Highly specific and novel methods for analyzing glycans and proteoglycans are provided. Uses of the information generated by the inventive methods for diagnosis and treatment are also disclosed.

A pellicle is disposed over a lithography mask. An acoustic wave generator is placed over the pellicle. The acoustic wave generator is configured to generate acoustic waves to cause the pellicle to vibrate at a target resonance frequency. A resonance detection tool is configured to detect an actual resonance frequency of the pellicle in response to the acoustic waves. One or more electronic processors are configured to estimate an age condition of the pellicle as a function of a shift of the actual resonance frequency from the target resonance frequency.

The invention generally relates to mass spectral analysis. In certain embodiments, methods of the invention involve analyzing a lipid containing sample using a mass spectrometry technique, in which the technique utilizes a liquid phase that does not destroy native tissue morphology during analysis.

An apparatus that detects a material within a sample includes signal generation circuitry that generates a first light beam having at least one fractional orbital angular momentum applied thereto and applies the first light beam to the sample. The at least one fractional orbital angular momentum imparts a phase factor to the first light beam. The orbital angular momentum generation circuitry includes a spiral phase plate having fraction step height to impart the at least one angular momentum to the first light beam. A detector receives the first light beam after the first light beam passes through the sample and detects the material responsive to a detection of a predetermined phase factor within the first light beam received from the sample.

The present invention provides a capability of Ion Mobility Spectrometry/Atmospheric Pressure Ionization Mass Spectrometry (IMS/MS) in the negative ion mode for Ozone detection and methods for ozone layer depletion monitoring in laboratory environment. Ammonium hydroxide vapors, as a dopant chemical, introduced to the inlet system of the IMS/MS interfaced with the reaction sphere enables ozone ionized to be O.sub.3.sup.. The data obtainable from proposed methods show how ozone is depleted and which compound affect the most for O.sub.3 destruction among the O.sub.3 depletion substances of Chloro Fluoro Carbons (CFCs), Hydro Fluoro Carbons (HFCs), Hydro Chloro Fluoro Carbons (HCFCs), Hydro Chloro Bromo Carbons (HCBCs), and Hydro Chloro lodo Carbons (HClCs). Based on the results obtainable, more likely the IMS alone system without coupling with the mass spectrometer (IMS/MS) will rather be selected to develop as a spatial real time ozone layer depletion monitor. Real time monitoring device of ozone concentration in ambient atmospheric conditions can also be developed with this technique.

Sensors and methods are provided that include a diamond material containing a nitrogen vacancy center, the diamond material being configured to be exposed to an environment comprising one or more gases, an optical light source configured to excite the nitrogen vacancy center of the diamond material with an optical light beam produced therefrom, a detector configured to detect a signal originating from the diamond material in response to the optical light beam exciting the nitrogen vacancy center, and the capability of analyzing the signal to identify a specific gas in the environment. Also included are levitated spin-optomechanical systems capable of elevating in a vacuum a diamond material containing a nitrogen vacancy center, applying microwave radiation to the diamond material for controlling and flipping the electron spin of the nitrogen vacancy center, and monitoring electron spin of the nitrogen vacancy center.

Systems and methods are provided for detecting host cell contaminants in a protein biotherapeutic product using sequential windowed acquisition tandem mass spectrometry. Sequential windowed acquisition is performed on a protein biotherapeutic product sample by sequentially stepping a precursor mass window across a mass range, fragmenting transmitted precursor ions of each stepped precursor mass window, and analyzing product ions produced from the fragmented transmitted precursor ions. The sequential windowed acquisition is performed without any information about contaminating proteins before data acquisition, and produces data for every product ion of every transmitted precursor ion for the mass range. One or more measured product ion spectra are received, and compared to a library of host cell proteins. One or more host cell contaminants are detected by reporting host cell proteins from the library that match the one or more measured product ion spectra.

Provided are methods of detecting the presence or amount of a vitamin D metabolite in a sample using mass spectrometry. The methods generally are directed to ionizing a vitamin D metabolite in a sample and detecting the amount of the ion to determine the presence or amount of the vitamin D metabolite in the sample. Also provided are methods to detect the presence or amount of two or more vitamin D metabolites in a single assay.

A light receiving device receives fluorescence emitted by a magnetic resonance member in response to excitation light and generates a fluorescence sensor signal corresponding to a fluorescence intensity. A CMR arithmetic part performs common mode rejection with respect to the fluorescence sensor signal based on a reference light sensor signal of reference light that is obtained by branching the excitation light in consideration of nonlinearity of a level of the fluorescence sensor signal corresponding to an amount of the excitation light and generates a CMR signal. An A/D converter digitizes the CMR signal. An analog/digital converter digitizes the reference light sensor signal. An arithmetic processing device derives a measurement value of a measured field based on the digitized CMR signal and the digitized reference light sensor signal.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonant Imaging (also called Magnetic Resonant Imaging or MRI) devices which are implantable, internal or insertable are provided. The disclosure describes ways to miniaturize, simplify, calibrate, cool, and increase the utility of MRI systems for structural investigative purposes, and for biological investigation and potential treatment. It teaches use of target objects of fixed size, shape and position for calibration and comparison to obtain accurate images. It further teaches cooling of objects under test by electrically conductive leads or electrically isolated leads; varying the magnetic field of the probe to move chemicals or ferrous metallic objects within the subject. The invention also teaches comparison of objects using review of the frequency components of a received signal rather than by a pictorial representation.