidentatae (RAB. The results showed that this method exhibited desirable sensitivity, precision, stability, and repeatability. The overall intra-day and inter-day variations (RSD were in the range of 1.57–2.46 and 1.51–3.00%, respectively. The overall recoveries were 98.58–101.48% with a relative standard deviation (RSD of 0.01–1.86%. In addition, the developed approach was applied to 21 batches of raw, wine-processed, and salt-processed samples of RAB. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA, principal component analysis (PCA, heat map, and boxplot analysis were performed to evaluate the quality of raw, wine-processed, and salt-processed RAB collected from different regions. The chemometrics combined with the quantitative analysis based on UHPLC–MS/MS results indicated that the content of five analytes increased significantly in processed RAB compared to raw RAB.

  12. Determination of the structure and composition of Au-Ag bimetallic spherical nanoparticles using single particle ICP-MS measurements performed with normal and high temporal resolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kéri, Albert; Kálomista, Ildikó; Ungor, Ditta; Bélteki, Ádám; Csapó, Edit; Dékány, Imre; Prohaska, Thomas; Galbács, Gábor

    2018-03-01

    In this study, the information that can be obtained by combining normal and high resolution single particle ICP-MS (spICP-MS) measurements for spherical bimetallic nanoparticles (BNPs) was assessed. One commercial certified core-shell Au-Ag nanoparticle and three newly synthesized and fully characterized homogenous alloy Au-Ag nanoparticle batches of different composition were used in the experiments as BNP samples. By scrutinizing the high resolution spICP-MS signal time profiles, it was revealed that the width of the signal peak linearly correlates with the diameter of nanoparticles. It was also observed that the width of the peak for same-size nanoparticles is always significantly larger for Au than for Ag. It was also found that it can be reliably determined whether a BNP is of homogeneus alloy or core-shell structure and that, in the case of the latter, the core comprises of which element. We also assessed the performance of several ICP-MS based analytical methods in the analysis of the quantitative composition of bimetallic nanoparticles. Out of the three methods (normal resolution spICP-MS, direct NP nebulization with solution-mode ICP-MS, and solution-mode ICP-MS after the acid dissolution of the nanoparticles), the best accuracy and precision was achieved by spICP-MS. This method allows the determination of the composition with less than 10% relative inaccuracy and better than 3% precision. The analysis is fast and only requires the usual standard colloids for size calibration. Combining the results from both quantitative and structural analyses, the core diameter and shell thickness of core-shell particles can also be calculated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. An analytical platform for mass spectrometry-based identification and chemical analysis of RNA in ribonucleoprotein complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taoka, Masato; Yamauchi, Yoshio; Nobe, Yuko; Masaki, Shunpei; Nakayama, Hiroshi; Ishikawa, Hideaki; Takahashi, Nobuhiro; Isobe, Toshiaki

    2009-11-01

    We describe here a mass spectrometry (MS)-based analytical platform of RNA, which combines direct nano-flow reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) on a spray tip column and a high-resolution LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Operating RPLC under a very low flow rate with volatile solvents and MS in the negative mode, we could estimate highly accurate mass values sufficient to predict the nucleotide composition of a approximately 21-nucleotide small interfering RNA, detect post-transcriptional modifications in yeast tRNA, and perform collision-induced dissociation/tandem MS-based structural analysis of nucleolytic fragments of RNA at a sub-femtomole level. Importantly, the method allowed the identification and chemical analysis of small RNAs in ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex, such as the pre-spliceosomal RNP complex, which was pulled down from cultured cells with a tagged protein cofactor as bait. We have recently developed a unique genome-oriented database search engine, Ariadne, which allows tandem MS-based identification of RNAs in biological samples. Thus, the method presented here has broad potential for automated analysis of RNA; it complements conventional molecular biology-based techniques and is particularly suited for simultaneous analysis of the composition, structure, interaction, and dynamics of RNA and protein components in various cellular RNP complexes.

  14. Generalized structured component analysis a component-based approach to structural equation modeling

    CERN Document Server

    Hwang, Heungsun

    2014-01-01

    Winner of the 2015 Sugiyama Meiko Award (Publication Award) of the Behaviormetric Society of Japan Developed by the authors, generalized structured component analysis is an alternative to two longstanding approaches to structural equation modeling: covariance structure analysis and partial least squares path modeling. Generalized structured component analysis allows researchers to evaluate the adequacy of a model as a whole, compare a model to alternative specifications, and conduct complex analyses in a straightforward manner. Generalized Structured Component Analysis: A Component-Based Approach to Structural Equation Modeling provides a detailed account of this novel statistical methodology and its various extensions. The authors present the theoretical underpinnings of generalized structured component analysis and demonstrate how it can be applied to various empirical examples. The book enables quantitative methodologists, applied researchers, and practitioners to grasp the basic concepts behind this new a...

  15. Development of a chromatographic separation method hyphenated to electro-spray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS): application to the lanthanides speciation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beuvier, Ludovic

    2015-01-01

    This work focuses on the development of a chromatographic separation method coupled to both ESI-MS and ICP-MS in order to achieve the comprehensive speciation analysis of lanthanides in aqueous phase representative of back-extraction phases of advanced spent nuclear fuel treatment processes. This analytical method allowed the separation, the characterization and the quantitation of lanthanides complexes holding poly-aminocarboxylic ligands, such as DTPA and EDTA, used as complexing agents in these processes. A HILIC separation method of lanthanides complexes has been developed with an amide bonded stationary phase. A screening of a wide range of mobile phase compositions demonstrated that the adsorption mechanism was predominant. This screening allowed also obtaining optimized separation conditions. Faster analysis conditions with shorter amide column packed with sub 2 μm particles reduced analysis time by 2.5 and 25% solvent consumption. Isotopic and structural characterization by HILIC ESI-MS was performed as well as the development of external calibration quantitation method. Analytical performances of quantitation method were determined. Finally, the development of the HILIC coupling to ESI-MS and ICP-MS was achieved. A simultaneous quantitation method by ESI-MS and ICP-MS was performed to determine the species quantitative distribution in solution. Analytical performances of quantitation method were also determined. (author) [fr

  16. EPA CRL MS014: Analysis of Aldicarb, Bromadiolone, Carbofuran, Oxamyl and Methomyl in Water by Multiple Reaction Monitoring Liquid Chromatography / Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Method MS014 describes procedures for solvent extraction of aldicarb, bromadiolone, carbofuran, oxamyl and methomyl from water samples, followed by analysis using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS).

  17. Analysis of membrane proteome by data-dependent LC-MS/MS combined with data-independent LC-MSE technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph Kwon

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Proteomics work resembles the search for a needle in a haystack. The identification of protein biomarker requires the removal of the false protein data from the whole protein mixture. For high quality proteomic data, even a strict filtration step using the false discovery rate (FDR is insufficient for obtaining perfect protein information from the biological samples. In this study, the cyanobacterial whole membrane fraction was applied to the data-dependent analysis (DDA mode of LC-MS/MS, which was used along with the data-independent LC-MSE technique in order to evaluate the membrane proteomic data. Furthermore, the identified MSE-information (MSE-i data based on the peptide mass and the retention time were validated by the other database search, i.e., the probability-based MASCOT and de novo search engine PEAKS. In this present study, 208 cyanobacterial proteins with FDR of 5% were identified using the data-independent nano-UPLC/MSE acquisition with the Protein Lynx Global Server (PLGS, and 56 of these proteins were the predicted membrane proteins. When a total of 208 MSE-i proteomic data were applied to the DDA mode of LC-MS/MS, the number of identified membrane proteins was 26 and 33 from MASCOT and PEAKS with a FDR of 5%, respectively. The number of totally overlapped membrane proteins was 25. Therefore, the data-independent LC-MSE identified more proteins with a high confidence.

  18. Use of a Deuterated Internal Standard with Pyrolysis-GC/MS Dimeric Marker Analysis to Quantify Tire Tread Particles in the Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julie M. Panko

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Pyrolysis(pyr-GC/MS analysis of characteristic thermal decomposition fragments has been previously used for qualitative fingerprinting of organic sources in environmental samples. A quantitative pyr-GC/MS method based on characteristic tire polymer pyrolysis products was developed for tread particle quantification in environmental matrices including soil, sediment, and air. The feasibility of quantitative pyr-GC/MS analysis of tread was confirmed in a method evaluation study using artificial soil spiked with known amounts of cryogenically generated tread. Tread concentration determined by blinded analyses was highly correlated (r2 ³ 0.88 with the known tread spike concentration. Two critical refinements to the initial pyrolysis protocol were identified including use of an internal standard and quantification by the dimeric markers vinylcyclohexene and dipentene, which have good specificity for rubber polymer with no other appreciable environmental sources. A novel use of deuterated internal standards of similar polymeric structure was developed to correct the variable analyte recovery caused by sample size, matrix effects, and ion source variability. The resultant quantitative pyr-GC/MS protocol is reliable and transferable between laboratories.

  19. Use of a deuterated internal standard with pyrolysis-GC/MS dimeric marker analysis to quantify tire tread particles in the environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unice, Kenneth M; Kreider, Marisa L; Panko, Julie M

    2012-11-08

    Pyrolysis(pyr)-GC/MS analysis of characteristic thermal decomposition fragments has been previously used for qualitative fingerprinting of organic sources in environmental samples. A quantitative pyr-GC/MS method based on characteristic tire polymer pyrolysis products was developed for tread particle quantification in environmental matrices including soil, sediment, and air. The feasibility of quantitative pyr-GC/MS analysis of tread was confirmed in a method evaluation study using artificial soil spiked with known amounts of cryogenically generated tread. Tread concentration determined by blinded analyses was highly correlated (r2 ≥ 0.88) with the known tread spike concentration. Two critical refinements to the initial pyrolysis protocol were identified including use of an internal standard and quantification by the dimeric markers vinylcyclohexene and dipentene, which have good specificity for rubber polymer with no other appreciable environmental sources. A novel use of deuterated internal standards of similar polymeric structure was developed to correct the variable analyte recovery caused by sample size, matrix effects, and ion source variability. The resultant quantitative pyr-GC/MS protocol is reliable and transferable between laboratories.

  20. HPLC-UV, MALDI-TOF-MS and ESI-MS/MS analysis of the mechlorethamine DNA crosslink at a cytosine-cytosine mismatch pair.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pornchai Rojsitthisak

    Full Text Available Mechlorethamine [ClCH(2CH(2N(CH(3CH(2CH(2Cl], a nitrogen mustard alkylating agent, has been proven to form a DNA interstrand crosslink at a cytosine-cytosine (C-C mismatch pair using gel electrophoresis. However, the atomic connectivity of this unusual crosslink is unknown.HPLC-UV, MALDI-TOF-MS, and ESI-MS/MS were used to determine the atomic connectivity of the DNA C-C crosslink formed by mechlorethamine, MALDI-TOF-MS of the HPLC-purified reaction product of mechlorethamine with the DNA duplex d[CTCACACCGTGGTTC]•d[GAACCACCGTGTGAG] (underlined bases are a C-C mismatch pair indicated formation of an interstrand crosslink at m/z 9222.088 [M-2H+Na](+. Following enzymatic digestion of the crosslinked duplex by snake venom phosphodiesterase and calf intestinal phosphatase, ESI-MS/MS indicated the presence of dC-mech-dC [mech = CH(2CH(2N(CH(3CH(2CH(2] at m/z 269.2 [M](2+ (expected m/z 269.6, exact mass 539.27 and its hydrolytic product dC-mech-OH at m/z 329.6 [M](+ (expected m/z 329.2. Fragmentation of dC-mech-dC gave product ions at m/z 294.3 and 236.9 [M](+, which are both due to loss of the 4-amino group of cytosine (as ammonia, in addition to dC and dC+HN(CH(3CH = CH(2, respectively. The presence of m/z 269.2 [M](2+ and loss of ammonia exclude crosslink formation at cytosine N(4 or O(2 and indicate crosslinking through cytosine N(3 with formation of two quaternary ammonium ions.Our results provide an important addition to the literature, as the first example of the use of HPLC and MS for analysis of a DNA adduct at the N(3 position of cytosine.

  1. The First MS-Cleavable, Photo-Thiol-Reactive Cross-Linker for Protein Structural Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iacobucci, Claudio; Piotrowski, Christine; Rehkamp, Anne; Ihling, Christian H.; Sinz, Andrea

    2018-04-01

    Cleavable cross-linkers are gaining increasing importance for chemical cross-linking/mass spectrometry (MS) as they permit a reliable and automated data analysis in structural studies of proteins and protein assemblies. Here, we introduce 1,3-diallylurea (DAU) as the first CID-MS/MS-cleavable, photo-thiol-reactive cross-linker. DAU is a commercially available, inexpensive reagent that efficiently undergoes an anti-Markovnikov hydrothiolation with cysteine residues in the presence of a radical initiator upon UV-A irradiation. Radical cysteine cross-linking proceeds via an orthogonal "click reaction" and yields stable alkyl sulfide products. DAU reacts at physiological pH and cross-linking reactions with peptides, and proteins can be performed at temperatures as low as 4 °C. The central urea bond is efficiently cleaved upon collisional activation during tandem MS experiments generating characteristic product ions. This improves the reliability of automated cross-link identification. Different radical initiators have been screened for the cross-linking reaction of DAU using the thiol-containing compounds cysteine and glutathione. Our concept has also been exemplified for the biologically relevant proteins bMunc13-2 and retinal guanylyl cyclase-activating protein-2. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  2. Application of survival analysis methodology to the quantitative analysis of LC-MS proteomics data

    KAUST Repository

    Tekwe, C. D.

    2012-05-24

    MOTIVATION: Protein abundance in quantitative proteomics is often based on observed spectral features derived from liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) or LC-MS/MS experiments. Peak intensities are largely non-normal in distribution. Furthermore, LC-MS-based proteomics data frequently have large proportions of missing peak intensities due to censoring mechanisms on low-abundance spectral features. Recognizing that the observed peak intensities detected with the LC-MS method are all positive, skewed and often left-censored, we propose using survival methodology to carry out differential expression analysis of proteins. Various standard statistical techniques including non-parametric tests such as the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney rank sum tests, and the parametric survival model and accelerated failure time-model with log-normal, log-logistic and Weibull distributions were used to detect any differentially expressed proteins. The statistical operating characteristics of each method are explored using both real and simulated datasets. RESULTS: Survival methods generally have greater statistical power than standard differential expression methods when the proportion of missing protein level data is 5% or more. In particular, the AFT models we consider consistently achieve greater statistical power than standard testing procedures, with the discrepancy widening with increasing missingness in the proportions. AVAILABILITY: The testing procedures discussed in this article can all be performed using readily available software such as R. The R codes are provided as supplemental materials. CONTACT: ctekwe@stat.tamu.edu.

  3. The MetabolomeExpress Project: enabling web-based processing, analysis and transparent dissemination of GC/MS metabolomics datasets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carroll Adam J

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Standardization of analytical approaches and reporting methods via community-wide collaboration can work synergistically with web-tool development to result in rapid community-driven expansion of online data repositories suitable for data mining and meta-analysis. In metabolomics, the inter-laboratory reproducibility of gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry (GC/MS makes it an obvious target for such development. While a number of web-tools offer access to datasets and/or tools for raw data processing and statistical analysis, none of these systems are currently set up to act as a public repository by easily accepting, processing and presenting publicly submitted GC/MS metabolomics datasets for public re-analysis. Description Here, we present MetabolomeExpress, a new File Transfer Protocol (FTP server and web-tool for the online storage, processing, visualisation and statistical re-analysis of publicly submitted GC/MS metabolomics datasets. Users may search a quality-controlled database of metabolite response statistics from publicly submitted datasets by a number of parameters (eg. metabolite, species, organ/biofluid etc.. Users may also perform meta-analysis comparisons of multiple independent experiments or re-analyse public primary datasets via user-friendly tools for t-test, principal components analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis and correlation analysis. They may interact with chromatograms, mass spectra and peak detection results via an integrated raw data viewer. Researchers who register for a free account may upload (via FTP their own data to the server for online processing via a novel raw data processing pipeline. Conclusions MetabolomeExpress https://www.metabolome-express.org provides a new opportunity for the general metabolomics community to transparently present online the raw and processed GC/MS data underlying their metabolomics publications. Transparent sharing of these data will allow researchers to

  4. Diagnostic fragment-ion-based and extension strategy coupled to DFIs intensity analysis for identification of chlorogenic acids isomers in Flos Lonicerae Japonicae by HPLC-ESI-MS(n).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jia-Yu; Zhang, Qian; Li, Ning; Wang, Zi-Jian; Lu, Jian-Qiu; Qiao, Yan-Jiang

    2013-01-30

    A method of modified diagnostic fragment-ion-based extension strategy (DFIBES) coupled to DFIs (diagnostic fragmentation ions) intensity analysis was successfully established to simultaneously screen and identify the chlorogenic acids (CGAs) in Flos Lonicerae Japonicae (FLJ) by HPLC-ESI-MS(n). DFIs, such as m/z 191 [quinic acid-H](-), m/z 179 [caffeic acid-H](-) and m/z 173 [quinic acid-H-H2O](-) were determined or proposed from the fragmentation patterns analysis of corresponding reference substances for every chemical family of CGAs. A "structure extension" method was then proposed based on the well-demonstrated fragmentation patterns and was successively applied into the rapid screening of CGAs in FLJ. Considering that substitution isomerism is a common phenomenon, a full ESI-MS(n) fragmentation analysis according to the intensity of DFIs has been performed to identify the CGA isomers. Based on the DFIs and intensity analysis, 41 peaks attributed to CGAs including 4 caffeoylquinic acids (CQA), 7 CQA glycosides, 6 dicaffeoylquinic acids (DiCQA), 10 DiCQA glycosides, 1 tricaffeoylquinic acids (TriCQA), 4p-coumaroylquinic acids (pCoQA), 3 feruloylquinic acids (FQA) and 6 caffeoylferuloylquinic acids (CFQA) were identified preliminarily in a 65-min chromatographic run. It was the first time to systematically report the presence of CGAs in FLJ, especially for CQA glycosides, DiCQA glycosides, TriCQA, pCoQA and CFQA. All the results indicated that the method of developed DFIBES coupled to DFIs analysis was feasible, reliable and universal for screening and identifying the constituents with the same carbon skeletons especially the isomeric compounds from the complex extract of TCMs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Structured Performance Analysis for Component Based Systems

    OpenAIRE

    Salmi , N.; Moreaux , Patrice; Ioualalen , M.

    2012-01-01

    International audience; The Component Based System (CBS) paradigm is now largely used to design software systems. In addition, performance and behavioural analysis remains a required step for the design and the construction of efficient systems. This is especially the case of CBS, which involve interconnected components running concurrent processes. % This paper proposes a compositional method for modeling and structured performance analysis of CBS. Modeling is based on Stochastic Well-formed...

  6. Tandem solid-phase extraction followed by HPLC-ESI/QTOF/MS/MS for rapid screening and structural identification of trace diterpenoids in flowers of Rhododendron molle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Hong-Yan; Luo, Jun; Xu, De-Ran; Kong, Ling-Yi

    2014-01-01

    'Naoyanghua', composed of the flowers of Rhododendron molle G. Don, is a traditional Chinese medicine that is widely known for its toxicity. Grayanane-type diterpenoids are the main active ingredients in R. molle, as well as possibly their toxicity: they are, however, difficult to isolate and analyse using common chromatographic methods, due to their small amounts and absence of conjugated groups, such as phenyl and α, β-unsaturated ketone. To establish a highly sensitive, selective and reliable method for the qualitative evaluation of trace diterpenoids in the flowers of R. molle by using tandem solid-phase extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionisation quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI/QTOF/MS/MS). Tandem solid phase extraction (SPE) was undertaken using a polyamide cartridge and a C18E cartridge in succession to enrich the trace diterpenoids. HPLC-ESI/QTOF/MS/MS was used to determine the fragmentation patterns of diterpenoids and to tentatively characterise their fragmentation pathways. HPLC-ESI/QTOF/MS/MS detected a total of 14 diterpenoids, eight of which were identified by comparison with literature sources and six based on fragmentation analysis. Among the latter six, rhodojaponin VI-3-glucoside was tentatively identified as a new diterpenoid glycoside and rhodojaponin VII, rhodojaponin IV and rhodojaponin I were reported from R. molle for the first time. By qualitative research of diterpenoids in this plant by HPLC-ESI/QTOF/MS/MS, a reliable methodology for the analysis of these active constituents of R. molle was established for the first time. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. Discrete Discriminant analysis based on tree-structured graphical models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Perez de la Cruz, Gonzalo; Eslava, Guillermina

    The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the potential use of discriminant analysis based on tree{structured graphical models for discrete variables. This is done by comparing its empirical performance using estimated error rates for real and simulated data. The results show that discriminant a...... analysis based on tree{structured graphical models is a simple nonlinear method competitive with, and sometimes superior to, other well{known linear methods like those assuming mutual independence between variables and linear logistic regression.......The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the potential use of discriminant analysis based on tree{structured graphical models for discrete variables. This is done by comparing its empirical performance using estimated error rates for real and simulated data. The results show that discriminant...

  8. Single-cell analysis by ICP-MS/MS as a fast tool for cellular bioavailability studies of arsenite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, S; López-Serrano, A; Mitze, H; Jakubowski, N; Schwerdtle, T

    2018-01-24

    Single-cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SC-ICP-MS) has become a powerful and fast tool to evaluate the elemental composition at a single-cell level. In this study, the cellular bioavailability of arsenite (incubation of 25 and 50 μM for 0-48 h) has been successfully assessed by SC-ICP-MS/MS for the first time directly after re-suspending the cells in water. This procedure avoids the normally arising cell membrane permeabilization caused by cell fixation methods (e.g. methanol fixation). The reliability and feasibility of this SC-ICP-MS/MS approach with a limit of detection of 0.35 fg per cell was validated by conventional bulk ICP-MS/MS analysis after cell digestion and parallel measurement of sulfur and phosphorus.

  9. Quantification of Lignin and Its Structural Features in Plant Biomass Using 13C Lignin as Internal Standard for Pyrolysis-GC-SIM-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Erven, Gijs; de Visser, Ries; Merkx, Donny W H; Strolenberg, Willem; de Gijsel, Peter; Gruppen, Harry; Kabel, Mirjam A

    2017-10-17

    Understanding the mechanisms underlying plant biomass recalcitrance at the molecular level can only be achieved by accurate analyses of both the content and structural features of the molecules involved. Current quantification of lignin is, however, majorly based on unspecific gravimetric analysis after sulfuric acid hydrolysis. Hence, our research aimed at specific lignin quantification with concurrent characterization of its structural features. Hereto, for the first time, a polymeric 13 C lignin was used as internal standard (IS) for lignin quantification via analytical pyrolysis coupled to gas chromatography with mass-spectrometric detection in selected ion monitoring mode (py-GC-SIM-MS). In addition, relative response factors (RRFs) for the various pyrolysis products obtained were determined and applied. First, 12 C and 13 C lignin were isolated from nonlabeled and uniformly 13 C labeled wheat straw, respectively, and characterized by heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and py-GC/MS. The two lignin isolates were found to have identical structures. Second, 13 C-IS based lignin quantification by py-GC-SIM-MS was validated in reconstituted biomass model systems with known contents of the 12 C lignin analogue and was shown to be extremely accurate (>99.9%, R 2 > 0.999) and precise (RSD corn stover, and sugar cane bagasse), and lignin contents were in good agreement with the total gravimetrically determined lignin contents. Our robust method proves to be a promising alternative for the high-throughput quantification of lignin in milled biomass samples directly and simultaneously provides a direct insight into the structural features of lignin.

  10. Structural Analysis of Fungal Cerebrosides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eliana eBarreto-Bergter

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Of the ceramide monohexosides (CMHs, gluco- and galactosylceramides are the main neutral glycosphingolipids expressed in fungal cells. Their structural determination is greatly dependent on the use of mass spectrometric techniques, including fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry (FAB-MS, electrospray ionization (ESI-MS, and energy collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/CID-MS. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR has also been used successfully. Such a combination of techniques, combined with classical analytical separation, such as HPTLC and column chromatography, has led to the structural elucidation of a great number of fungal CMHs. The structure of fungal CMH is conserved among fungal species and consists of a glucose or galactose residue attached to a ceramide moiety containing 9-methyl-4,8-sphingadienine with an amidic linkage to hydroxylated fatty acids, most commonly having 16 or 18 carbon atoms and unsaturation between C-3 and C-4. Along with their unique structural characteristics, fungal CMHs have a peculiar subcellular distribution and striking biological properties. Fungal cerebrosides were also characterized as antigenic molecules directly or indirectly involved in cell growth or differentiation in Schizophyllum commune, Cryptococcus neoformans, Pseudallescheria boydii, Candida albicans, Aspergillus nidulans, A.fumigatus and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Besides classical techniques for cerebroside (CMH analysis, we now describe new approaches, combining conventional TLC and mass spectrometry, as well as emerging technologies for subcellular localization and distribution of glycosphingolipids by SIMS and imaging MALDI TOF .

  11. Quantification of menadione from plasma and urine by a novel cysteamine-derivatization based UPLC-MS/MS method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Teng-Fei; Wang, Shao-Ting; Li, Yan

    2017-09-15

    Menadione, as the crucial component of vitamin Ks, possessed significant nutritional and clinical values. However, there was still lack of favourable quantification strategies for it to date. For improvement, a novel cysteamine derivatization based UPLC-MS/MS method was presented in this work. The derivatizating reaction was proved non-toxic, easy-handling and high-efficient, which realized the MS detection of menadione under positive mode. Benefitting from the excellent sensitivity of the derivatizating product as well as the introduction of the stable isotope dilution technique, the quantification could be achieved in the range of 0.05-50.0ng/mL for plasma and urine matrixes with satisfied accuracy and precision. After analysis of the samples from healthy volunteers after oral administration of menadione sodium bisulfite tablets, the urinary free menadione was quantified for the very first time. We believe the progress in this work could largely promote the exploration of the metabolic mechanism of vitamin K in vivo. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Determination of drug residues by CLAR-MS/MS in animal tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brenes Jimenez, Jose Eduardo

    2009-01-01

    Produced food of animal origin, present the possibility of occurrence of any contact with substances that have negative effects on the health of people who consume them. The use of drugs in veterinary medicine is one of the possible sources of such waste; so, the conditions for the analysis of some classes of antibiotics in animal tissues are based on the study. Costa Rica and the countries that are export destination, have regulation and programs for control before to be distributed in local markets, or post if it is received any complaint of pollution. The high resolution liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometers (CLAR-MS/MS) allows the analysis of analytes monitored, according to the specifications required by the legislation. The cases of two laboratories in Costa Rica are presented as the only ones who have the ability to perform the analysis of drug residues CLAR-MS/MS. (author) [es

  13. Simultaneous quantitation of sphingoid bases by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS with identical (13)C-encoded internal standards

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mirzaian, M.; Wisse, P.; Ferraz, M. J.; Marques, A. R. A.; Gaspar, P.; Oussoren, S. V.; Kytidou, K.; Codée, J. D. C.; van der Marel, G.; Overkleeft, H. S.; Aerts, J. M.

    2017-01-01

    Free sphingoid bases (lysosphingolipids) of primary storage sphingolipids are increased in tissues and plasma of several sphingolipidoses. As shown earlier by us, sphingoid bases can be accurately quantified using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS, particularly in combination with identical (13)C-encoded internal

  14. metaMS: An open-source pipeline for GC–MS-based untargeted metabolomics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wehrens, H.R.M.J.; Weingart, G.; Mattivi, F.

    2014-01-01

    Untargeted metabolomics are rapidly becoming an important tool for studying complex biological samples. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) is the most widely used analytical technology for metabolomic analysis of compounds that are volatile or can be chemically derivatised into volatile

  15. Structural analysis of N-glycans by the glycan-labeling method using 3-aminoquinoline-based liquid matrix in negative-ion MALDI-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishikaze, Takashi; Kaneshiro, Kaoru; Kawabata, Shin-ichirou; Tanaka, Koichi

    2012-11-06

    Negative-ion fragmentation of underivatized N-glycans has been proven to be more informative than positive-ion fragmentation. Fluorescent labeling via reductive amination is often employed for glycan analysis, but little is known about the influence of the labeling group on negative-ion fragmentation. We previously demonstrated that the on-target glycan-labeling method using 3-aminoquinoline/α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (3AQ/CHCA) liquid matrix enables highly sensitive, rapid, and quantitative N-glycan profiling analysis. The current study investigates the suitability of 3AQ-labeled N-glycans for structural analysis based on negative-ion collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectra. 3AQ-labeled N-glycans exhibited simple and informative CID spectra similar to those of underivatized N-glycans, with product ions due to cross-ring cleavages of the chitobiose core and ions specific to two antennae (D and E ions). The interpretation of diagnostic fragment ions suggested for underivatized N-glycans could be directly applied to the 3AQ-labeled N-glycans. However, fluorescently labeled N-glycans by conventional reductive amination, such as 2-aminobenzamide (2AB)- and 2-pyrydilamine (2PA)-labeled N-glycans, exhibited complicated CID spectra consisting of numerous signals formed by dehydration and multiple cleavages. The complicated spectra of 2AB- and 2PA-labeled N-glycans was found to be due to their open reducing-terminal N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) ring, rather than structural differences in the labeling group in the N-glycan derivative. Finally, as an example, the on-target 3AQ labeling method followed by negative-ion CID was applied to structurally analyze neutral N-glycans released from human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) protein. The glycan-labeling method using 3AQ-based liquid matrix should facilitate highly sensitive quantitative and qualitative analyses of glycans.

  16. Toward a suitable structural analysis of gene delivery carrier based on polycationic carbohydrates by electron transfer dissociation tandem mass spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Przybylski, Cédric; Benito, Juan M.; Bonnet, Véronique; Mellet, Carmen Ortiz; García Fernández, José M.

    2016-01-01

    Polycationic carbohydrates represent an attractive class of biomolecules for several applications and particularly as non viral gene delivery vectors. In this case, the establishment of structure-biological activity relationship requires sensitive and accurate characterization tools to both control and achieve fine structural deciphering. Electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) appears as a suitable approach to address these questions. In the study herein, we have investigated the usefulness of electron transfer dissociation (ETD) to get structural data about five polycationic carbohydrates demonstrated as promising gene delivery agents. A particular attention was paid to determine the influence of charge states as well as both fluoranthene reaction time and supplementary activation (SA) on production of charge reduced species, fragmentation yield, varying from 2 to 62%, as well as to obtain the most higher both diversity and intensity of fragments, according to charge states and targeted compounds. ETD fragmentation appeared to be mainly directed toward pending group rather than carbohydrate cyclic scaffold leading to a partial sequencing for building blocks when amino groups are close to carbohydrate core, but allowing to complete structural deciphering of some of them, such as those including dithioureidocysteaminyl group which was not possible with CID only. Such findings clearly highlight the potential to help the rational choice of the suitable analytical conditions, according to the nature of the gene delivery molecules exhibiting polycationic features. Moreover, our ETD-MS/MS approach open the way to a fine sequencing/identification of grafted groups carried on various sets of oligo-/polysaccharides in various fields such as glycobiology or nanomaterials, even with unknown or questionable extraction, synthesis or modification steps. - Highlights: • The first ETD-MS/MS characterization of polycationic carbohydrate based non-viral gene delivery

  17. Toward a suitable structural analysis of gene delivery carrier based on polycationic carbohydrates by electron transfer dissociation tandem mass spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Przybylski, Cédric, E-mail: cedric.przybylski@upmc.fr [Université d’Evry-Val-d’Essonne, Laboratoire Analyse et Modélisation pour la Biologie et l’Environnement, CNRS UMR 8587, Bâtiment Maupertuis, Bld F. Mitterrand, F-91025 Evry (France); Benito, Juan M. [Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas (IIQ), CSIC−Universidad de Sevilla, Américo Vespucio 49, Isla de la Cartuja, E-41092 Sevilla (Spain); Bonnet, Véronique [Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Laboratoire de Glycochimie, des Antimicrobiens et des Agroressources, CNRS UMR 7378, 80039 Amiens (France); Mellet, Carmen Ortiz [Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41012 Sevilla (Spain); García Fernández, José M. [Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas (IIQ), CSIC−Universidad de Sevilla, Américo Vespucio 49, Isla de la Cartuja, E-41092 Sevilla (Spain)

    2016-12-15

    Polycationic carbohydrates represent an attractive class of biomolecules for several applications and particularly as non viral gene delivery vectors. In this case, the establishment of structure-biological activity relationship requires sensitive and accurate characterization tools to both control and achieve fine structural deciphering. Electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) appears as a suitable approach to address these questions. In the study herein, we have investigated the usefulness of electron transfer dissociation (ETD) to get structural data about five polycationic carbohydrates demonstrated as promising gene delivery agents. A particular attention was paid to determine the influence of charge states as well as both fluoranthene reaction time and supplementary activation (SA) on production of charge reduced species, fragmentation yield, varying from 2 to 62%, as well as to obtain the most higher both diversity and intensity of fragments, according to charge states and targeted compounds. ETD fragmentation appeared to be mainly directed toward pending group rather than carbohydrate cyclic scaffold leading to a partial sequencing for building blocks when amino groups are close to carbohydrate core, but allowing to complete structural deciphering of some of them, such as those including dithioureidocysteaminyl group which was not possible with CID only. Such findings clearly highlight the potential to help the rational choice of the suitable analytical conditions, according to the nature of the gene delivery molecules exhibiting polycationic features. Moreover, our ETD-MS/MS approach open the way to a fine sequencing/identification of grafted groups carried on various sets of oligo-/polysaccharides in various fields such as glycobiology or nanomaterials, even with unknown or questionable extraction, synthesis or modification steps. - Highlights: • The first ETD-MS/MS characterization of polycationic carbohydrate based non-viral gene delivery

  18. Ambient analysis of trace compounds in gaseous media by SIFT-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, David; Spaněl, Patrik

    2011-05-21

    The topic of ambient gas analysis has been rapidly developed in the last few years with the evolution of the exciting new techniques such as DESI, DART and EESI. The essential feature of all is that analysis of trace gases can be accomplished either in the gas phase or those released from surfaces, crucially avoiding sample collection or modification. In this regard, selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry, SIFT-MS, also performs ambient analyses both accurately and rapidly. In this focused review we describe the underlying ion chemistry underpinning SIFT-MS through a discourse on the reactions of different classes of organic and inorganic molecules with H(3)O(+), NO(+) and O(2)(+)˙ studied using the SIFT technique. Rate coefficients and ion products of these reactions facilitate absolute SIFT-MS analyses and can also be useful for the interpretation of data obtained by the other ambient analysis methods mentioned above. The essential physics and flow dynamics of SIFT-MS are described that, together with the reaction kinetics, allow SIFT-MS to perform absolute ambient analyses of trace compounds in humid atmospheric air, exhaled breath and the headspace of aqueous liquids. Several areas of research that, through pilot experiments, are seen to benefit from ambient gas analysis using SIFT-MS are briefly reviewed. Special attention is given to exhaled breath and urine headspace analysis directed towards clinical diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring, and some other areas researched using SIFT-MS are summarised. Finally, extensions to current areas of application and indications of other directions in which SIFT-MS can be exploited for ambient analysis are alluded to.

  19. A comparative analysis of Piezoelectric and Magnetostrictive actuators in Smart Structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pons, J. L.

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper introduces a comparative analysis of Piezoelectric (PZ and Magnetostrictive (MS actuators as components in smart structures. There is an increasing interest in functional structures which are able to adapt to external or internal perturbations, i.e. changes in loading conditions or ageing. Actuator technologies must perform concomitantly as sensors and actuators to be applicable in smart structures. In this paper we will comparatively analyze the possibility of using PZ and MS actuators in smart structures and in so doing their capability to act concomitantly as sensors and of modifying their material characteristics. We will also focus on the analysis of how them can be integrated in structures and on the analysis of the most appropriate structures for each actuator. The operational performance of PZ (Stacks and MS actuators will be compared and eventually some conclusions will be drawn.

    Este artículo presenta un estudio comparativo de actuadores Piezoeléctricos (PZ y Magnetoestrictivos (MS como elementos integrantes de estructuras inteligentes. Existe un interés creciente en estructuras activas que puedan adaptarse a perturbaciones tanto internas como externas, por ejemplo, ante cambios en carga estructural o ante su envejecimiento. Para que un actuador forme parte de una estructura inteligente, debe poder actuar también como sensor. Este artículo presenta un estudio comparativo del uso de actuadores PZ y MS en estructuras inteligentes y, como consecuencia, de su habilidad para actuar y medir simultáneamente así cómo para modificar sus características mecánicas. Nos centraremos también en el análisis de como pueden integrase en estructuras y cuales son las más indicadas para cada actuador. Se compararán las características operacionales de los actuadors PZ multicapa y los MS.

  20. Mapping the Subcellular Proteome of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 using Sarkosyl-based fractionation and LC-MS/MS protein identification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brown, Roslyn N.; Romine, Margaret F.; Schepmoes, Athena A.; Smith, Richard D.; Lipton, Mary S.

    2010-07-19

    A simple and effective subcellular proteomic method for fractionation and analysis of gram-negative bacterial cytoplasm, periplasm, inner, and outer membranes was applied to Shewanella oneidensis to gain insight into its subcellular architecture. A combination of differential centrifugation, Sarkosyl solubilization, and osmotic lysis was used to prepare subcellular fractions. Global differences in protein fractions were observed by SDS PAGE and heme staining, and tryptic peptides were analyzed using high-resolution LC-MS/MS. Compared to crude cell lysates, the fractionation method achieved a significant enrichment (average ~2-fold) in proteins predicted to be localized to each subcellular fraction. Compared to other detergent, organic solvent, and density-based methods previously reported, Sarkosyl most effectively facilitated separation of the inner and outer membranes and was amenable to mass spectrometry, making this procedure ideal for probing the subcellular proteome of gram-negative bacteria via LC-MS/MS. With 40% of the observable proteome represented, this study has provided extensive information on both subcellular architecture and relative abundance of proteins in S. oneidensis and provides a foundation for future work on subcellular organization and protein-membrane interactions in other gram-negative bacteria.

  1. Study of exhaled breath condensate sample preparation for metabolomics analysis by LC-MS/MS in high resolution mode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-Peralbo, M A; Calderón Santiago, M; Priego-Capote, F; Luque de Castro, M D

    2015-11-01

    Metabolomic analysis of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) requires an unavoidable sample preparation step because of the low concentration of its components, and potential cleanup for possible interferents. Sample preparation based on protein precipitation (PP), solid-phase extraction (SPE) by hydrophilic and lipophilic sorbents or lyophilization has demonstrated that the analytical sample from the last is largely the best because lyophilization allows reconstitution in a volume as small as required (preconcentration factors up to 80-times with respect to the original sample), thus doubling the number of detected compounds as compared with the other alternatives (47 versus 25). In addition, PP and/or SPE cleanup are unnecessary as no effect from the EBC components removed by these steps appears in the chromatograms. The total 49 EBC compounds tentatively identified and confirmed by MS/MS in this research include amino acids, fatty acids, fatty amides, fatty aldehydes, sphingoid bases, oxoanionic compounds, imidazoles, hydroxy acids and aliphatic acyclic acids. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. An automatic quantification system for MS lesions with integrated DICOM structured reporting (DICOM-SR) for implementation within a clinical environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobs, Colin; Ma, Kevin; Moin, Paymann; Liu, Brent

    2010-03-01

    Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a common neurological disease affecting the central nervous system characterized by pathologic changes including demyelination and axonal injury. MR imaging has become the most important tool to evaluate the disease progression of MS which is characterized by the occurrence of white matter lesions. Currently, radiologists evaluate and assess the multiple sclerosis lesions manually by estimating the lesion volume and amount of lesions. This process is extremely time-consuming and sensitive to intra- and inter-observer variability. Therefore, there is a need for automatic segmentation of the MS lesions followed by lesion quantification. We have developed a fully automatic segmentation algorithm to identify the MS lesions. The segmentation algorithm is accelerated by parallel computing using Graphics Processing Units (GPU) for practical implementation into a clinical environment. Subsequently, characterized quantification of the lesions is performed. The quantification results, which include lesion volume and amount of lesions, are stored in a structured report together with the lesion location in the brain to establish a standardized representation of the disease progression of the patient. The development of this structured report in collaboration with radiologists aims to facilitate outcome analysis and treatment assessment of the disease and will be standardized based on DICOM-SR. The results can be distributed to other DICOM-compliant clinical systems that support DICOM-SR such as PACS. In addition, the implementation of a fully automatic segmentation and quantification system together with a method for storing, distributing, and visualizing key imaging and informatics data in DICOM-SR for MS lesions improves the clinical workflow of radiologists and visualizations of the lesion segmentations and will provide 3-D insight into the distribution of lesions in the brain.

  3. Piperamides from Piper ottonoides by NMR and GC-MS based mixture analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wolff, Thiago; Valente, Ligia M.M.; Magalhães, Alvicler; Guimarães, Elsie F.

    2015-01-01

    The species Piper ottonoides Yuncker (Piperaceae), known as 'joão-brandim', is a shrub that occurs in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Its roots and leaves are used in traditional medicine as local anesthetic to treat toothache and sore throat. In this study, the structural characterization in mixture of isobutyl amides present in semi-purified fractions from fruits, leaves, stems and roots of P. ottonoides was achieved by employing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques ( 1 H, 1 H- 1 H COSY, 1 H- 13 CHSQC, 1 H- 13 CHMBC, TOCSY and 1 H- 1 H J-RES). The MS fragmentation patterns and the NMR chemical shifts, multiplicities, coupling constants and the signal correlations in the two-dimensional spectra were carefully analyzed also taking into account some key elements of differentiation among the compounds. The data set allowed identifying unequivocally the new amide N-isobutyl-7-(4'- methoxyphenyl)-2E,4E-heptadienamide, which we named ottonoidenamide as well as piperovatine and chingchengenamide A in all parts of the plant, the additional presence of pipercallosine and pipercallosidine in roots and of dihydropiperlonguminine in fruits and leaves. The presence of piperovatine and pipercallosine in P. ottonoides should be associated to its traditional use. (author)

  4. SWATH Mass Spectrometry Performance Using Extended Peptide MS/MS Assay Libraries*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jemma X.; Song, Xiaomin; Pascovici, Dana; Zaw, Thiri; Care, Natasha; Krisp, Christoph; Molloy, Mark P.

    2016-01-01

    The use of data-independent acquisition methods such as SWATH for mass spectrometry based proteomics is usually performed with peptide MS/MS assay libraries which enable identification and quantitation of peptide peak areas. Reference assay libraries can be generated locally through information dependent acquisition, or obtained from community data repositories for commonly studied organisms. However, there have been no studies performed to systematically evaluate how locally generated or repository-based assay libraries affect SWATH performance for proteomic studies. To undertake this analysis, we developed a software workflow, SwathXtend, which generates extended peptide assay libraries by integration with a local seed library and delivers statistical analysis of SWATH-quantitative comparisons. We designed test samples using peptides from a yeast extract spiked into peptides from human K562 cell lysates at three different ratios to simulate protein abundance change comparisons. SWATH-MS performance was assessed using local and external assay libraries of varying complexities and proteome compositions. These experiments demonstrated that local seed libraries integrated with external assay libraries achieve better performance than local assay libraries alone, in terms of the number of identified peptides and proteins and the specificity to detect differentially abundant proteins. Our findings show that the performance of extended assay libraries is influenced by the MS/MS feature similarity of the seed and external libraries, while statistical analysis using multiple testing corrections increases the statistical rigor needed when searching against large extended assay libraries. PMID:27161445

  5. A Comprehensive, Open-source Platform for Mass Spectrometry-based Glycoproteomics Data Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Gang; Cheng, Kai; Lo, Chi Y; Li, Jun; Qu, Jun; Neelamegham, Sriram

    2017-11-01

    Glycosylation is among the most abundant and diverse protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) identified to date. The structural analysis of this PTM is challenging because of the diverse monosaccharides which are not conserved among organisms, the branched nature of glycans, their isomeric structures, and heterogeneity in the glycan distribution at a given site. Glycoproteomics experiments have adopted the traditional high-throughput LC-MS n proteomics workflow to analyze site-specific glycosylation. However, comprehensive computational platforms for data analyses are scarce. To address this limitation, we present a comprehensive, open-source, modular software for glycoproteomics data analysis called GlycoPAT (GlycoProteomics Analysis Toolbox; freely available from www.VirtualGlycome.org/glycopat). The program includes three major advances: (1) "SmallGlyPep," a minimal linear representation of glycopeptides for MS n data analysis. This format allows facile serial fragmentation of both the peptide backbone and PTM at one or more locations. (2) A novel scoring scheme based on calculation of the "Ensemble Score (ES)," a measure that scores and rank-orders MS/MS spectrum for N- and O-linked glycopeptides using cross-correlation and probability based analyses. (3) A false discovery rate (FDR) calculation scheme where decoy glycopeptides are created by simultaneously scrambling the amino acid sequence and by introducing artificial monosaccharides by perturbing the original sugar mass. Parallel computing facilities and user-friendly GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces) are also provided. GlycoPAT is used to catalogue site-specific glycosylation on simple glycoproteins, standard protein mixtures and human plasma cryoprecipitate samples in three common MS/MS fragmentation modes: CID, HCD and ETD. It is also used to identify 960 unique glycopeptides in cell lysates from prostate cancer cells. The results show that the simultaneous consideration of peptide and glycan

  6. Dual quantification of dapivirine and maraviroc in cervicovaginal secretions from ophthalmic tear strips and polyester-based swabs via liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsons, Teresa L; Emory, Joshua F; Seserko, Lauren A; Aung, Wutyi S; Marzinke, Mark A

    2014-09-01

    Topical microbicidal agents are being actively pursued as a modality to prevent HIV viral transmission during sexual intercourse. Quantification of antiretroviral agents in specimen sources where antiviral activity is elicited is critical, and drug measurements in cervicovaginal fluid can provide key information on local drug concentrations. Two antiretroviral drugs, dapivirine and maraviroc, have gained interest as vaginal microbicidal agents, and rugged methods are required for their quantification in cervicovaginal secretions. Cervicovaginal fluid spiked with dapivirine and maraviroc were applied to ophthalmic tear strips or polyester-based swabs to mimic collection procedures used in clinical studies. Following sample extraction and the addition of isotopically labeled internal standards, samples were subjected to liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) analysis using a Waters BEH C8, 50mm×2.1mm, 1.7μm particle size column, on an API 4000 mass analyzer operated in selective reaction monitoring mode. The method was validated according to FDA Bioanalytical Method Validation guidelines. Due to the disparate saturation capacity of the tested collection devices, the analytical measuring ranges for dapivirine and maravirocin cervicovaginal fluid on the ophthalmic tear strip were 0.05-25ng/tear strip, and 0.025-25ng/tear strip, respectively. As for the polyester-based swab, the analytical measuring ranges were 0.25-125ng/swab for dapivirine and 0.125-125ng/swab for maraviroc. Dilutional studies were performed for both analytes to extended ranges of 25,000ng/tear strip and 11,250ng/swab. Standard curves were generated via weighted (1/x(2)) linear or quadratic regression of calibrators. Precision, accuracy, stability and matrix effects studies were all performed and deemed acceptable according to the recommendations of the FDA Bioanalytical Method Validation guidelines. A rugged LC-MS/MS method for the dual quantification of dapivirine and

  7. Clinical applications of MS-based protein quantification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabbagh, Bassel; Mindt, Sonani; Neumaier, Michael; Findeisen, Peter

    2016-04-01

    Mass spectrometry-based assays are increasingly important in clinical laboratory medicine and nowadays are already commonly used in several areas of routine diagnostics. These include therapeutic drug monitoring, toxicology, endocrinology, pediatrics, and microbiology. Accordingly, some of the most common analyses are therapeutic drug monitoring of immunosuppressants, vitamin D, steroids, newborn screening, and bacterial identification. However, MS-based quantification of peptides and proteins for routine diagnostic use is rather rare up to now despite excellent analytical specificity and good sensitivity. Here, we want to give an overview over current fit-for-purpose assays for MS-based protein quantification. Advantages as well as challenges of this approach will be discussed with focus on feasibility for routine diagnostic use. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. HS-SPME-GC-MS Analysis of onion (Allium cepa L. and shallot (Allium ascalonicum L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D’Auria, M.

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The volatile organic compounds of onion and shallot were determined via HS-SPME-GC-MS. The main components were dipropyldisulphide and allylpropyldisulphide. Thiopropanal S-oxide were detected only in onion volatiles. In shallot is interesting the presence of 2-methyl-2-pentenal, a compound with an intense fruity aroma, that can characterize the different aroma between onion and shallot. The SPME-GC-MS analysis of shallot after absorption on the SPME fiber at 50°C showed the presence of new compounds, whose structures have been discussed.

  9. Characterization of estrogen and androgen activity of food contact materials by different in vitro bioassays (YES, YAS, ERα and AR CALUX and chromatographic analysis (GC-MS, HPLC-MS.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johannes Mertl

    Full Text Available Endocrine active substances (EAS show structural similarities to natural hormones and are suspected to affect the human endocrine system by inducing hormone dependent effects. Recent studies with in vitro tests suggest that EAS can leach from packaging into food and may therefore pose a risk to human health. Sample migrates from food contact materials were tested for estrogen and androgen agonists and antagonists with different commonly used in vitro tests. Additionally, chemical trace analysis by GC-MS and HPLC-MS was used to identify potential hormone active substances in sample migrates. A GC-MS method to screen migrates for 29 known or potential endocrine active substances was established and validated. Samples were migrated according to EC 10/2011, concentrated by solid phase extraction and tested with estrogen and androgen responsive reporter gene assays based on yeast cells (YES and YAS or human osteoblast cells (ERα and AR CALUX. A high level of agreement between the different bioassays could be observed by screening for estrogen agonists. Four out of 18 samples tested showed an estrogen activity in a similar range in both, YES and ERα CALUX. Two more samples tested positive in ERα CALUX due to the lower limits of detection in this assay. Androgen agonists could not be detected in any of the tested samples, neither with YAS nor with AR CALUX. When testing for antagonists, significant differences between yeast and human cell-based bioassays were noticed. Using YES and YAS many samples showed a strong antagonistic activity which was not observed using human cell-based CALUX assays. By GC-MS, some known or supposed EAS were identified in sample migrates that showed a biological activity in the in vitro tests. However, no firm conclusions about the sources of the observed hormone activity could be obtained from the chemical results.

  10. Analysis of pesticide residues in strawberries and soils by GC-MS/MS, LC-MS/MS and two-dimensional GC-time-of-flight MS comparing organic and integrated pest management farming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Virgínia C; Lehotay, Steven J; Geis-Asteggiante, Lucía; Kwon, Hyeyoung; Mol, Hans G J; van der Kamp, Henk; Mateus, Nuno; Domingues, Valentina F; Delerue-Matos, Cristina

    2014-01-01

    This study analysed 22 strawberry and soil samples after their collection over the course of 2 years to compare the residue profiles from organic farming with integrated pest management practices in Portugal. For sample preparation, we used the citrate-buffered version of the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method. We applied three different methods for analysis: (1) 27 pesticides were targeted using LC-MS/MS; (2) 143 were targeted using low pressure GC-tandem mass spectrometry (LP-GC-MS/MS); and (3) more than 600 pesticides were screened in a targeted and untargeted approach using comprehensive, two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOF-MS). Comparison was made of the analyses using the different methods for the shared samples. The results were similar, thereby providing satisfactory confirmation of both similarly positive and negative findings. No pesticides were found in the organic-farmed samples. In samples from integrated pest management practices, nine pesticides were determined and confirmed to be present, ranging from 2 µg kg(-1) for fluazifop-p-butyl to 50 µg kg(-1) for fenpropathrin. Concentrations of residues in strawberries were less than European maximum residue limits.

  11. Fluorescence-labeled methylation-sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphism (FL-MS-AFLP) analysis for quantitative determination of DNA methylation and demethylation status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kageyama, Shinji; Shinmura, Kazuya; Yamamoto, Hiroko; Goto, Masanori; Suzuki, Koichi; Tanioka, Fumihiko; Tsuneyoshi, Toshihiro; Sugimura, Haruhiko

    2008-04-01

    The PCR-based DNA fingerprinting method called the methylation-sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphism (MS-AFLP) analysis is used for genome-wide scanning of methylation status. In this study, we developed a method of fluorescence-labeled MS-AFLP (FL-MS-AFLP) analysis by applying a fluorescence-labeled primer and fluorescence-detecting electrophoresis apparatus to the existing method of MS-AFLP analysis. The FL-MS-AFLP analysis enables quantitative evaluation of more than 350 random CpG loci per run. It was shown to allow evaluation of the differences in methylation level of blood DNA of gastric cancer patients and evaluation of hypermethylation and hypomethylation in DNA from gastric cancer tissue in comparison with adjacent non-cancerous tissue.

  12. LC-MS data processing with MAVEN: a metabolomic analysis and visualization engine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clasquin, Michelle F; Melamud, Eugene; Rabinowitz, Joshua D

    2012-03-01

    MAVEN is an open-source software program for interactive processing of LC-MS-based metabolomics data. MAVEN enables rapid and reliable metabolite quantitation from multiple reaction monitoring data or high-resolution full-scan mass spectrometry data. It automatically detects and reports peak intensities for isotope-labeled metabolites. Menu-driven, click-based navigation allows visualization of raw and analyzed data. Here we provide a User Guide for MAVEN. Step-by-step instructions are provided for data import, peak alignment across samples, identification of metabolites that differ strongly between biological conditions, quantitation and visualization of isotope-labeling patterns, and export of tables of metabolite-specific peak intensities. Together, these instructions describe a workflow that allows efficient processing of raw LC-MS data into a form ready for biological analysis.

  13. Case-based fMRI analysis after cognitive rehabilitation in MS: A Novel Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martina eHubacher

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Cognitive decline in Multiple Sclerosis (MS negatively impacts patients’ everyday functioning and quality of life. Since symptomatic pharmacological treatment is not yet available alternative treatment strategies such as cognitive rehabilitation are of particular interest. Objectives: To analyse the ways in which MS patients respond to cognitive training, by combining behavioural and fMRI data in a case-based triangulation approach.Methods: Ten relapsing-remitting (RR MS patients aged between 39 and 58 years and between one and eight years post MS diagnosis were included. EDSS ranged from 1 to 3.5. Participants had normal to high intelligence levels. Six patients were assigned to the training group (TG and four to the control group (CG without intervention. The training group received a 4-weeks computerized working memory (WM training, consisting of 16 training sessions of 45 minutes duration each. Before and after the training a neuropsychological examination and fMRI investigation by using an N-Back task of different complexity was applied. Results: Patients in the TG responded differently to cognitive training. Four participants did not meet the triangulation criteria for being treatment responders. The two responders showed two distinct changes regarding activation patterns after training: I decreased brain activation associated with increased processing speed and II increased brain activation associated with higher processing speed and WM performance. Conclusion: The occurrence of different and opposed response patterns after the same training indicates a risk in applying classical group statistics. Different and especially opposed patterns within the same sample may distort results of classical statistical comparisons. Thus, underlying processes may not be discovered and lead to misinterpretation of results.

  14. The Protein Information Management System (PiMS): a generic tool for any structural biology research laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morris, Chris; Pajon, Anne; Griffiths, Susanne L.; Daniel, Ed; Savitsky, Marc; Lin, Bill; Diprose, Jonathan M.; Wilter da Silva, Alan; Pilicheva, Katya; Troshin, Peter; Niekerk, Johannes van; Isaacs, Neil; Naismith, James; Nave, Colin; Blake, Richard; Wilson, Keith S.; Stuart, David I.; Henrick, Kim; Esnouf, Robert M.

    2011-01-01

    The Protein Information Management System (PiMS) is described together with a discussion of how its features make it well suited to laboratories of all sizes. The techniques used in protein production and structural biology have been developing rapidly, but techniques for recording the laboratory information produced have not kept pace. One approach is the development of laboratory information-management systems (LIMS), which typically use a relational database schema to model and store results from a laboratory workflow. The underlying philosophy and implementation of the Protein Information Management System (PiMS), a LIMS development specifically targeted at the flexible and unpredictable workflows of protein-production research laboratories of all scales, is described. PiMS is a web-based Java application that uses either Postgres or Oracle as the underlying relational database-management system. PiMS is available under a free licence to all academic laboratories either for local installation or for use as a managed service

  15. The Protein Information Management System (PiMS): a generic tool for any structural biology research laboratory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morris, Chris [STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Pajon, Anne [Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SD (United Kingdom); Griffiths, Susanne L. [University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD (United Kingdom); Daniel, Ed [STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Savitsky, Marc [University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN (United Kingdom); Lin, Bill [STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Diprose, Jonathan M. [University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN (United Kingdom); Wilter da Silva, Alan [Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SD (United Kingdom); Pilicheva, Katya [University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN (United Kingdom); Troshin, Peter [STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Niekerk, Johannes van [University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, Scotland (United Kingdom); Isaacs, Neil [University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland (United Kingdom); Naismith, James [University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, Scotland (United Kingdom); Nave, Colin; Blake, Richard [STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Wilson, Keith S. [University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD (United Kingdom); Stuart, David I. [University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN (United Kingdom); Henrick, Kim [Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SD (United Kingdom); Esnouf, Robert M., E-mail: robert@strubi.ox.ac.uk [University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN (United Kingdom); STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD (United Kingdom)

    2011-04-01

    The Protein Information Management System (PiMS) is described together with a discussion of how its features make it well suited to laboratories of all sizes. The techniques used in protein production and structural biology have been developing rapidly, but techniques for recording the laboratory information produced have not kept pace. One approach is the development of laboratory information-management systems (LIMS), which typically use a relational database schema to model and store results from a laboratory workflow. The underlying philosophy and implementation of the Protein Information Management System (PiMS), a LIMS development specifically targeted at the flexible and unpredictable workflows of protein-production research laboratories of all scales, is described. PiMS is a web-based Java application that uses either Postgres or Oracle as the underlying relational database-management system. PiMS is available under a free licence to all academic laboratories either for local installation or for use as a managed service.

  16. Piperamides from Piper ottonoides by NMR and GC-MS based mixture analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wolff, Thiago; Valente, Ligia M.M., E-mail: valente@iq.ufrj.br [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Inst. de Química; Santos, Priscila F.P. [Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca (UnED/CEFET), Angra dos Reis, RJ (Brazil); Magalhães, Alvicler [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Departamento de Química Inorgânica; Tinoco, Luzineide W. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Instituto de Pesquisa em Produtos Naturais; Pereira, Rita C.A. [Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, Fortaleza, CE (Brazil); Guimarães, Elsie F. [Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2015-07-01

    The species Piper ottonoides Yuncker (Piperaceae), known as 'joão-brandim', is a shrub that occurs in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Its roots and leaves are used in traditional medicine as local anesthetic to treat toothache and sore throat. In this study, the structural characterization in mixture of isobutyl amides present in semi-purified fractions from fruits, leaves, stems and roots of P. ottonoides was achieved by employing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques ({sup 1}H, {sup 1}H-{sup 1}H COSY, {sup 1}H-{sup 13}CHSQC, {sup 1}H-{sup 13}CHMBC, TOCSY and {sup 1}H-{sup 1}H J-RES). The MS fragmentation patterns and the NMR chemical shifts, multiplicities, coupling constants and the signal correlations in the two-dimensional spectra were carefully analyzed also taking into account some key elements of differentiation among the compounds. The data set allowed identifying unequivocally the new amide N-isobutyl-7-(4'- methoxyphenyl)-2E,4E-heptadienamide, which we named ottonoidenamide as well as piperovatine and chingchengenamide A in all parts of the plant, the additional presence of pipercallosine and pipercallosidine in roots and of dihydropiperlonguminine in fruits and leaves. The presence of piperovatine and pipercallosine in P. ottonoides should be associated to its traditional use. (author)

  17. Shotgun proteomics of plant plasma membrane and microdomain proteins using nano-LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Daisuke; Li, Bin; Nakayama, Takato; Kawamura, Yukio; Uemura, Matsuo

    2014-01-01

    Shotgun proteomics allows the comprehensive analysis of proteins extracted from plant cells, subcellular organelles, and membranes. Previously, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis-based proteomics was used for mass spectrometric analysis of plasma membrane proteins. In order to get comprehensive proteome profiles of the plasma membrane including highly hydrophobic proteins with a number of transmembrane domains, a mass spectrometry-based shotgun proteomics method using nano-LC-MS/MS for proteins from the plasma membrane proteins and plasma membrane microdomain fraction is described. The results obtained are easily applicable to label-free protein semiquantification.

