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Supplementary Video 2 from Endocytosis of PEGylated Agents Enhances Cancer Imaging and Anticancer Efficacy

Supplementary Video 1 from Endocytosis of PEGylated Agents Enhances Cancer Imaging and Anticancer Efficacy

Supplementary Data from Endocytosis of PEGylated Agents Enhances Cancer Imaging and Anticancer Efficacy

Despite the fact that carbamates and organophosphates cause acute poisoning via different mechanisms and require disparate management, they are indistinguishable by current clinical assays. Herein, direct immersion solid-phase microextraction (DI-SPME) plus thermal desorption-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (TD-ESI/MS/MS) was developed to discern them. Both pesticides spiked in human serum were extracted by SPME and analyzed by TD-ESI/MS/MS. This is a promising emergency care platform as rapid analyses could be done in tiny sample volumes with satisfactory recovery (89.46%-116.32%), precision (covariance20%), sensitivity (LOD0.1 μg/mL), turnaround time (5 minutes), and linearity (R

Flame-induced atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (FAPCI) has been used to directly characterize chemical compounds on a glass rod and drug tablet surfaces. In this study, FAPCI was further applied to interface thin layer chromatography (TLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) for mixture analysis.A micro-sized oxyacetylene flame was generated using a small concentric tube system. Hot gas flow and primary reactive species from the micro-flame were directed toward a developed TLC gel plate to thermally desorb and ionize analytes on the gel surface. The resulting analyte ions subsequently entered the MS inlet for detection.A 1-1.5-mm-wide light-brown line was observed on the TLC plate after the desorption FAPCI/MS (DFAPCI/MS) analysis, revealing that the gel surface withstood a high temperature from the impact of the micro-flame. Volatile and semi-volatile chemical compounds, including amine and amide standards, drugs, and aromatherapy oils, were successfully desorbed, ionized, and detected using this TLC/DFAPCI/MS. The limit of detection of TLC-DFAPCI/MS was determined to be 5 ng/spot for dibenzylamine and ethenzamide.TLC/DFAPCI/MS is one of the simplest TLC-MS interfaces showing the advantages such as low costs and an easy set up. The technique is useful for characterizing thermally stable volatile and semi-volatile compounds in a mixture.

Thermogravimetry (TG) combined with electrospray and atmospheric chemical ionization (ESI+APCI) mass spectrometry (MS) was developed to rapidly characterize thermal decomposition products of synthetic polymers and plastic products. The ESI-based TG-MS method is useful for characterizing thermally labile, nonvolatile, and polar compounds over an extensive mass range; and the APCI-based TG-MS counterpart is useful for characterizing volatile and nonpolar compounds. Both polar and nonpolar compounds can be simultaneously detected by ESI+APCI-based TG-MS.Analytes with different volatility were produced from TG operated at different temperatures, which were delivered through a heated stainless-steel tube to the ESI+APCI source where they reacted with the primary charged species generated from electrospray and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (ESI+APCI) of solvent and nitrogen. The analyte ions were then detected by an ion trap mass spectrometer.A semi-volatile PEG 600 standard was used as the sample and protonated and sodiated molecular ions together with adduct ions including [(PEG)n + 15]The information obtained from the TG-ESI+APCI-MS analysis is useful in rapidly distinguishing different types of polymers and their products. In addition, the signals of the additives in the polymer products, including antioxidants and plasticizers, were also detected before the TG temperature reached T

Nicotine is the most prominent psychoactive/addictive chemical substance consumed worldwide among young players in team sports. Moreover, urinary nicotine discharge and nicotine-based products disposal in environmental waters has been unavoidable in recent years. Therefore, sensitive monitoring of nicotine content in environmental waters and human urine samples is essential. In this study, we developed a miniaturized novel green, low-cost, sensitive, in-syringe-based semi-automated fast drug extraction (FaDEx) protocol coupled with gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) for the efficient environmental and bio-monitoring of nicotine in aqueous samples. The FaDEx method consists of two steps; firstly, the target analyte was extracted using dimethyl carbonate (a green solvent) and extraction salts. After that, the extraction solvent was passed automatically through the solid-phase extraction cartridge at a constant flow rate for the cleanup process to achieve the sensitive nicotine analysis by GC-FID. Under optimized experimental conditions, the developed method showed excellent linearity over the concentration ranges between 20-2000 ng mL

