Method For Measurement Of Concentration Research Articles

A spectroscopy study of heated palm cooking oil using an open path optical method for Free Fatty Acids concentration measurement

Palm oil is a vegetable oil that is extracted from the fruits and seeds of the oil palm tree. Palm oil contains Free Fatty Acids, which can have negative consequences if repeatedly heated. Frequently heated cooking oil can undergo some physical changes such as colour darkens, Free Fatty Acids concentration increases, and an unpleasant odour is produced. The purposes of this study is to analyse the absorbance spectrum of repeatedly heated cooking oil and to measure the concentration of Free Fatty Acids. Using a spectrometer apparatus, heated palm cooking oil spectrum can be obtained and Free Fatty Acids analysis can be carried out using a technique called an open path method. The result shows that heated cooking oils have different absorbance spectrum and this analysis led to the development of an optical method for measuring Free Fatty Acids concentration. It is reported that this optical sensor is successfully measure the Free Fatty Acids concentration at 364 nm. The Free Fatty Acids concentration measurement is also verified using a chemical test and the result is aligned. This is an important step in order to distinguish the class of used cooking oil for the safety of consumers.

Optimal scheduling model of hydro-photovoltaic complementary based on simulation optimization algorithm

The total amount of hydro-photovoltaic generation is limited by the grid channel after large-scale grid connection of photovoltaic in the hydro-photovoltaic complementary clean energy base, resulting in the reduction of power generation efficiency of the system, an optimization scheduling model of hydro-photovoltaic complementary with yearly, monthly and daily scheduling cycles is established. The model adopts the simulation optimization algorithm, introduces the photovoltaic absorption measurement method, aiming at maximizing the power generation benefit of the system, and finally determines the cascade hydropower dispatching method. Taking the Tibet section of the Mekong River as an example, five typical hydrological years are cited to conduct a case study on the optimal scheduling of the hydro-photovoltaic complementary clean energy base. The results show that, on the basis of guaranteeing the hydropower benefit, this dispatching method can effectively improve the photovoltaic absorption rate, and realize the improvement of the total power generation benefit of the hydro-photovoltaic complementary base.

Research on a Non-Invasive Hemoglobin Measurement System Based on Four-Wavelength Photoplethysmography

Hemoglobin is an essential parameter in human blood. This paper proposes a non-invasive hemoglobin concentration measurement method based on the characteristic parameters of four-wavelength photoplethysmography (PPG) signals combined with machine learning. The DCM08 sensor and NRF52840 chip form a data acquisition system to collect 58 human fingertip photoelectric volumetric pulse wave signals. The 160 four-wavelength PPG signal feature parameters were constructed and extracted. The feature parameters were screened by combining three feature selection methods: reliefF, Chi-square score, and information gain. The top 10, 20, and 30 features screened were used as input to evaluate the prediction performance of different feature sets for hemoglobin. The prediction models used were XGBoost, support vector machines, and logistic regression. The results showed that the optimal performance of the 30 feature sets screened using the Chi-square test was achieved by the XGBoost model with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.997, root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.762 g/L, and mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.325 g/L. The study showed that the four-wavelength-based PPG signal feature parameters with the XGBoost algorithm could effectively achieve non-invasive detection of hemoglobin, providing a new measurement method in clinical practice.

Analytical validation of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method for urinary iodine concentration measurements in Taiwan

Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) measured by Sandell-Kolthoff spectrophotometric method has been used in the Nutrition and Health Surveys in Taiwan but this method is time consuming and produces toxic waste from arsenic trioxide. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) system to determine UIC in Taiwan. Samples and iodine calibrators were diluted 100-fold into an aqueous solution containing Triton X-100, 0.5% ammonia solution, and tellurium (128Te) as an internal standard. Digestion prior to analysis was not necessary. Precision, accuracy, serial dilution, and recovery tests were performed. A total of 1243 urine samples covering a wide range of iodine concentrations were measured by both Sandell-Kolthoff method and ICP-MS. Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman plots were used to compare values across methods. The limit for detection and quantification by ICP-MS was 0.95μg/L and 2.85μg/L, respectively. The intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients were <10%, with a recovery range of 95%-105%. The results obtained by ICP-MS and the Sandell-Kolthoff method were highly correlated (Pearson's correlation: r=0.996, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9950-0.9961, p<0.001). For UIC between 20 and 1000μg/L, the y-intercept for the Passing-Bablok regression was -1.9 (95% CI: -2.5599 to -1.3500) and the slope was 1.01 (95% CI: 1.0000-1.0206). This validated ICP-MS system can be used for measuring UIC.