  18. The Protein Information Management System (PiMS): a generic tool for any structural biology research laboratory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Chris; Pajon, Anne; Griffiths, Susanne L; Daniel, Ed; Savitsky, Marc; Lin, Bill; Diprose, Jonathan M; da Silva, Alan Wilter; Pilicheva, Katya; Troshin, Peter; van Niekerk, Johannes; Isaacs, Neil; Naismith, James; Nave, Colin; Blake, Richard; Wilson, Keith S; Stuart, David I; Henrick, Kim; Esnouf, Robert M

    2011-04-01

    The techniques used in protein production and structural biology have been developing rapidly, but techniques for recording the laboratory information produced have not kept pace. One approach is the development of laboratory information-management systems (LIMS), which typically use a relational database schema to model and store results from a laboratory workflow. The underlying philosophy and implementation of the Protein Information Management System (PiMS), a LIMS development specifically targeted at the flexible and unpredictable workflows of protein-production research laboratories of all scales, is described. PiMS is a web-based Java application that uses either Postgres or Oracle as the underlying relational database-management system. PiMS is available under a free licence to all academic laboratories either for local installation or for use as a managed service.

  19. Investigation of Sequence Clipping and Structural Heterogeneity of an HIV Broadly Neutralizing Antibody by a Comprehensive LC-MS Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivleva, Vera B.; Schneck, Nicole A.; Gollapudi, Deepika; Arnold, Frank; Cooper, Jonathan W.; Lei, Q. Paula

    2018-05-01

    CAP256 is one of the highly potent, broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (bNAb) designed for HIV-1 therapy. During the process development of one of the constructs, an unexpected product-related impurity was observed via microfluidics gel electrophoresis. A panel of complementary LC-MS analyses was applied for the comprehensive characterization of CAP256 which included the analysis of the intact and reduced protein, the middle-up approach, and a set of complementary peptide mapping techniques and verification of the disulfide bonds. The designed workflow allowed to identify a clip within a protruding acidic loop in the CDR-H3 region of the heavy chain, which can lead to the decrease of bNAb potency. This characterization explained the origin of the additional species reflected by the reducing gel profile. An intra-loop disulfide bond linking the two fragments was identified, which explained why the non-reducing capillary electrophoresis (CE) profile was not affected. The extensive characterization of CAP256 post-translational modifications was performed to investigate a possible cause of CE profile complexity and to illustrate other structural details related to this molecule's biological function. Two sites of the engineered Tyr sulfation were verified in the antigen-binding loop, and pyroglutamate formation was used as a tool for monitoring the extent of antibody clipping. Overall, the comprehensive LC-MS study was crucial to (1) identify the impurity as sequence clipping, (2) pinpoint the clipping location and justify its susceptibility relative to the molecular structure, (3) lead to an upstream process optimization to mitigate product quality risk, and (4) ultimately re-engineer the sequence to be clip-resistant. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  20. Integration of Electrochemistry with Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (UPLC/MS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Yi; Zheng, Qiuling; Liu, Yong; Helmy, Roy; Loo, Joseph A.; Chen, Hao

    2015-01-01

    This study presents the development of ultra-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS) combined with electrochemistry (EC) for the first time and its application for the structural analysis of disulfide bond-containing proteins/peptides. In our approach, a protein/peptide mixture sample undergoes fast UPLC separation and subsequent electrochemical reduction in an electrochemical flow cell followed by online MS and MS/MS analyses. The electrochemical cell is coupled to MS using our recently developed desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) interface. Using this UPLC/EC/DESI-MS method, disulfide bond-containing peptides can be differentiated from those without disulfide bonds as the former are electroactive and reducible. Tandem MS analysis of the disulfide-reduced peptide ions provides increased sequence and disulfide linkage pattern information. In a reactive DESI-MS detection experiment in which a supercharging reagent was used to dope the DESI spray solvent, increased charging was obtained for the UPLC-separated proteins. Strikingly, upon online electrolytic reduction, supercharged proteins (e.g., α-lactalbumin) showed even higher charging, which would be useful in top-down protein structure analysis as increased charges are known to promote protein ion dissociation. Also, the separation speed and sensitivity are enhanced by approximately 1~2 orders of magnitude by using UPLC for the LC/EC/MS platform, in comparison to the previously used high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This UPLC/EC/DESI-MS method combines the power of fast UPLC separation, fast electrochemical conversion and online MS structural analysis for a potentially valuable tool for proteomics research and bioanalysis. PMID:26307715

  1. Structural Mass Spectrometry of Proteins Using Hydroxyl Radical Based Protein Footprinting

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Liwen; Chance, Mark R.

    2011-01-01

    Structural MS is a rapidly growing field with many applications in basic research and pharmaceutical drug development. In this feature article the overall technology is described and several examples of how hydroxyl radical based footprinting MS can be used to map interfaces, evaluate protein structure, and identify ligand dependent conformational changes in proteins are described.

  2. Dried blood spot analysis of creatinine with LC-MS/MS in addition to immunosuppressants analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koster, Remco A; Greijdanus, Ben; Alffenaar, Jan-Willem C; Touw, Daan J

    2015-02-01

    In order to monitor creatinine levels or to adjust the dosage of renally excreted or nephrotoxic drugs, the analysis of creatinine in dried blood spots (DBS) could be a useful addition to DBS analysis. We developed a LC-MS/MS method for the analysis of creatinine in the same DBS extract that was used for the analysis of tacrolimus, sirolimus, everolimus, and cyclosporine A in transplant patients with the use of Whatman FTA DMPK-C cards. The method was validated using three different strategies: a seven-point calibration curve using the intercept of the calibration to correct for the natural presence of creatinine in reference samples, a one-point calibration curve at an extremely high concentration in order to diminish the contribution of the natural presence of creatinine, and the use of creatinine-[(2)H3] with an eight-point calibration curve. The validated range for creatinine was 120 to 480 μmol/L (seven-point calibration curve), 116 to 7000 μmol/L (1-point calibration curve), and 1.00 to 400.0 μmol/L for creatinine-[(2)H3] (eight-point calibration curve). The precision and accuracy results for all three validations showed a maximum CV of 14.0% and a maximum bias of -5.9%. Creatinine in DBS was found stable at ambient temperature and 32 °C for 1 week and at -20 °C for 29 weeks. Good correlations were observed between patient DBS samples and routine enzymatic plasma analysis and showed the capability of the DBS method to be used as an alternative for creatinine plasma measurement.

  3. Analysis of the extracts of Isatis tinctoria by new analytical approaches of HPLC, MS and NMR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Jue; Qu, Fan

    2011-01-01

    The methods of extraction, separation and analysis of alkaloids and indole glucosinolates (GLs) ofIsatis tinctoria were reviewed. Different analytical approaches such as High-pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Liquid Chromatography with Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (LC/ESI/MS), Electrospray Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (ESI-TOF-MS), and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) were used to validate and identity of these constituents. These methods provide rapid separation, identification and quantitative measurements of alkaloids and GLs of Isatis tinctoria. By connection with different detectors to HPLC such as PDA, ELSD, ESI- and APCI-MS in positive and negative ion modes, complicated compounds could be detected with at least two independent detection modes. The molecular formula can be derived in a second step of ESI-TOF-MS data. But for some constituents, UV and MS cannot provide sufficient structure identification. After peak purification, NMR by semi-preparative HPLC can be used as a complementary method.

  4. LC-MS/MS signal suppression effects in the analysis of pesticides in complex environmental matrices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, B K; Hercules, D M; Gusev, A I

    2001-02-01

    The application of LC separation and mobile phase additives in addressing LC-MS/MS matrix signal suppression effects for the analysis of pesticides in a complex environmental matrix was investigated. It was shown that signal suppression is most significant for analytes eluting early in the LC-MS analysis. Introduction of different buffers (e.g. ammonium formate, ammonium hydroxide, formic acid) into the LC mobile phase was effective in improving signal correlation between the matrix and standard samples. The signal improvement is dependent on buffer concentration as well as LC separation of the matrix components. The application of LC separation alone was not effective in addressing suppression effects when characterizing complex matrix samples. Overloading of the LC column by matrix components was found to significantly contribute to analyte-matrix co-elution and suppression of signal. This signal suppression effect can be efficiently compensated by 2D LC (LC-LC) separation techniques. The effectiveness of buffers and LC separation in improving signal correlation between standard and matrix samples is discussed.

  5. LC-DAD-MS (ESI+) analysis and antioxidant capacity of crocus sativus petal extracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Termentzi, Aikaterini; Kokkalou, Eugene

    2008-04-01

    In this study, various fractions isolated from the petals of Crocus sativus were assessed at first for their phenolic content both qualitatively and quantitatively and secondly for their antioxidant activity. The phytochemical analysis was carried out by LC-DAD-MS (ESI (+)) whereas the antioxidant potential was evaluated by applying two methodologies, the DPPH. radical scavenging activity test and the Co(II)-induced luminol chemiluminescence procedure. According to data obtained from these antioxidant tests, the diethyl ether, ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions demonstrated the strongest antioxidant capacity. Interestingly, the major constituents identified in these fractions correspond to kaempferol, quercetin, naringenin and some flavanone and flavanol derivatives glycosylated and esterified with phenylpropanoic acids. In addition, the presence of some nitrogen-containing substances, as well as other phenolics and phenylpropanoic derivatives was also traced. The identification and structural elucidation of all substances isolated in this study was achieved by both comparing available literature data and by proposed fragmentation mechanisms based on evaluating the LC-DAD-MS (ESI (+)) experimental data. The quantitative analysis data obtained thus far have shown that Crocus sativus petals are a rich source of flavonoids. Such a fact suggests that the good antioxidant capacity detected in the various fractions of Crocus sativus petals could be attributed to the presence of flavonoids, since it is already known that these molecules exert antioxidant capability. The latter, along with the use of Crocus sativus in food and pharmaceutical industry is discussed.

  6. In Vivo Metabolism Study of Xiamenmycin A in Mouse Plasma by UPLC-QTOF-MS and LC-MS/MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feng Lei

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Xiamenmycin A is an antifibrotic leading compound with a benzopyran skeleton that is isolated from mangrove-derived Streptomyces xiamenensis. As a promising small molecule for fibrotic diseases, less information is known about its metabolic characteristics in vivo. In this study, the time-course of xiamenmycin A in mouse plasma was investigated by relative quantification. After two types of administration of xiamenmycin A at a single dose of 10 mg/kg, the plasma concentrations were measured quantitatively by LC-MS/MS. The dynamic changes in the xiamenmycin A concentration showed rapid absorption and quick elimination in plasma post-administration. Four metabolites (M1–M4 were identified in blood by UPLC-QTOF-MS, and xiamenmycin B (M3 is the principal metabolite in vivo, as verified by comparison of the authentic standard sample. The structures of other metabolites were identified based on the characteristics of their MS and MS/MS data. The newly identified metabolites are useful for understanding the metabolism of xiamenmycin A in vivo, aiming at the development of an anti-fibrotic drug candidate for the therapeutic treatment of excessive fibrotic diseases.

  7. MetaDB a Data Processing Workflow in Untargeted MS-Based Metabolomics Experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franceschi, Pietro; Mylonas, Roman; Shahaf, Nir; Scholz, Matthias; Arapitsas, Panagiotis; Masuero, Domenico; Weingart, Georg; Carlin, Silvia; Vrhovsek, Urska; Mattivi, Fulvio; Wehrens, Ron

    2014-01-01

    Due to their sensitivity and speed, mass-spectrometry based analytical technologies are widely used to in metabolomics to characterize biological phenomena. To address issues like metadata organization, quality assessment, data processing, data storage, and, finally, submission to public repositories, bioinformatic pipelines of a non-interactive nature are often employed, complementing the interactive software used for initial inspection and visualization of the data. These pipelines often are created as open-source software allowing the complete and exhaustive documentation of each step, ensuring the reproducibility of the analysis of extensive and often expensive experiments. In this paper, we will review the major steps which constitute such a data processing pipeline, discussing them in the context of an open-source software for untargeted MS-based metabolomics experiments recently developed at our institute. The software has been developed by integrating our metaMS R package with a user-friendly web-based application written in Grails. MetaMS takes care of data pre-processing and annotation, while the interface deals with the creation of the sample lists, the organization of the data storage, and the generation of survey plots for quality assessment. Experimental and biological metadata are stored in the ISA-Tab format making the proposed pipeline fully integrated with the Metabolights framework.

  8. Improved liquid chromatography-MS/MS of heparan sulfate oligosaccharides via chip-based pulsed makeup flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yu; Shi, Xiaofeng; Yu, Xiang; Leymarie, Nancy; Staples, Gregory O; Yin, Hongfeng; Killeen, Kevin; Zaia, Joseph

    2011-11-01

    Microfluidic chip-based hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) is a useful separation system for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) in compositional profiling of heparan sulfate (HS) oligosaccharides; however, ions observed using HILIC LC-MS are low in charge. Tandem MS of HS oligosaccharide ions with low charge results in undesirable losses of SO(3) from precursor ions during collision induced dissociation. One solution is to add metal cations to stabilize sulfate groups. Another is to add a nonvolatile, polar compound such as sulfolane, a molecule known to supercharge proteins, to produce a similar effect for oligosaccharides. We demonstrate use of a novel pulsed makeup flow (MUF) HPLC-chip. The chip enables controlled application of additives during specified chromatographic time windows and thus minimizes the extent to which nonvolatile additives build up in the ion source. The pulsed MUF system was applied to LC-MS/MS of HS oligosaccharides. Metal cations and sulfolane were tested as additives. The most promising results were obtained for sulfolane, for which supercharging of the oligosaccharide ions increased their signal strengths relative to controls. Tandem MS of these supercharged precursor ions showed decreased abundances of product ions from sulfate losses yet more abundant product ions from backbone cleavages.

  9. Localized atrophy of the thalamus and slowed cognitive processing speed in MS patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergsland, Niels; Zivadinov, Robert; Dwyer, Michael G; Weinstock-Guttman, Bianca; Benedict, Ralph Hb

    2016-09-01

    Deep gray matter (DGM) atrophy is common in multiple sclerosis (MS), but no studies have investigated surface-based structure changes over time with respect to healthy controls (HCs). Moreover, the relationship between cognition and the spatio-temporal evolution of DGM atrophy is poorly understood. To explore DGM structural differences between MS and HCs over time in relation to neuropsychological (NP) outcomes. The participants were 44 relapsing-remitting and 20 secondary progressive MS patients and 22 HCs. All were scanned using 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at baseline and 3-year follow-up. NP examination emphasized consensus standard tests of processing speed and memory. We performed both volumetric and shape analysis of DGM structures and assessed their relationships with cognition. Compared to HCs, MS patients presented with significantly smaller DGM volumes. For the thalamus and caudate, differences in shape were mostly localized along the lateral ventricles. NP outcomes were related to both volume and shape of the DGM structures. Over 3 years, decreased cognitive processing speed was related to localized atrophy on the anterior and superior surface of the left thalamus. These findings highlight the role of atrophy in the anterior nucleus of the thalamus and its relation to cognitive decline in MS. © The Author(s), 2015.

  10. Application of XAD-2 resin-based passive samplers and SPME–GC–MS/MS analysis for the monitoring of spatial and temporal variations of atmospheric pesticides in Luxembourg

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schummer, Claude; Tuduri, Ludovic; Briand, Olivier; Appenzeller, Brice M.; Millet, Maurice

    2012-01-01

    Passive air sampling has been shown to be a very interesting alternative to high-volume sampling by overcoming its disadvantages (size, weight, expensiveness). However, to date, only limited data is available about passive air sampling of current-use pesticides. In order to test if passive samplers allow monitoring of spatial and temporal variations of atmospheric pesticide concentrations, five XAD-2-resin based passive air samplers were deployed at five locations in Luxembourg. Samplers were analyzed using accelerated solvent extraction coupled to solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Collected data was used to study the spatial and temporal variations of the concentrations of the compounds. Twenty two pesticides were detected between March and October, while no pesticides were detected from November to February. Highest concentrations were measured on the rural sites, suggesting that the used XAD-2 resin-based passive samplers allow the simultaneous monitoring of multiple current-use pesticides and identifying spatial and temporal variations. - Highlights: ► XAD-2 passive sampling of current-used pesticides. ► Coupling of ASE and SPME–GC–MS/MS for the analysis of pesticides in XAD-2 passive sampling. ► XAD-2 passive samplers suitable for current-used pesticides atmospheric sampling. ► XAD-2 passive samplers suitable for spatial and temporal atmospheric concentrations variations. - XAD-2 passive sampling of current-use pesticides in the atmosphere.

  11. DBS-LC-MS/MS assay for caffeine: validation and neonatal application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruschettini, Matteo; Barco, Sebastiano; Romantsik, Olga; Risso, Francesco; Gennai, Iulian; Chinea, Benito; Ramenghi, Luca A; Tripodi, Gino; Cangemi, Giuliana

    2016-09-01

    DBS might be an appropriate microsampling technique for therapeutic drug monitoring of caffeine in infants. Nevertheless, its application presents several issues that still limit its use. This paper describes a validated DBS-LC-MS/MS method for caffeine. The results of the method validation showed an hematocrit dependence. In the analysis of 96 paired plasma and DBS clinical samples, caffeine levels measured in DBS were statistically significantly lower than in plasma but the observed differences were independent from hematocrit. These results clearly showed the need for extensive validation with real-life samples for DBS-based methods. DBS-LC-MS/MS can be considered to be a good alternative to traditional methods for therapeutic drug monitoring or PK studies in preterm infants.

  12. GC-MS-Based Endometabolome Analysis Differentiates Prostate Cancer from Normal Prostate Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Rita Lima

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Prostate cancer (PCa is an important health problem worldwide. Diagnosis and management of PCa is very complex because the detection of serum prostate specific antigen (PSA has several drawbacks. Metabolomics brings promise for cancer biomarker discovery and for better understanding PCa biochemistry. In this study, a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS based metabolomic profiling of PCa cell lines was performed. The cell lines include 22RV1 and LNCaP from PCa with androgen receptor (AR expression, DU145 and PC3 (which lack AR expression, and one normal prostate cell line (PNT2. Regarding the metastatic potential, PC3 is from an adenocarcinoma grade IV with high metastatic potential, DU145 has a moderate metastatic potential, and LNCaP has a low metastatic potential. Using multivariate analysis, alterations in levels of several intracellular metabolites were detected, disclosing the capability of the endometabolome to discriminate all PCa cell lines from the normal prostate cell line. Discriminant metabolites included amino acids, fatty acids, steroids, and sugars. Six stood out for the separation of all the studied PCa cell lines from the normal prostate cell line: ethanolamine, lactic acid, β-Alanine, L-valine, L-leucine, and L-tyrosine.

  13. Evaluation of Normalization Methods to Pave the Way Towards Large-Scale LC-MS-Based Metabolomics Profiling Experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valkenborg, Dirk; Baggerman, Geert; Vanaerschot, Manu; Witters, Erwin; Dujardin, Jean-Claude; Burzykowski, Tomasz; Berg, Maya

    2013-01-01

    Abstract Combining liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics experiments that were collected over a long period of time remains problematic due to systematic variability between LC-MS measurements. Until now, most normalization methods for LC-MS data are model-driven, based on internal standards or intermediate quality control runs, where an external model is extrapolated to the dataset of interest. In the first part of this article, we evaluate several existing data-driven normalization approaches on LC-MS metabolomics experiments, which do not require the use of internal standards. According to variability measures, each normalization method performs relatively well, showing that the use of any normalization method will greatly improve data-analysis originating from multiple experimental runs. In the second part, we apply cyclic-Loess normalization to a Leishmania sample. This normalization method allows the removal of systematic variability between two measurement blocks over time and maintains the differential metabolites. In conclusion, normalization allows for pooling datasets from different measurement blocks over time and increases the statistical power of the analysis, hence paving the way to increase the scale of LC-MS metabolomics experiments. From our investigation, we recommend data-driven normalization methods over model-driven normalization methods, if only a few internal standards were used. Moreover, data-driven normalization methods are the best option to normalize datasets from untargeted LC-MS experiments. PMID:23808607

  14. In situ liquid-liquid extraction as a sample preparation method for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization MS analysis of polypeptide mixtures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjellström, Sven; Jensen, Ole Nørregaard

    2003-01-01

    A novel liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) procedure was investigated for preparation of peptide and protein samples for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS). LLE using ethyl acetate as the water-immiscible organic solvent enabled segregation of hydrophobic...... matrix to the organic solvent enhanced the efficiency of the LLE-MALDI MS method for analysis of hydrophobic peptides and proteins. LLE-MALDI MS enabled the detection of the hydrophobic membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin as a component in a simple protein mixture. Peptide mixtures containing...... phosphorylated, glycosylated, or acylated peptides were successfully separated and analyzed by the in situ LLE-MALDI MS technique and demonstrate the potential of this method for enhanced separation and structural analysis of posttranslationally modified peptides in proteomics research....

  15. LIQUID: an-open source software for identifying lipids in LC-MS/MS-based lipidomics data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kyle, Jennifer E.; Crowell, Kevin L.; Casey, Cameron P.; Fujimoto, Grant M.; Kim, Sangtae; Dautel, Sydney E.; Smith, Richard D.; Payne, Samuel H.; Metz, Thomas O.

    2017-01-31

    We introduce an open-source software, LIQUID, for semi-automated processing and visualization of LC-MS/MS based lipidomics data. LIQUID provides users with the capability to process high throughput data and contains a customizable target library and scoring model per project needs. The graphical user interface provides visualization of multiple lines of spectral evidence for each lipid identification, allowing rapid examination of data for making confident identifications of lipid molecular species.

  16. Determination of Glyphosate Levels in Breast Milk Samples from Germany by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Steinborn, Angelika; Alder, Lutz; Michalski, Britta; Zomer, Paul; Bendig, Paul; Martinez, Sandra Aleson; Mol, Hans G.J.; Class, Thomas J.; Costa Pinheiro, Nathalie

    2016-01-01

    This study describes the validation and application of two independent analytical methods for the determination of glyphosate in breast milk. They are based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), respectively. For

  17. Natural isotope correction of MS/MS measurements for metabolomics and (13)C fluxomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niedenführ, Sebastian; ten Pierick, Angela; van Dam, Patricia T N; Suarez-Mendez, Camilo A; Nöh, Katharina; Wahl, S Aljoscha

    2016-05-01

    Fluxomics and metabolomics are crucial tools for metabolic engineering and biomedical analysis to determine the in vivo cellular state. Especially, the application of (13)C isotopes allows comprehensive insights into the functional operation of cellular metabolism. Compared to single MS, tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) provides more detailed and accurate measurements of the metabolite enrichment patterns (tandem mass isotopomers), increasing the accuracy of metabolite concentration measurements and metabolic flux estimation. MS-type data from isotope labeling experiments is biased by naturally occurring stable isotopes (C, H, N, O, etc.). In particular, GC-MS(/MS) requires derivatization for the usually non-volatile intracellular metabolites introducing additional natural isotopes leading to measurements that do not directly represent the carbon labeling distribution. To make full use of LC- and GC-MS/MS mass isotopomer measurements, the influence of natural isotopes has to be eliminated (corrected). Our correction approach is analyzed for the two most common applications; (13)C fluxomics and isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) based metabolomics. Natural isotopes can have an impact on the calculated flux distribution which strongly depends on the substrate labeling and the actual flux distribution. Second, we show that in IDMS based metabolomics natural isotopes lead to underestimated concentrations that can and should be corrected with a nonlinear calibration. Our simulations indicate that the correction for natural abundance in isotope based fluxomics and quantitative metabolomics is essential for correct data interpretation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Determination of Organophosphorous Pesticides in Environmental Water Samples Using Surface-Engineered C18 Functionalized Silica-Coated Core-Shell Magnetic Nanoparticles-Based Extraction Coupled with GC-MS/MS Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivastava, Neha; Kumari, Supriya; Nair, Kishore; Alam, Samsul; Raza, Syed K

    2017-05-01

    The present paper depicts a novel method based on magnetic SPE (MSPE) for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) such as phorate, malathion, and chlorpyrifos in environmental water samples. In this study, C18 functionalized silica-coated core-shell iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were used as a surface-engineered magnetic sorbent for the selective extraction of pesticides from aqueous samples, followed by GC-MS and GC-tandem MS analysis for confirmative determination of the analytes. Various important method parameters, including quantity of MNP adsorbent, volume of sample, effective time for extraction, nature of the desorbing solvent, and pH of the aqueous sample, were investigated and optimized to obtain maximum method performance. Under the optimized instrumental analysis conditions, good linearity (r2 value ≥0.994) was achieved at the concentration range of 0.5-500 μg/L. Recoveries were in the range of 79.2-96.3 and 80.4-97.5% in selective-ion monitoring and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) modes, respectively, at the spiking concentrations of 1, 5, and 10 μg/L. MRM mode showed better sensitivity, selectivity, and low-level detection (0.5 μg/L) of analytes. The novel MSPE method is a simple, cheap, rapid, and eco-friendly method for the determination of OPs in environmental water samples.

  19. phpMs: A PHP-Based Mass Spectrometry Utilities Library.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Andrew; Jones, Andrew R

    2018-03-02

    The recent establishment of cloud computing, high-throughput networking, and more versatile web standards and browsers has led to a renewed interest in web-based applications. While traditionally big data has been the domain of optimized desktop and server applications, it is now possible to store vast amounts of data and perform the necessary calculations offsite in cloud storage and computing providers, with the results visualized in a high-quality cross-platform interface via a web browser. There are number of emerging platforms for cloud-based mass spectrometry data analysis; however, there is limited pre-existing code accessible to web developers, especially for those that are constrained to a shared hosting environment where Java and C applications are often forbidden from use by the hosting provider. To remedy this, we provide an open-source mass spectrometry library for one of the most commonly used web development languages, PHP. Our new library, phpMs, provides objects for storing and manipulating spectra and identification data as well as utilities for file reading, file writing, calculations, peptide fragmentation, and protein digestion as well as a software interface for controlling search engines. We provide a working demonstration of some of the capabilities at http://pgb.liv.ac.uk/phpMs .

  20. A novel sensitive sheathless CE-MS device for peptide and protein analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nguyen, Tam T. T. N.; Petersen, Nickolaj J.; Rand, Kasper Dyrberg

    analysis. By analysis of a model peptide (Leucine Enkephalin), a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.045 pmol/µL (corresponding to 67 attomol in a sample volume of ~ 15 nL) was obtained. The merit of the CE-MS approach was demonstrated by analysis of bovine serum albumin (BSA) tryptic peptides. A well......Ab (Rituximab) suggesting significant real-world applicability in biopharmaceutical research. Finally, by employing a native CE buffer (ammonium acetate, pH 6), we show that the CE-MS interface facilitates gentle ESI of proteins, opening up for native MS applications in combination with ion mobility and other...

  1. An MS-DOS-based program for analyzing plutonium gamma-ray spectra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruhter, W.D.; Buckley, W.M.

    1989-01-01

    A plutonium gamma-ray analysis system that operates on MS-DOS-based computers has been developed for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to perform in-field analysis of plutonium gamma-ray spectra for plutonium isotopics. The program titled IAEAPU consists of three separate applications: a data-transfer application for transferring spectral data from a CICERO multichannel analyzer to a binary data file, a data-analysis application to analyze plutonium gamma-ray spectra, for plutonium isotopic ratios and weight percents of total plutonium, and a data-quality assurance application to check spectral data for proper data-acquisition setup and performance. Volume 3 contains the software listings for these applications

  2. The utility of ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPSFC-MS/MS) for clinically relevant steroid analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Storbeck, Karl-Heinz; Gilligan, Lorna; Jenkinson, Carl; Baranowski, Elizabeth S; Quanson, Jonathan L; Arlt, Wiebke; Taylor, Angela E

    2018-05-15

    Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assays are considered the reference standard for serum steroid hormone analyses, while full urinary steroid profiles are only achievable by gas chromatography (GC-MS). Both LC-MS/MS and GC-MS have well documented strengths and limitations. Recently, commercial ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPSFC-MS/MS) systems have been developed. These systems combine the resolution of GC with the high-throughput capabilities of UHPLC. Uptake of this new technology into research and clinical labs has been slow, possibly due to the perceived increase in complexity. Here we therefore present fundamental principles of UHPSFC-MS/MS and the likely applications for this technology in the clinical research setting, while commenting on potential hurdles based on our experience to date. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Ellagitannin composition of blackberry as determined by HPLC-ESI-MS and MALDI-TOF-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hager, Tiffany J; Howard, Luke R; Liyanage, Rohana; Lay, Jackson O; Prior, Ronald L

    2008-02-13

    Blackberries ( Rubus sp.) were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) to identify the ellagitannins present in flesh, torus (receptacle tissue), and seeds. Most ellagitannins were present (or detectable) only in seed tissues. Ellagitannins identified by HPLC-ESI-MS in the seeds included pedunculagin, casuarictin/potentillin, castalagin/vescalagin, lambertianin A/sanguiin H-6, lambertianin C, and lambertianin D. For several of the ellagitannins, isomeric separation was also obtained. The MALDI-TOF-MS analysis was primarily utilized to evaluate and identify high molecular mass (>1000 Da) ellagitannins. The MALDI analysis verified the presence of the ellagitannins identified by HPLC-ESI-MS including lambertianin A/sanguiin H-6, lambertianin C, and lambertianin D, but the analysis also indicated the presence of several other compounds that were most likely ellagitannins based on the patterns observed in the masses (i.e., loss or addition of a gallic acid moiety to a known ellagitannin). This study determined the presence of several possible isomeric forms of ellagitannins previously unidentified in fruit and presents a possible analytical HPLC method for the analysis of the major ellagitannins present in the fruit.

  4. Parent heparin and daughter LMW heparin correlation analysis using LC-MS and NMR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Xinyue, E-mail: liux22@rpi.edu [National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Glycobiology, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100 (China); Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180 (United States); St Ange, Kalib, E-mail: stangk2@rpi.edu [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180 (United States); Wang, Xiaohua, E-mail: wangx35@rpi.edu [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180 (United States); School of Computer and Information, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei (China); Lin, Lei, E-mail: Linl5@rpi.edu [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180 (United States); Zhang, Fuming, E-mail: zhangf2@rpi.edu [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180 (United States); and others

    2017-04-08

    Heparin is a structurally complex, polysaccharide anticoagulant derived from livestock, primarily porcine intestinal tissues. Low molecular weight (LMW) heparins are derived through the controlled partial depolymerization of heparin. Increased manufacturing and regulatory concerns have provided the motivation for the development of more sophisticated analytical methods for determining both their structure and pedigree. A strategy, for the comprehensive comparison of parent heparins and their LMW heparin daughters, is described that relies on the analysis of monosaccharide composition, disaccharide composition, and oligosaccharide composition. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry is rapid, robust, and amenable to automated processing and interpretation of both top-down and bottom-up analyses. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy provides complementary top-down information on the chirality of the uronic acid residues and glucosamine substitution. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the normalized abundance of oligosaccharides, calculated in the bottom-up analysis, to show parent and daughter correlation in oligosaccharide composition. Using these approaches, six pairs of parent heparins and their daughter generic enoxaparins from two different manufacturers were comprehensively analyzed. Enoxaparin is the most widely used LMW heparin and is prepared through controlled chemical β-eliminative cleavage of porcine intestinal heparin. Lovenox{sup ®}, the innovator version of enoxaparin marketed in the US, was analyzed as a reference for the daughter LMW heparins. The results, show similarities between LMW heparins from two different manufacturers with Lovenox{sup ®}, excellent lot-to-lot consistency of products from each manufacturer, and detects a correlation between each parent heparin and daughter LMW heparin. - Highlights: • Low molecular weight heparins prepared from different heparin parents were analyzed. • An integrated analytical

  5. Parent heparin and daughter LMW heparin correlation analysis using LC-MS and NMR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Xinyue; St Ange, Kalib; Wang, Xiaohua; Lin, Lei; Zhang, Fuming

    2017-01-01

    Heparin is a structurally complex, polysaccharide anticoagulant derived from livestock, primarily porcine intestinal tissues. Low molecular weight (LMW) heparins are derived through the controlled partial depolymerization of heparin. Increased manufacturing and regulatory concerns have provided the motivation for the development of more sophisticated analytical methods for determining both their structure and pedigree. A strategy, for the comprehensive comparison of parent heparins and their LMW heparin daughters, is described that relies on the analysis of monosaccharide composition, disaccharide composition, and oligosaccharide composition. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry is rapid, robust, and amenable to automated processing and interpretation of both top-down and bottom-up analyses. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy provides complementary top-down information on the chirality of the uronic acid residues and glucosamine substitution. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the normalized abundance of oligosaccharides, calculated in the bottom-up analysis, to show parent and daughter correlation in oligosaccharide composition. Using these approaches, six pairs of parent heparins and their daughter generic enoxaparins from two different manufacturers were comprehensively analyzed. Enoxaparin is the most widely used LMW heparin and is prepared through controlled chemical β-eliminative cleavage of porcine intestinal heparin. Lovenox"®, the innovator version of enoxaparin marketed in the US, was analyzed as a reference for the daughter LMW heparins. The results, show similarities between LMW heparins from two different manufacturers with Lovenox"®, excellent lot-to-lot consistency of products from each manufacturer, and detects a correlation between each parent heparin and daughter LMW heparin. - Highlights: • Low molecular weight heparins prepared from different heparin parents were analyzed. • An integrated analytical approach relied

  6. Structural analysis of cell wall polysaccharides using PACE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mortimer, Jennifer C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Joint BioEnergy Institute

    2017-01-01

    The plant cell wall is composed of many complex polysaccharides. The composition and structure of the polysaccharides affect various cell properties including cell shape, cell function and cell adhesion. Many techniques to characterize polysaccharide structure are complicated, requiring expensive equipment and specialized operators e.g. NMR, MALDI-MS. PACE (Polysaccharide Analysis using Carbohydrate gel Electrophoresis) uses a simple, rapid technique to analyze polysaccharide quantity and structure (Goubet et al. 2002). Whilst the method here describes xylan analysis, it can be applied (by use of the appropriate glycosyl hydrolase) to any cell wall polysaccharide.

  7. Analysis of pesticides in fruit, vegetables and cereals using methanolic extraction and detection by LC-MS/MS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Granby, Kit; Andersen, Jens Hinge; Christensen, Hanne Bjerre

    2004-01-01

    Abstract: A method for analysing carbamates and other relatively polar pesticides by LC–MS–MS with electrospray ionisation has been developed. The method is based on extraction by ultrasonication using a methanolic ammonium acetate–acetic acid buffer. After centrifugation the samples are filtered...... in Miniprep filter HPLC vials and detected by LC–MS–MS. To compensate for variations in the MS response [13C6]-carbaryl was used as internal standard and matrix-matched pesticide solutions were used as external standards for the quantification. The method has been validated for the matrices apple, avocado...

  8. Selenium speciation analysis of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus selenoprotein by HPLC-ICP-MS and HPLC-ESI-MS/MS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Analytical methods for selenium (Se) speciation were developed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to either inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) or electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Separations of selenomethionine (Se-Met) and sel...

  9. LC-MS/MS analysis of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue proteomes in young goats with focus on innate immunity and inflammation related proteins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Restelli, Laura; Codrea, Marius Cosmin; Savoini, Giovanni

    2014-01-01

    and visceral adipose tissues of goat, focusing on proteins involved in immune and inflammatory response. A 2-D LC-MS/MS approach followed by cluster analysis shows a clear distinction between subcutaneous and visceral fat tissue proteomes, and qualitative RT-PCR based analysis of 30 potential adipokines...... further confirmed the individual expression patterns of 26 of these, including 7 whose mRNA expression was observed for the first time in adipose tissues. This study provides a first description of adipose tissue proteomes in goat, and presents observations on novel proteins related to metabolic...... inflammation, detoxification and coagulation pathways, as well as regulation of body fat mobilization in dairy animals. These findings are of particular interest in farm animals where health and production traits are important for animal welfare and for economic gains. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights...

  10. Analysis of 2-(2-Phenylethylchromones by UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS and Multivariate Statistical Methods in Wild and Cultivated Agarwood

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanbin Li

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Agarwood is the fragrant resinous material mainly formed from species of Aquilaria. 2-(2-phenylethylchromones, especially the highly oxidized 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-(2-phenylethylchromones, are the main representative compounds from agarwood. It is important to determine whether agarwood in trade is from cultivated trees or natural trees in the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES. We characterized the 2-(2-phenylethylchromones in agarwood by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UPLC–ESI-QTOF-MS and differentiated wild from cultivated agarwood by metabolomic analysis. A total of 141 chromones including 50 potentially new compounds were evaluated as belonging to four structural classes (unoxidized 2-(2-phenylethylchromones, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-(2-phenylethyl-chromones, bi-2-(2-phenylethylchromones, and tri-2-(2-phenylethylchromones. The metabolic difference between wild and cultivated agarwood was analyzed by component analysis (PCA and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA. Fourteen markers of metabolisms in wild and cultivated agarwood were constructed (e.g., 6,7-dimethoxy-2-(2-phenylethylchromone, 6,8-dihydroxy-2-(2-phenylethylchromone, 6-methoxy-2-(2-phenylethylchromone, etc.. These results indicated that UPLC–ESI-QTOF-MS-based metabonomics analysis in agarwood may be useful for distinguishing wild agarwood from cultivated agarwood.

  11. Comprehensive and quantitative profiling of lipid species in human milk, cow milk and a phospholipid-enriched milk formula by GC and MS/MSALL.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokol, Elena; Ulven, Trond; Færgeman, Nils J; Ejsing, Christer S

    2015-06-01

    Here we present a workflow for in-depth analysis of milk lipids that combines gas chromatography (GC) for fatty acid (FA) profiling and a shotgun lipidomics routine termed MS/MS ALL for structural characterization of molecular lipid species. To evaluate the performance of the workflow we performed a comparative lipid analysis of human milk, cow milk, and Lacprodan® PL-20, a phospholipid-enriched milk protein concentrate for infant formula. The GC analysis showed that human milk and Lacprodan have a similar FA profile with higher levels of unsaturated FAs as compared to cow milk. In-depth lipidomic analysis by MS/MS ALL revealed that each type of milk sample comprised distinct composition of molecular lipid species. Lipid class composition showed that the human and cow milk contain a higher proportion of triacylglycerols (TAGs) as compared to Lacprodan. Notably, the MS/MS ALL analysis demonstrated that the similar FA profile of human milk and Lacprodan determined by GC analysis is attributed to the composition of individual TAG species in human milk and glycerophospholipid species in Lacprodan. Moreover, the analysis of TAG molecules in Lacprodan and cow milk showed a high proportion of short-chain FAs that could not be monitored by GC analysis. The results presented here show that complementary GC and MS/MS ALL analysis is a powerful approach for characterization of molecular lipid species in milk and milk products. : Milk lipid analysis is routinely performed using gas chromatography. This method reports the total fatty acid composition of all milk lipids, but provides no structural or quantitative information about individual lipid molecules in milk or milk products. Here we present a workflow that integrates gas chromatography for fatty acid profiling and a shotgun lipidomics routine termed MS/MS ALL for structural analysis and quantification of molecular lipid species. We demonstrate the efficacy of this complementary workflow by a comparative analysis of

  12. Segmental analysis of amphetamines in hair using a sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jakobsson, Gerd; Kronstrand, Robert

    2014-06-01

    A sensitive and robust ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for quantification of amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxy methamphetamine in hair samples. Segmented hair (10 mg) was incubated in 2M sodium hydroxide (80°C, 10 min) before liquid-liquid extraction with isooctane followed by centrifugation and evaporation of the organic phase to dryness. The residue was reconstituted in methanol:formate buffer pH 3 (20:80). The total run time was 4 min and after optimization of UHPLC-MS/MS-parameters validation included selectivity, matrix effects, recovery, process efficiency, calibration model and range, lower limit of quantification, precision and bias. The calibration curve ranged from 0.02 to 12.5 ng/mg, and the recovery was between 62 and 83%. During validation the bias was less than ±7% and the imprecision was less than 5% for all analytes. In routine analysis, fortified control samples demonstrated an imprecision <13% and control samples made from authentic hair demonstrated an imprecision <26%. The method was applied to samples from a controlled study of amphetamine intake as well as forensic hair samples previously analyzed with an ultra high performance liquid chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-TOF-MS) screening method. The proposed method was suitable for quantification of these drugs in forensic cases including violent crimes, autopsy cases, drug testing and re-granting of driving licences. This study also demonstrated that if hair samples are divided into several short segments, the time point for intake of a small dose of amphetamine can be estimated, which might be useful when drug facilitated crimes are investigated. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. Efficient analysis and extraction of MS/MS result data from Mascot™ result files

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sickmann Albert

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mascot™ is a commonly used protein identification program for MS as well as for tandem MS data. When analyzing huge shotgun proteomics datasets with Mascot™'s native tools, limits of computing resources are easily reached. Up to now no application has been available as open source that is capable of converting the full content of Mascot™ result files from the original MIME format into a database-compatible tabular format, allowing direct import into database management systems and efficient handling of huge datasets analyzed by Mascot™. Results A program called mres2x is presented, which reads Mascot™ result files, analyzes them and extracts either selected or all information in order to store it in a single file or multiple files in formats which are easier to handle downstream of Mascot™. It generates different output formats. The output of mres2x in tab format is especially designed for direct high-performance import into relational database management systems using native tools of these systems. Having the data available in database management systems allows complex queries and extensive analysis. In addition, the original peak lists can be extracted in DTA format suitable for protein identification using the Sequest™ program, and the Mascot™ files can be split, preserving the original data format. During conversion, several consistency checks are performed. mres2x is designed to provide high throughput processing combined with the possibility to be driven by other computer programs. The source code including supplement material and precompiled binaries is available via http://www.protein-ms.de and http://sourceforge.net/projects/protms/. Conclusion The database upload allows regrouping of the MS/MS results using a database management system and complex analyzing queries using SQL without the need to run new Mascot™ searches when changing grouping parameters.

  14. LC-MS n Analysis of Isomeric Chondroitin Sulfate Oligosaccharides Using a Chemical Derivatization Strategy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Rongrong; Pomin, Vitor H.; Sharp, Joshua S.

    2011-09-01

    Improved methods for structural analyses of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are required to understand their functional roles in various biological processes. Major challenges in structural characterization of complex GAG oligosaccharides using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) include the accurate determination of the patterns of sulfation due to gas-phase losses of the sulfate groups upon collisional activation and inefficient on-line separation of positional sulfation isomers prior to MS/MS analyses. Here, a sequential chemical derivatization procedure including permethylation, desulfation, and acetylation was demonstrated to enable both on-line LC separation of isomeric mixtures of chondroitin sulfate (CS) oligosaccharides and accurate determination of sites of sulfation by MS n . The derivatized oligosaccharides have sulfate groups replaced with acetyl groups, which are sufficiently stable to survive MS n fragmentation and reflect the original sulfation patterns. A standard reversed-phase LC-MS system with a capillary C18 column was used for separation, and MS n experiments using collision-induced dissociation (CID) were performed. Our results indicate that the combination of this derivatization strategy and MS n methodology enables accurate identification of the sulfation isomers of CS hexasaccharides with either saturated or unsaturated nonreducing ends. Moreover, derivatized CS hexasaccharide isomer mixtures become separable by LC-MS method due to different positions of acetyl modifications.

  15. Trace Analysis of Mutagenic Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines in Cigarette Smoke Condensate and its Base Fractions via Silylation-GC-MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu S

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Among the more than 5000 chemicals reported in cigarette smoke condensate (CSC, heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs are considered to be a contributor to observed biological activity. HAAs are non-volatile and are reported at ppb levels in CSC. A new method for HAA analysis at the trace level is reported here. N, O-Bis(trimethylsilyl trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA containing 1% trimethylchlorosilane was employed to derivatize amino groups by heating the reagent containing a sample of CSC at 80 °C for 30 min followed by analysis employing gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS in the selected-ion-monitoring (SIM mode. This derivatization method afforded symmetrical peak shapes on a ZB-50 stationary phase and achieved instrumental limits of quantification (LOQ at 10:1 S/N from -1 ng/mL for AαC to120 ng/mL for Glu-P-1. The chemical identity of each derivative was confirmed by comparison of retention time and mass spectra of standards. The latter were characterized by the following ions: M·+ or [M-1]+, [M-15]+, and m/z 73 (i.e., trimethylsilyl. CSC and its base sub-fractions were studied using the GC-MS method. Ten HAAs were screened and five were quantified in cigarette smoke condensate, while 2-5 HAAs were quantified in each of three base sub-fractions. Values obtained with the new procedure agree well with values reported in the literature and with results obtained from a commercial laboratory via a different analytical method. The potential contribution of each HAA to the overall mutagenic activity observed for CSC and its base fractions is discussed. When considered together, HAAs account for only a small portion (-7.8% of the observed mutagenicity of the CSC.

  16. UFLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of multiple mycotoxins in medicinal and edible Areca catechu.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hongmei; Luo, Jiaoyang; Kong, Weijun; Liu, Qiutao; Hu, Yichen; Yang, Meihua

    2016-05-01

    A robust, sensitive and reliable ultra fast liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-ESI-MS/MS) was optimized and validated for simultaneous identification and quantification of eleven mycotoxins in medicinal and edible Areca catechu, based on one-step extraction without any further clean-up. Separation and quantification were performed in both positive and negative modes under multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in a single run with zearalanone (ZAN) as internal standard. The chromatographic conditions and MS/MS parameters were carefully optimized. Matrix-matched calibration was recommended to reduce matrix effects and improve accuracy, showing good linearity within wide concentration ranges. Limits of quantification (LOQ) were lower than 50 μg kg(-1), while limits of detection (LOD) were in the range of 0.1-20 μg kg(-1). The accuracy of the developed method was validated for recoveries, ranging from 85% to 115% with relative standard deviation (RSD) ≤14.87% at low level, from 75% to 119% with RSD ≤ 14.43% at medium level and from 61% to 120% with RSD ≤ 13.18% at high level, respectively. Finally, the developed multi-mycotoxin method was applied for screening of these mycotoxins in 24 commercial samples. Only aflatoxin B2 and zearalenone were found in 2 samples. This is the first report on the application of UFLC-ESI(+/-)-MS/MS for multi-class mycotoxins in A. catechu. The developed method with many advantages of simple pretreatment, rapid determination and high sensitivity is a proposed candidate for large-scale detection and quantification of multiple mycotoxins in other complex matrixes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Analysis of Chemical Constituents of Melastoma dodecandrum Lour. by UPLC-ESI-Q-Exactive Focus-MS/MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinfeng Wang

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The ethnic drug Melastoma dodecandrum Lour. (MDL is widely distributed throughout South China, and is the major component of Gong Yan Ping Tablets/Capsules and Zi Di Ning Xue San. Although the pharmacological effects of MDL have been well documented, its chemical profile has not been fully determined. In this study, we have developed a rapid and sensitive UPLC-ESI-Q-Exactive Focus-MS/MS method to characterize the chemical constituents of MDL in the positive and negative ionization modes. A comparison of the chromatographic and spectrometric data obtained using this method with data from databases, the literature and reference standards allowed us to identify or tentatively characterize 109 compounds, including 26 fatty acids, 26 organic acids, 33 flavonoids, six tannins, 10 triterpenoids, two steroids and six other compounds. Notably, 55 of the compounds characterized in this study have never been detected before in this plant. The information obtained in this study therefore enriches our understanding of the chemical composition of MDL and could be used in quality control, pharmacological research and the development of drugs based on MDL. In addition, this study represents the first reported comprehensive analysis of the chemical constituents of MDL.

  18. Origin Discrimination of Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii Flowers using GC-MS and UPLC-PDA Combined with Multivariable Analysis Methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Fei; Zhao, Yajing; Peng, Jiyu; Jiang, Yirong; Li, Maiquan; Jiang, Yuan; Lu, Baiyi

    2017-07-01

    Osmanthus fragrans flowers are used as folk medicine and additives for teas, beverages and foods. The metabolites of O. fragrans flowers from different geographical origins were inconsistent in some extent. Chromatography and mass spectrometry combined with multivariable analysis methods provides an approach for discriminating the origin of O. fragrans flowers. To discriminate the Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii flowers from different origins with the identified metabolites. GC-MS and UPLC-PDA were conducted to analyse the metabolites in O. fragrans var. thunbergii flowers (in total 150 samples). Principal component analysis (PCA), soft independent modelling of class analogy analysis (SIMCA) and random forest (RF) analysis were applied to group the GC-MS and UPLC-PDA data. GC-MS identified 32 compounds common to all samples while UPLC-PDA/QTOF-MS identified 16 common compounds. PCA of the UPLC-PDA data generated a better clustering than PCA of the GC-MS data. Ten metabolites (six from GC-MS and four from UPLC-PDA) were selected as effective compounds for discrimination by PCA loadings. SIMCA and RF analysis were used to build classification models, and the RF model, based on the four effective compounds (caffeic acid derivative, acteoside, ligustroside and compound 15), yielded better results with the classification rate of 100% in the calibration set and 97.8% in the prediction set. GC-MS and UPLC-PDA combined with multivariable analysis methods can discriminate the origin of Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii flowers. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. Sewage-based epidemiology in monitoring the use of new psychoactive substances: Validation and application of an analytical method using LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinyua, Juliet; Covaci, Adrian; Maho, Walid; McCall, Ann-Kathrin; Neels, Hugo; van Nuijs, Alexander L N

    2015-09-01

    Sewage-based epidemiology (SBE) employs the analysis of sewage to detect and quantify drug use within a community. While SBE has been applied repeatedly for the estimation of classical illicit drugs, only few studies investigated new psychoactive substances (NPS). These compounds mimic effects of illicit drugs by introducing slight modifications to chemical structures of controlled illicit drugs. We describe the optimization, validation, and application of an analytical method using liquid chromatography coupled to positive electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) for the determination of seven NPS in sewage: methoxetamine (MXE), butylone, ethylone, methylone, methiopropamine (MPA), 4-methoxymethamphetamine (PMMA), and 4-methoxyamphetamine (PMA). Sample preparation was performed using solid-phase extraction (SPE) with Oasis MCX cartridges. The LC separation was done with a HILIC (150 x 3 mm, 5 µm) column which ensured good resolution of the analytes with a total run time of 19 min. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was between 0.5 and 5 ng/L for all compounds. The method was validated by evaluating the following parameters: sensitivity, selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, recoveries and matrix effects. The method was applied on sewage samples collected from sewage treatment plants in Belgium and Switzerland in which all investigated compounds were detected, except MPA and PMA. Furthermore, a consistent presence of MXE has been observed in most of the sewage samples at levels higher than LLOQ. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. An MS-DOS-based program for analyzing plutonium gamma-ray spectra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruhter, W.D.; Buckley, W.M.

    1989-01-01

    A plutonium gamma-ray analysis system that operates on MS-DOS-based computers has been developed for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to perform in-field analysis of plutonium gamma-ray spectra for plutonium isotopics. The program titled IAEAPU consists of three separate applications: (1) a data-transfer application for transferring spectral data from a CICERO multichannel analyzer to a binary data file, (2) a data-analysis application to analyze plutonium gamma-ray spectra for plutonium isotopic ratios and weight percents of total plutonium, (3) and a data-quality assurance application to check spectral data for proper data-acquisition setup and performance. Volume 2 describes the operations of these applications and the installation and maintenance of the software

  1. Isotope ratio monitoring LC/MS (IRM-LC/MS): new applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juchelka, D; Hilkert, A.; Krummen, M.

    2005-01-01

    With the introduction of compound specific isotope analysis by isotope ratio monitoring GC/ MS (IRM-GC/MS) the immediate demand for similar applications using HPLC was created. Many compounds of biological, medical, pharmaceutical and environmental interest are not volatile or too polar. Consequently, they cannot be directly analyzed by gas chromatography. In IRM-GC/MS the carrier is helium, which does not interfere with the essential combust ion step prior to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). In opposite the LC mobile phase has inhibited a similar direct conversion up to now. All earlier IRM-LC/MS approaches were based on the removal of the liquid phase prior to combustion risking fractionation of the isotope ratios of the eluted compounds. To avoid such restrictions we developed a new continuous flow concept for the coupling of an HPLC system to the isotope ratio MS for 13 C/ 12C isotope ratio analysis. In the Finnigan LC IsoLink, the liquid phase is not removed from the sample prior to oxidation. The sample is oxidized still in the mobile phase followed by on-line separation of the CO 2 from the liquid phase and transfer into the isotope ratio MS. Therefore, this strategy is based on water and inorganic buffers as mobile phase. The new approach opens up a whole new world in the application of gas isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The 13 C/ 12 C ratio s of organic acids, amino acids, carbohydrates and nucleotides can now be measured. These components typically within a complex matrix are separated by liquid chromatography followed by on-line determination of the isotope ratios. The draw backs of using derivatization and off-line preparation procedures can now be over come. This new technique allow s studying biochemical cycles, running tracer experiments and determining the origin of components. Applications from different scientific areas such as biogeochemistry, molecular biology, and pharmacy as well as authenticity control o f foods will be presented

  2. Analysis of skin derived peptides from the Cuyaba Dwarf Frog Physalaemus nattereri by off-line LC MALDI MS/MS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Castro, Mariana S; Pires Júnior, Osmindo Rodrigues; Fontes, Wagner

    2017-01-01

    We have investigated the potential for analysis of the complex peptide mixtures secreted from frog skin using off-line LC-MALDI MS/MS. Since only limited information about the sequence of such peptides is available, de novo sequencing followed by Blast search was needed. An automated workflow has...... for future studies of peptides secreted from frogs....

  3. Multidimensional protein fractionation of blood proteins coupled to data-independent nanoLC-MS/MS analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levin, Yishai; Jaros, Julian A J; Schwarz, Emanuel; Bahn, Sabine

    2010-01-03

    In order to exploit human blood as a source of protein disease biomarkers, robust analytical methods are needed to overcome the inherent molecular complexity of this bio-fluid. We present the coupling of label-free SAX chromatography and IMAC to a data-independent nanoLC-MS/MS (nanoLC-MS(E)) platform for analysis of blood plasma and serum proteins. The methods were evaluated using protein standards added at different concentrations to two groups of samples. The results demonstrate that both techniques enable accurate protein quantitation using low sample volumes and a minimal number of fractions. Combining both methods, 883 unique proteins were identified, of which 423 proteins showed high reproducibility. The two approaches resulted in identification of unique molecular signatures with an overlap of approximately 30%, thus providing complimentary information on sub-proteomes. These methods are potentially useful for systems biology, biomarker discovery, and investigation of phosphoproteins in blood. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Laser ablation ICP-MS for quantitative biomedical applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konz, Ioana; Fernandez, Beatriz; Fernandez, M.L.; Pereiro, Rosario; Sanz-Medel, Alfredo

    2012-01-01

    LA-ICP-MS allows precise, relatively fast, and spatially resolved measurements of elements and isotope ratios at trace and ultratrace concentration levels with minimal sample preparation. Over the past few years this technique has undergone rapid development, and it has been increasingly applied in many different fields, including biological and medical research. The analysis of essential, toxic, and therapeutic metals, metalloids, and nonmetals in biomedical tissues is a key task in the life sciences today, and LA-ICP-MS has proven to be an excellent complement to the organic MS techniques that are much more commonly employed in the biomedical field. In order to provide an appraisal of the fast progress that is occurring in this field, this review critically describes new developments for LA-ICP-MS as well as the most important applications of LA-ICP-MS, with particular emphasis placed on the quantitative imaging of elements in biological tissues, the analysis of heteroatom-tagged proteins after their separation and purification by gel electrophoresis, and the analysis of proteins that do not naturally have ICP-MS-detectable elements in their structures, thus necessitating the use of labelling strategies. (orig.)

  5. LC-MS/MS analysis of permethylated free oligosaccharides and N-glycans derived from human, bovine, and goat milk samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Xue; Zhou, Shiyue; Mechref, Yehia

    2016-06-01

    Oligosaccharides in milk not only provide nutrition to the infants but also have significant immune biofunctions such as inhibition of pathogen binding to the host cell. The main component in milk oligosaccharides is free oligosaccharides. Since the proteins in milk are highly glycosylated, N-glycans in milk also play an import role. In this study, we investigated the permethylated free oligosaccharides and N-glycans extracted from bovine, goat, and human milks using LC-MS/MS. Quantitation profiles of free oligosaccharides and N-glycans were reported. The number of free oligosaccharides observed in bovine, goat, and human milk samples (without isomeric consideration) were 11, 8, and 11, respectively. Human milk had more complex free oligosaccharides structures than the other two milk samples. Totally 58, 21, and 43 N-glycan structures (without isomeric consideration) were associated with whey proteins extracted from bovine, goat, and human milk samples, respectively. Bovine milk free oligosaccharides and N-glycans from whey proteins were highly sialylated and to a lesser extend fucosylated. Goat and human milk free oligosaccharides and N-glycans from whey proteins were both highly fucosylated. Also, the isomeric glycans in milk samples were determined by porous graphitic carbon LC at elevated temperatures. For example, separation of human milk free oligosaccharide Gal-GlcNAc-(Fuc)-Gal-Glc and Gal-GlcNAc-Gal-Glc-Fuc isomers was achieved using porous graphitic carbon column. Permethylation of the glycan structures facilitated the interpretation of MS/MS. For example, internal cleavage and glycosidic bond cleavage are readily distinguished in the tandem mass spectra of permethylated glycans. This feature resulted in the identification of several isomers. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Multielemental speciation analysis by advanced hyphenated technique - HPLC/ICP-MS: A review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcinkowska, Monika; Barałkiewicz, Danuta

    2016-12-01

    Speciation analysis has become an invaluable tool in human health risk assessment, environmental monitoring or food quality control. Another step is to develop reliable multielemental speciation methodologies, to reduce costs, waste and time needed for the analysis. Separation and detection of species of several elements in a single analytical run can be accomplished by high performance liquid chromatography hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC/ICP-MS). Our review assembles articles concerning multielemental speciation determination of: As, Se, Cr, Sb, I, Br, Pb, Hg, V, Mo, Te, Tl, Cd and W in environmental, biological, food and clinical samples analyzed with HPLC/ICP-MS. It addresses the procedures in terms of following issues: sample collection and pretreatment, selection of optimal conditions for elements species separation by HPLC and determination using ICP-MS as well as metrological approach. The presented work is the first review article concerning multielemental speciation analysis by advanced hyphenated technique HPLC/ICP-MS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Ion Mobility Separations of Isomers based upon Long Path Length Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations Combined with Mass Spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deng, Liulin [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA; Ibrahim, Yehia M. [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA; Baker, Erin S. [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA; Aly, Noor A. [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA; Hamid, Ahmed M. [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA; Zhang, Xing [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA; Zheng, Xueyun [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA; Garimella, Sandilya V. B. [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA; Webb, Ian K. [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA; Prost, Spencer A. [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA; Sandoval, Jeremy A. [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA; Norheim, Randolph V. [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA; Anderson, Gordon A. [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA; Tolmachev, Aleksey V. [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA; Smith, Richard D. [Biological Sciences Division and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd Richland, WA 99352 USA

    2016-07-01

    Mass spectrometry (MS)-based multi-omic measurements, including proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, and glycomics, are increasingly transforming our ability to characterize and understand biological systems, but, presently have limitations due to the chemical diversity and range of abundances of biomolecules in complex samples. Advances addressing these challenges increasingly are based upon the ability to quickly separate, react and otherwise manipulate sample components for analysis by MS. Here we report on a new approach using Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) to enable long serpentine path ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) separations followed by MS analyses. This approach provides previously unachieved mobility biomolecule isomer separations for biomolecular species, in conjunction with more effective ion utilization, and producing a basis for the improved characterization of very small samples.

