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The soft tick Ornithodoros turicata Duges (Acari: Argasidae) is a potential vector of African swine fever virus (ASFV). We evaluated the efficacy of two methods to collect soft ticks rapidly and efficiently from gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) burrows, which are ubiquitous throughout large regions of the southeastern United States and their burrows are a known microhabitat of O. turicata. Burrow vacuuming was an effective and efficient tick collection method; no tick was captured employing CO2 trapping. Using an occupancy modelling framework, we estimated that the probability of detecting ticks from an infested burrow each time a sample was taken with this method was 58% and increased with the average relative humidity. With the occupancy model, we estimated that 70% of the burrows in the study area were infested with O. turicata. Manual sifting of the burrow material yielded more ticks (6.6 individuals/sample) than using a set of three sieves (2.9 individuals/sample), yet the probability of detecting the species was not different between the two methods (Pval = 0.7). These methods can inform the development of ASF vector surveillance and outbreak response plans in areas of high risk for ASFV introduction in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We searched for an extraction method that would allow a precise quantification of metal(loid)s in milligram-size samples using high-resolution graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-GFAAS). We digested biological (DORM-4, DOLT-5 and TORT-3) and sediment (MESS-4) certified reference materials (CRMs) using nitric acid in a drying oven, aqua regia in a drying oven, or nitric acid in a microwave. In addition, we digested MESS-4 using a mixture of nitric and hydrofluoric acids in a drying oven. We also evaluated the effect of sample size (100 and 200 mg) on the extraction efficiency. Nitric acid extraction in a drying oven yielded the greatest recovery rates for all metal(loid)s in all tested CRMs (80.0 %–100.0 %) compared with the other extraction methods tested (67.3 %–99.2 %). In most cases, the sample size did not have a significant effect on the extraction efficiency. Therefore, we conclude that nitric acid digestion in a drying oven is a reliable extraction method for milligram-size samples to quantify metal(loid)s with HR-GFAAS. This validated method could provide substantial benefits to environmental quality monitoring programs by significantly reducing the time and costs required for sample collection, storage, transport and preparation, as well as the amount of hazardous chemicals used during sample extraction and analysis. • Sample digestion with nitric acid in a drying oven yielded the greatest recovery rates of metal(loid)s from biological and sediment certified reference materials. • The recovery rates of metal(loid)s from biological and sediment certified reference materials using nitric acid digestion in a drying oven ranged from 73 % to 100 %. • Digestion with nitric acid in a drying oven is a simple and reliable method to extract small size environmental samples for metal(loid)s quantification by high-resolution graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.

Neural networks often need a large number of data to complete effective training. In the low-data regime, networks perform poor in training effect and generalization ability. Recently,most few-shot learning methods based on the data expansion generate data by utilizing generative adversarial idea,or fulfill data augmentation by directly adopting difference information between similar datasets. The data after expansion will still be lack of important data features without considering whether the features of few-shot are complete before expansion. Nor does it examine whether the adoption of difference information is reasonable, which will generate wrong samples. Therefore, this paper puts forward an adversarial data augmentation model based on feature reconstruction and deformation information. Firstly, it proposes sample extraction method based on feature reconstruction, which is used to improve the feature loss of few-shot, and it adopts feature reconstruction to extract typical few-shot for sample expansion. Moreover, it puts forward the sample expansion method based on deformation information, and it adopts deformation information of different clusters under the same class to fulfill the data expansion. The above mentioned methods are applied to the character datasets and some popular few-shot datasets. The typical few-shot after reconstruction and the dataset after expansion have good effects. Furthermore, the experiment results demonstrate the state-of-the-art performance and effectiveness of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Gaceta Médica de Caracas is the property of Academia Nacional de Medicina and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We searched for an extraction method that would allow a precise quantification of metal(loid)s in milligram-size samples using high-resolution graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-GFAAS). We digested biological (DORM-4, DOLT-5 and TORT-3) and sediment (MESS-4) certified reference materials (CRMs) using nitric acid in a drying oven, aqua regia in a drying oven, or nitric acid in a microwave. In addition, we digested MESS-4 using a mixture of nitric and hydrofluoric acids in a drying oven. We also evaluated the effect of sample size (100 and 200 mg) on the extraction efficiency. Nitric acid extraction in a drying oven yielded the greatest recovery rates for all metal(loid)s in all tested CRMs (80.0 %-100.0 %) compared with the other extraction methods tested (67.3 %-99.2 %). In most cases, the sample size did not have a significant effect on the extraction efficiency. Therefore, we conclude that nitric acid digestion in a drying oven is a reliable extraction method for milligram-size samples to quantify metal(loid)s with HR-GFAAS. This validated method could provide substantial benefits to environmental quality monitoring programs by significantly reducing the time and costs required for sample collection, storage, transport and preparation, as well as the amount of hazardous chemicals used during sample extraction and analysis. •Sample digestion with nitric acid in a drying oven yielded the greatest recovery rates of metal(loid)s from biological and sediment certified reference materials.