.... http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/landing.cda?type=Feature&chId=4 http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cma/download.cma?imageType=RssLogo&contentType=Feature&siteId=1&chId=4 http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26739&type=Feature&page=1 Nicotine traces have been discovered in a 1300-year-old Mayan flask, providing the first physical evidence of tobacco use by the ancient Mayas and only the second recorded case in which the contents match the hieroglyphics on the outside of the vessel. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26656&type=Feature&page=1 The application of metabolomics to aging research is reviewed for two primary audiences: mass spectrometrists interested in applying their technical knowledge to unanswered questions in the aging field, and gerontologists interested in expanding their knowledge of both mass spectrometry and the most recent advances in aging-related metabolomics. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26653&type=Feature&page=1 The plasma volume expanders mannitol, dextran and hydroxyethyl starch, which are on the WADA prohibited list as masking agents, have been determined in urine by a mass spectrometric method. The procedure has been validated to WADA requirements for accredited laboratories. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26607&type=Feature&page=1 Forged Brazilian vehicle documents have been detected by ambient mass spectrometry due to the presence of a stabiliser found in printing ink that is absent from genuine documents. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26503&type=Feature&page=1 Gunshot residues on different types of fabrics have been analysed by high resolution mass spectrometry and the elemental data displayed on ternary graphs to reveal the type of weapon that was fired. The method could provide vital clues in forensic investigations where the firearm has not been recovered. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26475&type=Feature&page=1 The contribution and potential of mass spectrometry-based techniques, with and without chromatographic coupling, to ensure the absence of chemical contaminants in food-based products has been reviewed. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26446&type=Feature&page=1 A common food contaminant which could not be confirmed in many foods by tandem mass spectrometry due to a coeluting compound has been analysed successfully using high resolution mass spectrometry, preventing the occurrence of potentially harmful false negatives. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26398&type=Feature&page=1 The protein and lipid compositions of pressure ulcers have been visualised by imaging mass spectrometry to give a much-needed view of the molecular status of these chronic wounds that could lead to a prognostic test of their reparative status. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26347&type=Feature&page=1 Ultrasound-assisted extraction followed by hydrophilic interaction chromatography and electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry has been applied to the simultaneous determination of 16 nucleosides and nucleobases in medicinal extracts of various marine organisms. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26331&type=Feature&page=1 The dry cleaning fluid perchloroethylene is retained in fabrics for up to seven days after cleaning, presenting a potential health risk by inhalation and dermal absorption and warranting further studies on exposure of this potential carcinogen. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26267&type=Feature&page=1 The majority of purified drinking water streams leaving domestic wastewater treatment plants in the US are contaminated with sucralose, suggesting that this artificial sweetener can be used as a marker for anthropogenic input in source and drinking water. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26242&type=Feature&page=1 To minimize confusion in the expression of measurement results of stable isotope and gas-ratio measurements, recommendations based on publications of the Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) are presented. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26217&type=Feature&page=1 Brain tissue can be analysed in real time in a surgical setting by a combination of ultrasonic aspiration and sonic spray mass spectrometry, raising the possibility of detecting tumour margins in the operating theatre without the addition of chemical tags. The procedure can easily be extended to other tissue types. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26160&type=Feature&page=1 Several foods and drinks are sources of 2-pentylfuran, a potential breath test marker for invasive aspergillosis, new research has shown. Patient diet should be taken into account to avoid false positive results if the GC/MS-based test is adopted. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26070&type=Feature&page=1 A pegylated EPO-mimetic peptide simulating the lead drug candidate peginesatide was synthesised as a model compound and characterised by gel electrophoresis, MALDI MS and LC/ESI-MS/MS after proteolytic digestion, to develop a method for detection in plasma. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26073&type=Feature&page=1 A walkthrough portal for detecting traces of explosives on passengers based on APCI mass spectrometry and a novel linear ion trap has been demonstrated in Japan with triacetone triperoxide, one of the favoured explosives used by terrorists. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=26024&type=Feature&page=1 Pesticides on food surfaces at levels 20-fold lower than current EPA tolerance levels have been detected by mass spectrometry following automated sampling by liquid extraction surface analysis, providing a rapid screening procedure for food supplies. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=25997&type=Feature&page=1 The pulsed power operation mode of a radiofrequency glow discharge time-of-flight mass spectrometer was investigated for several ions, in terms of intensity profiles along each pulse period, with particular attention to the plateau and transient afterglow regions. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=25965&type=Feature&page=1 Dioxins present in Agent Orange, the defoliant sprayed during the Vietnam War, remain at elevated levels in the milk of Vietnamese nursing mothers residing in the contaminated areas more than 40 years later, with major health implications for the feeding infants. http://www.spectroscopyNOW.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?chId=4&id=25877&type=Feature&page=1 A novel form of inlet ionisation mass spectrometry for samples in solution has been demonstrated by scientists in the USA. The technique differs from atmospheric pressure ionisation by transporting the solution to the vacuum inlet via a heated capillary in which ionisation occurs, effectively reducing ion losses and increasing sensitivity.