High performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. 1: Separation of Cannabis constituents and quantitation of Δ9 tetrahydrocannabinol

A simple, isocratic high performance liquid chromatography system (HPLC) with electrochemical detection (EC) was used to study Cannabis constituents. Several Cannabis extracts and reference standards were examined. A total of eleven constituents were separated, and three major cannabinoids; Δ⁸, Δ⁹ tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) were identified. A linear relationship was established for the quantitation of the halucinogenic constituent Δ⁹ THC. Minor contaminants in Δ⁹ THC reference standard, which were not detected by gas chromatography (GC) were detected for the first time. The detection limits of Δ⁹ THC and related cannabinoids were in the low nanogram range (2–20 ng).     

Performance of digital gamma ray spectrometer for loss free counting and its application to NAA using short-lived radionuclides

A digital gamma-ray spectrometer with loss-free counting system was used for real time correction for dead time (DT) due to pulse processing in the electronics. This spectrometer was used for radioactive assay of samples having constant as well as varying DT conditions. The system was tested by measuring activity of short and medium lived nuclides namely ²⁸Al, ⁵²V and ¹²⁸I in the DT ranges of 80–2 %. Using this spectrometer and neutron activation analysis (NAA), concentrations of Al, V, Ti, Ca, Dy and Mn were determined in some samples and reference materials.     

Kinetics and mechanism of metallocene‐catalyzed olefin polymerization: Comparison of ethylene,propylene homopolymerizations,and their copolymerization

A series of ethylene, propylene homopolymerizations, and ethylene/propylene copolymerization catalyzed with rac‐Et(Ind)₂ZrCl₂/modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO) were conducted under the same conditions for different duration ranging from 2.5 to 30 min, and quenched with 2‐thiophenecarbonyl chloride to label a 2‐thiophenecarbonyl on each propagation chain end. The change of active center ratio ([C^*]/[Zr]) with polymerization time in each polymerization system was determined. Changes of polymerization rate, molecular weight, isotacticity (for propylene homopolymerization) and copolymer composition with time were also studied. [C^*]/[Zr] strongly depended on type of monomer, with the propylene homopolymerization system presented much lower [C^*]/[Zr] (ca. 25%) than the ethylene homopolymerization and ethylene–propylene copolymerization systems. In the copolymerization system, [C^*]/[Zr] increased continuously in the reaction process until a maximum value of 98.7% was reached, which was much higher than the maximum [C^*]/[Zr] of ethylene homopolymerization (ca. 70%). The chain propagation rate constant (k_p) of propylene polymerization is very close to that of ethylene polymerization, but the propylene insertion rate constant is much smaller than the ethylene insertion rate constant in the copolymerization system, meaning that the active centers in the homopolymerization system are different from those in the copolymerization system. Ethylene insertion rate constant in the copolymerization system was much higher than that in the ethylene homopolymerization in the first 10 min of reaction. A mechanistic model was proposed to explain the observed activation of ethylene polymerization by propylene addition. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 867–875     

Determination of Cd,Hg, Pb and Se in sediments slurries by isotopic dilution calibration ICP-MS after chemical vapor generation using an on-line system or retention in an electrothermal vaporizer treated with iridium

