The results showed the presence of carcinogenic heavy metals including lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and mercury (Hg) in the malignant colon tissues, while the healthy tissues were devoid of these elements. The concentrations of Pb, Cr and Hg in the cancerous samples were discerned to be 3.1, 13.4 and 7.1 μg/L, respectively. Furthermore, the performance accuracy of the LIBS technique was validated by comparing the results obtained from the standard inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). It was established that the LIBS analysis is useful for the speedy, precise and early detection of the heavy metals amassed malignant colon tissues, thereby saving millions of lives by promoting the chances for cancer cure. A battery of analytical methods is used to analyze recombinant monoclonal antibodies for lot release to ensure consistent product quality, safety, and efficacy. Additionally, state-of-the-art analytical methods have been used to thoroughly characterize various post-translational modifications and degradation pathways of those molecules. Scientifically sound and robust analytical methods are essential to providing reliable results for defining control strategy, including setting phase-appropriate specifications. Analytical artifacts can substantially impact analytical method performance, causing either overestimation or underestimation of the impacted attributes. However, these artifacts are often overlooked due to lack of the fundamental understanding of analytical methods. This review discusses several regularly encountered artifacts and provides a guidance on assessment and prevention of these artifacts. Understanding and preventing artifacts can help establish scientifically sound and robust methods with reliable performance throughout the method life cycle. A novel liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated to simultaneously quantify phytosterols (brassicasterol, campesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol) and tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) entrapped in the lipid bilayer of a liposomal formulation. Apart from liposomes (a pharmaceutical product), the developed method was able to quantify target analytes in agricultural products, thus showing wide applications. Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) was employed due to the enhanced ionization of phytosterols and tocopherols in comparison to electrospray ionization. Unlike published work, the chromatographic conditions were modified to simplify the analytical approach. For the first time, a simple isocratic elution (acetonitrilemethanol 991 v/v) was utilized for the separation of four phytosterols and four tocopherols in a single run. A substantially better baseline separation of phytosterols were obtained in comparison to reported methods by uat two retention times, 2.53 min and 3.60 min. Such dual separation was not observed in calibration standards and quality controls. It was concluded that the chiral recognition ability of liposomes made up of phosphatidylcholine separated the enantiomers of alpha tocopherol, giving rise to two peaks at two different retention time. MK-8776 chemical structure To sum, the reported novel LC-MS/MS method addresses three major analytical shortcomings, namely i)longer run time, ii)complex gradient elution and iii)poor baseline separation of phytosterols and tocopherols. BACKGROUND People at early stages of multiple sclerosis have subtle balance problems that may affect gait stability. However, differences in methods of determining stability such as sensor type and placements, may lead to different results and affect their interpretation when comparing to controls and other studies. QUESTIONS Do people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) exhibit lower gait stability? Do location and type of data used to calculate stability metrics affect comparisons? METHODS 30 PwMS with no walking impairments as clinically measured and 15 healthy controls walked on a treadmill at 1.2 ms-1 while 3D acceleration data was obtained from sacrum, shoulder and cervical markers and from an accelerometer placed at the sacrum. The local divergence exponent was calculated for the four data sources. An ANOVA with group (multiple sclerosis and control) and data source as main factors was used to determine the effect of disease, data source and their interaction on stability metrics. RESULTS PwMS walked with significantly less stability according to all sensors (no interaction). A significant effect of data source on stability was also found, indicating that the local divergence exponent derived from sacrum accelerometer was lower than that derived from the other 3 sensor locations. SIGNIFICANCE PwMS with no evident gait impairments are less stable than healthy controls when walking on a treadmill. Although different data sources can be used to determine MS-related stability deterioration, a consensus about location and data source is needed. The local divergence exponent can be a useful measure of progression of gait instability at early stages of MS. BACKGROUND Besides adequate healing of bone and soft tissues, mobility represents a significant factor in functional outcome after lower extremity fractures. Although gait analysis is gaining clinical interest and importance in the rehabilitation of patients with fractures, it is rarely used in experimental fracture healing research. The aim of this study is to establish an accurate gait analysis method for fracture healing research in small animal models and to evaluate the influence of a lower extremity fracture on gait pattern and muscle atrophy in rats. RESEARCH QUESTION How does an intramedullary stabilized femur fracture influence the gait pattern and muscle atrophy during fracture healing in rats? METHODS An isolated femur fracture with intramedullary stabilization was induced in 26 Sprague Dawley rats. Different gait parameters (e.g. intensity, print area, stand duration, duty cycle, and swing speed) were evaluated with the CatWalk gait analysis system during the fracture healing process. Furthermore, muscle weight analysis was performed at different time points. RESULTS The gait analyses with the CatWalk system showed a high correlation with the osteogenesis of fracture healing in this model. Muscle atrophy increased during the early fracture healing stages and then decreased in the later stages. SIGNIFICANCE We are the first to show that the CatWalk system is a useful tool to perform gait analyses after lower extremity fractures in a murine model. These results could form a basis for future gait analyses research in fracture healing studies to improve knowledge about bone regeneration and rehabilitation after lower extremity fractures.