Near infrared chemical imaging (NIR-CI) combines conventional near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy with chemical imaging, thus provides spectral and spatial information simultaneously. It could be utilized to visualize the spatial distribution of the ingredients in a sample. The data acquired using NIR-CI instrument are hyperspectral data cube (hypercube) containing thousands of spectra. Chemometric methodologies are necessary to transform spectral information into chemical information. Partial least squares (PLS) method was performed to extract chemical information of chlorpheniramine maleate in pharmaceutical formulations. A series of samples which consisted of different CPM concentrations (w/w) were compressed and hypercube data were measured. The spectra extracted from the hypercube were used to establish the PLS model of CPM. The results of the model were R²_val0.981, RMSEC 0.384%, RMSECV 0.483%, RMSEP 0.631%, indicating that this model was reliable.

In this work, multivariate detection limits (MDL) estimator was obtained based on the microelectro- mechanical systems–near infrared (MEMS–NIR) technology coupled with two sampling accessories to assess the detection capability of four quality parameters (glycyrrhizic acid, liquiritin, liquiritigenin and isoliquiritin) in licorice from different geographical regions. 112 licorice samples were divided into two parts (calibration set and prediction set) using Kennard– Stone (KS) method. Four quality parameters were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method according to Chinese pharmacopoeia and previous studies. The MEMS–NIR spectra were acquired from fiber optic probe (FOP) and integrating sphere, then the partial least squares (PLS) model was obtained using the optimum processing method. Chemometrics indicators have been utilized to assess the PLS model performance. Model assessment using chemometrics indicators is based on relative mean prediction error of all concentration levels, which indicated relatively low sensitivity for low-content analytes (below 1000 parts per million (ppm)). Therefore, MDL estimator was introduced with alpha error and beta error based on good prediction characteristic of low concentration levels. The result suggested that MEMS– NIR technology coupled with fiber optic probe (FOP) and integrating sphere was able to detect minor analytes. The result further demonstrated that integrating sphere mode (i.e., MDL_0.05;0.05, 0.22%) was more robust than FOP mode (i.e., MDL_0.05;0.05, 0.48%). In conclusion, this research proposed that MDL method was helpful to determine the detection capabilities of low-content analytes using MEMS–NIR technology and successful to compare two sampling accessories.

Water-soluble CdTe quantum dots (QD600) were synthesized by hydrothermal route. The uptake of QD600 in living cells of euglena gracilis was studied. The luminescence spectra show that the QD600 were bound in cells after incubation. The fluorescence images, measured by confocal laser scanning microscope, demonstrate that the QD600 can penetrate into the cells. The amount of cell-bound QD600 increased with incubation time of QD600 at 25 Celsius deg., but no detectable QD600 were found in the cells when the incubation temperature was 4 Celsius deg., it was suggested that the QD600 were actively taken into the cells by endocytotic pathway. These results indicate that the water-soluble CdTe quantum dots have the potential in the application of bio-labeling.

The effects of laser irradiation on erythrocyte deformability and related mechanism were investigated. Membrane attached hemoglobin (Hbm) is the determinant factor of erythrocyte deformability. After irradiation of 532 nm (30 mW, 20 minutes) or 632.8 nm (30 mW, 60 minutes), the content of Hbm lowered and the deformability of erythrocytes increased, indicating that the decreasing of Hbm is one of the mechanisms of laser action to improve the erythrocyte deformability. The 532-nm laser is more efficient than 632.8 nm laser in the action, which is consistent with the absorption spectrum of Hbm, confirming that the Hbm is the target molecule under laser irradiation.