High-throughput salting-out assisted liquid/liquid extraction with acetonitrile for the simultaneous determination of simvastatin and simvastatin acid in human plasma with liquid chromatography

Simvastatin (SS) is an effective cholesterol-lowering medicine, and is hydrolyzed to simvastatin acid (SSA) after oral administration. Due to SS and SSA inter-conversion and its pH and temperature dependence, SS and SSA quantitation is analytically challenging. Here we report a high-throughput salting-out assisted liquid/liquid extraction (SALLE) method with acetonitrile and mass spectrometry compatible salts for simultaneous LC-MS/MS analysis of SS and SSA. The sample preparation of a 96-well plate using SALLE was completed within 20 min, and the SALLE extract was diluted and injected into an LC-MS/MS system with a cycle time of 2.0 min/sample. The seamless interface of SALLE and LC-MS eliminated drying down step and thus potential sample exposure to room or higher temperature. The stability of SS and SSA in various concentration ratios in plasma was evaluated at room and low (4 °C) temperature and the low temperature (4 °C) was found necessary to maintain sample integrity. The short sample preparation time along with controlled temperature (2-4 °C) and acidity (pH 4.5) throughout sample preparation minimized the conversion of SS → SSA to ≤0.10% and the conversion of SSA → SS to 0.00% The method was validated with a lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of 0.094 ng mL⁻¹ for both SS and SSA and a sample volume of 100 μL. The method was used for a bioequivalence study with 4048 samples. Incurred sample reproducibility (ISR) analysis of 362 samples from the study exceeded ISR requirement with 99% re-analysis results within 100 ± 20% of the original analysis results.     

Humidity sensor based on a single-mode hetero-core fiber structure

Using a small-core single-mode fiber (SCSMF), a novel relative humidity (RH) sensor based on an SMF28-SCSMF-SMF28 fiber structure was proposed in this paper. By depositing a humidity sensitive material, such as poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) on the bare SCSMF fiber, the proposed structure can act as an RH sensor with high sensitivity. Experiments demonstrated that the proposed RH sensor with PEO coating can achieve a sensitivity of 430 nm per relative humidity unit (RHU) in the RH range from 80% to 83% RH and a sensitivity of 50 nm per RHU in the RH range from 83% to 95% RH.     

Exact and analytical solutions for a nonlinear sigma model

We consider wave solutions to nonlinear sigma models in n dimensions. First, we reduce the system of governing PDEs into a system of ODEs through a traveling wave assumption. Under a new transform, we then reduce this system into a single nonlinear ODE. Making use of the method of homotopy analysis, we are able to construct approximate analytical solutions to this nonlinear ODE. We apply two distinct auxiliary linear operators and show that one of these permits solutions with lower residual error than the other. This demonstrates the effectiveness of properly selecting the auxiliary linear operator when performing homotopy analysis of a nonlinear problem. From here, we then obtain residual error‐minimizing values of the convergence control parameter. We find that properly selecting the convergence control parameter makes a drastic difference in the magnitude of the residual error. Together, appropriate selection of the auxiliary linear operator and of the convergence control parameter is shown to allow approximate solutions that quickly converge to the true solution, which means that few terms are needed in the construction of such solution. This, in turn, greatly improves computational efficiency. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the choice of auxiliary linear operator in the optimal homotopy analysis of the Cahn-Hilliard initial value problem

Analytical solutions for the Cahn-Hilliard initial value problem are obtained through an application of the homotopy analysis method. While there exist numerical results in the literature for the Cahn-Hilliard equation, a nonlinear partial differential equation, the present results are completely analytical. In order to obtain accurate approximate analytical solutions, we consider multiple auxiliary linear operators, in order to find the best operator which permits accuracy after relatively few terms are calculated. We also select the convergence control parameter optimally, through the construction of an optimal control problem for the minimization of the accumulated L ²-norm of the residual errors. In this way, we obtain optimal homotopy analysis solutions for this complicated nonlinear initial value problem. A variety of initial conditions are selected, in order to fully demonstrate the range of solutions possible.     

Application of a process friendly morpholine synthesis to (S,S)-Reboxetine

We report our results on the construction of a morpholine ring system from the corresponding epoxide and amino alcohol. From this study, we were able to convert a previous four-step synthesis into a more efficient two-step process.     

Facile synthesis of core‐surface crosslinked nanoparticles by interblock RAFT polymerization

A new, efficient method for synthesizing stable nanoparticles with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) functionalities on the core surface, in which the micellization and crosslinking reactions occur in one pot, has been developed. First, amphiphilic PEO‐b‐PS copolymers were synthesized by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) radical polymerization of styrene using (PEO)‐based trithiocarbonate as a macro‐RAFT agent. The low molecular weight PEO‐b‐PS copolymer was dissolved in isopropyl alcohol where the block copolymer self‐assembled as core‐shell micelles, and then the core‐shell interface crosslink was performed using divinylbenzene as a crosslinking agent and 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. The design of the amphiphilic RAFT agent is critical for the successful preparation of core‐shell interface crosslinked micellar nanoparticles, because of RAFT functional groups interconnect PEO and polystyrene blocks. The PEO functionality of the nanoparticles surface was confirmed by ¹H NMR and FTIR. The size and morphology of the nanoparticles was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic laser light scattering analysis. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Synthesis of alkylpyrroles by use of a vinamidinium salt

The synthesis of alkyl-substituted 2-pyrrolecarboxylate esters has been accomplished by the condensation reaction of a symmetrical vinamidinium salt and glycine ester derivatives.     

Spectral Measures and Generating Series for Nimrep Graphs in Subfactor Theory II: <Emphasis Type="Italic">SU</Emphasis>(3)

We complete the computation of spectral measures for SU(3) nimrep graphs arising in subfactor theory, namely the SU(3) ADE{SU(3) \mathcal{ADE}} graphs associated with SU(3) modular invariants and the McKay graphs of finite subgroups of SU(3). For the SU(2) graphs the spectral measures distill onto very special subsets of the semicircle/circle, whilst for the SU(3) graphs the spectral measures distill onto very special subsets of the discoid/torus. The theory of nimreps allows us to compute these measures precisely. We have previously determined spectral measures for some nimrep graphs arising in subfactor theory, particularly those associated with all SU(2) modular invariants, all subgroups of SU(2), the torus \mathbbT², SU(3){\mathbb{T}^2,\,SU(3)}, and some SU(3) graphs.     

Numerical study of vortex effects in superconducting microstrip lines

A high transition temperature superconducting microstrip structure is modeled using the theoretical approach developed by Coffey and Clem for elucidating the vortex effects in propagation. Impedance type Green’s functions are derived for the electric field around the strip and the propagation characteristics are computed for a wide range of applied field, reduced temperature and superconducting strip thickness in a Galerkin procedure. The increase of static field and temperature result in increased vortex motion, which in turn, causes a corresponding change in the propagation characteristics of the transmission line. Numerical results are presented for propagation parameters and quality factor.     

Solution of Some Structural Analysis Problems by Orthogonal Collocation

Abstract

Application of the method of orthogonal collocation to boundary value problems in structural and applied mechanics is investigated. Typical boundary value problems, such as the torsion of rectangular bars and the bending of plates, are employed as illustrative examples. Simplicity in application and good accuracy of orthogonal collocation are demonstrated by the solution of such complex problems as the large deflection analysis of rectangular isotropic, orthotropic, and sandwich plates. Results are compared wherever possible with existing solutions based on much more laborious and lengthy methods of computation. Excellent agreements are obtained.