Instrumentation and methods exist for highly precise analyses of the stable-isotopic composition of organic compounds separated by GC. The general approach combines a conventional GC, a chemical reaction interface, and a specialized isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). Most existing GC hardware and methods are amenable to isotope-ratio detection. The interface continuously and quantitatively...

The review describes on-line derivatization/degradation methods employed in mass spectrometry to solve some structural and analytical problems. Advantages and applications of various positions of reaction systems connected mainly to a mass spectrometer or a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer are considered. Among these are reaction systems connected directly to the mass spectrometer (reaction ...

The origin of the carbon atoms in CO2 respired by leaves in the dark of several plant species has been studied using 13C/12C stable isotopes. This study was conducted using an open gas exchange system for isotope labeling that was coupled to an elemental analyzer and further linked to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (EA-IRMS) or coupled to a gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass s...

The chemical analyses of "bog butters" recovered from peat bogs of Scotland were performed with the aim of determining their origins. Detailed compositional information was obtained from "bog butter" lipids using high temperature gas chromatography (HTGC) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results indicate the degree to which "bog butters" have undergone diagenetic alterations during burial ...

Because GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) is present in both blood and urine of the general population, toxicologists must be able to discriminate between endogenous levels and a concentration resulting from exposure. In this paper, we propose a procedure for the detection of exogenous GHB in blood by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). Following liquid-liquid a...

Using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), we have developed a simple method to isolate myosin heavy chain (MHC) and actin from small (60-80 mg) human skeletal muscle samples for the determination of their fractional synthesis rates. The amounts of MHC and actin isolated are adequate for the quantification of [13C]leucine abundance by gas chromatography-combusti...