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Copyright of Shipin Kexue/ Food Science is the property of Food Science 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.)

Food samples require extensive sample preparations for instrumental analyses due to the complex matrices involved. Food safety regulatory agencies also require sample preparation procedures that are accurate, sensitive, robust, and, above all, fast, to handle the requirements for determining the safety of the massive amounts of foods and food products needed for human, pet and livestock consumption. There is also an inseparable interconnection between environmental, agricultural, forensic, cosmetic and industrial analytical chemistry involved in this requirement, and advances in analytical methodology are simultaneously applicable to all of these realms. As a response to these needs, the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method was developed to provide multiclass analysis of agricultural products, and remains the basis for regulatory procedures for large scale analyses of food samples containing a wide variety of possible contaminants. However, since QuEChERS does not enhance analyte concentrations during sample preparation of these complex samples, the methodology also requires very expensive, very sensitive final analytical instrumentation, requiring highly trained personnel and continual maintenance. Smaller regulatory and field laboratories may also need sample preparation procedures for only a limited number of specific pesticides, metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or other contaminants, requiring much less expensive and labor-intensive preparations and instrumentation. This is the role of liquid phase microextraction (LPME) in food sample preparation and analysis. LPME, individually or in combination with other sample preparation procedures, such as QuEChERS or traditional techniques such as solid phase extraction (SPE), can meet the requirements for sensitive and accurate analyses of specific analytes found in complex matrices, providing not only cleanup, but concentration of sample extracts, allowing the use of greener, less expensive and low maintenance final determination analytical instrumentation. Crucial review and application publications are tabulated to allow analysts easier access to appropriate publications to use this information for developing new or improved and greener validated methods for plant and animal food analyses.

Copyright of Shipin Kexue/ Food Science is the property of Food Science 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.)

The present study aimed to apply a multi-residue method for the screening and quantification of pesticide residues in ciders, low alcoholic beverages made by fermentation of apple juice. Twenty bottled craft cider samples purchased from the Czech market were analysed for pesticide residues. The residues of pesticides were extracted from samples using the QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) procedure in combination with additional solid-phase extraction (SPE) sample clean-up to achieve the lowest detection limit possible. In this study, targeted screening of pesticide residues in the samples was performed with the Q-Orbitrap mass spectrometry instrument. We identified 18 pesticides in cider samples analysed by screening method using an accurate-mass database of about 500 pesticide compounds, including their retention times, empirical formulas, and characteristic fragments. Additionally, liquid chromatography with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometer (LC-HRMS/MS) was used for re-analysis of positive findings of pesticides in samples and allowed to quantify compounds of interest at 0.2 µg L-1 concentration level. The monitoring scheme was applied to the set of craft ciders, and the results revealed the presence of pesticide residues in most of the samples at trace levels ranging from 0.5 to 5 µg L-1 and rarely at a level higher than 10 µg L-1.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been found in soil, which has typically been the result of industrial pollution in the past two decades. Although they are banned, PCBs can still be found in soils and other environmental media. For this reason, it is critical to develop an analytical method that can reliably identify and monitor their sources. This study describes a gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique, which was used to detect PCBs in soil samples by using a fast extraction method. Using the QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) method, PCBs were more effectively extracted from soil. Different related parameters, such as time of shaking and centrifuging, type of solvent, and clean-up adsorbents, were compared and optimized. As the extraction solvent, acetonitrile/water produced the best results, and as the dispersive solid-phase extraction sorbent, diatomaceous earth produced the best results. Procedures allowed recovery values between 95.3% and 103.2%. A limit of detection of 1.9 µg/kg was determined with relative standard deviations (n = 3) of 2.1–4.0% for intra-day assays and 3.6–5.8% for inter-day assays. It was demonstrated that the method was simple, sensitive, efficient, and environmentally friendly when applied to soil samples. To our knowledge, an integrated approach based on QuEChERS for the determination of Aroclor 1254 in soil has not been published before. It is believed that this approach will eliminate the significant challenge of sample extraction in GC-MS processing, which was considered to be a procedural challenge in previous analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to apply a multi-residue method for the screening and quantification of pesticide residues in ciders, low alcoholic beverages made by fermentation of apple juice. Twenty bottled craft cider samples purchased from the Czech market were analysed for pesticide residues. The residues of pesticides were extracted from samples using the QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) procedure in combination with additional solid-phase extraction (SPE) sample clean-up to achieve the lowest detection limit possible. In this study, targeted screening of pesticide residues in the samples was performed with the Q-Orbitrap mass spectrometry instrument. We identified 18 pesticides in cider samples analysed by screening method using an accurate-mass database of about 500 pesticide compounds, including their retention times, empirical formulas, and characteristic fragments. Additionally, liquid chromatography with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometer (LC-HRMS/MS) was used for re-analysis of positive findings of pesticides in samples and allowed to quantify compounds of interest at 0.2 µg·L-1 concentration level. The monitoring scheme was applied to the set of craft ciders, and the results revealed the presence of pesticide residues in most of the samples at trace levels ranging from 0.5 to 5 µg·L-1 and rarely at a level higher than 10 µg·L-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development 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.)

