PTR-ToF-MS, A Novel, Rapid, High Sensitivity and Non-Invasive Tool to Monitor Volatile Compound Release During Fruit Post-Harvest Storage: The Case Study of Apple Ripening

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. 2831-2843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christos Soukoulis ◽  
Luca Cappellin ◽  
Eugenio Aprea ◽  
Fabrizio Costa ◽  
Roberto Viola ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
K. H. Sedeek ◽  
K. Aboualfotouh ◽  
S. M. Hassanein ◽  
N. M. Osman ◽  
M. H. Shalaby

Abstract Background Acute bilateral lower limb weakness is a common problem in children which necessitates a rapid method for diagnosis. MRI is a non-invasive imaging technique that produces high-quality images of the internal structure of the brain and spinal cord. Results MRI was very helpful in reaching rapid and prompt diagnosis in children with acute inability to walk. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS), and acute transverse myelitis (ATM) were the most common causes in our study. MRI proved to be of high sensitivity in detecting the lesions and reaching the diagnosis in ADEM and GBS; however, there was no significant relation between the lesions’ size, enhancement pattern, and severity of the disease or prognosis, yet in ATM the site of the lesion and number of cord segment affection were significantly related to the severity of the disease and prognosis. Conclusion MRI is a quick tool to reach the diagnosis of children with acute secondary inability to walk, and to eliminate other differential diagnosis which is essential for proper treatment and rapid full recovery. It is highly sensitive in detecting the lesions, their site and size.


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amin Taheri-Garavand ◽  
Abdolhossein Rezaei Nejad ◽  
Dimitrios Fanourakis ◽  
Soodabeh Fatahi ◽  
Masoumeh Ahmadi Majd

2021 ◽  
pp. 201010582110061
Author(s):  
Raja Ezman Raja Shariff ◽  
Hafisyatul Aiza Zainal Abidin ◽  
Sazzli Kasim

Cardiac amyloidosis is a severely underdiagnosed cause of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. We report a case of highly probable transthyretin (ATTR) cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) diagnosed through the assistance of non-invasive multimodality imaging. An 81-year-old man presented with worsening dyspnoea, reduced effort tolerance and limb swelling. Examination and bedside investigations demonstrated congestive cardiac failure. On arrival, N-terminal-pro B-type natriuretic peptide was 2400 ng/L, and high-sensitivity troponin T was 78 mmol/L. Echocardiography showed severe left and right ventricular hypertrophy, and a Doppler study revealed diastolic dysfunction. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed on non-conventional dark blood sequence an abnormal inversion time for nulling myocardium suggestive of infiltrative disease, including amyloidosis. The patient was referred for nuclear-based studies involving technetium-99m pyrophosphate which demonstrated changes highly diagnostic of ATTR-CA. Early diagnosis of ATTR-CA remains paramount due to the increasing availability of disease-modifying therapies. Current guidelines recognise the role of multimodality imaging in confidently recognising the disease without the need for histological evidence in the appropriate context, providing an alternative means of diagnosis.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 3575
Author(s):  
Shenggang Wang ◽  
Yue Huang ◽  
Xiangming Guan

Thiols play vital and irreplaceable roles in the biological system. Abnormality of thiol levels has been linked with various diseases and biological disorders. Thiols are known to distribute unevenly and change dynamically in the biological system. Methods that can determine thiols’ concentration and distribution in live cells are in high demand. In the last two decades, fluorescent probes have emerged as a powerful tool for achieving that goal for the simplicity, high sensitivity, and capability of visualizing the analytes in live cells in a non-invasive way. They also enable the determination of intracellular distribution and dynamitic movement of thiols in the intact native environments. This review focuses on some of the major strategies/mechanisms being used for detecting GSH, Cys/Hcy, and other thiols in live cells via fluorescent probes, and how they are applied at the cellular and subcellular levels. The sensing mechanisms (for GSH and Cys/Hcy) and bio-applications of the probes are illustrated followed by a summary of probes for selectively detecting cellular and subcellular thiols.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 813
Author(s):  
Magdalena Świądro ◽  
Paweł Stelmaszczyk ◽  
Irena Lenart ◽  
Renata Wietecha-Posłuszny