Comparison between liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectroscopy and a novel latex agglutination method for measurement of hepcidin-25 concentrations in dialysis patients with renal anemia: A multicenter study

Background and aimsHepcidin-25 is an iron regulatory factor that plays an important role in anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease. Although liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS) is the gold standard for measuring hepcidin-25 concentrations, results cannot be obtained immediately at clinical sites. In contrast, the latex immunoassay (LIA) can be performed using general clinical laboratory equipment, and the results can be obtained quickly. The aim of this study was to evaluate hepcidin-25 concentrations obtained by LC-MS/MS and a novel LIA method and compare the two methods. Materials and methodsHepcidin-25 was measured by LIA and LC-MS/MS in 182 hemodialysis patients. A hepcidin-25-specific reagent and an automatic analyzer were used for LIA, and a commercially available system was used for LC-MS/MS. The Passing-Bablok regression analysis method was used. ResultsOn Passing-Bablok regression analysis, the slope was 1.000, with an intercept of 0.359. Very strong associations were obtained, and the measured values were almost identical. ConclusionThe hepcidin-25 concentrations measured using LIA and those measured by LC-MS/MS were significantly correlated. LIA can be performed using general clinical examination equipment and has a higher throughput than LC-MS/MS. Therefore, measurement of hepcidin-25 concentrations by LIA can be useful for routine laboratory testing.

Using random forest to predict antimicrobial minimum inhibitory concentrations of nontyphoidal Salmonella in Taiwan

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health issue and surveillance of AMR can be useful for understanding AMR trends and planning intervention strategies. Salmonella, widely distributed in food-producing animals, has been considered the first priority for inclusion in the AMR surveillance program by the World Health Organization (WHO). Recent advances in rapid and affordable whole-genome sequencing (WGS) techniques lead to the emergence of WGS as a one-stop test to predict the antimicrobial susceptibility. Since the variation of sequencing and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) measurement methods could result in different results, this study aimed to develop WGS-based random forest models for predicting MIC values of 24 drugs using data generated from the same laboratories in Taiwan. The WGS data have been transformed as a feature vector of 10-mers for machine learning. Based on rigorous validation and independent tests, a good performance was obtained with an average mean absolute error (MAE) less than 1 for both validation and independent test. Feature selection was then applied to identify top-ranked 10-mers that can further improve the prediction performance. For surveillance purposes, the genome sequence-based machine learning methods could be utilized to monitor the difference between predicted and experimental MIC, where a large difference might be worthy of investigation on the emerging genomic determinants.

Simultaneous Detection of Gas Concentration and Light Intensity Based on Dual-Quartz-Enhanced Photoacoustic-Photothermal Spectroscopy

This research proposes a method for the simultaneous acquisition of the second harmonic (2f) signal of quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) and the first harmonic (1f) signal of quartz-enhanced photothermal spectroscopy (QEPTS) based on the dual-quartz-enhanced photoacoustic–photothermal spectroscopy. The laser beam is first wavelength-modulated by the injection current and then intensity-modulated by an acoustic-optic modulator. The frequency of the wavelength modulation is half of the QTF1 resonant frequency, and the frequency of the intensity modulation is equal to the QTF2 resonant frequency. A modulated laser beam traveled through the two arms of the QTF1 and converged on the root of the QTF2. The 2f photoacoustic and 1f photothermal signals are concurrently obtained using the frequency division multiplexing technology and lock-in amplifiers, which allows the simultaneous detection of the gas concentration and laser light intensity. CH4 is chosen as the target gas, and the variations of the 2f photoacoustic and 1f photothermal signals are evaluated at various gas concentrations and light intensities. According to the experiments, the amplitude of the 1f photothermal signal has a good linear connection with light intensity (R2 = 0.998), which can be utilized to accurately revise the 2f photoacoustic signal while light intensity fluctuates. Over a wide range of concentrations, the normalized 2f photoacoustic signals exhibit an excellent linear response (R2 = 0.996). According to the Allan deviation analysis, the minimum detection limit for CH4 is 0.39 ppm when the integration time is 430 s. Compared with the light intensity correction using a photodetector for the QEPAS system, this approach offers a novel and effective light intensity correction method for concentration measurements employing 2f analysis. It also has the advantages of low cost and compact volume, especially for mid-infrared and terahertz systems.