  8. Neutral Loss Scan - Based Strategy for Integrated Identification of Amorfrutin Derivatives, New Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Agonists, from Amorpha Fruticosa by UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS and UPLC-Q-TOF-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chu; Xue, Ying; Li, Qing-Miao; Wu, Yan; Liang, Jian; Qing, Lin-Sen

    2018-04-01

    Amorfrutins with a 2-hydroxybenzoic acid core structure are promising natural PPARγ agonists with potent antidiabetic activity. Owing to the complex matrix and low concentration in botanical material, the identification of unknown amorfrutins remains a challenge. In the present study, a combined application of UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and UPLC-QqQ-MS was developed to discover unknown amorfrutins from fruits of Amorpha fruticosa. First, reference compounds of amorfrutin A (AA), amorfrutin B (AB), and 2-carboxy-3,5-dihydroxy-4-geranylbibenzyl (AC) were analyzed using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS to reveal the characteristic fragment ions and the possible neutral loss. Second, the extract of A. fruticosa was separated and screened by UPLC-QqQ-MS using neutral loss scan to find out suspect compounds associated with the specified neutral fragment Δm/z 44. Third, the extract was re-analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS to obtain the exact mass of quasi-molecular ion and fragment ions of each suspect compound, and to subsequently calculate their corresponding molecular formulas. Finally, according to the molecular formula of suspect compound and its fragment ions and comparing with literature data, structure elucidation of four unidentified amorfrutins was achieved. The results indicated that the combination of QqQ-MS neutral loss scan and Q-TOF-MS molecular formula calculation was proven to be a powerful tool for unknown natural product identification, and this strategy provides an effective solution to discover natural products or metabolites of trace content. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

  9. Multifamily determination of pesticide residues in soya-based nutraceutical products by GC/MS-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Páleníková, Agneša; Martínez-Domínguez, Gerardo; Arrebola, Francisco Javier; Romero-González, Roberto; Hrouzková, Svetlana; Frenich, Antonia Garrido

    2015-04-15

    An analytical method based on a modified QuEChERS extraction coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was evaluated for the determination of 177 pesticides in soya-based nutraceutical products. The QuEChERS method was optimised and different extraction solvents and clean-up approaches were tested, obtaining the most efficient conditions with a mixture of sorbents (PSA, C18, GBC and Zr-Sep(+)). Recoveries were evaluated at 10, 50 and 100 μg/kg and ranged between 70% and 120%. Precision was expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD), and it was evaluated for more than 160 pesticides as intra and inter-day precision, with values always below 20% and 25%, respectively. Limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.1 to 10 μg/kg, whereas limits of quantification (LOQs) from 0.5 to 20 μg/kg. The applicability of the method was proved by analysing soya-based nutraceuticals. Two pesticides were found in these samples, malathion and pyriproxyfen, at 11.1 and 1.5 μg/kg respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. MALDI-MS drug analysis in biological samples: opportunities and challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steuer, Andrea E; Poetzsch, Michael; Kraemer, Thomas

    2016-09-01

    Drug analysis represents a large field in different disciplines. Plasma is commonly considered to be the biosample of choice for that purpose. However, concentrations often do not represent the levels present within deeper compartments and therefore cannot sufficiently explain efficacy or toxicology of drugs. MALDI-MS in drug analysis is of great interest for high-throughput quantification and particularly spatially resolved tissue imaging. The current perspective article will deal with challenges and opportunities of MALDI-MS drug analysis in different biological samples. A particular focus will be on hair samples. Recent applications were included, reviewed for their instrumental setup and sample preparation and pros and cons as well as future perspectives are critically discussed.

  11. Comparison of HPLC-RI, LC/MS-MS and enzymatic assays for the analysis of residual lactose in lactose-free milk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trani, A; Gambacorta, G; Loizzo, P; Cassone, A; Fasciano, C; Zambrini, A V; Faccia, M

    2017-10-15

    Lactose intolerance is the decreased ability to digest lactose, and the population involved is rapidly increasing all over the world. Different procedures have been reported in the literature to quantify lactose in dairy products, but the official method of analysis is based on enzymatic assay. In this paper, the effectiveness of two enzymatic kits in detecting residual lactose in lactose-free milk was investigated, and a comparison with two alternative chromatographic methods was done. The investigation used several samples of UHT milk containing different levels of lactose, and the results highlighted the inadequacy of the enzymatic assays and of the HPLC-RI method to analyse lactose-free milk. An LC-MS/MS method using the formate adduct was developed, and it allowed quantitation of lactose and lactulose in all samples at a high level of precision and repeatability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. The Assessment of Structural Changes in MS Plaques and Normal Appearing White Matter Using Quantitative Magnetization Transfer Imaging (MTI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masoomeh Fooladi

    2007-12-01

    breakdown in the macromolecular structure of MS lesions. There was also a significant difference in MTR histogram parameters between the patients and control groups, accompanied by a total shift of NAWM-MTR histogram to the left. Discussion and Conclusion: Based on theobtained result itcan be stated that MS has a diffused nature and the white matter abnormalities occurring outside T2-visible lesions affect the whole brain tissue. Quantitative magnetization transfer imaging can be used as a reliable method to assess both the overall disease burden and the intrinsic nature of the individual lesions in MS patients

  13. Reliability analysis of offshore structures using OMA based fatigue stresses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Silva Nabuco, Bruna; Aissani, Amina; Glindtvad Tarpø, Marius

    2017-01-01

    focus is on the uncertainty observed on the different stresses used to predict the damage. This uncertainty can be reduced by Modal Based Fatigue Monitoring which is a technique based on continuously measuring of the accelerations in few points of the structure with the use of accelerometers known...... points of the structure, the stress history can be calculated in any arbitrary point of the structure. The accuracy of the estimated actual stress is analyzed by experimental tests on a scale model where the obtained stresses are compared to strain gauges measurements. After evaluating the fatigue...... stresses directly from the operational response of the structure, a reliability analysis is performed in order to estimate the reliability of using Modal Based Fatigue Monitoring for long term fatigue studies....

  14. Structural reliability analysis based on the cokriging technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Wei; Wang Wei; Dai Hongzhe; Xue Guofeng

    2010-01-01

    Approximation methods are widely used in structural reliability analysis because they are simple to create and provide explicit functional relationships between the responses and variables in stead of the implicit limit state function. Recently, the kriging method which is a semi-parameter interpolation technique that can be used for deterministic optimization and structural reliability has gained popularity. However, to fully exploit the kriging method, especially in high-dimensional problems, a large number of sample points should be generated to fill the design space and this can be very expensive and even impractical in practical engineering analysis. Therefore, in this paper, a new method-the cokriging method, which is an extension of kriging, is proposed to calculate the structural reliability. cokriging approximation incorporates secondary information such as the values of the gradients of the function being approximated. This paper explores the use of the cokriging method for structural reliability problems by comparing it with the Kriging method based on some numerical examples. The results indicate that the cokriging procedure described in this work can generate approximation models to improve on the accuracy and efficiency for structural reliability problems and is a viable alternative to the kriging.

  15. An in silico MS/MS library for automatic annotation of novel FAHFA lipids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yan; Kind, Tobias; Vaniya, Arpana; Gennity, Ingrid; Fahrmann, Johannes F; Fiehn, Oliver

    2015-01-01

    A new lipid class named 'fatty acid esters of hydroxyl fatty acids' (FAHFA) was recently discovered in mammalian adipose tissue and in blood plasma and some FAHFAs were found to be associated with type 2 diabetes. To facilitate the automatic annotation of FAHFAs in biological specimens, a tandem mass spectra (MS/MS) library is needed. Due to the limitation of the commercial available standard compounds, we proposed building an in silico MS/MS library to extend the coverage of molecules. We developed a computer-generated library with 3267 tandem mass spectra (MS/MS) for 1089 FAHFA species. FAHFA spectra were generated based on authentic standards with negative mode electrospray ionization and 10, 20, and 40 V collision induced dissociation at 4 spectra/s as used in in ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-QTOF mass spectrometry studies. However, positional information of the hydroxyl group is only obtained either at lower QTOF spectra acquisition rates of 1 spectrum/s or at the MS(3) level in ion trap instruments. Therefore, an additional set of 4290 fragment-rich MS/MS spectra was created to enable distinguishing positional FAHFA isomers. The library was generated based on ion fragmentations and ion intensities of FAHFA external reference standards, developing a heuristic model for fragmentation rules and extending these rules to large swaths of computer-generated structures of FAHFAs with varying chain lengths, degrees of unsaturation and hydroxyl group positions. Subsequently, we validated the new in silico library by discovering several new FAHFA species in egg yolk, showing that this library enables high-throughput screening of FAHFA lipids in various biological matrices. The developed library and templates are freely available for commercial or noncommercial use at http://fiehnlab.ucdavis.edu/staff/yanma/fahfa-lipid-library. This in silico MS/MS library allows users to annotate FAHFAs from accurate mass tandem mass spectra in an easy and fast manner

  16. Analysis of corrosion-product transport using nondestructive XRF and MS techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sawicka, B.D.; Sawicki, J.A.

    1998-01-01

    This paper describes the application of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Moessbauer spectroscopy (MS) techniques to monitor corrosion-product transport (CPT) in water circuits of nuclear reactors. The combination of XRF and MS techniques was applied in studies of CPT crud filters from both primary- and secondary-side water circuits (i.e., radioactive and nonradioactive specimens) of CANDU reactors. The XRF-MS method allows nondestructive analysis of species collected on filters and provides more complete information about corrosion products than commonly used digestive methods of chemical analysis. Recent analyses of CPT specimens from the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station (NGS) primary side and the Bruce B NGS feedwater system are shown as examples. Some characteristics of primary and secondary water circuits are discussed using these new data. (author)

  17. Top-down approach for the direct characterization of low molecular weight heparins using LC-FT-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Lingyun; Zhang, Fuming; Zaia, Joseph; Linhardt, Robert J

    2012-10-16

    Low molecular heparins (LMWHs) are structurally complex, heterogeneous, polydisperse, and highly negatively charged mixtures of polysaccharides. The direct characterization of LMWH is a major challenge for currently available analytical technologies. Electrospray ionization (ESI) liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is a powerful tool for the characterization complex biological samples in the fields of proteomics, metabolomics, and glycomics. LC-MS has been applied to the analysis of heparin oligosaccharides, separated by size exclusion, reversed phase ion-pairing chromatography, and chip-based amide hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC). However, there have been limited applications of ESI-LC-MS for the direct characterization of intact LMWHs (top-down analysis) due to their structural complexity, low ionization efficiency, and sulfate loss. Here we present a simple and reliable HILIC-Fourier transform (FT)-ESI-MS platform to characterize and compare two currently marketed LMWH products using the top-down approach requiring no special sample preparation steps. This HILIC system relies on cross-linked diol rather than amide chemistry, affording highly resolved chromatographic separations using a relatively high percentage of acetonitrile in the mobile phase, resulting in stable and high efficiency ionization. Bioinformatics software (GlycReSoft 1.0) was used to automatically assign structures within 5-ppm mass accuracy.

  18. Analysis of catecholamines in urine by unique LC/MS suitable ion-pairing chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergmann, Marianne L; Sadjadi, Seyed; Schmedes, Anne

    2017-07-01

    The catecholamines, epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) are small polar, hydrophilic molecules, posing significant challenges to liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method development. Specifically, these compounds show little retention on conventional reversed-phase liquid chromatography columns. This work presents development and validation of an LC-MS/MS method for determining catecholamines in urine, based on a new approach to ion-pairing chromatography (IPC), in which the ion-pairing reagent (IPR), 1-Heptane Sulfonic Acid (HSA), is added to the extracted samples instead of the mobile phases. A Hamilton STARlet workstation carried out the solid phase extraction of urine samples. The extracted samples were diluted with 60mmol/L HSA and injected on a Kinetex core-shell biphenyl column with conventional LC-MS/MS suitable mobile phases. Chromatographic separation of E and NE was achieved successfully with very stable retention times (RT). In 484 injections, the RTs were steady with a CV of less than ±4%. Furthermore, HSA was separated from E and NE, allowing HSA to be diverted to waste instead of entering the mass spectrometer ion chamber. The method was validated with good analytical performance, and even though the analysis for urinary catecholamines is increasingly being replaced by plasma free metanephrines in diagnosing pheochromocytomas, this work represents the application of a new analytical technique that can be transferred to other small polar molecules, that are difficult to chromatograph on traditional reversed phase columns. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Methods in endogenous steroid profiling - A comparison of gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with supercritical fluid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (SFC-MS/MS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teubel, Juliane; Wüst, Bernhard; Schipke, Carola G; Peters, Oliver; Parr, Maria Kristina

    2018-06-15

    In various fields of endocrinology, the determination of steroid hormones synthesised by the human body plays an important role. Research on central neurosteroids has been intensified within the last years, as they are discussed as biomarkers for various cognitive disorders. Their concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are considered to be regulated independently from peripheral fluids. For that reason, the challenging matrix CSF becomes a very interesting specimen for analysis. Concentrations are expected to be very low and available amount of CSF is limited. Thus, a comprehensive method for very sensitive quantification of a set of analytes as large as possible in one analytical aliquot is desired. However, high structural similarities of the selected panel of 51 steroids and steroid sulfates, including numerous isomers, challenges achievement of chromatographic selectivity. Since decades the analysis of endogenous steroids in various body fluids is mainly performed by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to (tandem) mass spectrometry (MS(/MS)). Due to the structure of the steroids of interest, derivatisation is performed to meet the analytical requirements for GC-MS(/MS). Most of the laboratories use a two-step derivatisation in multi-analyte assays that was already published in the 1980s. However, for some steroids this elaborate procedure yields multiple isomeric derivatives. Thus, some laboratories utilize (ultra) high performance liquid chromatography ((U)HPLC)-MS/MS as alternative but, even UHPLC is not able to separate some of the isomeric pairs. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) as an orthogonal separation technique to GC and (U)HPLC may help to overcome these issues. Within this project the two most promising methods for endogenous steroid profiling were investigated and compared: the "gold standard" GC-MS and the orthogonal separation technique SFC-MS/MS. Different derivatisation procedures for gas chromatographic detection were explored and the

  20. Urinary Amino Acid Analysis: A Comparison of iTRAQ®-LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, and Amino Acid Analyzer

    OpenAIRE

    Kaspar, Hannelore; Dettmer, Katja; Chan, Queenie; Daniels, Scott; Nimkar, Subodh; Daviglus, Martha L.; Stamler, Jeremiah; Elliott, Paul; Oefner, Peter J.

    2009-01-01

    Urinary amino acid analysis is typically done by cation-exchange chromatography followed by post-column derivatization with ninhydrin and UV detection. This method lacks throughput and specificity. Two recently introduced stable isotope ratio mass spectrometric methods promise to overcome those shortcomings. Using two blinded sets of urine replicates and a certified amino acid standard, we compared the precision and accuracy of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatog...

  1. Analysis of isoquinoline alkaloids from Mahonia leschenaultia and Mahonia napaulensis roots using UHPLC-Orbitrap-MSn and UHPLC-QqQLIT-MS/MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Awantika Singh

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Mahonia leschenaultia (ML and Mahonia napaulensis (MN are less known and unexplored medicinal plants of the family Berberidaceae. They are used by the Todas of Nilgiris in their religious and medical practices but chemically less identified. Hence, we decided to do extensive phytochemical analysis to explore the potential of these plant extracts. An ultrahigh performance electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS method was successfully developed for qualitative analysis of the bioactive components in Mahonia species using Orbitrap Velos Pro mass spectrometer. Sixteen compounds were identified by comparison of their retention times and mass spectra (MS with authentic standards and reported literature. Multi-stage mass spectra (MS2–8 for the identification of protoberberine and aporphine alkaloids showed the sequential expulsion of all the substituents attached with their basic skeleton followed by CO loss. Eight of the identified compounds (berberine, jatrorrhizine, palmatine, magnoflorine, isocorydine, glaucine, tetrahydropalmatine and tetrahydroberberine were simultaneously determined by another UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS method under the multiple reactions monitoring (MRM mode quantitatively using triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer. The analytical method was validated for 8 bioactive compounds with overall recovery in the range 98.5%–103.6% (RSD≤2.2%, precise (RSD≤2.07% and linear (r≥0.9995 over the concentration range of 0.5–1000 ng/mL and successfully applied in ML and MN roots, which suggests the suitability of the proposed approach for the routine analysis of Mahonia species and their quality control.

  2. Determination and Identification of a Specific Marker Compound for Discriminating Shrub Chaste Tree Fruit from Agnus Castus Fruit Based on LC/MS Metabolic Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yahagi, Tadahiro; Masada, Sayaka; Oshima, Naohiro; Suzuki, Ryuta; Matsufuji, Hiroshi; Takahashi, Yutaka; Watanabe, Masato; Yahara, Shoji; Iida, Osamu; Kawahara, Nobuo; Maruyama, Takuro; Goda, Yukihiro; Hakamatsuka, Takashi

    2016-01-01

    Shrub Chaste Tree Fruit (SCTF) is defined as the fruits of Vitex rotundifolia L. f. and V. trifolia L. and has been used as a component of some traditional Japanese medicines (Kampo formulations). Agnus Castus Fruit (ACF) is defined as the dried ripe fruits of V. agnus-castus L.; it is used in traditional European medicines, but is becoming popular in Japan as both an over-the-counter drug and as an ingredient in health foods for treating premenstrual syndrome (PMS). To ensure the efficacy and safety of both SCTF and ACF products, it is important to precisely authenticate their botanical origins and to clearly distinguish between SCTF and ACF. Therefore, we tried to identify SCTF-specific marker compounds based on LC/MS metabolic analysis. The multivariate analysis of LC/MS data from SCTF and ACF samples furnished candidate marker compounds of SCTF. An SCTF-specific marker was isolated from SCTF crude drugs and identified as 3-O-trans-feruloyl tormentic acid on the basis of spectroscopic data from NMR and MS. Since avoiding contamination from closely related species is a significant requirement for pharmaceuticals of natural origin, this information will be valuable for the quality control of both SCTF and ACF products from the viewpoint of regulatory science.

  3. Solid phase microextraction headspace sampling of chemical warfare agent contaminated samples : method development for GC-MS analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jackson Lepage, C.R.; Hancock, J.R. [Defence Research and Development Canada, Medicine Hat, AB (Canada); Wyatt, H.D.M. [Regina Univ., SK (Canada)

    2004-07-01

    Defence R and D Canada-Suffield (DRDC-Suffield) is responsible for analyzing samples that are suspected to contain chemical warfare agents, either collected by the Canadian Forces or by first-responders in the event of a terrorist attack in Canada. The analytical techniques used to identify the composition of the samples include gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. GC-MS and LC-MS generally require solvent extraction and reconcentration, thereby increasing sample handling. The authors examined analytical techniques which reduce or eliminate sample manipulation. In particular, this paper presented a screening method based on solid phase microextraction (SPME) headspace sampling and GC-MS analysis for chemical warfare agents such as mustard, sarin, soman, and cyclohexyl methylphosphonofluoridate in contaminated soil samples. SPME is a method which uses small adsorbent polymer coated silica fibers that trap vaporous or liquid analytes for GC or LC analysis. Collection efficiency can be increased by adjusting sampling time and temperature. This method was tested on two real-world samples, one from excavated chemical munitions and the second from a caustic decontamination mixture. 7 refs., 2 tabs., 3 figs.

  4. Multi-mycotoxin analysis of animal feed and animal-derived food using LC-MS/MS system with timed and highly selective reaction monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Zhiyong; Liu, Na; Yang, Lingchen; Deng, Yifeng; Wang, Jianhua; Song, Suquan; Lin, Shanhai; Wu, Aibo; Zhou, Zhenlei; Hou, Jiafa

    2015-09-01

    Mycotoxins have the potential to enter the human food chain through carry-over of contaminants from feed into animal-derived products. The objective of the study was to develop a reliable and sensitive method for the analysis of 30 mycotoxins in animal feed and animal-derived food (meat, edible animal tissues, and milk) using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In the study, three extraction procedures, as well as various cleanup procedures, were evaluated to select the most suitable sample preparation procedure for different sample matrices. In addition, timed and highly selective reaction monitoring on LC-MS/MS was used to filter out isobaric matrix interferences. The performance characteristics (linearity, sensitivity, recovery, precision, and specificity) of the method were determined according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and 401/2006/EC. The established method was successfully applied to screening of mycotoxins in animal feed and animal-derived food. The results indicated that mycotoxin contamination in feed directly influenced the presence of mycotoxin in animal-derived food. Graphical abstract Multi-mycotoxin analysis of animal feed and animal-derived food using LC-MS/MS.

  5. Differentiation of wines according to grape variety and geographical origin based on volatiles profiling using SPME-MS and SPME-GC/MS methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziółkowska, Angelika; Wąsowicz, Erwin; Jeleń, Henryk H

    2016-12-15

    Among methods to detect wine adulteration, profiling volatiles is one with a great potential regarding robustness, analysis time and abundance of information for subsequent data treatment. Volatile fraction fingerprinting by solid-phase microextraction with direct analysis by mass spectrometry without compounds separation (SPME-MS) was used for differentiation of white as well as red wines. The aim was to differentiate between varieties used for wine production and to also differentiate wines by country of origin. The results obtained were compared to SPME-GC/MS analysis in which compounds were resolved by gas chromatography. For both approaches the same type of statistical procedure was used to compare samples: principal component analysis (PCA) followed by linear discriminant analysis (LDA). White wines (38) and red wines (41) representing different grape varieties and various regions of origin were analysed. SPME-MS proved to be advantageous in use due to better discrimination and higher sample throughput. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Whole-Cell MALDI-TOF MS Versus 16S rRNA Gene Analysis for Identification and Dereplication of Recurrent Bacterial Isolates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michal Strejcek

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Many ecological experiments are based on the extraction and downstream analyses of microorganisms from different environmental samples. Due to its high throughput, cost-effectiveness and rapid performance, Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry with Time-of-Flight detector (MALDI-TOF MS, which has been proposed as a promising tool for bacterial identification and classification, could be advantageously used for dereplication of recurrent bacterial isolates. In this study, we compared whole-cell MALDI-TOF MS-based analyses of 49 bacterial cultures to two well-established bacterial identification and classification methods based on nearly complete 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses: a phylotype-based approach, using a closest type strain assignment, and a sequence similarity-based approach involving a 98.65% sequence similarity threshold, which has been found to best delineate bacterial species. Culture classification using reference-based MALDI-TOF MS was comparable to that yielded by phylotype assignment up to the genus level. At the species level, agreement between 16S rRNA gene analysis and MALDI-TOF MS was found to be limited, potentially indicating that spectral reference databases need to be improved. We also evaluated the mass spectral similarity technique for species-level delineation which can be used independently of reference databases. We established optimal mass spectral similarity thresholds which group MALDI-TOF mass spectra of common environmental isolates analogically to phylotype- and sequence similarity-based approaches. When using a mass spectrum similarity approach, we recommend a mass range of 4–10 kDa for analysis, which is populated with stable mass signals and contains the majority of phylotype-determining peaks. We show that a cosine similarity (CS threshold of 0.79 differentiate mass spectra analogously to 98.65% species-level delineation sequence similarity threshold, with corresponding precision

  7. LC-MS/MS analysis of neonicotinoid insecticides: Residue findings in chilean honeys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel Bridi

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Neonicotinoids are a relatively new generation of insecticides that have been used for control of pests such as aphids, leafhoppers and whiteflies. This paper presents for the first time a determination of residues of four neonicotinoid insecticides (acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, thiacloprid and imidacloprid in Chilean honey using QuEChERS extraction and UHPLC-MS/MS analysis. The limits of detection and quantification found for all analytes ranging from 0.34 to 1.43 μg kg-1 and from 0.30 to 4.76 μg kg-1, respectively. The extraction using QuEChERS method provided recoveries over 79% and the precision showed coefficient of variation lower than 20%. These data are in agreement with the international criteria that recommend general recovery limits of 70 - 120%. Of the 16 samples analyzed, in three honey samples neonicotinoids pesticides were detected. These three samples were collected from the same geographical area (Rengo. Fruit and grain production characterize the province of Rengo. The analysis of the botanical origin of these honeys showed the absence of pollen grains of crops and the majority presence of pollen grains of weeds such as Medicago sativa, Galega officinalis and Brassica rapa, which could be associated with crops. Although the residue levels found were low, the results also confirm the actual occurrence of a transfer of neonicotinoid insecticides from exposed honeybees into honey.

  8. Wavelet-based multiscale window transform and energy and vorticity analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Xiang San

    A new methodology, Multiscale Energy and Vorticity Analysis (MS-EVA), is developed to investigate sub-mesoscale, meso-scale, and large-scale dynamical interactions in geophysical fluid flows which are intermittent in space and time. The development begins with the construction of a wavelet-based functional analysis tool, the multiscale window transform (MWT), which is local, orthonormal, self-similar, and windowed on scale. The MWT is first built over the real line then modified onto a finite domain. Properties are explored, the most important one being the property of marginalization which brings together a quadratic quantity in physical space with its phase space representation. Based on MWT the MS-EVA is developed. Energy and enstrophy equations for the large-, meso-, and sub-meso-scale windows are derived and their terms interpreted. The processes thus represented are classified into four categories: transport; transfer, conversion, and dissipation/diffusion. The separation of transport from transfer is made possible with the introduction of the concept of perfect transfer. By the property of marginalization, the classical energetic analysis proves to be a particular case of the MS-EVA. The MS-EVA developed is validated with classical instability problems. The validation is carried out through two steps. First, it is established that the barotropic and baroclinic instabilities are indicated by the spatial averages of certain transfer term interaction analyses. Then calculations of these indicators are made with an Eady model and a Kuo model. The results agree precisely with what is expected from their analytical solutions, and the energetics reproduced reveal a consistent and important aspect of the unknown dynamic structures of instability processes. As an application, the MS-EVA is used to investigate the Iceland-Faeroe frontal (IFF) variability. A MS-EVA-ready dataset is first generated, through a forecasting study with the Harvard Ocean Prediction System

  9. Finding of pesticides in fashionable fruit juices by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Kevin; Eide, David; Nickols, Susan M; Cromer, Michele R; Sabaa-Srur, Armando; Smith, Robert E

    2012-10-15

    Products labelled as containing extracts from two mushrooms (cordyceps plus reishi) and the juices from açaí, goji, mangosteen, noni, pomegranate, and sea buckthorn have been analysed for 174 different pesticides, using the validated QuEChERS method for sample preparation and electrospray LC-MS/MS in the positive ion mode for analysis. Pesticides were found in 10 of the 21 samples analysed. Most pesticides found were below the tolerance levels (1-6 μg/g, depending on the pesticide), but some were not. This included boscalid, dimethomorph, iprovalicarb, pyridaben, pyrimethanil, and imazalil, for which there is no tolerance reported or zero tolerance in any fruit. However, genuine açaí that was harvested in the state of Pará and lyophilised in Rio de Janeiro had no detectable pesticides, when analysed by both LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS, which can detect 213 more pesticides and industrial chemicals. Likewise no pesticides were found in one sample each of cordyceps plus reishi, sea buckthorn and noni. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. A Comparison of Supervised Machine Learning Algorithms and Feature Vectors for MS Lesion Segmentation Using Multimodal Structural MRI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweeney, Elizabeth M.; Vogelstein, Joshua T.; Cuzzocreo, Jennifer L.; Calabresi, Peter A.; Reich, Daniel S.; Crainiceanu, Ciprian M.; Shinohara, Russell T.

    2014-01-01

    Machine learning is a popular method for mining and analyzing large collections of medical data. We focus on a particular problem from medical research, supervised multiple sclerosis (MS) lesion segmentation in structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We examine the extent to which the choice of machine learning or classification algorithm and feature extraction function impacts the performance of lesion segmentation methods. As quantitative measures derived from structural MRI are important clinical tools for research into the pathophysiology and natural history of MS, the development of automated lesion segmentation methods is an active research field. Yet, little is known about what drives performance of these methods. We evaluate the performance of automated MS lesion segmentation methods, which consist of a supervised classification algorithm composed with a feature extraction function. These feature extraction functions act on the observed T1-weighted (T1-w), T2-weighted (T2-w) and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI voxel intensities. Each MRI study has a manual lesion segmentation that we use to train and validate the supervised classification algorithms. Our main finding is that the differences in predictive performance are due more to differences in the feature vectors, rather than the machine learning or classification algorithms. Features that incorporate information from neighboring voxels in the brain were found to increase performance substantially. For lesion segmentation, we conclude that it is better to use simple, interpretable, and fast algorithms, such as logistic regression, linear discriminant analysis, and quadratic discriminant analysis, and to develop the features to improve performance. PMID:24781953

  11. Fundamentals of MALDI-ToF-MS analysis applications in bio-diagnosis, tissue engineering and drug delivery

    CERN Document Server

    Hosseini, Samira

    2017-01-01

    This book presents the fundamentals and applications of Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-ToF-MS) technique. It highlights the basic principles, the history of invention as well as the mechanism of ionization and mass determination using this technique. It describes the fundamental principles and methods for MALDI spectra interpretation and determination of exact chemical structures from experimental data. This book guides the reader through the interpretation of MALDI data where complex macromolecular spectra are simplified in order to present the major principles behind data interpretation. In addition, each chapter describes how MALDI-ToF-MS analysis provides necessary understanding of the copolymer systems that have been designed for specialized biomedical applications.

  12. Status of selected ion flow tube MS: accomplishments and challenges in breath analysis and other areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, David; Španěl, Patrik

    2016-06-01

    This article reflects our observations of recent accomplishments made using selected ion flow tube MS (SIFT-MS). Only brief descriptions are given of SIFT-MS as an analytical method and of the recent extensions to the underpinning analytical ion chemistry required to realize more robust analyses. The challenge of breath analysis is given special attention because, when achieved, it renders analysis of other air media relatively straightforward. Brief overviews are given of recent SIFT-MS breath analyses by leading research groups, noting the desirability of detection and quantification of single volatile biomarkers rather than reliance on statistical analyses, if breath analysis is to be accepted into clinical practice. A 'strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats' analysis of SIFT-MS is made, which should help to increase its utility for trace gas analysis.

  13. Improving Student Understanding of Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis via GC/MS Using a Rapid SPME-Based Method for Determination of Trihalomethanes in Drinking Water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Shu Rong; Palmer, Peter T.

    2017-01-01

    This paper describes a method for determination of trihalomethanes (THMs) in drinking water via solid-phase microextraction (SPME) GC/MS as a means to develop and improve student understanding of the use of GC/MS for qualitative and quantitative analysis. In the classroom, students are introduced to SPME, GC/MS instrumentation, and the use of MS…

  14. Analysis of Phenolic and Cyclic Compounds in Plants Using Derivatization Techniques in Combination with GC-MS-Based Metabolite Profiling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jens Rohloff

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Metabolite profiling has been established as a modern technology platform for the description of complex chemical matrices and compound identification in biological samples. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS in particular is a fast and accurate method widely applied in diagnostics, functional genomics and for screening purposes. Following solvent extraction and derivatization, hundreds of metabolites from different chemical groups can be characterized in one analytical run. Besides sugars, acids, and polyols, diverse phenolic and other cyclic metabolites can be efficiently detected by metabolite profiling. The review describes own results from plant research to exemplify the applicability of GC-MS profiling and concurrent detection and identification of phenolics and other cyclic structures.

  15. Matrix effects break the LC behavior rule for analytes in LC-MS/MS analysis of biological samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Nianbai; Yu, Shanggong; Ronis, Martin Jj; Badger, Thomas M

    2015-04-01

    High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) are generally accepted as the preferred techniques for detecting and quantitating analytes of interest in biological matrices on the basis of the rule that one chemical compound yields one LC-peak with reliable retention time (Rt.). However, in the current study, we have found that under the same LC-MS conditions, the Rt. and shape of LC-peaks of bile acids in urine samples from animals fed dissimilar diets differed significantly among each other. To verify this matrix effect, 17 authentic bile acid standards were dissolved in pure methanol or in methanol containing extracts of urine from pigs consuming either breast milk or infant formula and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The matrix components in urine from piglets fed formula significantly reduced the LC-peak Rt. and areas of bile acids. This is the first characterization of this matrix effect on Rt. in the literature. Moreover, the matrix effect resulted in an unexpected LC behavior: one single compound yielded two LC-peaks, which broke the rule of one LC-peak for one compound. The three bile acid standards which exhibited this unconventional LC behavior were chenodeoxycholic acid, deoxycholic acid, and glycocholic acid. One possible explanation for this effect is that some matrix components may have loosely bonded to analytes, which changed the time analytes were retained on a chromatography column and interfered with the ionization of analytes in the MS ion source to alter the peak area. This study indicates that a comprehensive understanding of matrix effects is needed towards improving the use of HPLC and LC-MS/MS techniques for qualitative and quantitative analyses of analytes in pharmacokinetics, proteomics/metabolomics, drug development, and sports drug testing, especially when LC-MS/MS data are analyzed by automation software where identification of an analyte is based on its exact molecular weight and Rt

  16. Automated Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) LC/NMR Applied to the Structural Analysis of Extractable Compounds from a Pharmaceutical Packaging Material of Construction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norwood, Daniel L; Mullis, James O; Davis, Mark; Pennino, Scott; Egert, Thomas; Gonnella, Nina C

    2013-01-01

    The structural analysis (i.e., identification) of organic chemical entities leached into drug product formulations has traditionally been accomplished with techniques involving the combination of chromatography with mass spectrometry. These include gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for volatile and semi-volatile compounds, and various forms of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS or HPLC/MS) for semi-volatile and relatively non-volatile compounds. GC/MS and LC/MS techniques are complementary for structural analysis of leachables and potentially leachable organic compounds produced via laboratory extraction of pharmaceutical container closure/delivery system components and corresponding materials of construction. Both hyphenated analytical techniques possess the separating capability, compound specific detection attributes, and sensitivity required to effectively analyze complex mixtures of trace level organic compounds. However, hyphenated techniques based on mass spectrometry are limited by the inability to determine complete bond connectivity, the inability to distinguish between many types of structural isomers, and the inability to unambiguously determine aromatic substitution patterns. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) does not have these limitations; hence it can serve as a complement to mass spectrometry. However, NMR technology is inherently insensitive and its ability to interface with chromatography has been historically challenging. This article describes the application of NMR coupled with liquid chromatography and automated solid phase extraction (SPE-LC/NMR) to the structural analysis of extractable organic compounds from a pharmaceutical packaging material of construction. The SPE-LC/NMR technology combined with micro-cryoprobe technology afforded the sensitivity and sample mass required for full structure elucidation. Optimization of the SPE-LC/NMR analytical method was achieved using a series of model compounds

  17. LC-MS/MS as an alternative for SDS-PAGE in blue native analysis of protein complexes.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wessels, H.C.T.; Vogel, R.O.; Heuvel, L.P.W.J. van den; Smeitink, J.A.M.; Rodenburg, R.J.T.; Nijtmans, L.G.J.; Farhoud, M.H.

    2009-01-01

    Two-dimensional blue native/SDS-PAGE is widely applied to investigate native protein-protein interactions, particularly those within membrane multi-protein complexes. MS has enabled the application of this approach at the proteome scale, typically by analysis of picked protein spots. Here, we

  18. Identification of alkyl dimethylbenzylammonium surfactants in water samples by solid-phase extraction followed by ion trap LC/MS and LC/MS/MS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrer, I.; Furlong, E.T.

    2001-01-01

    A novel methodology was developed for the determination of alkyl (C12, C14, and C16) dimethylbenzylammonium chloride (benzalkonium chloride or BAC, Chemical Abstract Service number: 8001-54-5) in water samples. This method is based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) using polymeric cartridges, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and tandem mass spectrometry(MS/MS) detection, equipped with an electrospray interface in positive ion mode. Chromatographic separation was achieved for three BAC homologues by using a C18 column and a gradient of acetonitrile/10 millimolar aqueous ammonium formate. Total method recoveries were higher than 71% in different water matrices. The main ions observed by LC/MS were at mass-to-charge ratios (m/z) of 304, 332, and 360, which correspond to the molecular ions of the C12, C14, and C16 alkyl BAC, respectively. The unequivocal structural identification of these compounds in water samples was performed by LC/MS/MS after isolation and subsequent fragmentation of each molecular ion. The main fragmentation observed for the three different homologues corresponded to the loss of the toluyl group in the chemical structure, which leads to the fragment ions at m/z 212, 240, and 268 and a tropylium ion, characteristic of all homologues, at m/z 91. Detection limits for the methodology developed in this work were in the low nanogram-per-liter range. Concentration levels of BAC - ranging from 1.2 to 36.6 micrograms per liter - were found in surface-water samples collected downstream from different wastewater-treatment discharges, thus indicating its input and persistence through the wastewater-treatment process.

  19. A uHPLC-MS mathematical modeling approach to dry powder inhaler single agglomerate analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pennington, Justin; Lena, John; Medendorp, Joseph; Ewing, Gary

    2011-10-01

    Demonstration of content uniformity (CU) is critical toward the successful development of dry powder inhalers (DPIs). Methods for unit dose CU determination for DPI products are well-established within the field of respiratory science. Recent advances in the area include a uHPLC-MS method for high-throughput uniformity analysis, which allows for a greater understanding of blending operations as the industry transitions to a quality-by-design approach to development. Further enhancements to this uHPLC-MS method now enable it to determine CU and sample weight at the single agglomerate level, which is roughly 50× smaller than a unit dose. When coupled with optical microscopy-based agglomerate sizing, the enhanced uHPLC-MS method can also predict the density and porosity of individual agglomerates. Expanding analytical capabilities to the single agglomerate level provides greater insights and confidence in the DPI manufacturing process.

  20. Data Extraction Based on Page Structure Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ren Yichao

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The information we need has some confusing problems such as dispersion and different organizational structure. In addition, because of the existence of unstructured data like natural language and images, extracting local content pages is extremely difficult. In the light of of the problems above, this article will apply a method combined with page structure analysis algorithm and page data extraction algorithm to accomplish the gathering of network data. In this way, the problem that traditional complex extraction model behave poorly when dealing with large-scale data is perfectly solved and the page data extraction efficiency is also boosted to a new level. In the meantime, the article will also make a comparison about pages and content of different types between the methods of DOM structure based on the page and HTML regularities of distribution. After all of those, we may find a more efficient extract method.

  1. IsoMS: automated processing of LC-MS data generated by a chemical isotope labeling metabolomics platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ruokun; Tseng, Chiao-Li; Huan, Tao; Li, Liang

    2014-05-20

    A chemical isotope labeling or isotope coded derivatization (ICD) metabolomics platform uses a chemical derivatization method to introduce a mass tag to all of the metabolites having a common functional group (e.g., amine), followed by LC-MS analysis of the labeled metabolites. To apply this platform to metabolomics studies involving quantitative analysis of different groups of samples, automated data processing is required. Herein, we report a data processing method based on the use of a mass spectral feature unique to the chemical labeling approach, i.e., any differential-isotope-labeled metabolites are detected as peak pairs with a fixed mass difference in a mass spectrum. A software tool, IsoMS, has been developed to process the raw data generated from one or multiple LC-MS runs by peak picking, peak pairing, peak-pair filtering, and peak-pair intensity ratio calculation. The same peak pairs detected from multiple samples are then aligned to produce a CSV file that contains the metabolite information and peak ratios relative to a control (e.g., a pooled sample). This file can be readily exported for further data and statistical analysis, which is illustrated in an example of comparing the metabolomes of human urine samples collected before and after drinking coffee. To demonstrate that this method is reliable for data processing, five (13)C2-/(12)C2-dansyl labeled metabolite standards were analyzed by LC-MS. IsoMS was able to detect these metabolites correctly. In addition, in the analysis of a (13)C2-/(12)C2-dansyl labeled human urine, IsoMS detected 2044 peak pairs, and manual inspection of these peak pairs found 90 false peak pairs, representing a false positive rate of 4.4%. IsoMS for Windows running R is freely available for noncommercial use from www.mycompoundid.org/IsoMS.

  2. Characterization of Stevia leaves by LC-QTOF MS/MS analysis of polar and non-polar extracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molina-Calle, M; Priego-Capote, F; Luque de Castro, M D

    2017-03-15

    Stevia is currently a well-known plant thanks to its sweeting power. Numerous studies that elucidate its composition were exclusively focused on determination of steviol and its glycosides. Untargeted analysis was applied to obtain a profile of main compounds present in extracts from Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) leaves using LC-MS in high resolution mode with a quadrupole-time of flight analyzer. Eighty-nine compounds were tentatively identified and classified into different families: flavonoids; quinic and caffeic acids and derivatives; diterpenoids (including steviol and glycosides); sesquiterpenoids; amino acids and derivatives; fatty amides and derivatives; fatty acids and derivatives; oligosaccharides; glycerolipids; purines; and retinoids. New steviol glycosides were tentatively identified and their possible structures proposed. Other compounds were tentatively identified in Stevia for the first time, such as fatty acid amides. These results reveal the wide range of compounds present in Stevia, which could be responsible for the nutraceutical effects ascribed to their leaves. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Analysis of pharmaceutical impurities using multi-heartcutting 2D LC coupled with UV-charged aerosol MS detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Kelly; Li, Yi; Tsang, Midco; Chetwyn, Nik P

    2013-09-01

    To overcome challenges in HPLC impurity analysis of pharmaceuticals, we developed an automated online multi-heartcutting 2D HPLC system with hyphenated UV-charged aerosol MS detection. The first dimension has a primary column and the second dimension has six orthogonal columns to enhance flexibility and selectivity. The two dimensions were interfaced by a pair of switching valves equipped with six trapping loops that allow multi-heartcutting of peaks of interest in the first dimension and also allow "peak parking." The hyphenated UV-charged aerosol MS detection provides comprehensive detection for compounds with and without UV chromophores, organics, and inorganics. It also provides structural information for impurity identification. A hidden degradation product that co-eluted with the drug main peak was revealed by RP × RP separation and thus enabled the stability-indicating method development. A poorly retained polar component with no UV chromophores was analyzed by RP × hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography separation with charged aerosol detection. Furthermore, using this system, the structures of low-level impurities separated by a method using nonvolatile phosphate buffer were identified and tracked by MS in the second dimension. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Software Tools and Approaches for Compound Identification of LC-MS/MS Data in Metabolomics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivana Blaženović

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The annotation of small molecules remains a major challenge in untargeted mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. We here critically discuss structured elucidation approaches and software that are designed to help during the annotation of unknown compounds. Only by elucidating unknown metabolites first is it possible to biologically interpret complex systems, to map compounds to pathways and to create reliable predictive metabolic models for translational and clinical research. These strategies include the construction and quality of tandem mass spectral databases such as the coalition of MassBank repositories and investigations of MS/MS matching confidence. We present in silico fragmentation tools such as MS-FINDER, CFM-ID, MetFrag, ChemDistiller and CSI:FingerID that can annotate compounds from existing structure databases and that have been used in the CASMI (critical assessment of small molecule identification contests. Furthermore, the use of retention time models from liquid chromatography and the utility of collision cross-section modelling from ion mobility experiments are covered. Workflows and published examples of successfully annotated unknown compounds are included.

  5. Sulphur fertilization influences the sulphur species composition in Allium sativum: sulphomics using HPLC-ICPMS/MS-ESI-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raab, Andrea; Ronzan, Marilena; Feldmann, Joerg

    2017-10-18

    Garlic (A. sativum) contains a large number of small sulphur (S)-containing metabolites, which are important for its taste and smell and vary with A. sativum variety and growth conditions. This study was designed to investigate the influence of different sulphur-fertilization regimes on low molecular weight S-species by attempting the first sulphur mass balance in A. sativum roots and bulbs using HPLC-ICPMS/MS-ESI-MS/MS. Species unspecific quantification of acid soluble S-containing metabolites was achieved using HPLC-ICP-MS/MS. For identification of the compounds, high resolution ESI-MS (Orbitrap LTQ and q-TOF) was used. The plants contained up to 54 separated sulphur-containing compounds, which constitute about 80% of the total sulphur present in A. sativum. The roots and bulbs of A. sativum contained the same compounds, but not necessarily the same amounts and proportions. The S-containing metabolites in the roots reacted more sensitively to manipulations of sulphur fertilization than those compounds in the bulbs. In addition to known compounds (e.g. γ-glutamyl-S-1-propenylcysteine) we were able to identify and partially quantify 31 compounds. Three as yet undescribed S-containing compounds were also identified and quantified for the first time. Putative structures were assigned to the oxidised forms of S-1-propenylmercaptoglutathione, S-2-propenylmercaptoglutathione, S-allyl/propenyl-containing PC-2 and 2-amino-3-[(2-carboxypropyl)sulfanyl]propanoic acid. The parallel use of ICP-MS/MS as a sulphur-specific detector and ESI-MS as a molecular detector simplifies the identification and quantification of sulphur containing metabolites without species specific standards. This non-target analysis approach enables a mass balance approach and identifies the occurrence of the so far unidentified organosulphur compounds. The experiments showed that the sulphur-fertilization regime does not influence sulphur-speciation, but the concentration of some S

  6. Multiplexed LC-MS/MS analysis of horse plasma proteins to study doping in sport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barton, Chris; Beck, Paul; Kay, Richard; Teale, Phil; Roberts, Jane

    2009-06-01

    The development of protein biomarkers for the indirect detection of doping in horse is a potential solution to doping threats such as gene and protein doping. A method for biomarker candidate discovery in horse plasma is presented using targeted analysis of proteotypic peptides from horse proteins. These peptides were first identified in a novel list of the abundant proteins in horse plasma. To monitor these peptides, an LC-MS/MS method using multiple reaction monitoring was developed to study the quantity of 49 proteins in horse plasma in a single run. The method was optimised and validated, and then applied to a population of race-horses to study protein variance within a population. The method was finally applied to longitudinal time courses of horse plasma collected after administration of an anabolic steroid to demonstrate utility for hypothesis-driven discovery of doping biomarker candidates.

  7. Identification, characterization and quantification of new impurities by LC-ESI/MS/MS and LC-UV methods in rivastigmine tartrate active pharmaceutical ingredient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Saji; Shandilya, Sanjeev; Bharati, Amber; Paul, Saroj Kumar; Agarwal, Ashutosh; Mathela, Chandra S

    2012-01-05

    Six impurities were detected at trace level in rivastigmine tartrate drug substance by a newly developed high performance liquid chromatography method. Three impurities were characterized rapidly and three impurities were found to be unknown. The unknown impurities were enriched and identified with a combination of semi-preparative HPLC and LC/MS/MS techniques. Proposed structures were further confirmed by characterization using NMR, FT-IR, and EA techniques of impurity standards. Based on the spectroscopic, spectrometric and elemental analysis data unknown impurities were characterized as 3-[1-(dimethylamino)ethyl]phenyl N-ethyl-N-methyl carbamate N-oxide, ethyl-methyl-carbamic acid 4-(1-dimethylamino-ethyl)-phenyl ester and ethyl-methyl-carbamic acid 2-(1-dimethylamino-ethyl)-phenyl ester. A plausible mechanism for the formation of these impurities is also proposed. The method was validated according to ICH guidelines for fourteen impurities to demonstrate specificity, precision, linearity, accuracy and stability indicating nature of the method. Regression analysis showed correlation coefficient value greater than 0.999 for rivastigmine tartrate and its impurities. Accuracy of the method was established based on the recovery obtained between 93.41 and 113.33% for all impurities. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Trustworthiness Measurement Algorithm for TWfMS Based on Software Behaviour Entropy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiang Han

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available As the virtual mirror of complex real-time business processes of organisations’ underlying information systems, the workflow management system (WfMS has emerged in recent decades as a new self-autonomous paradigm in the open, dynamic, distributed computing environment. In order to construct a trustworthy workflow management system (TWfMS, the design of a software behaviour trustworthiness measurement algorithm is an urgent task for researchers. Accompanying the trustworthiness mechanism, the measurement algorithm, with uncertain software behaviour trustworthiness information of the WfMS, should be resolved as an infrastructure. Based on the framework presented in our research prior to this paper, we firstly introduce a formal model for the WfMS trustworthiness measurement, with the main property reasoning based on calculus operators. Secondly, this paper proposes a novel measurement algorithm from the software behaviour entropy of calculus operators through the principle of maximum entropy (POME and the data mining method. Thirdly, the trustworthiness measurement algorithm for incomplete software behaviour tests and runtime information is discussed and compared by means of a detailed explanation. Finally, we provide conclusions and discuss certain future research areas of the TWfMS.

  9. Seismic Response Analysis and Design of Structure with Base Isolation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosko, Peter

    2010-01-01

    The paper reports the study on seismic response and energy distribution of a multi-story civil structure. The nonlinear analysis used the 2003 Bam earthquake acceleration record as the excitation input to the structural model. The displacement response was analyzed in time domain and in frequency domain. The displacement and its derivatives result energy components. The energy distribution in each story provides useful information for the structural upgrade with help of added devices. The objective is the structural displacement response minimization. The application of the structural seismic response research is presented in base-isolation example.

  10. SPME GC/MS Analysis of Three Ornithogalum L. species from Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gülin Renda

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, a solid phase micro extraction (SPME method with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS was used for analysis of volatile compounds in flowers and bulbs of three Ornithogalum species. The samples of flowers and bulbs of Ornithogalum sigmoideum, Ornithogalum orthophyllum, Ornithogalum oligophyllum was separately analyzed by SPME-GC-MS. A comparison of volatile compounds was made between species and the parts studied. A total of 70 compounds were identified and different volatile compounds were determined in distinct parts of the species. The major volatile organic compound of the flowers of O. sigmoideum and O. ornithogalum was furan (54.5% and 57.0% respectively. For O. oligophyllum the major volatile organic compound was nonanal (19.2%. Analyses revealed that SPME-GC-MS method is appropriate for the analysis of volatile compounds of Ornithogalum species.

  11. Evaluation of a Method for Nitrotyrosine Site Identification and Relative Quantitation Using a Stable Isotope-Labeled Nitrated Spike-In Standard and High Resolution Fourier Transform MS and MS/MS Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kent W. Seeley

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The overproduction of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS can have deleterious effects in the cell, including structural and possible activity-altering modifications to proteins. Peroxynitrite is one such RNS that can result in a specific protein modification, nitration of tyrosine residues to form nitrotyrosine, and to date, the identification of nitrotyrosine sites in proteins continues to be a major analytical challenge. We have developed a method by which 15N-labeled nitrotyrosine groups are generated on peptide or protein standards using stable isotope-labeled peroxynitrite (O15NOO−, and the resulting standard is mixed with representative samples in which nitrotyrosine formation is to be measured by mass spectrometry (MS. Nitropeptide MS/MS spectra are filtered using high mass accuracy Fourier transform MS (FTMS detection of the nitrotyrosine immonium ion. Given that the nitropeptide pair is co-isolated for MS/MS fragmentation, the nitrotyrosine immonium ions (at m/z = 181 or 182 can be used for relative quantitation with negligible isotopic interference at a mass resolution of greater than 50,000 (FWHM, full width at half-maximum. Furthermore, the standard potentially allows for the increased signal of nitrotyrosine-containing peptides, thus facilitating selection for MS/MS in a data-dependent mode of acquisition. We have evaluated the methodology in terms of nitrotyrosine site identification and relative quantitation using nitrated peptide and protein standards.

  12. Structure and sensitivity analysis of individual-based predator–prey models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imron, Muhammad Ali; Gergs, Andre; Berger, Uta

    2012-01-01

    The expensive computational cost of sensitivity analyses has hampered the use of these techniques for analysing individual-based models in ecology. A relatively cheap computational cost, referred to as the Morris method, was chosen to assess the relative effects of all parameters on the model’s outputs and to gain insights into predator–prey systems. Structure and results of the sensitivity analysis of the Sumatran tiger model – the Panthera Population Persistence (PPP) and the Notonecta foraging model (NFM) – were compared. Both models are based on a general predation cycle and designed to understand the mechanisms behind the predator–prey interaction being considered. However, the models differ significantly in their complexity and the details of the processes involved. In the sensitivity analysis, parameters that directly contribute to the number of prey items killed were found to be most influential. These were the growth rate of prey and the hunting radius of tigers in the PPP model as well as attack rate parameters and encounter distance of backswimmers in the NFM model. Analysis of distances in both of the models revealed further similarities in the sensitivity of the two individual-based models. The findings highlight the applicability and importance of sensitivity analyses in general, and screening design methods in particular, during early development of ecological individual-based models. Comparison of model structures and sensitivity analyses provides a first step for the derivation of general rules in the design of predator–prey models for both practical conservation and conceptual understanding. - Highlights: ► Structure of predation processes is similar in tiger and backswimmer model. ► The two individual-based models (IBM) differ in space formulations. ► In both models foraging distance is among the sensitive parameters. ► Morris method is applicable for the sensitivity analysis even of complex IBMs.

  13. Molecular analysis of intact preen waxes of Calidris Canutus (Aves: Scolopacidae) by GC/MS and GC/MS/MS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Dekker, M.H.A.; Piersma, T.

    2000-01-01

    The intact preen wax esters of the red knot Calidris canutus were studied with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and GC/MS/MS. In this latter technique, transitions from the molecular ion to fragment ions representing the fatty acid moiety of the wax esters were measured, providing

  14. Biodiesel production from microalgal isolates of southern Pakistan and quantification of FAMEs by GC-MS/MS analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Musharraf Syed

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microalgae have attracted major interest as a sustainable source for biodiesel production on commercial scale. This paper describes the screening of six microalgal species, Scenedesmus quadricauda, Scenedesmus acuminatus, Nannochloropsis sp., Anabaena sp., Chlorella sp. and Oscillatoria sp., isolated from fresh and marine water resources of southern Pakistan for biodiesel production and the GC-MS/MS analysis of their fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs. Results Growth rate, biomass productivity and oil content of each algal species have been investigated under autotrophic condition. Biodiesel was produced from algal oil by acid catalyzed transesterification reaction and resulting fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs content was analyzed by GC/MS. Fatty acid profiling of the biodiesel, obtained from various microalgal oils showed high content of C-16:0, C-18:0, cis-Δ9C-18:1, cis-Δ11C-18:1 (except Scenedesmus quadricauda and 10-hydroxyoctadecanoic (except Scenedesmus acuminatus. Absolute amount of C-14:0, C-16:0 and C-18:0 by a validated GC-MS/MS method were found to be 1.5-1.7, 15.0-42.5 and 4.2-18.4 mg/g, respectively, in biodiesel obtained from various microalgal oils. Biodiesel was also characterized in terms of cetane number, kinematic viscosity, density and higher heating value and compared with the standard values. Conclusion Six microalgae of local origin were screened for biodiesel production. A method for absolute quantification of three important saturated fatty acid methyl esters (C-14, C-16 and C-18 by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS, using multiple reactions monitoring (MRM mode, was employed for the identification and quantification of biodiesels obtained from various microalgal oils. The results suggested that locally found microalgae can be sustainably harvested for the production of biodiesel. This offers the tremendous economic opportunity for an energy-deficient nation.

  15. Methods for simulation-based analysis of fluid-structure interaction.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barone, Matthew Franklin; Payne, Jeffrey L.

    2005-10-01

    Methods for analysis of fluid-structure interaction using high fidelity simulations are critically reviewed. First, a literature review of modern numerical techniques for simulation of aeroelastic phenomena is presented. The review focuses on methods contained within the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) framework for coupling computational fluid dynamics codes to computational structural mechanics codes. The review treats mesh movement algorithms, the role of the geometric conservation law, time advancement schemes, wetted surface interface strategies, and some representative applications. The complexity and computational expense of coupled Navier-Stokes/structural dynamics simulations points to the need for reduced order modeling to facilitate parametric analysis. The proper orthogonal decomposition (POD)/Galerkin projection approach for building a reduced order model (ROM) is presented, along with ideas for extension of the methodology to allow construction of ROMs based on data generated from ALE simulations.

  16. Similarity Evaluation of Different Origins and Species of Dendrobiums by GC-MS and FTIR Analysis of Polysaccharides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nai-Dong Chen

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available GC-MS method combined with FTIR techniques by the analysis of polysaccharide was applied to evaluate the similarity between wild (W and tissue-cultured (TC Dendrobium huoshanense (DHS, Dendrobium officinale (DO, and Dendrobium moniliforme (DM as well as 3 wild Dendrobium spp.: Dendrobium henanense (DHN, Dendrobium loddigesii (DL, and Dendrobium crepidatum (DC. Eight monosaccharides involving xylose, arabinose, rhamnose, glucose, mannose, fructose, galactose, and galacturonic acid were identified in the polysaccharide from each Dendrobium sample while the contents of the monosugars varied remarkably across origins and species. Further similarity evaluation based on GC-MS data showed that the rcor values of different origins of DHS, DO, and DM were 0.831, 0.865, and 0.884, respectively, while the rcor values ranged from 0.475 to 0.837 across species. FTIR files of the polysaccharides revealed that the similarity coefficients between W and TC-DHS, DO, and DM were 88.7%, 86.8%, and 88.5%, respectively, in contrast to the similarity coefficients varying from 57.4% to 82.6% across species. These results suggested that the structures of polysaccharides between different origins of the investigated Dendrobiums might be higher than what we had supposed.

  17. An improved UPLC-MS/MS platform for quantitative analysis of glycerophosphoinositol in mammalian cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Grauso

    Full Text Available The glycerophosphoinositols constitute a class of biologically active lipid-derived mediators whose intracellular levels are modulated during physiological and pathological cell processes. Comprehensive assessment of the role of these compounds expands beyond the cellular biology of lipids and includes rapid and unambiguous measurement in cells and tissues. Here we describe a sensitive and simple liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS method for quantitative analysis of the most abundant among these phosphoinositide derivatives in mammalian cells, the glycerophosphoinositol (GroPIns. The method has been developed in mouse Raw 264.7 macrophages with limits of quantitation at 3 ng/ml. Validation on the same cell line showed excellent response in terms of linear dynamic range (from 3 to 3,000 ng/ml, intra-day and inter-day precision (coefficient of variation ≤ 7.10% and accuracy (between 98.1 and 109.0% in the range 10-320 ng/ml. As proof of concept, a simplified analytical platform based on this method and external calibration was also tested on four stimulated and unstimulated cell lines, including Raw 264.7 macrophages, Jurkat T-cells, A375MM melanoma cells and rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells. The results indicate a wide variation in GroPIns levels among different cell lines and stimulation conditions, although the measurements were always in line with the literature. No significant matrix effects were observed thus indicating that the here proposed method can be of general use for similar determinations in cells of different origin.

  18. Polyphasic Approach Including MALDI-TOF MS/MS Analysis for Identification and Characterisation of Fusarium verticillioides in Brazilian Corn Kernels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susane Chang

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Fusarium verticillioides is considered one of the most important global sources of fumonisins contamination in food and feed. Corn is one of the main commodities produced in the Northeastern Region of Brazil. The present study investigated potential mycotoxigenic fungal strains belonging to the F. verticillioides species isolated from corn kernels in 3 different Regions of the Brazilian State of Pernambuco. A polyphasic approach including classical taxonomy, molecular biology, MALDI-TOF MS and MALDI-TOF MS/MS for the identification and characterisation of the F. verticillioides strains was used. Sixty F. verticillioides strains were isolated and successfully identified by classical morphology, proteomic profiles of MALDI-TOF MS, and by molecular biology using the species-specific primers VERT-1 and VERT-2. FUM1 gene was further detected for all the 60 F. verticillioides by using the primers VERTF-1 and VERTF-2 and through the amplification profiles of the ISSR regions using the primers (GTG5 and (GACA4. Results obtained from molecular analysis shown a low genetic variability among these isolates from the different geographical regions. All of the 60 F. verticillioides isolates assessed by MALDI-TOF MS/MS presented ion peaks with the molecular mass of the fumonisin B1 (721.83 g/mol and B2 (705.83 g/mol.

