Online Automated Micro Sample Preparation for High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Sample preparation is one of the most labor-intensive and time-consuming operations in sample analysis. Sample preparation strategies include the exhaustive or non-exhaustive extraction of analytes from matrices. Online coupling of sample preparation with the separation system is regarded as an important goal. In-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is an effective sample preparation technique that uses an open tubular fused-silica capillary column as an extraction device. In-tube SPME is useful for trace enrichment, automated sample cleanup, and rapid online analysis. Moreover, this method can be used to determine the analytes in complex matrices by direct sample injection or merely by simple sample treatment such as filtration. In-tube SPME is frequently combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using online column-switching techniques. Various operating systems and new sorbent materials have been reported to improve extraction efficiency, such as sorption capacity and selectivity. This chapter discusses efficient micro sample preparation techniques for HPLC, especially online automated in-tube SPME

Closed-Loop Recyclable Poly(imine-acetal)s with Dual-Cleavable Bonds for Primary Building Block Recovery

Chemical recycling offers a promising solution for the end-of-life treatment of synthetic polymers. However, the efficient recovery of well-defined recycled building blocks continues to be a major challenge, especially for crosslinked thermosets. Here, we developed vanillin-based polymer networks functionalized with dual-cleavable imine and acetal bonds that facilitate chemical recycling to primary building blocks and their convenient separation at the molecular level. A library of crosslinked poly(imine-acetal)s was synthesized by combining the in-bulk synthesized liquid di-vanillin acetal monomer (DVA) with commercially available liquid di- and triamines under solvent-free conditions. These thermosets showed tailor-made thermal and mechanical properties along with outstanding chemical recyclability. Under aqueous acidic conditions, poly(imine-acetal)s selectively and completely disintegrate into small molecules. During the polymer design stage, these compounds were carefully selected to enable facile separation without tedious techniques. As a result, the primary building blocks were isolated in high yields and purity and immediately reused to produce fresh polymers with identical thermomechanical properties. Since our "design for recycling" concept aims at obtaining the primary building blocks rather than monomers after depolymerization, a plethora of possibilities are unlocked to utilize these chemical resources, including closed-loop recycling as portrayed

Extensive screening for herbal extracts with potent antioxidant properties

This paper summarizes our research for herbal extracts with potent antioxidant activity obtained from a large scale screening based on superoxide radical (O2•−) scavenging activity followed by characterization of antioxidant properties. Firstly, scavenging activity against O2•− was extensively screened from ethanol extracts of approximately 1000 kinds of herbs by applying an electron spin resonance (ESR)-spin trapping method, and we chose four edible herbal extracts with prominently potent ability to scavenge O2•−. They are the extracts from Punica granatum (Peel), Syzygium aromaticum (Bud), Mangifera indica (Kernel), and Phyllanthus emblica (Fruit). These extracts were further examined to determine if they also scavenge hydroxyl radical (•OH), by applying the ESR spin-trapping method, and if they have heat resistance as a desirable characteristic feature. Experiments with the Fenton reaction and photolysis of H2O2 induced by UV irradiation demonstrated that all four extracts have potent ability to directly scavenge •OH. Furthermore, the scavenging activities against O2•− and •OH of the extracts of P. granatum (peel), M. indica (kernel) and P. emblica (fruit) proved to be heat-resistant

Fungicidal Action of Hydroxyl Radicals Generated by Ultrasound in Water

It is well known that hydroxyl radicals are generated by ultrasound in water. This study with an electron spin resonance spin-trapping technique showed that hydroxyl radical generation was positively correlated with ultrasound duration and water temperature. The clear fungicidal action against Trichophyton spp. evident by studying cultured cells and the degradation of cytoplasmic and surface structures observed by transmission and scanning electron microscopy suggest that ultrasound in hot water is effective for sterilization of dermatophyte contamination and could be effective for the treatment of tinea infection

Polymyositis and myocarditis after chemotherapy for advanced thymoma

AbstractPolymyositis and myocarditis very rarely develop during chemotherapy for thymoma. Most reported cases of myocarditis and polymyositis associated with thymoma were found at autopsy of patients who died of acute progression of myocarditis. We describe our experience with a 64-year-old man who had recurrent thymoma accompanied by polymyositis and myocarditis. Lower-extremity myalgia and palpitations developed on day 25 of chemotherapy with weekly paclitaxel. Steroid pulse therapy was effective for the management of polymyositis and myocarditis associated with thymoma. Polymyositis and myocarditis after paclitaxel monotherapy have not been documented previously. Whether paclitaxel induced polymyositis and myocarditis is unclear and these symptoms might have been a paraneoplastic phenomenon associated with thymoma. However, our experience suggested that patients with thymoma who received paclitaxel-based chemotherapy should be carefully observed for polymyositis and myocarditis. If such patients have high serum creatine phosphokinase and troponin levels, steroid pulse therapy should be considered without delay

Tightly-Secure Key-Encapsulation Mechanism in the Quantum Random Oracle Model

Key-encapsulation mechanisms secure against chosen ciphertext attacks (IND-CCA-secure KEMs) in the quantum random oracle model have been proposed by Boneh, Dagdelen, Fischlin, Lehmann, Schafner, and Zhandry (CRYPTO 2012), Targhi and Unruh (TCC 2016-B), and Hofheinz, Hövelmanns, and Kiltz (TCC 2017). However, all are non-tight and, in particular, security levels of the schemes obtained by these constructions are less than half of original security levels of their building blocks. In this paper, we give a conversion that tightly converts a weakly secure public-key encryption scheme into an IND-CCA-secure KEM in the quantum random oracle model. More precisely, we define a new security notion for deterministic public key encryption (DPKE) called the disjoint simulatability, and we propose a way to convert a disjoint simulatable DPKE scheme into an IND-CCA-secure key-encapsulation mechanism scheme without incurring a significant security degradation. In addition, we give DPKE schemes whose disjoint simulatability is tightly reduced to post-quantum assumptions. As a result, we obtain IND-CCA-secure KEMs tightly reduced to various post-quantum assumptions in the quantum random oracle model