In this paper, a new slant-polarized slot antenna configuration is presented for direction finding and base station applications. The proposed antenna comprises enhanced size coaxial cables, slots, and feeding assemblies. The slant polarization is achieved by four angled slots etched around the outer cylinder of the oversized coaxial cable. An internal compact axis-symmetric feeding network connects primary apertures to form the omnidirectional antenna. Simulations and measurements demonstrate that the antenna maintains an omnidirectional pattern from 2.5 GHz to 2.8 GHz, having 11.3% bandwidth (measured return loss

Background: Honey, the natural sweetener, obtained from Apis mellifera (honey bees) possesses many medicinal properties. Intensive use of carbamate insecticide in agricultural land not only contaminates the crop but also affects the honey and honey matrices. Hence, this study focused on the analysis of insecticide in honey. Objective: Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method development for the determination of Carbaryl insecticide in honey and Comparisons of different extraction techniques to determine the efficiency of extraction process. Materials and Methods: The LC-MS/MS method was developed by optimizing the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) parameters. Further, the comparison study was done for the optimized extraction techniques such as quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method and ultrasound solid phase extraction (SPE) in the developed method. The validation was studied for the developed method as well as the extraction techniques to confirm the robustness of the developed method. Results: The validation study showed good accuracy for the developed method for the concentration from 2 to 9 ppb of the working solution. Limit of detection for the developed method was 0.08 and 0.05 ppb for the fragments 145.1 m/z and 127.1 m/z, respectively. Moreover, limit of quantification for the fragment 145.1 m/z was 0.24 ppb and for 127.1 m/z was 0.16 ppb. The average accuracies for the developed method of both the fragments (145.1 m/z and 127.1 m/z) were 98.51% and 98.15%, respectively. Recovery percentage for optimized QuEChERS ranged from 107% to 112% and for the ultrasound-SPE and from 107% to 118% of the honey samples which were spiked with three different concentrations of analyte. Conclusion: From the validation, it was confirmed that the developed method was robust and simple and provides better sensitivity and intensity and low consumption of chemicals. Thus, the developed method can be used for the routine analysis of carbaryl in honey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminium based metal matrix composites have been produced from recycled aluminium cans and 150µm sized eggshell particles using a stir cast process. The mechanical properties of the control and aluminium can/eggshell composites produced have been investigated. The microstructures of the aluminium can/eggshell composites were examined with the aids of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) after the sample surfaces have been carefully prepared and etched with aqueous solution of 0.5 cm3 nitric acid. Micrographs revealed that there was a homogenous distribution of eggshell particles within the aluminium can matrix. An indication of effective stirring action during the melting process. The wear resistance was also investigated under different applied loads (6 to 14 N) on an abrasive surface emery paper of grade 220. The results revealed an increase in Young’s modulus of elasticity and yield stress from 1,206.45 and 50.23 Mpa respectively of the cast aluminium can with 0 % eggshell particle to the maximum of 3,258.87and 73.2 MPa of aluminium can/12 % eggshell composites. The hardness values increased from 66.23 to 75.13 VN. There was a gradual increase in wear rate of the tested samples as the applied load increased. However, the wear resistance of the aluminium can/6 % eggshell and aluminium can/12 % eggshell composites increased significantly. Hence, recycling of aluminium cans and eggshells can be harnessed into development of useful engineering metal matrix composite materials.

