Porous sol-gel material essentially consisting of units of one or more first polyalkoxysilanes chosen from the following compounds: (chloromethyl)triethoxysilane; 1,3-dimethyltetramethoxydisiloxane; ethyltrimethoxysilane; triethoxy(ethyl)silane; triethoxymethylsilane; triethoxy(vinyl)silane; trimethoxymethylsilane; trimethoxy(vinyl)silane; tetraethoxysilane or tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and of units of one or more second polyalkoxysilanes chosen from the following compounds: (N-(3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl)ethylenediamine; 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, in a first polyalkoxysilane/second polyalkoxysilane molar ratio of 1/0.01 to 1/1, optionally comprising a probe molecule, method of preparation and applications in the trapping of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other pollutants or in their detection.

Provided are methods of detecting the presence or amount of a vitamin D metabolite in a sample using mass spectrometry. The methods generally 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.

New chemiluminescent compounds, stable in aqueous buffers, for use in biological assaying include acridane-based compounds and 1,2-dioxetanes. Among the new acridane-based compounds are water-soluble acridanes, enhancer coupled acridanes, bis and tris-acridanes as well as acridane-1,2-dioxetanes. Among the new 1,2-dioxetanes are electron deficient group-containing dioxetanes and tethered bis-1,2-dioxetanes. The 1,2-dioxetanes are useful as substrates for various enzymes. The acridanes can be admixed with an oxidizing agent, an aqueous buffer and, optionally, a stabilizer to form a substrate or reagent formulation useful for assaying, inter alia, HRP.

A water quality monitoring computer system for a water distribution network includes a water distribution network configured to receive water from one or more network sources and distribute the water through the water distribution network to one or more network end points, at least one water quality monitor configured to generate water quality data for a distribution zone of the water quality network that includes a zone water source and one or more zone endpoints, which includes network end points downstream from the zone source, and a zone end point meter associated with each of the zone end points, wherein the zone end point meter monitors water flow exiting the distribution zone. At least two of the end point water meters include one or more water quality sensors and at least two of the end point water meters include different water quality sensor types, and the one water quality monitor aggregates water quality sensor data transmitted from the zone end point water meters to generate the distribution zone water quality data.

A method for determining an amount of one or more underivatized very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA) selected from the group consisting of docosanoic acid, tetracosanoic acid, and hexacosanoic acid in a sample by mass spectrometry includes (a) subjecting the sample containing an amount of one or more VLCFA to an ionization source to generate one or more underivatized VLCFA ions detectable by mass spectrometry; (b) determining an amount of the one or more underivatized VLCFA ions by mass spectrometry; and (c) determining the amount of the one or more underivatized VLCFA in the sample from the amount of the one or more underivatized VLCFA ions determined in step (b).

Provided are methods for determining the amount of estrone in a sample using mass spectrometry. The methods generally involve ionizing estrone in a sample and detecting and quantifying the amount of the ion to determine the amount of estrone in the sample.