British Columbia Institute of Technology

About: British Columbia Institute of Technology is a education organization based out in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Smart grid & Belief revision. The organization has 458 authors who have published 785 publications receiving 16140 citations.

Quantification of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in North American plants and honey by LC-MS: single laboratory validation.

Abstract: Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are a class of naturally occurring compounds produced by many flowering plants around the World. Their presence as contaminants in food systems has become a significant concern in recent years. For example, PAs are often found as contaminants in honey through pollen transfer. A validated method was developed for the quantification of four pyrrolizidine alkaloids and one pyrrolizidine alkaloid N-oxide in plants and honey grown and produced in British Columbia. The method was optimised for extraction efficiency from the plant materials and then subjected to a single-laboratory validation to assess repeatability, accuracy, selectivity, LOD, LOQ and method linearity. The PA content in plants ranged from1.0 to 307.8 µg/g with repeatability precision between 3.8 and 20.8% RSD. HorRat values were within acceptable limits and ranged from 0.62 to 1.63 for plant material and 0.56-1.82 for honey samples. Method accuracy was determined through spike studies with recoveries ranging from 84.6 to 108.2% from the raw material negative control and from 82.1-106.0 % for the pyrrolizidine alkaloids in corn syrup. Based on the findings in this single-laboratory validation, this method is suitable for the quantitation of lycopsamine, senecionine, senecionine N-oxide, heliosupine and echimidine in common comfrey (Symphytum officinale), tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), blueweed (Echium vulgare) and hound's tongue (Cynoglossum officinale) and for PA quantitation in honey and found that PA contaminants were present at low levels in BC honey.

Intelligent Micro Grid Research at BCIT

Abstract: This paper describes a major research initiative by British Columbia Institute of Technology for the construction of an Intelligent Micro Grid on its campus in Burnaby, BC, Canada.

Portable raising and lowering device and equipment therefor

Abstract: A raising and lowering device (10), particularly suitable for incapacitated human or animal patients (2) The device includes a load carrying support (4) having at least one elongated arm (7) including a proximal end section (7a) and distal end section (7b) The arm is pivotable on the device at the proximal end section (7a) and movable by pivoting between an operating position in which the support is positioned for carrying said load, and a stored position in which the arm forms a graspable handle allowing an operator to carry the device The invention also relates to components suitable for use with the device The device also includes a one-way roller bearing (46) and sprocket wheel (18) Also disclosed are a magnetic clutch (60) and a drive chain (20)