Development of an atmospheric pressure plasma-based OES device for in-situ mapping of Cd and related elements in plants.

We have developed an innovative optical emission spectrometry imaging device integrating a diode laser for sample introduction and an atmospheric pressure plasma based on dielectric barrier discharge for atomization and excitation. By optimizing the device parameters and ensuring appropriate leaf moisture, we achieved effective imaging with a lateral resolution as low as 50 µm. This device allows for tracking the accumulation of Cd and related species such as K, Zn, and O2+∙, in plant leaves exposed to different Cd levels and culture times. The results obtained are comparable to established in-lab imaging and quantitative methods. With its features of compact construction, minimal sample preparation, ease of operation, and low limit of detection (0.04 µg/g for Cd), this novel methodology shows promise as an in-situ elemental imaging tool for interdisciplinary applications.

Sarcomatoid renal pelvis carcinoma: Experience of treatment at a single-institution.

OBJECTIVES: Sarcomatoid renal pelvis carcinoma (SRPC) is a rare variant of RPC. We aimed to summarize the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of SRPC. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we collected data from 24 patients with SRPC who were treated at the Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University between 2008 and 2021. The clinicopathological features of the patients were obtained from their medical records to evaluate the diagnosis, prognostic factors, and response to systemic therapy. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical staining revealed that cytokeratin was expressed in 19 patients with SRPC, while vimentin was expressed in all patients. Computer tomography showed these tumors as low-density (n = 12) or mixed-density masses, with or without necrotic areas (n = 12). All patients showed different degrees of enhancement on computed tomography. Lymph node metastasis was present in 6 patients and distant metastasis in 5. The median survival of all patients was 28 months. Patients without metastasis had a median survival of 46 months compared with 18 months in those with metastasis (P < 0.05). Necrosis had no significant influence on prognosis (P > 0.05). The median survival of patients with and without hydronephrosis was 18 and 104 months (P < 0.05). Among patients without metastasis, those without hydronephrosis survived longer than those with hydronephrosis (104 vs 18 months, P < 0.05), and necrosis had no effect on prognosis. In patients with metastasis, necrosis and hydronephrosis had no effect on prognosis (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The prognosis of SRPC is poor, and the clinical stage, particularly the presence of distant metastasis, has a significant impact on prognosis.

Advances in atmospheric pressure plasma-based optical emission spectrometry for the analysis of heavy metals.

Over the past decade, miniaturized optical emission spectrometry (OES) systems utilizing atmospheric pressure plasmas (APPs) as radiation sources have exhibited impressive capabilities in trace heavy metal analysis. As the core of the analytical system, APPs sources possess unique properties such as compact size, light weight, low energy requirement, ease of fabrication, and relatively low manufacturing cost. This critical review focuses on recent progress of APP-based OES systems employed for the determination of heavy metals. Influences of technical details including the sample introduction manner, the sampling volume, the sample flow rate, the pH of the solutions on the plasma stability and the intensity of analytical signals are comprehensively discussed. Furthermore, the review emphasizes the analytical challenges faced by these techniques and highlights the opportunities for further development in the field of heavy metal detection.

Development of laser ablation dielectric barrier discharge optical emission spectrometry (LA-DBD-OES) for direct determination of sulphur and chloride in the condensed phase and its application in pharmaceutical analysis.

An infrared laser (808 nm) has been coupled with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) for optical emission spectrometric determination of S and Cl in organic compounds. The use of a continuous wave IR laser with an output power of 1-2 W allows volatilization of analytes from condensed surfaces. Analytes thermally delivered to the gas phase are excited and atomized by the DBD plasma triggered by an alternating voltage of 10 kV at 25 kHz under atmospheric pressure. Direct analysis of S- and Cl-containing organics in manufactured tablets by measuring the S and Cl emissions resulted in a dynamic range of 0.5%-20% with linearities (R2) above 0.93 and limits of detection (LODs) in the µg g-1 range. The detection precision was examined by measuring inter-day and intra-day reproducibilities, leading to relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranging from 4.6% to 15.0%. The feasibility of LA-DBD-OES was further demonstrated with commercial pharmaceutical tablets of sulfadiazine (SDZ) and chloramphenicol (CAP). There is the potential for probing the tablet uniformity by monitoring the elemental emissions of S and Cl. Quantitative results of the commercial tablets were consistent with the indication amounts and were verified by HPLC measurements. All these results suggest the proposed methodology as a promising tool for online analysis of solids and pharmaceutical tablets with minimal sample treatments and rapid detection response.