  19. Profiling and characterization of sialylated N-glycans by 2D-HPLC (HIAX/PGC) with online orbitrap MS/MS and offline MSn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanneman, Andrew J S; Strand, James; Huang, Chi-Ting

    2014-02-01

    Glycosylation is a critical parameter used to evaluate protein quality and consistency. N-linked glycan profiling is fundamental to the support of biotherapeutic protein manufacturing from early stage process development through drug product commercialization. Sialylated glycans impact the serum half-life of receptor-Fc fusion proteins (RFPs), making their quality and consistency a concern during the production of fusion proteins. Here, we describe an analytical approach providing both quantitative profiling and in-depth mass spectrometry (MS)-based structural characterization of sialylated RFP N-glycans. Aiming to efficiently link routine comparability studies with detailed structural characterization, an integrated workflow was implemented employing fluorescence detection, online positive and negative ion tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), and offline static nanospray ionization-sequential mass spectrometry (NSI-MS(n)). For routine use, high-performance liquid chromatography profiling employs established fluorescence detection of 2-aminobenzoic acid derivatives (2AA) and hydrophilic interaction anion-exchange chromatography (HIAX) charge class separation. Further characterization of HIAX peak fractions is achieved by online (-) ion orbitrap MS/MS, offering the advantages of high mass accuracy and data-dependent MS/MS. As required, additional characterization uses porous graphitized carbon in the second chromatographic dimension to provide orthogonal (+) ion MS/MS spectra and buffer-free liquid chromatography peak eluants that are optimum for offline (+)/(-) NSI-MS(n) investigations to characterize low-abundance species and specific moieties including O-acetylation and sulfation. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

  20. Coordination Analysis Using Global Structural Constraints and Alignment-based Local Features

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hara, Kazuo; Shimbo, Masashi; Matsumoto, Yuji

    We propose a hybrid approach to coordinate structure analysis that combines a simple grammar to ensure consistent global structure of coordinations in a sentence, and features based on sequence alignment to capture local symmetry of conjuncts. The weight of the alignment-based features, which in turn determines the score of coordinate structures, is optimized by perceptron training on a given corpus. A bottom-up chart parsing algorithm efficiently finds the best scoring structure, taking both nested or non-overlapping flat coordinations into account. We demonstrate that our approach outperforms existing parsers in coordination scope detection on the Genia corpus.

  1. Simple and Robust N-Glycan Analysis Based on Improved 2-Aminobenzoic Acid Labeling for Recombinant Therapeutic Glycoproteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Yeong Ran; Kim, Sun Young; Park, Young Sam; Lee, Gyun Min

    2018-03-21

    N-glycans of therapeutic glycoproteins are critical quality attributes that should be monitored throughout all stages of biopharmaceutical development. To reduce both the time for sample preparation and the variations in analytical results, we have developed an N-glycan analysis method that includes improved 2-aminobenzoic acid (2-AA) labeling to easily remove deglycosylated proteins. Using this analytical method, 15 major 2-AA-labeled N-glycans of Enbrel ® were separated into single peaks in hydrophilic interaction chromatography mode and therefore could be quantitated. 2-AA-labeled N-glycans were also highly compatible with in-line quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS) for structural identification. The structures of 15 major and 18 minor N-glycans were identified from their mass values determined by quadrupole time-of-flight MS. Furthermore, the structures of 14 major N-glycans were confirmed by interpreting the MS/MS data of each N-glycan. This analytical method was also successfully applied to neutral N-glycans of Humira ® and highly sialylated N-glycans of NESP ® . Furthermore, the analysis data of Enbrel ® that were accumulated for 2.5 years demonstrated the high-level consistency of this analytical method. Taken together, the results show that a wide repertoire of N-glycans of therapeutic glycoproteins can be analyzed with high efficiency and consistency using the improved 2-AA labeling-based N-glycan analysis method. Copyright © 2018 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. An Efficient Glycoblotting-Based Analysis of Oxidized Lipids in Liposomes and a Lipoprotein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furukawa, Takayuki; Hinou, Hiroshi; Takeda, Seiji; Chiba, Hitoshi; Nishimura, Shin-Ichiro; Hui, Shu-Ping

    2017-10-05

    Although widely occurring lipid oxidation, which is triggered by reactive oxygen species (ROS), produces a variety of oxidized lipids, practical methods to efficiently analyze oxidized lipids remain elusive. Herein, it is shown that the glycoblotting platform can be used to analyze oxidized lipids. Analysis is based on the principle that lipid aldehydes, one of the oxidized lipid species, can be captured selectively, enriched, and detected. Moreover, 3-methyl-1-p-tolyltriazene (MTT) methylates phosphoric and carboxylic acids, and this MTT-mediated methylation is, in combination with conventional tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis, an effective method for the structural analysis of oxidized lipids. By using three classes of standards, liposomes, and a lipoprotein, it is demonstrated that glycoblotting represents a powerful approach for focused lipidomics, even in complex macromolecules. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Limitations of Using Microsoft Excel Version 2016 (MS Excel 2016) for Statistical Analysis for Medical Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanavalee, Chotetawan; Luksanapruksa, Panya; Singhatanadgige, Weerasak

    2016-06-01

    Microsoft Excel (MS Excel) is a commonly used program for data collection and statistical analysis in biomedical research. However, this program has many limitations, including fewer functions that can be used for analysis and a limited number of total cells compared with dedicated statistical programs. MS Excel cannot complete analyses with blank cells, and cells must be selected manually for analysis. In addition, it requires multiple steps of data transformation and formulas to plot survival analysis graphs, among others. The Megastat add-on program, which will be supported by MS Excel 2016 soon, would eliminate some limitations of using statistic formulas within MS Excel.

  4. Structural elucidation of in vitro and in vivo metabolites of emodin in rats by LC -ESI-MS/MS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, D.; Zhu, Q.; Chen, G.; Liu, B.; Chen, L.

    2013-01-01

    Emodin is a widely occurring natural product and has been studied extensively for its varieties of pharmacological activity. In attempt to know more deeply about its metabolism, this paper investigated the metabolites of emodin in rats, including its in vitro conversion product by intestinal microflora and urinary metabolites. The detection of emodin metabolites was performed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) with negative ion mode. By comparing the changes of metabolites in molecular masses (delta M), product ions and retention times with those of the parent drug, six metabolites (8-O-methylemodin, omega-hydroxyemodin, x-hydroxyemodin, emodin glucuronide, hydroxyemodin glucuronide and emodin sulfate) were observed,and what is more, the metabolite hydroxyemodin glucuronide was first reported in this article. For some metabolites, identification of their precise structure needs to be confirmed by other techniques such as the 1H and 13C NMR. (author)

  5. Analysis of U-47700, a Novel Synthetic Opioid, in Human Urine by LC-MS-MS and LC-QToF.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleming, Steven W; Cooley, Justin C; Johnson, Leonard; Frazee, C Clinton; Domanski, Kristina; Kleinschmidt, Kurt; Garg, Uttam

    2017-04-01

    The illicit drug market has rapidly evolved from synthetic cannabinoids to cathinone derivatives and now a new emerging threat of synthetic opioids. These compounds were mostly developed by pharmaceutical companies during drug discovery. The new psychoactive substances are not routinely covered in drug screening and may go undetected. Recently fentanyl analogous, AH-7921, MT-45 and now U-47700 have been encountered in clinical and forensic casework. U-47700 is gaining popularity on drug user forms as a legal alternative to heroin. It is a µ-receptor agonist that is part of the trans-1-2-diamine opioid analgesic drug class developed by The Upjohn Company in an attempt to develop a non-addicting analgesic. A LC-MS-MS method was developed and validated to detect and quantify U-47700. Additional analysis was conducted with an LC-QToF to identify the presence of the parent drug and metabolites. A total of four cases have been evaluated by the LC-MS-MS methodology which has an analytical range of 1-1,250 ng/mL and limit of detection of 1 ng/mL. The concentration of U-47700 in urine specimens ranged from below the limit of quantification to 224 ng/mL. The ToF analysis detected the presence of suspected phase I demethylated metabolites that may assist future analysis of this compound. The prevalence of designer opioids in casework highlights the importance of analysis for new psychoactive substances. Traditional opiates/opioids were not detected in the presented cases, but the available case histories revealed an opioid toxidrome. These findings suggest that U-47700 drug may cause significant morbidity and mortality within the United States as an emerging drug threat. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. Complementary sample preparation strategies for analysis of cereal β-glucan oxidation products by UPLC-MS/MS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boulos, Samy; Nyström, Laura

    2017-11-01

    The oxidation of cereal (1→3,1→4)-β-D-glucan can influence the health promoting and technological properties of this linear, soluble homopolysaccharide by introduction of new functional groups or chain scission. Apart from deliberate oxidative modifications, oxidation of β-glucan can already occur during processing and storage, which is mediated by hydroxyl radicals (HO•) formed by the Fenton reaction. We present four complementary sample preparation strategies to investigate oat and barley β-glucan oxidation products by hydrophilic interaction ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), employing selective enzymatic digestion, graphitized carbon solid phase extraction (SPE), and functional group labeling techniques. The combination of these methods allows for detection of both lytic (C1, C3/4, C5) and non-lytic (C2, C4/3, C6) oxidation products resulting from HO•-attack at different glucose-carbons. By treating oxidized β-glucan with lichenase and β-glucosidase, only oxidized parts of the polymer remained in oligomeric form, which could be separated by SPE from the vast majority of non-oxidized glucose units. This allowed for the detection of oligomers with mid-chain glucuronic acids (C6) and carbonyls, as well as carbonyls at the non-reducing end from lytic C3/C4 oxidation. Neutral reducing ends were detected by reductive amination with anthranilic acid/amide as labeled glucose and cross-ring cleaved units (arabinose, erythrose) after enzyme treatment and SPE. New acidic chain termini were observed by carbodiimide-mediated amidation of carboxylic acids as anilides of gluconic, arabinonic, and erythronic acids. Hence, a full characterization of all types of oxidation products was possible by combining complementary sample preparation strategies. Differences in fine structure depending on source (oat vs. barley) translates to the ratio of observed oxidized oligomers, with in-depth analysis corroborating a random HO

  7. Development and Validation of an LC-MS/MS Method and Comparison with a GC-MS Method to Measure Phenytoin in Human Brain Dialysate, Blood, and Saliva

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raphael Hösli

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Phenytoin (PHT is one of the most often used critical dose drugs, where insufficient or excessive dosing can have severe consequences such as seizures or toxicity. Thus, the monitoring and precise measuring of PHT concentrations in patients is crucial. This study develops and validates an LC-MS/MS method for the measurement of phenytoin concentrations in different body compartments (i.e., human brain dialysate, blood, and saliva and compares it with a formerly developed GC-MS method that measures PHT in the same biological matrices. The two methods are evaluated and compared based on their analytical performance, appropriateness to analyze human biological samples, including corresponding extraction and cleanup procedures, and their validation according to ISO 17025/FDA Guidance for Industry. The LC-MS/MS method showed a higher performance compared with the GC-MS method. The LC-MS/MS was more sensitive, needed a smaller sample volume (25 µL and less chemicals, was less time consuming (cleaning up, sample preparation, and analysis, and resulted in a better LOD ( 0.995 for all tested matrices (blood, saliva, and dialysate. For larger sample numbers as in pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies and for bedside as well as routine analyses, the LC-MS/MS method offers significant advantages over the GC-MS method.

  8. [Dynamic variation of components in exocarp of Juglans mandshurica with browning based on UPLC-Q-TOF/MS].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Guo-Dong; Huo, Jin-Hai; Xie, Rong-Juan; Wang, Wei-Ming

    2017-08-01

    To analyze the dynamic changes in components in exocarp of Juglans mandshurica at different browning periods. Twenty-six batches of exocarp of J. mandshurica samples from thirteen browning periods were assessed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. The formula of different compounds were determined by accurate mass and isotopic abundance ratio from target screening function of Peakview 2.0/masterview1.0 software. Then their structures were determined by analysis of MS/MS fragment or comparison with standard substances and references. The contents of chemical components were changed significantly in different browning periods and twenty five compounds were identified or inferred. Of the 13 naphthoquinone compounds, the contents of 6 compounds with similar parent nucleus as juglone and 3 naphthoquinone glycosides compounds were decreased significantly, and 4 naphthoquinone derivatives such as regiolone were produced; the contents of four flavones and two phenolic acids compounds were decreased significantly; and the contents of 6 diarylheptanoids compounds were increased significantly. UPLC-Q-TOF/MS method can be used to identify and analyze the chemical constituents from exocarp of J. mandshurica rapidly and accurately, and analyze the rules of dynamic changes, to reveal the browning of Chinese medicinal materials and its effects on compositions of fruits and vegetables. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  9. Characterization of a PEGylated protein therapeutic by ion exchange chromatography with on-line detection by native ESI MS and MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muneeruddin, K; Bobst, C E; Frenkel, R; Houde, D; Turyan, I; Sosic, Z; Kaltashov, I A

    2017-01-16

    Detailed profiling of both enzymatic (e.g., glycosylation) and non-enzymatic (e.g., oxidation and deamidation) post-translational modifications (PTMs) is frequently required for the quality assessment of protein-based drugs. Challenging as it is, this task is further complicated for the so-called second-generation biopharmaceuticals, which also contain "designer PTMs" introduced to either enhance their pharmacokinetic profiles (e.g., PEGylated proteins) or endow them with therapeutic activity (e.g., protein-drug conjugates). Such modifications of protein covalent structure can dramatically increase structural heterogeneity, making the very notion of "molecular mass" meaningless, as ions representing different glycoforms of a PEGylated protein may have nearly identical distributions of ionic current as a function of m/z, making their contributions to the mass spectrum impossible to distinguish. In this work we demonstrate that a combination of ion exchange chromatography (IXC) with on-line detection by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) and methods of ion manipulation in the gas phase (limited charge reduction and collision-induced dissociation) allows meaningful structural information to be obtained on a structurally heterogeneous sample of PEGylated interferon β-1a. IXC profiling of the protein sample gives rise to a convoluted chromatogram with several partially resolved peaks which can represent both deamidation and different glycosylation patterns within the protein, as well as varying extent of PEGylation. Thus, profiling the protein with on-line IXC/ESI/MS/MS allows it to be characterized by providing information on three different types of PTMs (designer, enzymatic and non-enzymatic) within a single protein therapeutic.

  10. Effect of Genotype and Environment on Salvia miltiorrhiza Roots Using LC/MS-Based Metabolomics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qi Zhao

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Salvia miltiorrhiza (S. miltiorrhiza Bunge is broadly used as herbal medicine for the clinical treatments of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Despite its commercial and medicinal values, few systematic studies on the metabolome of S. miltiorrhiza roots have been carried out so far. We systematically described the metabolic profiles of S. miltiorrhiza using high pressure liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS in conjunction with multivariate statistical analyses, aimed at monitoring their biological variations of secondary metabolites related to three locations and four S. miltiorrhiza genotypes. A total of 40 bioactive constituents were putatively annotated in S. miltiorrhiza root samples. This study found that both the same S. miltiorrhiza genotype growing at three different locations and four S. miltiorrhiza genotypes growing at the same location had significant metabonomic differences identified by the principal component analysis (PCA approach. By using orthogonal projection to latent structure with discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA, 16 and 14 secondary metabolites can be used as potential location-specific and genotype-specific markers in S. miltiorrhiza, respectively. The specificity of LC/MS profiles offered a powerful tool to discriminate S. miltiorrhiza samples according to genotypes or locations.

  11. High throughput LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous analysis of multiple vitamin D analytes in serum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkinson, Carl; Taylor, Angela E; Hassan-Smith, Zaki K; Adams, John S; Stewart, Paul M; Hewison, Martin; Keevil, Brian G

    2016-03-01

    Recent studies suggest that vitamin D-deficiency is linked to increased risk of common human health problems. To define vitamin D 'status' most routine analytical methods quantify one particular vitamin D metabolite, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD3). However, vitamin D is characterized by complex metabolic pathways, and simultaneous measurement of multiple vitamin D metabolites may provide a more accurate interpretation of vitamin D status. To address this we developed a high-throughput liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to analyse multiple vitamin D analytes, with particular emphasis on the separation of epimer metabolites. A supportive liquid-liquid extraction (SLE) and LC-MS/MS method was developed to quantify 10 vitamin D metabolites as well as separation of an interfering 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (7αC4) isobar (precursor of bile acid), and validated by analysis of human serum samples. In a cohort of 116 healthy subjects, circulating concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD3), 3-epi-25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (3-epi-25OHD3), 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (24R,25(OH)2D3), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1α,25(OH)2D3), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 (25OHD2) were quantifiable using 220μL of serum, with 25OHD3 and 24R,25(OH)2D3 showing significant seasonal variations. This high-throughput LC-MS/MS method provides a novel strategy for assessing the impact of vitamin D on human health and disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. GC/MS analysis of piperidinocyclohexanecarbonitrile (PCC) smoking products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lue, L.P.; Scimeca, J.A.; Thomas, B.F.; Martin, B.R.

    1986-01-01

    Piperidinocyclohexanecarbonitrile (PCC), an intermediate in phencyclidine (PCP) synthesis, is a major contaminant of illicit PCP. Due to the frequent abuse of PCP by smoking, this study was conducted to determine the PCC pyrolysis products delivered in smoke. Marihuana placebo cigarettes were impregnated with 3 H-piperidino- 14 C-cyano-PCC (synthesized in the lab and recrystallized twice, m.p. 67 0 C) and burned under conditions which simulated smoking. Mainstream smoke was passed through glass wool filters and H 2 SO 4 and NaOH traps. Tritium and 14 C were recovered as 83%, and 56%, respectively, of the starting material. Seventy-six percent of the recovered tritium was found in the glass wool trap followed by 13, 7 and 4% in the acid trap, base trap and in the ash/unburned butt, respectively. Seventy-three percent of the recovered 14 C was found in the glass wool filter and 16 and 8% were found in the acid and base traps, respectively. GC/MS analysis revealed the presence of 1-piperidinocyclohexene (30%), PCC (24%), piperidine (7%), and 1-acetyl-piperidine (5%)

  13. Discrimination of Isomers of Released N- and O-Glycans Using Diagnostic Product Ions in Negative Ion PGC-LC-ESI-MS/MS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashwood, Christopher; Lin, Chi-Hung; Thaysen-Andersen, Morten; Packer, Nicolle H.

    2018-03-01

    Profiling cellular protein glycosylation is challenging due to the presence of highly similar glycan structures that play diverse roles in cellular physiology. As the anomericity and the exact linkage type of a single glycosidic bond can influence glycan function, there is a demand for improved and automated methods to confirm detailed structural features and to discriminate between structurally similar isomers, overcoming a significant bottleneck in the analysis of data generated by glycomics experiments. We used porous graphitized carbon-LC-ESI-MS/MS to separate and detect released N- and O-glycan isomers from mammalian model glycoproteins using negative mode resonance activation CID-MS/MS. By interrogating similar fragment spectra from closely related glycan isomers that differ only in arm position and sialyl linkage, product fragment ions for discrimination between these features were discovered. Using the Skyline software, at least two diagnostic fragment ions of high specificity were validated for automated discrimination of sialylation and arm position in N-glycan structures, and sialylation in O-glycan structures, complementing existing structural diagnostic ions. These diagnostic ions were shown to be useful for isomer discrimination using both linear and 3D ion trap mass spectrometers when analyzing complex glycan mixtures from cell lysates. Skyline was found to serve as a useful tool for automated assessment of glycan isomer discrimination. This platform-independent workflow can potentially be extended to automate the characterization and quantitation of other challenging glycan isomers. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  14. The APEX Quantitative Proteomics Tool: Generating protein quantitation estimates from LC-MS/MS proteomics results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saeed Alexander I

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mass spectrometry (MS based label-free protein quantitation has mainly focused on analysis of ion peak heights and peptide spectral counts. Most analyses of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS data begin with an enzymatic digestion of a complex protein mixture to generate smaller peptides that can be separated and identified by an MS/MS instrument. Peptide spectral counting techniques attempt to quantify protein abundance by counting the number of detected tryptic peptides and their corresponding MS spectra. However, spectral counting is confounded by the fact that peptide physicochemical properties severely affect MS detection resulting in each peptide having a different detection probability. Lu et al. (2007 described a modified spectral counting technique, Absolute Protein Expression (APEX, which improves on basic spectral counting methods by including a correction factor for each protein (called Oi value that accounts for variable peptide detection by MS techniques. The technique uses machine learning classification to derive peptide detection probabilities that are used to predict the number of tryptic peptides expected to be detected for one molecule of a particular protein (Oi. This predicted spectral count is compared to the protein's observed MS total spectral count during APEX computation of protein abundances. Results The APEX Quantitative Proteomics Tool, introduced here, is a free open source Java application that supports the APEX protein quantitation technique. The APEX tool uses data from standard tandem mass spectrometry proteomics experiments and provides computational support for APEX protein abundance quantitation through a set of graphical user interfaces that partition thparameter controls for the various processing tasks. The tool also provides a Z-score analysis for identification of significant differential protein expression, a utility to assess APEX classifier performance via cross validation, and a

  15. Label-free DNA hybridization detection and single base-mismatch discrimination using CE-ICP-MS assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yan; Sun, Shao-kai; Yang, Jia-lin; Jiang, Yan

    2011-12-07

    Detecting a specific DNA sequence and discriminating single base-mismatch is critical to clinical diagnosis, paternity testing, forensic sciences, food and drug industry, pathology, genetics, environmental monitoring, and anti-bioterrorism. To this end, capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled with the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method is developed using the displacing interaction between the target ssDNA and the competitor Hg(2+) for the first time. The thymine-rich capture ssDNA 1 is interacted with the competitor Hg(2+), forming an assembled complex in a hairpin-structure between the thymine bases arrangement at both sides of the capture ssDNA 1. In the presence of a target ssDNA with stronger affinity than that of the competitor Hg(2+), the energetically favorable hybridization between capture ssDNA 1 and the target ssDNA destroys the hairpin-structure and releases the competitor as free Hg(2+), which was then read out and accurately quantified by CE-ICP-MS assay. Under the optimal CE separation conditions, free Hg(2+) ions and its capture ssDNA 1 adduct were baseline separated and detected on-line by ICP-MS; the increased peak intensity of free Hg(2+) against the concentration of perfectly complementary target ssDNA was linear over the concentration range of 30-600 nmol L(-1) with a limit of detection of 8 nmol L(-1) (3s, n = 11) in the pre-incubated mixture containing 1 μmol L(-1) Hg(2+) and 0.2 μmol L(-1) capture ssDNA 1. This new assay method is simple in design since any target ssDNA binding can in principle result in free Hg(2+) release by 6-fold Hg(2+) signal amplification, avoiding oligonucleotide labeling or assistance by excess signal transducer and signal reporter to read out the target. Due to element-specific detection of ICP-MS in our assay procedure, the interference from the autofluorescence of substrata was eliminated.

  16. Lead isotope ratio analysis of bullet samples by using quadrupole ICP-MS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tamura, Shu-ichi; Hokura, Akiko; Nakai, Izumi; Oishi, Masahiro

    2006-01-01

    The measurement conditions for the precise analysis of the lead stable isotope ratio by using an ICP-MS equipped with a quadrupole mass spectrometer were studied in order to apply the technique to the forensic identification of bullet samples. The values of the relative standard deviation obtained for the ratio of 208 Pb/ 206 Pb, 207 Pb/ 206 Pb and 204 Pb/ 206 Pb were lower than 0.2% after optimization of the analytical conditions, including the optimum lead concentration of the sample solution to be about 70 ppb and an integration time for 1 m/s of 15 s. This method was applied to an analysis of lead in bullets for rifles and handguns; a stable isotope ratio of lead was found to be suitable for the identification of bullets. This study has demonstrated that the lead isotope ratio measured by using a quadrupole ICP-MS was useful for a practical analysis of bullet samples in forensic science. (author)

  17. An UPLC-MS/MS method for highly sensitive high-throughput analysis of phytohormones in plant tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balcke Gerd Ulrich

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Phytohormones are the key metabolites participating in the regulation of multiple functions of plant organism. Among them, jasmonates, as well as abscisic and salicylic acids are responsible for triggering and modulating plant reactions targeted against pathogens and herbivores, as well as resistance to abiotic stress (drought, UV-irradiation and mechanical wounding. These factors induce dramatic changes in phytohormone biosynthesis and transport leading to rapid local and systemic stress responses. Understanding of underlying mechanisms is of principle interest for scientists working in various areas of plant biology. However, highly sensitive, precise and high-throughput methods for quantification of these phytohormones in small samples of plant tissues are still missing. Results Here we present an LC-MS/MS method for fast and highly sensitive determination of jasmonates, abscisic and salicylic acids. A single-step sample preparation procedure based on mixed-mode solid phase extraction was efficiently combined with essential improvements in mobile phase composition yielding higher efficiency of chromatographic separation and MS-sensitivity. This strategy resulted in dramatic increase in overall sensitivity, allowing successful determination of phytohormones in small (less than 50 mg of fresh weight tissue samples. The method was completely validated in terms of analyte recovery, sensitivity, linearity and precision. Additionally, it was cross-validated with a well-established GC-MS-based procedure and its applicability to a variety of plant species and organs was verified. Conclusion The method can be applied for the analyses of target phytohormones in small tissue samples obtained from any plant species and/or plant part relying on any commercially available (even less sensitive tandem mass spectrometry instrumentation.

  18. BMI levels with MS Bone mineral density levels in adults with multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Zhongming; Qi, Yiying; Du, Shaohua; Chen, Guangnan; Yan, Weiqi

    2015-01-01

    Multiple sclerosis (MS) and osteoporosis (OP) affect a substantial proportion of the population. Accumulating evidence suggests that MS patients are at high risk for OP. We performed a meta-analysis to identify risk factors for lowered bone mineral density (BMD) in MS patients. We searched for articles within the Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library databases, published up to March 2014, pertaining to associations between MS and BMD. A total of 11 studies was included in the meta-analysis. The analysis indicated that MS patients have reduced lumbar spine, femur neck, and hip BMD compared with healthy controls (lumbar spine, standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.76, 95% CI: -1.07, -0.45; femur neck, SMD = -0.56, 95% CI: -0.84, -0.29; and hip, SMD = -0.62, 95% CI: -0.96, -0.29). Further subgroup analysis revealed that a disease duration of >7 years, total steroid dose during the disease of >15 g, and an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of > 3, increased the risk of reduced BMD in the lumbar spine and femoral neck, but not in the hip. Meta-regression analysis did not explain the heterogeneity in the clinical characteristics or outcome definitions. Our meta-analysis suggests that MS patients have reduced overall BMD compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, disease duration (>7 years), total steroid dose (>15 g), and EDSS score (>3) are risk factors for reduced BMD in MS patients.

  19. Phosphoric acid as a matrix additive for MALDI MS analysis of phosphopeptides and phosphoproteins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjellström, Sven; Jensen, Ole Nørregaard

    2004-01-01

    Phosphopeptides are often detected with low efficiency by MALDI MS analysis of peptide mixtures. In an effort to improve the phosphopeptide ion response in MALDI MS, we investigated the effects of adding low concentrations of organic and inorganic acids during peptide sample preparation in 2,5-di...... acid to 2,5-DHB were also observed in LC-MALDI-MS analysis of tryptic phosphopeptides of B. subtilis PrkC phosphoprotein. Finally, the mass resolution of MALDI mass spectra of intact proteins was significantly improved by using phosphoric acid in 2,5-DHB matrix....

  20. Evaluation of the Nutritional Quality of Chinese Kale (Brassica alboglabra Bailey) Using UHPLC-Quadrupole-Orbitrap MS/MS-Based Metabolomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ya-Qin; Hu, Li-Ping; Liu, Guang-Min; Zhang, De-Shuang; He, Hong-Ju

    2017-07-27

    Chinese kale ( Brassica alboglabra Bailey) is a widely consumed vegetable which is rich in antioxidants and anticarcinogenic compounds. Herein, we used an untargeted ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-Quadrupole-Orbitrap MS/MS-based metabolomics strategy to study the nutrient profiles of Chinese kale. Seven Chinese kale cultivars and three different edible parts were evaluated, and amino acids, sugars, organic acids, glucosinolates and phenolic compounds were analysed simultaneously. We found that two cultivars, a purple-stem cultivar W1 and a yellow-flower cultivar Y1, had more health-promoting compounds than others. The multivariate statistical analysis results showed that gluconapin was the most important contributor for discriminating both cultivars and edible parts. The purple-stem cultivar W1 had higher levels of some phenolic acids and flavonoids than the green stem cultivars. Compared to stems and leaves, the inflorescences contained more amino acids, glucosinolates and most of the phenolic acids. Meanwhile, the stems had the least amounts of phenolic compounds among the organs tested. Metabolomics is a powerful approach for the comprehensive understanding of vegetable nutritional quality. The results provide the basis for future metabolomics-guided breeding and nutritional quality improvement.

  1. High-sensitivity quantitation of a biopharmaceutical Nanobody® in plasma by single-cartridge multi-dimensional solid-phase extraction and UPLC-MS/MS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bronsema, Kees; Bischoff, Rainer; Bouche, Marie-Paule; Mortier, Kjell; van de Merbel, Nico C.

    2015-01-01

    Background: A major challenge in protein quantitation based on enzymatic digestion of complex biological samples and subsequent LC-MS/MS analysis of a signature peptide is dealing with the high complexity of the matrix after digestion, which can reduce sensitivity considerably. For the quantitation

  2. Processing methods for differential analysis of LC/MS profile data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Orešič Matej

    2005-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC/MS has been widely used in proteomics and metabolomics research. In this context, the technology has been increasingly used for differential profiling, i.e. broad screening of biomolecular components across multiple samples in order to elucidate the observed phenotypes and discover biomarkers. One of the major challenges in this domain remains development of better solutions for processing of LC/MS data. Results We present a software package MZmine that enables differential LC/MS analysis of metabolomics data. This software is a toolbox containing methods for all data processing stages preceding differential analysis: spectral filtering, peak detection, alignment and normalization. Specifically, we developed and implemented a new recursive peak search algorithm and a secondary peak picking method for improving already aligned results, as well as a normalization tool that uses multiple internal standards. Visualization tools enable comparative viewing of data across multiple samples. Peak lists can be exported into other data analysis programs. The toolbox has already been utilized in a wide range of applications. We demonstrate its utility on an example of metabolic profiling of Catharanthus roseus cell cultures. Conclusion The software is freely available under the GNU General Public License and it can be obtained from the project web page at: http://mzmine.sourceforge.net/.

  3. Matrix effect in the analysis of drugs of abuse from urine with desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization-mass spectrometry (DAPPI-MS) and desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (DESI-MS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suni, Niina M.; Lindfors, Pia; Laine, Olli; Ostman, Pekka; Ojanperae, Ilkka; Kotiaho, Tapio; Kauppila, Tiina J.; Kostiainen, Risto

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → DAPPI-MS and DESI-MSI in the analysis of drugs of abuse from urine. → DAPPI-MS has better urine matrix tolerance over DESI-MS. → Urine matrix can affect the ionization mechanism in DAPPI. → DAPPI-MS/MS can be used for screening of drugs from urine after sample pretreatment. - Abstract: We have studied the matrix effect within direct analysis of benzodiazepines and opioids from urine with desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) and desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization-mass spectrometry (DAPPI-MS). The urine matrix was found to affect the ionization mechanism of the opioids in DAPPI-MS favoring proton transfer over charge exchange reaction. The sensitivity for the drugs in solvent matrix was at the same level with DESI-MS and DAPPI-MS (LODs 0.05-6 μg mL -1 ) but the decrease in sensitivity due to the urine matrix was higher with DESI (typically 20-160-fold) than with DAPPI (typically 2-15-fold) indicating better matrix tolerance of DAPPI over DESI. Also in MS/MS mode, DAPPI provided better sensitivity than DESI for the drugs in urine. The feasibility of DAPPI-MS/MS was then studied in screening the same drugs from five authentic, forensic post mortem urine samples. A reference measurement with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) (including pretreatment) revealed 16 findings from the samples, whereas with DAPPI-MS/MS after sample pretreatment, 15 findings were made. Sample pretreatment was found necessary, since only eight findings were made from the same samples untreated.

  4. Matrix effect in the analysis of drugs of abuse from urine with desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization-mass spectrometry (DAPPI-MS) and desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (DESI-MS)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suni, Niina M.; Lindfors, Pia; Laine, Olli [Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, Helsinki FI-00014 (Finland); Ostman, Pekka; Ojanperae, Ilkka [Hjelt Institute, Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 40, Helsinki FI-00014 (Finland); Kotiaho, Tapio [Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, Helsinki FI-00014 (Finland); Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 55, Helsinki FI-00014 (Finland); Kauppila, Tiina J. [Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, Helsinki FI-00014 (Finland); Kostiainen, Risto, E-mail: risto.kostiainen@helsinki.fi [Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, Helsinki FI-00014 (Finland)

    2011-08-05

    Highlights: {yields} DAPPI-MS and DESI-MSI in the analysis of drugs of abuse from urine. {yields} DAPPI-MS has better urine matrix tolerance over DESI-MS. {yields} Urine matrix can affect the ionization mechanism in DAPPI. {yields} DAPPI-MS/MS can be used for screening of drugs from urine after sample pretreatment. - Abstract: We have studied the matrix effect within direct analysis of benzodiazepines and opioids from urine with desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) and desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization-mass spectrometry (DAPPI-MS). The urine matrix was found to affect the ionization mechanism of the opioids in DAPPI-MS favoring proton transfer over charge exchange reaction. The sensitivity for the drugs in solvent matrix was at the same level with DESI-MS and DAPPI-MS (LODs 0.05-6 {mu}g mL{sup -1}) but the decrease in sensitivity due to the urine matrix was higher with DESI (typically 20-160-fold) than with DAPPI (typically 2-15-fold) indicating better matrix tolerance of DAPPI over DESI. Also in MS/MS mode, DAPPI provided better sensitivity than DESI for the drugs in urine. The feasibility of DAPPI-MS/MS was then studied in screening the same drugs from five authentic, forensic post mortem urine samples. A reference measurement with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) (including pretreatment) revealed 16 findings from the samples, whereas with DAPPI-MS/MS after sample pretreatment, 15 findings were made. Sample pretreatment was found necessary, since only eight findings were made from the same samples untreated.

  5. Spearmint R2R3-MYB transcription factor MsMYB negatively regulates monoterpene production and suppresses the expression of geranyl diphosphate synthase large subunit (MsGPPS.LSU).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddy, Vaishnavi Amarr; Wang, Qian; Dhar, Niha; Kumar, Nadimuthu; Venkatesh, Prasanna Nori; Rajan, Chakravarthy; Panicker, Deepa; Sridhar, Vishweshwaran; Mao, Hui-Zhu; Sarojam, Rajani

    2017-09-01

    Many aromatic plants, such as spearmint, produce valuable essential oils in specialized structures called peltate glandular trichomes (PGTs). Understanding the regulatory mechanisms behind the production of these important secondary metabolites will help design new approaches to engineer them. Here, we identified a PGT-specific R2R3-MYB gene, MsMYB, from comparative RNA-Seq data of spearmint and functionally characterized it. Analysis of MsMYB-RNAi transgenic lines showed increased levels of monoterpenes, and MsMYB-overexpressing lines exhibited decreased levels of monoterpenes. These results suggest that MsMYB is a novel negative regulator of monoterpene biosynthesis. Ectopic expression of MsMYB, in sweet basil and tobacco, perturbed sesquiterpene- and diterpene-derived metabolite production. In addition, we found that MsMYB binds to cis-elements of MsGPPS.LSU and suppresses its expression. Phylogenetic analysis placed MsMYB in subgroup 7 of R2R3-MYBs whose members govern phenylpropanoid pathway and are regulated by miR858. Analysis of transgenic lines showed that MsMYB is more specific to terpene biosynthesis as it did not affect metabolites derived from phenylpropanoid pathway. Further, our results indicate that MsMYB is probably not regulated by miR858, like other members of subgroup 7. © 2017 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. eMZed: an open source framework in Python for rapid and interactive development of LC/MS data analysis workflows

    OpenAIRE

    Kiefer, P; Schmitt, U; Vorholt, J A

    2013-01-01

    Summary: The Python-based, open-source eMZed framework was developed for mass spectrometry (MS) users to create tailored workflows for liquid chromatography (LC)/MS data analysis. The goal was to establish a unique framework with comprehensive basic functionalities that are easy to apply and allow for the extension and modification of the framework in a straightforward manner. eMZed supports the iterative development and prototyping of individual evaluation strategies by providing a computing...

  7. UPLC-MS/MS analysis of antibiotics in pharmaceutical effluent in Tunisia: ecotoxicological impact and multi-resistant bacteria dissemination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tahrani, Leyla; Mehri, Ines; Reyns, Tim; Anthonissen, Roel; Verschaeve, Luc; Khalifa, Anis Bel Haj; Loco, Joris Van; Abdenaceur, Hassen; Mansour, Hedi Ben

    2018-05-01

    The UPLC MS/MS analysis showed the presence of the two antibiotics in the pharmaceutical industry discharges during 3 months; norfloxacin and spiramycin which were quantified with the mean concentrations of 226.7 and 84.2 ng mL -1 , respectively. Sixteen resistant isolates were obtained from the pharmaceutical effluent and identified by sequencing. These isolates belong to different genera, namely Citrobacter, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Delftia, Shewanella, and Rheinheimera. The antibiotic resistance phenotypes of these isolates were determined (27 tested antibiotics-discs). All the studied isolates were found resistant to amoxicillin and gentamicin, and 83.33% of isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Multiple antibiotic resistances were revealed against β-lactams, quinolones, and aminoglycosides families. Our overall results suggest that the obtained bacterial isolates may constitute potential candidates for bioremediation and can be useful for biotechnological applications. Genotoxic effects were assessed by a battery of biotests; the pharmaceutical wastewater was genotoxic according to the bacterial Vitotox test and micronuclei test. Genotoxicity was also evaluated by the comet test; the tail DNA damages reached 38 and 22% for concentrated sample (10×) and non-concentrated sample (1×), respectively. However, the histological sections of kidney and liver's mice treated by pharmaceutical effluent showed normal histology and no visible structural effects or alterations as cytolysis, edema, or ulcerative necrosis were observed. Residual antibiotics can reach water environment through wastewater and provoke dissemination of the antibiotics resistance and induce genotoxic effects.

  8. Evaluation of a fast and simple sample preparation method for PBDE flame retardants and DDT pesticides in fish for analysis by ELISA compared with GC-MS/MS

    Science.gov (United States)

    A simple, fast, and cost-effective sample preparation method, previously developed and validated for the analysis of organic contaminants in fish using low-pressure gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LPGC-MS/MS), was evaluated for analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and dich...

  9. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) based bioavailability determination of the major classes of phytochemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stylos, Evgenios; Chatziathanasiadou, Maria V; Syriopoulou, Aggeliki; Tzakos, Andreas G

    2017-03-15

    Natural products derived from plants have served as an inexhausted source for drug discovery and drug development. They have been evolutionary amplified with drug-like properties and have already illustrated immense therapeutic potential over an array of different diseases. However, their incorporation in the drug discovery pipeline has been diminished the last two decades. This was probably due to barriers related to their inherent difficulties to be integrated in high-throughput screening assays as also their largely unexplored bioavailability. Analytical procedures have come into the spotlight, a result of the continuous development of the instrumentation's capabilities as far as detection and separation is concerned. Integral part of this technological evolution is LC-MS instrumentation and its extended use for the determination of various compounds. The fact that it provides extra sensitivity, specificity and good separation in complex samples, makes LC-MS/MS the ultimate tool in the determination of many types of chemical compounds, such as phytochemicals. Herein, we focus on the achievements of the last five years in quantitative analysis of the major classes of phytochemicals (flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenes, glycosides and saponins) in plasma, through LC-MS/MS, as also their bioavailability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Computer-aided method for identification of major flavone/flavonol glycosides by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhengfang; Lin, Longze; Harnly, James M; Harrington, Peter de B; Chen, Pei

    2014-11-01

    A new computational tool is proposed here for tentatively identifying major (UV quantifiable) flavone/flavonol glycoside peaks of high performance liquid chromatogram (HPLC)-diode array detection (DAD)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) profiles based on a MATLAB-based script implementing an in-house algorithm. The HPLC-DAD-MS/MS profiles of red onion, Chinese lettuce, carrot leaf, and celery seed extracts were analyzed by the proposed computer-aided screening method for identifying possible flavone/flavonol glycoside peaks from the HPLC-UV and MS total ion current (TIC) chromatograms. The number of identified flavone/flavonol glycoside peaks of the HPLC-UV chromatograms is four, four, six, and nine for red onion, Chinese lettuce, carrot leaf, and celery seed, respectively. These results have been validated by human(s) experts. For the batch processing of nine HPLC-DAD-MS/MS profiles of celery seed extract, the entire script execution time was within 15 s while manual calculation of only one HPLC-DAD-MS/MS profile by a flavonoid expert could take hours. Therefore, this MATLAB-based screening method is able to facilitate the HPLC-DAD-MS/MS analysis of flavone/flavonol glycosides in plants to a large extent.

  11. Improved resolution of hydrocarbon structures and constitutional isomers in complex mixtures using Gas Chromatography-Vacuum Ultraviolet-Mass Spectrometry (GC-VUV-MS)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aerosol Dynamics Inc; Aerodyne Research, Inc.,; Tofwerk AG, Thun; Isaacman, Gabriel; Wilson, Kevin R.; Chan, Arthur W. H.; Worton, David R.; Kimmel, Joel R.; Nah, Theodora; Hohaus, Thorsten; Gonin, Marc; Kroll, Jesse H.; Worsnop, Doug R.; Goldstein, Allen H.

    2011-09-13

    Understanding the composition of complex hydrocarbon mixtures is important for environmental studies in a variety of fields, but many prevalent compounds cannot be confidently identified using traditional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. This work uses vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) ionization to elucidate the structures of a traditionally"unresolved complex mixture" by separating components by GC retention time, tR, and mass-to-charge ratio, m/Q, which are used to determine carbon number, NC, and the number of rings and double bonds, NDBE. Constitutional isomers are resolved based on tR, enabling the most complete quantitative analysis to date of structural isomers in an environmentally-relevant hydrocarbon mixture. Unknown compounds are classified in this work by carbon number, degree of saturation, presence of rings, and degree of branching, providing structural constraints. The capabilities of this analysis are explored using diesel fuel, in which constitutional isomer distribution patterns are shown to be reproducible between carbon numbers and follow predictable rules. Nearly half of the aliphatic hydrocarbon mass is shown to be branched, suggesting branching is more important in diesel fuel than previously shown. The classification of unknown hydrocarbons and the resolution of constitutional isomers significantly improves resolution capabilities for any complex hydrocarbon mixture.

  12. Analysis and Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures With Spring Base Isolation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tun Myint Aung; Tin Tin Win, Nyan Myint Kyaw

    2008-06-01

    In the study, analysis and design of four storey reinforced concrete building and it's isolations which is located in seismic zone 4. Then comparison of analysis result between fixed base condition and isolated condition of the building due to multi direction earthquake motions such as horizontal and vertical earthquake. Firstaly, static analysis is used for fixed base condition due to gravity unfactored load to design the helical spring. Secondly spectrum analysis is only utilized for horizontal earthquake and time history analysis is used for both horizontal earthquake and vertical earthquake respectively. Finally, comparison of the analysis results as forces, displacements, drifts, accelerations and shear at various levels of building are presented. The static period of fixed base is 0.4 sec. According to the base isolated concept, base isolated period is lengthened to 0.8 sec, 1 sec and 1.2sec for design earthquake level. The results which are especially compared to base isolated (1.2 sec) and fixed base building show that the displacements of base isolated is more than fixed base building but other seismic response such as acceleration of base isolated is significantly reduced compared to fixed base as well as base isloated building has capacity for reducing of member force of the structure with fixed base building

  13. Quality assessment of DNA derived from up to 30 years old formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue for PCR-based methylation analysis using SMART-MSP and MS-HRM.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kristensen, Lasse S; Wojdacz, Tomasz K; Thestrup, Britta B; Wiuf, Carsten; Hager, Henrik; Hansen, Lise Lotte

    2009-12-21

    The High Resolution Melting (HRM) technology has recently been introduced as a rapid and robust analysis tool for the detection of DNA methylation. The methylation status of multiple tumor suppressor genes may serve as biomarkers for early cancer diagnostics, for prediction of prognosis and for prediction of response to treatment. Therefore, it is important that methodologies for detection of DNA methylation continue to evolve. Sensitive Melting Analysis after Real Time - Methylation Specific PCR (SMART-MSP) and Methylation Sensitive - High Resolution Melting (MS-HRM) are two methods for single locus DNA methylation detection based on HRM. Here, we have assessed the quality of DNA extracted from up to 30 years old Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded (FFPE) tissue for DNA methylation analysis using SMART-MSP and MS-HRM. The quality assessment was performed on DNA extracted from 54 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) samples derived from FFPE tissue, collected over 30 years and grouped into five years intervals. For each sample, the methylation levels of the CDKN2A (p16) and RARB promoters were estimated using SMART-MSP and MS-HRM assays designed to assess the methylation status of the same CpG positions. This allowed for a direct comparison of the methylation levels estimated by the two methods for each sample. CDKN2A promoter methylation levels were successfully determined by SMART-MSP and MS-HRM in all 54 samples. Identical methylation estimates were obtained by the two methods in 46 of the samples. The methylation levels of the RARB promoter were successfully determined by SMART-MSP in all samples. When using MS-HRM to assess RARB methylation five samples failed to amplify and 15 samples showed a melting profile characteristic for heterogeneous methylation. Twenty-seven of the remaining 34 samples, for which the methylation level could be estimated, gave the same result as observed when using SMART-MSP. MS-HRM and SMART-MSP can be successfully used for single locus

  14. Introducing AAA-MS, a rapid and sensitive method for amino acid analysis using isotope dilution and high-resolution mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louwagie, Mathilde; Kieffer-Jaquinod, Sylvie; Dupierris, Véronique; Couté, Yohann; Bruley, Christophe; Garin, Jérôme; Dupuis, Alain; Jaquinod, Michel; Brun, Virginie

    2012-07-06

    Accurate quantification of pure peptides and proteins is essential for biotechnology, clinical chemistry, proteomics, and systems biology. The reference method to quantify peptides and proteins is amino acid analysis (AAA). This consists of an acidic hydrolysis followed by chromatographic separation and spectrophotometric detection of amino acids. Although widely used, this method displays some limitations, in particular the need for large amounts of starting material. Driven by the need to quantify isotope-dilution standards used for absolute quantitative proteomics, particularly stable isotope-labeled (SIL) peptides and PSAQ proteins, we developed a new AAA assay (AAA-MS). This method requires neither derivatization nor chromatographic separation of amino acids. It is based on rapid microwave-assisted acidic hydrolysis followed by high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis of amino acids. Quantification is performed by comparing MS signals from labeled amino acids (SIL peptide- and PSAQ-derived) with those of unlabeled amino acids originating from co-hydrolyzed NIST standard reference materials. For both SIL peptides and PSAQ standards, AAA-MS quantification results were consistent with classical AAA measurements. Compared to AAA assay, AAA-MS was much faster and was 100-fold more sensitive for peptide and protein quantification. Finally, thanks to the development of a labeled protein standard, we also extended AAA-MS analysis to the quantification of unlabeled proteins.

  15. Application of ICP-MS in Environmental Sampling Analysis for Safeguards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eko Pudjadi; Petrus Zacharias; Budi Prayitno

    2004-01-01

    Environmental samples measured by ICP-MS were analyzed for safeguards. There are two isotopes in environmental sampling that is used to find out the origin of nuclear materials and verify undeclared nuclear activities. Uranium isotopes are 234 U, 235 U, 236 U and 238 U and Plutonium isotopes are 239 Pu, 240 Pu, 241 Pu and 242 Pu. Uranium isotopes are used to verify an existing of nuclear power plants, enrichment plants or reprocessing plants. Plutonium isotopes are used to clarify global fallout from nuclear weapon testing and accident of nuclear facility or military purposes. The high sensitivity of ICP-MS can detect the isotopic fingerprint and trace elements in ppb concentration; ICP-MS has been applied to measure 235 U isotopic ratio and 240 Pu/ 239 Pu isotopic ratios. The sensitivity of ICP-MS is high precision and low operational cost in environmental sampling and can be considered in nuclear power design based on safeguards for development countries. (author)

  16. LC-MS (/MS) in clinical toxicology screening methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viette, Véronique; Hochstrasser, Denis; Fathi, Marc

    2012-01-01

    Toxicological screening is the analysis of biological samples to detect and identify unknown compounds. The high selectivity and sensitivity of liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) or tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) technology provide an attractive alternative to the current methods (LC-UV, GC/MS, etc.). For these reasons, an increasing number of applications are being published. This paper is a brief overview of LC-MS(/MS) screening methods developed for clinical toxicology in recent years. Various sample treatments, chromatographic separations and detection by mass spectrometry can be combined to obtain screening methods adapted to the constraints and needs of clinical toxicology laboratories. Currently the techniques are in the hands of specialists, mainly in academic institutions. However, the evolution in technology should allow application of these techniques as a tool in toxicology laboratories, thus allowing a more widespread exploitation of their potential.

  17. Experimental design-based isotope-dilution SPME-GC/MS method development for the analysis of smoke flavouring products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giri, Anupam; Zelinkova, Zuzana; Wenzl, Thomas

    2017-12-01

    For the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 2065/2003 related to smoke flavourings used or intended for use in or on foods a method based on solid-phase micro extraction (SPME) GC/MS was developed for the characterisation of liquid smoke products. A statistically based experimental design (DoE) was used for method optimisation. The best general conditions to quantitatively analyse the liquid smoke compounds were obtained with a polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fibre, 60°C extraction temperature, 30 min extraction time, 250°C desorption temperature, 180 s desorption time, 15 s agitation time, and 250 rpm agitation speed. Under the optimised conditions, 119 wood pyrolysis products including furan/pyran derivatives, phenols, guaiacol, syringol, benzenediol, and their derivatives, cyclic ketones, and several other heterocyclic compounds were identified. The proposed method was repeatable (RSD% <5) and the calibration functions were linear for all compounds under study. Nine isotopically labelled internal standards were used for improving quantification of analytes by compensating matrix effects that might affect headspace equilibrium and extractability of compounds. The optimised isotope dilution SPME-GC/MS based analytical method proved to be fit for purpose, allowing the rapid identification and quantification of volatile compounds in liquid smoke flavourings.

  18. Development and validation of a method for the analysis of Ochratoxin A in roasted coffee by liquid chromatography/electrospray-mass spectrometry in Tandem (LC/ESI-MS/MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel D. C. C. Bandeira

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available A method using LC/ESI-MS/MS for the quantitative analysis of Ochratoxin A in roasted coffee was described. Linearity was demonstrated (r = 0.9175. The limits of detection and quantification were 1.0 and 3.0 ng g-1, respectively. Trueness, repeatability and intermediate precision values were 89.0-108.8%; 2.4-13.7%; 12.5-17.8%, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in which Ochratoxin A in roasted coffee is analysed by LC/ESI-MS/MS, contributing to the field of mycotoxin analysis, and it will be used for future production of Certified Reference Material.

  19. Quantitative analysis of unconjugated and total bisphenol A in human urine using solid-phase extraction and UPLC-MS/MS: method implementation, method qualification and troubleshooting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buscher, Brigitte; van de Lagemaat, Dick; Gries, Wolfgang; Beyer, Dieter; Markham, Dan A; Budinsky, Robert A; Dimond, Stephen S; Nath, Rajesh V; Snyder, Stephanie A; Hentges, Steven G

    2015-11-15

    The aim of the presented investigation was to document challenges encountered during implementation and qualification of a method for bisphenol A (BPA) analysis and to develop and discuss precautions taken to avoid and to monitor contamination with BPA during sample handling and analysis. Previously developed and published HPLC-MS/MS methods for the determination of unconjugated BPA (Markham et al. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 34 (2010) 293-303) [17] and total BPA (Markham et al. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 38 (2014) 194-203) [20] in human urine were combined and transferred into another laboratory. The initial method for unconjugated BPA was developed and evaluated in two independent laboratories simultaneously. The second method for total BPA was developed and evaluated in one of these laboratories to conserve resources. Accurate analysis of BPA at sub-ppb levels is a challenging task as BPA is a widely used material and is ubiquitous in the environment at trace concentrations. Propensity for contamination of biological samples with BPA is reported in the literature during sample collection, storage, and/or analysis. Contamination by trace levels of BPA is so pervasive that even with extraordinary care, it is difficult to completely exclude the introduction of BPA into biological samples and, consequently, contamination might have an impact on BPA biomonitoring data. The applied UPLC-MS/MS method was calibrated from 0.05 to 25ng/ml. The limit of quantification was 0.1ng/ml for unconjugated BPA and 0.2ng/ml for total BPA, respectively, in human urine. Finally, the method was applied to urine samples derived from 20 volunteers. Overall, BPA can be analyzed in human urine with acceptable recovery and repeatability if sufficient measures are taken to avoid contamination throughout the procedure from sample collection until UPLC-MS/MS analysis. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. A comparative analysis of Piezoelectric and Magnetostrictive actuators in Smart Structures

    OpenAIRE

    Pons Rovira, José Luis

    2005-01-01

    [EN] This paper introduces a comparative analysis of Piezoelectric (PZ) and Magnetostrictive (MS) actuators as components in smart structures. There is an increasing interest in functional structures which are able to adapt to external or internal perturbations, i.e. changes in loading conditions or ageing. Actuator technologies must perform concomitantly as sensors and actuators to be applicable in smart structures. In this paper we will comparatively analyze the possibility of usin...

  1. Selective extraction of phospholipids from dairy products by micro-solid phase extraction based on titanium dioxide microcolumns followed by MALDI-TOF-MS analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Calvano, Cosima; Jensen, Ole; Zambonin, Carlo

    2009-01-01

    A new micro-solid phase extraction (micro-SPE) procedure based on titanium dioxide microcolumns was developed for the selective extraction of phospholipids (PLs) from dairy products before matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis. All...... the extraction steps (loading, washing, and elution) have been optimized using a synthetic mixture of PLs standard and the procedure was subsequently applied to food samples such as milk, chocolate milk and butter. The whole method demonstrated to be simpler than traditional approaches and it appears very...

  2. ICP-MS and elemental tags for the life sciences

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giesen, Charlotte

    2012-08-07

    Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been applied for the analysis of biomolecules due to its high sensitivity, wide linear dynamic range, and multielement capabilities. However, outside the elemental MS community the potential of this technique, e.g. for life sciences applications, is not yet fully exploited. Thus, the development of ICP-MS-based (immuno) assays for a wide range of medical (cancer diagnostics, cisplatin toxicity studies), biochemical (DNA microarray, single cell analysis), and environmental (analysis of comestible goods) applications was accomplished by utilization of chemical labels. Laser ablation (LA)-ICP-MS was employed for the direct analysis of solid samples like microarrays and thin tissue sections. An immunoassay was developed for ochratoxin A (OTA) determination in wine, and ICP-MS detection was compared to conventional photometry by gold nanoparticle tagging and horseradish peroxidase, respectively. Detection limits of the assay were optimized to 0.003 {mu}g L{sup -1}, and the quantification range was 0.01-1 {mu}g L{sup -1} for both methods. For LA-ICP-MS-based DNA microarray detection, gold nanoparticle tags were specifically introduced via a streptavidin-biotin linkage. In immunohistochemistry (IHC), up to 20 tumor markers are routinely evaluated for one patient and thus, a common analysis results in a series of time consuming staining procedures. Hence, LA-ICP-MS was elaborated as a detection tool for a novel, multiplexed IHC analysis of tissue sections. Different lanthanides were employed for the simultaneous detection of up to three tumor markers (Her 2, CK 7, and MUC 1) in a breast cancer tissue. Additionally, iodine was employed as a labeling reagent, and a new LA-ICP-MS method for single cell and cell nucleus imaging was developed at 4 {mu}m laser spot size. Iodine was also applied as a new internal standard for tissue samples. Moreover, Pt-protein complexes separated by an optimized 1D and 2D gel

  3. Validated LC-MS/MS Method for the Quantification of Free and Bound Lignans in Cereal-Based Diets and Feces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørskov, Natalja; Knudsen, Knud Erik Bach

    2016-01-01

    lignans (matairesinol, hydroxymatairesinol, secoisolariciresinol, lariciresinol, isolariciresinol, syringaresinol, medioresinol, and pinoresinol) and two enterolignans (enterodiol and enterolactone) in cereal-based diets/bread and feces. The method consisted of alkaline methanolic extraction combined......Despite the extensive literature describing the biological effects of phenolic compounds from cereals, little is known about their bioaccessibility in the food matrix. This paper describes a validated LC-MS/MS method for the quantification of free and total content (free + bound) of eight plant...

  4. Structural Analysis of Wendelstein 7-X: Main Results and Critical Issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bykov, V.

    2006-01-01

    The goal of the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator project at Greifswald, Germany, is to demonstrate that the stellarator is a viable option for a fusion power-plant. The construction phase of W7-X is quite advanced, and the project has entered the assembly stage. The main W7-X structural components are the magnet system (MS) and the cryostat system, the latter comprising the outer vessel (OV), the plasma vessel (PV) and the ports. Both systems are supported by the Machine Base (MB). The W7-X '' pentagonal '' basic magnet system, composed of 50 non planar coils and 20 planar coils, is capable to generate a magnetic field up to 3 Tesla at the plasma axis. The weight of the coils and the electromagnetic (EM) loads are transferred to a central support structure by two central support elements (CSEs) per each coil. The complexity of the magnet system is caused not only by the complicated configuration of the non-planar coils, but also by contact-sliding interfaces between adjacent coils as well as between winding pack and coil cases, and by the bolted CSEs relying on flange openings. The OV and PV are interconnected by 299 ports with bellows, by the PV horizontal centering system, and by the MB via the vertical supports. Due to the large number of openings, both vessels are relatively flexible. The reliable prediction of a structural behavior of W7-X is not possible without a set of finite element (FE) models. A special strategy has been developed for the structural analysis which is under implementation now. The MS system is highly sensitive to parameter variations which is the main reason that the analysis strategy is based on completely independent FE global models (GM) realized in ANSYS, ADINA, and ABAQUS. The cryostat system ANSYS GM includes the OV, the PV, the ports with bellows, and the MB; an independent analysis of the components without taking into account their interactions would not be accurate enough. The local analyses of W7-X components are being

  5. Analysis of stable isotope assisted metabolomics data acquired by GC-MS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, Xiaoli; Shi, Biyun; Koo, Imhoi; Yin, Xinmin; Lorkiewicz, Pawel; Suhail, Hamid; Rattan, Ramandeep; Giri, Shailendra; McClain, Craig J.

    2017-01-01

    Stable isotope assisted metabolomics (SIAM) measures the abundance levels of metabolites in a particular pathway using stable isotope tracers (e.g., 13 C, 18 O and/or 15 N). We report a method termed signature ion approach for analysis of SIAM data acquired on a GC-MS system equipped with an electron ionization (EI) ion source. The signature ion is a fragment ion in EI mass spectrum of a derivatized metabolite that contains all atoms of the underivatized metabolite, except the hydrogen atoms lost during derivatization. In this approach, GC-MS data of metabolite standards were used to recognize the signature ion from the EI mass spectra acquired from stable isotope labeled samples, and a linear regression model was used to deconvolute the intensity of overlapping isotopologues. A mixture score function was also employed for cross-sample chromatographic peak list alignment to recognize the chromatographic peaks generated by the same metabolite in different samples, by simultaneously evaluating the similarity of retention time and EI mass spectrum of two chromatographic peaks. Analysis of a mixture of 16 13 C-labeled and 16 unlabeled amino acids showed that the signature ion approach accurately identified and quantified all isotopologues. Analysis of polar metabolite extracts from cells respectively fed with uniform 13 C-glucose and 13 C-glutamine further demonstrated that this method can also be used to analyze the complex data acquired from biological samples. - Highlights: • A signature ion approach is developed for analysis of stable isotope GC-MS data. • GC-MS data of compound standards are used for selection of the signature ion. • Linear regression model is used to deconvolute the overlapping isotopologue peaks. • The developed method was tested by known compounds and biological samples.

