Reference Electrode (reference + electrode)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


A Reference Electrode for Electrochemical and Cryoelectrochemical Use in Tetrahydrofuran Solvent

ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 21 2005
Christopher
Abstract We report a reference electrode for direct use in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at low temperatures. A reference solution containing equimolar amounts of ferrocene/ferrocenium hexafluorophosphate (Fc/Fc+) are prepared to give a 4,mM solution in THF that contains tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TBAF) supporting electrolyte thus, minimizing liquid junction potentials. The reference solution is added to a sealed glass tube with a porous frit at one end, and a platinum wire is inserted into the tube. The reference electrode assembly is then inserted into a THF test solution. Potentiometric measurements show that the system responds in the expected Nernstian fashion over the concentration and temperature ranges, 4,mM to 40,,M and 20,°C to ,45,°C respectively. In addition, it is shown by steady,state cyclic voltammetry at a platinum microelectrode that the chemical reactivity of ferrocenium hexafluorophosphate (Fc+) otherwise seen in THF is suppressed by ion-pairing with PF using tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TBAF) as the supporting electrolyte. [source]


Polyaniline Film Based Amperometric pH Sensor Using A Novel Electrochemical Measurement System

ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 8 2009
Wei Gao
Abstract A polyaniline based amperometric pH sensor has been developed using a novel electrochemical measurement system. A polyaniline film (PANI) coated pencil graphite electrode (PGE) is connected in series between the working and counter electrodes of a potentiostat, and immersed in the solution together with a reference electrode. When an external potential is applied, the resulting current varies with the solution pH, which provides the basis for the amperoemtric pH sensor. Equations describing the measurement principle are presented. Based on pH dependent emeraldine salt,emeraldine base transition of PANI film, the pH sensor exhibits high stability, accuracy, selectivity, sensitivity and a short time. [source]


Disposable Amperometric Sensors for Thiols with Special Reference to Glutathione

ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 18 2008
Dipankar Bhattacharyay
Abstract The antioxidant ,reduced glutathione' tripeptide is conventionally called glutathione (GSH). The oxidized form is a sulfur-sulfur linked compound, known as glutathione disulfide (GSSG). Glutathione is an essential cofactor for antioxidant enzymes; it provides protection also for the mitochondria against endogenous oxygen radicals. The ratio of these two forms can act as a marker for oxidative stress. The majority of the methods available for estimation of both the forms of glutathione are based on colorimetric and electrochemical assays. In this study, electrochemical sensors were developed for the estimation of both GSH and GSSG. Two different types of transducers were used: i) screen-printed three-electrode disposable sensor (SPE) containing carbon working electrode, carbon counter electrode and silver/silver chloride reference electrode; ii) three-electrode disposable system (CDE) consisting of three copper electrodes. 5,5,-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) was used as detector element for estimation of total reduced thiol content. The enzyme glutathione reductase along with a co-enzyme reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate was used to estimate GSSG. By combining the two methods GSH can also be estimated. The detector elements were immobilized on the working electrodes of the sensors by bulk polymerization of acrylamide. The responses were observed amperometrically. The detection limit for thiol (GSH) was less than 0.6,ppm when DTNB was used, whereas for GSSG it was less than 0.1,ppm. [source]


Simultaneous Determination of Quinoline and Pyridine Compounds in Gasoline and Diesel by Differential Pulse Voltammetry

ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 6 2007
Leonardo
Abstract The presence of trace basic organonitrogen compounds such as quinoline and pyridine in derivative petroleum fuels plays an important role in maintaining the engines of vehicles. However, these substances can contaminate the environment and so must be controlled because most of them are potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic. For these reasons, a reliable and sensitive method was developed for the determination of basic nitrogen compounds in fuel samples such as gasoline and diesel. This method utilizes preconcentration on an ion,exchange resin (Amberlyte IR,120,H) followed by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) on a glassy carbon electrode. The electrochemical behavior of quinoline and pyridine as studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) suggests that their reduction occurs via a reversible electron transfer followed by an irreversible chemical reaction. Very well resolved diffusion-controlled voltammetric peaks were obtained in dimethylformamide (DMF) with tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBAF4 0.1,mol L,1) for quinoline (,1.95,V) and pyridine (,2.52,V) vs. Ag|AgCl|KClsat reference electrode. The proposed DPV method displayed a good linear response from 0.10 to 300,mg L,1 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 5.05 and 0.25,,g L,1 for quinoline and pyridine, respectively. Using the method of standard additions, the simultaneous determination of quinoline and pyridine in gasoline samples yielded 25.0±0.3 and 33.0±0.7,mg L,1 and in diesel samples yielded 80.3±0.2 and 131±0.4,mg L,1, respectively. Spike recoveries were 94.4±0.3% and 101±0.5% for quinoline and pyridine, respectively, in the fuel determinations. This proposed method was also compared with UV-vis spectrophotometric measurements. Results obtained for the two methods agreed well based on F and t student's tests. [source]


Carbon Powder Based Films on Traditional Solid Electrodes as an Alternative to Disposable Electrodes

ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 11 2006
Bogdan Yosypchuk
Abstract The covering of conventional solid electrode with a film using an ink containing a conductive powder and a polymer enables to broaden the potential window of the original solid electrode. A solid silver amalgam electrode covered with such a film exhibits a potential window from ,600,mV to +1400,mV vs. SCE reference electrode. The renewal of the film is fast and simple: the electrode can be simply wiped with a filter paper to remove the old film and immersed into an ink solution or 1,2,,L of this ink solution can be applied to the surface of the electrode with a micro dispenser to form a new film. Therefore, just the inexpensive film at the electrode surface is disposable and there is no need to dispose the whole, more expensive electrode. Moreover, when a suitable electrochemical pretreatment of the film electrode is applied, the same film can be used for reproducible measurements for several days. [source]


A Reference Electrode for Electrochemical and Cryoelectrochemical Use in Tetrahydrofuran Solvent

ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 21 2005
Christopher
Abstract We report a reference electrode for direct use in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at low temperatures. A reference solution containing equimolar amounts of ferrocene/ferrocenium hexafluorophosphate (Fc/Fc+) are prepared to give a 4,mM solution in THF that contains tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TBAF) supporting electrolyte thus, minimizing liquid junction potentials. The reference solution is added to a sealed glass tube with a porous frit at one end, and a platinum wire is inserted into the tube. The reference electrode assembly is then inserted into a THF test solution. Potentiometric measurements show that the system responds in the expected Nernstian fashion over the concentration and temperature ranges, 4,mM to 40,,M and 20,°C to ,45,°C respectively. In addition, it is shown by steady,state cyclic voltammetry at a platinum microelectrode that the chemical reactivity of ferrocenium hexafluorophosphate (Fc+) otherwise seen in THF is suppressed by ion-pairing with PF using tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TBAF) as the supporting electrolyte. [source]


Transcranial direct current stimulation disrupts tactile perception

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 1 2004
Andreas Rogalewski
Abstract The excitability of the cerebral cortex can be modulated by various transcranial stimulation techniques. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) offers the advantage of portable equipment and could, therefore, be used for ambulatory modulation of brain excitability. However, modulation of cortical excitability by tDCS has so far mostly been shown by indirect measures. Therefore, we examined whether tDCS has a direct behavioral/perceptional effect. We compared tactile discrimination of vibratory stimuli to the left ring finger prior to, during and after tDCS applied for 7 min at 1-mA current intensity in 13 subjects. Stimulation was pseudorandomized into cathodal, anodal and sham conditions in a within-subject design. The active electrode was placed over the corresponding somatosensory cortex at C4 according to the 10,20 EEG system and the reference electrode at the forehead above the contralateral orbita. Cathodal stimulation compared with sham induced a prolonged decrease of tactile discrimination, while anodal and sham stimulation did not. Thus, cortical processing can be modulated in a behaviorally/perceptually meaningful way by weak transcranial current stimulation applied through portable technology. This finding offers a new perspective for the treatment of conditions characterized by alterations of cortical excitability. [source]


Application of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy for Fuel Cell Characterization: PEFC and Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline Solution,

