Risk factors for midcourse correction during treatment of first series of aligners with Invisalign.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to analyze risk factors for midcourse correction (MC) during the first series of aligners in treatments with Invisalign (Align Technology, Santa Clara, Calif). METHODS: Three hundred and fourteen patients treated with Invisalign were divided into MC and non-midcourse correction groups according to whether they completed the first series of aligners. Differences between these groups were compared with independent sample t tests, chi-square tests, and Wilcoxon rank sum tests. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors, including gender, age, extraction treatment, interproximal reduction, correction steps (steps in first series treatment), overbite, overjet, the curve of Spee, Angle classification, and crowding. RESULTS: The percentage of females (86.3%), Angle Class I malocclusion (62.4%), and nonextraction (56.1%) was relatively higher in all 314 patients. More than half of the patients (73.6%) completed the first series of aligners. Differences between the groups in the number of patients with extraction, correction steps, and the curve of Spee were significant (P <0.05). The proportions of MC were 41.3% and 14.8% in extraction and nonextraction patients, respectively. More initially planned correction steps were seen in the MC group (53.4 ± 15.6 steps). Extraction (adjusted odds ratio, 0.375; P = 0.001) and correction steps (adjusted odds ratio, 1.06; P <0.001) were independent risk factors for MC. CONCLUSIONS: Extraction and the number of initially planned correction steps are independent risk factors for MC. In patients with complex dentofacial abnormalities, such as extraction, MC may be needed to achieve predicted changes.

Release and Transformation of BTBPE During the Thermal Treatment of Flame Retardant ABS Plastics.

Thermal scenarios inevitably occur during the lifecycle of engineering plastics laden with brominated flame retardants (BFRs). However, little information on the fate of embedded BFRs during the thermal processes is available. In this study, we measured the release and transformation of a typical BFR, 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE), during the thermal treatment of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastics. The possible thermal scenarios were simulated by varying the heating temperature and atmosphere. The maximum release rate of BTBPE was observed at 350 °C. A release kinetic model was developed to explore the mechanism of BTBPE release while heating ABS. Material-phase diffusion was found to be the rate-determining step during release. According to the developed release model, it was estimated that 0.04-0.17% of embedded BTBPE could be released to air during the industrial processing of ABS plastics. When the heating temperature was ≥350 °C, approximately 15-56% of embedded BTBPE decomposed to bromophenols (BPs) and 1,3,5-tribromo-2-(vinyloxy) benzene (TBVOB), and the decomposition followed a first-order kinetics at 350 °C. Polybrominated dibenzo- p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs) were also significantly formed at ≥350 °C from BPs and TBVOB via a precursor mechanism. A higher temperature (≥450 °C) was favorable for the formation of PBDFs.

Release and Gas-Particle Partitioning Behaviors of Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs) During the Thermal Treatment of Polyvinyl Chloride Flooring.

Chlorinated paraffin (CP) mixture is a common additive in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products as a plasticizer and flame retardant. During the PVC plastic life cycle, intentional or incidental thermal processes inevitably cause an abrupt release of short-chain CPs (SCCPs). In this study, the thermal processing of PVC plastics was simulated by heating PVC flooring at 100-200 °C in a chamber. The 1 h thermal treatment caused the release of 1.9-10.7% of the embedded SCCPs. A developed emission model indicated that SCCP release was mainly controlled by material-gas partitioning at 100 °C. However, release control tended to be subjected to material-phase diffusion above 150 °C, especially for SCCP congeners with shorter carbon-chain lengths. A cascade impactor (NanoMoudi) was used to collect particles of different sizes and gas-phase SCCPs. The elevated temperature resulted in a higher partition of SCCPs from the gas-phase to particle-phase. SCCPs were not strongly inclined to form aerosol particles by nucleation, and less present in the Aitken mode particles. Junge-Pankow adsorption model well fitted the partitioning of SCCPs between the gas-phase and accumulation mode particles. Inhalation exposure estimation indicated that PVC processing and recycling workers could face a considerably high risk for exposure to SCCPs.

A nation-wide study for the occurrence of PPD antioxidants and 6PPD-quinone in road dusts of China.

N,N'-substituted p-phenylenediamines (PPDs) are widely used antioxidants in rubber tires, which could be released and accumulated in road dusts with rubber tires wear. As ozonation product of N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD), 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q) exhibited higher toxicity to coho salmon. However, studies on their environmental behaviors are still limited. Road dust is the major medium PPDs exist, which significantly affects the levels of PPDs in other mediums, especially surface water and particulate matter. In this study, road dust samples were collected in 55 major cities of China to explore the distribution characteristics of PPDs and 6PPD-Q. The concentrations of total PPDs (ΣPPDs) and 6PPD-Q in urban trunk road dust samples were in the ranges of 7.90-727 and 3.00-349 ng/g, with median concentrations of 68 and 49 ng/g, respectively. 6PPD and 6PPD-Q are the dominant components in most road dusts. The functional region-dependent pollution characteristics of PPDs and 6PPD-Q give the first finding that urban tunnel road was the highly polluted region, followed by urban trunk roads. Suburban road dusts had a lower pollution level. Moreover, the estimated daily intake (EDI) of PPDs and 6PPD-Q for children was much higher than adults.