In this paper a navigation method is presented for space exploration robots using hopping motion in environments with large elevation differences. A monocular camera system is used to reconstruct the flight trajectory and environment around the robot using Structure from Motion while traveling. The created environmental point cloud is projected to 2D to create a variable resolution image and image processing is used to find the most suitable position for the next landing based on normals with the help of gradient maps and error estimation. The method is evaluated in a simulation environment against the previously used protrusion based method to show that the proposed system can extend the operation of the robot to terrains with large elevation differences while still successfully avoid obstacles and dangerous areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe procedure was designed to extract pesticide residues from fruits and vegetables with a high percentage of water. It has not been used extensively for the extraction of phthalate esters from sediments, soils, and sludges. In this work, this procedure was combined with gas chromatography with mass spectrometry to determine 16 selected phthalate esters in soil. The extraction efficiency of the samples was improved by ultrasonic extraction and dissolution of the soil samples in ultra‐pure water, which promoted the dispersion of the samples. Furthermore, we have simplified the extraction step and reduced the risk of organic solvent contamination by minimizing the use of organic solvents. Different extraction solvents and clean‐up adsorbents were compared to optimize the procedure. Dichloromethane/n‐hexane (1:1, v/v) and n‐hexane/acetone (1:1, v/v) were selected as the extractants from the six extraction solvents tested. C18/primary secondary amine (1:1, m/m) was selected as the sorbent from the five clean‐up adsorbents tested. The recoveries from the spiked soils ranged from 70.00 to 117.90% with relative standard deviation values of 0.67–4.62%. The proposed approach was satisfactorily applied for the determination of phthalate esters in 12 contaminated soil samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a bioelectric cell-based biosensor for the monitoring of the pyrethroid pesticide cypermethrin, a voltage-gated sodium channel blocker, in tobacco samples. For this purpose, neuroblastoma cells were used as biorecognition elements. The potential interference by the tobacco major alkaloid nicotine on the detection of cypermethrin was also studied. In addition, fluorescence microscopy revealed a specific pattern of neuroblastoma cell calcium efflux (Ca2+) after treatment with nicotine or cypermethrin. Finally, actual field-derived tobacco extracts were used for assessing matrix effects on the biosensor’s performance. The biosensor could detect cypermethrin in concentrations up to 1.5 μg mL−1 without being influenced by the presence of nicotine and possibly other tobacco alkaloids. Though not selective for cypermethrin, the neuroblastoma-based biosensor system appears to be a promising alternative to laborious analysis methodologies for rapid, high throughput and cost-efficient screening of this pyrethroid in tobacco samples in the near future.

One of the main factors involved in entheseal changes (EC) aetiology may be related to the physiological limits of biomechanical loading fixed during bone development, such that higher load during childhood and the adolescent growth spurt leads to a lower frequency of EC during adulthood. In this sense, it is possible that ECs may be related to overloading beyond an individual's normal physiological limits as established during childhood and adolescence. This meta-analysis tested this aetiological possibility by studying the influence of terrain on the entheses of the lower extremities. The hypothesis is that individuals who inhabited rugged terrain have lower EC than those living in flat terrain. This is because biomechanical loads associated with rugged terrain will lead to a higher normal capacity (defined during skeletal development) mitigating the probability of overloading compared to those living in flat terrain who will therefore have a higher frequency of ECs. To test this, papers reporting EC frequencies in the lower limbs were analysed alongside the local terrain. Terrain was defined into two categories: flat or rugged based on altimetry profile, i.e. the average elevation gains and losses along four specific paths (North-South, East-West, Northwest-Southeast, Southwest-Northeast). Odds ratios were calculated to compare rugged and flat terrain. The overall results are consistent with the hypothesis that overloading is a factor in EC aetiology. However, when the analysis is conducted by sex and side, this general trend does not always occur. Limitations such as the lack of standardized age ranges could be affecting the outcome, i.e. older individuals have a higher frequency of ECs. The findings of this analysis suggest that the theoretical assumptions associated with the cause of ECs require further testing and evaluation. