Ray Leslie

A disposable sensor for point of care wound pH monitoring

The development of a disposable pH sensor for the point of care monitoring of wound pH is described. The system exploits the pH dependence of an endogenous biomarker (urate) to yield an unambiguous signal. The sensor responses have been characterised and the responses validated in whole blood.

Bromide-sulfur interchange : Ion chromatographic determination of total reduced thiol levels in plasma

Plasma thiol concentration has long been recognised as a potential indicator for assessing the severity of oxidative stress processes within physiological systems. While such measurements are normally restricted to research studies, this communication has sought to develop and characterise a novel approach through which this parameter could be exploited within routine clinical settings. The protocol is based on the rapid derivatisation of reduced thiol functionalities (protein and monomolecular moieties) through the homogenous reaction of a naphthoquinone bromide derivative. Bromide released in the reaction can be easily quantified through ion chromatography (Isocractic Dionex DX-120 incorporating an IonPac AS14 anion exchange column and a 25 microL sample loop with conductivity detector. Mobile phase consisted sodium carbonate/bicarbonate (3.5 mM/1 mM) at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min). Method selectivity and sensitivity has been critically evaluated. The technique covers the range 15 microM-3.5 mM PSH with a detection limit of 9 microM PSH and analysis time of 5 min. The efficacy of the approach for the analysis of human plasma from five volunteers was assessed (ranging from 49 to 72 microM with an intra assay variation of less than 5% in all cases). The responses were validated through comparison with the standard Ellman colorimetric technique.

Clinical diagnostics for homocysteine: a rogue amino acid?

Homocysteine has gathered considerable interest in recent years after being implicated in the pathogenesis of various clinical conditions. It has been an elusive target with many conflicting studies casting some confusion over its significance, and much more needs to be done to ascertain its pathophysiological role – especially with respect to regimes aimed at lowering its plasma concentration. Central to this is the development of robust analytical strategies for its determination. This review summarizes the clinical relevance of homocysteine as a diagnostic marker of disease and explores and critically assesses the detection methods that have been developed.

Limitations of the Jacobs–Gould Reaction Using Microwave Irradiation

Abstract Upon investigating the green synthesis of some antimicrobial quinolone compounds, some atypical ring-closing patterns were observed during the synthesis of various intermediates using the Jacobs–Gould reaction.

Origami: a versatile modeling system for visualising chemical structure and exploring molecular function

The use of Origami is presented as an accessible and transferable modeling system through which to convey the intricacies of molecular shape and highlight structure-function relationships. The implementation of origami has been found to be a versatile alternative to conventional ball-and-stick models, possessing the key advantages of being both inexpensive and readily accessible. The challenge, tangible nature, sense of achievement and hence trophy-like status of the models were found to combine and serve as a potentially invaluable outreach resource in terms of transfer to the home environment, with most (>70%) participants) wishing to show them to friends and family. A range of models were constructed and their implementation as lecture aids in both secondary and tertiary curricula has been assessed.