Combined FRET-FLIM and NAD(P)H FLIM to Analyze B Cell Receptor Signaling Induced Metabolic Activity of Germinal Center B Cells In Vivo.

Affinity maturation of B cell clones within germinal centers constitutes an important mechanism for immune memory. During this process, B cell receptor signaling capacity is tested in multiple rounds of positive selection. Antigen stimulation and co-stimulatory signals mobilize calcium to switch on gene expression leading to proliferation and survival and to differentiation into memory B cells and plasma cells. Additionally, all these processes require adaption of B cell metabolism, and calcium signaling and metabolic pathways are closely interlinked. Mitochondrial adaption, ROS production, and NADPH oxidase activation are involved in cell fate decisions, but it remains elusive to what extent, especially because the analysis of these dynamic processes in germinal centers has to take place in vivo. Here, we introduce a quantitative intravital imaging method for combined measurement of cytoplasmic calcium concentration and enzymatic fingerprinting in germinal center B cells as a possible tool in order to further examine the relationship of calcium signaling and immunometabolism.

Antiepileptic drug concentration detection based on Raman spectroscopy and an improved snake optimization-convolutional neural network algorithm.

A method for measurement of antiepileptic drug concentrations based on Raman spectroscopy and an optimization algorithm for mathematical models are proposed and investigated. This study uses Raman spectroscopy to measure mixed antiepileptic drugs, and an Improved Snake Optimization (ISO)-Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) algorithm is proposed. Raman spectroscopy is widely used in the identification of pharmaceutical ingredients due to its sharp peaks, no pre-treatment of samples and non-destructive detection. To analyze the spectral data precisely, a machine learning method is used in this paper. The ISO algorithm is an improved intelligent swarm algorithm in which the method of generating random solutions is improved, which can ensure that a comprehensive local search of the model is performed, the global search capability is maintained at a later stage, and the convergence speed is accelerated. In this study, 360 groups of oxcarbazepine, carbamazepine, and lamotrigine drug mixtures are measured using Raman spectroscopy, and the raw spectral data after pre-processing are trained and evaluated using ISO-CNN algorithms, and the results are compared and analyzed with those obtained from other algorithms such as the Northern Goshawk Optimization algorithm, Chameleon Swarm Algorithm, and White Shark Optimizer algorithm. The results show that the best ISO-CNN algorithm training is achieved for oxcarbazepine, with a determination coefficient and root mean square error of 0.99378 and 0.0295 for the validation set, and 0.99627 and 0.0278 for the test set. The overall results suggest that Raman spectroscopy combined with machine learning algorithms can be a potential tool for drug concentration prediction.

PS-BPC08-1: VALIDATION OF PRIMARY ALDOSTERONISM DIAGNOSIS DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD OF ALDOSTERONE ASSAY AND GUIDELINE CHANGES IN JAPAN