FUEL CELLS, Issue 3 2009
N. Wagner
Abstract The most common method used to characterise the electrochemical performance of fuel cells is the recording of current/voltage U(i) curves. Separation of electrochemical and ohmic contributions to the U(i) characteristics requires additional experimental techniques like electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The application of EIS is an approach to determine parameters which have proved to be indispensable for the characterisation and development of all types of fuel cell electrodes and electrolyte electrode assemblies [1]. In addition to EIS semi-empirical approaches based on simplified mathematical models can be used to fit experimental U(i) curves [2]. By varying the operating conditions of the fuel cell and by the simulation of the measured EIS with an appropriate equivalent circuit, it is possible to split the cell impedance into electrode impedances and electrolyte resistance. Integration in the current density domain of the individual impedance elements enables the calculation of the individual overpotentials in the fuel cell (PEFC) and the assignment of voltage loss to the different processes. In case of using a three electrode cell configuration with a reference electrode, one can directly determine the corresponding overvoltage. For the evaluation of the measured impedance spectra the porous electrode model of Göhr [3] was used. This porous electrode model includes different impedance contributions like impedance of the interface porous layer/pore, interface porous layer/electrolyte, interface porous layer/bulk, impedance of the porous layer and impedance of the pores filled by electrolyte. [source]


Detection of preferential infiltration pathways in sinkholes using joint inversion of self-potential and EM-34 conductivity data

GEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, Issue 5 2007
A. Jardani
ABSTRACT The percolation of water in the ground is responsible for measurable electric potentials called self-potentials. These potentials are influenced by the distribution of the electrical conductivity of the ground. Because sinkholes are associated both with self-potential and electrical conductivity anomalies, a joint inversion of EM-34 conductivity and self-potential data is proposed as a way of delineating the location of these features. Self-potential and EM conductivity data were obtained at a test site in Normandy (France) where sinkholes and crypto-sinkholes are present over a karstic area in a chalk substratum overlain by clay-with-flint and loess covers. The presence of sinkholes and crypto-sinkholes is associated with negative self-potential anomalies with respect to a reference electrode located outside the area where the sinkholes are clustered. The sinkholes also have a conductivity signature identified by the EM-34 conductivity data. We used the simulated-annealing method, which is a global optimization technique, to invert jointly EM-34 conductivity and self-potential data. Self-potential and electrical conductivity provide clear complementary information to determine the interface between the loess and clay-with-flint formations. The sinkholes and crypto-sinkholes are marked by depressions in this interface, focusing the groundwater flow towards the aquifer contained in the chalk substratum. [source]


Intelligent structure design of membrane cathode assembly for direct methanol fuel cell

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 12 2005
K. Furukawa
Abstract The performance and the structural model of membrane electrode assembly (MEA) have been developed and experimentally verified with fundamental calculations of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The model provides information concerning the influence of the operating and structural parameters. The composition and performance optimization of MEA structure in DMFC has been investigated by including both electrochemical reaction and mass transport process. In the experimentation, the effect of Nafion content and loading method in the catalyst layer of cathode for DMFC was investigated. For the spray method electrode (SME), the cell performance and cathode performance using a dynamic hydrogen electrode (DHE) as a reference electrode was improved in comparison with those of the PME electrode by decreasing cathode potential. From ac impedance measurements of the cathode, the adsorption resistance of the SME electrode was decreased compared with that of the PME electrode. The higher cell performance was mostly dependent on the adsorption resistance. In the modelling, the cathode overpotential was decreased with increasing ionomer content, due to increasing ionic conductivity for proton transfer and the larger reaction site. The resistance to oxygen transport was increased at the same time, and became dominant at higher ionomer loadings, leading to an increase in the voltage loss. The ratio of ionomer to void space in the cathode affected the cathode polarization, which had the lowest resistance of oxygen diffusion at the ratio of 0.1,0.2. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Functional properties and regional differences of human masseter motor units related to three-dimensional bite force

JOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 10 2006
T. OGAWA
summary, The aim of this study was to estimate numerically the properties of masseter motor units (MUs) in relation to bite force magnitude and direction three-dimensionally and to confirm the hypothesis that the properties differ between different parts of the muscle by means of simultaneous recording of MU activity along with the MU location and three-dimensional (3D) bite force. The MU activity of the right masseter of four healthy men was recorded using a monopolar needle electrode in combination with a surface reference electrode. The location of the needle electrode was estimated stereotactically with the aid of magnetic resonance images and a reference plate. The magnitude and direction of the bite force was recorded with a custom-made 3D bite force transducer. The recorded bite force was displayed on a signal processor, which enabled the participant to adjust the direction and magnitude of the force. The activities of 65 masseter MUs were recorded. Each MU had specific ranges of bite force magnitude and direction (firing range: FR) and an optimum direction for recruitment (minimum firing threshold: MFT). There was a significant negative correlation between MFT and FR width. There were functional differences in MU properties between the superficial and deep masseter and between the superficial layer and deep layer in the superficial masseter. These results indicate that the contribution of human masseter motor units to bite force production is heterogeneous within the muscle. [source]


Considerations in measuring the electrical potentials of metallic restorations in vivo

JOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 11 2000
E. J. Sutow
Many variables are believed to affect the accurate measuring of metallic restoration electrical potentials. This study examined the effects of intra- versus extra-oral location of the reference electrode, the type of metallic probe used to make contact with the restoration, and scratching and brushing of the restoration surface. Dental amalgam restorations were measured in 40 human subjects. Results showed that only the location of the reference electrode affected the central tendency of the potential. The study discusses the significance of some experimental variables in the accurate measuring of metallic potentials and the need to consider individual subject differences when statistically analysing for the central tendency of a sample. [source]


Lack of effect of ranitidine on gastric luminal pH and mucosal PCO2 during the first day in the ICU

ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2005
S. M. Jakob
Background:, Histamine2 (H2)-blocking agents can attenuate intragastric CO2 -production by reducing gastric acid secretion and preventing the interaction between H+ and bicarbonate. However, gastric acid production may be impaired in acute circulatory failure due to poor mucosal perfusion, and H2 -blockade could further impair mucosal perfusion. Methods:, Forty patients with acute circulatory and/or respiratory failure, age 61 ± 16 years (mean ± SD), APACHE II score 21 ± 7, and SOFA score 8 ± 3, received randomly either ranitidine, 50 mg (R) or placebo (P) every 8 h. Gastric intraluminal pH (gpH; antimony probe with external reference electrode) and mucosal pCO2 (prCO2, semicontinuous air-tonometry) were measured during 24 h, and blood gases were taken at 6-h intervals. Results:, Gastric intraluminal pH was 4.3 ± 2.4 in P and 5.1 ± 1.6 in R (NS). Mean prCO2 was 6.8 ± 2.7 kPa in P and 7.4 ± 2.1 kPa in R, and mucosal-arterial pCO2 gradient (,pCO2) was 2.2 ± 2.9 kPa and 2.4 ± 2.4 kPa, respectively (NS). Within-patient variabilities of gpH and prCO2 were not influenced by ranitidine. A posthoc analysis revealed that non-survival in R was associated with a low mucosal pHi after 24 h (P = 0.002). This was explained by a low arterial pH but not by differences in gpH or prCO2. Conclusion:, In acute respiratory and circulatory failure, H2 blockade has an inconsistent impact on gpH and does not reduce variabilities of gpH or prCO2. [source]


Corrosion monitoring of hydrogen by HUP probe in the presence of sulphide and thiourea

MATERIALS AND CORROSION/WERKSTOFFE UND KORROSION, Issue 2 2010
A. Abbassi
Abstract The effect of sulphide and thiourea on hydrogen uptake during the corrosion of steel in deaerated pH3 has been studied using an electrochemical hydrogen probe incorporating a solid electrolyte (HUP) and lead dioxide (PbO2) as a reference electrode. This probe has been used for the quantitative determination of the hydrogen activity generated during the corrosion of steel. The sensor voltage implies an average equivalent hydrogen pressure in uncharged steel of 2,×,10,18 atmospheres. During the corrosion of steel, this value increases by very large amounts; thus in deaerated pH3, the equivalent pressure rose by 1024.5 in the presence of 200 ppm sulphide and by 102 in the presence of 100 ppm thiourea. Weight loss and AC impedance methods were also performed under the same conditions as the hydrogen measurements. The hydrogen probe data were correlated with a.c impedance and weight loss results in order to understand the effect of S2, and thiourea on hydrogen uptake. [source]


