A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac

Ultrafiltration of protein mixtures: Measurement of apparent critical flux, rejection performance, and identification of protein deposition

Crossflow ultrafiltration of binary protein solutions was carried out using flux-stepping and constant flux experiments to identify the apparent critical flux where fouling is rapid. The contributions of individual protein species to the apparent critical flux were evaluated as well as the separation performance. For mixtures of gōglobulin/lysozyme and BSA/lysozyme the larger retained protein tended to control the critical flux behaviour while the observed rejection of the smaller transmitted protein went through a minimum close to the apparent critical flux. Identification of the respective protein species deposited onto membrane surfaces was carried out using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Mass Spectroscopy (MALDI-MS). Mass spectra showed that the transmitted proteins resulted in a higher incidence of peaks relative to the retained proteins. This was thought to be the result of desorption of proteins from the membrane surface, from inside pores and from the membrane substrate. It was shown that the MALDI-MS technique is a powerful tool for distinguishing between different proteins in fouling deposits and has potential for quantitative measurement of protein fouling on membrane surfaces

ANZSMS24 Conference Program

With the aim of reducing the incidence of fetal neural tube defects through increased maternal folate intake, legislation requires bread-makingflour to be fortified with 200-300 μg of folic acid (FA) per 100 g.We present a rapid and facile quantitative sample prep and analysis protocol for FA determination based on phenol-selective RP SPE andhigh throughput stable isotope dilution UPLC-MS/MS.Measured FA in Australian fortified breads was 79-110 μg/100 g fresh bread - lower than expected from mandated flour fortification levels. Tofurther investigate, the analytical method was adapted and validated for flour-based sample matrices. Bread flour premixes and fortified whiteflour samples had FA levels of 77-165 and 62-212 μg/100 g respectively. These data present a picture of significant under-fortification in theAustralian bread-making industry. Regulation of actual fortification levels is needed. The analytical method developed here provides anappropriate tool for use in compliance monitoring

Analysis of sex steroids in human tears using LC-MS and GC-MS: Considerations and developments to improve method sensitivity and accuracy

Sex steroids play a role in regulation of tear film function and may exert their action locally at the ocular surface. However, measurement of sex steroids in tears is difficult due to small-volume tear samples and very low concentrations of the hormones. This short communication highlights what has been achieved to date in the analysis of tear sex steroids using ultra-performance LC-MS (UPLC-MS) as previously published, and reports further and more recent investigations toward optimising mass spectrometry method sensitivity and accuracy. The published UPLC-MS method successfully measured progesterone, androsterone glucuronide and 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol in pooled basal tears of postmenopausal women, and fourteen sex steroid standards in methanol. Limitations included sub-optimal limits of detection (LOD) and lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) for some analytes (particularly oestrogens), exclusion of sample matrix effects and no use of internal standards. This update reports on further experiments carried out to improve sensitivity and accuracy. Sample matrix effects, internal standard spiking, and derivatisation with dansyl chloride and oximes were investigated. Dansylation significantly improved the LOD and LLOQ of oestrogens and their metabolites, by a factor of 10 for oestradiol and a factor of 5 for oestrone, but sensitivity of this updated method is not sufficient however for analysis of these oestrogens in human tears. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) as an alternative technique to LC-MS, improved sensitivity for derivatised oestradiol is reported. This work demonstrates the need to develop higher sensitivity methods and points researchers towards specific MS ionisation techniques for future analysis of sex steroids in tears, in order to progress current understanding of the role of sex steroids in tear function and dry eye. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Induction of settlement of larvae of the sea urchin Holopneustes purpurascens by histamine from a host alga

Larvae of the Australian sea urchin Holopneustes purpurascens are induced to settle and metamorphose (termed settlement herein) by a water-soluble compound produced by the red alga Delisea pulchra, the main host plant of new recruits. The settlement cue for H. purpurascens had previously been identified as a floridoside-isethionic acid complex, and this paper presents new evidence correcting that finding. The actual settlement cue produced by D. pulchra was isolated from the polar extract by cation-exchange chromatography and identified as histamine, using one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. The chemical identity of the cue was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Synthetic histamine and histamine at 4.5 microM isolated from D. pulchra both induced rapid settlement in 80%-100% of the larvae of H. purpurascens. Lower concentrations of histamine (0.9-2.3 micro M) induced larval settlement, but this response varied from 0%-90%. The histamine content of two host plants of H. purpurascens--D. pulchra and Ecklonia radiata--and of four other common species was quantified using GC-MS. D. pulchra had the highest histamine content, which is consistent with H. purpurascens recruiting to this species. Histamine was also detected in the seawater surrounding these host algae. This is the first time that a settlement cue has been quantified in the habitat of a marine organism.12 page(s

Coffee brewing sonoreactor for reducing the time of cold brew from several hours to minutes while maintaining sensory attributes

This research designed and developed an ultrasonic reactor for a fast and on demand production of cold brew coffee, remarkably reducing the brewing time from 24 h to less than 3 min. The technology was engineered by utilizing resonance to induce ultrasonic waves around the walls of the brewing basket of an espresso machine. The sound transmission system comprised a transducer, a horn and a brewing basket. This arrangement transformed the coffee basket into an effective sonoreactor that injected sound waves at multiple points through its walls, thereby generating multiple regions for acoustic cavitation within the reactor. Furthermore, acoustic streaming induced greater mixing and enhanced mass transfer during brewing. The design was accomplished by modeling the transmission of sound, and acoustic cavitation. Brew characterization and chemical composition analysis was performed, considering factors such as pH, acidity, color, and the composition of caffeine, fatty acids, and volatiles. The efficiency of the extraction increased by decreasing the basket loading percentage (BLP). For instance, sonicating at 100 W doubled the extraction yield and caffeine concentration, from 15.05 % to 33.44 % at BLP = 33 %, and from 0.91 mg/mL to 1.84 mg/mL at BLP = 67 %, respectively. The total fatty acids increased from 1.16 mg/mL to 9.20 mg/mL, representing an eightfold increase, at BLP = 33 %. Finally, a sensory analysis was conducted to evaluate appearance, aroma, texture, flavor, and aftertaste, which demonstrated that coffee brewed for 1 and 3 min in the sonoreactor exhibited almost undistinguishable properties compared to a standard 24 h brewing without ultrasound