Objectives and Methods: In Japan, the plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) measurement method was changed from RIA to CLEIA method in April 2021. From then until August 2021, when the 2021 clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of primary aldosteronism (PA) were published, we diagnosed PA using the RIA-converted PAC value (conversion formula from CLEIA (X) to RIA (Y): Y = 1.174X + 42.3) and the conventional positive decision criteria of the screening and confirmatory tests in PA diagnosis. The new criteria were then used to re-determine and confirm the agreement. Results: PAC(CLEIA) and renin activity (PRA) or active renin concentration (ARC) were measured simultaneously for PA screening at our hospital from April to August 2021 in 122 patients (135 measurements in total). PAC values (CLEIA) were less than 4 pg/mL in 21 measurements (16%). This value was converted to PAC(RIA) at 47 pg/mL based on the formula. (i) PA screening tests: 10% of the measurements were found to be ‘not excluded’ by the conventional criteria and negative by the new criteria. This was due to the fact that the calculated PAC(RIA) values were higher than they should be when the conversion formula to RIA was applied to cases with low PAC(CLEIA) values, resulting in higher estimated ARR values (PAC(RIA)/PRA or PAC(RIA)/ARC ratio). (ii) PA confirmatory tests: In the captopril challenge test, one case was found to be positive by the conventional criteria and negative by the new criteria due to the same reason as that on point (i). In the saline infusion test, PAC(CLEIA) of 12–15 pg/mL was determined to be less than PAC(RIA) 60 pg/mL by the conversion formula, which was deemed negative by the conventional criteria but borderline by the new criteria. (iii) PA diagnosis using the confirmatory tests: In one case, the diagnosis did not match the positive (borderline) classification based on the new criteria, although the patient was deemed negative by the conventional criteria. This was due to discrepancies of the saline infusion test results. Conclusion: During the transition period of PA diagnosis from the RIA to CLEIA method, it was necessary to review the data and retest the patients according to their symptoms because of possible inconsistencies between the new and conventional criteria-based diagnostic results. PA diagnosis and treatment should be judged comprehensively on a case-by-case basis, without relying entirely on the values of the criteria.

Primary Measurement of Gaseous Elemental Mercury Concentration with a Dynamic Range of Six Decades.

We present a primary method for absolute reference material-free measurement of gaseous elemental mercury mass concentration based on laser absorption spectroscopy at wavelengths near 254 nm and anchored to the international system of units. A 76 m-long multipass cell provides a detection limit of 1 ng m-3 for an averaging time of 8 min. A dual-cell arrangement, comprising a single-pass and a multipass cell, provides a dynamic range of six decades and spans from ambient to emission levels of gaseous elemental mercury (1 ng m-3 to 1000 μg m-3). The relative standard uncertainty of the measurement is 0.5% in the 0.25 to 1000 μg m-3 range.

Methane concentration measurement method in rain and fog coexisting weather based on TDLAS

A method of methane concentration measurement in rain and fog coexisting weather based on the tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy combined with the Monte Carlo scattering model is proposed. The Monte Carlo scattering model is utilized to calculate the attenuation signal caused by the scattering of rain and fog. The comparative experiments were conducted in weather with and without rain and fog coexistence to verify the feasibility of using this method to eliminate the disturbance caused by rain and fog scattering. The results show that the corrected concentration obtained by this method is more similar to the reference concentration. Taking the 5000 ppm reference concentration as an example, the relative bias obtained from the uncorrected concentration and the corrected concentration is 21.64 % and −0.6 % respectively. Meanwhile, the results demonstrate the minimum detection limit of this system is 1.97 ppm and the system has great linearity and stability in rain and fog.