Phthalates can leach into indoor and outdoor airborne particulate matter and dust, which can then be ingested or absorbed and induce lung injury. Dermal phthalate levels can be used as a matrix for exposure direct absorption from air, particle deposition, and contact with contaminated products. However, the association between dermal phthalate levels in skin wipes and lung function tests remains unknown. A total of 397 participants were included. Spirometry measurements of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1, L) and forced vital capacity (FVC, L) were calculated. Dermal phthalate levels of diethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di(n-butyl) phthalate (DnBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisononyl phthalate (DiNP), and diisodecyl phthalate (DiDP) on forehead skin wipes were detected. The one-unit increases in logarithm (log) dermal DnBP (β = − 0.08; 95% CI − 0.16, − 0.003, p = 0.041), BBzP (β = − 0.09; 95% CI − 0.16, − 0.02, p = 0.009), DEHP (β = − 0.07; 95% CI − 0.14, − 0.003, p = 0.042), and DiNP (β = − 0.08; 95% CI − 0.15, − 0.02, p = 0.017) were significantly associated with decreases in FVC. For elderly participants, one-unit increases in log dermal DnBP (β = − 0.25; 95% CI − 0.46, − 0.04, p = 0.021), BBzP (β = − 0.17; 95% CI − 0.33, − 0.01, p = 0.042), and DiDP (β = − 0.19; 95% CI − 0.39

Objective: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by reduced social engagement, abnormal emotional expression, and a lack of motivation. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) are a novel proteomic technique. In this study, we intended to identify potential biomarkers for predicting clozapine treatment response using iTRAQ. Methods: We identified patients with schizophrenia that responded to a four-week treatment with clozapine. Patient's peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected before and after treatment. iTRAQ-based proteomics analysis was done to identify differentially expressed proteins in PBMC before and after treatment. STRING analysis map was built, and a target protein was selected. Western blot validation was then done. Results: In 10 identified clozapine treatment-responsive patients, we screened 2,735 proteins. Nine downregulated proteins and 11 upregulated proteins were differentially expressed by 1.5-fold after clozapine treatment. STRING network analysis revealed a series of apolipoproteins, and only apolipoprotein A4 (APOA-IV) was selected for validation. Western blot validations showed that protein levels of APOA-IV were significantly most downregulated in the patient after clozapine treatment (p = 0.05). Conclusion: In this study, we integrated clinical observation data, bioinformational protein interaction analysis, and iTRAQ labeling to study proteomics in patients with schizophrenia successfully treated with clozapine. We suggest that APOA-IV protein can be a biomarker for predicting clozapine treatment response in patients with schizophrenia. But these results in this study need a larger sample size to be validated.

A novel atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry based on wire desorption and electrospray ionization (WD-ESI) for direct analysis was developed to characterize chemical compounds with different polarities and thermal stabilities at atmospheric pressure. This technique is a variant of the thermal desorption electrospray ion source developed by Shiea et al. One large improvement is that the heating speed (>500 °C/s) of the thermal desorption in this work is extremely fast, using a self-heating metal wire, with which sample solution can splash from the surface to form small droplets and thus the analytes can be protected from thermal decomposition. With this feature, we have successfully achieved soft ionization of highly polar organic and biological compounds such as aflatoxin, small peptides, and even large proteins from complex matrices. The simple structure and self-cleaning capability of the WD-ESI source make it ideal for on-site screening in various applications such as food safety and biodrug testing, especially when coupled with a transportable mass spectrometer.

An ambient ionization tandem mass spectrometric approach was developed to rapidly screen multiresidue pesticides on fruits and vegetables without sample preparation and chromatographic separation. The residual pesticides on fruits and vegetables were collected by sweeping a metallic probe across the sample surface for 2 cm. The analytes collected on the probe were desorbed and ionized in a thermal desorption electrospray ionization (TD-ESI) source, after which analyte ions were detected by a triple quadruple mass analyzer (QqQ) operated in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. With this TD-ESI/MS/MS approach, 308 pesticides were monitored, where a mixture containing 15 pesticide standards was successfully identified to demonstrate the capability of this approach to screen trace multiresidue pesticides. The approach had reasonable detection limits (50 ppb) and reproducibility (RSD: 8.43%, n = 9) from the analysis of a benthiazole standard solution. Real samples including a tomato and bell pepper were analyzed using this TD-ESI/MS/MS approach. After TD-ESI/MS/MS analysis, the organic solvent extracts from the same samples were subjected to TD-ESI/MS/MS, gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis for validation.

