Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) semiconducting materials have recently attracted wide attention and been regarded as promising building blocks for chemical sensors due to their high surface-to-volume ratio. However, their low response hinders the realization of high-performance 2D TMDCs chemical sensors. Here, we demonstrate the improvement of sensing performance o...

A fructan exohydrolase selective for (2----1)-linked terminal fructosyl linkages, isolated from barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Morex) stems and leaf sheaths, was used to elucidate the chemical structures of several oligomeric fructans extracted from liliaceous and graminaceous species. Products released by enzymic and mild acid hydrolysis were separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid...

Environmental exposures to very low levels of airborne chemicals are associated with adverse symptoms, often affecting multiple organ systems, in the phenomenon of chemical sensitivity (CS). Recent surveys suggest a significant prevalence of chemically sensitive subjects in the United States, but the mechanism linking exposure to symptoms remains unclear, despite the advancement of a variety of...

The prevalence of allergic-related diseases, food intolerance, and chemical sensitivities in both the pediatric and adult population has increased dramatically over the last two decades, with escalating rates of associated morbidity. Conditions of acquired allergy, food intolerance and chemical hypersensitivity are frequently the direct sequelae of a toxicant induced loss of tolerance (TILT) in...

We present a novel and simple method to numerically calculate Fisher information matrices for stochastic chemical kinetics models. The linear noise approximation is used to derive model equations and a likelihood function that leads to an efficient computational algorithm. Our approach reduces the problem of calculating the Fisher information matrix to solving a set of ordinary differential equ...

Ecotoxicological studies have shown considerable variation in species sensitivity for chemical compounds, but general patterns in sensitivity are still not known. A better understanding of this sensitivity is important in the context of environmental risk assessment but also in a more general ecological and evolutionary one. We investigated the metabolic rate or more precise the specific somati...

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunologyl has reaffirmed its doubts about the scientific status of what is known as multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). Yet despite a long line of such authoritative rejections2-4 MCS continues to gain in popularity, political support and media attention. The emergence of MCS followed reports of a multitude of symptoms triggered by exposure to subs...

Broadening of spectral lines is a signature of chemical exchange phenomena on microsecond to millisecond time scales but has deleterious effects on spectral resolution and sensitivity. A multipulse method based on chemical shift scaling that reduces chemical exchange broadening during frequency-encoding periods of liquid-state multidimensional NMR experiments is described. The proposed scheme u...

One hundred twelve individuals who reported onset of multiple chemical sensitivity following well-documented exposure to either (1) a cholinesterase-inhibiting organophosphate or carbamate pesticide or (2) remodeling of a building completed mail-out/mail-back questionnaires concerning their exposure, symptoms, sensitivity to ingestants and inhalants, utilization of health-care resources, and im...

Multiplechemical sensitivity (MCS) is a chronic condition manifested by the appearance of variable symptoms, involving many systems and organs, after exposure to extremely low levels of chemicals, mainly pesticides and solvents. The paper discusses briefly the main hypotheses concerning causes and mechanisms of MCS development. It was emphasized that during neurotoxicity assessment is necessary...