Application of Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion and Liquid Chromatography–Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry for the Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Fruits

This study presents an application of rapid and sensitive multiresidue method for the analysis of acephate, acetamipride, atrazine, carbendazim, carbaryl, carbofuran, dimethoate, imidacloprid, linuron, malathion, monocrotophos, monuron, propazine, simazine, and tebufenozide in fruits. The method involves an extraction procedure based on matrix solid-phase dispersion using diatomaceous earth as a dispersant and dichloromethane as the eluent. The target pesticides were determined using liquid chromatography–ion trap mass spectrometry. Quantification of the analytes was carried out using the most sensitive ion transition. Ion trap parameters, like activation q and time, were found to have a prominent influence on method sensitivity for some pesticides and they were optimized accordingly. The confirmation of residues detected in real samples was performed by repeated injection and acquiring additional ion transitions besides the ones used for quantification. The method was validated for accuracy, linearity, reproducibility, and sensitivity. Mean values for recoveries were in the range of 70–120 % for all tested matrices. Repeatability of the method, expressed as the relative standard deviation, was in general lower than 20 %. The applicability of the method to routine analysis was tested in real fruit samples with good performance.     

Internalization and Accumulation in Dendritic Cells of a Small pH‐Activatable Glycomimetic Fluorescent Probe as Revealed by Spectral Detection

DC‐SIGN, an antigen‐uptake receptor in dendritic cells (DCs), has a clear role in the immune response but, conversely, can also facilitate infection by providing entry of pathogens into DCs. The key action in both processes is internalization into acidic endosomes and lysosomes. Molecular probes that bind to DC‐SIGN could thus provide a useful tool to study internalization and constitute potential antagonists against pathogens. So far, only large molecules have been used to directly observe DC‐SIGN‐mediated internalization into DCs by fluorescence visualization. We designed and synthesized an appropriate small glycomimetic probe. Two particular properties of the probe were exploited: activation in a low‐pH environment and an aggregation‐induced spectral shift. Our results indicate that small glycomimetic molecules could compete with antigen/pathogen for binding not only outside but also inside the DC, thus preventing the harmful action of pathogens that are able to intrude into DCs, for example, HIV‐1.     

The effect of different pollutants exposure on the pigment content of pigmented macrophage aggregates in the spleen of Vardar chub (Squalius vardarensis Karaman, 1928)

Pigmented macrophage aggregates (MAs) are known to change under influence of various factors, such as aging, season, starvation, and/or pollution. In this study, changes in the pigment content of the MAs in the spleen of Vardar chub (Squalius vardarensis, Karaman) (n = 129) collected in spring and autumn, from three rivers with different pollution impact was examined: Zletovska River (metals), Kriva River (metals and municipal wastewater), and Bregalnica River (municipal wastewater). Collected data revealed increased relative volume and number of MAs containing hemosiderin under the influence of metals, significant in autumn (p < .05). In chub exposed to metals combined with municipal wastewater, significant increase of lipochrome accumulation in MAs in autumn, melanin in MAs in fish captured in the spring season, and number of splenic MAs containing combination of melanin and lipochrome was noted. Volumes and number of MAs containing combination of hemosiderin and lipochrome increased in spleen of fish captured in autumn from both Zletovska River and Kriva River, most likely due to the contribution of hemosiderin and lipochrome, respectively. Values measured for the various pigments in splenic MAs in fish captured from Bregalnica River, were overall closer to the values measured for fish captured from Kriva River. Notably, melanin and lipochrome are more likely to be found in fish from waters influenced by municipal wastewater (organic pollution) and hemosiderin in fish spleen from water influenced by mining activity (heavy metals pollution).     