Method Measures Effective Scale-Inhibitor Concentration at Low Detection Limit

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 209503, “A Fast and Accurate Method for Scale-Inhibitor Effective Concentration Measurement With Low Detection Limit,” by Xin Wang, Rice University; Zhaoyi Dai, SPE, China University of Geosciences; and Saebom Ko, Rice University, et al. The paper has not been peer reviewed. _ The accurate measurement of residual scale-inhibitor concentration in produced brine is essential for scale prevention. However, these scale inhibitors are effective at substoichiometric concentrations in most production conditions. It is difficult to measure such low inhibitor concentration with traditional methods, especially for non- or low-phosphorous polymeric scale inhibitors. In the complete paper, an assay method is developed to determine effective scale-inhibitor concentration. The presented assay method is quick, robust, and accurate, with a relative error of less than 10% even at 1 mg/L of inhibitor. Experimental Setup and Methods Brine Chemistry Inhibitor (BCIn) Continuous-Stirred-Tank Reactor (CSTR) Method. The schematic of the BCIn CSTR testing apparatus is shown in Fig. 1. The original supersaturated solution (OSS) with a designated barite scale inhibitor is injected into the reaction vial with no head space. This OSS may contain zero or a certain amount of scale inhibitor, and it will be stirred continuously and kept at room temperature during the whole test period. At Time 0, the cation titrant solution (TC) and the anion titrant solution (TA) start to be pumped continuously into the reaction vial with the same flow rate by using two syringe pumps. A green laser beam (with a wavelength of 532 nm) is shone through the reaction vial; light intensity is recorded continuously as current by using a multimeter with a photodiode detector in real time. The time between Time 0 and the solution turbidity change, which is detected as current drop, is defined as the critical time. Without the supply of scale inhibitor from the TC and TA solutions, the inhibitor concentration in the reaction vial decreases exponentially and the inhibitor concentration at Time t can be calculated. With continuous dilution of the inhibitor and continuous supply of the barite supersaturated solution in the reaction vial by TC and TA solution, the small nuclei and crystals begin to accumulate in the reaction vial, resulting in a turbidity change detected by the laser at the critical time. Because of the exponential decrease of the scale inhibitors, it is observed that, with the same solution composition and residence time, critical time increases linearly with the initial concentration of inhibitor. A series of tests is designed to match the composition of target brine with different amounts of scale inhibitors. The standard curve can then be developed. For the brine with an unknown amount of scale inhibitor, the inhibitor concentration can be calculated from the measured critical time. The known-additions method also can be used to determine the unknown inhibitor concentration in a sample. This process, and its associated equations, is provided in the complete paper, as is sample pretreatment.

On-line measurement of ultralow mass concentration particulate based on light scattering coupled with beta ray attenuation method

Light scattering method is the most commonly used method for on-line measurement of ultralow particulate matter mass concentration. However, when the particle characteristics change, the effectiveness of the empirical relationship decreases, which would lead to a sizeable deviation. To accurately measure the mass concentration of particulate matter in real-time, a coupling measurement idea of light scattering and beta-ray attenuation is proposed. The beta-ray attenuation is little affected by particle properties and accurately reflects the average PM mass concentration in the measured period. The single calibration method (M1), periodic calibration method (M2), average calibration method (M3), and asymmetric factor calibration method (M4) are formed based on the coupling idea. The results of all methods are perfect when the particle size is unchanged. However, when the particle sizes fluctuate frequently, the results of M1, M2, and M3 deviate seriously from the actual value, and the applicable working conditions have limitations. The results of M4 are in good agreement with the actual value, and the effectiveness is not limited by the particle size. Finally, the prototype based on experimental exploration was developed and had been continuously operated for more than 528 h at a 1000 MW unit of a coal-fired power plant.

Particle Number Measurement and Its Numerical Simulation of the Airborne Particle Counter by ‘Post-Collection-Check’

The measurement results of the light-scattering airborne particle counter can effectively evaluate the concentration of airborne particles in the clean environment and confined space, and the accuracy improvement of the calibration measurement results has attracted more and more attention. This paper introduces the ‘post-collection-check’ way of the airborne particle concentration measurement method of the OPC (Optical Particle Counter), based on FESEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy) and AAO (Anodic Aluminum Oxide) template, the probability distribution of the collected PSL (Polystyrene Latex) particles on the surface of AAO template, and the pressure parameters of AAO template under the different particle over current areas are both simulated. The numerical simulation results will help to improve the accuracy of the inference statistics of the collected PSL particle number on the membrane filter, and to give guidance on the optimal design of the PSL particle collection tube and the membrane filter, in order to provide an important reference for further improving the OPC particle concentration calibration and traceability method based on statistical theory.