In this work, we demonstrated a new, environmental-friendly and effective sample preparation strategy named 'in-syringe-assisted fast pesticides extraction (FaPEx)' technique coupled with LC-MS/MS for the rapid identification and monitoring of emerging pollutant fipronil and its metabolite fipronil sulfone in chicken egg and environmental soil samples. FaPEx strategy comprising of two simple steps. Firstly, the sample was placed in the syringe and extracted using low-volume acetonitrile with NaCl and anhydrous MgSO

In the emergency department, it is important to rapidly identify the toxic substances that have led to acute poisoning because different toxicants or toxins cause poisoning through different mechanisms, requiring disparate therapeutic strategies and precautions against contraindicating actions, and diverse directions of clinical course monitoring and prediction of prognosis. Ambient ionization mass spectrometry, a state-of-the-art technology, has been proved to be a fast, accurate, and user-friendly tool for rapidly identifying toxicants like residual pesticides on fruits and vegetables. In view of this, developing an analytical platform that explores the application of such a cutting-edge technology in a novel direction has been initiated a research program, namely, the rapid identification of toxic substances which might have caused acute poisoning in patients who visit the emergency department and requires an accurate diagnosis for correct clinical decision-making to bring about corresponding data-guided management. This review includes (i) a narrative account of the breakthrough in emergency toxicology brought about by the advent of ambient ionization mass spectrometry and (ii) a thorough discussion about the clinical implications and technical limitations of such a promising innovation for promoting toxicological tests from tier two-level to tier one level.

Ambient mass spectrometry thermal desorption-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (TD-ESI/MS) can rapidly identify chemicals without pretreatment of biological samples. This study used a rapid semi-quantitative TD-ESI/MS screening technique for the probe skin sampling of melamine workers occupationally exposed to different ambient melamine concentrations to create avatar-like body images, which were then used to study temporal and dynamic changes in nephrotoxic melamine exposure. We enrolled four voluntary melamine workers from one factory, each from one of four worksites. Melamine exposure was highest in manufacturing and molding, followed by grinding and polishing, packing, and administration, the lowest. Skin samples were collected Friday (end-of-shift) and Monday (pre-shift). Early morning one-spot urine samples were also collected right after skin sampling. 2198 probe skin samples were collected and subjected to semi-quantitative TD-ESI/MS analyses of melamine chemical within 40 h. After normalization, converted body image scores revealed exposure to be highest in the manufacturing worker on Friday and lowest in the administrative worker on Monday. The absolute differences (Friday minus Monday) of normalized body image scores were all significantly positive in each individual worker and across all four workers (permutation test, all p-values0.002). The slope estimates of the linear regression line between body image scores and urinary melamine levels were 0.81 (p-value = 0.008). We concluded that this fast and non-invasive technique can potentially be used to study temporal and dynamic changes in exposure to occupational hazards. A future study of developing an automatic and reproducible TD-ESI/MS sampling platform is needed.

Thermal desorption-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (TD-ESI/MS/MS) was used to characterize the residual pesticides that were collectedfromthe surface of a grapewithmetallic sampling probes. Fungicides, insecticides, and miticides were detected, where results were validated by simple solvent extraction followed by gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analyses. To explore the distribution of pesticide residues on grape surfaces, 149 locations of a grape surface were collected and followed by TD-ESI/MS/MS analysis. The molecular cartography was then generated from analysis of residual pesticides on the grape surface in 3D.

In order to provide timely emergency management for the patients accidently or intentionally ingested of household pesticides, it is crucial to develop a point-of-care analytical technique for early ex vivo identification of swallowed pesticides. In this study, probe sampling combined with electrospray laser desorption ionization/mass spectrometry (ELDI/MS) was performed to rapidly detect spiked non-volatile household pesticides in the gastric juice drained from the patients during lavage. Since no sample pretreatment is required, probe sampling is fast, and high thermal energy for analyte desorption is provided; ELDI/MS detects the household pesticides in gastric juice within 30 s. The detection limits of the household pesticides were found to be 0.05–1 mg/L, this makes ELDI/MS combined with probe sampling a novel and efficient analytical tool for providing important toxicological information to ensure an appropriate emergency medical response.