  6. MS2Analyzer: A Software for Small Molecule Substructure Annotations from Accurate Tandem Mass Spectra

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Systematic analysis and interpretation of the large number of tandem mass spectra (MS/MS) obtained in metabolomics experiments is a bottleneck in discovery-driven research. MS/MS mass spectral libraries are small compared to all known small molecule structures and are often not freely available. MS2Analyzer was therefore developed to enable user-defined searches of thousands of spectra for mass spectral features such as neutral losses, m/z differences, and product and precursor ions from MS/MS spectra in MSP/MGF files. The software is freely available at http://fiehnlab.ucdavis.edu/projects/MS2Analyzer/. As the reference query set, 147 literature-reported neutral losses and their corresponding substructures were collected. This set was tested for accuracy of linking neutral loss analysis to substructure annotations using 19 329 accurate mass tandem mass spectra of structurally known compounds from the NIST11 MS/MS library. Validation studies showed that 92.1 ± 6.4% of 13 typical neutral losses such as acetylations, cysteine conjugates, or glycosylations are correct annotating the associated substructures, while the absence of mass spectra features does not necessarily imply the absence of such substructures. Use of this tool has been successfully demonstrated for complex lipids in microalgae. PMID:25263576

  7. Forensic identification of trunk mat by trace element analysis of single fiber with laser ablation ICP-MS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiroma, Yuki; Nakai, Izumi; Hokura, Akiko

    2010-01-01

    The application of LA-ICP-MS (laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) to the chemical characterization of single trunk mat fibers made of PET was investigated in order to establish a forensic analytical method for the discrimination of samples of different origins. The analytical conditions of LA-ICP-MS equipped with a 213 nm Nd : YAG laser were optimized to analyze trace elements, such as Cu, Sb, and Ba at ppm levels. A total of 31 samples produced by 7 car manufactures in Japan were used for analysis. The concentrations of Li, Mg, Al, P, Ca, Ti, Co, Cu, Ge, Nb, Sb, Ta, and Pb were successfully measured from a single fiber sample with a diameter of ca. 20 μm. It was possible to discriminate all 31 samples based on the analytical results of a single fiber by LA-ICP-MS combined with those of FT-IR and SEM-EDS. LA-ICP-MS has good analytical sensitivity, and requires a much shorter preparation time and a smaller sample size than any other conventional element analysis methods. This paper demonstrates for the first time that this method is practically useful as a powerful tool for the forensic identification of a single trunk mat fiber. (author)

  8. Identification of novel biomarkers for sepsis prognosis via urinary proteomic analysis using iTRAQ labeling and 2D-LC-MS/MS.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Longxiang Su

    Full Text Available Sepsis is the major cause of death for critically ill patients. Recent progress in proteomics permits a thorough characterization of the mechanisms associated with critical illness. The purpose of this study was to screen potential biomarkers for early prognostic assessment of patients with sepsis.For the discovery stage, 30 sepsis patients with different prognoses were selected. Urinary proteins were identified using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ coupled with LC-MS/MS. Mass spec instrument analysis were performed with Mascot software and the International Protein Index (IPI; bioinformatic analyses were used by the algorithm of set and the Gene Ontology (GO Database. For the verification stage, the study involved another 54 sepsis-hospitalized patients, with equal numbers of patients in survivor and non-survivor groups based on 28-day survival. Differentially expressed proteins were verified by Western Blot.A total of 232 unique proteins were identified. Proteins that were differentially expressed were further analyzed based on the pathophysiology of sepsis and biomathematics. For sepsis prognosis, five proteins were significantly up-regulated: selenium binding protein-1, heparan sulfate proteoglycan-2, alpha-1-B glycoprotein, haptoglobin, and lipocalin; two proteins were significantly down-regulated: lysosome-associated membrane proteins-1 and dipeptidyl peptidase-4. Based on gene ontology clustering, these proteins were associated with the biological processes of lipid homeostasis, cartilage development, iron ion transport, and certain metabolic processes. Urinary LAMP-1 was down-regulated, consistent with the Western Blot validation.This study provides the proteomic analysis of urine to identify prognostic biomarkers of sepsis. The seven identified proteins provide insight into the mechanism of sepsis. Low urinary LAMP-1 levels may be useful for early prognostic assessment of sepsis.ClinicalTrial.gov NCT01493492.

  9. Characterization of Enhancing MS Lesions by Dynamic Texture Parameter Analysis of Dynamic Susceptibility Perfusion Imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajeev K. Verma

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate statistical differences with MR perfusion imaging features that reflect the dynamics of Gadolinium-uptake in MS lesions using dynamic texture parameter analysis (DTPA. Methods. We investigated 51 MS lesions (25 enhancing, 26 nonenhancing lesions of 12 patients. Enhancing lesions (n=25 were prestratified into enhancing lesions with increased permeability (EL+; n=11 and enhancing lesions with subtle permeability (EL−; n=14. Histogram-based feature maps were computed from the raw DSC-image time series and the corresponding texture parameters were analyzed during the inflow, outflow, and reperfusion time intervals. Results. Significant differences (p<0.05 were found between EL+ and EL− and between EL+ and nonenhancing inactive lesions (NEL. Main effects between EL+ versus EL− and EL+ versus NEL were observed during reperfusion (mainly in mean and standard deviation (SD: EL+ versus EL− and EL+ versus NEL, while EL− and NEL differed only in their SD during outflow. Conclusion. DTPA allows grading enhancing MS lesions according to their perfusion characteristics. Texture parameters of EL− were similar to NEL, while EL+ differed significantly from EL− and NEL. Dynamic texture analysis may thus be further investigated as noninvasive endogenous marker of lesion formation and restoration.

  10. HPLC-RID-DAD-MS analysis of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Macasek, F.; Buriova, E.; Bruder, P.

    2001-01-01

    Objective of new method of FDG analysis development is to replace existing tests by more complex assay. In this work, a liquid chromatography/refractive index detector/diode array detector/mass spectrometric detector combination (HPLC/RID/DAD/MSD) was used for development of a complex routine technique. Optimization of the HPLC/MS analysis was performed investigating MSD analytical signal as a function of various eluent composition. HPLC-RID-DAD-MSD analysis has potentiality of a complex quality control of radiopharmaceuticals, FDG in particular, providing information about: isotope composition; chemical composition; biochemical composition; radiation stability; pharmacodynamics. (author)

  11. Estimation of Hydrogen-Exchange Protection Factors from MD Simulation Based on Amide Hydrogen Bonding Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, In-Hee; Venable, John D.; Steckler, Caitlin; Cellitti, Susan E.; Lesley, Scott A.; Spraggon, Glen; Brock, Ansgar

    2015-01-01

    Hydrogen exchange (HX) studies have provided critical insight into our understanding of protein folding, structure and dynamics. More recently, Hydrogen Exchange Mass Spectrometry (HX-MS) has become a widely applicable tool for HX studies. The interpretation of the wealth of data generated by HX-MS experiments as well as other HX methods would greatly benefit from the availability of exchange predictions derived from structures or models for comparison with experiment. Most reported computational HX modeling studies have employed solvent-accessible-surface-area based metrics in attempts to interpret HX data on the basis of structures or models. In this study, a computational HX-MS prediction method based on classification of the amide hydrogen bonding modes mimicking the local unfolding model is demonstrated. Analysis of the NH bonding configurations from Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation snapshots is used to determine partitioning over bonded and non-bonded NH states and is directly mapped into a protection factor (PF) using a logistics growth function. Predicted PFs are then used for calculating deuteration values of peptides and compared with experimental data. Hydrogen exchange MS data for Fatty acid synthase thioesterase (FAS-TE) collected for a range of pHs and temperatures was used for detailed evaluation of the approach. High correlation between prediction and experiment for observable fragment peptides is observed in the FAS-TE and additional benchmarking systems that included various apo/holo proteins for which literature data were available. In addition, it is shown that HX modeling can improve experimental resolution through decomposition of in-exchange curves into rate classes, which correlate with prediction from MD. Successful rate class decompositions provide further evidence that the presented approach captures the underlying physical processes correctly at the single residue level. This assessment is further strengthened in a comparison of

  12. Model based fault diagnosis in a centrifugal pump application using structural analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kallesøe, C. S.; Izadi-Zamanabadi, Roozbeh; Rasmussen, Henrik

    2004-01-01

    A model based approach for fault detection and isolation in a centrifugal pump is proposed in this paper. The fault detection algorithm is derived using a combination of structural analysis, Analytical Redundant Relations (ARR) and observer designs. Structural considerations on the system are used...

  13. Model Based Fault Diagnosis in a Centrifugal Pump Application using Structural Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kallesøe, C. S.; Izadi-Zamanabadi, Roozbeh; Rasmussen, Henrik

    2004-01-01

    A model based approach for fault detection and isolation in a centrifugal pump is proposed in this paper. The fault detection algorithm is derived using a combination of structural analysis, Analytical Redundant Relations (ARR) and observer designs. Structural considerations on the system are used...

  14. Comparison of Multiple Bioactive Constituents in Different Parts of Eucommia ulmoides Based on UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS Combined with PCA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ying Yan

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Eucommia ulmoides Oilv. (EU, also called Du-zhong, is a classical traditional Chinese medicine. Its bark, leaf, and male flower are all used for medicinal purposes, called Eucommiae Cortex (EC, Eucommiae Folium (EF, and Eucommiae Flos Male (EFM. In order to study the difference in synthesis and the accumulation of metabolites in different parts of EU, a reliable method based on ultra-fast liquid chromatography tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS was developed for the simultaneous determination of a total of 21 constituents, including two lignans, 6 iridoids, 6 penylpropanoids, 6 flavonoids, and one phenol in the samples (EC, EF, and EFM. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA was performed to evaluate and classify the samples according to the contents of these 21 constituents. All of the results demonstrated that the chemical compositions in EC, EF, and EFM were significantly different and the differential constituents (i.e., aucubin, geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid, pinoresinol-di-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, geniposide, cryptochlorogenic acid, rutin, and quercetin were remarkably associated with sample classifications. The research will provide the basic information for revealing the laws of metabolite accumulation in EC, EF, and EFM from the same origin.

  15. Comparison of Multiple Bioactive Constituents in Different Parts of Eucommia ulmoides Based on UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS Combined with PCA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Ying; Zhao, Hui; Chen, Cuihua; Zou, Lisi; Liu, Xunhong; Chai, Chuan; Wang, Chengcheng; Shi, Jingjing; Chen, Shuyu

    2018-03-13

    Eucommia ulmoides Oilv. (EU), also called Du-zhong, is a classical traditional Chinese medicine. Its bark, leaf, and male flower are all used for medicinal purposes, called Eucommiae Cortex (EC), Eucommiae Folium (EF), and Eucommiae Flos Male (EFM). In order to study the difference in synthesis and the accumulation of metabolites in different parts of EU, a reliable method based on ultra-fast liquid chromatography tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of a total of 21 constituents, including two lignans, 6 iridoids, 6 penylpropanoids, 6 flavonoids, and one phenol in the samples (EC, EF, and EFM). Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to evaluate and classify the samples according to the contents of these 21 constituents. All of the results demonstrated that the chemical compositions in EC, EF, and EFM were significantly different and the differential constituents (i.e., aucubin, geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid, pinoresinol-di- O -β-d-glucopyranoside, geniposide, cryptochlorogenic acid, rutin, and quercetin) were remarkably associated with sample classifications. The research will provide the basic information for revealing the laws of metabolite accumulation in EC, EF, and EFM from the same origin.

  16. A novel study of screening and confirmation of modafinil, adrafinil and their metabolite modafinilic acid under EI-GC-MS and ESI-LC-MS-MS ionization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubey, S; Ahi, S; Reddy, I M; Kaur, T; Beotra, A; Jain, S

    2009-12-01

    Adrafinil and modafinil have received wide publicity and have become controversial in the sporting world when several athletes were discovered allegedly using these drugs as doping agents. By acknowledging the facts, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned these drugs in sports since 2004. The present study explores the possibility of differentiating adrafinil and modafinil and their major metabolites under electron impact ionization in gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MSD) and electrospray ionization in liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) by studying the fragmentation pattern of these drugs. Adrafinil, modafinil and their major metabolite, modafinilic acid were analyzed on EI-GC-MSD and ESI-LC-MS/MS using various individual parameters on both the instruments. The analytical technique and equipment used in the analysis were an Agilent 6890N GC with 5973 mass selective detector for the GC-MSD analysis and an Agilent 1100 HPLC with API-3200 Triple quadrupole mass spectrometer for the LC-MS/MS analysis. Validation of both methods was performed using six replicates at different concentrations. The results show that adrafinil, modafinil and their major metabolite modafinilic acid could be detected as a single artifact without differentiation under EI-GC-MSD analysis. However, all drugs could be detected and differentiated under ESI-LCMS/MS analysis without any artifaction. The GC-MSD analysis gives a single artifact for both the drugs without differentiation and thus can be used as a marker for screening purposes. Further, the Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) method developed under LC-MS/MS is fit for the purpose for confirmation of suspicious samples in routine sports testing and in forensic and clinical analysis.

  17. Network-based analysis of proteomic profiles

    KAUST Repository

    Wong, Limsoon

    2016-01-26

    Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics is a widely used and powerful tool for profiling systems-wide protein expression changes. It can be applied for various purposes, e.g. biomarker discovery in diseases and study of drug responses. Although RNA-based high-throughput methods have been useful in providing glimpses into the underlying molecular processes, the evidences they provide are indirect. Furthermore, RNA and corresponding protein levels have been known to have poor correlation. On the other hand, MS-based proteomics tend to have consistency issues (poor reproducibility and inter-sample agreement) and coverage issues (inability to detect the entire proteome) that need to be urgently addressed. In this talk, I will discuss how these issues can be addressed by proteomic profile analysis techniques that use biological networks (especially protein complexes) as the biological context. In particular, I will describe several techniques that we have been developing for network-based analysis of proteomics profile. And I will present evidence that these techniques are useful in identifying proteomics-profile analysis results that are more consistent, more reproducible, and more biologically coherent, and that these techniques allow expansion of the detected proteome to uncover and/or discover novel proteins.

  18. Simultaneous determination of creatinine and creatine in human serum by double-spike isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-Fernández, Mario; Rodríguez-González, Pablo; Añón Álvarez, M Elena; Rodríguez, Felix; Menéndez, Francisco V Álvarez; García Alonso, J Ignacio

    2015-04-07

    This work describes the first multiple spiking isotope dilution procedure for organic compounds using (13)C labeling. A double-spiking isotope dilution method capable of correcting and quantifying the creatine-creatinine interconversion occurring during the analytical determination of both compounds in human serum is presented. The determination of serum creatinine may be affected by the interconversion between creatine and creatinine during sample preparation or by inefficient chemical separation of those compounds by solid phase extraction (SPE). The methodology is based on the use differently labeled (13)C analogues ((13)C1-creatinine and (13)C2-creatine), the measurement of the isotopic distribution of creatine and creatinine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and the application of multiple linear regression. Five different lyophilized serum-based controls and two certified human serum reference materials (ERM-DA252a and ERM-DA253a) were analyzed to evaluate the accuracy and precision of the proposed double-spike LC-MS/MS method. The methodology was applied to study the creatine-creatinine interconversion during LC-MS/MS and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses and the separation efficiency of the SPE step required in the traditional gas chromatography-isotope dilution mass spectrometry (GC-IDMS) reference methods employed for the determination of serum creatinine. The analysis of real serum samples by GC-MS showed that creatine-creatinine separation by SPE can be a nonquantitative step that may induce creatinine overestimations up to 28% in samples containing high amounts of creatine. Also, a detectable conversion of creatine into creatinine was observed during sample preparation for LC-MS/MS. The developed double-spike LC-MS/MS improves the current state of the art for the determination of creatinine in human serum by isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS), because corrections are made for all the possible errors

  19. HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS Analysis of Flavonoids from Leaves of Different Cultivars of Sweet Osmanthus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yiguang; Fu, Jianxin; Zhang, Chao; Zhao, Hongbo

    2016-09-14

    Osmanthus fragrans Lour. has traditionally been a popular ornamental plant in China. In this study, ethanol extracts of the leaves of four cultivar groups of O. fragrans were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) and high-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization and mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS). The results suggest that variation in flavonoids among O. fragrans cultivars is quantitative, rather than qualitative. Fifteen components were detected and separated, among which, the structures of 11 flavonoids and two coumarins were identified or tentatively identified. According to principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) based on the abundance of these components (expressed as rutin equivalents), 22 selected cultivars were classified into four clusters. The seven cultivars from Cluster III ('Xiaoye Sugui', 'Boye Jingui', 'Wuyi Dangui', 'Yingye Dangui', 'Danzhuang', 'Foding Zhu', and 'Tianxiang Taige'), which are enriched in rutin and total flavonoids, and 'Sijigui' from Cluster II which contained the highest amounts of kaempferol glycosides and apigenin 7-O-glucoside, could be selected as potential pharmaceutical resources. However, the chemotaxonomy in this paper does not correlate with the distribution of the existing cultivar groups, demonstrating that the distribution of flavonoids in O. fragrans leaves does not provide an effective means of classification for O. fragrans cultivars based on flower color.

  20. Contaminant screening of wastewater with HPLC-IM-qTOF-MS and LC+LC-IM-qTOF-MS using a CCS database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephan, Susanne; Hippler, Joerg; Köhler, Timo; Deeb, Ahmad A; Schmidt, Torsten C; Schmitz, Oliver J

    2016-09-01

    Non-target analysis has become an important tool in the field of water analysis since a broad variety of pollutants from different sources are released to the water cycle. For identification of compounds in such complex samples, liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry are often used. The introduction of ion mobility spectrometry provides an additional separation dimension and allows determining collision cross sections (CCS) of the analytes as a further physicochemical constant supporting the identification. A CCS database with more than 500 standard substances including drug-like compounds and pesticides was used for CCS data base search in this work. A non-target analysis of a wastewater sample was initially performed with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to an ion mobility-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometer (IM-qTOF-MS). A database search including exact mass (±5 ppm) and CCS (±1 %) delivered 22 different compounds. Furthermore, the same sample was analyzed with a two-dimensional LC method, called LC+LC, developed in our group for the coupling to IM-qTOF-MS. This four dimensional separation platform revealed 53 different compounds, identified over exact mass and CCS, in the examined wastewater sample. It is demonstrated that the CCS database can also help to distinguish between isobaric structures exemplified for cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide. Graphical Abstract Scheme of sample analysis and database screening.

  1. Topic model-based mass spectrometric data analysis in cancer biomarker discovery studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Minkun; Tsai, Tsung-Heng; Di Poto, Cristina; Ferrarini, Alessia; Yu, Guoqiang; Ressom, Habtom W

    2016-08-18

    A fundamental challenge in quantitation of biomolecules for cancer biomarker discovery is owing to the heterogeneous nature of human biospecimens. Although this issue has been a subject of discussion in cancer genomic studies, it has not yet been rigorously investigated in mass spectrometry based proteomic and metabolomic studies. Purification of mass spectometric data is highly desired prior to subsequent analysis, e.g., quantitative comparison of the abundance of biomolecules in biological samples. We investigated topic models to computationally analyze mass spectrometric data considering both integrated peak intensities and scan-level features, i.e., extracted ion chromatograms (EICs). Probabilistic generative models enable flexible representation in data structure and infer sample-specific pure resources. Scan-level modeling helps alleviate information loss during data preprocessing. We evaluated the capability of the proposed models in capturing mixture proportions of contaminants and cancer profiles on LC-MS based serum proteomic and GC-MS based tissue metabolomic datasets acquired from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis as well as synthetic data we generated based on the serum proteomic data. The results we obtained by analysis of the synthetic data demonstrated that both intensity-level and scan-level purification models can accurately infer the mixture proportions and the underlying true cancerous sources with small average error ratios (data, we found more proteins and metabolites with significant changes between HCC cases and cirrhotic controls. Candidate biomarkers selected after purification yielded biologically meaningful pathway analysis results and improved disease discrimination power in terms of the area under ROC curve compared to the results found prior to purification. We investigated topic model-based inference methods to computationally address the heterogeneity issue in samples analyzed by LC/GC-MS. We observed

  2. Analysis of inorganic and organic constituents of myrrh resin by GC–MS and ICP-MS: An emphasis on medicinal assets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Syed Rizwan Ahamad

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present investigation was to explore the constituents of the Arabian myrrh resin obtained from Commiphora myrrha. The organic and inorganic composition of the myrrh gum resin has been investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS. Analysis executed by ICP-MS reveals the presence of various inorganic elements in significant amount in the myrrh resin. The elements that were found to be present in large amounts include calcium, magnesium, aluminum, phosphorus, chlorine, chromium, bromine and scandium. The important organic constituents identified in the myrrh ethanolic extract include limonene, curzerene, germacrene B, isocericenine, myrcenol, beta selinene, and spathulenol,. The present work complements other myrrh associated investigations done in the past and provides additional data for the future researches.

  3. Analysis of inorganic and organic constituents of myrrh resin by GC-MS and ICP-MS: An emphasis on medicinal assets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahamad, Syed Rizwan; Al-Ghadeer, Abdul Rahman; Ali, Raisuddin; Qamar, Wajhul; Aljarboa, Suliman

    2017-07-01

    The aim of the present investigation was to explore the constituents of the Arabian myrrh resin obtained from Commiphora myrrha. The organic and inorganic composition of the myrrh gum resin has been investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Analysis executed by ICP-MS reveals the presence of various inorganic elements in significant amount in the myrrh resin. The elements that were found to be present in large amounts include calcium, magnesium, aluminum, phosphorus, chlorine, chromium, bromine and scandium. The important organic constituents identified in the myrrh ethanolic extract include limonene, curzerene, germacrene B, isocericenine, myrcenol, beta selinene, and spathulenol,. The present work complements other myrrh associated investigations done in the past and provides additional data for the future researches.

  4. Vibration-based structural health monitoring of harbor caisson structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, So-Young; Lee, So-Ra; Kim, Jeong-Tae

    2011-04-01

    This study presents vibration-based structural health monitoring method in foundation-structure interface of harbor caisson structure. In order to achieve the objective, the following approaches are implemented. Firstly, vibration-based response analysis method is selected and structural health monitoring (SHM) technique is designed for harbor caisson structure. Secondly, the performance of designed SHM technique for harbor structure is examined by FE analysis. Finally, the applicability of designed SHM technique for harbor structure is evaluated by dynamic tests on a lab-scaled caisson structure.

  5. HPLC/MS analysis of glucose and fluorodeoxyglucose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruder, P.; Macasek, F.; Patakyova, A.; Buriova, E.

    2001-01-01

    Objective of a new method of FDG analysis development is to replace existing tests by a more complex assay. In this work, a liquid chromatography/refractive index detector/ radiometric detector/mass spectrometric detector combination (HPLC/RID/RAD/MSD) was used for development of a complex routine technique. Optimization of HPLC/MS analysis was performed investigating the MSD analytical signal as a function of various eluent composition. Solutions of glucose in methanol/water and acetonitrile/water solutions of various semi-volatile electrolytes (ammonium chloride, formic acid, ammonium formate) were analyzed on the Agilent 1100 HPLC/RID/DAD/MSD system either in the flow injection (FIA) mode of analysis, and after passing the samples through Zorbax C-18 column. The most intensive signals of the ions were obtained in the acetonitrile : 0.25% ammonium formate = 80:20 solutions. This eluent would be also used for the radioactive FDG analysis on the Asahipak NH2P columns. (authors)

  6. HPLC/MS analysis of glucose and fluorodeoxyglucose

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bruder, P; Macasek, F; Patakyova, A; Buriova, E [Department of Nuclear Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, 84215 Bratislava (Slovakia)

    2001-05-31

    Objective of a new method of FDG analysis development is to replace existing tests by a more complex assay. In this work, a liquid chromatography/refractive index detector/ radiometric detector/mass spectrometric detector combination (HPLC/RID/RAD/MSD) was used for development of a complex routine technique. Optimization of HPLC/MS analysis was performed investigating the MSD analytical signal as a function of various eluent composition. Solutions of glucose in methanol/water and acetonitrile/water solutions of various semi-volatile electrolytes (ammonium chloride, formic acid, ammonium formate) were analyzed on the Agilent 1100 HPLC/RID/DAD/MSD system either in the flow injection (FIA) mode of analysis, and after passing the samples through Zorbax C-18 column. The most intensive signals of the ions were obtained in the acetonitrile : 0.25% ammonium formate = 80:20 solutions. This eluent would be also used for the radioactive FDG analysis on the Asahipak NH2P columns. (authors)

  7. Improvement of Nicotinic Acid and Nicotinamide Analysis in Meats and Meat Products by HPLC and LC-MS/MS with Solid-Phase Extraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiki, Asako; Yamajima, Yukiko; Uematsu, Yoko

    2016-01-01

    A method for nicotinic acid (NA) and nicotinamide (NAA) analysis in meats was developed. NA and NAA were extracted from meats or meat products with metaphosphate aqueous solution. The extract was cleaned up with an Oasis MCX cartridge. The cartridge was washed with 2% acetic acid (v/v) and acetic acid-methanol solution. NA and NAA were eluted with ammonia-methanol solution. NA and NAA in the eluate were chromatographed on a Scherzo SM-C18 (3.0×150 mm, 3.0 μm) column with 20 mmol/L ammonium acetate containing 0.1% acetic acid-acetonitrile (97 : 3) as a mobile phase and were monitored at 261 nm. Quantification was performed by LC and LC-MS/MS. Calibration curves showed high linearity (correlation coefficient>0.998) between 1-25 μg/mL for LC and LC-MS/MS. Recoveries were 84-108% (CV≦5.8%) by HPLC and 79-105% (CV≦9.0%) by LC-MS/MS. The limit of quantitation for NA was 0.005-0.01 g/kg and that for NAA was 0.01-0.02 g/kg.

  8. Validation of an semi-automated multi component method using protein precipitation LC-MS-MS for the analysis of whole blood samples

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Slots, Tina

    BACKGROUND: Solid phase extraction (SPE) are one of many multi-component methods, but can be very time-consuming and labour-intensive. Protein precipitation is, on the other hand, a much simpler and faster sample pre-treatment than SPE, and protein precipitation also has the ability to cover a wi......-mortem whole blood sample preparation for toxicological analysis; from the primary sample tube to a 96-deepwell plate ready for injection on the liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)....

  9. HepG2 cells biospecific extraction and HPLC-ESI-MS analysis for screening potential antiatherosclerotic active components in Bupeuri radix.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shuqiang; Tan, Zhibin; Li, Pingting; Gao, Xiaoling; Zeng, Yuaner; Wang, Shuling

    2016-03-20

    HepG2 cells biospecific extraction method and high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) analysis was proposed for screening of potential antiatherosclerotic active components in Bupeuri radix, a well-known Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The hypothesis suggested that when cells are incubated together with the extracts of TCM, the potential bioactive components in the TCM should selectively combine with the receptor or channel of HepG2 cells, then the eluate which contained biospecific component binding to HepG2 cells was identified using HPLC-ESI-MS analysis. The potential bioactive components of Bupeuri radix were investigated using the proposed approach. Five compounds in the saikosaponins of Bupeuri radix were detected as these components selectively combined with HepG2 cells, among these compounds, two potentially bioactive compounds namely saikosaponin b1 and saikosaponin b2 (SSb2) were identified by comparing with the chromatography of the standard sample and analysis of the structural clearance characterization of MS. Then SSb2 was used to assess the uptake of DiI-high density lipoprotein (HDL) in HepG2 cells for antiatherosclerotic activity. The results have showed that SSb2, with indicated concentrations (5, 15, 25, and 40 μM) could remarkably uptake dioctadecylindocarbocyanine labeled- (DiI) -HDL in HepG2 cells (Vs control group, *PESI-MS analysis is a rapid, convenient, and reliable method for screening potential bioactive components in TCM and SSb2 may be a valuable novel drug agent for the treatment of atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Relationship between plasma and salivary melatonin and cortisol investigated by LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Faassen, Martijn; Bischoff, Rainer; Kema, Ido P

    2017-08-28

    Disturbance of the circadian rhythm has been associated with disease states, such as metabolic disorders, depression and cancer. Quantification of the circadian markers such as melatonin and cortisol critically depend on reliable and reproducible analytical methods. Previously, melatonin and cortisol were primarily analyzed separately, mainly using immunoassays. Here we describe the validation and application of a high-throughput liquid chromatography in combination with mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the combined analysis of melatonin and cortisol in plasma and saliva. The LC-MS/MS method was validated according to international validation guidelines. We used this method to analyze total plasma, free plasma (as obtained by equilibrium dialysis) and saliva melatonin and cortisol in healthy adults. Validation results for plasma and saliva melatonin and cortisol were well within the international validation criteria. We observed no difference between saliva collected by passive drooling or Salivette. Moreover, we noted a significant difference in saliva vs. free plasma melatonin. We observed on average 36% (95% CI: 4%-60%) higher salivary melatonin levels in comparison to free plasma melatonin, suggestive of local production of melatonin in the salivary glands. The novel outcome of this study is probably due to the high precision of our LC-MS/MS assay. These outcomes illustrate the added value of accurate and sensitive mass spectrometry based methods for the quantification of neuroendocrine biomarkers.

  11. LC-MS analysis of the plasma metabolome–a novel sample preparation strategy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skov, Kasper; Hadrup, Niels; Smedsgaard, Jørn

    2015-01-01

    Blood plasma is a well-known body fluid often analyzed in studies on the effects of toxic compounds as physiological or chemical induced changes in the mammalian body are reflected in the plasma metabolome. Sample preparation prior to LC-MS based analysis of the plasma metabolome is a challenge...... as plasma contains compounds with very different properties. Besides, proteins, which usually are precipitated with organic solvent, phospholipids, are known to cause ion suppression in electrospray mass spectrometry. We have compared two different sample preparation techniques prior to LC-qTOF analysis...... of plasma samples: The first is protein precipitation; the second is protein precipitation followed by solid phase extraction with sub-fractionation into three sub-samples; a phospholipid, a lipid and a polar sub-fraction. Molecular feature extraction of the data files from LC-qTOF analysis of the samples...

  12. LIF: A new Kriging based learning function and its application to structural reliability analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Zhili; Wang, Jian; Li, Rui; Tong, Cao

    2017-01-01

    The main task of structural reliability analysis is to estimate failure probability of a studied structure taking randomness of input variables into account. To consider structural behavior practically, numerical models become more and more complicated and time-consuming, which increases the difficulty of reliability analysis. Therefore, sequential strategies of design of experiment (DoE) are raised. In this research, a new learning function, named least improvement function (LIF), is proposed to update DoE of Kriging based reliability analysis method. LIF values how much the accuracy of estimated failure probability will be improved if adding a given point into DoE. It takes both statistical information provided by the Kriging model and the joint probability density function of input variables into account, which is the most important difference from the existing learning functions. Maximum point of LIF is approximately determined with Markov Chain Monte Carlo(MCMC) simulation. A new reliability analysis method is developed based on the Kriging model, in which LIF, MCMC and Monte Carlo(MC) simulation are employed. Three examples are analyzed. Results show that LIF and the new method proposed in this research are very efficient when dealing with nonlinear performance function, small probability, complicated limit state and engineering problems with high dimension. - Highlights: • Least improvement function (LIF) is proposed for structural reliability analysis. • LIF takes both Kriging based statistical information and joint PDF into account. • A reliability analysis method is constructed based on Kriging, MCS and LIF.

  13. Analytical methodologies based on LC–MS/MS for monitoring selected emerging compounds in liquid and solid phases of the sewage sludge

    OpenAIRE

    Boix Sales, Clara; Ibáñez Martínez, María; Fabregat-Safont, David; Morales, E.; Pastor, L.; Sancho Llopis, Juan Vicente; Sánchez-Ramírez, J. E.; Hernández Hernández, Félix

    2016-01-01

    In this work, two analytical methodologies based on liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) were developed for quantification of emerging pollutants identified in sewage sludge after a previous wide-scope screening. The target list included 13 emerging contaminants (EC): thiabendazole, acesulfame, fenofibric acid, valsartan, irbesartan, salicylic acid, diclofenac, carbamazepine, 4-aminoantipyrine (4- AA), 4-acetyl aminoantipyrine (4-AAA), 4-formyl amin...

  14. Analytical methodologies based on LC?MS/MS for monitoring selected emerging compounds in liquid and solid phases of the sewage sludge

    OpenAIRE

    Boix, C.; Ib??ez, M.; Fabregat-Safont, D.; Morales, E.; Pastor, L.; Sancho, J.V.; S?nchez-Ram?rez, J.E.; Hern?ndez, F.

    2016-01-01

    In this work, two analytical methodologies based on liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC?MS/MS) were developed for quantification of emerging pollutants identified in sewage sludge after a previous wide-scope screening. The target list included 13 emerging contaminants (EC): thiabendazole, acesulfame, fenofibric acid, valsartan, irbesartan, salicylic acid, diclofenac, carbamazepine, 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AA), 4-acetyl aminoantipyrine (4-AAA), 4-formyl aminoantipyrine (...

  15. Metabolomics data normalization with EigenMS.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuliya V Karpievitch

    Full Text Available Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry has become one of the analytical platforms of choice for metabolomics studies. However, LC-MS metabolomics data can suffer from the effects of various systematic biases. These include batch effects, day-to-day variations in instrument performance, signal intensity loss due to time-dependent effects of the LC column performance, accumulation of contaminants in the MS ion source and MS sensitivity among others. In this study we aimed to test a singular value decomposition-based method, called EigenMS, for normalization of metabolomics data. We analyzed a clinical human dataset where LC-MS serum metabolomics data and physiological measurements were collected from thirty nine healthy subjects and forty with type 2 diabetes and applied EigenMS to detect and correct for any systematic bias. EigenMS works in several stages. First, EigenMS preserves the treatment group differences in the metabolomics data by estimating treatment effects with an ANOVA model (multiple fixed effects can be estimated. Singular value decomposition of the residuals matrix is then used to determine bias trends in the data. The number of bias trends is then estimated via a permutation test and the effects of the bias trends are eliminated. EigenMS removed bias of unknown complexity from the LC-MS metabolomics data, allowing for increased sensitivity in differential analysis. Moreover, normalized samples better correlated with both other normalized samples and corresponding physiological data, such as blood glucose level, glycated haemoglobin, exercise central augmentation pressure normalized to heart rate of 75, and total cholesterol. We were able to report 2578 discriminatory metabolite peaks in the normalized data (p<0.05 as compared to only 1840 metabolite signals in the raw data. Our results support the use of singular value decomposition-based normalization for metabolomics data.

  16. GC/MS analysis of coal tar composition produced from coal pyrolysis

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Coal tar is a significant product generated from coal pyrolysis. A detailed analytical study on its composition and chemical structure will be of great advantage to its further processing and utilization. Using a combined method of planigraphy-gas chromatograph/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS), this work presents a composition ...

  17. Multiple sclerosis (MS) in the life cycle of the family: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the perspective of persons with recently diagnosed MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Ceuninck van Capelle, Archie; Visser, Leo H; Vosman, Frans

    2016-12-01

    In this study the authors explored how people with recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) experience their disease within their family lives. Ten people in various stages of the cycle of family life (leaving home, finding a partner, raising children, parenting adolescents, launching children) who had been diagnosed with MS were interviewed in half-structured conversational interviews. Transcriptions were analyzed following a phenomenological approach. Five themes were found: (a) dwindling capacity for housekeeping and childcare (b) struggling to ask for or to accept help, (c) countering awkward attitudes toward my illness, (d) suspecting family members of concealing their, and (e) watching family members wrestle with your illness. The participants described that their illness affected their ability to care for their family and home as they used to. Only a couple of studies have addressed the first person perspective of patients on family and MS. The study expands on these studies by exploring not previously examined perspectives on leaving home, finding a partner, parenting adolescents, and launching children. The findings on family and MS, approached as elements of the first person perspective of MS patients, may guide future research. Given the pivotal role of worries on family in patient experience of MS, we argue that acknowledgment of family as a constitutive element of the patient perspective should be integrated in regular MS care. The authors suggest that the clinical handling of MS as a family issue needs to be done thoughtfully and with attention to the specifics of each unique family situation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  18. A Computational Framework for Proteome-Wide Pursuit and Prediction of Metalloproteins using ICP-MS and MS/MS Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trauger Sunia A

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Metal-containing proteins comprise a diverse and sizable category within the proteomes of organisms, ranging from proteins that use metals to catalyze reactions to proteins in which metals play key structural roles. Unfortunately, reliably predicting that a protein will contain a specific metal from its amino acid sequence is not currently possible. We recently developed a generally-applicable experimental technique for finding metalloproteins on a genome-wide scale. Applying this metal-directed protein purification approach (ICP-MS and MS/MS based to the prototypical microbe Pyrococcus furiosus conclusively demonstrated the extent and diversity of the uncharacterized portion of microbial metalloproteomes since a majority of the observed metal peaks could not be assigned to known or predicted metalloproteins. However, even using this technique, it is not technically feasible to purify to homogeneity all metalloproteins in an organism. In order to address these limitations and complement the metal-directed protein purification, we developed a computational infrastructure and statistical methodology to aid in the pursuit and identification of novel metalloproteins. Results We demonstrate that our methodology enables predictions of metal-protein interactions using an experimental data set derived from a chromatography fractionation experiment in which 870 proteins and 10 metals were measured over 2,589 fractions. For each of the 10 metals, cobalt, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, and zinc, clusters of proteins frequently occurring in metal peaks (of a specific metal within the fractionation space were defined. This resulted in predictions that there are from 5 undiscovered vanadium- to 13 undiscovered cobalt-containing proteins in Pyrococcus furiosus. Molybdenum and nickel were chosen for additional assessment producing lists of genes predicted to encode metalloproteins or metalloprotein

  19. Comprehensive comparison of in silico MS/MS fragmentation tools of the CASMI contest: database boosting is needed to achieve 93% accuracy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blaženović, Ivana; Kind, Tobias; Torbašinović, Hrvoje; Obrenović, Slobodan; Mehta, Sajjan S; Tsugawa, Hiroshi; Wermuth, Tobias; Schauer, Nicolas; Jahn, Martina; Biedendieck, Rebekka; Jahn, Dieter; Fiehn, Oliver

    2017-05-25

    In mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics, rarely more than 30% of the compounds are identified. Without the true identity of these molecules it is impossible to draw conclusions about the biological mechanisms, pathway relationships and provenance of compounds. The only way at present to address this discrepancy is to use in silico fragmentation software to identify unknown compounds by comparing and ranking theoretical MS/MS fragmentations from target structures to experimental tandem mass spectra (MS/MS). We compared the performance of four publicly available in silico fragmentation algorithms (MetFragCL, CFM-ID, MAGMa+ and MS-FINDER) that participated in the 2016 CASMI challenge. We found that optimizing the use of metadata, weighting factors and the manner of combining different tools eventually defined the ultimate outcomes of each method. We comprehensively analysed how outcomes of different tools could be combined and reached a final success rate of 93% for the training data, and 87% for the challenge data, using a combination of MAGMa+, CFM-ID and compound importance information along with MS/MS matching. Matching MS/MS spectra against the MS/MS libraries without using any in silico tool yielded 60% correct hits, showing that the use of in silico methods is still important.

  20. Glucosinolate diversity within a phylogenetic framework of the tribe Cardamineae (Brassicaceae) unraveled with HPLC-MS/MS and NMR-based analytical distinction of 70 desulfoglucosinolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olsen, Carl Erik; Huang, Xiao-Chen; Hansen, Cecilie I C; Cipollini, Don; Ørgaard, Marian; Matthes, Annemarie; Geu-Flores, Fernando; Koch, Marcus A; Agerbirk, Niels

    2016-12-01

    As a basis for future investigations of evolutionary trajectories and biosynthetic mechanisms underlying variations in glucosinolate structures, we screened members of the crucifer tribe Cardamineae by HPLC-MS/MS, isolated and identified glucosinolates by NMR, searched the literature for previous data for the tribe, and collected HPLC-MS/MS data for nearly all glucosinolates known from the tribe as well as some related structures (70 in total). This is a considerable proportion of the approximately 142 currently documented natural glucosinolates. Calibration with authentic references allowed distinction (or elucidation) of isomers in many cases, such as distinction of β-hydroxyls, methylthios, methylsulfinyls and methylsulfonyls. A mechanism for fragmentation of secondary β-hydroxyls in MS was elucidated, and two novel glucosinolates were discovered: 2-hydroxy-3-methylpentylglucosinolate in roots of Cardamine pratensis and 2-hydroxy-8-(methylsulfinyl)octylglucosinolate in seeds of Rorippa amphibia. A large number of glucosinolates (ca. 54 with high structural certainty and a further 28 or more suggested from tandem MS), representing a wide structural variation, is documented from the tribe. This included glucosinolates apparently derived from Met, Phe, Trp, Val/Leu, Ile and higher homologues. Normal side chain elongation and side chain decoration by oxidation or methylation was observed, as well as rare abnormal side chain decoration (hydroxylation of aliphatics at the δ rather than β-position). Some species had diverse profiles, e.g. R. amphibia and C. pratensis (19 and 16 individual glucosinolates, respectively), comparable to total diversity in literature reports of Armoracia rusticana (17?), Barbarea vulgaris (20-24), and Rorippa indica (>20?). The ancestor or the tribe would appear to have used Trp, Met, and homoPhe as glucosinolate precursor amino acids, and to exhibit oxidation of thio to sulfinyl, formation of alkenyls, β-hydroxylation of aliphatic

  1. The use of ICP-MS and LA-ICP-MS techniques for uranium analysis in real-life swipe samples for safeguards purposes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pestana, Rafael C.B.; Sarkis, Jorge E.S.; Carvalho, Elita F.U., E-mail: rcbpestana@gmail.com, E-mail: jesarkis@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Abreu Junior, Cassio H. [Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA/USP), Piracicaba, SP (Brazil)

    2013-07-01

    Environmental swipe sampling for safeguards purposes is a powerful tool to detect undeclared materials and activities, and has been used by the International Atomic Energy Agency since 1997. This work describes the utilization of the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for determining uranium isotopic ratios in a real-life swipe samples collected in a conversion plant at IPEN/CNEN, Brazil. Uncertainties were estimated by following the International Organization for Standardization - Guide to the Expression of Uncertainties in Measurement (ISO GUM), with a confidence level of 95%. The major uncertainties percentage for n({sup 235}U)/n({sup 238}U) ratio for ICP-MS was 3% and for LA-ICP-MS was 30% The values of uranium isotopic ratios obtained for each technique demonstrate the viability of these analytical techniques as an alternative tool for uranium analysis in swipe samples for safeguards purposes. (author)

  2. The use of ICP-MS and LA-ICP-MS techniques for uranium analysis in real-life swipe samples for safeguards purposes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pestana, Rafael C.B.; Sarkis, Jorge E.S.; Carvalho, Elita F.U.; Abreu Junior, Cassio H.

    2013-01-01

    Environmental swipe sampling for safeguards purposes is a powerful tool to detect undeclared materials and activities, and has been used by the International Atomic Energy Agency since 1997. This work describes the utilization of the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for determining uranium isotopic ratios in a real-life swipe samples collected in a conversion plant at IPEN/CNEN, Brazil. Uncertainties were estimated by following the International Organization for Standardization - Guide to the Expression of Uncertainties in Measurement (ISO GUM), with a confidence level of 95%. The major uncertainties percentage for n( 235 U)/n( 238 U) ratio for ICP-MS was 3% and for LA-ICP-MS was 30% The values of uranium isotopic ratios obtained for each technique demonstrate the viability of these analytical techniques as an alternative tool for uranium analysis in swipe samples for safeguards purposes. (author)

  3. Multiple faulting events revealed by trench analysis of the seismogenic structure of the 1976 Ms7.1 Luanxian earthquake, Tangshan Region, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Hui; Jiang, Wali; Xie, Xinsheng

    2017-10-01

    The Ms7.8 Tangshan earthquake occurred on 28 July 1976 at 03:42 CST. Approximately 15 h later, the Ms7.1 Luanxian earthquake occurred approximately 40 km northeast of the main shock. The two earthquakes formed different surface rupture zones. The surface rupture of the Tangshan earthquake was NNE-trending and more than 47 km long. The surface rupture of the Luanxian earthquake was more than 6 km long and consisted of two sections, forming a protruding arc to the west. The north and south sections were NE- and NW-trending and 2 km and 4 km long, respectively. A trench was excavated in Sanshanyuan Village across the NE-trending rupture of the Luanxian earthquake, at the macroscopic epicenter of the Luanxian earthquake. Analysis of this trench revealed that the surface rupture is connected to the underground active fault. The following major conclusions regarding Late Quaternary fault activity have been reached. (1) The Sanshanyuan trench indicated that its fault planes trend NE30° and dip SE or NW at angles of approximately 69-82°. (2) The fault experienced four faulting events prior to the Luanxian earthquake at 27.98 ka with an average recurrence interval of approximately 7.5 ka. (3) The Ms7.1 Luanxian earthquake resulted from the activity of the Luanxian Western fault and was triggered by the Ms7.8 Tangshan earthquake. The seismogenic faults of the 1976 Ms7.1 Luanxian earthquake and the 1976 Ms7.8 Tangshan earthquake are not the same fault. This example of an M7 earthquake triggered by a nearly M8 earthquake after more than 10 h on a nearby fault is a worthy topic of research for the future prediction of strong earthquakes.

  4. A comparative tissue-specific metabolite analysis and determination of protodioscin content in Asparagus species used in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda by use of laser microdissection, UHPLC-QTOF/MS and LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaiswal, Yogini; Liang, Zhitao; Ho, Alan; Chen, Hubiao; Zhao, Zhongzhen

    2014-01-01

    Asparagus is esteemed in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, and it is commercially one of the most important drugs in the global herbal market. Comparative metabolite profiling of different species would help in determining the similarities and ascertain their validity for being used as substitutes for each other. Laser microdissection (LMD) facilitates identification of metabolites in specific tissues, and thus it can aid in exploration of metabolic pathways in target tissues. To compare tissue-specific metabolites and protodioscin content of Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr. and Asparagus racemosus Willd. used in China and India. Metabolite analysis of laser-dissected tissues was carried out using UHPLC-QTOF/MS and LC-MS/MS. The protodioscin contents were determined and the method was validated as per the International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use guidelines. Metabolite analysis reveals that the velamen tissue, among other tissues such as cortex, vascular bundles and pith, contained maximum components, specifically those belonging to the steroidal saponin class. Although the metabolite profiles were similar, the content of protodioscin was found to be higher in Chinese than Indian species. The study provided a suitable methodology for metabolite profiling and protodioscin content determination of Asparagus by use of LMD, UHPLC-QTOF/MS and LC-MS/MS. The similarities in metabolite profiles indicate that Asparagus species from India and China can serve as substitute for each other in various therapeutic and pharmaceutical applications. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Detailed LC-MS/MS analysis of ciguatoxins revealing distinct regional and species characteristics in fish and causative alga from the Pacific.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yogi, Kentaro; Oshiro, Naomasa; Inafuku, Yasuo; Hirama, Masahiro; Yasumoto, Takeshi

    2011-12-01

    Toxin profiles of representative ciguatera species caught at different locations of Japan were investigated in fish flesh by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Identification and quantification of 16 toxins were facilitated by the use of 14 reference toxins prepared by either synthesis or isolation from natural sources and the previous LC-MS data thereof. Sodium adduct ions [M + Na](+) were used as parent and product ions. Distinct regional differences were unveiled: ciguatoxin-1B type toxins were found in snappers and groupers from Okinawa, ciguatoxin-3C type toxins were found in a spotted knifejaw, Oplegnathus punctatus, from Miyazaki located 730 km north of Okinawa, and both types of toxins were found in a red snapper, Lutjanus bohar, from Minamitorishima (Marcus) Island. Twelve toxins were identified in a dinoflagellate, Gambierdiscus toxicus, collected as the primary toxin source in French Polynesia. Occurrence of M-seco-toxins in fish and oxidized toxins in the dinoflagellate was confirmed for the first time. The present LC-MS/MS method is rapid, specific, and accurate. It not only outperforms the currently employed mouse bioassays but also enables the study of the toxin dynamics during the food chain transmission.

  6. Label-Free, LC-MS-Based Assays to Quantitate Small-Molecule Antagonist Binding to the Mammalian BLT1 Receptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xun; Stout, Steven; Mueller, Uwe; Boykow, George; Visconti, Richard; Siliphaivanh, Phieng; Spencer, Kerrie; Presland, Jeremy; Kavana, Michael; Basso, Andrea D; McLaren, David G; Myers, Robert W

    2017-08-01

    We have developed and validated label-free, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based equilibrium direct and competition binding assays to quantitate small-molecule antagonist binding to recombinant human and mouse BLT1 receptors expressed in HEK 293 cell membranes. Procedurally, these binding assays involve (1) equilibration of the BLT1 receptor and probe ligand, with or without a competitor; (2) vacuum filtration through cationic glass fiber filters to separate receptor-bound from free probe ligand; and (3) LC-MS analysis in selected reaction monitoring mode for bound probe ligand quantitation. Two novel, optimized probe ligands, compounds 1 and 2, were identified by screening 20 unlabeled BLT1 antagonists for direct binding. Saturation direct binding studies confirmed the high affinity, and dissociation studies established the rapid binding kinetics of probe ligands 1 and 2. Competition binding assays were established using both probe ligands, and the affinities of structurally diverse BLT1 antagonists were measured. Both binding assay formats can be executed with high specificity and sensitivity and moderate throughput (96-well plate format) using these approaches. This highly versatile, label-free method for studying ligand binding to membrane-associated receptors should find broad application as an alternative to traditional methods using labeled ligands.

  7. Analysis of Structural Units and Their Influence on Thermal Degradation of Alkali Lignins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wen Hua

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The chemical structures of four alkali lignins isolated from poplar, fir, straw, and bagasse were investigated. To explore the relationship between the structural units and the thermal decomposition behavior, the system was tested by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS. The results indicated that the carbon content of poplar lignin (PL was higher than that of others. Fir lignin (FL exhibited the highest guaiacol units, while the other three lignins were abundant in syringol units. The thermal decomposition characteristics and pyrolysis products of the four lignins were influenced by the material structural and composition. The DTG curves showed that the initial temperatures and major degradation temperatures of woody lignins(FL and PL) with complex inherent structures were shifted to the high temperature zoom compared with that of non-woody (BL and SL)lignins. Py-GC/MS analysis showed that guaiacol-type phenolic compounds were predominant pyrolysis products derived from the four lignins. The yield of guaiacol-type phenols could reach 82.87%. Moreover, the BL had selectively on phenol-type compounds with yield of 27.89%.

  8. HDX Workbench: Software for the Analysis of H/D Exchange MS Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascal, Bruce D.; Willis, Scooter; Lauer, Janelle L.; Landgraf, Rachelle R.; West, Graham M.; Marciano, David; Novick, Scott; Goswami, Devrishi; Chalmers, Michael J.; Griffin, Patrick R.

    2012-09-01

    Hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) is an established method for the interrogation of protein conformation and dynamics. While the data analysis challenge of HDX-MS has been addressed by a number of software packages, new computational tools are needed to keep pace with the improved methods and throughput of this technique. To address these needs, we report an integrated desktop program titled HDX Workbench, which facilitates automation, management, visualization, and statistical cross-comparison of large HDX data sets. Using the software, validated data analysis can be achieved at the rate of generation. The application is available at the project home page http://hdx.florida.scripps.edu.

  9. HS-SPME-GC-MS ANALYSIS OF VOLATILE AND SEMI-VOLATILE COMPOUNDS FROM DRIED LEAVES OF Mikania glomerata Sprengel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esmeraldo A. Cappelaro

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports on the identification of volatile and semi-volatile compounds and a comparison of the chromatographic profiles obtained by Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction/Gas Chromatography with Mass Spectrometry detection (HS-SPME-GC-MS of dried leaves of Mikania glomerata Sprengel (Asteraceae, also known as 'guaco.' Three different types of commercial SPME fibers were tested: polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB and polyacrylate (PA. Fifty-nine compounds were fully identified by HS-SPME-HRGC-MS, including coumarin, a marker for the quality control of guaco-based phytomedicines; most of the other identified compounds were mono- and sesquiterpenes. PA fibers performed better in the analysis of coumarin, while PDMS-DVB proved to be the best choice for a general and non-selective analysis of volatile and semi-volatile guaco-based compounds. The SPME method is faster and requires a smaller sample than conventional hydrodistillation of essential oils, providing a general overview of the volatile and semi-volatile compounds of M. glomerata.

  10. Reproducible analysis of sequencing-based RNA structure probing data with user-friendly tools

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kielpinski, Lukasz Jan; Sidiropoulos, Nikos; Vinther, Jeppe

    2015-01-01

    time also made analysis of the data challenging for scientists without formal training in computational biology. Here, we discuss different strategies for data analysis of massive parallel sequencing-based structure-probing data. To facilitate reproducible and standardized analysis of this type of data...

  11. A method of coupling the Paternò-Büchi reaction with direct infusion ESI-MS/MS for locating the C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond in glycerophospholipids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stinson, Craig A; Xia, Yu

    2016-06-21

    Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) coupled with soft ionization is established as an essential platform for lipid analysis; however, determining high order structural information, such as the carbon-carbon double bond (C[double bond, length as m-dash]C) location, remains challenging. Recently, our group demonstrated a method for sensitive and confident lipid C[double bond, length as m-dash]C location determination by coupling online the Paternò-Büchi (PB) reaction with nanoelectrospray ionization (nanoESI) and MS/MS. Herein, we aimed to expand the scope of the PB reaction for lipid analysis by enabling the reaction with infusion ESI-MS/MS at much higher flow rates than demonstrated in the nanoESI setup (∼20 nL min(-1)). In the new design, the PB reaction was effected in a fused silica capillary solution transfer line, which also served as a microflow UV reactor, prior to ESI. This setup allowed PB reaction optimization and kinetics studies. Under optimized conditions, a maximum of 50% PB reaction yield could be achieved for a standard glycerophosphocholine (PC) within 6 s of UV exposure over a wide flow rate range (0.1-10 μL min(-1)). A solvent composition of 7 : 3 acetone : H2O (with 1% acid or base modifier) allowed the highest PB yields and good lipid ionization, while lower yields were obtained with an addition of a variety of organic solvents. Radical induced lipid peroxidation was identified to induce undesirable side reactions, which could be effectively suppressed by eliminating trace oxygen in the solution via N2 purge. Finally, the utility of coupling the PB reaction with infusion ESI-MS/MS was demonstrated by analyzing a yeast polar lipid extract where C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond locations were revealed for 35 glycerophospholipids (GPs).

  12. Global metabolic profiling procedures for urine using UPLC-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Want, Elizabeth J; Wilson, Ian D; Gika, Helen; Theodoridis, Georgios; Plumb, Robert S; Shockcor, John; Holmes, Elaine; Nicholson, Jeremy K

    2010-06-01

    The production of 'global' metabolite profiles involves measuring low molecular-weight metabolites (sample preparation, stability/storage and the selection of chromatographic conditions that balance metabolome coverage, chromatographic resolution and throughput. We discuss quality control and metabolite identification, as well as provide details of multivariate data analysis approaches for analyzing such MS data. Using this protocol, the analysis of a sample set in 96-well plate format, would take ca. 30 h, including 1 h for system setup, 1-2 h for sample preparation, 24 h for UPLC-MS analysis and 1-2 h for initial data processing. The use of UPLC-MS for metabolic profiling in this way is not faster than the conventional HPLC-based methods but, because of improved chromatographic performance, provides superior metabolome coverage.

  13. LC-ESI/MS/MS method for rapid screening and confirmation of 44 exogenous anabolic steroids in human urine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeon, Byoung Wook; Yoo, Hye Hyun; Jeong, Eun Sook; Kim, Ho Jun; Jin, Changbae; Kim, Dong Hyun; Lee, Jaeick

    2011-09-01

    A sensitive and rapid method based on liquid chromatography-triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) has been developed and validated for the screening and confirmation of 44 exogenous anabolic steroids (29 parent steroids and 15 metabolites) in human urine. The method involves an enzymatic hydrolysis, liquid-liquid extraction, and detection by LC-MS/MS. A triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer was operated in positive ESI mode with selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode for the screening and product ion scan mode for the confirmation. The protonated molecular ions were used as precursor ions for the SRM analysis and product ion scan. The intraday and interday precisions of the target analytes at concentrations of the minimum required performance levels for the screening were 2-14% and 2-15%, respectively. The limits of detection for the screening and confirmation method were 0.1-10 ng/mL and 0.2-10 ng/mL, respectively, for 44 steroids. This method was successfully applied to analysis of urine samples from suspected anabolic steroid abusers.

  14. The potential use of complex derivatization procedures in comprehensive HPLC-MS/MS detection of anabolic steroids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baranov, Pavel A; Appolonova, Svetlana A; Rodchenkov, Grigory M

    2010-10-01

    The use of two separate derivatization procedures with the formation of oxime (hydroxyl ammonium pretreatment) and picolinoyl (mixed anhydride method) derivates of anabolic steroids following HPLC-MS/MS analysis was proposed. The main product ions of obtained derivatives for 21 anabolic steroids were evaluated and fragmentation pathways were compared.The analysis of MS/MS spectra for underivatized steroids versus oxime or picolinoyl derivatives showed that in case of analytes containing conjugated double bonds in sterane core all of the observed MS/MS spectra contained abundant product ions of diagnostic value. The implementation of derivatization procedures to such compounds is useful for upgrading sensitivity or selectivity of the evaluated method. On the other hand, MS/MS spectra of underivatized and oxime analytes without conjugated double bonds in sterane core produce spectra with large amounts of low abundant product ions. Picolinoyl derivatives formation leads to highly specific spectra with product ions of diagnostic value coupled with sensitive and selective analysis at the same time. The intra- and inter-group comparison analysis revealed that fragmentation pathways for underivatized steroids and correspondent oxime derivatives are similar.The obtained oxime and picolinoyl derivatives provided 10-15 times higher ESI response in the HPLC-ESI-MS-selected reaction monitoring (SRM) when compared to those of underivatized molecules in positive HPLC-ESI-MS mode.Due to the laborious sample preparation we suggest to use the performed strategy for confirmation analysis purposes, metabolic studies or while the identification of new steroids or steroid-like substances. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. TEM and SP-ICP-MS analysis of the release of silver nanoparticles from decoration of pastry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verleysen, E; Van Doren, E; Waegeneers, N; De Temmerman, P-J; Abi Daoud Francisco, M; Mast, J

    2015-04-08

    Metallic silver is an EU approved food additive referred to as E174. It is generally assumed that silver is only present in bulk form in the food chain. This work demonstrates that a simple treatment with water of "silver pearls", meant for decoration of pastry, results in the release of a subfraction of silver nanoparticles. The number-based size and shape distributions of the single, aggregated, and/or agglomerated particles released from the silver pearls were determined by combining conventional bright-field TEM imaging with semiautomatic particle detection and analysis. In addition, the crystal structure of the particles was studied by electron diffraction and chemical information was obtained by combining HAADF-STEM imaging with EDX spectroscopy and mapping. The TEM results were confirmed by SP-ICP-MS. The representative Ag test nanomaterial NM-300 K was used as a positive control to determine the uncertainty on the measurement of the size and shape of the particles.

  16. Method for the determination of natural ester-type gum bases used as food additives via direct analysis of their constituent wax esters using high-temperature GC/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tada, Atsuko; Ishizuki, Kyoko; Yamazaki, Takeshi; Sugimoto, Naoki; Akiyama, Hiroshi

    2014-07-01

    Natural ester-type gum bases, which are used worldwide as food additives, mainly consist of wax esters composed of long-chain fatty acids and long-chain fatty alcohols. There are many varieties of ester-type gum bases, and thus a useful method for their discrimination is needed in order to establish official specifications and manage their quality control. Herein is reported a rapid and simple method for the analysis of different ester-type gum bases used as food additives by high-temperature gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). With this method, the constituent wax esters in ester-type gum bases can be detected without hydrolysis and derivatization. The method was applied to the determination of 10 types of gum bases, including beeswax, carnauba wax, lanolin, and jojoba wax, and it was demonstrated that the gum bases derived from identical origins have specific and characteristic total ion chromatogram (TIC) patterns and ester compositions. Food additive gum bases were thus distinguished from one another based on their TIC patterns and then more clearly discriminated using simultaneous monitoring of the fragment ions corresponding to the fatty acid moieties of the individual molecular species of the wax esters. This direct high-temperature GC/MS method was shown to be very useful for the rapid and simple discrimination of varieties of ester-type gum bases used as food additives.

