An experimental-numerical hybrid technique for two-dimensional stress analysis

A numerical procedure for obtaining the stress components in the interior of a two-dimensional body from the values of stresses measured along the boundary, is presented. In this method the two-dimensional elasticity equations are re-written in a convenient form and solved using the finite difference technique along with the boundary stress values. The application of the method is illustrated with examples.     

An on-line HPLC method for detection of radical scavenging compounds in complex mixtures

A rapid on-line method for screening of complex mixtures for radical scavenging components was developed using a methanolic solution of 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) stable free radical. The HPLC-separated analytes react postcolumn with the DPPH solution, and the induced bleaching is detected as a negative peak by an absorbance detector at 517 nm. An optimized instrumental setup is presented. The method is suitable for both isocratic and gradient HPLC runs with mobile-phase compositions ranging from 10 to 90% organic solvent in water or buffer (pH 3-6). The method is simple, has a broad applicability, and uses common instruments, inexpensive and stable reagents, and a time-saving and nonlaborious experimental protocol. It can also be used for quantitative analysis. The method was applied to several pure natural antioxidants and plant extracts. The limits of detection were 0.33-94 microg/mL, depending on the compound tested.     

Atmospheric pressure laser-induced acoustic desorption chemical ionization fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry for the analysis of complex mixtures

We present a novel nonresonant laser-based matrix-free atmospheric pressure ionization technique, atmospheric pressure laser-induced acoustic desorption chemical ionization (AP/LIAD-CI). The technique decouples analyte desorption from subsequent ionization by reagent ions generated from a corona discharge initiated in ambient air or in the presence of vaporized toluene as a CI dopant at room temperature. Analyte desorption is initiated by a shock wave induced in a titanium foil coated with electrosprayed sample, irradiated from the rear side by high-energy laser pulses. The technique enables facile and independent optimization of the analyte desorption, ionization, and sampling events, for coupling to any mass analyzer with an AP interface. Moreover, the generated analyte ions are efficiently thermalized by collisions with atmospheric gases, thereby reducing fragmentation. We have coupled AP/LIAD-CI to ultrahigh-resolution FT-ICR MS to generate predominantly [M + H](+) or M(+?) ions to resolve and identify thousands of elemental compositions from organic mixtures as complex as petroleum crude oil distillates. Finally, we have optimized the AP/LIAD CI process and investigated ionization mechanisms by systematic variation of placement of the sample, placement of the corona discharge needle, discharge current, gas flow rate, and inclusion of toluene as a dopant.     

Capillary HPLC/QTOF-MS for characterizing complex naphthenic acid mixtures and their microbial transformation

A rapidly expanding oil sands industry in Canada produces and indefinitely stores large volumes of toxic aqueous tailings containing high concentrations of naphthenic acids (NAs), a complex mixture of naturally occurring aliphatic or alicyclic carboxylic acids. Although there is an acknowledged need to reduce the environmental risks posed by NAs, little is understood about their environmental fate due to a lack of appropriate analytical methods. A dilute-and-shoot reversed-phase capillary HPLC/QTOF-MS method was developed that combines high specificity and sensitivity, quantitative capabilities, the ability to detect novel transformation products, and new structural information within each NA isomer class. HPLC separated NAs, based on carbon number, degree of cyclization, and the extent of alkyl branching, and in so doing increased analytical sensitivity up to 350-fold while providing additional specificity compared to infusion techniques. For tailings water, an interlaboratory study revealed many differences in isomer class profiles compared to an established GC/MS method, much of which was attributed to the misclassification of oxidized NAs (i.e., NA + O) by low-resolution GC/MS. HPLC/QTOF-MS enabled the detection of oxidized products in the same chromatographic run, and Van Krevelen diagrams were adapted to visualize the complex data. A marked decrease of retention times was evident in Syncrude tailings water compared to a commercial mixture, suggesting that tailings water is dominated by highly persistent alkyl-substituted isomers. A biodegradation study revealed that tailings water microorganisms preferentially deplete the least alkyl-substituted fraction and may be responsible for the NA profile in aged tailings water.     

