Base Peak / Ezine
Monkey business: oxygen isotope ratios correlate between hair and bone
Date: Mar 15, 2011
Author: Steve Down
The oxygen isotope ratios of hair and bioapatite from rhesus macaque monkeys show a strong correlation, say UK researchers, allowing one to be used as a substitute for the other when tissues are limited. Climate, altitude and distance from the source of precipitation influence the values.
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Journal Highlight: The evolving field of imaging mass spectrometry and its impact on future biological research
Date: Mar 14, 2011
Author:
The evolution and current state of imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) is discussed and some of the directions that IMS could develop in order to stay on course to become one of the most promising new tools in life science research are outlined.
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Equine insulin doping control: detection of different insulin species for new test
Date: Mar 1, 2011
Author: Steve Down
Five foreign insulins have been detected in equine urine for the first time, using a mass spectrometry technique to distinguish them from equine insulin. The technique demonstrates that urine can be used for doping control of insulin in horses.
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Toxic winds: PCBs from West Africa overwhelm the Atlantic
Date: Feb 15, 2011
Author: Steve Down
The discovery of unexpectedly high airborne levels of PCBs off the coast of West Africa has led scientists to suggest that there are unaccounted sources on the African mainland which are not included in current worldwide inventory models. Dumping of electronic waste and the disposal of old ships are possible explanations.
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Journal Highlight: Evaluation of MALDI-TOFMS in comparison to rpoB gene sequencing for species identification of bloodstream infection staphylococcal isolates
Date: Feb 7, 2011
Author:
Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry was evaluated for the identification of 450 blood isolates of the most relevant staphylococcal species, using sequence analysis of the rpoB gene as the reference method.
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Tissue on paper: Direct mass spectrometry of biopsy samples
Date: Feb 1, 2011
Author: Steve Down
The recently developed ambient technique known as paper spray mass spectrometry has been extended to the direct analysis of biological tissue from biopsies, detecting hormones, lipids and drugs within 1 minute from small samples.
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Popping out from glaciers: release of persistent pollutants contributes to increased lake levels
Date: Jan 15, 2011
Author: Steve Down
A study of two neighbouring Alpine lakes with different catchment areas has confirmed that glaciers represent secondary sources of persistent organic pollutants which will have more influence as climate warming increases.
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Journal Highlight: Olive oil or lard?: Distinguishing plant oils from animal fats in the archeological record of the eastern Mediterranean using GC/combustion/isotope ratio MS
Date: Jan 10, 2011
Author:
Compound-specific carbon stable isotope analyses of the C18:0 and C16:0 fatty acids from modern plant oils measured by gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry were compared with those from a residue on an ancient Egyptian shard.
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A ROBIN is not just for Christmas: Is the rotating ball interface here to stay this time?
Date: Jan 1, 2011
Author: Steve Down
The little-used rotating ball interface for laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometers has been rejuvenated by scientists in the USA and Russia, to produce detection limits at least one order of magnitude less than commercial LC/MS instruments when used for SALDI MS.
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Alcoholic spirits classified: SPME-MS of volatiles exposes plant origins
Date: Dec 15, 2010
Author: Steve Down
An SPME-MS method with no chromatographic separation has been used to distinguish the botanical origin of raw spirits between potato, rye and corn, with 100% classification accuracy and 96% prediction ability.
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