Determination of serotonin, melatonin and metabolites in gastrointestinal tissue using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

BIOMEDICAL CHROMATOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2009
Rosanna M. W. Chau
Abstract In this paper we show a simple isocratic chromatographic method for the detection of serotonin and its precursors and metabolites from various types of gastrointestinal tissue. The paper measures for the first time basal measurements of melatonin in the gastrointestinal tract, which has recently been shown to be released from the musosal lining of the gut. Tissue samples were stable following sample preparation in either 0.1 m perchloric acid or mobile phase. Analysis was carried out using a mobile phase consisting of 10% acetonitrile,90% acetate acid buffer pH 4.0 with 2 mm decane,sulfonic acid sodium salt at a column temperature of 50°C. Electrochemical detection was utilized at a potential of +850 mV vs Ag/AgCl reference electrode at 10 µA full-scale deflection. The detection limit of 5-HT and melatonin was 241 and 308 nm respectively for a 10 µL injection. As a result of the method optimization, total analysis was reduced to 30 min. Accurate responses of the tissue samples following sample preparation could be obtained following a week after storage at ,80°C. This method is capable of preparing and analysing of samples from all regions of the gastrointestinal tract. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Orientation Ordering of Nanoparticle Ag/Co Cores Controlled by Electric and Magnetic Fields

CHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 7 2008
Katarína Gmucová Dr.
Abstract The effect of electric and magnetic fields on the sandwich structure Pt/hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H)/stearic acid monolayer/Langmuir,Blodgett film of Ag/Co nanoparticles encapsulated in an organic envelope is studied. This structure is used as a working electrode in an electrochemical cell filled with NaCl solution (1 mM) and equipped with an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Reversible changes in voltammograms are observed due to treatments (negative or positive bias voltage and simultaneous laser irradiation) applied to the designed structure before measurements. As an explanation of the observed phenomena we suggest that both the Co-up and Ag-up (on the a-Si:H surface) orientation orderings of nanoparticle Ag/Co cores are repeatedly reached. The role of the photovoltaic material (a-Si:H) in the observed behavior is explained. Voltammetric measurements with an applied magnetic field support our idea about the orientation ordering of nanoparticle cores. [source]


Electrosynthesis of Poly(para)phenylene in an Ionic Liquid: Cyclic Voltammetry and in Situ STM/Tunnelling Spectroscopy Studies

CHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 3 2008
T. Carstens
Abstract The electropolymerization of benzene in the air and water-stable ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate (HMIm)FAP is investigated. The study comprises cyclic voltammetry, IR and in situ STM/tunnelling spectroscopy measurements. The IR results indicate that poly(para)phenylene is the end product of the electropolymerization of benzene in the employed ionic liquid. The resulting conjugation lengths of the product fall between 19 and 21. A polymer reference electrode is used successfully for the electrochemical polymerization of benzene. The first in situ STM results show that the electropolymerization of benzene in the ionic liquid can be probed on the nanoscale and the band gap of the prepared polymer can be determined. The electrodeposited polymer film obtained at a constant potential of 1.0 V vs PPP (polyparaphenylene) exhibits a band gap of 2.9±0.2 eV. [source]