•The recovery rates of metal(loid)s from biological and sediment certified reference materials using nitric acid digestion in a drying oven ranged from 73 % to 100 %.•Digestion with nitric acid in a drying oven is a simple and reliable method to extract small size environmental samples for metal(loid)s quantification by high-resolution graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Objectives: Advances in thoracoscopic surgery have made skin incisions smaller, but there are concerns about cancer cell contamination during sample extraction. We performed retrieval bag lavage cytology (BLC) during thoracoscopic surgery to evaluate the risk of cancer dissemination and the prognostic influence of BLC status. Methods: BLC was investigated in 893 patients who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy or segmentectomy for lung cancer between 2013 and 2018. The clinicopathological features and prognosis were compared between the BLC-positive and BLC-negative groups. Results: Forty-nine patients (5.5%) were positive for BLC. BLC correlated with pleural invasion (49.0% vs. 12.9%, P < 0.001); however, BLC was positive in 3.3% of cases without pleural invasion. Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor size, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic and pleural invasion were predictive factors for positive BLC. Prognosis was poorer in the BLC-positive group than in the BLC-negative group (5-year overall survival, 73.6% vs. 90.2%, P < 0.001); nevertheless, positive BLC was not an independent prognostic factor. The locoregional recurrence rate was higher among BLC-positive patients than among BLC-negative patients, whereas there was no significant difference in the distant recurrence rate. Positive BLC was associated with locoregional recurrence (hazard ratio 1.87, P = 0.044) and the correlation was stronger in stage I lung cancer. There were no cases of extraction bag breakage or port-site recurrence. Conclusions: BLC positivity was correlated with the risk of locoregional recurrence in patients with surgically resected lung cancer, although it was not an independent prognostic factor. Careful manipulation is essential for extracting specimens from the thoracic cavity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attribute reduction is a key issue in the research of rough sets. Aiming at the shortcoming of attribute reduction algorithm based on discernibility matrix, an attribute reduction method based on sample extraction and priority is presented. Firstly, equivalence classes are divided using quick sort for computing compressed decision table. Secondly, important samples are extracted from compressed decision table using iterative self-organizing data analysis technique algorithm(ISODATA). Finally, attribute reduction of sample decision table is conducted based on the concept of priority. Experimental results show that the attribute reduction method based on sample extraction and priority can significantly reduce the overall execution time and improve the reduction efficiency.

β2-agonists are a group of synthetic phenylethanolamine compounds which are traditionally used for treating bronchospasm. These compounds can also increase skeletal muscle mass and decrease body fat. The illegal use of β2-agonists in food-producing animals results in residue of β2-agonists in edible tissues and causes adverse health effects in humans. Thus, the detection of β2-agonists at trace level in complex sample matrices is of great importance for monitoring the abuse of β2-agonists. Many methods have been developed to detect β2-agonists. Among them, a variety of antigen–antibody interaction-based techniques have been established to detect β2-agonists in various samples, including animal feed, urine, serum, milk, tissues and hair. In this review, we summarized current achievement in the extraction of β2-agonists from testing samples and detection of β2-agonists using immunological techniques. Future perspectives were briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a long time, the importance of sample preparation and extraction in the analytical performance of the most diverse methodologies have been neglected. Cumbersome techniques, involving high sample and solvent volumes have been gradually miniaturized from solid-phase and liquid-liquid extractions formats and microextractions approaches are becoming the standard in different fields of research. In this context, this review is devoted to the analysis of bioactive compounds in foods using different microextraction approaches reported in the literature since 2015. But microextraction also represents an opportunity to mitigate the environmental impact of organic solvents usage, as well as lab equipment. For this reason, in the recent literature, phenolics and alkaloids extraction from fruits, medicinal herbs, juices, and coffee using different miniaturized formats of solid-phase extraction and liquid-liquid microextraction are the most popular applications. However, more ambitious analytical limits are continuously being reported and emergent sorbents based on carbon nanotubes and magnetic nanoparticles will certainly contribute to this trend. Additionally, ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents constitute already the most recent forefront of innovation, substituting organic solvents and further improving the current microextraction approaches.

