Two different analytical methods for the determination and confirmation of ochratoxin A (OTA) in blood serum, kidney and liver of pigs have been compared. Sample clean-up was based on liquid-liquid phase extraction. The detection of OTA was accomplished with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined either with fluorescence detection (FL) or electro spray ionization (ESI+) tandem m...

This research demonstrates the basic elements of a prototype automated orchard sprayer which delivers pesticide spray selectively with respect to the characteristics of the targets. The density of an apple tree canopy was detected by PROWAVE 400EP250 ultrasound sensors controlled by a Cypress PSOC CY8C29466 microcontroller. The ultrasound signal was processed with an embedded computer built aro...

Vanadium suboxide (VOx) layers deposited by an electro-spray (e-spray) printing method were applied to the fabrication of high efficiency patterned polymer solar cell (PSC) modules. By tailoring surface tension and the atomization condition of the e-sprayed sol precursor, e-sprayed VOx layers on top of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces were successfully obtained, which enabled alternati...

The history from bio-imaging to live single-cell mass spectrometry (MS) is herein reviewed. The limitation of the current bio-imaging method is probing only known molecules, and a method for finding new molecules is needed for cells which, however, show individual behaviors even in the same incubation dish. Single-cell MALDI-TOF/MS has been developed, but it can detect only molecules that can b...

Abbreviations: PTMs=post-translational modifi cations; PPIs=protein-protein interactions; SDS-PAGE= sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; 2D-PAGE=two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; MS=mass spectrometry; ESI=electrospray ionization; MALDI=Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization; ESI-MS=electrospray ionization mass spectrometry; MALDI-MS=MALDI mass spectr...

We describe an analytical protocol for characterizing the molecular structure of hemoglobin (Hb) Lepore variants by using two different mass-spectrometric approaches. The first method consists of direct examination of the chromatographically separated hybrid globins by electro-spray mass spectrometry; the variant Lepore globin is identified through the accurate determination of its molecular ma...

In this work, lipid extracts from spinach membrane fragments enriched in Photosystem II (PSII) and from spinach PSII dimers were analyzed, by means of Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and Electro-Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry. Cardiolipin found in association with PSII was isolated and purified by preparative TLC, then characterized by mass and mass-mass analyses. Cardiolipin structures wit...

Although two-dimensional thin-film nanostructures such as graphene are extremely promising for future optical or electronic devices, the required manufacturing technologies are still lacking. Herein the authors introduce a robotically controlled electro-osmotic spray deposition method of colloids with a high electric potential to create optoelectronic devices directly onto the surface of graphe...

The overall aim of this project is to improve substantially the parameterisation of sea spray particulate fluxes for a wide range of environmental conditions. To meet US Navy needs for more accurate predictions of aerosol loadings, the underlying physical and chemical processes determining aerosol formation and evolution in the maritime environment must be defined. Progress is already being mad...

Recently, the high-pressure fuel injection performance of common-rail direct injection (CRDi) engines has become more important, due to the need to improve the multi-injection strategy. A multiple injection strategy provides better emission and fuel economy characteristics than a normal single injection scheme. The CRDi engine performance changes with the type of high-pressure electro-mechanica...