A method for the determination of Cd, Hg, Pb and Se in sediments reference materials by slurry sampling chemical vapor generation (CVG) using isotopic dilution (ID) calibration and detection by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is proposed. Two different systems were used for the investigation: an on-line flow injection system (FI-CVG-ICP-MS) and an off-line system with in situ trapping electrothermal vaporization (CVG-ETV-ICP-MS). About 100 mg of the reference material, ground to a particle size ≤50 μm, was mixed with acid solutions (aqua regia, HF and HCl) in an ultrasonic bath. The enriched isotopes ¹¹¹Cd, ¹⁹⁸Hg, ²⁰⁶Pb and ⁷⁷Se were then added to the slurry in an adequate amount in order to produce an altered isotopic ratio close to 1. For the on-line system, a standing time for the slurry of 12 h before measurement was required, while for the batch system, no standing time is needed to obtain accurate results. The conditions for the formation of the analyte vapor were optimized for the evaluated systems. The following altered isotope ratios were measured: ¹¹¹Cd/¹¹⁴Cd, ¹⁹⁸Hg/¹⁹⁹Hg, ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁸Pb e ⁷⁷Se/⁸²Se. The obtained detection limits in the on-line system, in μg g⁻¹, were: Cd: 0.15; Hg: 0.09; Pb: 6.0 and Se: 0.03. Similar detection limits were obtained with the system that uses the ETV: 0.21 for Hg, 6.0 for Pb and 0.06 μg g⁻¹ for Se. No signal for Cd was obtained in this system. One estuarine, two marine and two river certified sediments were analyzed to check the accuracy. The obtained values by both systems were generally in agreement with the certified concentrations, according to the t-test for a confidence level of 95%, demonstrating that isotope equilibration was attained in the slurries submitted to a chemical vapor generation procedure and detection by ICP-MS. The relative standard deviations were lower than 10%, adequate for slurry analysis. The almost quantitative analytes extractions to the aqueous phase of the slurry must favor equilibration of the added enriched isotope with the isotope in the sample, allowing the use of isotopic dilution calibration for slurry analysis.     

Study on the preparation of a137Cs/137mBa radionuclide generator

^137mBa has been applied successfully to dynamic studies for diagnosis in nuclear medicine for a long time. A variety of inorganic exchangers have been employed for the separation of^137mBa from its parent¹³⁷Cs. In the present study, cupric cobaltic ferrocyanide and amorphous zirconyl phosphate were synthesized and compared for use in a¹³⁷Cs/^137mBa generator. The results show that the former can adsorb¹³⁷Cs more efficiently and provide high elution yield of^137mBa with greater than 99.99% radionuclide purity. A new generator involving multimillicuries of^137mBa, in connection with a computerized detection system, has been constructed.     

Analysis of water-soluble fraction of metals in atmospheric aerosols using aerosol counterflow two-jets unit and chemiluminescent detection

A new analytical system for a semi-continuous analysis of water-soluble fraction of particulate metals is described. The system combines the continuous sampling of atmospheric aerosols into deionized water using the Aerosol Counterflow Two-Jets Unit and on-line chemiluminescent detection of water soluble fraction of metals in collected aerosols. The potential of analytical system was studied using Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺ and Co²⁺ as model metals in atmospheric aerosols. The detection limits of particulate Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺ and Co²⁺ (S/N?=?3) are 24, 41 and 0.4?ng?m^?3, respectively. The presented set-up allows the determination of concentration of water-soluble fraction of particulate metals in ‘real time’ with time resolution of 30?min. The system is sufficiently robust for the field application. The method has been applied to the measurement of selected metals in urban TSP (Total Suspended Particles) aerosols in Brno in the Czech Republic. The concentrations of particulate water-soluble Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺ and Co²⁺ were found in the range of 35 to 290, 42 to 462 and 0.5 to 9?ng?m^?3, respectively.     

Determination of Thallium in a Flow System by Anodic Stripping Voltammetry at a Bismuth Film Electrode

A procedure for trace thallium determination by anodic stripping voltammetry at a bismuth film electrode is presented. Measurements were performed in a flow system. The calibration graph was linear from 2×10^?9 to 3×10^?8 mol L^?1 for an accumulation time of 300 s. A detection limit for Tl⁺ following deposition time of 300 s was 6×10^?10 mol L^?1. The relative standard deviation at Tl⁺ concentration 2×10^?8 mol L^?1 was 3.9%. For determination of thallium in complex matrices the procedure for elimination of interferences from foreign ions exploiting anion exchange resin was proposed. The procedure proposed was validated by analysis of rain water certified reference material.     

Determination of superoxide dismutase activity with an electrochemical oxygen probe

A flow system is described for measurements of superoxide dismutase activities over wide concentration ranges by varying the substrate, pH and flow conditions. Pyrogallol and 6-hydroxydopamine were the best substrates found; the limits of detection were 1.5×10^?9 M superoxide dismutase at pH 9.5 and 2×10^?10 M at pH 7.4, respectively. Epinephrine was less suitable; catechol was not useful. Epinephrine provided good sensitivity at pH 10 when a residence time of 8 min in the system was allowed, but the measurements were then less reproducible than with pyrogallol or 6-hydroxydopamine.     

