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A new quartz crystal impedance sensing technique for the assay of hyaluronidase (HAse) activity is presented. It is based on the changes in viscosity and density during the enzymatic hydrolysis of hyaluronic acid (HA) by HAse. The variations of equivalent circuit parameters of piezoelectric quartz crystal (PQC) during the enzymatic degradation are discussed. The motional resistance shift curves indicate that the viscosity of the test solutions decreases during the hydrolysis process. The initial hydrolysis rates of HA are obtained from changes in viscosity and density as a function of incubation time. Kinetic parameters (the Michaelis constant K(m) and the maximum hydrolysis rate V(max)) of the degradation reaction are estimated by using a linear Lineweaver-Burk plot in this work. The K(m) was 0.44+/-0.03 mg.ml(-1) and the V(max) was -(5.29+/-0.36)x10(-3) kg.m(-2).s(-1/2).min(-1).

A novel method for monitoring of mutagenic process of dimethyl sulfate to Salmonella typhimurium strain (TA100) was proposed by using piezoelectric quartz crystal impedance (PQCI) analysis technique. The time courses of responses piezoelectric impedance parameters for a quartz crystal in a culture system were simultaneously obtained and discussed. It was found that the motional resistance variation (DeltaR(m)) increases and frequency shift (Deltaf) of PQC sensor decreases correspondingly during the mutagenic process of the bacteria. These parameters could reflect the variations of viscosity and density of culture system. By fitting DeltaR(m) versus time curves toward Gompertz bacterial growth model, we obtained and discussed the bacterial growth parameters for both normal growth and mutagenic process. The experiments showed that the proposed method could provide real time and multidimensional impedance information to the monitoring of mutagenic process.

The coabsorption system in which both species Red and Ox absorb at the same wavelength was investigated by the long path length spectroelectrochemical technique. The variation of the system absorbance at the isosbestic point with time, which is strongly dependent upon the diffusion coefficients and their difference, was calculated by employing the method of digital simulation under semi-infinite condition. Simulated results indicated that each A(t)-t curve corresponded to definite values of D(R) and D(O) on the condition that D(R) is not equal to D(O). The species diffusion coefficients were evaluated by comparing the spectroelectrochemical experimental result at the isosbestic point with the simulated result, and experimentally verified by the study of electrooxidation of hydroquinone.

A new bulk acoustic wave (BAW) cellulase sensing technique, which is based on the enzymatic hydrolysis process of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) by cellulase, was established. The frequency shift curves of BAW sensor indicated that the viscosity of the tested solutions decreased during the hydrolysis process. The hydrolysis rate of CMC by cellulase was calculated from the frequency shift curves. The hydrolysis rate of CMC under different pH conditions at 30 degrees C showed that cellulase had high hydrolysis ability approximately at pH 5.0. Kinetic parameters (the Michaelis constant K(m) and the maximum rate V(max)) of the process were estimated by using a linear method of Lineweaver-Burk plot. K(m) is 1.95+/-0.25 mg ml(-1) and V(max) is -(4.25+/-0.58) x 10(-3) g(1/2) cm(-3/2) cP(1/2) min(-1). Also the activation energy (E(a)) of the enzymatic hydrolysis, with a value of 51.99+/-1.26 kJ mol(-1), was estimated in this work.

A selective, sensitive and simple ion-selective piezoelectric (ISP) sensor was developed for the direct determination of isoniazid (INH) in body fluids. Based on sensitive mass response of piezoelectric quartz crystal and selective adsorption/desorption across the modified film, the ISP sensor was fabricated by coating a PVC film containing activant on one electrode of a thickness-shear mode piezoelectric quartz crystal. The observed frequencies of ISP sensor were found to decrease with the increase of the INH concentration in a 0.1 M NaNO(3) solution. In this paper, three activants, INH-phosphotungstate (I), INH-silicotungstate (II), and INH-[BiI(4)](-) (III), were synthesized and investigated. Calibration graphs were linear from 6x10(-8) to 2x10(-3) M for I, 2x10(-7) to 2x10(-3) M for II and 2x10(-7) to 2x10(-3) M for III, with detection limits 6x10(-8) M for I, 2x10(-7) M for II and 2x10(-7) M for III, in a 0.1 M NaNO(3) solution at pH 7.0 and 37 degrees C. Recoveries were from 98% to 102% with R.S.D. up to 2%. Results for real samples obtained by the proposed method agreed well with those obtained by the conventional pharmacopeia method.