Electrochemistry at High Pressures: A Review

ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 10 2004
Debora Giovanelli
Abstract High pressure electrochemical studies are potentially dangerous and less immediately implemented than conventional investigations. Technical obstacles related to properties of the working electrode material, preparation of its surface, availability of suitable reference electrodes, and the need for specially designed high pressure equipment and cells may account for the relative lack of experimental data on electrochemistry at high pressures. However, despite the stringent requirements for system and equipment stability, significant developments have been made in recent years and the combination of electrochemical methods with high hydrostatic pressure has provided useful insights into the thermodynamics, kinetics, and other physico-chemical characteristics of a wide range of redox reactions. In addition to fundamental information, high pressure electrochemistry has also lead to a better understanding of a variety of processes under non-classical conditions with potential applications in today's industrial environment from extraction and electrosynthesis in supercritical fluids to measurement of the pH at the bottom of the ocean. The purpose of this article is to detail the experimental pressurizing apparatus for electroanalytical measurements at high pressures and to review the relevant literature on the effect of pressure on electrode processes and on the properties of aqueous electrolyte solutions. [source]


A universal alternating immersion simulator for accelerated cyclic corrosion tests,

MATERIALS AND CORROSION/WERKSTOFFE UND KORROSION, Issue 2 2008
A. W. Hassel
A new device for performing accelerated cyclic immersion tests is described. The main achievement is to realise a high cycling rate without a proportional increase in the test duration. The device is also capable of performing tests according to EU ISO 11130 specification. A minimal invasive drying system is used that neither heats air nor sample and the flow rate is still low as to prevent a mechanical delamination of paints or loose corrosion products. A multiple sample set-up is realised that provides individual reference electrodes. The random access through a multiplexer allows individual investigation of the samples even by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy under immersion conditions. The device and its test principle are applicable in both industrial and laboratorial scale applications. Two application examples are given to demonstrate the versatility of the alternating immersion tester. One addresses the corrosion protection performance of different zinc-coated steel sheets; the other quantifies the patina formation kinetics of low-alloyed steels with weathering properties. [source]


Effect of size and pressure of surface recording electrodes on amplitude of sensory nerve action potentials

MUSCLE AND NERVE, Issue 2 2004
Antoon A. Ven MSc
Abstract The influence of electrode size on sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude of the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve (LACN) and sural nerve (SN) was studied in 63 healthy volunteers. The SNAP amplitudes were measured using surface recording electrodes of three different sizes, positioned across the nerve. Mean amplitudes using a 5-mm electrode were 9.0% (SN) and 15.3% (LACN) higher than with a 20-mm electrode and 19.4% (SN) and 25.8% (LACN) higher than using a 40-mm electrode. To study the influence of pressure on surface recording electrodes, studies were performed on the LACN in 31 healthy volunteers. Light pressure of the recording electrodes on the skin gave lower amplitudes (15.3%) than did greater pressure or pressure applied between active and reference electrodes. These studies demonstrate that standardized surface recording electrode size and pressure are imperative for obtaining valid and reliable results in experimental studies or in clinical follow-up of patients undergoing nerve conduction studies. Muscle Nerve 30: 234,238, 2004 [source]


Standardized procedure for measurement of nasal potential difference: An outcome measure in multicenter cystic fibrosis clinical trials,

PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 5 2004
Thomas A. Standaert PhD
Abstract Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) can be discriminated from healthy subjects by measurement of the nasal potential difference, which has become a useful outcome measure for therapies directed toward correcting defective electrolyte transport in CF. A standard operating procedure was developed by a CF Foundation clinical trials network, to be followed by all sites performing collaborative studies. Key variables in the measurement included type of voltmeter, exploring probe, reference electrodes, and solutions used to assess both sodium transport and chloride conductance. Eight sites submitted data on 3,8 normal and 4,5 CF subjects. Baseline voltage, an index of sodium transport, was ,18.2,±,8.3 mV (mean,±,SD) for normals, and ,45.3,±,11.4 mV for CF patients. There was no CFTR-mediated chloride secretion in CF subjects, as evidenced by the lack of response to perfusion with zero chloride,+,beta agonist solutions (+3.2,±,3.5 mV) vs. that in normals (,23.7,±,10.2 mV). The standardized nasal potential difference measurement minimizes variability between operators and study sites. Valid and consistent results can be attained with trained operators and attention to technical details. These data demonstrate the procedure to be sufficient for multicenter studies in the CF Foundation network. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2004; 37:385,392. © 2004 Wiely-Liss, Inc. [source]