Characterisation of a new online nanoLC-CZE-MS platform and application for the glycosylation profiling of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein

The ever-increasing complexity of biological samples to be analysed by mass spectrometry has led to the necessity of sophisticated separation techniques, including multidimensional separation. Despite a high degree of orthogonality, the coupling of liquid chromatography (LC) and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) has not gained notable attention in research. Here, we present a heart-cut nanoLC-CZE-ESI-MS platform to analyse intact proteins. NanoLC and CZE-MS are coupled using a four-port valve with an internal nanoliter loop. NanoLC and CZE-MS conditions were optimised independently to find ideal conditions for the combined setup. The valve setup enables an ideal transfer efficiency between the dimensions while maintaining good separation conditions in both dimensions. Due to the higher loadability, the nanoLC-CZE-MS setup exhibits a 280-fold increased concentration sensitivity compared to CZE-MS. The platform was used to characterise intact human alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), an extremely heterogeneous N-glycosylated protein. With the nanoLC-CZE-MS approach, 368 glycoforms can be assigned at a concentration of 50 μg/mL as opposed to the assignment of only 186 glycoforms from 1 mg/mL by CZE-MS. Additionally, we demonstrate that glycosylation profiling is accessible for dried blood spot analysis (25 μg/mL AGP spiked), indicating the general applicability of our setup to biological matrices. The combination of high sensitivity and orthogonal selectivity in both dimensions makes the here-presented nanoLC-CZE-MS approach capable of detailed characterisation of intact proteins and their proteoforms from complex biological samples and in physiologically relevant concentrations. Graphical abstract

Modification of Electrode Using Arrowroot Starch Membrane for Uric Acid Determination

Arrowroot starch membrane-modified glassy carbon electrode were constructed for the determination of uric acid. The membrane consist of arrowroot starch, polyvinyl alcohol, uric acid, and crosslinker. The crosslinker used was sodium tripolyphosphate, citric acid, and glutaraldehyde. Carbon material was added to increase the sensitivity. The composition of membrane influences the electrodes sensitivity. The best composition of arrowroot starch membrane is UA1 using 0.1% uric acid in membrane and STPP as crosslinker. The linearity concentration, sensitivity, and detection limit were 100-500 µM, 0.0509 A/M and 76 µM, respectively.

Study of different Carbon Bond 6 (CB6) mechanisms by using a concentration sensitivity analysis

Since the year 2010, different versions of the Carbon Bond 6 (CB6) mechanism have been developed to accurately estimate the contribution to air pollution by the chemistry. In order to better understand the differences in simulation results brought about by the modifications between different versions of the CB6 mechanism, in the present study, we investigated the behavior of three different CB6 mechanisms (CB6r1, CB6r2 and CB6r3) in simulating ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and formaldehyde (HCHO) under two different emission conditions by applying a concentration sensitivity analysis in a box model. The results show that when the surface emission is weak, the O3 level predicted by CB6r1 is approximately 7 ppb higher than that predicted by CB6r2 and CB6r3, specifically due to the change in the sink of acyl peroxy radicals with high-order carbons (i.e., species CXO3) in the mechanism and the difference in the ozone dependence on the isoprene emission. In contrast, although CB6r1 estimates higher values of NOx and HCHO than the other two mechanisms at an early stage of the simulation, the levels of NOx and HCHO estimated by these three CB6 mechanisms at the end of the 7 d simulation are mostly similar, when the surface emission is weak. After the increase in the surface emission, the simulated profiles of O3, NOx and HCHO obtained by CB6r2 and CB6r3 were found to be nearly the same during the simulation period, but CB6r1 tends to estimate substantially higher values than CB6r2 and CB6r3. The deviation between the O3 levels provided by CB6r1 and the other two CB6 mechanisms (i.e., CB6r2 and CB6r3) was found to be enlarged compared with the weak-emission scenario because of the weaker dependence of ozone on the emission of isoprene in CB6r1 than those in CB6r2 and CB6r3 in this scenario. Moreover, HCHO predicted by CB6r1 was found to be larger than those predicted by CB6r2 and CB6r3, which is caused by an enhanced dependence of HCHO on the emission of isoprene in CB6r1. Regarding NOx, it was found that CB6r1 gives a higher value than the other two mechanisms, which is caused by the relatively stronger connection between the NOx prediction and the release of NO and NO2 in CB6r1 due to the change in the product of the reaction between isoprene and NO3 in CB6r1. Consequently, more emitted NOx is involved in the reaction system denoted by CB6r1, which enables a following NOx formation and thus a higher NOx prediction of CB6r1.

Concentration Sensitivity of Nucleic Acid and Protein Molecule Detection Using Nanowire Biosensors

The concentration detection limit (DL) of biomacromolecules attainable using a nanowire detector has become a topical issue. A DL of 10−15 M is required to reveal oncological and infectious diseases at an early stage. This study discusses the DL experimentally attainable in the subfemtomolar concentration range, and possible mechanisms explaining such a low-concentration DL through the cooperative effect of biomacromolecular complexes formed on the surface of the nanowire (NW) chip near the nanowire.