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cannabis-infused edibles are food products infused with a cannabis extract. These edibles include baked goods, candies, and beverages, offering an alternative way to consume cannabis instead of smoking or vaporizing it. Ensuring the accurate detection of cannabis-infused edibles and identification of any contaminants is crucial for public health and safety. This is particularly important for compliance with legal regulations as these substances can have significant psychoactive effects, especially on unsuspecting consumers such as children or individuals with certain medical conditions. Using efficient extraction methods can greatly improve detection accuracy, ensuring that the concentration of cannabinoids in edibles is measured correctly and adheres to dosage guidelines and legal limits. This review comprehensively examines the preparation and extraction techniques for cannabinoid edibles. It covers methods such as solid-phase extraction, enhanced matrix removal-lipid, QuEChERS, dissolution and dispersion techniques, liquid-phase extraction, and other emerging methodologies along with analytical techniques for cannabinoid analysis. The main analytical techniques employed for the determination of cannabinoids include liquid chromatography (LC), gas chromatography (GC), direct analysis in real time (DART), and mass spectrometry (MS). The application of these extraction and analytical techniques is further demonstrated through their use in analyzing specific edible samples, including oils, candies, beverages, solid coffee and tea, snacks, pet food, and contaminated products.

Herein, we developed a novel integrated device to perform phase separation based on ultrasound-assisted, salt-induced, liquid-liquid microextraction for determination of five fluoroquinones in meats by HPLC analysis. The novel integrated device consisted of three simple HDPE (high density polyethylene) parts that were used to separate the solvent from the aqueous solution prior to retrieving the extractant. The extraction parameters were optimized using the response surface method based on central composite design: 589μL of acetone solvent, pH2.1, 4.1min extraction time and 3.5g of Na2SO4. The limits of detection were 0.056-0.64 μgkg(-1) and recoveries were 87.2-110.6% for the five fluoroquinones in muscle tissue from fish, chicken, pork and beef. This method is easily constructed from inexpensive materials, extraction efficiency is high, and the approach is compatible with HPLC analysis. Thus, it has excellent prospects for sample pre-treatment and analysis of fluoroquinones in meat samples.

Quantitive bioinformatic studies are a mainstay of modern microbiome research. Despite almost 15 years since the first studies were published, a wide variety of techniques exist for analysis with new techniques emerging every year. In this review, we explore the latest developments in sample preservation, extraction, and sequencing. We describe new bioinformatic developments in both marker-gene and metagenomic sequencing. While these represent novel analytical approaches, in 2020 and beyond, we look forward to better benchmarks of the existing tools.