Higher-order mass defect analysis for mass spectra of complex organic mixtures

Higher-order mass defect analysis is introduced as a unique formula assignment and visualization method for the analysis of complex mass spectra. This approach is an extension of the concepts of Kendrick mass transformation widely used for identification of homologous compounds differing only by a number of base units (e.g., CH(2), H(2), O, CH(2)O, etc.) in complex mixtures. We present an iterative renormalization routine for defining higher-order homologous series and multidimensional clustering of mass spectral features. This approach greatly simplifies visualization of complex mass spectra and increases the number of chemical formulas that can be confidently assigned for given mass accuracy. The potential for using higher-order mass defects for data reduction and visualization is shown. Higher-order mass defect analysis is described and demonstrated through third-order analysis of a deisotoped high-resolution mass spectrum of crude oil containing nearly 13,000 peaks.     

Independent components in spectroscopic analysis of complex mixtures

We applied two methods of “blind” spectral decomposition (MILCA and SNICA) to quantitative and qualitative analyses of UV absorption spectra of several non-trivial mixture types. Both methods use the concept of statistical independence and aim at the reconstruction of minimally dependent components from a linear mixture. We examined mixtures of major ecotoxicants (aromatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons), amino acids and complex mixtures of vitamins in a veterinary drug. Both MICLA and SNICA were able to recover concentrations and individual spectra with minimal errors comparable with instrumental noise. In most cases their performance was similar to or better than that of other chemometric methods such as MCR-ALS, SIMPLISMA, RADICAL, JADE and FastICA. These results suggest that the ICA methods used in this study are suitable for real life applications.     

Two-dimensional gas-phase separations coupled to mass spectrometry for analysis of complex mixtures

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) has been explored for decades, and its versatility in separation and identification of gas-phase ions is well established. Recently, field asymmetric waveform IMS (FAIMS) has been gaining acceptance in similar applications. Coupled to mass spectrometry (MS), both IMS and FAIMS have shown the potential for broad utility in proteomics and other biological analyses. A major attraction of these separations is extremely high speed, exceeding that of condensed-phase alternatives by orders of magnitude. However, modest separation peak capacities have limited the utility of FAIMS and IMS for analyses of complex mixtures. We report 2-D gas-phase separations that join FAIMS to IMS, in conjunction with high-resolution and accuracy time-of-flight (TOF) MS. Implementation of FAIMS/IMS and IMS/MS interfaces using electrodynamic ion funnels greatly improves sensitivity. Evaluation of FAIMS/IMS/TOF performance for a protein mixture tryptic digest reveals high orthogonality between FAIMS and IMS dimensions and, hence, the benefit of FAIMS filtering prior to IMS/MS. The effective peak capacities in analyses of tryptic peptides are approximately 500 for FAIMS/IMS separations and approximately 10(6) for 3-D FAIMS/IMS/MS, providing a potential platform for ultrahigh-throughput analyses of complex mixtures.     

Processing complex mixtures of intact proteins for direct analysis by mass spectrometry

For analysis of intact proteins by mass spectrometry (MS), a new twist to a two-dimensional approach to proteome fractionation employs an acid-labile detergent instead of sodium dodecyl sulfate during continuous-elution gel electrophoresis. Use of this acid-labile surfactant (ALS) facilitates subsequent reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) for a net two-dimensional fractionation illustrated by transforming thousands of intact proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae to mixtures of 5-20 components (all within approximately 5 kDa of one another) for presentation via electrospray ionization (ESI) to a Fourier transform MS (FTMS). Between 3 and 13 proteins have been detected directly using ESI-FTMS (or MALDI-TOF), and the fractionation showed a peak capacity of approximately 400 between 0 and 70 kDa. A probability-based identification was made automatically from raw MS/MS data (obtained using a quadrupole-FTMS hybrid instrument) for one protein that differed from that predicted in a yeast database of approximately 19,000 protein forms. This ALS-PAGE/RPLC approach to proteome processing ameliorates the "front end" problem that accompanies direct analysis of whole proteins and assists the future realization of protein identification with 100% sequence coverage in a high-throughput format.     