Rapid Scan Electron Paramagnetic Resonance using an EPR-on-a-Chip Sensor

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is the method of choice to investigate and quantify paramagnetic species in many scientific fields, including materials science and the life sciences. Common EPR spectrometers use electromagnets and microwave (MW) resonators, limiting their application to dedicated lab environments. Here, we present an improved design of a miniaturized EPR spectrometer implemented on a silicon microchip (EPR-on-a-chip, EPRoC). In place of a microwave resonator, EPRoC uses an array of injection-locked voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs), each incorporating a 200 µm diameter coil, as a combined microwave source and detector. The individual miniaturized VCO elements provide an excellent spin sensitivity reported to be about 4 × 109 spins/√Hz, which is extended by the array over a larger area for improved concentration sensitivity. A striking advantage of this design is the possibility to sweep the MW frequency instead of the magnetic field, which allows the use of smaller, permanent magnets instead of the bulky and power-hungry electromagnets required for field-swept EPR. Here, we report rapid scan EPR (RS-EPRoC) experiments performed by sweeping the frequency of the EPRoC VCO array. RS-EPRoC spectra demonstrate an improved SNR by approximately two orders of magnitude for similar signal acquisition times compared to continuous wave (CW-EPRoC) methods, which may improve the absolute spin and concentration sensitivity of EPR-on-a-Chip at 14 GHz to about 6 × 107 spins/√Hz and 3.6 nM/√Hz, respectively.

Accuracy of Niacin Skin Flush Test for Diagnosing Schizophrenia

Objectives: This study aims to investigate niacin sensitivity in schizophrenia patients compared to healthy people and examine the accuracy of niacin skin flush test in diagnosing schizophrenia. Methods: This diagnostic study was conducted in 2018 in Zanjan, Iran. Three niacin concentrations (0.001 M, 0.01 M, and 0.1 M) was first applied topically to the skin of 36 schizophrenia patients and 33 healthy controls. Flush responses were evaluated at 10 and 15 min after application. Sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of the test were measured for each niacin concentration and evaluation time. Results: At 10 min, the highest test accuracy was reported when 0.001 M niacin solution was used (Sensitivity=94%, specificity=50%, PPV= 51%, and NPV= 94%). At 15 min, the highest test accuracy was observed at 0.01 concentration (Sensitivity=52%, specificity=92%, PPV=79%, and NPV=77%). Conclusion: Flush responses to niacin is more impaired in patients with schizophrenia. Therefore, niacin can be considered as a biological marker of schizophrenia and can be used for its diagnosis.

Nanomolar Pulse Dipolar EPR Spectroscopy in Proteins; the Copper(II)-Copper(II) and Nitroxide-Nitroxide Cases

The study of ever more complex biomolecular assemblies implicated in human health and disease is facilitated by a suite of complementary biophysical methods. Pulse Dipolar Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (PDEPR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool that provides highly precise geometric constraints in frozen solution, however the drive towards PDEPR at physiologically relevant sub-μM concentrations is limited by the currently achievable concentration sensitivity. Recently, PDEPR using a combination of nitroxide and Cu^II based spin labels allowed measuring 500 nM concentration of a model protein. Using commercial instrumentation and spin labels we demonstrate Cu^II-Cu^II and nitroxide-nitroxide PDEPR measurements at protein concentrations more than an order of magnitude below previous examples reaching 500 and 100 nM, respectively. These results demonstrate the general feasibility of sub-μM PDEPR measurements at short to intermediate distances (~1.5 - 3.5 nm), and are of particular relevance for applications where the achievable concentration is limiting.

Study of Different Carbon Bond 6 (CB6) Mechanisms by Using a Concentration Sensitivity Analysis

Since the year 2010, different versions of the Carbon Bond 6 (CB6) mechanism have been developed, to accurately estimate the contribution to the air pollution by the chemistry. However, the discrepancies in simulation results brought about by the modifications between different versions of the CB6 mechanism are still not fully understood. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the behavior of three different CB6 mechanisms (CB6r1, CB6r2 and CB6r3) in simulating ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and formaldehyde (HCHO) under an urban condition, by applying a concentration sensitivity analysis in a box model. The results show that when the surface emission is excluded, the O3 level predicted by CB6r1 is approximately 6 % and 8 % higher than that predicted by CB6r2 and CB6r3, specifically due to the change in the sink of CXO3 in the mechanism. In contrast, the levels of NOx and HCHO estimated by these three CB6 mechanisms are mostly similar, when the surface emission is turned off. After adding the surface emission, the simulated profiles of O3, NOx and HCHO obtained by CB6r2 and CB6r3 are similar. However, the deviation between the O3 levels provided by CB6r1 and the other two CB6 mechanisms (i.e. CB6r2 and CB6r3) is enlarged, because of the weakening of the ozone dependence on the emission of isoprene in CB6r1. Moreover, HCHO predicted by CB6r1 is found larger than that predicted by CB6r2 and CB6r3, which is caused by an enhanced dependence of HCHO on the emission of isoprene in CB6r1. Regarding to NOx, it was found that CB6r1 gives a higher value during the daytime and a lower value during the nighttime than the other two mechanisms, which is caused by the relatively stronger connection between the NOx prediction and the local chemistry in CB6r1, so that more NOx is consumed and converted to PANX (peroxyacyl nitrate with three and higher carbons) in the nighttime and more NOx is reformed by the photolysis of PANX in the daytime.