Sample extraction before detection is a critical step in analysis. Since targets of interest are often found in complex matrices, the sample can not be directly introduced to the analytical instrument. Nanomaterials with unique physical-chemical properties are excellent supports for use in sorbent-based extraction. However, they lack selectivity and thus need to be functionalized with target-capturing molecules. Antibodies and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can be used for this purpose, but they have some problems that limit their practical applications. Hence, functionalization of nanomaterials for selectivity remains a problem. Nucleic acid aptamers are affinity reagents that can provide superiority to antibodies since they can be selected in vitro and at a lower cost. Moreover, aptamers can be chemically synthesized and easily modified with different functional groups. Hence, aptamers are good candidates to impart selectivity to the nanomaterials. Recent studies focus on the integration of aptamers with magnetic nanoparticles, carbon-based nanomaterials, metal-organic frameworks, gold nanoparticles, gold nanorods, silica nanomaterials, and nanofibers. The unique properties of nanomaterials and aptamers make the aptamer-conjugated nanomaterials attractive for use in sample preparation. Aptamer-functionalized nanomaterials have been successfully used for selective extraction of proteins, small molecules, and cells from different types of complex samples such as serum, urine, and milk. In particular, magnetic nanoparticles have a wider use due to the rapid extraction of the sample under magnetic field. In this review, we aim to emphasize how beneficial features of nanomaterials and aptamers could be combined for extraction or enrichment of the analytes from complex samples. We aim to highlight that the benefits are twofold in terms of selectivity and efficiency when employing nanomaterials and aptamers together as a single platform. • The applications of aptamer-conjugated nanomaterials for sample enrichment are reviewed. • The advantages of functionalizing nanomaterials with aptamers are discussed. • The latest aptamer-based sample preparation methods are reviewed. • Advantages and disadvantages of nanomaterials are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A microplasma was coupled with a dispersive micro-solid phase extraction (D-µSPE) • The tolerance of Cd to alkali metals was improved by a factor of 25 • The detection limit of Cd was only 0.003 µg/L. For the first time, a dispersive micro-solid phase extraction (D-µSPE) based on graphene oxide was employed for the ultrasensitive determination of Cd by a solution anode glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (SAGD OES). It was possible to extract Cd from a dilute mixture of alkali and alkaline earth metals (Ca, K, Mg, and Na) with 100 % efficiency. It was found that in contact with microplasma, Cd bounded on the GO surface can be converted to its volatile species. As a result, it was possible to omit the elution step (a slurry sample was introduced), which allowed shortened time of sample preparation and reduced the risk of contamination. Using the Design of Experiments (DoE) approach, the effect of different variables, i.e., interferent concentration, GO concentration, number of GO rinsing repetitions, and HNO 3 concentration, was studied in detail. Using the D-µSPE-SAGD OES, matrix effects were remarkably reduced and improvement in the tolerance of Cd to alkali metals by a factor of 25 was reached. Moreover, coupling with D-µSPE lowered the limit of detection (LOD) of Cd by 2 times (resulting in the LOD of 0.003 µg L−1). Under optimal operating conditions, D-µSPE-SAGD OES was successfully employed for the ultra-trace analysis of food and environmental samples characterized by a high-alkali metals content, i.e., wine and seawater. As compared to competitive methods recently reported in the literature, D-µSPE-SAGD OES is distinguished by the simplicity of the measurement system and the fact that the nanosorbent used is commercially available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this review, we consider and discuss the affinity and complementarity between a generic sample preparation technique and the comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography process. From the initial technical development focus (e.g., on the GC×GC and solid‐phase microextraction techniques), the trend is inevitably shifting toward more applied challenges, and therefore, the preparation of the sample should be carefully considered in any GC×GC separation for an overreaching research. We highlight recent biomedical, food, and plant applications (2016–July 2020), and specifically those in which the combination of tailored sample preparation methods and GC×GC–MS has proven to be beneficial in the challenging aspects of non‐targeted analysis. Specifically on the sample preparation, we report on gas‐phase, solid‐phase, and liquid‐phase extractions, and derivatization procedures that have been used to extract and prepare volatile and semi‐volatile metabolites for the successive GC×GC analysis. Moreover, we also present a milestone section reporting the early works that pioneered the combination of sample preparation techniques with GC×GC for non‐targeted analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β2-agonists are a group of synthetic phenylethanolamine compounds which are traditionally used for treating bronchospasm. These compounds can also increase skeletal muscle mass and decrease body fat. The illegal use of β2-agonists in food-producing animals results in residue of β2-agonists in edible tissues and causes adverse health effects in humans. Thus, the detection of β2-agonists at trace level in complex sample matrices is of great importance for monitoring the abuse of β2-agonists. Many methods have been developed to detect β2-agonists. Among them, a variety of antigen–antibody interaction-based techniques have been established to detect β2-agonists in various samples, including animal feed, urine, serum, milk, tissues and hair. In this review, we summarized current achievement in the extraction of β2-agonists from testing samples and detection of β2-agonists using immunological techniques. Future perspectives were briefly discussed.