Fluorescence spectral analysis for the discrimination of complex, similar mixtures with the aid of chemometrics

An analytical method for the classification of complex real-world samples was researched and developed with the use of excitation-emission fluorescence matrix (EEFM) spectroscopy, using the medicinal herbs, Rhizoma corydalis decumbentis (RCD) and Rhizoma corydalis (RC) as example samples. The data set was obtained from various authentic RCD-A and RC-A, adulterated AD, and commercial RCD-C and RC-C samples. The spectra (range: λ(ex) = 215～395 nm and λ(em) = 290～560 nm), arranged in two- and three-way data matrix formats, were processed using principal component analysis (PCA) and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) to produce two-dimensional component-by-component plots for qualitative data classification. The RCD-A and RC-A object groups were clearly discriminated, but the AD and the RCD-C as well as RC-C samples were less well separated. PARAFAC analysis produced somewhat better discrimination, and loadings plots revealed the presence of the marker compound Protopine-a strongly fluorescing substance-as well as at least two other unidentified fluorescent components. Classification performance of the common K-nearest neighbors (KNN) and linear discrimination analysis (LDA) methods was relatively poor when compared with that of the back propagation- and radial basis function-artificial neural networks (BP-ANN and RBF-ANN) models on the basis of two- and three-way formatted data. The best results were obtained with the three-way fingerprints and the RBF-ANN model. Subsequently, the quality of the commercial samples (RCD-C and RC-C) was classified on the best optimized RBF-ANN model. Thus, EEFM spectroscopy, which provides three-way measured data, is potentially a powerful analytical technique for the analysis of complex real-world substances provided the classification is performed by the RBF-ANN or similar ANN methods.     

High-resolution two-dimensional angle measurement technique based on fringe analysis

A novel angle-measurement technique based on fringe analysis for phase-measuring profilometry is proposed. A two-dimensional (2-D) angle between two mirror surfaces is determined by least-squares fitting of a plane to the 2-D distribution of the phase difference introduced by the 2-D tilt angle. To evaluate the performance of the proposed technique, numerical simulations that use the Fourier-transform technique and the phase-shift technique for fringe analysis were performed, and the results are compared. A 2-D angle-measurement interferometer based on a Mirau interference microscope was developed that demonstrated the validity of the proposed principle. It is shown by simulation and experiment that the proposed 2-D angle-measurement technique can achieve both a wide measurement range and a high angular resolution simultaneously.     

Use of the cross-section technique linked with multivariate calibration methods to resolve complex pesticide mixtures

The potential of the cross-section (CS) approach in combination with the partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR) was assessed in the resolution of a complex pesticide mixture showing twelve overlapped components in High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detection (HPLC-DAD). Careful selection of the CS through the three-dimensional (3D) (A, lambda, t) data matrix gave two-dimensional (2D) signals with the best sensitivity for the determination of each pesticide. In all cases, the application of the PLS method demonstrated a better quantitative prediction ability than that of the PCR method. The CS-PLS approach is a powerful analytical tool. Ten pesticides were well-resolved, while for the other two pesticides of the mixture prediction ability was poor, and they could not be determined, probably due to their low net analytical signal. The CS-PLS model was evaluated by predicting the concentrations of independent test set samples. Finally, the proposed model was successfully applied for the determination of these pesticides in groundwater.     

Gore introduces Universal Pipe Gasket for chemical processing

W. L. Gore & Associates has introduced a new gasket for chemical process piping. The new Gore Universal Pipe Gaskets are intended to enable users to standardize their gasket applications across steel, glass-lined steel and FRP systems, wherever a non-metallic gasket can be used.     

Numerical analysis of transfer phenomena in semiconductor devices and structures 1. Universal program for two-dimensional modeling

A universal program for the two-dimensional numerical analysis of functionally integrated structures of integral circuits is described.Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 136–143, July, 1986.     

New complex Fourier shape functions for the analysis of two-dimensional potential problems using boundary element method

In this paper, boundary element analysis for two-dimensional potential problems is investigated. In this study, the boundary element method (BEM) is reconsidered by proposing new shape functions to approximate the potentials and fluxes. These new shape functions, called complex Fourier shape function, are derived from complex Fourier radial basis function (RBF) in the form of exp(iωr). The proposed shape functions may easily satisfy various functions such as trigonometric, exponential, and polynomial functions. In order to illustrate the validity and accuracy of the present study, several numerical examples are examined and compared to the results of analytical and with those obtained by classic real Lagrange shape functions. Compared to the classic real Lagrange shape functions, the proposed complex Fourier shape functions show much more accurate results.     