  17. Method for the determination of natural ester-type gum bases used as food additives via direct analysis of their constituent wax esters using high-temperature GC/MS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tada, Atsuko; Ishizuki, Kyoko; Yamazaki, Takeshi; Sugimoto, Naoki; Akiyama, Hiroshi

    2014-01-01

    Natural ester-type gum bases, which are used worldwide as food additives, mainly consist of wax esters composed of long-chain fatty acids and long-chain fatty alcohols. There are many varieties of ester-type gum bases, and thus a useful method for their discrimination is needed in order to establish official specifications and manage their quality control. Herein is reported a rapid and simple method for the analysis of different ester-type gum bases used as food additives by high-temperature gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). With this method, the constituent wax esters in ester-type gum bases can be detected without hydrolysis and derivatization. The method was applied to the determination of 10 types of gum bases, including beeswax, carnauba wax, lanolin, and jojoba wax, and it was demonstrated that the gum bases derived from identical origins have specific and characteristic total ion chromatogram (TIC) patterns and ester compositions. Food additive gum bases were thus distinguished from one another based on their TIC patterns and then more clearly discriminated using simultaneous monitoring of the fragment ions corresponding to the fatty acid moieties of the individual molecular species of the wax esters. This direct high-temperature GC/MS method was shown to be very useful for the rapid and simple discrimination of varieties of ester-type gum bases used as food additives. PMID:25473499

  18. Multi-Segment Direct Inject nano-ESI-LTQ-FT-ICR-MS/MS For Protein Identification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neal Rachel E

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC interfaced to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS is commonly used for the identification of peptides from proteolytically cleaved proteins embedded in a polyacrylamide gel matrix as well as for metabolomics screening. HPLC separations are time consuming (30-60 min average, costly (columns and mobile phase reagents, and carry the risk of column carry over between samples. The use of a chip-based nano-ESI platform (Advion NanoMate based on replaceable nano-tips for sample introduction eliminates sample cross-contamination, provides unchanging sample matrix, and enhances spray stability with attendant increases in reproducibility. Recent papers have established direct infusion nano-ESI-MS/MS utilizing the NanoMate for protein identification of gel spots based on full range MS scans with data dependent MS/MS. In a full range scan, discontinuous ion suppression due to sample matrix can impair identification of putative mass features of interest in both the proteomic and metabolomic workflows. In the current study, an extension of an established direct inject nano-ESI-MS/MS method is described that utilizes the mass filtering capability of an ion-trap for ion packet separation into four narrow mass ranges (50 amu overlap with segment specific dynamic data dependent peak inclusion for MS/MS fragmentation (total acquisition time of 3 minutes. Comparison of this method with a more traditional nanoLC-MS/MS based protocol utilizing solvent/sample stream splitting to achieve nanoflow demonstrated comparable results for protein identification from polyacrylamide gel matrices. The advantages of this method include full automation, lack of cross-contamination, low cost, and high throughput.

  19. Joint source based analysis of multiple brain structures in studying major depressive disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramezani, Mahdi; Rasoulian, Abtin; Hollenstein, Tom; Harkness, Kate; Johnsrude, Ingrid; Abolmaesumi, Purang

    2014-03-01

    We propose a joint Source-Based Analysis (jSBA) framework to identify brain structural variations in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). In this framework, features representing position, orientation and size (i.e. pose), shape, and local tissue composition are extracted. Subsequently, simultaneous analysis of these features within a joint analysis method is performed to generate the basis sources that show signi cant di erences between subjects with MDD and those in healthy control. Moreover, in a cross-validation leave- one-out experiment, we use a Fisher Linear Discriminant (FLD) classi er to identify individuals within the MDD group. Results show that we can classify the MDD subjects with an accuracy of 76% solely based on the information gathered from the joint analysis of pose, shape, and tissue composition in multiple brain structures.

  20. Risk Assessment Method for Offshore Structure Based on Global Sensitivity Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zou Tao

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Based on global sensitivity analysis (GSA, this paper proposes a new risk assessment method for an offshore structure design. This method quantifies all the significances among random variables and their parameters at first. And by comparing the degree of importance, all minor factors would be negligible. Then, the global uncertainty analysis work would be simplified. Global uncertainty analysis (GUA is an effective way to study the complexity and randomness of natural events. Since field measured data and statistical results often have inevitable errors and uncertainties which lead to inaccurate prediction and analysis, the risk in the design stage of offshore structures caused by uncertainties in environmental loads, sea level, and marine corrosion must be taken into account. In this paper, the multivariate compound extreme value distribution model (MCEVD is applied to predict the extreme sea state of wave, current, and wind. The maximum structural stress and deformation of a Jacket platform are analyzed and compared with different design standards. The calculation result sufficiently demonstrates the new risk assessment method’s rationality and security.

  1. Analysis of neem oils by LC-MS and degradation kinetics of azadirachtin-A in a controlled environment. Characterization of degradation products by HPLC-MS-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrek, Sami; Paisse, Olivier; Grenier-Loustalot, Marie-Florence

    2004-02-01

    Since it was first isolated, the oil extracted from seeds of neem (Azadirachtin indica A juss) has been extensively studied in terms of its efficacy as an insecticide. Several industrial formulations are produced as emulsifiable solutions containing a stated titer of the active ingredient azadirachtin-A (AZ-A). The work reported here is the characterization of a formulation of this insecticide marketed under the name of Neem-azal T/S and kinetic studies of the major active ingredient of this formulation. We initially performed liquid-liquid extraction to isolate the neem oil from other ingredients in the commercial mixture. This was followed by a purification using flash chromatography and semi-preparative chromatography, leading to (13)C NMR identification of structures such as azadirachtin-A, azadirachtin-B, and azadirachtin-H. The neem extract was also characterized by HPLC-MS using two ionization sources, APCI (atmospheric pressure chemical ionization) and ESI (electrospray ionization) in positive and negative ion modes of detection. This led to the identification of other compounds present in the extract-azadirachtin-D, azadirachtin-I, deacetylnimbin, deacetylsalannin, nimbin, and salannin. The comparative study of data gathered by use of the two ionization sources is discussed and shows that the ESI source enables the largest number of structures to be identified. In a second part, kinetic changes in the main product (AZ-A) were studied under precise conditions of pH (2, 4, 6, and 8), temperature (40 to 70 degrees C), and light (UV, dark room and in daylight). This enabled us to determine the degradation kinetics of the product (AZ-A) over time. The activation energy of the molecule (75+/-9 kJ mol(-1)) was determined by examining thermal stability in the range 40 to 70 degrees C. The degradation products of this compound were identified by use of HPLC-MS and HPLC-MS-MS. The results enabled proposal of a chemical degradation reaction route for AZ-A under

  2. Analysis of I-Br-Cl in single fluid inclusions by LA-ICP-MS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giehl, C.; Fusswinkel, T.; Beermann, O.; Garbe-Schönberg, D.; Scholten, L.; Wagner, T.

    2017-12-01

    Halogens are excellent tracers of hydrothermal fluid sources and in-situ LA-ICP-MS analysis of Cl and Br in single fluid inclusions has provided fundamentally new insight into hydrothermal fluid flow and ore formation. There is mounting evidence that enrichment and depletion of Br relative to Cl may be caused by a number of processes beyond seawater evaporation and halite dissolution which cannot be discriminated on the basis of Br/Cl ratios alone. Expanding the analytical capabilities of fluid inclusion LA-ICP-MS analysis to include iodine would allow to discern between selective and coupled enrichment processes of Cl, Br and I, even in geologically complex samples that are inaccessible to bulk extraction techniques. We present iodine concentration data determined by LA-ICP-MS analysis of synthetic fluid inclusions, using the Sca17 scapolite reference material for external standardization (Seo et al., 2011). Iodine concentrations in Sca17 were determined using the Durango apatite standard. Four starting solutions containing I (0.3, 1.5, 27, 78 µg/g), Br (941, 1403, 2868, 4275 µg/g), Na (30.7, 94.7 mg/g), and Cl (50, 137 mg/g) (analyzed by ICP-OES and ICP-MS at CAU Kiel) were prepared by dissolving reagent grade chemical powders in ultra-pure water. Spherical inclusions (up to 40 µm) were synthesized from the starting solutions in pre-cracked, HF-treated synthetic quartz crystals which were placed in gold capsules and equilibrated at 600°C, 100/200 MPa in cold seal pressure vessels. Fluid inclusion LA-ICP-MS analysis (University of Helsinki) yielded average I concentrations in excellent agreement with the starting solutions (27.3 µg/g ± 14 %RSD for the 27 µg/g solution and 77.6 µg/g ± 8.3 %RSD for the 78 µg/g solution). Average Br and I concentrations deviate less than 10 % from solution concentration values. For the low I concentration solutions, the synthetic inclusions were too small to detect I. Thus, given suitable standard materials and sufficient

  3. Atrophy of reward-related striatal structures in fatigued MS patients is independent of physical disability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Damasceno, Alfredo; Damasceno, Benito Pereira; Cendes, Fernando

    2016-05-01

    MRI studies have shown gray-matter abnormalities in fatigued multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. However, given that physical disability is highly correlated to MS fatigue, it is often difficult to disentangle its effect in these MRI findings. The objective of this research paper is to investigate gray-matter damage in mildly disabled MS patients, addressing which variables were better related to fatigue while controlling for physical disability and depression. Forty-nine relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients and 30 controls underwent MRI (3T). Fatigue was assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess the contribution of clinical and MRI metrics to fatigue. Statistical analyses were performed controlling for disability and depression. Fatigue was present in 22 (44.9%) patients. FSS score was highly correlated with EDSS (p = 0.00001). Patients with fatigue had lower brain cortical and subcortical gray-matter volumes. However, after controlling for EDSS, only the caudate and the accumbens volumes remained statistically significant. Fatigued MS patients have a global cortical and subcortical gray-matter atrophy that seems largely related to higher physical disability. However, striatal structures involved in effort-reward functions exhibited smaller volumes in fatigued patients, independently of physical disability and depressive symptoms, supporting the theory of cortico-striatal network impairment in MS fatigue. © The Author(s), 2015.

  4. pDeep: Predicting MS/MS Spectra of Peptides with Deep Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xie-Xuan; Zeng, Wen-Feng; Chi, Hao; Luo, Chunjie; Liu, Chao; Zhan, Jianfeng; He, Si-Min; Zhang, Zhifei

    2017-12-05

    In tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS)-based proteomics, search engines rely on comparison between an experimental MS/MS spectrum and the theoretical spectra of the candidate peptides. Hence, accurate prediction of the theoretical spectra of peptides appears to be particularly important. Here, we present pDeep, a deep neural network-based model for the spectrum prediction of peptides. Using the bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM), pDeep can predict higher-energy collisional dissociation, electron-transfer dissociation, and electron-transfer and higher-energy collision dissociation MS/MS spectra of peptides with >0.9 median Pearson correlation coefficients. Further, we showed that intermediate layer of the neural network could reveal physicochemical properties of amino acids, for example the similarities of fragmentation behaviors between amino acids. We also showed the potential of pDeep to distinguish extremely similar peptides (peptides that contain isobaric amino acids, for example, GG = N, AG = Q, or even I = L), which were very difficult to distinguish using traditional search engines.

  5. Preliminary study of urine metabolism in type two diabetic patients based on GC-MS

    OpenAIRE

    Zhang, Ning; Geng, Fang; Hu, Zhong-Hua; Liu, Bin; Wang, Ye-Qiu; Liu, Jun-Cen; Qi, Yong-Hua; Li, Li-Jing

    2016-01-01

    Objective: Comparative study of type 2 diabetes and healthy controls by metabolomics methods to explore the pathogenesis of Type II diabetes. Methods: Gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with a variety of multivariate statistical analysis methods to the healthy control group 58 cases, 68 cases of Type II diabetes group were analyzed. Chromatographic conditions: DB-5MS column; the carrier gas He; flow rate of 1 mL·min-1, the injection volume 1 uL; split ratio is 100: 1. MS condition...

  6. Structural analysis and martensitic transformation in equiatomic HfPd alloy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hisada, S.; Matsuda, M.; Takashima, K.; Yamabe-Mitarai, Y.

    2018-02-01

    We investigated the crystal structure and the martensitic transformation in equiatomic HfPd alloy. The analysis of the crystal structure by electron diffraction and Rietveld refinement using X-ray diffraction data indicates that the space group of the martensitic phase is Cmcm, and the lattice parameters are a = 0.329 nm, b = 1.021 nm, and c = 0.438 nm. Martensitic variants are composed of the plate-like morphology of several hundred nm, and the boundaries between the variants have (021)Cmcm twin relations. This (021)Cmcm twin boundary seems to be sharp without ledge and steps. Differential scanning calorimetry measurement indicates that each martensitic transformation temperature is determined to be Ms = 819 K, Mf = 794 K, As = 928 K, and Af = 954 K. Based on the dimension change using a thermo-mechanical analyzer, the expansion and shrinkage of the sample occurred with the forward and reverse martensitic transformation, respectively.

  7. Survey of diagnostic and treatment practices for multiple sclerosis (MS) in Europe. Part 2: Progressive MS, paediatric MS, pregnancy and general management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández, O; Delvecchio, M; Edan, G; Fredrikson, S; Giovannoni, G; Hartung, H-P; Havrdova, E; Kappos, L; Pozzilli, C; Soerensen, P S; Tackenberg, B; Vermersch, P; Comi, G

    2018-05-01

    The European Charcot Foundation supported the development of a set of surveys to understand current practice patterns for the diagnosis and management of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Europe. Part 2 of the report summarizes survey results related to secondary progressive MS (SPMS), primary progressive MS (PPMS), pregnancy, paediatric MS and overall patient management. A steering committee of MS neurologists developed case- and practice-based questions for two sequential surveys distributed to MS neurologists throughout Europe. Respondents generally favoured changing rather than stopping disease-modifying treatment (DMT) in patients transitioning from relapsing-remitting MS to SPMS, particularly with active disease. Respondents would not initiate DMT in patients with typical PPMS symptoms, although the presence of ≥1 spinal cord or brain gadolinium-enhancing lesion might affect that decision. For patients considering pregnancy, respondents were equally divided on whether to stop treatment before or after conception. Respondents strongly favoured starting DMT in paediatric MS with active disease; recommended treatments included interferon, glatiramer acetate and, in John Cunningham virus negative patients, natalizumab. Additional results regarding practice-based questions and management are summarized. Results of part 2 of the survey of diagnostic and treatment practices for MS in Europe largely mirror results for part 1, with neurologists in general agreement about the treatment and management of SPMS, PPMS, pregnancy and paediatric MS as well as the general management of MS. However, there are also many areas of disagreement, indicating the need for evidence-based recommendations and/or guidelines. © 2018 EAN.

  8. Cannabinoids determination in oral fluid by SPME-GC/MS and UHPLC-MS/MS and its application on suspected drivers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anzillotti, Luca; Castrignanò, Erika; Strano Rossi, Sabina; Chiarotti, Marcello

    2014-12-01

    The confirmation of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in oral fluid (OF) is an important issue for assessing Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUID). The aim of this research was to develop a highly sensitive method with minimal sample pre-treatment suitable for the analysis of small OF volumes (100 μL) for the confirmation of cannabinoids in DUID cases. Two methods were compared for the confirmation of THC in residual OF samples, obtained from a preliminary on-site screening with commercial devices. An ultra high performance LC-MS (UHPLC-MS/MS) method and an SPME-GC/MS method were hence developed. 100 μL of the residual mixture OF/preservative buffer or neat OF was simply added to 10 μL of THC-D3 (1 μg/mL) and submitted to the two different analyses: A - direct injection of 10 μL in UHPLC-MS/MS in positive electrospray ionisation (ESI) mode and B - sampling for 30 min with SPME (100 μm polydimethylsiloxane or PDMS fibre) and direct injection by desorption of the fibre in the GC injection port. The lowest limit of detection (LLOD) of THC was 2 ng/mL in UHPLC-MS/MS and 0.5 ng/mL in SPME-GC/MS. In addition, cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) could be detected in GC/MS equipment at 2 ng/mL, whilst in UHPLC-MS/MS the LLOD was 20 ng/mL. Both methods were applied to 70 samples coming from roadside tests. By SPME-GC/MS analysis, THC was confirmed in 42 samples, whilst CBD was detected in 21 of them, along with CBN in 14 samples. THC concentrations ranged from traces below the lowest limit of quantification or LLOQ (2 ng/mL) up to 690 ng/mL. Copyright © 2014 Forensic Science Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. PROGRESS IN SIFT-MS: BREATH ANALYSIS AND OTHER APPLICATIONS

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Španěl, Patrik; Smith, D.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 30, č. 2 (2011), s. 236-267 ISSN 0277-7037 R&D Projects: GA MPO FT-TA4/124; GA ČR GA202/09/0800; GA ČR GA203/09/0256 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40400503 Keywords : SIFT-MS * breath analysis * ion flow tube Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 10.461, year: 2011

  10. Derringer desirability and kinetic plot LC-column comparison approach for MS-compatible lipopeptide analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Hondt, Matthias; Verbeke, Frederick; Stalmans, Sofie; Gevaert, Bert; Wynendaele, Evelien; De Spiegeleer, Bart

    2014-06-01

    Lipopeptides are currently re-emerging as an interesting subgroup in the peptide research field, having historical applications as antibacterial and antifungal agents and new potential applications as antiviral, antitumor, immune-modulating and cell-penetrating compounds. However, due to their specific structure, chromatographic analysis often requires special buffer systems or the use of trifluoroacetic acid, limiting mass spectrometry detection. Therefore, we used a traditional aqueous/acetonitrile based gradient system, containing 0.1% (m/v) formic acid, to separate four pharmaceutically relevant lipopeptides (polymyxin B 1 , caspofungin, daptomycin and gramicidin A 1 ), which were selected based upon hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA). In total, the performance of four different C18 columns, including one UPLC column, were evaluated using two parallel approaches. First, a Derringer desirability function was used, whereby six single and multiple chromatographic response values were rescaled into one overall D -value per column. Using this approach, the YMC Pack Pro C18 column was ranked as the best column for general MS-compatible lipopeptide separation. Secondly, the kinetic plot approach was used to compare the different columns at different flow rate ranges. As the optimal kinetic column performance is obtained at its maximal pressure, the length elongation factor λ ( P max / P exp ) was used to transform the obtained experimental data (retention times and peak capacities) and construct kinetic performance limit (KPL) curves, allowing a direct visual and unbiased comparison of the selected columns, whereby the YMC Triart C18 UPLC and ACE C18 columns performed as best. Finally, differences in column performance and the (dis)advantages of both approaches are discussed.

  11. Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Lignan Constituents in Caulis Trachelospermi by HPLC-QTOF-MS and HPLC-UV

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Ting Liu

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available A high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole tandem time-of-flight mass (HPLC-QTOF-MS and ultraviolet spectrometry (HPLC-UV was established for simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis of the major chemical constituents in Caulis Trachelospermi, respectively. The analysis was performed on an Agilent Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 column (4.6 mm × 150 mm, 5 μm using a binary gradient system of water and methanol, with ultraviolet absorption at 230 nm. Based on high-resolution ESI-MS/MS fragmentation behaviors of the reference standards, the characteristic cleavage patterns of lignano-9, 9'-lactones and lignano-8'-hydroxy-9, 9'-lactones were obtained. The results demonstrated that the characteristic fragmentation patterns are valuable for identifying and differentiating lignano-9,9'-lactones and lignano-8'-hydroxy-9,9'-lactones. As such, a total of 25 compounds in Caulis Trachelospermi were unambiguously or tentatively identified via comparisons with reference standards or literature. In addition, 14 dibenzylbutyrolatone lignans were simultaneously quantified in Caulis Trachelospermi by HPLC-UV method. The method is suitable for the qualitative and quantitative analyses of dibenzylbutyrolatone lignans in Caulis Trachelospermi.

  12. Detailed analysis of latencies in image-based dynamic MLC tracking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poulsen, Per Rugaard; Cho, Byungchul; Sawant, Amit; Ruan, Dan; Keall, Paul J.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: Previous measurements of the accuracy of image-based real-time dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC) tracking show that the major contributor to errors is latency, i.e., the delay between target motion and MLC response. Therefore the purpose of this work was to develop a method for detailed analysis of latency contributions during image-based DMLC tracking. Methods: A prototype DMLC tracking system integrated with a linear accelerator was used for tracking a phantom with an embedded fiducial marker during treatment delivery. The phantom performed a sinusoidal motion. Real-time target localization was based on x-ray images acquired either with a portal imager or a kV imager mounted orthogonal to the treatment beam. Each image was stored in a file on the imaging workstation. A marker segmentation program opened the image file, determined the marker position in the image, and transferred it to the DMLC tracking program. This program estimated the three-dimensional target position by a single-imager method and adjusted the MLC aperture to the target position. Imaging intervals ΔT image from 150 to 1000 ms were investigated for both kV and MV imaging. After the experiments, the recorded images were synchronized with MLC log files generated by the MLC controller and tracking log files generated by the tracking program. This synchronization allowed temporal analysis of the information flow for each individual image from acquisition to completed MLC adjustment. The synchronization also allowed investigation of the MLC adjustment dynamics on a considerably finer time scale than the 50 ms time resolution of the MLC log files. Results: For ΔT image =150 ms, the total time from image acquisition to completed MLC adjustment was 380±9 ms for MV and 420±12 ms for kV images. The main part of this time was from image acquisition to completed image file writing (272 ms for MV and 309 ms for kV). Image file opening (38 ms), marker segmentation (4 ms), MLC position

  13. Detailed analysis of latencies in image-based dynamic MLC tracking

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Poulsen, Per Rugaard; Cho, Byungchul; Sawant, Amit; Ruan, Dan; Keall, Paul J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 and Department of Oncology and Department of Medical Physics, Aarhus University Hospital, 8000 Aarhus (Denmark); Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 and Department of Radiation Oncology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul 138-736 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

    2010-09-15

    Purpose: Previous measurements of the accuracy of image-based real-time dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC) tracking show that the major contributor to errors is latency, i.e., the delay between target motion and MLC response. Therefore the purpose of this work was to develop a method for detailed analysis of latency contributions during image-based DMLC tracking. Methods: A prototype DMLC tracking system integrated with a linear accelerator was used for tracking a phantom with an embedded fiducial marker during treatment delivery. The phantom performed a sinusoidal motion. Real-time target localization was based on x-ray images acquired either with a portal imager or a kV imager mounted orthogonal to the treatment beam. Each image was stored in a file on the imaging workstation. A marker segmentation program opened the image file, determined the marker position in the image, and transferred it to the DMLC tracking program. This program estimated the three-dimensional target position by a single-imager method and adjusted the MLC aperture to the target position. Imaging intervals {Delta}T{sub image} from 150 to 1000 ms were investigated for both kV and MV imaging. After the experiments, the recorded images were synchronized with MLC log files generated by the MLC controller and tracking log files generated by the tracking program. This synchronization allowed temporal analysis of the information flow for each individual image from acquisition to completed MLC adjustment. The synchronization also allowed investigation of the MLC adjustment dynamics on a considerably finer time scale than the 50 ms time resolution of the MLC log files. Results: For {Delta}T{sub image}=150 ms, the total time from image acquisition to completed MLC adjustment was 380{+-}9 ms for MV and 420{+-}12 ms for kV images. The main part of this time was from image acquisition to completed image file writing (272 ms for MV and 309 ms for kV). Image file opening (38 ms), marker segmentation (4 ms

  14. Ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) for on- and offline analysis of atmospheric gas and aerosol species

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krechmer, Jordan E.; Groessl, Michael; Zhang, Xuan; Junninen, Heikki; Massoli, Paola; Lambe, Andrew T.; Kimmel, Joel R.; Cubison, Michael J.; Graf, Stephan; Lin, Ying-Hsuan; Budisulistiorini, Sri H.; Zhang, Haofei; Surratt, Jason D.; Knochenmuss, Richard; Jayne, John T.; Worsnop, Douglas R.; Jimenez, Jose-Luis; Canagaratna, Manjula R.

    2016-07-01

    Measurement techniques that provide molecular-level information are needed to elucidate the multiphase processes that produce secondary organic aerosol (SOA) species in the atmosphere. Here we demonstrate the application of ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) to the simultaneous characterization of the elemental composition and molecular structures of organic species in the gas and particulate phases. Molecular ions of gas-phase organic species are measured online with IMS-MS after ionization with a custom-built nitrate chemical ionization (CI) source. This CI-IMS-MS technique is used to obtain time-resolved measurements (5 min) of highly oxidized organic molecules during the 2013 Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) ambient field campaign in the forested SE US. The ambient IMS-MS signals are consistent with laboratory IMS-MS spectra obtained from single-component carboxylic acids and multicomponent mixtures of isoprene and monoterpene oxidation products. Mass-mobility correlations in the 2-D IMS-MS space provide a means of identifying ions with similar molecular structures within complex mass spectra and are used to separate and identify monoterpene oxidation products in the ambient data that are produced from different chemical pathways. Water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) constituents of fine aerosol particles that are not resolvable with standard analytical separation methods, such as liquid chromatography (LC), are shown to be separable with IMS-MS coupled to an electrospray ionization (ESI) source. The capability to use ion mobility to differentiate between isomers is demonstrated for organosulfates derived from the reactive uptake of isomers of isoprene epoxydiols (IEPOX) onto wet acidic sulfate aerosol. Controlled fragmentation of precursor ions by collisionally induced dissociation (CID) in the transfer region between the IMS and the MS is used to validate MS peak assignments, elucidate structures of oligomers, and confirm the

  15. Rapid analysis of fungal cultures and dried figs for secondary metabolites by LC/TOF-MS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Senyuva, Hamide Z. [Ankara Test and Analysis Laboratory, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Ankara 06330 (Turkey)], E-mail: hamide.senyuva@tubitak.gov.tr; Gilbert, John [Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ (United Kingdom); Oztuerkoglu, Sebnem [Ankara Test and Analysis Laboratory, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Ankara 06330 (Turkey)

    2008-06-09

    A liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/TOF-MS) method has been developed for profiling fungal metabolites. The performance of the procedure in terms of mass accuracy, selectivity (specificity) and repeatability was established by spiking aflatoxins, ochratoxins, trichothecenes and other metabolites into blank growth media. After extracting, and carrying out LC/TOF-MS analysis, the standards were correctly identified by searching a specially constructed database of 465 secondary metabolites. To demonstrate the viability of this approach 11 toxigenic and four non-toxigenic fungi from reference collections were grown on various media, for 7-14 days. The method was also applied to two toxigenic fungi, A. flavus (200-138) and A. parasiticus (2999-465) grown on gamma radiation sterilised dried figs, for 7-14 days. The fungal hyphae plus a portion of growth media or portions of dried figs were solvent extracted and analysed by LC/TOF-MS using a rapid resolution microbore LC column. Data processing based on cluster analysis, showed that electrospray ionization (ESI)-TOF-MS could be used to unequivocally identify metabolites in crude extracts. Using the elemental metabolite database, it was demonstrated that from culture collection isolates, anticipated metabolites. The speed and simplicity of the method has meant that levels of these metabolites could be monitored daily in sterilised figs. Over a 14-day period, levels of aflatoxins and kojic acid maximised at 5-6 days, whilst levels of 5-methoxysterigmatocystin remained relatively constant. In addition to the known metabolites expected to be produced by these fungi, roquefortine A, fumagillin, fumigaclavine B, malformins (peptides), aspergillic acid, nigragillin, terrein, terrestric acid and penicillic acid were also identified.

  16. GC-MS analysis of headspace and liquid extracts for metabolomic differentiation of citrus Huanglongbing and zinc deficiency in leaves of 'Valencia' sweet orange from commercial groves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cevallos-Cevallos, Juan Manuel; García-Torres, Rosalía; Etxeberria, Edgardo; Reyes-De-Corcuera, José Ignacio

    2011-01-01

    Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) is considered the most destructive citrus disease worldwide. Symptoms-based detection of HLB is difficult due to similarities with zinc deficiency. To find metabolic differences between leaves from HLB-infected, zinc-deficient, and healthy 'Valencia' orange trees by using GC-MS based metabolomics. Analysis based on GC-MS methods for untargeted metabolite analysis of citrus leaves was developed and optimized. Sample extracts from healthy, zinc deficient, or HLB-infected sweet orange leaves were submitted to headspace solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) and derivatization treatments prior to GC-MS analysis. Principal components analysis achieved correct classification of all the derivatized liquid extracts. Analysis of variance revealed 6 possible biomarkers for HLB, of which 5 were identified as proline, β-elemene, (-)trans- caryophyllene, and α-humulene. Significant (P < 0.05) differences in oxo-butanedioic acid, arabitol, and neo-inositol were exclusively detected in samples from plants with zinc deficiency. Levels of isocaryophyllen, α-selinene, β-selinene, and fructose were significantly (P < 0.05) different in healthy leaves only. Results suggest the potential of using identified HLB biomarkers for rapid differentiation of HLB from zinc deficiency. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Phenolic Profiling of Duchesnea indica Combining Macroporous Resin Chromatography (MRC with HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and ESI-IT-MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mingzhi Zhu

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Duchesnea indica (D. indica is an important traditional Chinese medicine, and has long been clinically used to treat cancer in Asian countries. It has been described previously as a rich source of phenolic compounds with a broad array of diversified structures, which are the major active ingredients. However, an accurate and complete phenolic profiling has not been determined yet. In the present work, the total phenolic compounds in crude extracts from D. indica were enriched and fractionated over a macroporous resin column, then identified by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and ESI-IT-MS (ion trap MS. A total of 27 phenolic compounds were identified in D. indica, of which 21 compounds were identified for the first time. These 27 phenolic compounds encompassing four phenolic groups, including ellagitannins, ellagic acid and ellagic acid glycosides, hydroxybenzoic acid and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, and flavonols, were then successfully quantified using peak areas against those of the corresponding standards with good linearity (R2 > 0.998 in the range of the tested concentrations. As a result, the contents of individual phenolic compounds varied from 6.69 mg per 100 g dry weight (DW for ellagic acid to 71.36 mg per 100 g DW for brevifolin carboxylate. Not only did this study provide the first phenolic profiling of D. indica, but both the qualitative identification and the subsequent quantitative analysis of 27 phenolic compounds from D. indica should provide a good basis for future exploration of this valuable medicinal plant.

  18. An UPLC-ESI-MS/MS Assay Using 6-Aminoquinolyl-N-Hydroxysuccinimidyl Carbamate Derivatization for Targeted Amino Acid Analysis: Application to Screening of Arabidopsis thaliana Mutants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolina Salazar

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available In spite of the large arsenal of methodologies developed for amino acid assessment in complex matrices, their implementation in metabolomics studies involving wide-ranging mutant screening is hampered by their lack of high-throughput, sensitivity, reproducibility, and/or wide dynamic range. In response to the challenge of developing amino acid analysis methods that satisfy the criteria required for metabolomic studies, improved reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (RPHPLC-MS methods have been recently reported for large-scale screening of metabolic phenotypes. However, these methods focus on the direct analysis of underivatized amino acids and, therefore, problems associated with insufficient retention and resolution are observed due to the hydrophilic nature of amino acids. It is well known that derivatization methods render amino acids more amenable for reverse phase chromatographic analysis by introducing highly-hydrophobic tags in their carboxylic acid or amino functional group. Therefore, an analytical platform that combines the 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate (AQC pre-column derivatization method with ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS is presented in this article. For numerous reasons typical amino acid derivatization methods would be inadequate for large scale metabolic projects. However, AQC derivatization is a simple, rapid and reproducible way of obtaining stable amino acid adducts amenable for UPLC-ESI-MS/MS and the applicability of the method for high-throughput metabolomic analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana is demonstrated in this study. Overall, the major advantages offered by this amino acid analysis method include high-throughput, enhanced sensitivity and selectivity; characteristics that showcase its utility for the rapid screening of the preselected plant metabolites without compromising the quality of the

  19. An UPLC-ESI-MS/MS Assay Using 6-Aminoquinolyl-N-Hydroxysuccinimidyl Carbamate Derivatization for Targeted Amino Acid Analysis: Application to Screening of Arabidopsis thaliana Mutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salazar, Carolina; Armenta, Jenny M; Shulaev, Vladimir

    2012-07-06

    In spite of the large arsenal of methodologies developed for amino acid assessment in complex matrices, their implementation in metabolomics studies involving wide-ranging mutant screening is hampered by their lack of high-throughput, sensitivity, reproducibility, and/or wide dynamic range. In response to the challenge of developing amino acid analysis methods that satisfy the criteria required for metabolomic studies, improved reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (RPHPLC-MS) methods have been recently reported for large-scale screening of metabolic phenotypes. However, these methods focus on the direct analysis of underivatized amino acids and, therefore, problems associated with insufficient retention and resolution are observed due to the hydrophilic nature of amino acids. It is well known that derivatization methods render amino acids more amenable for reverse phase chromatographic analysis by introducing highly-hydrophobic tags in their carboxylic acid or amino functional group. Therefore, an analytical platform that combines the 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate (AQC) pre-column derivatization method with ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) is presented in this article. For numerous reasons typical amino acid derivatization methods would be inadequate for large scale metabolic projects. However, AQC derivatization is a simple, rapid and reproducible way of obtaining stable amino acid adducts amenable for UPLC-ESI-MS/MS and the applicability of the method for high-throughput metabolomic analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana is demonstrated in this study. Overall, the major advantages offered by this amino acid analysis method include high-throughput, enhanced sensitivity and selectivity; characteristics that showcase its utility for the rapid screening of the preselected plant metabolites without compromising the quality of the metabolic data. The

  20. The Communicative Translation Analysis of Children's Bilingual Story Book Ms Wiz the Series ‘Ms Wiz Goes Live' by Terence Blacker

    OpenAIRE

    PUTRI, ROZI HANIFIA

    2013-01-01

    Indonesian people use English as their foreign language. As a matter offact, most of books, product instructions, jobs information and literary work havebeen written in English. It means that to understand the message and informationfrom English into Indonesian, it needs translation. The writer conducted ananalysis of Indonesian version in children's storybook entitled Ms Wiz the Series‘Ms Wiz Goes Live' based on communicative translation method. Since, thisanalysis is dealing with the childr...

  1. Determination of chlormequat in pig serum and sow milk by LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poulsen, M E; Christensen, H B; Sørensen, M T; Leffers, H; Andersen, J H

    2007-11-01

    Chlormequat is a plant growth regulator widely used on cereals, and there is general concern that it may impair human fertility. A LC-MS/MS method for the analysis of chlormequat in milk and serum was developed and validated in connection with an investigation on the effect of chlormequat on pig reproduction. Validation of the method was based on recovery tests at three spiking levels, determined as double determinations and repeated at least four times. Samples were extracted with methanol-water-acetic acid, centrifuged, filtrated and determined by LC-MS/MS. The mean recoveries were in the range 80-110%, and the LOD was 0.2 ng/g for serum and 0.3 ng/g for milk. The values for repeatability and reproducibility were within 2/3 of the limits given by the Horwitz equation. Samples of pig serum (59) and sow milk (27) were analyzed using the method. Chlormequat was determined in four milk samples in the range of 0.4 ng/g to 1.2 ng/g and in all serum samples in the range of 0.2 ng/g-4.0 ng/g.

  2. Analysis of a Frame-Shear Wall Concrete Structure by Using Base Isolation and Evaluation of Structure-Soil Interaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. I. Polat

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available A base isolation system is a type of earthquake-resistant structure design approach based on the principle of reducing a structure’s earthquake response rather than increasing the structure’s earthquake resistance capacity. Seismic base isolated structures have the ability to make large displacements relative to the level of insulation elements. This means that a large structure performs very small displacements between floors during an earthquake and exhibits a rigid body behavior. At this point, the earthquake forces acting on the structure decrease along with the floors. In this article a school building composed of frame-shear wall is resolved primarily with the traditional fixed base structure system, mode shapes are found and periods are obtained. For earthquake response analysis, earthquake loads are distributed to the floors using the equivalent seismic load method and structural elements experiencing capacity problems are found. Then, using the earthquake record, larger failure of cross sections and capacity problems are obtained compared to the first method. In the second stage, the same structure is dissolved again by placing the lead core rubber base isolators between the base and the vertical structural members. The periods of structures under earthquake load have increased significantly by utilizing base isolation, as a result of that spectral accelerations decreased. Thus, large decreases in the shear forces acting to the structure are determined and failures of cross sections are removed.

  3. Map-based cloning and characterization of Zea mays male sterility33 (ZmMs33) gene, encoding a glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Ke; Wu, Suowei; Li, Ziwen; Zhou, Yan; Zhang, Danfeng; Dong, Zhenying; An, Xueli; Zhu, Taotao; Zhang, Simiao; Liu, Shuangshuang; Li, Jinping; Wan, Xiangyuan

    2018-06-01

    Map-based cloning of maize ms33 gene showed that ZmMs33 encodes a sn-2 glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase, the ortholog of rice OsGPAT3, and it is essential for male fertility in maize. Genetic male sterility has been widely studied for its biological significance and commercial value in hybrid seed production. Although many male-sterile mutants have been identified in maize (Zea mays L.), it is likely that most genes that cause male sterility are unknown. Here, we report a recessive genetic male-sterile mutant, male sterility33 (ms33), which displays small, pale yellow anthers, and complete male sterility. Using a map-based cloning approach, maize GRMZM2G070304 was identified as the ms33 gene (ZmMs33). ZmMs33 encodes a novel sn-2 glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) in maize. A functional complementation experiment showed that GRMZM2G070304 can rescue the male-sterile phenotype of the ms33-6029 mutant. GRMZM2G070304 was further confirmed to be the ms33 gene via targeted knockouts induced by the clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system. ZmMs33 is preferentially expressed in the immature anther from the quartet to early-vacuolate microspore stages and in root tissues at the fifth leaf growth stage. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that ZmMs33 and OsGPAT3 are evolutionarily conserved for anther and pollen development in monocot species. This study reveals that the monocot-specific GPAT3 protein plays an important role in male fertility in maize, and ZmMs33 and mutants in this gene may have value in maize male-sterile line breeding and hybrid seed production.

  4. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of common peaks in chemical fingerprint of Yuanhu Zhitong tablet by HPLC-DAD–MS/MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dao-Quan Tang

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available A quality control (QC strategy for quantitative and qualitative analysis of “common peaks” in chemical fingerprint was proposed to analyze Yuanhu Zhitong tablet (YZT, using high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector and tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD–MS/MS. The chromatographic separation was achieved on an Agilent Eclipse plus C18 column with a gradient elution using a mixture of 0.4‰ ammonium acetate aqueous (pH 6.0 adjusted with glacial acetic acid and acetonitrile. In chemical fingerprint, 40 peaks were assigned as the “common peaks”. For quantification of “common peaks”, the detection wavelength was set at 254 nm, 270 nm, 280 nm and 345 nm, respectively. The method was validated and good results were obtained to simultaneously determine 10 analytes (protopine, jatrorrhizine, coptisine, palmatine, berberine, xanthotoxin, bergapten, tetrahydropalmatine, imperatorin and isoimperatorin. For qualification of “common peaks”, 33 compounds including 10 quantitative analytes were identified or tentatively characterized using LC–MS/MS. These results demonstrated that the present approach may be a powerful and useful tool to tackle the complex quality issue of YZT. Keywords: Yuanhu Zhitong tablet, Alkaloids, Coumarins, Quality control, HPLC-DAD–MS/MS

  5. Proteomic analysis of Pinus radiata needles: 2-DE map and protein identification by LC/MS/MS and substitution-tolerant database searching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valledor, Luis; Castillejo, Maria A; Lenz, Christof; Rodríguez, Roberto; Cañal, Maria J; Jorrín, Jesús

    2008-07-01

    Pinus radiata is one of the most economically important forest tree species, with a worldwide production of around 370 million m (3) of wood per year. Current selection of elite trees to be used in conservation and breeding programes requires the physiological and molecular characterization of available populations. To identify key proteins related to tree growth, productivity and responses to environmental factors, a proteomic approach is being utilized. In this paper, we present the first report of the 2-DE protein reference map of physiologically mature P. radiata needles, as a basis for subsequent differential expression proteomic studies related to growth, development, biomass production and responses to stresses. After TCA/acetone protein extraction of needle tissue, 549 +/- 21 well-resolved spots were detected in Coommassie-stained gels within the 5-8 pH and 10-100 kDa M(r) ranges. The analytical and biological variance determined for 450 spots were of 31 and 42%, respectively. After LC/MS/MS analysis of in-gel tryptic digested spots, proteins were identified by using the novel Paragon algorithm that tolerates amino acid substitution in the first-pass search. It allowed the confident identification of 115 out of the 150 protein spots subjected to MS, quite unusual high percentage for a poor sequence database, as is the case of P. radiata. Proteins were classified into 12 or 18 groups based on their corresponding cell component or biological process/pathway categories, respectively. Carbohydrate metabolism and photosynthetic enzymes predominate in the 2-DE protein profile of P. radiata needles.

  6. Orthogonal analytical methods for botanical standardization: determination of green tea catechins by qNMR and LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Napolitano, José G; Gödecke, Tanja; Lankin, David C; Jaki, Birgit U; McAlpine, James B; Chen, Shao-Nong; Pauli, Guido F

    2014-05-01

    The development of analytical methods for parallel characterization of multiple phytoconstituents is essential to advance the quality control of herbal products. While chemical standardization is commonly carried out by targeted analysis using gas or liquid chromatography-based methods, more universal approaches based on quantitative (1)H NMR (qHNMR) measurements are being used increasingly in the multi-targeted assessment of these complex mixtures. The present study describes the development of a 1D qHNMR-based method for simultaneous identification and quantification of green tea constituents. This approach utilizes computer-assisted (1)H iterative Full Spin Analysis (HiFSA) and enables rapid profiling of seven catechins in commercial green tea extracts. The qHNMR results were cross-validated against quantitative profiles obtained with an orthogonal LC-MS/MS method. The relative strengths and weaknesses of both approaches are discussed, with special emphasis on the role of identical reference standards in qualitative and quantitative analyses. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Teaching Bibliometric Analysis and MS/DOS Commands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dou, Henri; And Others

    1988-01-01

    Outlines the steps involved in bibliometric studies, and demonstrates the ability to execute simple studies on microcomputers by downloading files using only the capability of MS/DOS. Detailed illustrations of the MS/DOS commands used are provided. (eight references) (CLB)

  8. Proteomic analysis of protein interactions between Eimeria maxima sporozoites and chicken jejunal epithelial cells by shotgun LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jingwei; Liu, Tingqi; Li, Ke; Song, Xiaokai; Yan, Ruofeng; Xu, Lixin; Li, Xiangrui

    2018-04-04

    Eimeria maxima initiates infection by invading the jejunal epithelial cells of chicken. However, the proteins involved in invasion remain unknown. The research of the molecules that participate in the interactions between E. maxima sporozoites and host target cells will fill a gap in our understanding of the invasion system of this parasitic pathogen. In the present study, chicken jejunal epithelial cells were isolated and cultured in vitro. Western blot was employed to analyze the soluble proteins of E. maxima sporozoites that bound to chicken jejunal epithelial cells. Co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) assay was used to separate the E. maxima proteins that bound to chicken jejunal epithelial cells. Shotgun LC-MS/MS technique was used for proteomics identification and Gene Ontology was employed for the bioinformatics analysis. The results of Western blot analysis showed that four proteins bands from jejunal epithelial cells co-cultured with soluble proteins of E. maxima sporozoites were recognized by the positive sera, with molecular weights of 70, 90, 95 and 130 kDa. The co-IP dilutions were analyzed by shotgun LC-MS/MS. A total of 204 proteins were identified in the E. maxima protein database using the MASCOT search engine. Thirty-five proteins including microneme protein 3 and 7 had more than two unique peptide counts and were annotated using Gene Ontology for molecular function, biological process and cellular localization. The results revealed that of the 35 annotated peptides, 22 (62.86%) were associated with binding activity and 15 (42.86%) were involved in catalytic activity. Our findings provide an insight into the interaction between E. maxima and the corresponding host cells and it is important for the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying E. maxima invasion.

  9. Systematic Assessment of Seven Solvent and Solid-Phase Extraction Methods for Metabolomics Analysis of Human Plasma by LC-MS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sitnikov, Dmitri G.; Monnin, Cian S.; Vuckovic, Dajana

    2016-12-01

    The comparison of extraction methods for global metabolomics is usually executed in biofluids only and focuses on metabolite coverage and method repeatability. This limits our detailed understanding of extraction parameters such as recovery and matrix effects and prevents side-by-side comparison of different sample preparation strategies. To address this gap in knowledge, seven solvent-based and solid-phase extraction methods were systematically evaluated using standard analytes spiked into both buffer and human plasma. We compared recovery, coverage, repeatability, matrix effects, selectivity and orthogonality of all methods tested for non-lipid metabolome in combination with reversed-phased and mixed-mode liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analysis (LC-MS). Our results confirmed wide selectivity and excellent precision of solvent precipitations, but revealed their high susceptibility to matrix effects. The use of all seven methods showed high overlap and redundancy which resulted in metabolite coverage increases of 34-80% depending on LC-MS method employed as compared to the best single extraction protocol (methanol/ethanol precipitation) despite 7x increase in MS analysis time and sample consumption. The most orthogonal methods to methanol-based precipitation were ion-exchange solid-phase extraction and liquid-liquid extraction using methyl-tertbutyl ether. Our results help facilitate rational design and selection of sample preparation methods and internal standards for global metabolomics.

  10. DESI-MS2: a rapid and innovative method for trace analysis of six cytostatic drugs in health care setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fabrizi, Giovanni; Fioretti, Marzia; Rocca, Lucia Mainero; Curini, Roberta

    2012-05-01

    With the aim of establishing exposure levels for hospital personnel preparing and administering cytostatic drugs (CDs), here, we present an innovative screening method based on the use of the desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) interface coupled with a hybrid quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer. A rapid, simple, and sensitive procedure was developed for the simultaneous surface monitoring of cyclophosphamide, dacarbazine, methotrexate, vincristine, gemcitabine, and cytarabine. Since analytes were in the solid state, a novel approach based on the use of passive samplers was combined with the direct analysis of wipes. A PTFE-printed glass slide was used as a passive sampler, while hydrophobic centers of Swiffer® cloths were judged extremely efficient as wipe samplers. After the sampling period, the CD collectors were directly processed with the DESI-MS system without any further treatment. MS/MS confirmatory analysis was conducted using selected reaction monitoring in the positive ion mode and detection limits were evaluated. Values were at the picograms per square millimeter levels on the passive collector and at the picograms per square centimeter levels for the wipe ones. Direct determination on solid-state samples combined with mass spectrometry selectivity provided a powerful tool so far unapplied to occupational hygiene.

  11. Identification of Iridoids in Edible Honeysuckle Berries (Lonicera caerulea L. var. kamtschatica Sevast. by UPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS/MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alicja Z. Kucharska

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Iridoid profiles of honeysuckle berry were studied. Compounds were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry UPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS/MS in positive and negative ions mode. The MS fragmentation pathways of detected iridoid glycosides were also studied in both modes. In the negative ESI mass spectra, iridoids with a methyl ester or lactone structure have preferentially produced adduct [M + HCOOH − H]− ions. However, protonated ions of molecular fragments, which were released by glycosidic bond cleavage and following fragmentation of aglycone rings, were more usable for iridoid structure analysis. In addition, the neutral losses of H2O, CO, CO2, CH3OH, acetylene, ethenone and cyclopropynone have provided data confirming the presence of functional substituents in the aglycone. Among the 13 iridoids, 11 were identified in honeysuckle berries for the first time: pentosides of loganic acid (two isomers, pentosides of loganin (three isomers, pentosyl sweroside, and additionally 7-epi-loganic acid, 7-epi-loganin, sweroside, secologanin, and secoxyloganin. The five pentoside derivatives of loganic acid and loganin have not been previously detected in the analyzed species. Honeysuckle berries are a source of iridoids with different structures, compounds that are rarely present in fruits.

  12. Rapid determination of alkaloids in Macleaya cordata using ionic liquid extraction followed by multiple reaction monitoring UPLC-MS/MS analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Linqiu; Huang, Mingyuan; Shao, Junli; Lin, Bokun; Shen, Qing

    2017-02-20

    The ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) and ionic liquid based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (IL-DLLME) have been successfully applied in extracting of six alkaloids from M. cordata. 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([C 6 MIM][BF 4 ]) aqueous solution was used as extraction solvent. The target analytes in raw material were deposited into a single drop of 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C 6 MIM][PF 6 ]), which was in situ formed by mixing [C 6 MIM][BF 4 ] and potassium hexafluorophosphate ([K][PF 6 ]. Afterwards, the extract was analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) in multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The proposed method was fully validated in terms of linearity (0.9983-0.9992), LOD (0.080ngmL -1 ), LOQ (0.25ngmL -1 ), intra-day precision (MS/MS is powerful and practical for analyzing alkaloids in M. cordata., and it also has great potential for comprehensive quality control of other herbal medicines. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Analysis of trace gases at ppb levels by proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindinger, W.; Hansel, A.

    1996-01-01

    A proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) system has been developed which allows for on-line measurements of trace gas components with concentrations as low as 1 ppb. The method is based on reactions of H 3 O + ions, which perform non-dissociative proton transfer to most of the common organic trace constituents but do not react with any of the components present in clean air. Examples of medical information obtained by means of breath analysis, of environmental trace analysis, and examples in the field of food chemistry demonstrate the wide applicability of the method. (Authors)

  14. Principal Component Analysis Based Measure of Structural Holes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Shiguo; Zhang, Wenqing; Yang, Huijie

    2013-02-01

    Based upon principal component analysis, a new measure called compressibility coefficient is proposed to evaluate structural holes in networks. This measure incorporates a new effect from identical patterns in networks. It is found that compressibility coefficient for Watts-Strogatz small-world networks increases monotonically with the rewiring probability and saturates to that for the corresponding shuffled networks. While compressibility coefficient for extended Barabasi-Albert scale-free networks decreases monotonically with the preferential effect and is significantly large compared with that for corresponding shuffled networks. This measure is helpful in diverse research fields to evaluate global efficiency of networks.

  15. Probing the Conformation of an IgG1 Monoclonal Antibody in Lyophilized Solids Using Solid-State Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange with Mass Spectrometric Analysis (ssHDX-MS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moussa, Ehab M; Singh, Satish K; Kimmel, Michael; Nema, Sandeep; Topp, Elizabeth M

    2018-02-05

    Therapeutic proteins are often formulated as lyophilized products to improve their stability and prolong shelf life. The stability of proteins in the solid-state has been correlated with preservation of native higher order structure and/or molecular mobility in the solid matrix, with varying success. In the studies reported here, we used solid-state hydrogen-deuterium exchange with mass spectrometric analysis (ssHDX-MS) to study the conformation of an IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) in lyophilized solids and related the extent of ssHDX to aggregation during storage in the solid phase. The results demonstrate that the extent of ssHDX correlated better with aggregation rate during storage than did solid-state Fourier-transform infrared (ssFTIR) spectroscopic measurements. Interestingly, adding histidine to sucrose at different formulation pH conditions decreased aggregation of the mAb, an effect that did not correlate with structural or conformational changes as measured by ssFTIR or ssHDX-MS. Moreover, peptide-level ssHDX-MS analysis in four selected formulations demonstrated global changes across the structure of the mAb when lyophilized with sucrose, trehalose, or mannitol, whereas site-specific changes were observed when lyophilized with histidine as the sole excipient.

  16. Strategy for Hepatotoxicity Prediction Induced by Drug Reactive Metabolites Using Human Liver Microsome and Online 2D-Nano-LC-MS Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuo, Yue; Wu, Jian-Lin; Yan, Xiaojing; Guo, Ming-Quan; Liu, Ning; Zhou, Hua; Liu, Liang; Li, Na

    2017-12-19

    Hepatotoxicity is a leading cause of drug withdrawal from the market; thus, the assessment of potential drug induced liver injury (DILI) in preclinical trials is necessary. More and more research has shown that the covalent modification of drug reactive metabolites (RMs) for cellular proteins is a possible reason for DILI. Unfortunately, so far no appropriate method can be employed to evaluate this kind of DILI due to the low abundance of RM-protein adducts in complex biological samples. In this study, we proposed a mechanism-based strategy to solve this problem using human liver microsomes (HLMs) and online 2D nano-LC-MS analysis. First, RM modification patterns and potential modified AA residues are determined using HLM and model amino acids (AAs) by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Then, a new online 2D-nano-LC-Q-TOF-MS method is established and applied to separate the digested modified microsomal peptides from high abundance peptides followed by identification of RM-modified proteins using Mascot, in which RM modification patterns on specific AA residues are added. Finally, the functions and relationship with hepatotoxicity of the RM-modified proteins are investigated using ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) to predict the possible DILI. Using this strategy, 21 proteins were found to be modified by RMs of toosendanin, a hepatotoxic drug with complex structure, and some of them have been reported to be associated with hepatotoxicity. This strategy emphasizes the identification of drug RM-modified proteins in complex biological samples, and no pretreatment is required for the drugs. Consequently, it may serve as a valuable method to predict potential DILI, especially for complex compounds.

  17. Comparative study for toxic elements determination in air particulate reference material by INAA, CCT-ICP-MS, and ICP-MS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, J.M.; Lee, J.H.; Kim, K.H.; Moon, J.H.; Chung, Y.S.

    2005-01-01

    Although toxic elements are minor components in the atmospheric environment, they play a significant role as important marker for atmospheric science such as risk assessment, long-range transfer study, and source apportionment. Therefore, the techniques, which allow accurate and fast elemental analysis with a minimum pre-treatment, are very important. INAA has a main advantage of non-destruction of air particulate samples, while inductively Coupled plasma with mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) encounters the most significant difficulties in pre-treatment (digestion, fusion, and dilution) and polyatomic spectral interferences for interest toxic elements, Although INAA is still reference method, a number of factors (disadvantages of cost, complexity of the instruments, and scarcity of nuclear reactor) limit its applications. To date, the use of collision cell technology ICP-MS (CCT-ICP-MS) is recommended instead of typical ICP-MS for the analysis of the toxic elements; this is because CCT-ICP-MS technique prevents polyatomic spectral interferences despite of contamination and volatile effects. In this study, a number of toxic elements in reference material, NIST SRM 2783 (air particulate on filter media) were determined by INAA, CCT-ICP-MS, and ICP-MS. For both ICP methods, the filters were decomposed by microwave digestion with 5mL nitric acid. The analytical results by three methods were compared with certificated data; the INAA results showed the most accurate and precise data sets for all target elements among three methods. In detail, the deviation between analytical results and SRM's by INAA fell below 10% for all elements excluding As (14%), while those by CCT-ICP-MS were about 20%. For ICP-MS, the result does not agree with certificated data for several elements, because polyatomic spectral interference (due to 40 Ar 35 Cl, 40 Ar 23 Na, and 35 Cl 16 O) generate positive error of analytical result for As, Cu, and V. Based on our result, INAA is still one of the most

  18. PERANGKAT LUNAK ANTAR MUKA GRAFIS SCHEMA DAN CUBE EDITOR MS ANALYSIS SERVICE BERBASIS WEB

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faizal Johan

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Aplikasi Web telah menjadi bagian yang tidak terpisahkan lagi dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Seiring dengan meningkatnya teknologi internet membuat seorang administrator tidak perlu berada didepan komputer server untuk dapat melakukan pekerjaan administratif seperti membuat analisis proses secara online dari sebuah schema database untuk dibuat schema cube (data warehousing dan melakukan perubahan pada schema yang sudah dibuat.Untuk dapat melakukan hal tersebut SQL Server 7.0 maupun SQL Server 2000 telah menyediakan fasilitas pengaksesan tabel dimensi, cube, relasi dan koneksi database dalam Analysis Manager menggunakan DSO (Decision Support Object library component MS OLAP. Dengan adanya DSO connection, seorang administrator dapat memanipulasi schema, tabel, cube, dimension, relasi suatu schema cube dari database SQL Server secara langsung dengan menggunakan bahasa pemrograman yang mendukung, seperti MS Visual Basic, VBScript, MS Visual C++, MS.Net. Dalam penelitian ini dibuat aplikasi berbasis web yang merupakan tahap awal dari OLAP (Online Analytical Processing suatu schema database dengan menggunakan SQL Analysis Service, Analysis Manager yang memungkinkan seorang administrator database untuk dapat melakukan pekerjaan administratif khususnya membuat schema dan cube (fact table dari database yang dianalisis, membuat dan mengedit dimensi, dimana saja tanpa harus berada di komputer server. Kata Kunci : DSO, Cube, Measure,GUI, dimensi, fact table, ADO MD, SQL DMO, OLAP.

  19. Characterization of the volatile components in green tea by IRAE-HS-SPME/GC-MS combined with multivariate analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yan-Qin; Yin, Hong-Xu; Yuan, Hai-Bo; Jiang, Yong-Wen; Dong, Chun-Wang; Deng, Yu-Liang

    2018-01-01

    In the present work, a novel infrared-assisted extraction coupled to headspace solid-phase microextraction (IRAE-HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed for rapid determination of the volatile components in green tea. The extraction parameters such as fiber type, sample amount, infrared power, extraction time, and infrared lamp distance were optimized by orthogonal experimental design. Under optimum conditions, a total of 82 volatile compounds in 21 green tea samples from different geographical origins were identified. Compared with classical water-bath heating, the proposed technique has remarkable advantages of considerably reducing the analytical time and high efficiency. In addition, an effective classification of green teas based on their volatile profiles was achieved by partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). Furthermore, the application of a dual criterion based on the variable importance in the projection (VIP) values of the PLS-DA models and on the category from one-way univariate analysis (ANOVA) allowed the identification of 12 potential volatile markers, which were considered to make the most important contribution to the discrimination of the samples. The results suggest that IRAE-HS-SPME/GC-MS technique combined with multivariate analysis offers a valuable tool to assess geographical traceability of different tea varieties.

  20. Characterization of the volatile components in green tea by IRAE-HS-SPME/GC-MS combined with multivariate analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan-Qin Yang

    Full Text Available In the present work, a novel infrared-assisted extraction coupled to headspace solid-phase microextraction (IRAE-HS-SPME followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS was developed for rapid determination of the volatile components in green tea. The extraction parameters such as fiber type, sample amount, infrared power, extraction time, and infrared lamp distance were optimized by orthogonal experimental design. Under optimum conditions, a total of 82 volatile compounds in 21 green tea samples from different geographical origins were identified. Compared with classical water-bath heating, the proposed technique has remarkable advantages of considerably reducing the analytical time and high efficiency. In addition, an effective classification of green teas based on their volatile profiles was achieved by partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA. Furthermore, the application of a dual criterion based on the variable importance in the projection (VIP values of the PLS-DA models and on the category from one-way univariate analysis (ANOVA allowed the identification of 12 potential volatile markers, which were considered to make the most important contribution to the discrimination of the samples. The results suggest that IRAE-HS-SPME/GC-MS technique combined with multivariate analysis offers a valuable tool to assess geographical traceability of different tea varieties.

  1. Potential effect of diaper and cotton ball contamination on NMR- and LC/MS-based metabonomics studies of urine from newborn babies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodpaster, Aaron M; Ramadas, Eshwar H; Kennedy, Michael A

    2011-02-01

    Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) based metabonomics screening of urine has great potential for discovery of biomarkers for diseases that afflict newborn and preterm infants. However, urine collection from newborn infants presents a potential confounding problem due to the possibility that contaminants might leach from materials used for urine collection and influence statistical analysis of metabonomics data. In this manuscript, we have analyzed diaper and cotton ball contamination using synthetic urine to assess its potential to influence the outcome of NMR- and LC/MS-based metabonomics studies of human infant urine. Eight diaper brands were examined using the "diaper plus cotton ball" technique. Data were analyzed using conventional principal components analysis, as well as a statistical significance algorithm developed for, and applied to, NMR data. Results showed most diaper brands had distinct contaminant profiles that could potentially influence NMR- and LC/MS-based metabonomics studies. On the basis of this study, it is recommended that diaper and cotton ball brands be characterized using metabonomics methodologies prior to initiating a metabonomics study to ensure that contaminant profiles are minimal or manageable and that the same diaper and cotton ball brands be used throughout a study to minimize variation.