Comparison of a portable blood glucose meter analyzer with a benchtop point-of-care chemistry analyzer for measurement of blood glucose concentration in client-owned ferrets (Mustela putorius furo)

Hypoglycemia is common in pet ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) because of the high prevalence of insulinoma in this species. The objectives of this study were to evaluate agreement of a portable blood glucose meter (PBGM) with a benchtop point-of-care (POC) chemistry analyzer for measurement of blood glucose concentration in ferrets, and to assess the clinical impact of using a PBGM for blood glucose measurement. The benchtop POC analyzer was used as the reference analyzer (modified hexokinase method). Glucose concentration was measured from 82 blood samples from client-owned ferrets with the benchtop POC chemistry analyzer and the PBGM. Agreement and bias between measurements were assessed using the Bland-Altman method and a Passing-Bablok regression analysis. A modified Clarke error grid analysis was modelized to evaluate the clinical effect if the PBGM was used rather than the benchtop POC chemistry analyzer. Glucose values obtained with the PBGM were not in agreement with the benchtop POC chemistry analyzer, and it underestimated blood glucose concentration in many cases. However, variation was unpredictable (mean bias, -3.97 mg/dL; range, -52.2 to 64.8 mg/dL), with wide 95% LOA (-47.3 to 38.5 mg/dL). A Passing-Bablok linear regression analysis had a slope of 1.13 (95% confidence interval: 1.00–1.36), and an intercept of -20.78 (95% confidence interval: -38.92 to -9.90), highlighting presence of a proportional and a constant bias. Important clinical error would have occurred in 1% of cases with the PBGM. Unpredictable variation of glucose results obtained with the PBGM could have an important impact on clinical decision making. Thus, the use of a benchtop POC analyzer using hexokinase method for measurement of blood glucose concentration should be favored in ferrets for rapid onsite result obtention.

Online Monitoring of the Concentrations of Amorphous and Crystalline Mesoscopic Species Present in Solution.

Despite the growing evidence for the existence of amorphous mesoscopic species in a solution and their crucial roles in crystallization, there has been the lack of a suitable method to measure the time-resolved concentrations of amorphous and crystalline mesospecies in a lab-scale stirred reactor. This has limited experimental investigations to understand the kinetics of amorphous and crystalline mesospecies formation in stirred solutions and made it challenging to measure the crystal nucleation rate directly. Here, we used depolarized light sheet microscopy to achieve time-resolved measurements of amorphous and crystalline mesospecies concentrations in solutions at varying temperatures. After demonstrating that the concentration measurement method is reasonably accurate, precise, and sensitive, we utilized this method to examine mesospecies formation both in a mixture of two miscible liquids and in an undersaturated solution of dl-valine, thus revealing the importance of a temperature change in the formation of metastable and amorphous mesospecies as well as the reproducibility of the measurements. Moreover, we used the presented method to monitor both mesospecies formation and crystal nucleation in dl-valine solutions at four different levels of supersaturation, while achieving the direct measurement of the crystal nucleation rates in stirred solutions. Our results show that, as expected, the inherent variability in nucleation originating from its stochastic nature reduces with increasing supersaturation, and the dependence of the measured nucleation rate on supersaturation is in reasonable agreement with that predicted by the classical nucleation theory.

Performance of a Qualitative Point-of-Care Strip Test to Detect DOAC Exposure at the Emergency Department: A Cohort-Type Cross-Sectional Diagnostic Accuracy Study.

An accurate point-of-care test for detecting effective anticoagulation by direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in emergencies is an unmet need. We investigated the accuracy of a urinary qualitative strip test (DOAC Dipstick) to detect relevant DOAC exposure in patients who presented to an emergency department. In this prospective single-center cohort-type cross-sectional study, adults on DOAC treatment were enrolled. We assessed clinical sensitivity and specificity of DOAC Dipstick factor Xa and thrombin inhibitor pads to detect DOAC plasma levels ≥30 ng/mL using urine samples as the testing matrix. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem-mass spectrometry was used as the reference standard method for plasma and urine measurement of DOAC concentrations. Of 293 patients enrolled, 265 patients were included in the analysis, of whom 92 were treated with rivaroxaban, 65 with apixaban, 77 with edoxaban, and 31 with dabigatran. The clinical sensitivity and specificity of the dipstick on urine samples to detect ≥30 ng/mL dabigatran plasma levels were 100% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 87–100%) and 98% (95% CI: 95–99%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the dipstick to detect ≥30 ng/mL factor Xa inhibitor plasma levels were 97% (95% CI: 94–99%) and 69% (95% CI: 56–79%), respectively. The DOAC Dipstick sensitively identified effective thrombin and factor Xa inhibition in a real-world cohort of patients presenting at an emergency department. Therefore, the dipstick might provide a valuable test to detect relevant DOAC exposure in emergencies, although further studies will be needed to confirm these findings.