A new analysis of the complex two-dimensional multilayered anisotropic soil in time domain

The dynamic analysis of two-dimensionalmultilayered anisotropic soilwith rigid bedrock is studied. An efficient numerical approach named the modified scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM) is proposed in the time domain. Based on introducing the continued fraction method and auxiliary variables, the time domain solution is obtained. This solution can be applied to the transversely isotropic medium without any difficulty. For the modified SBFEM, the original scaling center is replaced by a scaling line. These characteristics enable the modified SBFEM to model the horizontal layered medium. Three significant technologies have been introduced in the formula derivation and solving process. First, the dual system is used to derive the displacement equation of the modified SBFEM, which is built on a Hamilton system. According to the principle of virtual work, the displacement equation is transformed to the dynamic stiffness equation. Second, the new continued fraction method for the unbounded domain resting on rigid bedrock is proposed. By introducing auxiliary variables, the displacement equation of motion of an unbounded domain is built. Third, it is an extremely important point that the accurate precise time-integration method is first employed to solve the global equation of motion of the modified SBFEM. This numerical integral method can achieve the machine precision. By using this method in solving the equation of motion of the modified SBFEM, an extremely accurate solution can be achieved. Finally, numerical examples validate the accuracy of the new proposed method, especially for the complex inclined model with anisotropic soil.     

Phosphoprotein isotope-coded solid-phase tag approach for enrichment and quantitative analysis of phosphopeptides from complex mixtures

Many cellular processes are regulated by reversible protein phosphorylation, and the ability to broadly identify and quantify phosphoproteins from proteomes would provide a basis for gaining a better understanding of these dynamic cellular processes. However, such a sensitive, efficient, and global method capable of addressing the phosphoproteome has yet to be developed. Here we describe an improved stable-isotope labeling method using a phosphoprotein isotope-coded solid-phase tag (PhIST) for isolating and measuring the relative abundances of phosphorylated peptides from complex peptide mixtures resulting from the enzymatic digestion of extracted proteins. The PhIST approach is an extension of the previously reported phosphoprotein isotope-coded affinity tag (PhIAT) approach developed by our laboratory, where phosphoseryl and phosphothreonyl residues were derivatized by hydroxide ion-mediated beta-elimination followed by the Michael addition of 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT). Instead of using the biotin affinity tag, peptides containing the EDT moiety were captured and labeled in one step using isotope-coded solid-phase reagents containing either light (12C6, 14N) or heavy (13C6, 15N) stable isotopes. The captured peptides labeled with the isotope-coded tags were released from the solid-phase support by UV photocleavage and analyzed by capillary liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The efficiency and sensitivity of the PhIST labeling approach for identification of phosphopeptides from mixtures were determined using casein proteins. Its utility for proteomic applications was demonstrated by the labeling of soluble phosphoproteins from a human breast cancer cell line.     

Two-layer sample preparation: a method for MALDI-MS analysis of complex peptide and protein mixtures

The analytical performance of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry for direct analysis of peptide and protein mixtures is strongly dependent on the sample and matrix preparation. A two-layer sample preparation method is demonstrated to be very effective for analyzing complex mixtures. In this method, the first layer on the MALDI probe is the densely packed matrix microcrystals formed by fast solvent evaporation of a matrix solution. A mixture solution containing both matrix and sample is then deposited onto the first layer to form uniform analyte/matrix micrococrystals. It is found that the addition of matrix to the second-layer sample solution proves to be critical in analyzing mixtures of peptides and proteins covering a broad mass range. The effect of solvent conditions for preparing the second-layer solution is discussed. The application of this method is demonstrated for the analysis of cow's milk where milk proteins as well as peptide fragments produced from proteins by indigenous proteinases are detected. Direct analyses of peptides and proteins from a bacteria extract and crude egg white are also illustrated.     

Interfacial tension of critical liquid mixtures in the presence of a surfactant

The interfacial tension of a liquid-liquid interface in the critical region has been obtained as a function of the surfactant concentration on the basis of the Landau-Ginzburg model for critical phenomena. It is shown that surfactants may reduce significantly the interfacial tension in addition to the well-known near-critical reduction.