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A poly(lauryl methacrylate- co -methacrylic acid- co -ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) [LMA-MAA-EDMA] monolithic column was used to simultaneously determine amphenicol antibiotics (chloramphenicol/CAP, thiamphenicol/TAP, and florfenicol/FF) in milk and honey samples by capillary liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) method was optimized for sample pretreatment. Good linearity (0.1−15 ng g −1 ) and extraction recoveries (95.8−100.2% and 95.6−99.3% for milk and honey samples, respectively; n =3) with minor matrix effect (≦5% ion suppression) were obtained. Limits of detection were estimated at 0.02−0.045 ng g −1 . Good intra-day/inter-day precision (0.2−9.1%/0.3−8.7%) and accuracy (90.5−110.0%/93.4−109.3%) were achieved. With more than 200 analyses of real samples, no noticeable carry-over and deterioration of separation efficiency were observed using the monolithic column. The applicability of the developed QuEChERS-capillary LC-MS/MS method was demonstrated by determining the occurrence of CAP, TAP, and FF in various milk and honey samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple extraction technique has been developed for seven macrolide antibiotics in milk. The procedure involves a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe method based on acetonitrile extraction, followed by the addition of a mixture of salts (sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, and potassium carbonate) not yet reported in literature. The method was validated for tylosin and was selective, free of matrix effect, and linear in the range of 0.78-18.75 ng/mL in the final extract, corresponding to 0.125-3 times the maximum residue limit. The limit of detection, limit of quantification, decision limit, and detection capability were, respectively, 0.84, 2.79, 58.4, and 71.7 μg/kg. The overall average recovery at 25, 50, and 75 μg/kg ranged from 89-97%. Repeatability and intermediate precision expressed by relative standard deviations were below 10.5 and 12%, respectively. The extension of the validation for spiramycin, throleandomycin, oleandomycin, roxithromycin, erythromycin, and clarithromycin is under consideration since the procedure proved to be able to efficiently extract all studied macrolides, with recoveries from 74-104% at 50 μg/kg for tylosin, erythromycin, spiramycin, and oleandomycin and 20 μg/kg for throleandomycin, roxithromycin, and clarithromycin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminium based metal matrix composites have been produced from recycled aluminium cans and 150μm sized eggshell particles using a stir cast process. The mechanical properties of the control and aluminium can/eggshell composites produced have been investigated. The microstructures of the aluminium can/eggshell composites were examined with the aids of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) after the sample surfaces have been carefully prepared and etched with aqueous solution of 0.5 cm3 nitric acid. Micrographs revealed that there was a homogenous distribution of eggshell particles within the aluminium can matrix. An indication of effective stirring action during the melting process. The wear resistance was also investigated under different applied loads (6 to 14 N) on an abrasive surface emery paper of grade 220. The results revealed an increase in Young's modulus of elasticity and yield stress from 1,206.45 and 50.23 Mpa respectively of the cast aluminium can with 0 % eggshell particle to the maximum of 3,258.87 and 73.2 MPa of aluminium can/12 % eggshell composites. The hardness values increased from 66.23 to 75.13 VN. There was a gradual increase in wear rate of the tested samples as the applied load increased. However, the wear resistance of the aluminium can/6 % eggshell and aluminium can/12 % eggshell composites increased significantly. Hence, recycling of aluminium cans and eggshells can be harnessed into development of useful engineering metal matrix composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Single domain antibodies (sdAb) are recombinantly produced variable domains derived from the heavy-chain only antibodies found in camelids. Previously, we selected sdAb that were specific for both ricin and botulinum A (BoNT A) toxin complex from phage display libraries of sdAb and evaluated the solubly expressed protein. Here, phage-displayed sdAb were used as reporter reagents and compared to soluble, unfused sdAb. We found that using phage-displayed sdAb as reporter elements in immunoassay formats gave improved detection over using unfused, soluble sdAb reporters. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), the lowest level of toxin detected for both ricin and BoNT A toxoid complex was decreased by one to two orders of magnitude using phage-displayed sdAb as reporter reagents. Use of the phage preserved the ability to discriminate ricin and RCA120 by at least a factor of 10 fold. In an effort to reduce the number of steps in the assays, we directly labeled phage displaying sdAb with a Cy-3 fluorescent dye. Signal was greatly decreased using the dye-labeled phage compared to biotinylated phage followed by streptavidin–phycoerythrin. In these assays the use of phage-displayed sdAb gives more sensitive detection than soluble sdAb alone, however directly dye labeling the phage failed to provide responses of a similar magnitude. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A fast, simple and inexpensive method has been developed for the analysis of phenoxy acid herbicides: 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), 2-(4-chloro-o-tolyloxy)propionic acid (MCPP), 2-(4-aryloxyphenoxy)propionic acid (Fluazifop) and 2-(4-aryloxyphenoxy)propionic acid (Haloxyfop) in carrots and apples by liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The compounds were analyzed by QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe) methodology without cleanup. The recoveries were performed at two spiked levels (0.05 and 0.5 mg/kg) for both matrices with six replicates for each level. The mean recoveries ranged from 70-92% for both apples and carrots. The precision of the method expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD%) was found to be in the range 3-15%. For all compounds, good linearity (r2 > 0.99) was obtained over the range of concentration from 0.05 μ g/mL to 0.5 μ g/mL, corresponding to the pesticide concentrations of 0.05 mg/kg and 0.5 mg/kg, respectively. The determination limits (LOQs) ranged from 0.01 ng/mL to 1.3 ng/mL in solvent, whereas, the LOQs calculated in matrix ranged from 0.05 ng/g to 21.0 ng/g for apples and from 0.06 ng/g to 10.2 ng/g for carrots. The developed methodology combines the advantages of both QuEChERS and LC/MS/MS producing a very rapid, sensitive and cheap method useful for the routine analytical laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method based on a QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe) sample preparation method and gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection by selected ion monitoring (GC/MS-SIM) was developed for simultaneous determination of 77 pesticide residues in wine. An extraction of 10 ml of sample with acetonitrile followed by liquid-liquid partition formed by the addition of 4 g MgSO4 and 3 g NaCl was applied in the sample preparation. The clean-up was carried out by applying dispersive solid-phase with 150 mg MgSO4 as well as 50 mg primary secondary amine (PSA). One quantitation ion and at least two identification ions were selected in the analytical method for each pesticide compound by GC/MS. The recovery data were obtained by spiking blank samples at two concentration levels (0.05 and 0.2 mg l-1). The recoveries of all pesticides were in the range 70-110%, with intra-day precision of less than 15%, and the inter-day precision of less than 22% and 15% for 0.05 and 0.2 mg l-1 fortification levels, respectively. Linearity was between 0.02 and 2 mg l-1 with determination coefficients (R2) greater than 0.98 for all compounds. The limits of quantification (LOQs) for the 77 pesticides ranged from 0.003 to 0.05 mg l-1. This method was applied for routine analysis in market products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new method for the analysis of phenoxy acid herbicide residues in rice, based on the use of liquid extraction/partition and dispersive solid phase extraction (dispersive-SPE) followed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–ESI–MS/MS), is reported. 5% (v/v) formic acid in acetonitrile as the extraction solvent and inclusion of citrate buffer helped partitioning of all the analytes into the acetonitrile phase. The extract was then cleaned up by dispersive-SPE using C18 and alumina neutral as selective sorbents. Further optimization of sample preparation and determination allowed recoveries of between 45 and 104% for all 13 phenoxy acid herbicides with RSD values lower than 13.3% at 5.0μgkg−1 concentration level. Limit of detections (LODs) of 0.5μgkg−1 or below were attained for all 13 phenoxy acids. Quantitative analysis was done in the multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode using two combinations of selected precursor ion and product ion transition for each compound. This developed method produced relatively higher recoveries of the acid herbicides with a smaller range of variation and less susceptibility to matrix effects, than the original QuEChERS ( Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on the development of the Nanokhod microrover by the European Space Agency (ESA). It states that the objective of this development is to build and test the Nanokhod such that it can serve a broad range of mission applications in the future. It mentions that the rover will be able to bring scientific payloads to not only athmospheric planets like Mars, but also environmentally more extreme nonathmospheric celestial bodies like Mercury or the moon. Also, the Nanokhod rover us a payload-efficient system that can be used to send a maximum amount of scientific payload to a planetary surface with the minimum rover mass.