Application of a Square‐Wave Potential Program for Time‐Dependent Amperometric Detection in Capillary Electrophoresis

Use of a square‐wave potential program for time‐dependent amperometric detection of analyte zones in capillary electrophoresis (CE) is described. Electrochemical detection for CE requires that the separation field be isolated from that of the electrochemical detection. This is generally done by physically separating the CE separation field from that of the detection. By applying a time variant potential program to the detection electrode, the detector current has a time dependence that can be used to help isolate the electrochemical detection current from that of the separation. When using a 20 μm inner‐diameter capillary, we find that a square‐wave potential program decreases the RMS baseline current from 4.5×10^?10 A, found with a constant potential amperometric detection, to 1.1×10^?10 A when using a square‐wave potential program. With a 75 μm inner‐diameter capillary, the improvement is even more dramatic, from 2.3×10^?9 A with amperometric detection to 2.06×10^?10 A when using a 1 Hz square‐wave potential program. When not using the time‐dependent detection with the 75 μm capillary, the analyte zones were beneath the S/N for the system and not detected. With the square‐wave potential program and time‐dependent detection, however, the analyte zones for an electrokinetic injection of 200 μM solution of 2,3‐dihydroxybenzoic acid were observed with the 75 μm inner‐diameter capillary. The improvement in the ability to discriminate the analytical signal from the background found experimentally is consistent with modeling studies.     

D‐Glucosamine in iron‐catalysed cross‐coupling reactions of Grignards with allylic and vinylic bromides: application to the synthesis of a key sitagliptin precursor

A sustainable D ‐glucosamine ligand is successfully introduced into iron‐catalysed C ? C cross‐coupling reactions for the first time. The Fe(acac)₂/D ‐glucosamine·HCl/Et₃N catalytic system was effective at 5 mol% loading in coupling reactions of Grignard reagents with organic bromides. Moderate to high efficiency was achieved with preserved stereochemistry when allyl (Csp³) or alkenyl (Csp²) bromides were coupled with phenylmagnesium (Csp²) or benzylmagnesium (Csp³) bromides. The catalytic system developed was also successfully applied for the novel and economic preparation of a Michael‐acceptor‐like starting material used in an alternative synthesis of the drug sitagliptin, a known blockbuster for the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of RP-HPLC Method Intended for the Analysis of Cefuroxime Axetil and ITS Impurities Supported by Experimental Design

In this paper, a chemometrically assisted validation of RP-HPLC method, intended for the quantitative analysis of cefuroxime axetil (A and B), cefuroxime acid, cefuroxime lactone, cefuroxime axetil sulfoxide (A and B), ?³-cefuroxime axetil and anti cefuroxime axetil (A and B) in tablets, is presented. Since the successful separation could be achieved with the mobile phase containing only methanol and water, Luna C18 column was selected for the analysis. Under these circumstances, the optimization was quite straightforward and included only a fine tuning of the chromatographic conditions to reduce total run time and maintain the achieved separation. The established method was then subjected to the method validation and the required validation parameters were tested. For the robustness evaluation, a fractional factorial 2^4?1 design was utilized and factors that might significantly affect the system performance were defined. For the significant factors, the non-significant intervals were determined and the acceptable system suitability limit for resolution factor between cefuroxime axetil A and cefuroxime axetil ?³ isomer (R ₂) was calculated. As the other validation parameters were also found to be suitable, the possibility to apply the proposed method for the determination of cefuroxime axetil, cefuroxime acid, cefuroxime lactone, cefuroxime axetil sulfoxide, ?³-cefuroxime axetil and anti cefuroxime axetil in any laboratory under different circumstances is proven.     

Optimal gradient operation in comprehensive liquid chromatography × liquid chromatography systems with limited orthogonality

A novel strategy is described for designing optimal second dimension (²D) gradient conditions for a comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography system where the two dimensions are not fully orthogonal. Using the approach developed here, the initial and final organic modifier content values resulting in the highest coverage of separation space can be derived for each ²D gradient run. Theory indicates that these values can be determined by adapting ²D gradient operation to the degree of orthogonality. The new method is tested on a comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography system that uses reversed phase (RP) columns showing different selectivities in the two dimensions. A comparison between analyses carried out using normal and optimized ²D gradients showed that the latter allow a more efficient use of analysis time. This can result either in an improved peak capacity or in decreasing total analysis time, depending on the final goal of the experiment. In the latter scenario, the number of separated peaks is comparable to that obtained using gradients spanning a wide range of organic modifier but, now, in half the time. As test samples complex mixtures of peptides were analyzed.     

