Quantification of Rhodium in a Series of Inorganic and Organometallic Compounds using Cobalt as Internal Standard

An analytical method for the quantification of rhodium using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and cobalt as internal standard was developed. Rhodium recovery was determined in different samples, which included a certified reference material (CRM), pure rhodium metal, inorganic RhCl3·3H2O salt as well as different organometallic compounds. Excellent rhodium recoveries of 100, 100, 99.0 and 99.7 % with relative standard deviations (RSD) of 1.0, 1.0, 0.3 and 0.4 % were obtained for the CRM, rhodium metal sample, RhCl3·3H2O and [Rh(cupf)(PPh3)(CO)(CH3)(I)], respectively. The accurate recovery of rhodium was, however, affected by the presence of easily ionized elements (EIE) and unmatched acid matrixes with a decrease in rhodium recovery of up to 16%.Validation parameters such as accuracy, precision, specificity, limit of detection (LOD) and robustness were all investigated to confirm the suitability of this newly developed analytical procedure for rhodium determination.KEY WORDS Rhodium, ICP-OES, cobalt internal standard, quantification

Deemed consent for organ donation in Northern Ireland.

Shortages of organs for transplantation have led many countries to introduce systems of deemed consent for organ donation, whereby donation is the default upon death and an individual must provide express opposition to donation to prevent it. Despite a lack of clear supporting evidence, it is often suggested that deemed consent will contribute significantly to addressing the organ shortage. Northern Ireland appears set to be one of the next countries to pursue this route, with the Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill currently making its way through the Northern Ireland Assembly. If passed, this Bill will see Northern Ireland follow in the footsteps of the rest of the UK. In this viewpoint, we provide an overview of Northern Ireland's progress towards introducing deemed consent and argue two related points. First, that public awareness of the policy (if introduced) is vital to both its defensibility and longevity, and that this must be recognised through the imposition of a ministerial duty to focus on such awareness. Second, that policymakers in Northern Ireland ought to support the policy to ensure consistency across the UK in organ procurement, thereby preventing Northern Ireland from disproportionately benefitting from the UK-wide organ allocation system

Dissolution and Quantification of Tantalum-Containing Compounds: Comparison with Niobium

Dissolution and quantification of different tantalum compounds was undertaken as part of the development of local processes for the beneficiation and separation of tantalum and niobium from different mineral ores. Dissolution of Ta metal powder, TAN-1 CRM, TaF5, TaCl5 and Ta2O5 was undertaken with different acid, alkaline fluxes as well as with microwave digestion while quantification was performed using ICP-OES analysis. The success of the different dissolution methods was evaluated on percentage recovery basis, the results discussed and finally compared with those obtained from the corresponding niobium compounds. Quantification results obtained from this study clearly indicated that the percentage recovery of tantalum depended on i) the type of tantalum source and ii) the dissolution process of the different tantalum compounds. Excellent recoveries were obtained with water soluble TaF5 and TaCl5 with 101(1) and 100(2)% respectively. Low tantalum recovery was obtained for Ta metal and Ta2O5 with microwave digestion in the presence of strong acids (4.1(8) and 9.7(8) %, respectively in the presence of H2SO4) and acidic fluxes (1.5(5) % with K2S2O7). Improved recoveries were obtained using basic fluxes for both the metal and the oxide. Fluxing the metal with KOH resulted in a 85(3) % Ta recovery while a maximum of 68(4) % Ta recovery was obtained for Ta2O5. Tantalum recoveries of between 75(10) and 90(6)% were obtained for TAN-1 CRM (Ta present as Ta2O5) and 95(6)% for Ta2O5 with Li2B4O7 as fluxing agent on the removal of the excess of boric acid prior to analysis. A stability study indicated constant recovery in a basic medium while a decrease of up to 10 % in tantalum recovery was obtained in an acidic environment. A comparison with the niobium results obtained in a previous study highlighted the different acid/base properties of the two oxides as well as a possible alternative dissolution/ separation step for the two elements from the mineral ore.Keywords: Dissolution, microwave, fluxes, tantalum, recover

Characterization and Oxidative Addition Reactions of Different Rhodium and Iridium Triazolato Complexes

A number of different rhodium(I) and iridium(I) triazolato complexes and their oxidative addition products (triazolate = 3,5-bis(pyridine-2-yl)-1,2,4 triazolate (bpt–) and 4-amino-3,5-bis(pyridine-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazolate (bpt-NH–)) were prepared and characterized by means of IR and 1HNMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and computational chemistry methods. The oxidative addition reactions of these complexes with iodomethane in different solvents indicated simple second-order kinetics with the faster reactions in the more polar solvents (1.44(7) × 10–2 L mol–1 s–1 in dichloromethane compared with 9.2(5) × 10–4 L mol–1 s–1 in benzene for iridium bpt-NH). 1HNMRdata and density functional theory calculations illustrate that the coordination of the metal centre in [M(bpt-NH)(cod)] (M = Rh or Ir) occurs via the amine moiety and a nitrogen of a pyridine ring.Keywords: Rhodium(I), Iridium(I), Triazole, Cyclooctadiene, Oxidative Addition, Methyl Iodide, DFTAttached PDF and Supplementary Fil

A practical approach to vitamin and mineral supplementation in food allergic children