A piezoelectric response model on the population growth of microorganism is proposed. This model is based on a novel population growth model, which has a more obvious ecological meaning and the fact that the series piezoelectric quartz crystal (SPQC) sensor responses to conductivity changes of the medium during the growth of the microorganism. From the response model four parameters can be obtained including the maximum specific growth rate mu(m), saturated population size N(m), and two constants C and K(1). The influence of the parameters on the response curve is discussed in which the influences of mu(m) and N(m) are more obvious. With the proposed model the quantitative determination of bacteria may be more accurate than the frequency detection time (FDT) method. Then the growth of Escherichia coliform (E. coli) monitored with a SPQC sensor is compared with the simulated growth curve obtained by the proposed model and a good agreement is obtained.

A new sensing method (BAW-TAL technique), which combined the bulk acoustic wave (BAW) technique with the gelation reaction of Tachypleus amebocyte lysate (TAL), was used for viscosity and density measurement and applied to the detection of Escherichia coliform (E. coli). This method depended on the fact that the viscosity and density of the mixture increased, and as a result, the resonance frequency decreased correspondingly after TAL was mixed with the heated E. coli solution that contained endotoxin. Results showed that the frequency shift was linearly related to the logarithm of E. coli concentration in the range of 2.7x10(4)-2.7x10(8) cells/ml. The correlation coefficient was 0.996. This BAW-TAL method was compared with the standard pour plate counts (PPC) method. The proposed method was much more rapid and simpler for detection of E. coli than the traditional methods.

By using ion chromatography with series bulk acoustic wave detection, a method for the determination of nickel at microgram per liter levels in urine has been developed. The highly sensitive response of series bulk acoustic wave (SBAW) detection has been combined with the selectivity of ion chromatography and hence sensitivity and precision have been improved. The detection and determination limits of the method for nickel are 0.4 and 2.0 ng ml(-1), respectively. For the IC analysis, the analytical column is a Shim-pack IC C1 column and the mobile phase is 4.5 mM tartaric acid solution. The method allows the determination of nickel in the presence of some ions commonly co-occurring with it. Urine samples from individuals with no occupational exposure to nickel were analyseded successfully.

A new method using a surface acoustic wave (SAW)/conductance sensor has been described in this paper for rapid determination of ribonuclease (RNase) and microanalysis of heparin. The assay of RNase is based on the change in conductance of the solution caused by enzymatic reaction between ribonucleic acid (RNA) and RNase and the analysis of heparin is based on its inhibitory action on RNase. A linear relationship between frequency response and enzyme concentration is obtained and the detection limit of RNase is evaluated to be 0.17 mug ml(-1). The recovery of the sensor system ranges from 95.8 to 105.0%. The inhibition of heparin is a competitive one and the possible inhibition mechanism is discussed. The kinetic parameters and inhibition parameters are estimated. The calibration graph is rectilinear for

A thickness shear mode bulk acoustic wave sensor coated with a thin liquid culture medium film was developed and applied to determine the concentration of Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis). Experiments demonstrated that there was a good linear relationship between the turning point time and the logarithm of the P. mirabilis concentration in the range 2.0 x 10(2)-2.0 x 10(6) cells ml(-1). The detection was fast and accurate because of the sharp turning point of the response due to the thin culture film on the sensor surface. Other problems concerning the experiments are discussed in detail.

Based on the transmittance-averaged rather than absorbance-averaged model of long optical pathlength transmission spectroelectrochemistry, a reasonable theoretical model for potential-step electrodeposition and stripping process has been developed. It can accurately predict the stripping-chronoabsorptometric waveform with a peak absorbance with respect to the time rather than that with no peak but only a theoretical maximum absorbance at the initial stage of the stripping process. Cu(II) in NH(3) . H(2)ONH(4)Cl supporting electrolyte is utilized to verify the theory. With this anodic stripping spectroelectrochemical method, a detection limit of ca 0.01mM without stirring or ca 0.002mM under stirring during deposition can be achieved. An application in the analysis of copper in practical samples is presented.

A highly sensitive and selective procedure for spectrophotometric determination of zinc has been developed. At pH 10.6, in the presence of emulsifier p-octylpolyethyleneglycol phenylether (OP), zinc forms an orange-red complex with o-hydroxybenzenediazoaminoazobenzene (HDAA) which has an absorption maximum at 525 nm. The molar absorptivity is 1.50 x 10(5) 1.mole(-1).cm(-1). Beer's law is obeyed for zinc in the range 0-13 mug/25 ml. The method has been applied to the spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of zinc in aluminium alloy and in human hair. The proposed method is simple, rapid and accurate. No heating or separation is required.