Conjugative antibiotic-resistant plasmids promote bacterial colonization of microplastics in water environments.

Both microplastic and bacterial antibiotic resistance have attracted attention worldwide. When microplastics coexist with antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), which carry antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), ARB colonize the surface of microplastics, and a unique biofilm is formed. The ARB and ARGs in biofilms are denser and more difficult to remove. However, studies on the factors influencing the formation of microplastic biofilms are limited. In this study, plasmid RP4, which appeared in wastewater treatment plants, was found to be able to promote irreversible bacterial colonization of microplastics, and the hypothetical reason was conjugative pili expression. Then, the potential conjugative pili synthesis promoter "nanoalumina" and inhibitor "free nitrous acid" (FNA) were selected to test this hypothesis. Simultaneously, nanoalumina promoted and FNA inhibited bacterial colonization when RP4 existed. Combined with the gene expression and ATP analysis results, this hypothesis was confirmed, and the mechanism of RP4 on bacterial colonization was related mainly to conjugative pili protein synthesis and intracellular ATP. In this study, the effects of plasmid RP4, nanoalumina, and FNA on the formation of microplastic biofilms were reported, which has a certain reference value for other researchers exploring microplastic biofilms.

Comparisons of maxillary incisor retraction effects for patients with first premolar extractions between Damon Q and Invisalign®: A retrospective study.

Torque control of maxillary incisors is very important in maxillary protrusion patients with first premolars extraction, but the efficacy of maxillary incisor retraction of clear aligners is still controversial now. This retrospective study was aimed to compare the retraction effects between Damon Q and Invisalign® appliances in patients with first premolar extractions. 59 patients (33 cases with Damon Q and 26 cases with Invisalign®) with first premolar extraction were selected in this study. Subsequently, patients of each group were allocated into three subgroups according to the pretreatment value of U1-NA (°). The retraction effects of maxillary incisors and upper lips were accessed by the variations of cephalometric, overbite and overjet measurements. Treatment duration with Invisalign® (31.4 ±â€…6.4 months) was longer than Damon Q (27.7 ±â€…6.3 months) (P = .03). The angular measurements, U1-NA (°) and U1-SN (°) showed more lingual crown inclinations in Invisalign® group than Damon Q group (P ≤ .04). When evaluating linear measurements, the retractions of the maxillary incisors and upper lip positions showed no significant differences (P ≥ .13). Invisalign® group also showed more lingual crown retractions and labial root deviations compared to Damon Q group in subgroup Ⅲ (P ≤ .037). As regards to the molar relationship, Invisalign® displayed less Class Ⅰ molar relationship than Damon Q group. The increased overbite of anterior incisors was also showed in the Invisalign® treatment group (P ≤ .047). Invisalign® was not sufficiently effective in retracting maxillary incisors compared with Damon Q appliances. Invisalign® led to more lingual inclination movement and increased overbite.

Molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction coupled with HPLC for the selective determination of monobutyl phthalate in bottled water.

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was prepared using monobutyl phthalate as template. The synthesis was optimized by using different porogens and functional monomers. The MIP was used as a selective sorbent in molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MIP-SPE) for pre-concentration and determination of monobutyl phthalate (mBP) from the bottled water. The difference in recognition selectivity of the polymer columns was observed in HPLC system, and the effect of the mobile phase on the performance of MIP columns was also investigated. Control of the MIP-SPE process is seen as important in helping to facilitate the selective extraction of mBP from water samples. Thereafter, the choice of washing solvent, eluting solvent amount, pH of loading sample, flow rate of loading solution and the loading sample volume was presented. The optimized procedure was described as follows: 25 mL spiked aqueous solution was percolated through the MIP-SPE cartridge at the flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. After rinsing with acetonitrile/methanol mixture (1:1, v/v), the bound analyte was desorbed with 3 mL methanol. The developed MIP-SPE method was demonstrated to be applicable for the analysis of mBP in the bottled water.

Impact of substrate material and chlorine/chloramine on the composition and function of a young biofilm microbial community as revealed by high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing.