Reliable and comprehensive multi-omics analysis is essential for researchers to understand and explore complex biological systems more completely. Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) is a model organism for Gram-positive spore-forming bacteria, and in-depth insight into the physiology and molecular basis of spore formation and germination in this organism requires advanced multilayer molecular data sets generated from the same sample. In this study, we evaluated two monophasic methods for polar and nonpolar compound extraction (acetonitrile/methanol/water; isopropanol/water, and 60% ethanol) and two biphasic methods (chloroform/methanol/water, and methyl tert-butyl ether/methanol/water) on coefficients of variation of analytes, identified metabolite composition, and the quality of proteomics profiles. The 60% EtOH protocol proved to be the easiest in sample processing and was more amenable to automation. Collectively, we annotated 505 and 484 metabolites and identified 1665 and 1562 proteins in B. subtilis vegetative cells and spores, respectively. We also show differences between vegetative cells and spores from a multi-omics perspective and demonstrate that an integrative multi-omics analysis can be implemented from one sample using the 60% EtOH protocol. The results obtained by the 60% EtOH protocol provide comprehensive insight into differences in the metabolic and protein makeup of B. subtilis vegetative cells and spores.

Volatile amines including ammonia, methylamine, dimethylamine, ethylamine, and trimethylamine were extracted using a needle-type extraction device followed by determination using a gas chromatography-barrier discharge ionization detector. The analyte amines were extracted based on their reaction with an organic acid in the needle packed by the adsorbent. The extracted compounds were desorbed by heating the extraction needle in the GC injection port and introduced into a GC column. After optimization of the desorption process, the proposed method was quantitatively evaluated for linearity, repeatability, and sensitivity. The limits of detection for ammonia, methylamine, dimethylamine, ethylamine, and trimethylamine with an air sampling volume of 100 mL were 0.03, 0.1, 1, 0.06 and 0.05 µg L−1, respectively. The method was applied to the determination of amines from raw fish and raw meat samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the last decade, metabolomics has experienced significant advances in the throughput and robustness of analytical methodologies. Yet the preparation of biofluids and low-mass tissue samples remains a laborious and potentially inconsistent manual process, and a significant bottleneck for high-throughput metabolomics. To address this, we have compared three different sample extraction solvent systems in three diverse sample types with the purpose of selecting an optimum protocol for subsequent automation of sample preparation. We have investigated and re-optimised the solvent ratios in the recently introduced methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)/methanol/water solvent system (here termed modified Matyash; 2.6/2.0/2.4, v/v/v) and compared it to the original Matyash method (10/3/2.5, v/v/v) and the conventional chloroform/methanol/water (stepwise Bligh and Dyer, 2.0/2.0/1.8, v/v/v) using two biofluids (human serum and urine) and one tissue (whole Daphnia magna). This is the first report of the use of the Matyash method for extracting metabolites from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) model organism D. magna. Extracted samples were analysed by non-targeted direct infusion mass spectrometry metabolomics or LC-MS metabolomics. Overall, the modified Matyash method yielded a higher number of peaks and putatively annotated metabolites compared to the original Matyash method (1–29% more peaks and 1–30% more metabolites) and the Bligh and Dyer method (4–20% more peaks and 1–41% more metabolites). Additionally the modified Matyash method was superior when considering metabolite intensities. The reproducibility of the modified Matyash method was higher than other methods (in 10 out of 12 datasets, compared to the original Matyash method; and in 8 out of 12 datasets, compared to the Bligh and Dyer method), based upon the observation of a lower mRSD of peak intensities. In conclusion, the modified Matyash method tended to provide a higher yield and reproducibility for most sample types in this study compared to two widely used methods. Highlights • Bligh and Dyer, Matyash and a new 'modified Matyash' solvent systems were compared. • Applied to three sample types and analysed by mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. • Modified Matyash showed comparable or higher extraction yield than other methods. • Reproducibility of modified Matyash method was also comparable or higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-nutritive sweeteners are low-calorie substances used to replace sugar, and are commonly used worldwide in the food industry as single or combined compounds. Determination of these sweeteners in foods and the environment is important to ensure consistency in quality and product safety. The types and amounts of allowed sweeteners vary greatly between countries. Hence, it is important to measure sweetener concentrations effectively and efficiently. This study reviews mass spectrometry-based methods for the detection and quantification of these compounds, as they are the most sensitive and precise analytical techniques now employed in sweeteners analysis. The advantages and disadvantages of each published method, including sample preparation, have been discussed. This review also presents information