  2. Cross-validated stable-isotope dilution GC-MS and LC-MS/MS assays for monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) activity by measuring arachidonic acid released from the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kayacelebi, Arslan Arinc; Schauerte, Celina; Kling, Katharina; Herbers, Jan; Beckmann, Bibiana; Engeli, Stefan; Jordan, Jens; Zoerner, Alexander A; Tsikas, Dimitrios

    2017-03-15

    2-Arachidonoyl glycerol (2AG) is an endocannabinoid that activates cannabinoid (CB) receptors CB1 and CB2. Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) inactivates 2AG through hydrolysis to arachidonic acid (AA) and glycerol, thus modulating the activity at CB receptors. In the brain, AA released from 2AG by the action of MAGL serves as a substrate for cyclooxygenases which produce pro-inflammatory prostaglandins. Here we report stable-isotope GC-MS and LC-MS/MS assays for the reliable measurement of MAGL activity. The assays utilize deuterium-labeled 2AG (d 8 -2AG; 10μM) as the MAGL substrate and measure deuterium-labeled AA (d 8 -AA; range 0-1μM) as the MAGL product. Unlabelled AA (d 0 -AA, 1μM) serves as the internal standard. d 8 -AA and d 0 -AA are extracted from the aqueous buffered incubation mixtures by ethyl acetate. Upon solvent evaporation the residue is reconstituted in the mobile phase prior to LC-MS/MS analysis or in anhydrous acetonitrile for GC-MS analysis. LC-MS/MS analysis is performed in the negative electrospray ionization mode by selected-reaction monitoring the mass transitions [M-H] - →[M-H - CO 2 ] - , i.e., m/z 311→m/z 267 for d 8 -AA and m/z 303→m/z 259 for d 0 -AA. Prior to GC-MS analysis d 8 -AA and d 0 -AA were converted to their pentafluorobenzyl (PFB) esters by means of PFB-Br. GC-MS analysis is performed in the electron-capture negative-ion chemical ionization mode by selected-ion monitoring the ions [M-PFB] - , i.e., m/z 311 for d 8 -AA and m/z 303 for d 0 -AA. The GC-MS and LC-MS/MS assays were cross-validated. Linear regression analysis between the concentration (range, 0-1μM) of d 8 -AA measured by LC-MS/MS (y) and that by GC-MS (x) revealed a straight line (r 2 =0.9848) with the regression equation y=0.003+0.898x, indicating a good agreement. In dog liver, we detected MAGL activity that was inhibitable by the MAGL inhibitor JZL-184. Exogenous eicosatetraynoic acid is suitable as internal standard for the quantitative determination

  3. eMZed: an open source framework in Python for rapid and interactive development of LC/MS data analysis workflows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiefer, Patrick; Schmitt, Uwe; Vorholt, Julia A

    2013-04-01

    The Python-based, open-source eMZed framework was developed for mass spectrometry (MS) users to create tailored workflows for liquid chromatography (LC)/MS data analysis. The goal was to establish a unique framework with comprehensive basic functionalities that are easy to apply and allow for the extension and modification of the framework in a straightforward manner. eMZed supports the iterative development and prototyping of individual evaluation strategies by providing a computing environment and tools for inspecting and modifying underlying LC/MS data. The framework specifically addresses non-expert programmers, as it requires only basic knowledge of Python and relies largely on existing successful open-source software, e.g. OpenMS. The framework eMZed and its documentation are freely available at http://emzed.biol.ethz.ch/. eMZed is published under the GPL 3.0 license, and an online discussion group is available at https://groups.google.com/group/emzed-users. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

  4. Determination of Urinary PAH Metabolites Using DLLME Hyphenated to Injector Port Silylation and GC-MS-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Manoj Kumar; Jain, Rajeev; Singh, Pratibha; Ch, Ratnasekhar; Mudiam, Mohana Krishna Reddy

    2015-06-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants and well-known carcinogens. Hydroxy derivatives of PAH are considered as biomarkers of PAH exposure, and there is a need to measure these metabolites at low concentrations. So, a precise and eco-friendly analytical method has been developed for rapid determination of PAH metabolites. For the first time, a new analytical method based on coupling of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) with auto-injector port silylation (auto-IPS) followed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) analysis is reported for the analysis of seven urinary PAH metabolites. Factors affecting DLLME and IPS, such as type and volume of extraction and disperser solvent, pH, ionic strength, injector port temperature, volume of N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide and type of solvent were investigated. Under optimized conditions, the limit of detection and limit of quantification were found to be in the range of 1-9 and 3-29 ng/mL, respectively. Satisfactory recoveries of metabolites in urine samples in the range of 87-95% were found. The developed method has been successfully applied for the determination of PAH metabolites in urine samples of exposed workers. DLLME-auto-IPS-GC-MS-MS method is time, labor, solvent and reagent saving, which can be routinely used for the analysis of urinary PAH metabolites. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. Ways for accurate analysis of high purity materials using the glow discharge mass spectrometry (GD-MS); Wege zur genauen Charakterisierung hochreiner Materialien mit der Glimmentladungs-Massenspektrometrie (GD-MS)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gusarova, Tamara

    2010-04-14

    The main aim of this work consists in the investigation, development and application of improved possibilities of accurate analysis of high purity materials using the solid sample technique of Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry (GD-MS), as well as in the sensitivity enhancement of GD Optical Emission Spectrometry (GD-OES) by implicating the hollow cathode effect. The emphasis of the PhD thesis consists in the accurate quantification for GD-MS. As appropriate certified reference materials (CRMs) for calibration are lacking in most cases an accurate quantification especially for trace elements mass fractions at {mu}g kg{sup -1} level can often not be achieved. To overcome this problem and to expand the possibilities of modern GD-MS hereby, synthetic standards were applied for calibration of both high resolution GD-MS instruments ''VG 9000'' and ''Element GD''. The standards were prepared by doping of matrix powder with trace element standard solutions followed by drying and pressing the doped powder to compact pellets. With the quantification approach worked out and described here accurate analysis results with small uncertainties can be achieved for most elements of periodic table in almost every matrix composition. Furthermore direct traceability of the analytical results to the International System of Units (SI) is provided ensuring their higher metrological quality. Numerous additional systematic investigations concerning the preparation of the synthetic standards and their properties were carried out. The results of calibration of GD-MS instruments with synthetic standards for Co (Co-C), Cu, In, Fe and Zn matrices were checked by measuring CRMs. These results were also contrasted with those of other quantification approaches, as usually used in GD-MS routine. The results achieved with synthetic standards had the highest accuracy. The successful participation in the round robin test CCQM-P107 between international

  6. Hydra: software for tailored processing of H/D exchange data from MS or tandem MS analyses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bennett Melissa

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (H/DX-MS experiments implemented to characterize protein interaction and protein folding generate large quantities of data. Organizing, processing and visualizing data requires an automated solution, particularly when accommodating new tandem mass spectrometry modes for H/DX measurement. We sought to develop software that offers flexibility in defining workflows so as to support exploratory treatments of H/DX-MS data, with a particular focus on the analysis of very large protein systems and the mining of tandem mass spectrometry data. Results We present a software package ("Hydra" that supports both traditional and exploratory treatments of H/DX-MS data. Hydra's software architecture tolerates flexible data analysis procedures by allowing the addition of new algorithms without significant change to the underlying code base. Convenient user interfaces ease the organization of raw data files and input of peptide data. After executing a user-defined workflow, extracted deuterium incorporation values can be visualized in tabular and graphical formats. Hydra also automates the extraction and visualization of deuterium distribution values. Manual validation and assessment of results is aided by an interface that aligns extracted ion chromatograms and mass spectra, while providing a means of rapidly reprocessing the data following manual adjustment. A unique feature of Hydra is the automated processing of tandem mass spectrometry data, demonstrated on a large test data set in which 40,000 deuterium incorporation values were extracted from replicate analysis of approximately 1000 fragment ions in one hour using a typical PC. Conclusion The customizable workflows and user-friendly interfaces of Hydra removes a significant bottleneck in processing and visualizing H/DX-MS data and helps the researcher spend more time executing new experiments and interpreting results. This increased

  7. Study on the Seismic Response of a Portal Frame Structure Based on the Transfer Matrix Method of Multibody System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianguo Ding

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Portal frame structures are widely used in industrial building design but unfortunately are often damaged during an earthquake. As a result, a study on the seismic response of this type of structure is important to both human safety and future building designs. Traditionally, finite element methods such as the ANSYS and MIDAS have been used as the primary methods of computing the response of such a structure during an earthquake; however, these methods yield low calculation efficiencies. In this paper, the mechanical model of a single-story portal frame structure with two spans is constructed based on the transfer matrix method of multibody system (MS-TMM; both the transfer matrix of the components in the model and the total transfer matrix equation of the structure are derived, and the corresponding MATLAB program is compiled to determine the natural period and seismic response of the structure. The results show that the results based on the MS-TMM are similar to those obtained by ANSYS, but the calculation time of the MS-TMM method is only 1/20 of that of the ANSYS method. Additionally, it is shown that the MS-TMM method greatly increases the calculation efficiency while maintaining accuracy.

  8. A simpler method of preprocessing MALDI-TOF MS data for differential biomarker analysis: stem cell and melanoma cancer studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tong Dong L

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Raw spectral data from matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF with MS profiling techniques usually contains complex information not readily providing biological insight into disease. The association of identified features within raw data to a known peptide is extremely difficult. Data preprocessing to remove uncertainty characteristics in the data is normally required before performing any further analysis. This study proposes an alternative yet simple solution to preprocess raw MALDI-TOF-MS data for identification of candidate marker ions. Two in-house MALDI-TOF-MS data sets from two different sample sources (melanoma serum and cord blood plasma are used in our study. Method Raw MS spectral profiles were preprocessed using the proposed approach to identify peak regions in the spectra. The preprocessed data was then analysed using bespoke machine learning algorithms for data reduction and ion selection. Using the selected ions, an ANN-based predictive model was constructed to examine the predictive power of these ions for classification. Results Our model identified 10 candidate marker ions for both data sets. These ion panels achieved over 90% classification accuracy on blind validation data. Receiver operating characteristics analysis was performed and the area under the curve for melanoma and cord blood classifiers was 0.991 and 0.986, respectively. Conclusion The results suggest that our data preprocessing technique removes unwanted characteristics of the raw data, while preserving the predictive components of the data. Ion identification analysis can be carried out using MALDI-TOF-MS data with the proposed data preprocessing technique coupled with bespoke algorithms for data reduction and ion selection.

  9. Removal of acidic interferences in multi-pesticides residue analysis of fruits using modified magnetic nanoparticles prior to determination via ultra-HPLC-MS/MS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi, Peipei; Wang, Zhiwei; Yang, Guiling; Wang, Xinquan; Shang, Chunqing; Xu, Hao; Wang, Xiangyun; Zhang, Hu; Wang, Qiang

    2015-01-01

    The authors describe magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) nanoparticles modified with 3-(N,N-diethylamino) propyltrimethoxysilane (Fe 3 O 4 -PSA NPs) for use as a sorbent for dispersive solid phase extraction of pesticide residues. The Fe 3 O 4 -PSA NPs were prepared by silanizing Fe 3 O 4 NPs and modifying them with 3-(N,N-diethylamino) propyltrimethoxysilane. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy, FTIR and zeta potential measurements were employed to characterize the modified NPs. They were then used as an adsorbent to remove acidic interferences (such as malic acid and succinic acid), which are major interferences in LC-MS/MS analysis in causing ion suppression in the MS spectra of pesticides. In addition, graphitized carbon black (GCB) was used as an adsorbent to eliminate interferences by pigments. The use of Fe 3 O 4 -PSA NPs can replace time-consuming centrifugation as used in the so-called QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) method. This improvement is particularly significant in high-throughput analysis. Following the optimization of the quantities of Fe 3 O 4 -PSA NPs and GCB, the method was applied to the determination of 56 pesticides in (spiked) fruits (apple, kiwi, orange and pear) by ultra-HPLC-MS/MS. The analytical ranges typically extend from 1 to 200 ng∙mL −1 , and recoveries range from 60.2 to 130 % at different concentrations of all four kinds of fruits. The LOQs for the pesticides are 10 ng∙kg −1 , which makes the method a viable tool for pesticide monitoring in fruits. (author)

  10. An IC-MS/MS Method for the Determination of 1-Hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic Acid on Uncooked Foods Treated with Peracetic Acid-Based Sanitizers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Ippei; Kubota, Hiroki; Ohtsuki, Takashi; Tatebe, Chiye; Tada, Atsuko; Yano, Takeo; Akiyama, Hiroshi; Sato, Kyoko

    2016-01-01

    A rapid, sensitive, and specific analytical method for the determination of 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) on uncooked foods after treatment with a peracetic acid-based sanitizer (PAS) was developed. The method involves simple sample preparation steps and analysis using ion chromatography (IC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The quantification limits of HEDP on uncooked foods are 0.007 mg/kg for vegetables and fruits and 0.2 mg/kg for meats. The recovery and relative standard deviation (RSD) of HEDP analyses of uncooked foods ranged from 73.9 to 103.8% and 1.9 to 12.6%, respectively. The method's accuracy and precision were evaluated by inter-day recovery tests. The recovery for all samples ranged from 93.6 to 101.2%, and the within-laboratory repeatability and reproducibility were evaluated based on RSD values, which were less than 6.9 and 11.5%, respectively. Analyses of PAS-treated fruits and vegetables using the developed method indicated levels of HEDP ranging from 0.008 to 0.351 mg/kg. Therefore, the results of the present study suggest that the proposed method is an accurate, precise, and reliable way to determine residual HEDP levels on PAS-treated uncooked foods.

  11. Application of CE-ICP-MS and CE-ESI-MS/MS for identification of Zn-binding ligands in Goji berries extracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruzik, Lena; Kwiatkowski, Piotr

    2018-06-01

    The identification of groups of ligands binding metals is a crucial issue for the better understanding of their bioaccessibility. In the current study, we have intended an approach for identification of Zn-binding ligands based on using capillary electrophoresis combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CE-ICP-MS) and tandem electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (CE-ESI-MS/MS). The approach, which featured the use of the coupling of capillary electrophoresis with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry allows to separate and observe zinc ions present in complexes with respect to their size and charge and to identify nine compounds with zinc isotopic profile. CE-ICP-MS provides us with information about presence of zinc species and elemental information about zinc distribution. CE-ESI-MS/MS provide us with information about the most favorable Zn binding ligands: amino acids, flavonols, stilbenoids, fenolic acids and carotenoids. The presented work is the continuation of previous studies based on using LC-ESI-MS/MS, though, now we presented a new solutions with the possibility of changing detectors without changing the separation techniques, what is important without re-optimizing the method. The new presented method allows to identify the zinc-binding ligands in shorter time. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Multimycotoxin LC-MS/MS Analysis in Tea Beverages after Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction (DLLME).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pallarés, Noelia; Font, Guillermina; Mañes, Jordi; Ferrer, Emilia

    2017-11-29

    The aim of the present study was to develop a multimycotoxin liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method with a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction procedure (DLLME) for the analysis of AFs, 3aDON, 15aDON, NIV, HT-2, T-2, ZEA, OTA, ENNs, and BEA in tea beverages and to evaluate their mycotoxin contents. The proposed method was characterized in terms of linearity, limits of detection (LODs), limits of quantification (LOQs), recoveries, repeatability (intraday precision), reproducibility (interday precision), and matrix effects to check suitability. The results show LODs in the range of 0.05-10 μg/L, LOQs in the range of 0.2-33 μg/L, and recoveries in the range of 65-127% (RSD tea, red tea, green tea, and green mint tea. The results show that, of the analyzed mycotoxins, AFB2, AFG2, 15aDON, AFG1, and ENB were detected in the samples. AFB2 (14.4-32.2 μg/L) and 15aDON (60.5-61 μg/L) presented the highest levels. Green mint tea contained the highest concentration of mycotoxins. The risk assessment study shows that the population is not much exposed to mycotoxins through the consumption of tea beverages.

  13. Create, run, share, publish, and reference your LC-MS, FIA-MS, GC-MS, and NMR data analysis workflows with the Workflow4Metabolomics 3.0 Galaxy online infrastructure for metabolomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guitton, Yann; Tremblay-Franco, Marie; Le Corguillé, Gildas; Martin, Jean-François; Pétéra, Mélanie; Roger-Mele, Pierrick; Delabrière, Alexis; Goulitquer, Sophie; Monsoor, Misharl; Duperier, Christophe; Canlet, Cécile; Servien, Rémi; Tardivel, Patrick; Caron, Christophe; Giacomoni, Franck; Thévenot, Etienne A

    2017-12-01

    Metabolomics is a key approach in modern functional genomics and systems biology. Due to the complexity of metabolomics data, the variety of experimental designs, and the multiplicity of bioinformatics tools, providing experimenters with a simple and efficient resource to conduct comprehensive and rigorous analysis of their data is of utmost importance. In 2014, we launched the Workflow4Metabolomics (W4M; http://workflow4metabolomics.org) online infrastructure for metabolomics built on the Galaxy environment, which offers user-friendly features to build and run data analysis workflows including preprocessing, statistical analysis, and annotation steps. Here we present the new W4M 3.0 release, which contains twice as many tools as the first version, and provides two features which are, to our knowledge, unique among online resources. First, data from the four major metabolomics technologies (i.e., LC-MS, FIA-MS, GC-MS, and NMR) can be analyzed on a single platform. By using three studies in human physiology, alga evolution, and animal toxicology, we demonstrate how the 40 available tools can be easily combined to address biological issues. Second, the full analysis (including the workflow, the parameter values, the input data and output results) can be referenced with a permanent digital object identifier (DOI). Publication of data analyses is of major importance for robust and reproducible science. Furthermore, the publicly shared workflows are of high-value for e-learning and training. The Workflow4Metabolomics 3.0 e-infrastructure thus not only offers a unique online environment for analysis of data from the main metabolomics technologies, but it is also the first reference repository for metabolomics workflows. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Structural, kinetic, and thermodynamic characterization of the interconverting isomers of MS-325, a gadolinium(III)-based magnetic resonance angiography contrast agent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyeklar, Zoltan; Dunham, Stephen U; Midelfort, Katarina; Scott, Daniel M; Sajiki, Hirano; Ong, Karen; Lauffer, Randall B; Caravan, Peter; McMurry, Thomas J

    2007-08-06

    The amphiphilic gadolinium complex MS-325 ((trisodium-{(2-(R)-[(4,4-diphenylcyclohexyl) phosphonooxymethyl] diethylenetriaminepentaacetato) (aquo)gadolinium(III)}) is a contrast agent for magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). MS-325 comprises a GdDTPA core with an appended phosphodiester moiety linked to a diphenylcyclohexyl group to facilitate noncovalent binding to serum albumin and extension of the plasma half-life in vivo. The chiral DTPA ligand (R) was derived from L-serine, and upon complexation with gadolinium, forms two interconvertible diastereomers, denoted herein as isomers A and B. X-ray crystallography of the tris(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III) salt derivative of isomer A revealed a structure in the polar acentric space group P32. The structure consisted of three independent molecules of the gadolinium complex in the asymmetric unit along with three Delta-[Co(en)3]3+ cations, and it represents an unusual example of spontaneous Pasteur resolution of the cobalt cation. The geometry of the coordination core was best described as a distorted trigonal prism, and the final R factor was 5.6%. The configuration of the chiral central nitrogen of the DTPA core was S. The Gd-water (2.47-2.48 A), the Gd-acetate oxygens (2.34-2.42 A), and the Gd-N bond distances (central N, 2.59-2.63 A; terminal N, 2.74-2.80 A) were similar to other reported GdDTPA structures. The structurally characterized single crystal was one of two interconvertable diastereomers (isomers A and B) that equilibrated to a ratio of 1.81 to 1 at pH 7.4 and were separable at elevated pH by ion-exchange chromatography. The rate of isomerization was highly pH dependent: k1 = (1.45 +/- 0.08) x 102[H+] + (4.16 +/- 0.30) x 105[H+]2; k-1 = (2.57 +/- 0.17) x 102[H+] + (7.54 +/- 0.60) x 105[H+]2.

  15. Some practical applications of an ICP-MS instrument

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meddings, B.; Ng, R.

    1987-01-01

    An early model commercial ICP-MS instrument (PlasmaQuad from VG Isotopes Limited) was acquired more than two years ago. As a typical analytical laboratory in the metallurgical field, the application of the ICP-MS technique to real sample analysis is the authors prime concern. The process of introducing this state-of-the-art instrument into routine analysis will be described. The modifications and limitations necessary to achieve acceptable precision under normal working conditions will be outlined. In most cases, practical problems can be circumvented with some sacrifice in analytical performance in the area of detection limits and dynamic range. In this presentation, specific applications of the ICP-MS technique in the authors laboratory will be discussed. These include trace analysis on high purity metals such as copper, aluminum, cobalt, nickel etc., on refinery feed samples such as nickel sulfate, mixed cobalt and nickel sulfide, cobalt cathode, samarium oxide etc., on alloys such as cobalt-samarium magnetic materials, nickel or cobalt based alloys used in turbine blades etc. Other applications such as the determination of uranium in phosphate rock, trace analysis on fertilizers, water samples and high purity acids will also be mentioned. The solutions to the practical problems encountered in these applications will be discussed. The analytical power of the ICP-MS technique for real sample analysis will be assessed

  16. Differentiation of Vitis vinifera varieties by MALDI-MS analysis of the grape seed proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pesavento, Ivana Chiara; Bertazzo, Antonella; Flamini, Riccardo; Vedova, Antonio Dalla; De Rosso, Mirko; Seraglia, Roberta; Traldi, Pietro

    2008-02-01

    Until now the study of pathogenic related proteins in grape juice and wine, performed by ESI-MS, LC/ESI-MS, and MALDI/MS, has been proposed for differentiation of varieties. In fact, chitinases and thaumatin-like proteins persist through the vinification process and cause hazes and sediments in bottled wines. An additional instrument, potentially suitable for the grape varieties differentiation, has been developed by MALDI/MS for the grape seed protein analysis. The hydrosoluble protein profiles of seeds extract from three different Vitis vinifera grape (red and white) varieties were analyzed and compared. In order to evaluate the environmental conditions and harvest effects, the seed protein profiles of one grape variety from different locations and harvests were studied. (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Open Probe fast GC-MS - combining ambient sampling ultra-fast separation and in-vacuum ionization for real-time analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keshet, U; Alon, T; Fialkov, A B; Amirav, A

    2017-07-01

    An Open Probe inlet was combined with a low thermal mass ultra-fast gas chromatograph (GC), in-vacuum electron ionization ion source and a mass spectrometer (MS) of GC-MS for obtaining real-time analysis with separation. The Open Probe enables ambient sampling via sample vaporization in an oven that is open to room air, and the ultra-fast GC provides ~30-s separation, while if no separation is required, it can act as a transfer line with 2 to 3-s sample transfer time. Sample analysis is as simple as touching the sample, pushing the sample holder into the Open Probe oven and obtaining the results in 30 s. The Open Probe fast GC was mounted on a standard Agilent 7890 GC that was coupled with an Agilent 5977A MS. Open Probe fast GC-MS provides real-time analysis combined with GC separation and library identification, and it uses the low-cost MS of GC-MS. The operation of Open Probe fast GC-MS is demonstrated in the 30-s separation and 50-s full analysis cycle time of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabinol in Cannabis flower, sub 1-min analysis of trace trinitrotoluene transferred from a finger onto a glass surface, vitamin E in canola oil, sterols in olive oil, polybrominated flame retardants in plastics, alprazolam in Xanax drug pill and free fatty acids and cholesterol in human blood. The extrapolated limit of detection for pyrene is Open Probe fast GC-MS is demonstrated in the analysis of heroin in its street drug powder. The use of Open Probe with the fast GC acting as a transfer line is demonstrated in <10-s analysis without separation of ibuprofen and estradiol. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Correlations between MRI and Information Processing Speed in MS: A Meta-Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. M. Rao

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. To examine relationships between conventional MRI measures and the paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT and symbol digit modalities test (SDMT. Methods. A systematic literature review was conducted. Included studies had ≥30 multiple sclerosis (MS patients, administered the SDMT or PASAT, and measured T2LV or brain atrophy. Meta-analysis of MRI/information processing speed (IPS correlations, analysis of MRI/IPS significance tests to account for reporting bias, and binomial testing to detect trends when comparing correlation strengths of SDMT versus PASAT and T2LV versus atrophy were conducted. Results. The 39 studies identified frequently reported only significant correlations, suggesting reporting bias. Direct meta-analysis was only feasible for correlations between SDMT and T2LV (r=-0.45, P<0.001 and atrophy in patients with mixed-MS subtypes (r=-0.54, P<0.001. Familywise Holm-Bonferroni testing found that selective reporting was not the source of at least half of significant results reported. Binomial tests (P=0.006 favored SDMT over PASAT in strength of MRI correlations. Conclusions. A moderate-to-strong correlation exists between impaired IPS and MRI in mixed MS populations. Correlations with MRI were stronger for SDMT than for PASAT. Neither heterogeneity among populations nor reporting bias appeared to be responsible for these findings.

  19. HPLC-MS Analysis of Chloramphenicol Residues in Milk and Powdered Milk Products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bošnir, J.

    2007-02-01

    Full Text Available Chloramphenicol (CAP is a broad-spectrum antibiotic with bacteriostatic action but also has toxic properties, which is why its presence in food and feed is prohibited in Croatia and the European Union.In the aim of consumer protection it is essential to develop a sensitive analytical method for detection of CAP fractions lower than w = 0.3 µg kg-1. For the efficient control and monitoring of CAP, a rapid, sensitive, and selective method for its identification and quantification, using highperformance liquid chromatography in combination with mass spectrometry LC-MS, has been developed.The cleaning procedure was based on the AOAC official method 993.32. HPLC-MS analysis used the ODS Hypersile column and the water/acetonitrile gradient. Electrospray negative ionization (neg ESI was used before single ion monitoring (SIM detection of three m/z 321, 323 and 325. As additional criteria, the ratio between these masses in real and spiked milk samples was also investigated in accordance with theoretical values of the isotope pattern for 2 chlorine atoms present in the analyte.The detection limit of 0.1 µg kg-1 was achieved. The mean value of recovery was 94 %, the correlation coefficient of the calibration curves calculated for 2 m/z values was higher than 0.99.Fourty samples of milk and milk products were tested with the HPLC-MS method, and obtained results showed that samples had CAP 0.37, 0.29, 0.39 µg kg-1, respectively. All the other analysed samples contained CAP concentrations below the detection limit.

  20. RAId_aPS: MS/MS analysis with multiple scoring functions and spectrum-specific statistics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, Gelio; Ogurtsov, Aleksey Y; Yu, Yi-Kuo

    2010-11-16

    Statistically meaningful comparison/combination of peptide identification results from various search methods is impeded by the lack of a universal statistical standard. Providing an E-value calibration protocol, we demonstrated earlier the feasibility of translating either the score or heuristic E-value reported by any method into the textbook-defined E-value, which may serve as the universal statistical standard. This protocol, although robust, may lose spectrum-specific statistics and might require a new calibration when changes in experimental setup occur. To mitigate these issues, we developed a new MS/MS search tool, RAId_aPS, that is able to provide spectrum-specific-values for additive scoring functions. Given a selection of scoring functions out of RAId score, K-score, Hyperscore and XCorr, RAId_aPS generates the corresponding score histograms of all possible peptides using dynamic programming. Using these score histograms to assign E-values enables a calibration-free protocol for accurate significance assignment for each scoring function. RAId_aPS features four different modes: (i) compute the total number of possible peptides for a given molecular mass range, (ii) generate the score histogram given a MS/MS spectrum and a scoring function, (iii) reassign E-values for a list of candidate peptides given a MS/MS spectrum and the scoring functions chosen, and (iv) perform database searches using selected scoring functions. In modes (iii) and (iv), RAId_aPS is also capable of combining results from different scoring functions using spectrum-specific statistics. The web link is http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CBBresearch/Yu/raid_aps/index.html. Relevant binaries for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X are available from the same page.

  1. Comparison of Proteins in Whole Blood and Dried Blood Spot Samples by LC/MS/MS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chambers, Andrew G.; Percy, Andrew J.; Hardie, Darryl B.; Borchers, Christoph H.

    2013-09-01

    Dried blood spot (DBS) sampling methods are desirable for population-wide biomarker screening programs because of their ease of collection, transportation, and storage. Immunoassays are traditionally used to quantify endogenous proteins in these samples but require a separate assay for each protein. Recently, targeted mass spectrometry (MS) has been proposed for generating highly-multiplexed assays for biomarker proteins in DBS samples. In this work, we report the first comparison of proteins in whole blood and DBS samples using an untargeted MS approach. The average number of proteins identified in undepleted whole blood and DBS samples by liquid chromatography (LC)/MS/MS was 223 and 253, respectively. Protein identification repeatability was between 77 %-92 % within replicates and the majority of these repeated proteins (70 %) were observed in both sample formats. Proteins exclusively identified in the liquid or dried fluid spot format were unbiased based on their molecular weight, isoelectric point, aliphatic index, and grand average hydrophobicity. In addition, we extended this comparison to include proteins in matching plasma and serum samples with their dried fluid spot equivalents, dried plasma spot (DPS), and dried serum spot (DSS). This work begins to define the accessibility of endogenous proteins in dried fluid spot samples for analysis by MS and is useful in evaluating the scope of this new approach.

  2. HPLC–MS and HPLC–MS/MS analysis of seven active constituents of Xiao-Xu-Ming decoction and application to a pharmacokinetic study after oral administration to rat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yilin Wang

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Xiao-xu-ming decoction (XXMD is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been widely used to treat theoplegia and its sequelae. This paper reports the development of three separate assays based on reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS and HPLC–MS/MS for the determination of seven active constituents of XXMD viz oroxylin A-7-O-glucuronide, wogonoside, liquiritigenin, cimifugin, 5-O-methylvisammiol, glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid in rat plasma. All calibration curves were linear (r >0.99 with lower limits of quantitation (LLOQs<12.4 ng/mL. Intra- and inter-day precisions (as relative standard deviation were all <10.7% with recoveries in the range of 88.7–113%. In addition, the seven analytes were shown to be stable in rat plasma samples under relevant storage conditions. The validated methods were successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rat after oral administration of XXMD.

  3. Development of a LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous screening of seven water-soluble vitamins in processing semi-coarse wheat flour products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nurit, Eric; Lyan, Bernard; Piquet, Agnès; Branlard, Gérard; Pujos-Guillot, Estelle

    2015-05-01

    Wheat is the second largest crop cultivated around the world and constitutes a major part of the daily diet in Europe. It is therefore important to determine the content of micronutrient in wheat and wheat-based food products to define the contribution of wheat-based foods to the nutrition of the consumers. The aim of the present work was to develop a simple and rapid method based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the simultaneous determination of seven water-soluble vitamins in various wheat-based food materials. The vitamins present in the test material were separated in less than 15 min by using a reverse-phase C18 column, and analyzed by positive ion electrospray selected reaction monitoring MS/MS. The MS response for all the vitamins was linear over the working range (0.05 to 9 μg/mL) with correlation coefficients ranging between 0.991 and 1. Limits of quantification in the different food materials ranged from 0.09 to 3.5 μg/g. Intra-day and inter-day precision were found satisfactory. The developed method was applied for the simultaneous analysis of the water-soluble vitamin natural content of different semi-coarse wheat flours and in their corresponding baking products.

  4. Use of knowledge based systems for rational reliability analysis based inspection and maintenance planning for offshore structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, M.X.; Dharmavasan, S.; Peers, S.M.C.

    1994-01-01

    The structural integrity of fixed offshore platforms is ensured by periodic inspections. In the past, decisions made as to when, where and how to inspect have been made by engineers using rules-of-thumb and general planning heuristics. It is now hoped that more rational inspection and maintenance scheduling may be carried out by applying recently developed techniques based on structural reliability methods. However, one of the problems associated with a theoretical approach is that it is not always possible to incorporate all the constraints that are present in a practical situation. These constraints modify the decisions made for analysis data input and the interpretation of the analysis results. Knowledge based systems provide a mean of encapsulating several different forms of information and knowledge within a computer system and hence can overcome this problem. In this paper, a prototype system being developed for integrating reliability based analysis with other constraints for inspection scheduling will be described. In addition, the scheduling model and the algorithms to carry out the scheduling will be explained. Furthermore, implementation details are also given

  5. Quantitative analysis of the major constituents of St John's wort with HPLC-ESI-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandrasekera, Dhammitha H; Welham, Kevin J; Ashton, David; Middleton, Richard; Heinrich, Michael

    2005-12-01

    A method was developed to profile the major constituents of St John's wort extracts using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS). The objective was to simultaneously separate, identify and quantify hyperforin, hypericin, pseudohypericin, rutin, hyperoside, isoquercetrin, quercitrin and chlorogenic acid using HPLC-MS. Quantification was performed using an external standardisation method with reference standards. The method consisted of two protocols: one for the analysis of flavonoids and glycosides and the other for the analysis of the more lipophilic hypericins and hyperforin. Both protocols used a reverse phase Luna phenyl hexyl column. The separation of the flavonoids and glycosides was achieved within 35 min and that of the hypericins and hyperforin within 9 min. The linear response range in ESI-MS was established for each compound and all had linear regression coefficient values greater than 0.97. Both protocols proved to be very specific for the constituents analysed. MS analysis showed no other signals within the analyte peaks. The method was robust and applicable to alcoholic tinctures, tablet/capsule extracts in various solvents and herb extracts. The method was applied to evaluate the phytopharmaceutical quality of St John's wort preparations available in the UK in order to test the method and investigate if they contain at least the main constituents and at what concentrations.

  6. Accurate determination of ultra-trace levels of Ti in blood serum using ICP-MS/MS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balcaen, Lieve; Bolea-Fernandez, Eduardo; Resano, Martín; Vanhaecke, Frank

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Novel method for determination of Ti at ultra-trace levels in clinical samples (serum). •Novel method based on Ti(NH 3 ) 6 + reaction product ion formation and double mass selection using recently introduced ICP-QQQ instrumentation. •Lowest limits of detection ever obtained using quadrupole-based instrumentation for Ti. •Accurate determination of basal levels of Ti in blood serum. -- Abstract: Ti is frequently used in implants and prostheses and it has been shown before that the presence of these in the human body can lead to elevated Ti concentrations in body fluids such as serum and urine. As identification of the exact mechanisms responsible for this increase in Ti concentrations, and the risks associated with it, are not fully understood, it is important to have sound analytical methods that enable straightforward quantification of Ti levels in body fluids (for both implanted and non-implanted individuals). Until now, only double-focusing sector field ICP-mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS) offered limits of detection that are good enough to deal with the very low basal levels of Ti in human serum. This work reports on the development of a novel method for the accurate and precise determination of trace levels of Ti in human serum samples, based on the use of ICP-MS/MS. O 2 and NH 3 /He have been compared as reaction gases. While the use of O 2 did not enable to overcome all spectral interferences, it has been shown that conversion of Ti + ions into Ti(NH 3 ) 6 + cluster ions by using NH 3 /He as a reaction gas in an ICP-QQQ-MS system, operated in MS/MS mode, provided interference-free conditions and sufficiently low limits of detection, down to 3 ng L −1 (instrumental detection limit obtained for the most abundant Ti isotope). The accuracy of the method proposed was evaluated by analysis of a Seronorm Trace Elements Serum L-1 reference material and by comparing the results obtained with those achieved by means of SF-ICP-MS

  7. New application and future of ICP-MS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masuda, Kimihiko

    1994-01-01

    By ICP-MS, since high sensibility, multi-element rapid analysis and isotope ratio analysis can be carried out, the position as the analysis for ultra-minute amount of elements has been established. Further recently, sample feeder system has been developed, and the multi-collector type device for the purpose of high resolution type isotope ratio analysis has appeared, so the range of its application is spreading more and more. In this report, the examples of application which were able to be attained accompanying the development of these devices are introduced, and the development of the ICP-MS hereafter is described. At present, about 1000 apparatuses are in operation in the world, and the application spread to the fields of semiconductors and materials, earth science, environment, atomic energy and so on. The ICP-MS was developed for the purpose of easily carrying out spectral analysis with high sensibility by using argon ICP as the ion source and doing ion detection which is more efficient than light detection, and has lower background. The progress and the present status of the ICP-MS are reported. As the latest examples of application of the ICP-MS, the analysis of iron by quadrupole type ICP-MS, the small region measurement of solids by laser abrasion, ultra-minute amount analysis by high resolution ICP-MS, the isotope ratio measurement of lead by multi-collector type ICP-MS are reported. (K.I.)

  8. A user exposure based approach for non-structural road network vulnerability analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Jin

    Full Text Available Aiming at the dense urban road network vulnerability without structural negative consequences, this paper proposes a novel non-structural road network vulnerability analysis framework. Three aspects of the framework are mainly described: (i the rationality of non-structural road network vulnerability, (ii the metrics for negative consequences accounting for variant road conditions, and (iii the introduction of a new vulnerability index based on user exposure. Based on the proposed methodology, a case study in the Sioux Falls network which was usually threatened by regular heavy snow during wintertime is detailedly discussed. The vulnerability ranking of links of Sioux Falls network with respect to heavy snow scenario is identified. As a result of non-structural consequences accompanied by conceivable degeneration of network, there are significant increases in generalized travel time costs which are measurements for "emotionally hurt" of topological road network.

  9. A validated UPLC-MS/MS method for the analysis of linezolid and a novel oxazolidinone derivative (PH027) in plasma and its application to tissue distribution study in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hedaya, Mohsen A; Thomas, Vidhya; Abdel-Hamid, Mohamed E; Kehinde, Elijah O; Phillips, Oludotun A

    2017-01-01

    Linezolid is the first approved oxazolidinone antibacterial agent, whereas PH027 is a novel compound of the same class that exhibits good in vitro antibacterial activity. The objective of this study was to develop an UPLC-MS/MS assay for the analysis of linezolid and PH027 in plasma and to apply the method for comparative pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies of both compounds. Plasma samples and calibrators were extracted with diethyl ether after addition of the internal standard solution. After evaporation of the ether layer, the residue was reconstituted in mobile phase and injected into UPLC-MS/MS. The mobile phase consisted of 2mM ammonium acetate buffer solution and acetonitrile (70:30) at a flow rate of 0.2ml/min. Separation was achieved using UPLC BEH C 18 column, and quantitative determination of the analytes was performed using multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) scanning mode. The method was validated by analyzing quality control tissue homogenate samples, and was applied to analyze tissue homogenate samples obtained following IV injections of linezolid and PH027 in rabbits. The developed UPLC-MS/MS method was linear in the concentration range of 50-5000ng/ml. Validation of the method proved that the method's precision, selectivity and stability were all within the acceptable limits. Linezolid and PH027 concentrations were accurately determined in the quality control tissue homogenate samples, and analysis of samples obtained following IV administration of the two compounds showed that the tissue to plasma concentration ratio of PH027 was higher than that of linezolid probably due to its higher lipophilicity. The developed UPLC-MS/MS method for the analysis of linezolid and PH027 in rabbit's plasma can accurately determine the concentrations of these compounds in different tissues. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Clustering with position-specific constraints on variance: Applying redescending M-estimators to label-free LC-MS data analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mani D R

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Clustering is a widely applicable pattern recognition method for discovering groups of similar observations in data. While there are a large variety of clustering algorithms, very few of these can enforce constraints on the variation of attributes for data points included in a given cluster. In particular, a clustering algorithm that can limit variation within a cluster according to that cluster's position (centroid location can produce effective and optimal results in many important applications ranging from clustering of silicon pixels or calorimeter cells in high-energy physics to label-free liquid chromatography based mass spectrometry (LC-MS data analysis in proteomics and metabolomics. Results We present MEDEA (M-Estimator with DEterministic Annealing, an M-estimator based, new unsupervised algorithm that is designed to enforce position-specific constraints on variance during the clustering process. The utility of MEDEA is demonstrated by applying it to the problem of "peak matching"--identifying the common LC-MS peaks across multiple samples--in proteomic biomarker discovery. Using real-life datasets, we show that MEDEA not only outperforms current state-of-the-art model-based clustering methods, but also results in an implementation that is significantly more efficient, and hence applicable to much larger LC-MS data sets. Conclusions MEDEA is an effective and efficient solution to the problem of peak matching in label-free LC-MS data. The program implementing the MEDEA algorithm, including datasets, clustering results, and supplementary information is available from the author website at http://www.hephy.at/user/fru/medea/.

  11. Identification of a new genetic marker in Mycoplasma synoviae vaccine strain MS-H and development of a strategy using polymerase chain reaction and high-resolution melting curve analysis for differentiating MS-H from field strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Ling; Konsak, Barbara M; Olaogun, Olusola M; Agnew-Crumptona, Rebecca; Kanci, Anna; Marenda, Marc S; Browning, Glenn F; Noormohammadi, Amir H

    2017-10-01

    Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) is an economically important avian pathogen worldwide, causing subclinical respiratory tract infection and infectious synovitis in chickens and turkeys. A temperature-sensitive (ts + ) live attenuated vaccine MS-H, derived from the Australian field strain 86079/7NS, is now widely used in many countries to control the disease induced by MS. Differentiation of MS-H vaccine from field strains is crucial for monitoring vaccination programs in commercial poultry. Comparison of genomic sequences of MS-H and its parent strain revealed an adenine deletion at nucleotide position 468 of the MS-H oppF-1 gene. This mutation was shown to be unique to MS-H in further comparative analyses of oppF-1 genes of MS-H re-isolates and field strains from Australia and other countries. Based on this single nucleotide, a combination of nested PCR and high-resolution melting (HRM) curve analysis was used to evaluate its potential for use in differentiation of MS-H from field strains. The mean genotype confidence percentages of 99.27 and 48.20 for MS-H and field strains, respectively, demonstrated the high discriminative power of the newly developed assay (oppF PCR-HRM). A set of 13 tracheal swab samples collected from MS-H vaccinated specific pathogen free birds and commercial chicken flocks infected with MS were tested using the oppF PCR-HRM test and results were totally consistent with those obtained using vlhA genotyping. The nested-PCR HRM method established in this study proved to be a rapid, simple and cost effective tool for discriminating the MS-H vaccine strain from Australian and international strains in pure cultures and on tracheal swabs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Effect of Genetics, Environment, and Phenotype on the Metabolome of Maize Hybrids Using GC/MS and LC/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Weijuan; Hazebroek, Jan; Zhong, Cathy; Harp, Teresa; Vlahakis, Chris; Baumhover, Brian; Asiago, Vincent

    2017-06-28

    We evaluated the variability of metabolites in various maize hybrids due to the effect of environment, genotype, phenotype as well as the interaction of the first two factors. We analyzed 480 forage and the same number of grain samples from 21 genetically diverse non-GM Pioneer brand maize hybrids, including some with drought tolerance and viral resistance phenotypes, grown at eight North American locations. As complementary platforms, both GC/MS and LC/MS were utilized to detect a wide diversity of metabolites. GC/MS revealed 166 and 137 metabolites in forage and grain samples, respectively, while LC/MS captured 1341 and 635 metabolites in forage and grain samples, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were utilized to investigate the response of the maize metabolome to the environment, genotype, phenotype, and their interaction. Based on combined percentages from GC/MS and LC/MS datasets, the environment affected 36% to 84% of forage metabolites, while less than 7% were affected by genotype. The environment affected 12% to 90% of grain metabolites, whereas less than 27% were affected by genotype. Less than 10% and 11% of the metabolites were affected by phenotype in forage and grain, respectively. Unsupervised PCA and HCA analyses revealed similar trends, i.e., environmental effect was much stronger than genotype or phenotype effects. On the basis of comparisons of disease tolerant and disease susceptible hybrids, neither forage nor grain samples originating from different locations showed obvious phenotype effects. Our findings demonstrate that the combination of GC/MS and LC/MS based metabolite profiling followed by broad statistical analysis is an effective approach to identify the relative impact of environmental, genetic and phenotypic effects on the forage and grain composition of maize hybrids.

  13. Optimization of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction, HPLC and UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS Analysis of Main Macamides and Macaenes from Maca (Cultivars of Lepidium meyenii Walp

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shu-Xiao Chen

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE, using petroleum ether as the solvent, was systematically applied to extract main macamides and macaenes from Maca hypocotyls. Extraction yield was related with four variables, including ratio of solution to solid, extraction temperature, extraction time, and extraction power. On the basis of response surface methodology (RSM, the optimal conditions were determined to be the ratio of solution to solid as 10:1 (mL/g, the extraction temperature of 40 °C, the extraction time of 30 min, and the extraction power of 200 W. Based on the optimal extraction method of UAE, the total contents of ten main macamides and two main macaenes of Maca cultivated in twenty different areas of Tibet were analyzed by HPLC and UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS. This study indicated that UAE was able to effectively extract macamides alkaloids from Maca hypocotyls. Quantitative analysis showed that geographical origins, not ecotypes, played a more important role on the accumulation of active macamides in Maca.

  14. Optimization of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction, HPLC and UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS Analysis of Main Macamides and Macaenes from Maca (Cultivars of Lepidium meyenii Walp).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Shu-Xiao; Li, Ke-Ke; Pubu, Duoji; Jiang, Si-Ping; Chen, Bin; Chen, Li-Rong; Yang, Zhen; Ma, Chao; Gong, Xiao-Jie

    2017-12-10

    Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), using petroleum ether as the solvent, was systematically applied to extract main macamides and macaenes from Maca hypocotyls. Extraction yield was related with four variables, including ratio of solution to solid, extraction temperature, extraction time, and extraction power. On the basis of response surface methodology (RSM), the optimal conditions were determined to be the ratio of solution to solid as 10:1 (mL/g), the extraction temperature of 40 °C, the extraction time of 30 min, and the extraction power of 200 W. Based on the optimal extraction method of UAE, the total contents of ten main macamides and two main macaenes of Maca cultivated in twenty different areas of Tibet were analyzed by HPLC and UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS. This study indicated that UAE was able to effectively extract macamides alkaloids from Maca hypocotyls. Quantitative analysis showed that geographical origins, not ecotypes, played a more important role on the accumulation of active macamides in Maca.

  15. Development of data acquisition and processing software based on MS-Windows 3.X for safeguards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tan Yajun

    1996-01-01

    The development method of data acquisition and processing software based on MS-Windows 3.X for safeguards is presented. The paper describes the design methods of graphical user interface (GUI), multiwindow and multitask-based spectrum graph display, data acquisition and processing and the application of object-oriented programming (OOP). Using the package, an effective prototype design path can be found for MS-Windows-based software. The methods and programs have been applied in some safeguard non-destructive assay system

  16. Chemical investigation, isolation and structural analysis of flavones from primula veris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huck, Ch.

    1998-01-01

    The chemical investigation, isolation and structural analysis of six flavones present in flowers of Primula veris is described. Sample preparation of substances G from Primula veris comprised methanol extraction, low pressure chromatography on aluminum oxide, medium pressure chromatography on silica gel, and RP-HPLC on ODS. The six flavones, which were identified by their blue fluorescence after separation by thin layer chromatography, were named substance G1, G2, G3, G4, G5 and G6 according to their Rf-values. Fractions were collected during each of the separation processes and the fractions were analyzed by NP-HPLC and RP-HPLC. Higher resolution was obtained by NP-HPLC on a silica gel column and an n-hexane/ isopropanol (92:8 v/v) eluent, where 6 peaks (G1, G2, G3, G4, G5 and G6) were obtained. Diode array detection from 190 - 350 nm was utilized for the recording of UV-spectra for peak identification and peak-purity-analysis. The structures of Substance G4 and Substance G6 were established on the basis of UV, NMR, EI-MS and APCI-MS. The structure of the isolated substance G4 was verified by chemical synthesis. (author)

  17. Investigation on biochemical compositional changes during the microbial fermentation process of Fu brick tea by LC-MS based metabolomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Jie; Hu, Feng-Lin; Wang, Wei; Wan, Xiao-Chun; Bao, Guan-Hu

    2015-11-01

    Fu brick tea (FBT) is a unique post-fermented tea product which is fermented with fungi during the manufacturing process. In this study, we investigated the biochemical compositional changes occurring during the microbial fermentation process (MFP) of FBT based on non-targeted LC-MS, which was a comprehensive and unbiased methodology. Our data analysis took a two-phase approach: (1) comparison of FBT with other tea products using PCA analysis to exhibit the characteristic effect of MFP on the formation of Fu brick tea and (2) comparison of tea samples throughout the MFP of FBT to elucidate the possible key metabolic pathways produced by the fungi. Non-targeted LC-MS analysis clearly distinguished FBT with other tea samples and highlighted some interesting metabolic pathways during the MFP including B ring fission catechin. Our study demonstrated that those fungi had a significant influence on the biochemical profiles in the FBT and consequently contributed to its unique quality. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Thermoresponsive Arrays Patterned via Photoclick Chemistry: Smart MALDI Plate for Protein Digest Enrichment, Desalting, and Direct MS Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Xiao; Hu, Junjie; Chao, Zhicong; Liu, Ying; Ju, Huangxian; Cheng, Quan

    2018-01-10

    Sample desalting and concentration are crucial steps before matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) analysis. Current sample pretreatment approaches require tedious fabrication and operation procedures, which are unamenable to high-throughput analysis and also result in sample loss. Here, we report the development of a smart MALDI substrate for on-plate desalting, enrichment, and direct MS analysis of protein digests based on thermoresponsive, hydrophilic/hydrophobic transition of surface-grafted poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microarrays. Superhydrophilic 1-thioglycerol microwells are first constructed on alkyne-silane-functionalized rough indium tin oxide substrates based on two sequential thiol-yne photoclick reactions, whereas the surrounding regions are modified with hydrophobic 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecanethiol. Surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization is then triggered in microwells to form PNIPAM arrays, which facilitate sample loading and enrichment of protein digests by concentrating large-volume samples into small dots and achieving on-plate desalting through PNIPAM configuration change at elevated temperature. The smart MALDI plate shows high performance for mass spectrometric analysis of cytochrome c and neurotensin in the presence of 1 M urea and 100 mM NaHCO 3 , as well as improved detection sensitivity and high sequence coverage for α-casein and cytochrome c digests in femtomole range. The work presents a versatile sample pretreatment platform with great potential for proteomic research.

  19. GC-MS Based Plasma Metabolomics for Identification of Candidate Biomarkers for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Egyptian Cohort.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad R Nezami Ranjbar

    Full Text Available This study evaluates changes in metabolite levels in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC cases vs. patients with liver cirrhosis by analysis of human blood plasma using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS. Untargeted metabolomic analysis of plasma samples from participants recruited in Egypt was performed using two GC-MS platforms: a GC coupled to single quadruple mass spectrometer (GC-qMS and a GC coupled to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (GC-TOFMS. Analytes that showed statistically significant changes in ion intensities were selected using ANOVA models. These analytes and other candidates selected from related studies were further evaluated by targeted analysis in plasma samples from the same participants as in the untargeted metabolomic analysis. The targeted analysis was performed using the GC-qMS in selected ion monitoring (SIM mode. The method confirmed significant changes in the levels of glutamic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, valine, isoleucine, leucine, alpha tocopherol, cholesterol, and sorbose in HCC cases vs. patients with liver cirrhosis. Specifically, our findings indicate up-regulation of metabolites involved in branched-chain amino acid (BCAA metabolism. Although BCAAs are increasingly used as a treatment for cancer cachexia, others have shown that BCAA supplementation caused significant enhancement of tumor growth via activation of mTOR/AKT pathway, which is consistent with our results that BCAAs are up-regulated in HCC.

  20. Development and UFLC-MS/MS Characterization of a Product-Specific Standard for Phenolic Quantification of Maple-Derived Foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yongqiang; Ma, Hang; Seeram, Navindra P

    2016-05-04

    The phenolic contents of plant foods are commonly quantified by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay based on gallic acid equivalents (GAEs). However, this may lead to inaccuracies because gallic acid is not always representative of the structural heterogeneity of plant phenolics. Therefore, product-specific standards have been developed for the phenolic quantification of several foods. Currently, maple-derived foods (syrup, sugar, sap/water, and extracts) are quantified for phenolic contents based on GAEs. Because lignans are the predominant phenolics present in maple, herein, a maple phenolic lignan-enriched standard (MaPLES) was purified (by chromatography) and characterized (by UFLC-MS/MS with lignans previously isolated from maple syrup). Using MaPLES and secoisolariciresinol (a commercially available lignan), the phenolic contents of the maple-derived foods increased 3-fold compared to GAEs. Therefore, lignan-based standards are more appropriate for phenolic quantification of maple-derived foods versus GAEs. Also, MaPLES can be utilized for the authentication and detection of fake label claims on maple products.

  1. Efficient identification of critical residues based only on protein structure by network analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael P Cusack

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Despite the increasing number of published protein structures, and the fact that each protein's function relies on its three-dimensional structure, there is limited access to automatic programs used for the identification of critical residues from the protein structure, compared with those based on protein sequence. Here we present a new algorithm based on network analysis applied exclusively on protein structures to identify critical residues. Our results show that this method identifies critical residues for protein function with high reliability and improves automatic sequence-based approaches and previous network-based approaches. The reliability of the method depends on the conformational diversity screened for the protein of interest. We have designed a web site to give access to this software at http://bis.ifc.unam.mx/jamming/. In summary, a new method is presented that relates critical residues for protein function with the most traversed residues in networks derived from protein structures. A unique feature of the method is the inclusion of the conformational diversity of proteins in the prediction, thus reproducing a basic feature of the structure/function relationship of proteins.

  2. Collapse Analysis of Timber Structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kirkegaard, Poul Henning; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

    2008-01-01

    of Structures and a probabilistic modelling of the timber material proposed in the Probabilistic Model Code (PMC) of the Joint Committee on Structural Safety (JCSS). Due to the framework in the Danish Code the timber structure has to be evaluated with respect to the following criteria where at least one shall...... to criteria a) and b) the timber frame structure has one column with a reliability index a bit lower than an assumed target level. By removal three columns one by one no significant extensive failure of the entire structure or significant parts of it are obtained. Therefore the structure can be considered......A probabilistic based collapse analysis has been performed for a glulam frame structure supporting the roof over the main court in a Norwegian sports centre. The robustness analysis is based on the framework for robustness analysis introduced in the Danish Code of Practice for the Safety...

  3. Polymer Analysis by Liquid Chromatography/Electrospray Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielen, M W; Buijtenhuijs, F A

    1999-05-01

    Hyphenation of liquid chromatography (LC) techniques with electrospray ionization (ESI) orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight (oa-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) provides both MS-based structural information and LC-based quantitative data in polymer analysis. In one experimental setup, three different LC modes are interfaced with MS:  size-exclusion chromatography (SEC/MS), gradient polymer elution chromatography (GPEC/MS), and liquid chromatography at the critical point of adsorption (LCCC/MS). In SEC/MS, both absolute mass calibration of the SEC column based on the polymer itself and determination of monomers and end groups from the mass spectra are achieved. GPEC/MS shows detailed chemical heterogeneity of the polymer and the chemical composition distribution within oligomer groups. In LCCC/MS, the retention behavior is primarily governed by chemical heterogeneities, such as different end group functionalities, and quantitative end group calculations can be easily made. The potential of these methods and the benefit of time-of-flight analyzers in polymer analysis are discussed using SEC/MS of a polydisperse poly(methyl methacrylate) sample, GPEC/MS of dipropoxylated bisphenol A/adipic acid polyester resin, LCCC/MS of alkylated poly(ethylene glycol), and LCCC/MS of terephthalic acid/neopentyl glycol polyester resin.

  4. Metabonomics research of diabetic nephropathy and type 2 diabetes mellitus based on UPLC-oaTOF-MS system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Jie; Yan Lijuan; Chen Wengui; Lin Lin; Song Xiuyu; Yan Xiaomei; Hang Wei; Huang Benli

    2009-01-01

    Ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight (oaTOF) mass spectrometry has showed great potential in diabetes research. In this paper, a UPLC-oaTOF-MS system was employed to distinguish the global serum profiles of 8 diabetic nephropathy (DN) patients, 33 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and 25 healthy volunteers, and tried to find potential biomarkers. The UPLC system produced information-rich chromatograms with typical measured peak widths of 4 s, generating peak capacities of 225 in 15 min. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was used for group differentiation and marker selection. As shown in the scores plot, the distinct clustering between the patients and controls was observed, and DN and T2DM patients were also separated into two individual groups. Several compounds were tentatively identified based on accurate mass, isotopic pattern and MS/MS information. In addition, significant changes in the serum level of leucine, dihydrosphingosine and phytoshpingosine were noted, indicating the perturbations of amino acid metabolism and phospholipid metabolism in diabetic diseases, which having implications in clinical diagnosis and treatment.

  5. Metabonomics research of diabetic nephropathy and type 2 diabetes mellitus based on UPLC-oaTOF-MS system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang Jie, E-mail: jiezhang@dicp.ac.cn [Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005 Xiamen (China); Yan Lijuan [XiaMen Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, 361012 Xiamen (China); Chen Wengui [First Hospital of Xiamen, 361003 Xiamen (China); Lin Lin [Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005 Xiamen (China); Song Xiuyu [First Hospital of Xiamen, 361003 Xiamen (China); Yan Xiaomei [Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005 Xiamen (China); Hang Wei, E-mail: weihang@xmu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005 Xiamen (China); Huang Benli [Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005 Xiamen (China)

    2009-09-14

    Ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight (oaTOF) mass spectrometry has showed great potential in diabetes research. In this paper, a UPLC-oaTOF-MS system was employed to distinguish the global serum profiles of 8 diabetic nephropathy (DN) patients, 33 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and 25 healthy volunteers, and tried to find potential biomarkers. The UPLC system produced information-rich chromatograms with typical measured peak widths of 4 s, generating peak capacities of 225 in 15 min. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was used for group differentiation and marker selection. As shown in the scores plot, the distinct clustering between the patients and controls was observed, and DN and T2DM patients were also separated into two individual groups. Several compounds were tentatively identified based on accurate mass, isotopic pattern and MS/MS information. In addition, significant changes in the serum level of leucine, dihydrosphingosine and phytoshpingosine were noted, indicating the perturbations of amino acid metabolism and phospholipid metabolism in diabetic diseases, which having implications in clinical diagnosis and treatment.

  6. Automated GC-MS analysis of free amino acids in biological fluids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaspar, Hannelore; Dettmer, Katja; Gronwald, Wolfram; Oefner, Peter J

    2008-07-15

    A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was developed for the quantitative analysis of free amino acids as their propyl chloroformate derivatives in biological fluids. Derivatization with propyl chloroformate is carried out directly in the biological samples without prior protein precipitation or solid-phase extraction of the amino acids, thereby allowing automation of the entire procedure, including addition of reagents, extraction and injection into the GC-MS. The total analysis time was 30 min and 30 amino acids could be reliably quantified using 19 stable isotope-labeled amino acids as internal standards. Limits of detection (LOD) and lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) were in the range of 0.03-12 microM and 0.3-30 microM, respectively. The method was validated using a certified amino acid standard and reference plasma, and its applicability to different biological fluids was shown. Intra-day precision for the analysis of human urine, blood plasma, and cell culture medium was 2.0-8.8%, 0.9-8.3%, and 2.0-14.3%, respectively, while the inter-day precision for human urine was 1.5-14.1%.

  7. Mechanical Response Analysis of Long-life Asphalt Pavement Structure of Yunluo High-speed on the Semi-rigid Base

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Feng; Wu, Chuanhai; Xu, Xinquan; Li, Hao; Wang, Zhixiang

    2018-01-01

    In order to grasp the rule of the strain change of the semi-rigid asphalt pavement structure under the FWD load and provide a reliable theoretical and practical basis for the design of the pavement structure, based on the test section of Guangdong Yunluo expressway, taking FWD as the loading tool, by using the finite element analysis software ANSYS, the internal variation rules of each pavement structural layer were obtained. Based on the results of the theoretical analysis, the measured strain sensor was set up in the corresponding layer of the pavement structure, and the strain test plan was determined. Based on the analysis of the strain data obtained from several structural layers and field monitoring, the rationality of the type pavement structure and the strain test scheme were verified, so as to provide useful help for the design and the maintenance of the pavement structure.