A dual-wavelength photothermal aerosol absorption monitor: design, calibration and performance

Abstract. There exists a lack of aerosol absorption measurement techniques with low uncertainties and without artefacts. We have developed the two-wavelength Photothermal Aerosol Absorption Monitor (PTAAM-2λ), which measures the aerosol absorption coefficient at 532 and 1064 nm. Here we describe its design, calibration and mode of operation and evaluate its applicability, limits and uncertainties. The 532 nm channel was calibrated with ∼ 1 µmol mol−1 NO2, whereas the 1064 nm channel was calibrated using measured size distribution spectra of nigrosin particles and a Mie calculation. Since the aerosolized nigrosin used for calibration was dry, we determined the imaginary part of the refractive index of nigrosin from the absorbance measurements on solid thin film samples. The obtained refractive index differed considerably from the one determined using aqueous nigrosin solution. PTAAM-2λ has no scattering artefact and features very low uncertainties: 4 % and 6 % for the absorption coefficient at 532 and 1064 nm, respectively, and 9 % for the absorption Ångström exponent. The artefact-free nature of the measurement method allowed us to investigate the artefacts of filter photometers. Both the Aethalometer AE33 and CLAP suffer from cross-sensitivity to scattering – this scattering artefact is most pronounced for particles smaller than 70 nm. We observed a strong dependence of the filter multiple scattering parameter on the particle size in the 100–500 nm range. The results from the winter ambient campaign in Ljubljana showed similar multiple scattering parameter values for ambient aerosols and laboratory experiments. The spectral dependence of this parameter resulted in AE33 reporting the absorption Ångström exponent for different soot samples with values biased 0.23–0.35 higher than the PTAAM-2λ measurement. Photothermal interferometry is a promising method for reference aerosol absorption measurements.

Microvolume Analysis of Aflibercept in Aqueous Humor Using Mass Spectrometry.

PurposeTo develop a microvolume analytical method for measurement of the aflibercept concentration in human intraocular fluid and plasma.MethodsWe analyzed trace amounts of aflibercept in human aqueous humor using Fab-selective proteolysis and nano-surface and molecular-orientation limited (nSMOL) proteolysis, coupled with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Patients with age-related macular degeneration or diabetic macular edema were recruited. Just after an injection of 50 µL of aflibercept, regurgitate from needle holes was collected with a micropipette pressed to the side of the injection hole within 10 seconds. The median amount of regurgitate was 4 µL (range, 1–18 µL).ResultsIn human plasma, the aflibercept concentration ranged between 0.195 and 50 µg/mL when using the quantitative signature peptide IIWDSR (aa. 56–61) present on the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 domain of aflibercept. The method was validated by evaluating its linearity, carryover, selectivity, accuracy and precision, dilution effect, and sample/processing stability. As only a minimal amount of regurgitate through needle holes can be sampled, we performed and verified the aflibercept assay using patient samples after 1:10 dilution with control human plasma, a recognized diluent. The median concentration of aflibercept in the regurgitate was 240 µg/mL (range, 13–4300 µg/mL).ConclusionsOur findings indicate that the aflibercept assay using human intraocular fluid can be reliably performed using nSMOL coupled with LC-MS/MS.Translational RelevanceThis technique for quantifying aflibercept in the regurgitate suggests that the amount of drug lost post-injection can be ignored, even in patients with a relatively large leak after vitreous injection. This new methodology suggests possible therapeutic responses and may be employed as a general analytical method for trapping many biologics, such as vascular endothelial growth factor, in various types of clinical samples, unaffected by proteinaceous or small organic pharmaceuticals.