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Intracranial pressure (ICP) is derived from cerebral blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulatory dynamics and can be affected in the course of many diseases of the central nervous system. Monitoring of ICP requires an invasive transducer, although some attempts have been made to measure it non-invasively. Because of its dynamic nature, instant CSF pressure measurement using the height of a fluid column via lumbar puncture may be misleading. An averaging over 30 minutes should be the minimum, with a period of overnight monitoring in conscious patients providing the optimal standard. Computer-aided recording with online waveform analysis of ICP is very helpful. Although there is no “Class I” evidence, ICP monitoring is useful, if not essential, in head injury, poor grade subarachnoid haemorrhage, stroke, intracerebral haematoma, meningitis, acute liver failure, hydrocephalus, benign intracranial hypertension, craniosynostosis etc. Information which can be derived from ICP and its waveforms includes cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), regulation of cerebral blood flow and volume, CSF absorption capacity, brain compensatory reserve, and content of vasogenic events. Some of these parameters allow prediction of prognosis of survival following head injury and optimisation of “CPP-guided therapy”. In hydrocephalus CSF dynamic tests aid diagnosis and subsequent monitoring of shunt function.

An improved method for accurate and precise determination of metal to calcium ratio in mass limited calcium carbonate samples has been developed. We used an Agilent®5800 ICP‐OES for major element (Na/Mg/Sr to Ca) and an Agilent®8900 ICP‐QQQ‐MS for minor and trace element (Li/B/Na/Mg/Al/Mn/Fe/Zn/Sr/Cd/Ba/U to Ca) ratio determination. We report a long‐term precision of ≤1% (1σ) by repeat analysis, spread over ≥6 analytical sessions, of multiple external standards that spanned a large range of concentration. We quasi‐quantitatively eliminated potential matrix effect from high [Ca] by concentration matching samples and standards (∆[Ca] ≤ ±5%) during both ICP‐OES and ICP‐QQQ‐MS sessions. The ICP‐OES analyses were done on 200 μl of sample at 60 ppm [Ca], consuming ∼30 μg of CaCO3 per analysis. Whereas trace element analyses by ICP‐QQQ‐MS required ∼150 μl of sample at 20 ppm [Ca], consuming ∼7.5 µg of CaCO3 per analysis. Thus, the present method allows for high precision determination of TE/Ca in <40 μg of CaCO3. We present a comprehensive approach for optimization of ICP‐OES sensitivity and stability to select elemental (Ca/Na/Mg/Sr) wavelengths with minimal interferences, high sensitivity and linearity. For choice of Ca lines, we focused on the minimization of self‐matrix effect. For the ICP‐MS method, we improved reproducibility and precision by lowering [Ca] of analyte and preconditioning of cones. Furthermore, the present method allows for precise B/Ca determination sans the use of HF matrix. In summary, we present an easily adoptable method based on readily available instrumentation for determining element‐to‐calcium ratios that is suitable for analyzing mass‐limited carbonate samples. Key Points We present a user‐friendly approach for determining trace element to calcium ratios using readily accessible and easy to use instrumentation This method requires an extremely small sample size, <40 μg of CaCO3, for determining trace elemental ratios with an excellent limit of detection Our method is characterized by better than 1% accuracy and precision during determination of TE/Ca using both ICP‐OES and ICP‐QQQ‐MS

Sixty years have passed since neurosurgeon Nils Lundberg presented his thesis about intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring, which represents a milestone for its clinical introduction. Monitoring of ICP has since become a clinical routine worldwide, and today represents a cornerstone in surveillance of patients with acute brain injury or disease, and a diagnostic of individuals with chronic neurological disease. There is, however, controversy regarding indications, clinical usefulness and the clinical role of the various ICP scores. In this paper, we critically review limitations and weaknesses with the current ICP measurement approaches for invasive, less invasive and non-invasive ICP monitoring. While risk related to the invasiveness of ICP monitoring is extensively covered in the literature, we highlight other limitations in current ICP measurement technologies, including limited ICP source signal quality control, shifts and drifts in zero pressure reference level, affecting mean ICP scores and mean ICP-derived indices. Control of the quality of the ICP source signal is particularly important for non-invasive and less invasive ICP measurements. We conclude that we need more focus on mitigation of the current limitations of today’s ICP modalities if we are to improve the clinical utility of ICP monitoring.

Cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO 2 NPs) are among the most broadly used engineered nanoparticles that will be increasingly released into the environment. Thus, understanding their uptake, transportation, and transformation in plants, especially food crops, is critical because it represents a potential pathway for human consumption. One of the primary challenges for the endeavor is the inadequacy of current analytical methodologies to characterize and quantify the nanomaterial in complex biological samples at environmentally relevant concentrations. Herein, a method was developed using single particle-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) technology to simultaneously detect the size and size distribution of particulate Ce, particle concentration, and dissolved cerium in the shoots of four plant species including cucumber, tomato, soybean, and pumpkin. An enzymatic digestion method with Macerozyme R-10 enzyme previously used for gold nanoparticle extraction from the tomato plant was adapted successfully for CeO 2 NP extraction from all four plant species. This study is the first to report and demonstrate the presence of dissolved cerium in plant seedling shoots exposed to CeO 2 NPs hydroponically. The extent of plant uptake and accumulation appears to be dependent on the plant species, requiring further systematic investigation of the mechanisms.