  8. Comparison of common components analysis with principal components analysis and independent components analysis: Application to SPME-GC-MS volatolomic signatures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouhlel, Jihéne; Jouan-Rimbaud Bouveresse, Delphine; Abouelkaram, Said; Baéza, Elisabeth; Jondreville, Catherine; Travel, Angélique; Ratel, Jérémy; Engel, Erwan; Rutledge, Douglas N

    2018-02-01

    The aim of this work is to compare a novel exploratory chemometrics method, Common Components Analysis (CCA), with Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Independent Components Analysis (ICA). CCA consists in adapting the multi-block statistical method known as Common Components and Specific Weights Analysis (CCSWA or ComDim) by applying it to a single data matrix, with one variable per block. As an application, the three methods were applied to SPME-GC-MS volatolomic signatures of livers in an attempt to reveal volatile organic compounds (VOCs) markers of chicken exposure to different types of micropollutants. An application of CCA to the initial SPME-GC-MS data revealed a drift in the sample Scores along CC2, as a function of injection order, probably resulting from time-related evolution in the instrument. This drift was eliminated by orthogonalization of the data set with respect to CC2, and the resulting data are used as the orthogonalized data input into each of the three methods. Since the first step in CCA is to norm-scale all the variables, preliminary data scaling has no effect on the results, so that CCA was applied only to orthogonalized SPME-GC-MS data, while, PCA and ICA were applied to the "orthogonalized", "orthogonalized and Pareto-scaled", and "orthogonalized and autoscaled" data. The comparison showed that PCA results were highly dependent on the scaling of variables, contrary to ICA where the data scaling did not have a strong influence. Nevertheless, for both PCA and ICA the clearest separations of exposed groups were obtained after autoscaling of variables. The main part of this work was to compare the CCA results using the orthogonalized data with those obtained with PCA and ICA applied to orthogonalized and autoscaled variables. The clearest separations of exposed chicken groups were obtained by CCA. CCA Loadings also clearly identified the variables contributing most to the Common Components giving separations. The PCA Loadings did not

  9. Plasma metabonomics study on toxicity biomarker in rats treated with Euphorbia fischeriana based on LC-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yingfeng; Man, Hongxue; Gao, Jian; Liu, Xinfeng; Ren, Xiaolei; Chen, Jianxin; Zhang, Jiayu; Gao, Kuo; Li, Zhongfeng; Zhao, Baosheng

    2016-09-01

    Lang-du (LD) has been traditionally used to treat human diseases in China. Plasma metabolic profiling was applied in this study based on LC-MS to elucidate the toxicity in rats induced by injected ethanol extract of LD. LD injection was given by intraperitoneal injection at doses of 0.1, 0.05, 0.025 and 0 g kg(-1) body weight per day to rats. The blood biochemical levels of alanine aminotransferase, direct bilirubin, creatinine, serum β2-microglobulin and low-density lipoprotein increased in LD-injected rats, and the levels of total protein and albumin decreased in these groups. The metabolic profiles of the samples were analyzed by multivariate statistics analysis, including principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis and orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminate analysis (OPLS-DA). The metabolic characters in rats injected with LD were perturbed in a dose-dependent manner. By OPLS-DA, 18 metabolites were served as the potential toxicity biomarkers. Moreover, LD treatment resulted in an increase in the p-cresol, p-cresol sulfate, lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) (18:0), LPE (16:0), lysophosphatidylcholine (16:0) and 12-HETE concentrations, and a decrease in hippuric acid, cholic acid and N-acetyl-l-phenylalanine. These results suggested that chronic exposure to LD could cause a disturbance in lipids metabolism and amino acids metabolism, etc. Therefore, an analysis of the metabolic profiles can contribute to a better understanding of the adverse effects of LD. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. Targeted analysis of 116 drugs in hair by UHPLC-MS/MS and its application to forensic cases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Xin; Johansen, Sys Stybe; Nielsen, Marie Katrine Klose

    2017-01-01

    A multi-target method that can detect a broad range of drugs of abuse in human hair, such as hypnotics, anxiolytics, analgesics, benzodiazepines, antihistamines, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants, was developed based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass...... spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The drugs were extracted from 10 mg of washed hair by incubation for 18 h in a 25:25:50 (v/v/v) mixture of methanol/acetonitrile/2 mM ammonium formate (8% acetonitrile, pH 5.3). For 51% of the basic drugs, the lower limits of quantification (LLOQs) were in the range of 0.05-0.5 pg...... studies, the present method is sensitive enough to detect single dose drug exposure for many of the drugs. The accuracy was within 75-125% for the majority of drugs. Good precision was observed (relative standard deviations [RSD%] 

  11. Automated protein identification by the combination of MALDI MS and MS/MS spectra from different instruments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levander, Fredrik; James, Peter

    2005-01-01

    The identification of proteins separated on two-dimensional gels is most commonly performed by trypsin digestion and subsequent matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) with time-of-flight (TOF). Recently, atmospheric pressure (AP) MALDI coupled to an ion trap (IT) has emerged as a convenient method to obtain tandem mass spectra (MS/MS) from samples on MALDI target plates. In the present work, we investigated the feasibility of using the two methodologies in line as a standard method for protein identification. In this setup, the high mass accuracy MALDI-TOF spectra are used to calibrate the peptide precursor masses in the lower mass accuracy AP-MALDI-IT MS/MS spectra. Several software tools were developed to automate the analysis process. Two sets of MALDI samples, consisting of 142 and 421 gel spots, respectively, were analyzed in a highly automated manner. In the first set, the protein identification rate increased from 61% for MALDI-TOF only to 85% for MALDI-TOF combined with AP-MALDI-IT. In the second data set the increase in protein identification rate was from 44% to 58%. AP-MALDI-IT MS/MS spectra were in general less effective than the MALDI-TOF spectra for protein identification, but the combination of the two methods clearly enhanced the confidence in protein identification.

  12. Fault Detection Algorithm based on Null-Space Analysis for On-Line Structural Health Monitoring

    OpenAIRE

    Yan, Ai-Min; Golinval, Jean-Claude; Marin, Frédéric

    2005-01-01

    Early diagnosis of structural damages or machinery malfunctions allows to reduce the maintenance cost of systems and to increase their reliability and safety. This paper addresses the damage detection problem by statistical analysis on output-only measurements of structures. The developed method is based on subspace analysis of the Hankel matrices constructed by vibration measurement data. The column active subspace of the Hankel matrix defined by the first principal components is orthonormal...

  13. Online immunocapture ICP-MS for the determination of the metalloprotein ceruloplasmin in human serum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernevic, Bogdan; El-Khatib, Ahmed H; Jakubowski, Norbert; Weller, Michael G

    2018-04-02

    The human copper-protein ceruloplasmin (Cp) is the major copper-containing protein in the human body. The accurate determination of Cp is mandatory for the reliable diagnosis of several diseases. However, the analysis of Cp has proven to be difficult. The aim of our work was a proof of concept for the determination of a metalloprotein-based on online immunocapture ICP-MS. The immuno-affinity step is responsible for the enrichment and isolation of the analyte from serum, whereas the compound-independent quantitation with ICP-MS delivers the sensitivity, precision, and large dynamic range. Off-line ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) was used in parallel to confirm the elution profile of the analyte with a structure-selective method. The total protein elution was observed with the 32 S mass trace. The ICP-MS signals were normalized on a 59 Co signal. The human copper-protein Cp could be selectively determined. This was shown with pure Cp and with a sample of human serum. The good correlation with off-line ELISA shows that Cp could be captured and eluted selectively from the anti-Cp affinity column and subsequently determined by the copper signal of ICP-MS.

  14. Complex mixture analysis of peptides using LC/LC-MS/MS and data-dependent protein identification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wasinger, V.; Corthals, G.

    2001-01-01

    The comprehensive identification of proteins within complex solutions by mass-spectrometry largely depends on the sensitivity, resolving power and sampling efficiency of the technology. An integrated orthogonal approach using Strong Cation Exchange-Reverse Phase-MS/MS (SCX-RP-MS/MS) was used to evaluate the data-dependent Collision Induced Dissociation (CID) of yeast peptides. Reverse phase gradient times of 4, 10. 30, 90, and 180 minutes allowed the identification of hundreds of proteins in a nearly automated fashion from nuclear, membrane, and cytosolic distributions. Many proteins from typically difficult to resolve regions of two-dimensional gels, such as >100kDa, > pI 9.0 and Codon Adaptation Index < 0.2, were also identified using this multi-dimensional separation technology. Few low mass proteins (<10kDa) were identified. The impact of scan-range and duty-cycle on CID of peptides will be discussed

  15. Rapid and reliable QuEChERS-based LC-MS/MS method for determination of acrylamide in potato chips and roasted coffee

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stefanović, S.; Đorđevic, V.; Jelušić, V.

    2017-09-01

    The aim of this paper is to verify the performance characteristics and fitness for purpose of rapid and simple QuEChERS-based LC-MS/MS method for determination of acrylamide in potato chips and coffee. LC-MS/MS is by far the most suitable analytical technique for acrylamide measurements given its inherent sensitivity and selectivity, as well as capability of analyzing underivatized molecule. Acrylamide in roasted coffee and potato chips wasextracted with water:acetonitrile mixture using NaCl and MgSO4. Cleanup was carried out with MgSO4 and PSA. Obtained results were satisfactory. Recoveries were in the range of 85-112%, interlaboratory reproducibility (Cv) was 5.8-7.6% and linearity (R2) was in the range of 0.995-0.999. LoQ was 35 μg kg-1 for coffee and 20 μg kg-1 for potato chips. Performance characteristic of the method are compliant with criteria for analytical methods validation. Presented method for quantitative determination of acrylamide in roasted coffee and potato chips is fit for purposes of self-control in food industry as well as regulatory controls carried out by the governmental agencies.

  16. ms_lims, a simple yet powerful open source laboratory information management system for MS-driven proteomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helsens, Kenny; Colaert, Niklaas; Barsnes, Harald; Muth, Thilo; Flikka, Kristian; Staes, An; Timmerman, Evy; Wortelkamp, Steffi; Sickmann, Albert; Vandekerckhove, Joël; Gevaert, Kris; Martens, Lennart

    2010-03-01

    MS-based proteomics produces large amounts of mass spectra that require processing, identification and possibly quantification before interpretation can be undertaken. High-throughput studies require automation of these various steps, and management of the data in association with the results obtained. We here present ms_lims (http://genesis.UGent.be/ms_lims), a freely available, open-source system based on a central database to automate data management and processing in MS-driven proteomics analyses.

  17. Determination of carbohydrates in medicinal plants--comparison between TLC, mf-MELDI-MS and GC-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qureshi, Muhammad Nasimullah; Stecher, Guenther; Sultana, Tahira; Abel, Gudrun; Popp, Michael; Bonn, Guenther K

    2011-01-01

    Quality control in the pharmaceutical and phytopharmaceutical industries requires fast and reliable methods for the analysis of raw materials and final products. This study evaluates different analytical approaches in order to recognise the most suitable technique for the analysis of carbohydrates in herbal drug preparations. The specific focus of the study is on thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC), and a newly developed mass spectrometric method, i.e. matrix free material enhanced laser desorption/ionisation time of flight mass spectrometry (mf-MELDI-MS). Samples employed in the study were standards and microwave-assisted water extracts from Quercus. TLC analysis proved the presence of mono-, di- and trisaccharides within the biological sample and hinted at the existence of an unknown carbohydrate of higher oligomerisation degree. After evaluation of different derivatisation techniques, GC-MS confirmed data obtained via TLC for mono- to trisaccharides, delivering additionally quantified values under a considerable amount of time. A carbohydrate of higher oligomerisation degree could not be found. The application of mf-MELDI-MS further confirmed the presence of carbohydrates up to trisaccharides, also hinting at the presence of a form of tetrasaccharide. Besides this information, mf-MELDI-MS delivered further data about other substances present in the extract. Quantitative determination resulted in 1.750, 1.736 and 0.336 mg/mL for glucose, sucrose and raffinose respectively. Evaluation of all three techniques employed, clearly proved the heightened performance of mf-MELDI-MS for the qualitative analysis of complex mixtures, as targets do not need modification and analysis requires only a few minutes. In addition, GC-MS is suitable for quantitative analysis. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Preliminary phytochemical screening, Antibacterial potential and GC-MS analysis of two medicinal plant extracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vijayaram, Seerangaraj; Kannan, Suruli; Saravanan, Konda Mani; Vasantharaj, Seerangaraj; Sathiyavimal, Selvam; P, Palanisamy Senthilkumar

    2016-05-01

    The presence study was aimed to catalyze the primary metabolites and their confirmation by using GC-MS analysis and antibacterial potential of leaf extract of two important medicinal plant viz., Eucalyptus and Azadirachta indica. The antibacterial potential of the methanol leaf extract of the studied species was tested against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiellap neumoniae, Streptococcus pyogens, Staphylococcus aureus using by agar well diffusion method. The higher zone of inhibition (16mm) was observed against the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 100μl concentration of methanol leaf extract. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of studied species shows that presence of phytochemical compounds like steroids, phenolic compounds and flavonoids. GC-MS analysis confirms the occurrence of 20 different compounds in the methanol leaf extract of the both studied species.

  19. Towards Discovery and Targeted Peptide Biomarker Detection Using nanoESI-TIMS-TOF MS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garabedian, Alyssa; Benigni, Paolo; Ramirez, Cesar; Baker, Erin M.; Liu, Tao; Smith, Richard D.; Fernandez-Lima, Francisco

    2018-05-01

    Abstract. In the present work, the potential of trapped ion mobility spectrometry coupled to TOF mass spectrometry (TIMS-TOF MS) for discovery and targeted monitoring of peptide biomarkers from human-in-mouse xenograft tumor tissue was evaluated. In particular, a TIMS-MS workflow was developed for the detection and quantification of peptide biomarkers using internal heavy analogs, taking advantage of the high mobility resolution (R = 150–250) prior to mass analysis. Five peptide biomarkers were separated, identified, and quantified using offline nanoESI-TIMSCID- TOF MS; the results were in good agreement with measurements using a traditional LC-ESI-MS/MS proteomics workflow. The TIMS-TOF MS analysis permitted peptide biomarker detection based on accurate mobility, mass measurements, and high sequence coverage for concentrations in the 10–200 nM range, while simultaneously achieving discovery measurements

  20. GC-MS analysis, evaluation of phytochemicals, anti-oxidant, thrombolytic and anti-inflammatory activities of Exacum bicolor

    OpenAIRE

    Appaji Mahesh Ashwini; Latha Puttarudrappa; Belagumba Vijaykumar Ravi; Mala Majumdar

    2015-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the GC-MS analysis, phytochemical screening, anti-oxidant, thrombolytic and anti-inflammatory activities of methanol extract of leaves of Exacum bicolor. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of alcohol, phenols, alkanes, aromatic compounds, aldehyde and ethers. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of eight phyto-constituents. The total phenol, flavonoid and alkaloid contents were 18.0 ± 0.2 mg/GAE/g, 13.1 ± 0.4 mg QE/g and 108.0 ± 1.2 mg AE/g re...

  1. Distinctive and Complementary MS2 Fragmentation Characteristics for Identification of Sulfated Sialylated N-Glycopeptides by nanoLC-MS/MS Workflow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Chu-Wei; Guu, Shih-Yun; Khoo, Kay-Hooi

    2018-04-01

    High sensitivity identification of sulfated glycans carried on specific sites of glycoproteins is an important requisite for investigation of molecular recognition events involved in diverse biological processes. However, aiming for resolving site-specific glycosylation of sulfated glycopeptides by direct LC-MS2 sequencing is technically most challenging. Other than the usual limiting factors such as lower abundance and ionization efficiency compared to analysis of non-glycosylated peptides, confident identification of sulfated glycopeptides among the more abundant non-sulfated glycopeptides requires additional considerations in the selective enrichment and detection strategies. Metal oxide has been applied to enrich phosphopeptides and sialylated glycopeptides, but its use to capture sulfated glycopeptides has not been investigated. Likewise, various complementary MS2 fragmentation modes have yet to be tested against sialylated and non-sialylated sulfoglycopeptides due to limited appropriate sample availability. In this study, we have investigated the feasibility of sequencing tryptic sulfated N-glycopeptide and its MS2 fragmentation characteristics by first optimizing the enrichment methods to allow efficient LC-MS detection and MS2 analysis by a combination of CID, HCD, ETD, and EThcD on hybrid and tribrid Orbitrap instruments. Characteristic sulfated glyco-oxonium ions and direct loss of sulfite from precursors were detected as evidences of sulfate modification. It is anticipated that the technical advances demonstrated in this study would allow a feasible extension of our sulfoglycomic analysis to sulfoglycoproteomics. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  2. Highly efficient proteome analysis with combination of protein pre-fractionation by preparative microscale solution isoelectric focusing and identification by μRPLC-MS/MS with serially coupled long microcolumn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Dingyin; Sun, Liangliang; Zhu, Guijie; Liang, Yu; Liang, Zhen; Zhang, Lihua; Zhang, Yukui

    2011-01-01

    To improve the efficiency of proteome analysis, a strategy with the combination of protein pre-fractionation by preparative microscale solution isoelectric focusing, peptide separation by μRPLC with serially coupled long microcolumn and protein identification by ESI-MS/MS was proposed. By preparative microscale solution isoelectric focusing technique, proteins extracted from whole cell lysates of Escherichia coli were fractionated into five chambers divided by isoelectric membranes, respectively with pH range from 3.0 to 4.6, 4.6 to 5.4, 5.4 to 6.2, 6.2 to 7.0 and 7.0 to 10.0. Compared to the traditional on-gel IFF, the protein recovery could be obviously improved to over 95%. Subsequently, the enriched and fractionated proteins in each chamber were digested, and further separated by a 30-cm long serially coupled RP microcolumn. Through the detection by ESI-MS/MS, about 200 proteins were identified in each fraction, and in total 835 proteins were identified even with one-dimensional μRPLC-MS/MS system. All these results demonstrate that by such a combination strategy, highly efficient proteome analysis could be achieved, not only due to the in-solution protein enrichment and pre-fractionation with improved protein recovery but also owing to the increased separation capacity of serially coupled long μRPLC columns. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Structural analysis of isomeric chondroitin sulfate oligosaccharides using regioselective 6-O-desulfation method and tandem mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Shu-Ting; Her, Guor-Rong

    2014-09-16

    A strategy based on a regioselective 6-O-desulfation reaction and negative ion electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS(n)) was developed for the structural delineation of isomeric chondroitin sulfate oligosaccharides. Product ions resulting from the glycosidic cleavage provided information about the number of sulfate groups in each sugar residue. After the regioselective 6-O-desulfation reaction, the number of sulfate groups on each residue was obtained using a tandem mass spectrometry analysis of the reaction product. The sulfation pattern could be obtained based on the product ions of analytes before and after the desulfation reaction. The strategy was demonstrated using a series of tetrasaccharides prepared from shark cartilage chondroitin sulfate D. Among the 12 identified tetrasaccharides, six structures had not been reported before. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Elemental Analysis in Biological Matrices Using ICP-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Matthew N; Clogston, Jeffrey D

    2018-01-01

    The increasing exploration of metallic nanoparticles for use as cancer therapeutic agents necessitates a sensitive technique to track the clearance and distribution of the material once introduced into a living system. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) provides a sensitive and selective tool for tracking the distribution of metal components from these nanotherapeutics. This chapter presents a standardized method for processing biological matrices, ensuring complete homogenization of tissues, and outlines the preparation of appropriate standards and controls. The method described herein utilized gold nanoparticle-treated samples; however, the method can easily be applied to the analysis of other metals.

  5. Cognitive behavioural therapy for MS-related fatigue explained: A longitudinal mediation analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Akker, L. E.; Beckerman, H.; Collette, E. H.; Knoop, H.; Bleijenberg, G.; Twisk, J. W.; Dekker, J.; de Groot, V.

    2018-01-01

    Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) effectively reduces fatigue directly following treatment in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), but little is known about the process of change during and after CBT. Additional analysis of a randomized clinical trial. To investigate which psychological factors

  6. Cognitive behavioural therapy for MS-related fatigue explained: A longitudinal mediation analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akker, L.E. van den; Beckerman, H.; Collette, E.H.; Knoop, H.; Bleijenberg, G.; Twisk, J.W.; Dekker, J.; Groot, V. de

    2018-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) effectively reduces fatigue directly following treatment in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), but little is known about the process of change during and after CBT. DESIGN: Additional analysis of a randomized clinical trial. OBJECTIVE: To

  7. Characterisation of phenolic compounds by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS of geopropolis from the stingless bee Melipona subnitida (jandaíra).

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Souza, Silvana Alves; da Silva, Telma Maria Guedes; da Silva, Eva Monica Sarmento; Camara, Celso Amorim; Silva, Tania Maria Sarmento

    2018-05-17

    Melipona subnitida Ducke (jandaíra) is a stingless bee native to north-eastern Brazil, which produces geopropolis, a mixture of beeswax, plant resins, pollens and earth that is used for sealing beehives. To extend the knowledge on phenolic compounds in fractions obtained by C18-solid phase extraction (SPE) of nine geopropolis samples from Melipona subnitida collected at different times. Chromatographic profiles of nine samples of geopropolis from jandaíra were analysed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS/MS) and combined with the use of data-independent acquisition (MSE) for the profiling and structural characterisation of the phenolic compounds. The isolated compound was identified by nuclear magnetic resonance of hydrogen and carbon ( 1 H- and 13 C-NMR). The present study with geopropolis of jandaíra resulted in the characterisation of 51 phenolics by UPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS/MS: four galloyl glucosides, one ellagic acid, 11 acyl-hexosides, 23 acyl-galloyl-hexosides and 12 flavonoids. The structures of two compounds (1,6-di-O-(E)-coumaroyl-2-O-galloyl-β-d-glucopyranoside and 1-O-cinnamoyl-6-O-(E)-coumaroyl-2-O-galloyl-β-d-glucopyranoside) were established by 1 H and the attached proton test (APT) experiments as well as high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectroscopy (HR-ESI-MS) analysis. The geopropolis of jandaíra showed phenolic compounds galloyl hexosides, ellagic acid, acyl-(cinnamoyl/coumaroyl)-hexosides, acyl-(cinnamoyl/coumaroyl)-galloyl-hexosides and flavonoids (aglycones and acylated-O-glycosides). Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  8. DESI-MS imaging and NMR spectroscopy to investigate the influence of biodiesel in the structure of commercial rubbers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Lorena M A; Alves Filho, Elenilson G; Simpson, André J; Monteiro, Marcos R; Cabral, Elaine; Ifa, Demian; Venâncio, Tiago

    2017-10-01

    Biodiesel has been introduced as an energetic matrix in several countries around the world. However, the affinity of biodiesel with the components of petrodiesel engines is a growing concern. In order to obtain information regarding the effect of biodiesel on the rubber structure, nuclear magnetic resonance technics under a new technology named as comprehensive multiphase (CMP NMR) and the imaging through desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS imaging) were used. The 1 H CMP-DOSY NMR showed the entrapped fuel into the rubber cavities, which the higher constraint caused by the rubber structure is related to the smaller diffusion coefficient. The less affected type of rubber by biodiesel was ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM), and the most affected was synthetic rubber nitrile (NBR). The 13 C CMP MAS-SPE experiments also confirmed that the internal region of EPDM was less accessible to the biodiesel molecules (no fuels detected) while other rubbers were more susceptible to the penetration of the fuel. DESI-MS imaging revealed for the first time the topography of the rubbers exposed to fuels. The biodiesel molecules entrapped at the EPDM and NBR pores were in oxidized form, which might degrade the rubber structure at long exposure time. The employed technics enabled the study of dynamic and molecular structure of the mixing complex multiphase. The DOSY under CMP used in this study could prove helpful in assessing the interactions throughout all physical phases (liquid, solid, and gel or semi-solid) by observing swellability caused by the fuel in the rubber. In addition, the DESI-MS was especially valuable to detect the degradation products of biodiesel entangled at the rubber structure. In our knowledge, this was the first report in which chemical changes of commercial rubbers induced by biodiesel and petrodiesel were investigated by means of DESI-MS and DOSY NMR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Combination of pentafluorophenylhydrazine derivatization and isotope dilution LC-MS/MS techniques for the quantification of apurinic/apyrimidinic sites in cellular DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jie; Leung, Elvis M K; Choi, Martin M F; Chan, Wan

    2013-05-01

    Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites are common DNA lesions arising from spontaneous hydrolysis of the N-glycosidic bond and base-excision repair mechanisms of the modified bases. Due to the strong association of AP site formation with physically/chemically induced DNA damage, quantifying AP sites provides important information for risk assessment of exposure to genotoxins and oxidative stress. However, rigorous quantification of AP sites in DNA has been hampered by technical problems relating to the sensitivity and selectivity of existing analytical methods. We have developed a new isotope dilution liquid chromatography-coupled tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the rigorous quantification of AP sites in genomic DNA. The method entails enzymatic digestion of AP site-containing DNA by endo- and exonucleases, derivatization with pentafluorophenylhydrazine (PFPH), addition of an isotopically labeled PFPH derivative as internal standard, and quantification by LC-MS/MS. The combination of PFPH derivatization with LC-MS/MS analysis on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer allows for sensitive and selective quantification of AP sites in DNA at a detection limit of 6.5 fmol, corresponding to 4 AP sites/10(9) nt in 5 μg of DNA, which is at least ten times more sensitive than existing analytical methods. The protocol was validated by AP site-containing oligonucleotides and applied in quantifying methyl methanesulfonate-induced formation of AP sites in cellular DNA.

  10. Can we trust mass spectrometry for determination of arsenic peptides in plants: comparison of LC-ICP-MS and LC-ES-MS/ICP-MS with XANES/EXAFS in analysis of Thunbergia alata.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bluemlein, Katharina; Raab, Andrea; Meharg, Andrew A; Charnock, John M; Feldmann, Jörg

    2008-04-01

    The weakest step in the analytical procedure for speciation analysis is extraction from a biological material into an aqueous solution which undergoes HPLC separation and then simultaneous online detection by elemental and molecular mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/ES-MS). This paper describes a study to determine the speciation of arsenic and, in particular, the arsenite phytochelatin complexes in the root from an ornamental garden plant Thunbergia alata exposed to 1 mg As L(-1) as arsenate. The approach of formic acid extraction followed by HPLC-ES-MS/ICP-MS identified different As(III)-PC complexes in the extract of this plant and made their quantification via sulfur (m/z 32) and arsenic (m/z 75) possible. Although sulfur sensitivity could be significantly increased when xenon was used as collision gas in ICP-qMS, or when HR-ICP-MS was used in medium resolution, the As:S ratio gave misleading results in the identification of As(III)-PC complexes due to the relatively low resolution of the chromatography system in relation to the variety of As-peptides in plants. Hence only the parallel use of ES-MS/ICP-MS was able to prove the occurrence of such arsenite phytochelatin complexes. Between 55 and 64% of the arsenic was bound to the sulfur of peptides mainly as As(III)(PC(2))(2), As(III)(PC(3)) and As(III)(PC(4)). XANES (X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy) measurement, using the freshly exposed plant root directly, confirmed that most of the arsenic is trivalent and binds to S of peptides (53% As-S) while 38% occurred as arsenite and only 9% unchanged as arsenate. EXAFS data confirmed that As-S and As-O bonds occur in the plants. This study confirms, for the first time, that As-peptides can be extracted by formic acid and chromatographically separated on a reversed-phase column without significant decomposition or de-novo synthesis during the extraction step.

  11. Hydration sites of unpaired RNA bases: a statistical analysis of the PDB structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carugo Oliviero

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hydration is crucial for RNA structure and function. X-ray crystallography is the most commonly used method to determine RNA structures and hydration and, therefore, statistical surveys are based on crystallographic results, the number of which is quickly increasing. Results A statistical analysis of the water molecule distribution in high-resolution X-ray structures of unpaired RNA nucleotides showed that: different bases have the same penchant to be surrounded by water molecules; clusters of water molecules indicate possible hydration sites, which, in some cases, match those of the major and minor grooves of RNA and DNA double helices; complex hydrogen bond networks characterize the solvation of the nucleotides, resulting in a significant rigidity of the base and its surrounding water molecules. Interestingly, the hydration sites around unpaired RNA bases do not match, in general, the positions that are occupied by the second nucleotide when the base-pair is formed. Conclusions The hydration sites around unpaired RNA bases were found. They do not replicate the atom positions of complementary bases in the Watson-Crick pairs.

  12. Phytochemical Analysis of Pfaffia glomerata Inflorescences by LC-ESI-MS/MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniele F. Felipe

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Pfaffia glomerata contains high levels of β-ecdysone, which has shown a range of beneficial pharmacological effects. The present study demonstrated that inflorescences of P. glomerata contain other important bioactive compounds in addition to β-ecdysone. The identification of compounds from inflorescences using liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS was performed for the first time. The eight compounds identified were β-ecdysone, flavonoid glycosides such as quercetin-3-O-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside and kaempferol-3-O-(6-p-coumaroyl-glucoside, oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins such as ginsenoside Ro and chikusetsusaponin IV, in addition to oleanonic acid and gluconic acid. This study provided information on the phytochemicals contained in P. glomerata inflorescences revealing the potential application of this plant part as raw material for the phytotherapeutic and cosmetic industries.

  13. Analysis of trace uranium and plutonium in environmental water sample by ICP-MS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Xuemei

    2004-12-01

    The analysis of trace Uranium and Plutonium in environmental water is very important in the environment inspect. The preparation method of water samples are introduced and several common used method are compared. The analysis process and the calibration method with ICP-MS are discussed in detail considering present conditions. (author)

  14. Shear Creep Simulation of Structural Plane of Rock Mass Based on Discontinuous Deformation Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guoxin Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Numerical simulations of the creep characteristics of the structural plane of rock mass are very useful. However, most existing simulation methods are based on continuum mechanics and hence are unsuitable in the case of large displacements and deformations. The discontinuous deformation analysis method proposed by Genhua is a discrete one and has a significant advantage when simulating the contacting problem of blocks. In this study, we combined the viscoelastic rheological model of Burgers with the discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA method. We also derived the recurrence formula for the creep deformation increment with the time step during numerical simulations. Based on the minimum potential energy principle, the general equilibrium equation was derived, and the shear creep deformation in the structural plane was considered. A numerical program was also developed and its effectiveness was confirmed based on the curves obtained by the creep test of the structural plane of a rock mass under different stress levels. Finally, the program was used to analyze the mechanism responsible for the creep features of the structural plane in the case of the toppling deformation of the rock slope. The results showed that the extended DDA method is an effective one.

  15. A DNA microarray-based methylation-sensitive (MS)-AFLP hybridization method for genetic and epigenetic analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, F; Yamamoto, M

    2004-07-01

    We previously developed a PCR-based DNA fingerprinting technique named the Methylation Sensitive (MS)-AFLP method, which permits comparative genome-wide scanning of methylation status with a manageable number of fingerprinting experiments. The technique uses the methylation sensitive restriction enzyme NotI in the context of the existing Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) method. Here we report the successful conversion of this gel electrophoresis-based DNA fingerprinting technique into a DNA microarray hybridization technique (DNA Microarray MS-AFLP). By performing a total of 30 (15 x 2 reciprocal labeling) DNA Microarray MS-AFLP hybridization experiments on genomic DNA from two breast and three prostate cancer cell lines in all pairwise combinations, and Southern hybridization experiments using more than 100 different probes, we have demonstrated that the DNA Microarray MS-AFLP is a reliable method for genetic and epigenetic analyses. No statistically significant differences were observed in the number of differences between the breast-prostate hybridization experiments and the breast-breast or prostate-prostate comparisons.

  16. Simplifying sample pretreatment: application of dried blood spot (DBS) method to blood samples, including postmortem, for UHPLC-MS/MS analysis of drugs of abuse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odoardi, Sara; Anzillotti, Luca; Strano-Rossi, Sabina

    2014-10-01

    The complexity of biological matrices, such as blood, requires the development of suitably selective and reliable sample pretreatment procedures prior to their instrumental analysis. A method has been developed for the analysis of drugs of abuse and their metabolites from different chemical classes (opiates, methadone, fentanyl and analogues, cocaine, amphetamines and amphetamine-like substances, ketamine, LSD) in human blood using dried blood spot (DBS) and subsequent UHPLC-MS/MS analysis. DBS extraction required only 100μL of sample, added with the internal standards and then three droplets (30μL each) of this solution were spotted on the card, let dry for 1h, punched and extracted with methanol with 0.1% of formic acid. The supernatant was evaporated and the residue was then reconstituted in 100μL of water with 0.1% of formic acid and injected in the UHPLC-MS/MS system. The method was validated considering the following parameters: LOD and LOQ, linearity, precision, accuracy, matrix effect and dilution integrity. LODs were 0.05-1ng/mL and LOQs were 0.2-2ng/mL. The method showed satisfactory linearity for all substances, with determination coefficients always higher than 0.99. Intra and inter day precision, accuracy, matrix effect and dilution integrity were acceptable for all the studied substances. The addition of internal standards before DBS extraction and the deposition of a fixed volume of blood on the filter cards ensured the accurate quantification of the analytes. The validated method was then applied to authentic postmortem blood samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. An Intelligent Method for Structural Reliability Analysis Based on Response Surface

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    桂劲松; 刘红; 康海贵

    2004-01-01

    As water depth increases, the structural safety and reliability of a system become more and more important and challenging. Therefore, the structural reliability method must be applied in ocean engineering design such as offshore platform design. If the performance function is known in structural reliability analysis, the first-order second-moment method is often used. If the performance function could not be definitely expressed, the response surface method is always used because it has a very clear train of thought and simple programming. However, the traditional response surface method fits the response surface of quadratic polynomials where the problem of accuracy could not be solved, because the true limit state surface can be fitted well only in the area near the checking point. In this paper, an intelligent computing method based on the whole response surface is proposed, which can be used for the situation where the performance function could not be definitely expressed in structural reliability analysis. In this method, a response surface of the fuzzy neural network for the whole area should be constructed first, and then the structural reliability can be calculated by the genetic algorithm. In the proposed method, all the sample points for the training network come from the whole area, so the true limit state surface in the whole area can be fitted. Through calculational examples and comparative analysis, it can be known that the proposed method is much better than the traditional response surface method of quadratic polynomials, because, the amount of calculation of finite element analysis is largely reduced, the accuracy of calculation is improved,and the true limit state surface can be fitted very well in the whole area. So, the method proposed in this paper is suitable for engineering application.

  18. A finite element based substructuring procedure for design analysis of large smart structural systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ashwin, U; Raja, S; Dwarakanathan, D

    2009-01-01

    A substructuring based design analysis procedure is presented for large smart structural system using the Craig–Bampton method. The smart structural system is distinctively characterized as an active substructure, modelled as a design problem, and a passive substructure, idealized as an analysis problem. Furthermore, a novel thought has been applied by introducing the electro–elastic coupling into the reduction scheme to solve the global structural control problem in a local domain. As an illustration, a smart composite box beam with surface bonded actuators/sensors is considered, and results of the local to global control analysis are presented to show the potential use of the developed procedure. The present numerical scheme is useful for optimally designing the active substructures to study their locations, coupled structure–actuator interaction and provide a solution to the global design of large smart structural systems

  19. Structural analysis of nanocomposites based on HDPE/EPDM blends.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zitzumbo, Roberto; Alonso, Sergio; Avalos, Felipe; Ortiz, José C; López-Manchado, Miguel A; Arroyo, Miguel

    2006-02-01

    Intercalated and exfoliated nanocomposites based on HDPE and EPDM blends with an organoclay have been obtained through the addition of EPDM-g-MA as a compatibilizer. The combined effect of clay and EPDM-g-MA on the rheological behaviour is very noticeable with a sensible increase in viscosity which suggests the formation of a structural net of percolation induced by the presence of intercalated and exfoliated silicate layer. As deduced from rheological studies, a morphology based on nanostructured micro-domains dispersed in HDPE continuous phase is proposed for EPDM/HDPE blend nanocomposites. XRD and SEM analysis suggest that two different transport phenomena take simultaneously place during the intercalation process in the melt. One due to diffusion of HDPE chains into the tactoid and the other to diffusion of EPDM-g-MA into the silicate galleries.

  20. Multielement analysis of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. essential oil using ICP-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Liang; Xie, Hualin; Shi, Shuyun

    2018-04-12

    The concentrations of trace elements (Cr, Ni, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) in Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. essential oil (ZBMEO) were determined by inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry. The ZBMEO sample was directly analyzed after simple dilution with n-hexane. Aiming for a relatively high vapor pressure of n-hexane and its resultant loading on plasma, we used a narrow injector torch and optimized plasma radio frequency power and carrier gas flow to ensure stable operation of the plasma. An optional gas flow of 20% O 2 in Ar was added to the carrier gas to prevent the incomplete combustion of highly concentrated organic carbon in plasma and the deposition of carbon on the sampling and skimmer cone orifices. In tandem mass spectrometry mode, O 2 was added to the collision/reaction cell to eliminate the interferences. The limits of detection for Cr, Ni, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb were 2.26, 1.64, 2.02, 1.35, 1.76, and 0.97 ng L -1 , respectively. After determination of 23 ZBMEO samples from different regions in China, we found that the average concentration ranges of trace elements in the 23 ZBMEO samples were 0.72-6.02 ng g -1 , 0.09-2.87 ng g -1 , 0.21-5.84 ng g -1 , 0.16-2.15 ng g -1 , 0.13-0.92 ng g -1 , and 0.17-0.73 ng g -1 for Cr, Ni, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb, respectively. The trace elements in ZBMEO differed significantly when different extraction technologies were used. The study revealed that the contents of the toxic elements As, Cd, Hg, and Pb were extremely low, and hence they are unlikely to pose a health risk following ZBMEO ingestion. Graphical abstract The working mechanism of sample analysis by ICP-MS/MS.

  1. Software and Database Usage on Metabolomic Studies: Using XCMS on LC-MS Data Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mustafa Celebier

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Metabolome is the complete set of small-molecule metabolites to be found in a cell or a single organism. Metabolomics is the scientific study to determine and identify the chemicals in metabolome with advanced analytical techniques. Nowadays, the elucidation of the molecular mechanism of any disease with genome analysis and proteome analysis is not sufficient. Instead of these, a holistic assessment including metabolomic studies provides rational and accurate results. Metabolite levels in an organism are associated with the cellular functions. Thus, determination of the metabolite amounts identifies the phenotype of a cell or tissue related with the genetic and some other variations. Even though, the analysis of metabolites for medical diagnosis and therapy have been performed for a long time, the studies to improve the analysis methods for metabolite profiling are recently increased. The application of metabolomics includes the identification of biomarkers, enzyme-substract interactions, drug-activity studies, metabolic pathway analysis and some other studies related with the system biology. The preprocessing and computing of the data obtained from LC-MS, GC-MS, CE-MS and NMR for metabolite profiling are helpful for preventing from time consuming manual data analysis processes and possible random errors on profiling period. In addition, such preprocesses allow us to identify low amount of metabolites which are not possible to be analyzed by manual processing. Therefore, the usage of software and databases for this purpose could not be ignored. In this study, it is briefly presented the software and database used on metabolomics and it is evaluated the capability of these software on metabolite profiling. Particularly, the performance of one of the most popular software called XCMS on the evaluation of LC-MS results for metabolomics was overviewed. In the near future, metabolomics with software and database support is estimated to be a routine

  2. Quantitative analysis by GC-MS/MS of 18 aroma compounds related to oxidative off-flavor in wines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayr, Christine M; Capone, Dimitra L; Pardon, Kevin H; Black, Cory A; Pomeroy, Damian; Francis, I Leigh

    2015-04-08

    A quantitation method for 18 aroma compounds reported to contribute to "oxidative" flavor in wines was developed. The method allows quantitation of the (E)-2-alkenals ((E)-2-hexenal, (E)-2-heptenal, (E)-2-octenal, and (E)-2-nonenal), various Strecker aldehydes (methional, 2-phenylacetaldehyde, 3-methylbutanal, and 2-methylpropanal), aldehydes (furfural, 5-methylfurfural, hexanal, and benzaldehyde), furans (sotolon, furaneol, and homofuraneol), as well as alcohols (methionol, eugenol, and maltol) in the same analysis. The aldehydes were determined after derivatization directly in the wine with O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine hydrochloride; the formed oximes along with the underivatized aroma compounds were isolated by solid-phase extraction and analyzed by means of GC-MS/MS. The method was used to investigate the effect of different closures (synthetic closures, natural corks, and screw cap) on the formation of oxidation-related compounds in 14 year old white wine. Results showed a significant increase in the concentration of some of the monitored compounds in the wine, particularly methional, 2-phenylacetaldehyde, and 3-methylbutanal.

  3. Identification of ace inhibitory cryptides in Tilapia protein hydrolysate by UPLC-MS/MS coupled to database analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yesmine, Ben Henda; Antoine, Bonnet; da Silva Ortência Leocádia, Nunes Gonzalez; Rogério, Boscolo Wilson; Ingrid, Arnaudin; Nicolas, Bridiau; Thierry, Maugard; Jean-Marie, Piot; Frédéric, Sannier; Stéphanie, Bordenave-Juchereau

    2017-05-01

    An ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry method was developed and applied to identify short angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory cryptides in Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) protein hydrolyzate. A database was created with previously identified ACE-inhibitory di- and tripeptides and the lowest molecular weight fraction of Tilapia hydrolysate was analysed for coincidences. Only VW and VY were identified. Further analysis of collected fractions conducted to the identification of 51 different peptides in major fractions. 19 peptides selected were synthesised and tested for their ACE inhibitory potential. TL, TI, IK, LR, LD, IQ, DI, AILE, ALLE, ALIE and AIIE were identified as new ACE inhibitors. The findings from this study point UPLC-MS/MS combined with the creation of a database as an efficient technique to identify specific short peptides within a complex hydrolysate, in addition with de novo sequencing. This efficient characterisation of bioactive factors like cryptides in protein hydrolysates will extend their use as functional foods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Halide salts and their structural properties in presence of secondary amine based molecule: A combined experimental and theoretical analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Pritam; Hazra, Abhijit; Ghosh, Meenakshi; Chandra Murmu, Naresh; Banerjee, Priyabrata

    2018-04-01

    Biologically relevant halide salts and its solution state structural properties are always been significant. In general, exposure of halide salts into polar solution medium results in solvation which in turn separates the cationic and anionic part of the salt. However, the conventional behaviour of salts might alter in presence of any secondary amine based compound, i.e.; moderately strong Lewis acid. In its consequence, to investigate the effect of secondary amine based compound in the salt solution, novel (E)-2-(4-bromobenzylidene)-1-(perfluorophenyl) hydrazine has been synthesized and used as secondary amine source. The secondary amine compound interestingly shows a drastic color change upon exposure to fluoride salts owing to hydrogen bonding interaction. Several experimental methods, e.g.; SCXRD, UV-Vis, FT-IR, ESI-MS and DLS together with modern DFT (i.e.; DFT-D3) have been performed to explore the structural properties of the halide salts upon exposure to secondary amine based compound. The effect of counter cation of the fluoride salt in binding with secondary amine source has also been investigated.

  5. Methodological issues in protein and lipidic expressions in brain tissue exposed to Co60 based on DESI/MALDI-MS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soares, Matheus F.; Campos, Tarcísio P.R.; Augusti, Rodinei; Eberlin, Marcos N.; Vendramini, Pedro H.

    2017-01-01

    The present paper attempts to present some issues in the methodology of identifying lipid and protein changes in brain tissue induced by radiation. The goal was to address the analysis of the methodology and to investigate the feasibility of the generation of lipid/protein profiles of irradiated brain tissue, in order to identify radioinduced changes. Lipids and proteins are biomolecules with diverse structures and functionalities that participate in important intracellular processes. Changes in the lipid and the tissue protein profiles may indicate a cellular response to an external stimulus as well as the emergence of neoplasms or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. DESI-MS is a convenient method for identifying lipids and their spatial distribution in tissue beyond analytical quantification. DESI-MS allows the creation of an image of several low lipid m/z classes. MALDI-MS has already been a method used in the study of macromolecules as structural, membrane, hormone, neuromediator and immunological peptides. Through a full-scan matrix scan, with a m/z spectrum between 500-1000 for lipids and with a mass spectrum of 1000-15000 Da for proteins, the molecular profile can be analyzed. Generated pixel shape 2D chemical image. The produced image allows to associate the tissue distribution of the lipids and proteins with their chemical profile identified, allowing the verification of the changes radioinduced. Radiation triggers intense oxidative stress by increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals, causing DNA damage with consequent alterations in proteomics and cellular lipid explaining such changes in the lipid and protein expressions. The cellular morphophysiological changes are responsible for both the clonogenic inhibition and the induction of the apoptotic process. The images's production was directly dependent on the rigorous execution of the methodological procedures. Innumerable interferences could impair the image

  6. Identification and quantitation of new glutamic acid derivatives in soy sauce by UPLC/MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frerot, Eric; Chen, Ting

    2013-10-01

    Glutamic acid is an abundant amino acid that lends a characteristic umami taste to foods. In fermented foods, glutamic acid can be found as a free amino acid formed by proteolysis or as a non-proteolytic derivative formed by microorganisms. The aim of the present study was to identify different structures of glutamic acid derivatives in a typical fermented protein-based food product, soy sauce. An acidic fraction was prepared with anion-exchange solid-phase extraction (SPE) and analyzed by UPLC/MS/MS and UPLC/TOF-MS. α-Glutamyl, γ-glutamyl, and pyroglutamyl dipeptides, as well as lactoyl amino acids, were identified in the acidic fraction of soy sauce. They were chemically synthesized for confirmation of their occurrence and quantified in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. Pyroglutamyl dipeptides accounted for 770 mg/kg of soy sauce, followed by lactoyl amino acids (135 mg/kg) and γ-glutamyl dipeptides (70 mg/kg). In addition, N-succinoylglutamic acid was identified for the first time in food as a minor compound in soy sauce (5 mg/kg). Copyright © 2013 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.

  7. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) in toxicological analysis. Studies on the detection of clobenzorex and its metabolites within a systematic toxicological analysis procedure by GC-MS and by immunoassay and studies on the detection of alpha- and beta-amanitin in urine by atmospheric pressure ionization electrospray LC-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maurer, H H; Kraemer, T; Ledvinka, O; Schmitt, C J; Weber, A A

    1997-02-07

    GC-MS is the method of choice for toxicological analysis of toxicants volatile in GC while non-volatile and/or thermally labile toxicants need LC-MS for their determination. Studies are presented on the toxicological detection of the amphetamine-like anorectic clobenzorex in urine by GC-MS after acid hydrolysis, extraction and acetylation and by fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA, TDx (meth)amphetamine II). After ingestion of 60 mg of clobenzorex, the parent compound and/or its metabolites could be detected by GC-MS for up to 84 h or by FPIA for up to 60 h. Since clobenzorex shows no cross-reactivity with the used immunoassay, the N-dealkylated metabolite amphetamine is responsible for the positive TDx results. The intake of clobenzorex instead of amphetamine can be differentiated by GC-MS detection of hydroxyclobenzorex which is detectable for at least as long as amphetamine. In addition, the described GC-MS procedure allows the simultaneous detection of most of the toxicologically relevant drugs. Furthermore, studies are described on the atmospheric pressure ionization electrospray LC-MS detection of alpha- and beta-amanitin, toxic peptides of amanita mushrooms, in urine after solid-phase extraction on RP-18 columns. Using the single ion monitoring mode with the ions m/z 919 and 920 the amanitins could be detected down to 10 ng/ml of urine which allows us to diagnose intoxications with amanita mushrooms.

  8. Analysis of odorous gases with simultaneous GC-MS and sensory determination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Orko, I.; Lehtomaeki, J.; Sandell, E.; Arnold, M. [VTT Chemical Technology, Espoo (Finland). Environmental Technology

    1995-12-31

    Industrial odorous off-gases can consist of hundreds of different compounds giving cause to odour annoyance in the vicinity of the odour-emitting plant. For the identification of the odorous components in the gas, traditional analytical methods are not always sufficient since the odour threshold values cannot often be found in literature. This report describes the development of a GC-MS sniffing port method for identifying odorous compounds in off-gases. In the method the sample is injected into a gas chromatograph and divided into two flows. The compounds in these sample flows are separated in two identical columns and detected simultaneously in a mass spectrometer and by sensory means. The olfactory detections are marked in the iongram and the odorous compounds are identified. Tenax TA adsorbent is generally used for collecting the odorous sample for analysis. The compounds are released from the adsorbent for analysis by thermal desorption. The report also describes a case study where the GC-MS sniffing port method was applied to a gaseous emission from a food factory. Over ten odorous compounds could be identified. (author)

  9. Rapid analysis of the main components of the total glycosides of Ranunculus japonicus by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rui, Wen; Chen, Hongyuan; Tan, Yuzhi; Zhong, Yanmei; Feng, Yifan

    2010-05-01

    A rapid method for the analysis of the main components of the total glycosides of Ranunculus japonicus (TGOR) was developed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS). The separation analysis was performed on a Waters Acquity UPLC system and the accurate mass of molecules and their fragment ions were determined by Q-TOF MS. Twenty compounds, including lactone glycosides, flavonoid glycosides and flavonoid aglycones, were identified and tentatively deduced on the basis of their elemental compositions, MS/MS data and relevant literature. The results demonstrated that lactone glycosides and flavonoids were the main constituents of TGOR. Furthermore, an effective and rapid pattern was established allowing for the comprehensive and systematic characterization of the complex samples.

  10. Diet-induced perturbation of the rat liver mitochondrial acetylome studied by quantitative (iTRAQ) LC-MS/MS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    León, Ileana R.; Schwämmle, Veit; Williamson, James

    described3. Quantitation by MS/MS was achieved by using iTRAQ 8-Plex reagents (Life Technologies). LC-MS/MS analyses were performed using an Easy-nLC (Proxeon/ThermoFisher) fitted with an in-house made 17 cm C18 column that was interfaced to an LTQ-OrbiTrap XL instrument (ThermoFisher). Data analysis...

  11. Profiling of Fatty Acids Composition in Suet Oil Based on GC–EI-qMS and Chemometrics Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Jiang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Fatty acid (FA composition of suet oil (SO was measured by precolumn methylesterification (PME optimized using a Box–Behnken design (BBD and gas chromatography/electron ionization-quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC–EI-qMS. A spectral library (NIST 08 and standard compounds were used to identify FAs in SO representing 90.89% of the total peak area. The ten most abundant FAs were derivatized into FA methyl esters (FAMEs and quantified by GC–EI-qMS; the correlation coefficient of each FAME was 0.999 and the lowest concentration quantified was 0.01 μg/mL. The range of recovery of the FAMEs was 82.1%–98.7% (relative standard deviation 2.2%–6.8%. The limits of quantification (LOQ were 1.25–5.95 μg/L. The number of carbon atoms in the FAs identified ranged from 12 to 20; hexadecanoic and octadecanoic acids were the most abundant. Eighteen samples of SO purchased from Qinghai, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces of China were categorized into three groups by principal component analysis (PCA according to the contents of the most abundant FAs. The results showed SOs samples were rich in FAs with significantly different profiles from different origins. The method described here can be used for quality control and SO differentiation on the basis of the FA profile.

  12. Profiling of Fatty Acids Composition in Suet Oil Based on GC–EI-qMS and Chemometrics Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Jun; Jia, Xiaobin

    2015-01-01

    Fatty acid (FA) composition of suet oil (SO) was measured by precolumn methylesterification (PME) optimized using a Box–Behnken design (BBD) and gas chromatography/electron ionization-quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC–EI-qMS). A spectral library (NIST 08) and standard compounds were used to identify FAs in SO representing 90.89% of the total peak area. The ten most abundant FAs were derivatized into FA methyl esters (FAMEs) and quantified by GC–EI-qMS; the correlation coefficient of each FAME was 0.999 and the lowest concentration quantified was 0.01 μg/mL. The range of recovery of the FAMEs was 82.1%–98.7% (relative standard deviation 2.2%–6.8%). The limits of quantification (LOQ) were 1.25–5.95 μg/L. The number of carbon atoms in the FAs identified ranged from 12 to 20; hexadecanoic and octadecanoic acids were the most abundant. Eighteen samples of SO purchased from Qinghai, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces of China were categorized into three groups by principal component analysis (PCA) according to the contents of the most abundant FAs. The results showed SOs samples were rich in FAs with significantly different profiles from different origins. The method described here can be used for quality control and SO differentiation on the basis of the FA profile. PMID:25636032

  13. Development of Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) scheme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghanem, Mostafa; El-Gazzar, Mohamed

    2018-05-01

    Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) is a poultry pathogen with reported increased prevalence and virulence in recent years. MS strain identification is essential for prevention, control efforts and epidemiological outbreak investigations. Multiple multilocus based sequence typing schemes have been developed for MS, yet the resolution of these schemes could be limited for outbreak investigation. The cost of whole genome sequencing became close to that of sequencing the seven MLST targets; however, there is no standardized method for typing MS strains based on whole genome sequences. In this paper, we propose a core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) scheme as a standardized and reproducible method for typing MS based whole genome sequences. A diverse set of 25 MS whole genome sequences were used to identify 302 core genome genes as cgMLST targets (35.5% of MS genome) and 44 whole genome sequences of MS isolates from six countries in four continents were used for typing applying this scheme. cgMLST based phylogenetic trees displayed a high degree of agreement with core genome SNP based analysis and available epidemiological information. cgMLST allowed evaluation of two conventional MLST schemes of MS. The high discriminatory power of cgMLST allowed differentiation between samples of the same conventional MLST type. cgMLST represents a standardized, accurate, highly discriminatory, and reproducible method for differentiation between MS isolates. Like conventional MLST, it provides stable and expandable nomenclature, allowing for comparing and sharing the typing results between different laboratories worldwide. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. UPLC-Q-TOF/MS based metabolomic profiling of serum and urine of hyperlipidemic rats induced by high fat diet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiong Wu

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Hyperlipidemia is considered to be a high lipid level in blood, can induce metabolic disorders and dysfunctions of the body, and results in some severe complications. Therefore, hunting for some metabolite markers and clarifying the metabolic pathways in vivo will be an important strategy in the treatment and prevention of hyperlipidemia. In this study, a rat model of hyperlipidemia was constructed according to histopathological data and biochemical parameters, and the metabolites of serum and urine were analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS. Combining pattern recognition and statistical analysis, 19 candidate biomarkers were screened and identified. These changed metabolites indicated that during the development and progression of hyperlipidemia, energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism and nucleotide metabolism were mainly disturbed, which are reported to be closely related to diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc. This study demonstrated that a UPLC-Q-TOF/MS based metabolomic approach is useful to profile the alternation of endogenous metabolites of hyperlipidemia. Keywords: UPLC-Q-TOF/MS, Hyperlipidemia, Metabolomic, Pattern recognition

  15. Reliability analysis based on a novel density estimation method for structures with correlations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baoyu LI

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Estimating the Probability Density Function (PDF of the performance function is a direct way for structural reliability analysis, and the failure probability can be easily obtained by integration in the failure domain. However, efficiently estimating the PDF is still an urgent problem to be solved. The existing fractional moment based maximum entropy has provided a very advanced method for the PDF estimation, whereas the main shortcoming is that it limits the application of the reliability analysis method only to structures with independent inputs. While in fact, structures with correlated inputs always exist in engineering, thus this paper improves the maximum entropy method, and applies the Unscented Transformation (UT technique to compute the fractional moments of the performance function for structures with correlations, which is a very efficient moment estimation method for models with any inputs. The proposed method can precisely estimate the probability distributions of performance functions for structures with correlations. Besides, the number of function evaluations of the proposed method in reliability analysis, which is determined by UT, is really small. Several examples are employed to illustrate the accuracy and advantages of the proposed method.

  16. Multivariate DoE Optimization of Asymmetric Flow Field Flow Fractionation Coupled to Quantitative LC-MS/MS for Analysis of Lipoprotein Subclasses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zsuzsanna Kuklenyik

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available In this report we demonstrate a practical multivariate design of experiment (DoE approach for asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (AF4 method optimization using separation of lipoprotein subclasses as an example. First, with the aid of commercially available software, we built a full factorial screening design where the theoretical outcomes were calculated by applying established formulas that govern AF4 channel performance for a 5–35 nm particle size range of interest for lipid particles. Second, using the desirable ranges of instrumental parameters established from theoretical optimization, we performed fractional factorial DoE for AF4 separation of pure albumin and ferritin with UV detection to narrow the range of instrumental parameters and allow optimum size resolution while minimizing losses from membrane immobilization. Third, the optimal range of conditions were tested using response surface DoE for sub-fractionation of high and low density lipoproteins (HDL and LDL in human serum, where the recovery of the analytes were monitored by fraction collection and isotope-dilution LC-MS/MS analysis of each individual fraction for cholesterol and apolipoproteins (ApoA-1 and ApoB-100. Our results show that DoE is an effective tool in combining AF4 theoretical knowledge and experimental data in finding the most optimal set of AF4 instrumental parameters for quantitative coupling with LC-MS/MS measurements.

  17. Analysis, Design, and Construction of a Base-Isolated Multiple Building Structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefano Sorace

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The analysis and design of a multiple residential building, seismically protected by a base isolation system incorporating double friction pendulum sliders as protective devices, are presented in the paper. The building, situated in the suburban area of Florence, is composed of four independent reinforced concrete framed structures, mutually separated by three thermal expansion joints. The plan is L-shaped, with dimensions of about 75 m in the longitudinal direction and about 30 m along the longest side of the transversal direction. These characteristics identify the structure as the largest example of a base-isolated “artificial ground” ever built in Italy. The base isolation solution guarantees lower costs, a much greater performance, and a finer architectural look, as compared to a conventional fixed-base antiseismic design. The characteristics of the building and the isolators, the mechanical properties and the experimental characterization campaign and preliminary sizing carried out on the latter, and the nonlinear time-history design and performance assessment analyses developed on the base isolated building are reported in this paper, along with details about the installation of the isolators and the plants and highlights of the construction works.

  18. Analysis of structures based on a characteristic-strain model of creep

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bolton, J. [Alstom Power, Newbold Road, Rugby CV21 2NH (United Kingdom)], E-mail: janjohn.bolton@virgin.net

    2008-01-15

    A companion paper [Bolton J. In: A characteristic-strain model for creep, ECCC/I.Mech.E. conference on creep and fracture in high-temperature components, London, September 2005] describes a creep model based on a constant 'characteristic strain' at any temperature. The present paper discusses the application of such a model, first to simple structures and then to engineering components of general form under steady loading. A basis is proposed for identifying the stress within a structure, or within the critical part of a structure, which can be considered to govern both its overall and local deformations. The concept is similar to skeletal-point stress but is more readily applied to components of any shape. The implementation of the concept of 'structural stress' is discussed in the context of finite-element creep calculations. Consideration is given to the analysis of cracked structures, where very high strains at the crack tip must be accommodated.

  19. Analysis of structures based on a characteristic-strain model of creep

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bolton, J. [Alstom Power, Newbold Road, Rugby CV21 2NH (United Kingdom)], E-mail: janjohn.bolton@virgin.net

    2008-01-15

    A companion paper [Bolton J. In: A characteristic-strain model for creep, ECCC/I.Mech.E. conference on creep and fracture in high-temperature components, London, September 2005] describes a creep model based on a constant 'characteristic strain' at any temperature. The present paper discusses the application of such a model, first to simple structures and then to engineering components of general form under steady loading. A basis is proposed for identifying the stress within a structure, or within the critical part of a structure, which can be considered to govern both its overall and local deformations. The concept is similar to skeletal-point stress but is more readily applied to components of any shape. The implementation of the concept of 'structural stress' is discussed in the context of finite-element creep calculations. Consideration is given to the analysis of cracked structures, where very high strains at the crack tip must be accommodated.

  20. Analysis of structures based on a characteristic-strain model of creep

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bolton, J.

    2008-01-01

    A companion paper [Bolton J. In: A characteristic-strain model for creep, ECCC/I.Mech.E. conference on creep and fracture in high-temperature components, London, September 2005] describes a creep model based on a constant 'characteristic strain' at any temperature. The present paper discusses the application of such a model, first to simple structures and then to engineering components of general form under steady loading. A basis is proposed for identifying the stress within a structure, or within the critical part of a structure, which can be considered to govern both its overall and local deformations. The concept is similar to skeletal-point stress but is more readily applied to components of any shape. The implementation of the concept of 'structural stress' is discussed in the context of finite-element creep calculations. Consideration is given to the analysis of cracked structures, where very high strains at the crack tip must be accommodated