Contributions to the 37Ar background by research reactor operations

Radioargon has been identified as a useful nuclide for verifying compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Use of ³⁷Ar to identify a nuclear explosion requires quantification of contributions to the ³⁷Ar background at a potential measurement site. A method of estimating ³⁷Ar release activities using isotopes of radioxenon and radioargon has been developed in this paper. Numerical solutions to the system of equations describing air-activation in a reactor were used to determine ratios of release activities for ¹³⁵Xe/¹³³Xe, ^133mXe/^131mXe, and ³⁷Ar /⁴¹Ar as function of irradiation time and off-gas residence time prior to measurement and release. Published radioactive noble gas effluent data for the High Flux Isotope Reactor, HFIR (ORNL) from the year 1996 to 2010 were compiled as a test data set to predict the ³⁷Ar release on a yearly basis. An average ³⁷Ar release rate of 1.86 × 10¹⁰ Bq per year was calculated. The estimated release rate was used as a source term for atmospheric transport to run a test case for ³⁷Ar release over a typical HFIR operation cycle. Results showed that ground-level concentrations of ³⁷Ar did not exceed the minimum detectable concentration for a ³⁷Ar field measurement system beyond the immediate vicinity of the release point.     

Development and validation of HTS assay for screening the calcium-activated chloride channel modulators in TMEM16A stably expressed CHO cells

Calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs), for example TMEM16A, are widely expressed in a variety of tissues and are involved in many important physiological functions. We developed and validated an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS)-based detection system for high-throughput screening (HTS) of CaCC modulators. With this assay, Cl^? flux from CHO cells stably transfected with TMEM16A is assayed indirectly, by measuring excess silver ions (Ag⁺) in the supernatant of AgCl precipitates. The screening process involved four steps: (1) TMEM16A CHO cells were incubated in high-K⁺ and high-Cl^? buffer with test compounds, and with ionomycin as Ca²⁺ ionophore, for 12 min; (2) cells were washed with a low-K⁺, Cl^?-free and Ca²⁺-free buffer; (3) CaCC/TMEM16A were activated in high-K⁺, Cl^?-free buffer with ionomycin (10 μmol L^?1) for 12 min; and (4) excess Ag⁺ concentration was measured using an ion channel reader (ICR, an AAS system). The assay can be used to screen CaCC activators and inhibitors at the same time. With this assay, positive control drugs, including NPPB, CaCCinh-A01, flufenamic acid (Flu) and E_act, all had good concentration-dependent effects on CaCC/TMEM16A. NPPB and CaCCinh-A01 inhibited the CaCC/TMEM16A currents completely at 300 μmol L^?1, with IC₅₀ values of 39.35?±?4.72 μmol L^?1 and 6.35?±?0.27 μmol L^?1, respectively; and E_act, activated CaCC/TMEM16A, with an EC₅₀ value of 3.92?±?0.87 μmol L^?1.     

基于3D打印薄层池和流场形电极的镉离子流动检测系统

首次提出了流场形(FFS)电极的概念,并印制了FFS三电极体系.结合3D打印的薄层流通池(TLFC),采用方波溶出伏安法(SWSV),构建了镉离子(Cd2+)流动电化学检测系统.考察了电极形状、测量方式、流速、介质条件、富集时间等条件的影响.结果表明,此检测系统测量灵敏度高,重现性和稳定性好.在优化条件下,Cd2+浓度在2 ～ 100 μg/L范围内与溶出峰电流呈良好的线性关系,相关系数为0.997,检出限为0.5 μg/L.将本方法应用于环境水样和生物甲烷发酵液中痕量Cd2+的检测,结果与ICP-AES无显著性差异,加标回收率为90％ ～ 106％.     