A rapid, high-throughput method employing ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed and optimized for simultaneous quantification and confirmation of 64 pesticide residues and their toxic metabolites in fruit extracts prepared by a buffered QuEChERS procedure. The total time required for UPLC-MS/MS analysis was 8 min plus 2 min for re-equilibration to the initial UPLC conditions. Performance characteristics were determined for apple extracts spiked at 10 µg kg-1. The repeatability of measurements expressed as relative standard deviations was in the range 1.5-13% at this level for most analytes. Thanks to very low limits of quantification (<10 µg kg-1for the majority of pesticides), an optimized method allows for the reliable control of not only common maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by European Union regulation for various pesticides/fruit combinations, but also of a uniform MRL of 10 µg kg-1endorsed for baby food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To deal with issues of evolution and coevolution of a Complex Adaptive System in its environment, the New Science has developed the model of adaptive walks on landscapes. This model has been used to suggest guidelines for organizational strategy in its changing environment. The approach is taken a step further to examine the issues facing an organization in four kinds of environments and, from that, to begin tentatively to draw the outlines of a strategy suited to each environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Billions of people appreciate the simplicity of touch technology, but for the industrial sector, including home white goods and consumer goods, rugged conditions have been a roadblock to integrating this technology. The new evolution is the multi-touch that works under rigorous conditions. Even though multi-touch screens are widely popular on today's consumer phones and tablets the design principles for industrial applications and demanding environments are different for those in the rather controlled consumer environment for mobile phones and tablets. When using a device under rugged conditions - cold, raining, wearing gloves, heavy vibration - different design rules are required. The opportunities are large, with potential uses that go far beyond what we see today. Great opportunity brings great challenges. We explore the requirements and the design rules for overcoming them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for simultaneous detection of fipronil (F) and its metabolites fipronil desulfinyl (FD), fipronil sulfide (FS), fipronil sulfone (FSO) in chicken eggs was applied and validated. It includes single-step, cheap, effective, rugged, safe-based method (SinChERS) for sample preparation and ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) for chemical analysis. Results suggested that formic acid enhanced the recovery of 4 target residues and 1% supplementation to acetonitrile gained higher recoveries than that of 5%. SinChERS integrated extraction and clean-up steps into one, with shorter time (1.5 h) to operate and higher recoveries (97%-100%) than HLB, Envi-Carb-NH 2 and quik-easy-cheap-effective-rugged-safe method (QuEChERS), and it consumed the smallest volume of extracting solvent (10 mL) as QuEChERS. Quantitative analyses using external standard method suggested the linear ranges of 4 target compounds were 1-20 μg/L with R 2 >0.9947. The limit of detection (S/N>3) and quantification (S/N>10) were 0.3 μg/kg and 1 μg/kg. Recoveries ranged from 89.0% to 104.4%, and the relative standard deviations (n=6) at 1, 10, and 20 μg/kg were lower than 6.03%. Thirty batches of domestic eggs (500 g each) were detected by the established SinChERS-based UHPLC-MS/MS and no target residues were detected in all samples. The method developed in this study is a rapid, sensitive, accurate and economic way for multi-residue analysis of fipronil and its metabolites in eggs., Competing Interests: The authors declare no potential conflict of interest., (© Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources.)

This study presents a bioelectric cell-based biosensor for the monitoring of the pyrethroid pesticide cypermethrin, a voltage-gated sodium channel blocker, in tobacco samples. For this purpose, neuroblastoma cells were used as biorecognition elements. The potential interference by the tobacco major alkaloid nicotine on the detection of cypermethrin was also studied. In addition, fluorescence microscopy revealed a specific pattern of neuroblastoma cell calcium efflux (Ca2+) after treatment with nicotine or cypermethrin. Finally, actual field-derived tobacco extracts were used for assessing matrix effects on the biosensor's performance. The biosensor could detect cypermethrin in concentrations up to 1.5 μg mL−1 without being influenced by the presence of nicotine and possibly other tobacco alkaloids. Though not selective for cypermethrin, the neuroblastoma-based biosensor system appears to be a promising alternative to laborious analysis methodologies for rapid, high throughput and cost-efficient screening of this pyrethroid in tobacco samples in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]