Thallium is released into the biosphere from both natural and anthropogenic sources. It is generally present in the environment at low levels; however, human activity has greatly increased its content. Atmospheric emission and deposition from industrial sources have resulted in increased concentrations of thallium in the vicinity of mineral smelters and coal-burning facilities. Increased levels of thallium are found in vegetables, fruit and farm animals. Thallium is toxic even at very low concentrations and tends to accumulate in the environment once it enters the food chain. Thallium and thallium-based compounds exhibit higher water solubility compared to other heavy metals. They are therefore also more mobile (e.g. in soil), generally more bioavailable and tend to bioaccumulate in living organisms. The main aim of this review was to summarize the recent data regarding the actual level of thallium content in environmental niches and to elucidate the most significant sources of thallium in the environment. The review also includes an overview of analytical methods, which are commonly applied for determination of thallium in fly ash originating from industrial combustion of coal, in surface and underground waters, in soils and sediments (including soil derived from different parent materials), in plant and animal tissues as well as in human organisms.

Dietary selenium (Se) deficiency is recognized as a global problem, and exogenous Se supplementation can effectively enrich its levels in animal bodies. Offal tissues are equally important as meat in Se enrichment. Varying properties among Se species require information beyond total Se concentration to fully evaluate health risk/benefits. In the present study, the reliable inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) and HPLC‐ICP‐MS methods were optimized to analyze total Se content and Se speciation in the muscle and kidney of sheep, kidney and liver of pig, and liver of chicken after different Se supplementation treatments. The total Se contents in the liver and kidney were higher than in muscle. Five Se species were detected in the muscle, and selenourea was additionally detected in the liver and kidney. Sheep muscle and chicken liver mainly contained selenomethionine, and other tissues mainly contained selenocysteine. As the levels of selenomethionine or selenium‐enriched yeast increased in the feed, the proportion of selenomethionine in the sample increased, as well as the proportion of selenocysteine decreased, and almost no inorganic selenium was detected in all tissues. This study has provided insights for analyzing the Se enrichment patterns in tissues, which is significant for understanding the Se metabolism, animal health, and enriching the dietary Se supplementation for humans. Dietary selenium (Se) deficiency is recognized as a global problem, and exogenous Se supplementation can effectively enrich its levels in animal bodies. Offal tissues are equally important as meat in Se enrichment. Varying properties among Se species require information beyond total Se concentration to fully evaluate health risk/benefits. The objectives of this study were to compare the Se deposition efficiency and the distribution of Se species and to map the distribution of Se species across tissues from pigs, sheep, and chickens. A reliable method was optimized to analyze the total Se content and Se speciation in sheep muscle, pig liver, pig kidney, sheep kidney, and chicken liver under different Se supplementation treatments. The total Se content in different animal tissues was detected by ICP‐MS to investigate the enrichment of different Se supplementations in different animal tissues. The analyses employed optimized and reliable HPLC‐ICP‐MS methods, along with specifically tailored pretreatment and enzymatic extraction methods for each type of tissues. This approach allowed for the separation and detection of six Se species within 10 min by HPLC‐ICP‐MS.

Element analysis in clinical or biological samples is important due to the essential role in clinical diagnostics, drug development, and drug-effect monitoring. Particularly, the specific forms of element binding, actual redox state, or their spatial distribution in tissue or in single cells are of interest in medical research. This review summarized exciting combinations of sophisticated sample delivery systems hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), enabling a broadening of information beyond the well-established outstanding detection capability. Deeper insights into pathological disease processes or intracellular distribution of active substances were provided, enabling a better understanding of biological processes and their dynamics. Examples were presented from spatial elemental mapping in tissue, cells, or spheroids, also considering elemental tagging. The use of natural or artificial tags for drug monitoring was shown. In the context of oxidative stress and ferroptosis iron, redox speciation gained importance. Quantification methods for Fe2+, Fe3+, and ferritin-bound iron were introduced. In Wilson’s disease, free and exchangeable copper play decisive roles; the respective paragraph provided information about hyphenated Cu speciation techniques, which provide their fast and reliable quantification. Finally, single cell ICP-MS provides highly valuable information on cell-to-cell variance, insights into uptake of metal-containing drugs, and their accumulation and release on the single-cell level.