Foods and drinks have been adulterated with illicit drugs to facilitate criminal activities. Unfortunately, conventional analytical methods are incapable of rapidly characterizing these drugs in samples, as serious interferences from sample matrices must be removed through tedious and time-consuming pretreatment. Ambient ionization mass spectrometry (AMS) generally does not require sample pretreatment and is thus a suitable tool for directly and rapidly detecting illicit drugs in samples in different physical states. In this study, thermal desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (TD-ESI/MS), an AMS technique, was utilized to efficiently characterize illicit drugs spiked in samples including drinks, powders, and jelly candies. To perform sensitive analysis, the mass analyzer was operated in multiple reaction monitoring mode to monitor the molecular and fragment ions of the target analytes. The time required to complete a typical TD-ESI/MS analysis was less than 30 s. The limits of detection (LODs) for illicit drugs were found to be 100 ppb in drinks, 100–1000 ppb in instant powders, and 1.3–6.5 ng/mm2 on stamp surfaces. FM2 and nitrazepam laced in the inner layer of a jelly candy were detected by TD-ESI/MS, showcasing the advantage of the technique for direct and rapid analysis as opposed to conventional methods. Keywords: Thermal desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, Illicit drugs, Direct analysis

High-throughput screening of plastic products in children's living environment is necessary to identify phthalate-containing objects for the concern of public health and safety. A novel strategy of probe collecting technique combined with ambient mass spectrometry was developed to carry out the large-scale sample analysis. Analytes from the surface of approximately 500 objects each in two kindergartens in Taiwan were collected using the same number of the metallic probes. After being delivered to laboratory, the analytes on the probes were analyzed with thermal desorption-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (TD-ESI/MS). As sample pretreatment was unnecessary, the analysis of phthalates on a probe was completed within 30 s enabling high-throughput screening of a large number of objects. All procedure including sampling and TD-ESI/MS analysis together with report writing for a kindergarten was completed in one day. A reasonable relative standard deviation (15.6%) was obtained from replicate analyses of phthalate standards. Single-point calibration was used to perform semi-quantitative analysis, and results were validated by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). It was found that 20-40% of the objects in two kindergartens contained greater than low-level (2 ng) of phthalates and 40-60% of the objects in the kindergartens contained more than one kind of phthalate.

Characterizing the active ingredients and toxins in herbal products has important health implications in traditional Chinese medicine. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) is the most widely used technique for separating phytochemical compounds in plant extracts and has been coupled with mass spectrometry to provide sensitive and specific analysis. However, several analytical issues affect these methods, making them non-viable for long term and high-throughput analysis. We therefore developed a simple TLC/MS approach termed sawtooth thin layer chromatography-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (sawtooth TLC-ESI/MS) to directly scan and characterize herbal compounds on developed TLC plates that were modified into sawtooth pieces to facilitate rapid analysis. We directly induced electrospray ionization at each tip along the sawtooth edges to avoid detaching gel particles during analysis and to characterize both visualizable and non-visualizable analytes. Sawtooth TLC-ESI/MS was used to characterize the active ingredients and toxic compounds in Aconitum carmichaelii Debx and Panax ginseng root extracts. Sugar molecules and 16 alkaloids such as aconitine, mesaconitine, and hypaconitine were detected in the A. carmichaelii Debx extract, whereas 6 major ginsenosides were detected in the P. ginseng extract.

ObjectivesIsobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) is a proteomic investigation that could be utilized for rapid identification and quantification of proteins, which we would use to identify differentially expressed proteins in treatment responsive patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).MethodsSix treatment responsive patients of MDD were recruited, and their peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) were collected before and after 4 weeks of paroxetine treatment. iTRAQ and Mascot search engine were used to detect differentially expressed proteins, which were then validated by Western blot.ResultsTwo thousand one hundred and fifty three proteins were screened, and seven proteins showed differences of more than two-fold and 62 proteins with a differences of less than two-fold. Six proteins with commercially available antibodies were identified, and were validated by Western blot in 10 paroxetine responsive MDD patients. Putative hydroxypyruvate isomerase (HYI), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4H (eIF4H), and RNA binding motif 8A (RBM8A) had statistically significant differences before and after treatment in the validation. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD028947.ConclusionsBy using iTRAQ and Western blot, we were able to identify HYI, eIF4H, and RAM8a to be the potential predictors of paroxetine treatment response in patients with MDD. This finding could help establish future individualized medicine.

