A new species of Scaphoclamys (Zingiberaceae) from Thailand

Scaphloclamys obcordata is described from the Naratiwat province in South Thailand. Its relationship with 5. klossii is discussed.     

Microfluidic conductimetric bioreactor

A microfluidic conductimetric bioreactor has been developed. Enzyme was immobilized in the microfluidic channel on poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface via covalent binding method. The detection unit consisted of two gold electrodes and a laboratory-built conductimetric transducer to monitor the increase in the conductivity of the solution due to the change of the charges generated by the enzyme-substrate catalytic reaction. Urea–urease was used as a representative analyte-enzyme system. Under optimum conditions urea could be determined with a detection limit of 0.09 mM and linearity in the range of 0.1–10 mM (r = 0.9944). The immobilized urease on the microchannel chip provided good stability (>30 days of operation time) and good repeatability with an R.S.D. lower than 2.3%. Good agreement was obtained when urea concentrations of human serum samples determined by the microfluidic flow injection conductimetric bioreactor system were compared to those obtained using the Berthelot reaction (P < 0.05). After prolong use the immobilized enzyme could be removed from the PDMS microchannel chip enabling new active enzyme to be immobilized and the chip to be reused.     

Development and application of a real-time capacitive sensor

A real-time capacitive sensor based on a potentiostatic step method was developed. It can display in real-time the evoked current waveform, capacitance and the electrical resistance of elements serially connected to the insulation layer on the electrode as a function of time as well as the ohmic resistance of the insulation layer. These features enable the user to observe the association and dissociation of the affinity binding pairs and to evaluate the insulating property of the electrode surface during measurement. The system allows the setting of potential pulse height, pulse interval, gain, filter, and sampling frequency, enabling the system to be more flexible. The performance of the system was firstly evaluated with equivalent circuits. Under suitable parameter settings it provided good accuracy of both the capacitance and resistance. Using the affinity binding pair of human serum albumin (HSA) and anti human serum albumin (anti-HSA) the measured capacitance change was used for the direct detection of HSA. The developed system provided the same sensitivity as the commercially available potentiostat (P>0.05). The proposed system was then applied to analyse HSA in real urine samples and the results agreed well with the immunoturbidimetric assay (P>0.05). The proposed system can be applied for capacitance measurement to directly detect other target analytes using different affinity binding pairs. Other applications such as kinetics analysis of the interaction between affinity bindings, thickness analysis, and the study of the insulation property of the modified layer are also promising.     

Semi disposable reactor biosensors for detecting carbamate pesticides in water

Two flow-injection biosensor systems using semi disposable enzyme reactor have been developed to determine carbamate pesticides in water samples. Acetylcholinesterase was immobilized on silica gel by covalent binding. pH and conductivity electrodes were used to detect the ionic change of the sample solution due to hydrolysis of acetylcholine. Carbamate pesticides inhibited acetylcholinesterase and the decrease in the enzyme activity was used to determine these pesticides. Parameters influencing the performance of the systems were optimized to be used in the inhibition procedure. Carbofuran and carbaryl were used to test these systems. Detection limits for the potentiometric and conductimetric systems were both at 10% inhibition corresponding to 0.02 and 0.3 ppm of carbofuran and carbaryl, respectively. Both systems also provided the same linear ranges, 0.02-8.0 ppm for carbofuran, and 0.3-10 ppm for carbaryl. The analysis of pesticides was done a few times before the reactor was disposed. Percentages of inhibition obtained from different reactors were reproducible, therefore, no recalibration was necessary when changing the reactor. The biosensors were used to analyze carbaryl in water samples from six wells in a vegetable growing area. Both systems could detect the presence of carbaryl in the samples and provided good recoveries of the added carbaryl, i.e., 80-106% for the potentiometric system and 75-105% for the conductimetric system. The presence of carbaryl in water samples analyzed by the biosensors was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometric system. These biosensors do not require any sample preconcentration and are suitable for detecting pesticides in real water samples.     