A fundamental understanding of corrosion mechanisms is the key to developing suitable corrosion protection approaches, and for the prediction of service life of metallic structures. However, conventional corrosion testing methods such as mass loss and electrochemical testing do not guarantee estimation of \"true\" corrosion rate and often mask the underlying mechanisms, due to either low sensitivity or a lack of element‐resolved information. Relatively recent work in corrosion science has led to the development of a new class of corrosion testing approaches, namely atomic spectroelectrochemistry; whereby direct insight of dissolution and corrosion mechanisms can be obtained during electrochemical testing. Atomic spectroelectrochemistry provides real‐time and element resolved dissolution rate of material via coupling electrochemical flow cell with inductively coupled plasma – atomic spectroscopy. This concise review discusses the basic working principle of atomic spectroelectrochemistry and its recent applications in corrosion science to understand the true underlying corrosion mechanisms of a range of metallic materials.  

Ion Concentration Polarization In article 2401018, Serdal Kirmizialtin, Yong‐Ak Song combine an experimental approach and molecular dynamics simulation to investigate ion concentration polarization (ICP) near the hydrogel membrane inside a nanofluidic system. RNA trapping is optimized at intermediate ionic strength and high ion‐selective hydrogel membrane surface charge, driven by coupled electrostatic and hydrodynamic effects. The findings support the design of ICP‐enhanced biosensing platforms. Image credit: INMYWORK Studio.

Aim: This study systematically reviewed the application of ICP-MS and its combined technology in the determination of mineral and heavy metal elements in medicinal materials derived from plants, animals, minerals and their preparations (Chinese patent medicine), and biological products. It provides a reference for improving the quality standard of traditional medicine and exploring the effective components, toxic components, and action mechanism of traditional medicine. Materials and Methods: A total of 234 articles related to the determination of mineral and heavy metal elements in medicinal materials derived from plants, animals, and minerals and their preparations (Chinese patent medicine) were collected from PubMed, CNKI, Web of Science, VIP, and other databases. They were classified and sorted by the inductively coupled plasma-mass-spectrometry (ICP-MS) method. Results: Of the 234 articles, 154 were about medicinal materials derived from plants, 15 about medicinal materials derived from animals, 9 about medicinal materials derived from minerals, 46 about Chinese patent medicine, 10 about combined technology application, and 3 about drugs being tested after entering the body. From the 154 articles on medicinal materials derived from plants, 76 elements, including Cu, Cd, Pb, As, Cr, Mn, and Hg, were determined, of which the determination of Cu was the most, with 129 articles. Medicinal materials derived from the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits and seeds of plants accounted for 25.97%, 18.18%, 7.14%, 7.79%, and 14.94%, respectively. Moreover, medicinal materials derived from the whole plants accounted for 14.94%, and other medicinal materials derived from plants and soil accounted for 11.04%. A total of 137 of the tested medicinal materials were from traditional Chinese medicine, accounting for 88.96%, 12 were from Arabic medicine (including Unani), accounting for 7.79%, 2 were from Tibetan medicine of China, and 1 was from Mongolian medicine of China, 1 was from Miao medicine of China, and 1 was from Zhuang medicine of China. In the 15 articles on medicinal materials derived from animals, 49 elements such as Cu, As, Cd, Hg, Se, Pb, and Mn were determined, of which Cu was the most. All the tested medicinal materials belong to traditional Chinese medicine. From the nine articles on medicinal materials derived from minerals, 70 elements such as Fe, Cu, Zn, Al, As, Se, and Na were determined, of which Fe, Cu, and Zn were the most. The tested medicinal materials all belong to traditional Chinese medicine. From the 46 articles on Chinese patent medicine, 62 elements such as Cu, As, Pb, Cd, Hg, Ni, and Cr were determined, of which Cu was the most. Regarding the tested Chinese patent medicine, 38 articles belong to traditional Chinese medicine, 6 to Tibetan medicine, and 2 to Mongolian medicine of China. Three articles determine the content of metal elements in biological samples such as animal hepatic venous blood, abdominal aortic blood, brain, liver, kidney, urine, and feces, and one article determines the content of metal elements in human lung and serum. From the 10 articles combined with liquid chromatography and gas chromatography, 16 elements such as MMA, DMA, AsIII, AsV, AsB, AsC, and AsI 3 were determined, of which MMA and DMA were the most. It can realize elemental morphology and isotope analysis. The tested medicinal materials and Chinese patent medicine belong to traditional Chinese medicine. Conclusion: ICP-MS was applied the most in traditional Chinese medicine, followed by Arabic medicine. ICP-MS was used to determine more medicinal materials derived from plants, and Cu was determined the most. The characteristic inorganic element spectrum of medicinal materials can also be established. ICP-MS and its combined technology are widely used in Chinese patent medicine, but the test of biological samples is the least. The information provided in this article can provide a reference for improving the quality standard of traditional medicines and exploring the active ingredients and toxic ingredients and their mechanism of action.