Background For emergency management, it is important to promptly identify the organophosphate ingested by self-poisoning patients since different organophosphates cause intoxication through different mechanisms and require different therapeutic strategies. This study aimed at the development of a point-of-care ambient mass spectrometric approach for rapid identification of organophosphate(s) in gastric juice for emergency management. Methods Six organophosphate insecticides that are commonly ingested by self-poisoning patients in Taiwan were examined. The sample solutions were prepared and diluted with human gastric juice. A direct metallic probe was dipped and removed immediately from the sample solution. The probe was then inserted into the thermal desorption-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (TD-ESI/MS) to detect the analyte on the probe. Results Since no pretreatment of the specimen was required, the sampling processes followed by thermal desorption-electrospray ionization and mass spectrometric analysis of the organophosphate in the gastric juice were completed within 30 s. The detection limit of the organophosphates is at the 10–100 parts per billion level. Good linearity was observed between the corresponding changes in mass spectrometric signal intensities and the changes of organophosphate concentrations within the range of 5–1000 parts per billion. The high efficiency of this ambient mass spectrometric platform was further confirmed when a real sample of the drained gastric lavage fluid of a patient who suffered from ingestion of chlorpyrifos was collected in the emergency room and tested with this cutting-edge technique. Conclusions The results suggested that TD-ESI/MS is promising in promptly providing toxicological information to assist succeeding medical management in an emergency room.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry is a sensitive analytical tool for characterizing various biomolecules in biofluids. In this study, MALDI-TOF was used to characterize potential plasma biomarkers for distinguishing patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) from patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. To avoid interference from albumin—the predominant protein in plasma—the plasma samples were pretreated using acid hydrolysis. The results obtained by MALDI-TOF were also validated by electrospray ionization-quadrupole time-of-flight (ESI-QTOF) mass spectrometry. The analytical results were further treated with principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The statistical analyses showed that MDD patients could be distinguished from schizophrenia patients and healthy controls by the lack of apolipoprotein C1 (Apo C1), which, in fact, was detected in healthy controls and schizophrenia patients. This protein is suggested to be a potential plasma biomarker for distinguishing MDD patients from healthy controls and schizophrenia patients. Since sample preparation for MALDI-TOF is very simple, high-throughput plasma apolipoprotein analysis for clinical purposes is feasible.

Conventional inorganic mass spectrometric (MS) analysis of metals can require time-consuming and tedious sample preparation. We thus report the novel and direct characterization of metals in solid samples using an organic MS technique known as electrospray laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (ELDI/MS). No sample pretreatment was needed, and results were rapidly obtained due to the ambient and laser-based nature of ELDI/MS. Metals from samples were desorbed and ionized by laser irradiation, after which they reacted with EDTA and then post-ionized and detected as metal-EDTA complexes. Aluminum, copper, iron, lead, nickel, and zinc from plates, foils, and coins were characterized in seconds. This study demonstrates that an ESI/MS system can be easily modified to analyze metal elements in solids by involving a chelating agent, indicating a potentially promising development in MS towards the analysis of metals using organic MS.

RATIONALE Aflatoxins are poisonous and cancer-related chemical compounds commonly found in crops and plants. Aflatoxin B1 is the most toxic compound among aflatoxins and has been classified as group 1 carcinogenic to humans, especially in liver cancer. Herein, an ambient mass spectrometric method was developed for rapid characterization of trace aflatoxin B1 in peanuts. METHODS Direct electrospray probe tandem mass spectrometry (DEP-MS/MS) was used to detect aflatoxin B1 in peanuts. To avoid the matrix effect, the aflatoxin B1 in the samples was extracted and concentrated by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction. The mass spectrometer was operated in the positive ion mode to monitor the intact molecular ion (m/z 313, MH+ ) and product ion (m/z 241) of aflatoxin B1 using multiple reaction monitoring. RESULTS Since no clean-up procedure of the sample was required, the sampling step and the subsequent mass spectrometric detection of the aflatoxin B1 was completed in less than 5 min. The limit of detection of aflatoxin B1 is at the sub-ppb level. The results obtained by DEP-MS/MS were also validated by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Recovery of aflatoxin B1 in the sample was evaluated by analyzing spiked aflatoxin B1 with LC/MS/MS to be 85% and DEP-MS/MS to be 84%. CONCLUSIONS DEP-MS/MS combined with a simple dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction procedure was successfully used for the quantitative analysis of AFB1 in nut samples. Due to its high efficiency, it is promising in providing important toxicological information for food safety in the real world. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Laser has been an important tool in mass spectrometry due to its multifunctional capability of desorption and ionization. However, the ionization efficiency by irradiating laser beams on a sample, as described using laser desorption (LD), laser ablation (LA) and laser-induced acoustic desorption (LIAD), is always low. The dominance of neutrals generated by laser-based techniques necessitated the integration of ion sources to enhance the yield of analyte ions. Therefore, laser was combined with atmospheric pressure ionization (API) techniques such as electrospray ionization (ESI), atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), and atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) to directly characterize chemical and biological compounds. These laser-based MS techniques are performed under ambient conditions and highlight the benefits of direct analysis such as the avoidance of sample preparation, rapid sample switching, high-throughput analysis, and high spatial resolution. As a result, these techniques have been utilized to characterize solid and liquid samples such as dried spots, biological fluids, questionable documents, counterfeit banknotes, plant and animal tissues, drug tablets, petroleum products, and thin-layer chromatography plates. Herein, we reviewed laser-based ambient mass spectrometric (AMS) techniques with regard to their fundamentals, ionization mechanisms, and recent applications.