Multi-institutional evaluation using the end-to-end test for implementation of dynamic techniques of radiation therapy in Thailand

AimIn this study, an accuracy survey of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric arc radiation therapy (VMAT) implementation in radiotherapy centers in Thailand was conducted.BackgroundIt is well recognized that there is a need for radiotherapy centers to evaluate the accuracy levels of their current practices, and use the related information to identify opportunities for future development.Materials and methodsAn end-to-end test using a CIRS thorax phantom was carried out at 8 participating centers. Based on each center's protocol for simulation and planning, linac-based IMRT or VMAT plans were generated following the IAEA (CRP E24017) guidelines. Point doses in the region of PTVs and OARs were obtained from 5 ionization chamber readings and the dose distribution from the radiochromic films. The global gamma indices of the measurement doses and the treatment planning system calculation doses were compared.ResultsThe large majority of the RT centers (6/8) fulfilled the dosimetric goals, with the measured and calculated doses at the specification points agreeing within ±3% for PTV and ±5% for OARS. At 2 centers, TPS underestimated the lung doses by about 6% and spinal cord doses by 8%. The mean percentage gamma pass rates for the 8 centers were 98.29 ± 0.67% (for the 3%/3 mm criterion) and 96.72 ± 0.84% (for the 2%/2 mm criterion).ConclusionsThe 8 participating RT centers achieved a satisfactory quality level of IMRT/VMAT clinical implementation.     

Label-free capacitive immunosensor for microcystin-LR using self-assembled thiourea monolayer incorporated with Ag nanoparticles on gold electrode

A label-free immunosensor based on a modified gold electrode incorporated with silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) to enhance the capacitive response to microcystin-LR (MCLR) has been developed. Anti-microcystin-LR (anti-MCLR) was immobilized on silver nanoparticles bound to a self-assembled thiourea monolayer. Interaction of anti-MCLR and MCLR were directly detected by capacitance measurement. Under optimum conditions, MCLR could be determined with a detection limit of 7.0pgl(-1) and linearity between 10pgl(-1) and 1mugl(-1). The immobilized anti-MCLR on self-assembled thiourea monolayer incorporated with silver nanoparticles was stable and good reproducibility of the signal could be obtained up to 43 times with an R.S.D. of 2.1%. Comparing to the modified electrode without silver nanoparticles it gave 1.7-fold higher sensitivity and lower limit of detection. The developed immunosensor was applied to analyze MCLR in water samples and the results were in good agreement with those obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (P<0.05).     

Three new species and one new combination in Boesenbergia (Zingiberaceae) from Thailand

Three new species, Boesenbergia acuminata, B. basispicata and B. petiolata are described and illustrated. Boesenbergia siamensis comb, nov. is illustrated. A key to the species in Thailand is also presented.     

Comparative study of controlled pore glass, silica gel and poraver for the immobilization of urease to determine urea in a flow injection conductimetric biosensor system

This study compared the responses of three enzyme reactors containing urease immobilized on three types of solid support, controlled pore glass (CPG), silica gel and Poraver. The evaluation of each enzyme reactor column was done in a flow injection conductimetric system. When urea in the sample solution passed though the enzyme reactor, urease catalysed the hydrolysis of urea into charged products. A lab-built conductivity meter was used to measure the increase in conductivity of the solution. The responses of the enzyme reactor column with urease immobilized on CPG and silica gel were similar and were much higher than that of Poraver. Both CPG and silica gel reactor columns gave the same limit of detection, 0.5 mM, and the response was still linear up to 150mM. The analysis time was 4-5 min per sample. The enzyme reactor column with urease immobilized on CPG gave a slightly better sensitivity, 4% higher than the reactor with silica gel. The life time of the immobilized urease on CPG and silica gel were more than 310h operation time (used intermittently over 7 months). Good agreement was obtained when urea concentrations of human serum samples determined by the flow injection conductimetric biosensor system was compared to the conventional methods (Fearon and Berthelot reactions). These were statistically shown using the regression line and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. The results showed that the reactor with urease immobilized on silica gel had the same efficiency as the reactor with urease immobilized on CPG.     

Three new species of Hiptage (Malpighiaceae) from Thailand

Three new species, Hiptage calcicola, H. gracilis , and H. monopteryx are described. A key to the species of Hiptage found in Thailand is provided.