蓝宝石光纤法布里-珀罗高温传感的实验研究

进行了基于蓝宝石光纤及晶片的光纤法布里- 珀罗(F-P)高温传感器研究。理论仿真分析了传感器温度传感灵敏度及干涉光谱信号质量 随蓝宝石晶片厚度 变化趋势。结果表明,在信噪比(SNR)为30〖J P ＋2〗dB、晶片厚为75μm时,可避免干涉光谱信号波峰干涉级次跳 变问题, 同时获得3.114nm/℃(1080℃)的温度传感 灵敏度。建立了高温传感器系统,并基于干涉光谱相位分析算法 进行解调,实现了130～1080℃测温范围,测 温误差小于±2.45℃, 1080℃下温度传感灵敏度测试值为2. 973nm/℃,与理论温度传感灵敏度基本吻合。     

Tree Recovery in PIM Sparse Mode

A PIM–SM-built multicast tree must be restructured when the underlying unicast routing tables change. We describe the PIM–SM recovery mechanisms and evaluate the recovery performance, showing its dependence on a range of network and session parameters. Our results show that a substantial packet loss can be caused by nonreductive, benign events in the network, such as an addition of a new link. We propose and evaluate an improvement to the standard PIM–SM recovery procedure aimed to reduce the packet loss caused by the benign events. Our evaluation shows that the data loss caused by these events can be significantly decreased regardless of the topology and session parameters.     

Identifying the factors affecting the willingness to pay for fuel-efficient vehicles in Turkey: A case of hybrids

This paper aims to determine the factors that have an impact on the consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for hybrid automobiles in Turkey. A web-based random survey was conducted in different regions of Turkey. A questionnaire was administered to 1983 participants in January–March of 2009. The questionnaire was prepared by taking the issues raised in various sources into account. An ordered Probit model was used to meet the objective. Results show that variables such as income, gender, education, concerns about global warming, number of automobiles, importance of automobile performance, risk preference, attitude toward the alternative energy sources have an impact on the consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for hybrids. Findings suggest that consumers who have high income, higher educational level, and concerns about the global warming are more likely to pay a premium for hybrids. This study is expected to make important contributions to the current literature related to the consumers’ willingness to pay for hybrids by providing a research study from a developing country’s perspective. Results of this study also make important contributions to the policy and decision makers, environmental groups and automotive industry.     

Sensory quality of beef from different finishing diets

Beef production under different local husbandry systems might have meat sensory quality implications for the marketing of these products abroad. In order to assess the effect of finishing diet systems on beef quality, a trained sensory taste panel assessed meat aged for 20 days from 80 Uruguayan Hereford steers that were finished on one of the following diets: T₁ = Pasture [4% of animal live weight (LW)], T₂ = Pasture [3% LW plus concentrate (0.6% LW)], T₃ = Pasture [3% LW plus concentrate (1.2% LW)], or T₄ = Concentrate plus hay ad libitum. Beef odour and flavour intensities decreased with an increase in the energy content of the diet. The meat from T₂ had the lowest acid flavour and strange odours intensities. In general, steers fed only concentrate plus hay (T₄) produced meat that had an inferior sensory quality because they had more pronounced off-flavours and was tougher.     

Robustness of quantized control systems with mismatch between coder/decoder initializations

This paper analyzes the stability of linear systems with quantized feedback in the presence of mismatch between the initial conditions at the coder and decoder. Under the assumption of the perfect channel, we show that using the scheme proposed in [Liberzon, D., & Neši?, D. (2007). Input-to-state stabilization of linear systems with quantized state measurements. Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Transaction on Automatic Control, 52, 767-781] it is possible to achieve stability with exponential convergence of linear systems with quantized feedback when the coder and decoder are initialized at different initial conditions.     

X-ray resonant Raman scattering from noble gas atoms and beyond

We discuss general characteristics of the resonant X-ray scattering and briefly illustrate its applications in atomic, molecular and solid state physics by a few selected examples. The Ljubljana high resolution spectrometer set-up is presented, which was recently employed at ELETTRA and ESRF synchrotron beamlines to study X-ray emission of inner-shell excited states of xenon and argon, and of simple sulfur containing molecules and solid compounds.