RATIONALE The aim of the study was to use a technique that combines acid hydrolysis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) in order to detect the serum biomarkers of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia both before and after four-week antipsychotic treatment with risperidone. METHODS During this study's two-year period, inpatients were diagnosed with schizophrenia using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders. Severity was then evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale both at baseline and at endpoint following four-week treatment with risperidone. The patients' serum biomarkers were quickly measured using acid hydrolysis and MALDI-TOF MS. The resulting peptides were then analyzed using MALDI-TOF MS. We constructed a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the evaluated biomarkers. RESULTS We recruited 20 pairs of participants for this study. The experimental group was treated with serum protein with HCl for 10 minutes to effectively hydrolyze abundant proteins. The target peptide, the immunoglobulin gamma chain (IgG), was then rapidly detected using this manner. A significant difference was found in the IgG levels of patients with schizophrenia before and after antipsychotic treatment. We constructed a ROC curve based on the IgG, and the area under said curve was 0.969. In comparison to conventional detection protocols, this method takes only minutes to complete and is also less costly. CONCLUSIONS This study found that applying acid hydrolysis with MALDI-TOF MS technology could rapidly differentiate serum IgG levels in patients with schizophrenia before and after being treated with risperidone. This IgG difference may enhance the understanding of mechanism of antipsychotic treatment of schizophrenia. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors that can have adverse effects on human hormonal balance and development. Phthalates are semi-volatile chemical compounds, thus they can continuously leach from phthalate-containing objects and pollute the environments such as offices or laboratories, where workers in these spaces can inhale potentially harmful amounts of phthalates. Identifying and removing phthalate-contaminated objects from these indoor environments can effectively eliminate exposure to these environmental hormones. However, as of now, it is highly impractical to perform a large-scale screening of phthalate-containing objects using conventional analytical techniques which are usually time- and labor-intensive. In this study, thermal desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (TD-ESI/MS) combined with probe sampling was used to screen phthalates on all non-metallic objects in a mass spectrometry (MS) laboratory. Due to sample pre-treatment was unnecessary and there was no limitation of sampling on sample’s shape, size, and material, screening of phthalates on an object using this ambient mass spectrometric approach was completed within 30 s, which enable sufficient and high-throughput screening. Phthalate signals of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) were qualitatively detected on the surfaces of the filters of air conditioners and air purifiers and laboratory door, indicating there was a possibility of phthalates contamination in the studying area. Other screened objects in the laboratory included the ceiling, wall, floor, chairs, benches, pipes, mechanical vacuum pump tubes, and some personal belongings, all of which contained phthalates. Among them, floor and mechanical vacuum pump tubes contained high concentration of DEHP, DINP and DIDP, suggesting they were the main sources of phthalate contamination in the MS laboratory.

RATIONALE Dermal exposure to pesticides may cause severe intoxication and even result in a fatal outcome. To expedite rescue in the emergency department, it is mandatory to develop a point-of-care analytical method for immediate identification of pesticides on the skin of exposed personnel, and to perform immediate dermal decontamination to prevent further harm and optimize the chance for full clinical recovery. METHODS Four of the most commonly used highly toxic pesticides that contaminate the skin were rapidly characterized by thermal desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The technique was also applied to confirm the completeness of pesticide decontamination from the skin. Pesticide sampling, desorption, ionization, and detection altogether took less than 30 s. In addition, different fabrics of protective garments worn by farmers were assessed with this efficient ambient mass spectrometric technique for their protective capabilities against dermal exposure to pesticides, and scanning electron microscopy was used to observe their different microstructures. The decontaminating efficacies of different cleansing agents for these skin contaminants were also evaluated by this technical platform. RESULTS The repeatability of this method had a low relative standard deviation (