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a high-sensitivity methodology for identifying one of the most used drugs—ketamine. Ketamine is used medicinally to treat depression, alcoholism, and heroin addiction. Moreover, ketamine is the main ingredient used in so-called “date-rape” pills (DRP). This study presents a novel methodology for the simultaneous determination of ketamine based on the Dried Blood Spot (DBS) method, in combination with capillary electrophoresis coupled with a mass spectrometer (CE-TOF-MS). Then, 6-mm circles were punched out from DBS collected on Whatman DMPK-C paper and extracted using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). The assay was linear in the range of 25–300 ng/mL. Values of limits of detection (LOD = 6.0 ng/mL) and quantification (LOQ = 19.8 ng/mL) were determined based on the signal to noise ratio. Intra-day precision at each determined concentration level was in the range of 6.1–11.1%, and inter-day between 7.9–13.1%. The obtained precision was under 15.0% (for medium and high concentrations) and lower than 20.0% (for low concentrations), which are in accordance with acceptance criteria. Therefore, the DBS/MAE/CE-TOF-MS method was successfully checked for analysis of ketamine in matrices other than blood, i.e., rose wine and orange juice. Moreover, it is possible to identify ketamine in the presence of flunitrazepam, which is the other most popular ingredient used in DRP. Based on this information, the selectivity of the proposed methodology for identifying ketamine in the presence of other components of rape pills was checked.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1922
Author(s):  
Gwang Su Kim ◽  
Yumin Park ◽  
Joonchul Shin ◽  
Young Geun Song ◽  
Chong-Yun Kang

The breath gas analysis through gas phase chemical analysis draws attention in terms of non-invasive and real time monitoring. The array-type sensors are one of the diagnostic methods with high sensitivity and selectivity towards the target gases. Herein, we presented a 2 × 4 sensor array with a micro-heater and ceramic chip. The device is designed in a small size for portability, including the internal eight-channel sensor array. In2O3 NRs and WO3 NRs manufactured through the E-beam evaporator’s glancing angle method were used as sensing materials. Pt, Pd, and Au metal catalysts were decorated for each channel to enhance functionality. The sensor array was measured for the exhaled gas biomarkers CH3COCH3, NO2, and H2S to confirm the respiratory diagnostic performance. Through this operation, the theoretical detection limit was calculated as 1.48 ppb for CH3COCH3, 1.9 ppt for NO2, and 2.47 ppb for H2S. This excellent detection performance indicates that our sensor array detected the CH3COCH3, NO2, and H2S as biomarkers, applying to the breath gas analysis. Our results showed the high potential of the gas sensor array as a non-invasive diagnostic tool that enables real-time monitoring.


Author(s):  
Rocío Cabra-Rodríguez ◽  
Guadalupe Bueno Rodríguez ◽  
Cristina Santos Rosa ◽  
Miguel Ángel Castaño López ◽  
Sonia Delgado Muñoz ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesNon-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) is a test for the detection of major fetal chromosomal abnormalities in maternal blood during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of NIPS implemented within the framework of the Screening Program for Congenital Abnormalities of the Andalusian Health System.MethodsA retrospective observational study was undertaken to determine the number of NIPS tests performed since its introduction. The number of invasive diagnostic tests done after the implementation of NIPS in the patients included in the program between March 2016 and August 2017 was also quantified.ResultsA total of 6,258 combined first- and second trimester screening tests were performed, covering 95% of the population. In total, 250 subjects were identified as high risk, of whom 200 underwent NIPS after loss to follow-up. NIPS showed a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 76.84–100%) and a specificity of 99.46% (95% CI: 97.04–99.99%).ConclusionsThis test has proven to have a very high sensitivity and specificity. The results obtained demonstrate that the incorporation of NIPS in clinical practice minimizes the rate of miscarriages and reduces the frequency of invasive procedures by 70%.


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