relating to widely used sweeteners in terms of regulations. [Display omitted] • Highlights advances in sample preparation techniques and the trends are summarized. • Different mass spectrometric methods for the determination of sweeteners are discussed. • The advantage and disadvantages of analytical tools are comprehensively compared. • Applications and future challenges are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticides application is essential in protecting crops and increases their productivity. However, this causes the pesticide residues to contaminate the crops and their surrounding environment that will eventually lead to exposure to human being. There is very little understanding on the human health effects of pesticides, thus many studies are being carried out for this purpose. In conjunction to this, there are various analytical methods on multi-residue pesticides analysis that have been developed over the years in various samples. This review provides an overview of the reported concentration of pesticides, the extraction and determination techniques of pesticides in environmental samples and the potential health effects they imposed on human in Malaysia from 2007 to 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capability of multi-level logic operations in biological diagnosis is far from being fully realized. In particular, the simplification of logic judgments to realize rapid, on-site complex diagnoses is still a key issue in bioelectronics. The authors here describe the construction of a colorimetric multilevel DNA circuit that incorporates two IMPLY gates and a sample extraction technology (SET) with anti-BPA aptamer as a co-recognizing element and the color of gold nanoparticles as the output signal. The circuit can perform multi-bioanalysis of the plasticizers and hormone mimetics bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS). The assay is based on the finding that the aptamer against BPA can recognize both BPA and BPS. This DNA logic detection system is simple, fast, sensitive and selective because of the utilization of a co-recognition element which decreased input numbers. This, in turn, cascades multiplex Boolean logic gates and simplifies the diagnostic challenge. Both BPA and BPS can be determined by photometry at 620 nm, the limit of detection being 1.5 ng⋅mL for BPA and 1.3 ng⋅mL for BPS. Application to (spiked) water samples shows good analytical performance in terms of recovery (95.4 to 106.8%), linear range (4.4 to 66 ng⋅mL for BPA, 2.5 to 75 ng⋅mL for BPS) and correlation coefficients (>0.98). In our perception, the method represents a simple route for the fabrication of colorimetric multi-level DNA circuits. It may shorten the gap between bioelectronic logic circuits and high throughput real sample analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statins are amongst the most prescribed agents worldwide for treating hypercholesterolaemia. This review summarizes bio-analytical techniques for monitoring of presently available seven statins- Atorvastatin, Rosuvastatin, Pitavastatin, Simvastatin, Lovastatin, Pravastatin and Fluvastatin with a special focus on sample preparation strategies and chromatographic analysis. Applications include determination of statins in various biological fluids like plasma, serum and urine. Apart from conventional extraction procedures of Protein precipitation, Liquid–liquid extraction and Solid-phase extraction, various novel extraction techniques like Micro-extraction by packed sorbent, Dispersive liquid–liquid micro-extraction, Salting-out assisted liquid–liquid extraction etc. are also used for sample clean-up. Extracted samples are usually separated by reverse-phase HPLC and quantitated either by UV or MS/MS detection. The importance and use of chromatographic techniques to separate drug-related biotransformation products are also discussed herein. Most bio-analytical techniques allow quantitation of statins in ng/ml range making them suitable for therapeutic monitoring of statins in routine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of metabolism has had a long history. Metabolomics, a systems biology discipline representing analysis of known and unknown pathways of metabolism, has grown tremendously over the past 20 years. Because of its comprehensive nature, metabolomics requires careful consideration of the question(s) being asked, the scale needed to answer the question(s), collection and storage of the sample specimens, methods for extraction of the metabolites frombiologicalmatrices, the analyticalmethod(s) to be employed and the quality control of the analyses, how collected data are correlated, the statistical methods to determine metabolites undergoing significant change, putative identification ofmetabolites and the use of stable isotopes to aid in verifying metabolite identity and establishing pathway connections and fluxes. The National Institutes of Health Common Fund Metabolomics Program was established in 2012 to stimulate interest in the approaches and technologies of metabolomics. To deliver one of the program's goals, the University of Alabama at Birmingham has hosted an annual 4-day short course in metabolomics for faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students from national and international institutions. This paper is the first part of a summary of the training materials presented in the course to be used as a resource for all those embarking on metabolomics research. The complete set of training materials including slide sets and videos can be viewed at http://www. uab.edu/proteomics/metabolomics/workshop/workshop_june_2015.php. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]