New technique to trace [<Superscript>15</Superscript>O]water uptake in a living plant with an imaging plate and a BGO detector system

Summary We present a new trial to measure real time water movement in a living plant using the positron emitting radionuclide, ¹⁵O. ¹⁵O was prepared by ¹⁴N(d,n)¹⁵O reaction and 10 ml of ¹⁵O labeled water (2 GBq) was supplied from the root of a soybean plant. To detect activity, an imaging plate (IP) as well as a BGO detector system were used. Since the half-life of ¹⁵O is extremely short, (T_1/2= 122 s), water uptake measurement was performed only for 20 minutes. In order to get [¹⁵O]waterimage, an IP was exposed to the plant for 1 minute for two times. Since the exposure to an IP requires dark condition, a BGO detector system was developed to measure [¹⁵O]waterunder light condition. A couple of BGO probes was set at the lowest stem and the gamma-rays (0.511 MeV) emitted from the radionuclide were measured through coincidence counting and compared with the radioactivity measured from an IP image. Using this system, we have found that the water uptake activity of the plant was drastically reduced under high humidity (99%) and dark condition.     

Treatment of sewage sludge generated in municipal wastewater treatment plants

This study was designed to evaluate the performance of a cylindrical anaerobic digester in treating secondary sewage sludge. A series of three independent batch experiments was performed for a total operation time of 60 d. The system of anaerobic digestion showed stability conditions, with no noticeable scum or foaming problems. The chemical oxygen demand reduction reached 29, 21, and 45% in sludge and 95, 85, and 82% in supernatant for the three experiments, respectively. Total coliform bacteria levels in the digester ranged from 10⁴ to 10⁵ in influent sludge and from 10⁴ to 10³ in effluent sludge, with an average reduction of 90%. Fecal coliforms of the order of 10⁴ were enumerated in influent sludge and those of the order of 10⁰ were enumerated in effluent sludge, with an average reduction of 99.9%. The studied system had satisfactory results, showing that both organic matter and indicator bacteria levels substantially decrease when the sludge is submitted to anaerobic digestion.     

Selective degradation of lignin and elimination of HO radicals in pulps by O<Subscript>3</Subscript> and UV laser flash irradiation

HO^. radical is an aggressive reagent to abstract hydrogen from diverse substitutes and lead them to degradation, however, in reaction of active oxygen species with lignins, complex phenolic polymers, in dispersed lignocellulose such as pulp for environment-benign delignification, HO^. radicals should be eliminated as more as possible to prevent cellulose from unfavorably concomitant degradation. A reaction system of O₃ is constructed under UV laser flash irradiation, and HO^. radicals are controlled efficiently by it. A new mechanism is proposed, for the first time, that O^. radicals generated from reaction of O₃ with UV laser flash irradiation might be the contributor to scavenge HO^. radicals.     

Dipolar relaxations in an epoxy-amine system

Dipolar relaxations in a reactive epoxy-amine system based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A with 4,4^′-diaminodiphenylsulfone were studied with the Havriliak-Negami function. The system was cured isothermally at 140 °C using simultaneous kinetic and microdielectric studies.The relaxation time was calculated from the frequency f_max of the peak of the loss factor ε^′′ versus frequency f. A linear relation exists between the logarithm of the relaxation time τ and the glass transition temperature T_g. Then, logτ follows the Di Benedetto equation revisited by Pascault and Williams allowing the prediction of the relaxation time τ during cure.The unrelaxed permittivity at high frequency ε_u, the relaxed or static permittivity ε_s and the skewness parameter β were found independent on the conversion or the curing time. The distribution parameter α decreases as curing time t increases. The difficulty of orientation of dipoles in the electric field due to vitrification is responsible of these behaviours.     

The first liquid crystalline diol compound which exhibits nematic,smecticA +, and smecticC + mesophases in the presence of water

A new amphiphilic ethane-1,2-diol derivative with a rodlike 2-phenylpyrimidine rigid core has been synthesized. From the combined results of differential scanning calorimetry and optical polarization microscopy a phase diagram amphiphile/water was constructed. The system exhibits a nematic phase at a very low water content, a smecticA ⁺ and a smecticC ⁺ phase at higher water concentrations. Such a phase sequence has been found for a lyotrophic system for the first time.