The management of food allergy in children requires elimination of the offending allergens, which significantly contribute to micronutrient intake. Vitamin and mineral supplementation are commonly suggested as part of dietary management. However a targeted supplementation regime requires a complete nutritional assessment, which includes food diaries. Ideally these should be analysed using a computerised program, but are very time consuming. We therefore set out to evaluate current practice of vitamin and mineral supplementation in a cohort of children with non-Immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated food allergies

The effects of live transport on metabolism and stress responses of abalone (Haliotis iris)

The New Zealand abalone industry relies mostly on the export of processed products to distant Asian markets, notably China. Over the past five years, live export of high quality abalone from New Zealand has proven successful. However, transport of live animals is associated with multiple stressors that affect survival and meat quality at the end of the transport phase. Better understanding of transport-derived stress is needed to improve transport conditions and recovery at destination to ensure high product quality and safety throughout the supply chain. To this end, we applied an untargeted GC-MS-based metabolomics approach to examine the changes in metabolite profiles of abalone after a 2-day transport event and subsequent water re-immersion for 2 days. The results revealed alterations of many metabolites in the haemolymph and muscle of post-transported abalone. Decreased concentrations of many amino acids suggest high energy demands for metabolism and stress responses of transported abalone, while increases of other amino acids may indicate active osmoregulation and/or protein degradation due to oxidative stress and apoptosis. The accumulation of citric acid cycle intermediates and anaerobic end-products are suggestive of hypoxia stress and a shift from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism (resulting from aerial exposure). Interestingly, some features in the metabolite profile of reimmersed abalone resembled those of pre-transported individuals, suggesting progressive recovery after reimmersion in water. Evidence of recovery was observed in the reduction of some stress biomarkers (e.g., lactic acid, succinic acid) following reimmersion. This study revealed insights into the metabolic responses to transport stress in abalone and highlights the importance of reimmersion practices in the supply chain of live animal exports

Dietary elimination of children with food protein induced gastrointestinal allergy – micronutrient adequacy with and without a hypoallergenic formula?

Background: The cornerstone for management of Food protein-induced gastrointestinal allergy (FPGIA) is dietary exclusion; however the micronutrient intake of this population has been poorly studied. We set out to determine the dietary intake of children on an elimination diet for this food allergy and hypothesised that the type of elimination diet and the presence of a hypoallergenic formula (HF) significantly impacts on micronutrient intake. Method: A prospective observational study was conducted on children diagnosed with FPIGA on an exclusion diet who completed a 3 day semi-quantitative food diary 4 weeks after commencing the diet. Nutritional intake where HF was used was compared to those without HF, with or without a vitamin and mineral supplement (VMS). Results: One-hundred-and-five food diaries were included in the data analysis: 70 boys (66.7%) with median age of 21.8 months [IQR: 10 - 67.7]. Fifty-three children (50.5%) consumed a HF and the volume of consumption was correlated to micronutrient intake. Significantly (p <0.05) more children reached their micronutrient requirements if a HF was consumed. In those without a HF, some continued not to achieve requirements in particular for vitamin D and zinc, in spite of VMS. Conclusion: This study points towards the important micronutrient contribution of a HF in children with FPIGA. Children, who are not on a HF and without a VMS, are at increased risk of low intakes in particular vitamin D and zinc. Further studies need to be performed, to assess whether dietary intake translates into actual biological deficiencies

Non-opaque soft tissue foreign body: sonographic findings

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Soft tissue foreign bodies are a common cause of orthopedic consultation in emergency departments. It is difficult to confirm their existence because conventional radiology only detects radio-opaque foreign bodies. Sonography can be a useful diagnostic method. The aim of this study is to evaluate diagnostic accuracy of sonography in detection and localization of non-opaque foreign bodies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We evaluated 47 patients with suspected foreign body retention in soft tissues by 10 MHz linear array transducer. A single radiologist performed all examinations with 6 years' experience in musculoskeletal Sonography. We detected and localized the presence of the foreign body in the soft tissue as guidance for facilitating the surgery.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We detected soft tissue foreign body in 45 cases as hyperechoic foci. Posterior acoustic shadowing was seen in 36 cases and halo sign was seen in 5 cases due to abscess or granulation tissue formation. Surgery was performed in 39 patients and 44 foreign bodies were removed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Sonography is a useful modality in detection and localization of radiolucent foreign bodies in soft tissue which can avoid misdiagnosis during primary emergency evaluation.</p

Unique reporter-based sensor platforms to monitor signalling in cells

Introduction: In recent years much progress has been made in the development of tools for systems biology to study the levels of mRNA and protein, and their interactions within cells. However, few multiplexed methodologies are available to study cell signalling directly at the transcription factor level. &lt;p/&gt;Methods: Here we describe a sensitive, plasmid-based RNA reporter methodology to study transcription factor activation in mammalian cells, and apply this technology to profiling 60 transcription factors in parallel. The methodology uses two robust and easily accessible detection platforms; quantitative real-time PCR for quantitative analysis and DNA microarrays for parallel, higher throughput analysis. &lt;p/&gt;Findings: We test the specificity of the detection platforms with ten inducers and independently validate the transcription factor activation. &lt;p/&gt;Conclusions: We report a methodology for the multiplexed study of transcription factor activation in mammalian cells that is direct and not theoretically limited by the number of available reporters