The bacterial composition of biofilms in drinking water distribution systems is significantly impacted by the disinfection regime and substrate material. However, studies that have addressed the changes in the biofilm community during the early stage of formation (less than 10 weeks) were not yet adequate. Here, we explore the effects of the substrate materials (cast iron, stainless steel, copper, polyvinyl chloride, and high density polyethylene) and different disinfectants (chlorine and chloramine) on the community composition and function of young biofilm by using 16S rDNA sequencing. The results showed that Alphaproteobacteria (39.14%-80.87%) and Actinobacteria (5.90%-40.03%) were the dominant classes in chlorine-disinfection samples, while Alphaproteobacteria (17.46%-74.18%) and Betaproteobacteria (3.79%-68.50%) became dominant in a chloraminated group. The infrequently discussed genus Phreatobacter became predominant in the chlorinated samples, but it was inhibited by chloramine and copper ions. The key driver of the community composition was indicated as different disinfectants according to principle coordination analysis (PCoA) and Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (Adonis test), and the bacterial community changed significantly over time. Communities of biofilms grown on cast iron showed a great distance from the other materials according to Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, and they had a unique dominant genus, Dechloromonas. A metagenomics prediction based on 16S rDNA was used to detect the functional pathways of antibiotic biosynthesis and beta-lactam resistance, and it revealed that several pathways were significantly different in terms of their chlorinated and chloraminated groups.

Porous nanosheet-based ZnO microspheres for the construction of direct electrochemical biosensors.

Nanosheet-based ZnO microsphere with porous nanostructures was synthesized by a facile chemical bath deposition method followed by thermal treatment, which was explored for the construction of electrochemical biosensors. Spectroscopic and electrochemical researches revealed the ZnO-based composite was a biocompatible immobilization matrix for enzymes with good enzymatic stability and bioactivity. With advantages of nanostructured inorganic-organic hybrid materials, a pair of stable and well-defined quasi-reversible redox peaks of hemoglobin was obtained with a formal potential of -0.345 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in pH 7.0 buffer. Facilitated direct electron transfer of the metalloenzymes with an apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k(s)) of 3.2s(-1) was achieved on the ZnO-based enzyme electrode. Comparative studies demonstrated the nanosheet-based ZnO microspheres were more effective in facilitating the electron transfer of immobilized enzyme than solid ZnO microspheres, which may result from the unique nanostructures and larger surface area of the porous ZnO. The prepared biosensor displayed good performance for the detection of H(2)O(2) and NaNO(2) with a wide linear range of 1-410 and 10-2700 microM, respectively. The entrapped hemoglobin exhibits high peroxidase-like activity for the catalytic reduction of H(2)O(2) with an apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (K(M)(app)) of 143 microM. The nanosheet-based ZnO could be a promising matrix for the fabrication of direct electrochemical biosensors, and may find wide potential applications in biomedical detection and environmental analysis.

Influence of variation in the operating conditions on PCDD/F distribution in a full-scale MSW incinerator.

Optimizing the operating parameters to minimize polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDD/F) emission is the common interest of the municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration industry. In this study, we investigated the distribution of tetra- to octa-CDD/F along the flue gas line in a full-scale reciprocating grate incinerator and evaluated the effects of temperature control and O(2) level on PCDD/F formation. Six runs were laid out and all performed under sufficient burning conditions, in which the combustion efficiency of MSW was more than 99.9%. The total concentration of tetra- to octa-CDD/F measured at the boiler outlet showed an increasing tendency with the increase of boiler outlet temperature (T(B)) from 214 degrees C to 264 degrees C. When flue gas ran across the semi-dry scrubber and cyclone precipitator, in which the temperature varied from 264 degrees C to 162 degrees C, the concentrations of the lower chlorinated dioxins and furans were significantly raised, especially for the TCDF. Increasing O(2) supply from 6.0% to 10.5% essentially led to a higher yield of tetra- to octa-PCDD/F, suggested that under sufficient burning conditions the lower O(2) level was favorable for reducing PCDD/F formation and emission. The variation of O(2) level did not give rise to a systematical change of PCDD/F homologue pattern. For all measurements, the isomer distributions of tetra- to hepta-PCDD/F were more or less the same, nearly independent of variations in the operating conditions and sampling positions. Only the significant increase of the sum of 1,3,7,8-TCDF and 1,3,7,9-TCDF was found in the zone after the boiler section.

Advances in sensing and biosensing of bisphenols: A review.

Bisphenols (BPs) are well known endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that cause adverse effects on the environment, biotic life and human health. BPs have been studied extensively because of an increasing concern for the safety of the environment and for human health. They are major raw materials for manufacturing polycarbonates, thermal papers and epoxy resins and are considered hazardous environmental contaminants. A vast array of sensors and biosensors have been developed for the sensitive screening of BPs based on carbon nanomaterials (carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, graphene and graphene oxide), quantum dots, metal and metal oxide nanocomposites, polymer nanocomposites, metal organic frameworks, ionic liquids and molecularly imprinted polymers. This review is devoted mainly to a variety of sensitive, selective and reliable sensing and biosensing methods for the detection of BPs using electrochemistry, fluorescence, colorimetry, surface plasmon resonance, luminescence, ELISAs, circular dichroism, resonance Rayleigh scattering and adsorption techniques in plastic products, food samples, food packaging, industrial wastes, pharmaceutical products, human body fluids and many other matrices. It summarizes the advances in sensing and biosensing methods for the detection of BPs since 2010. Furthermore, the article discusses challenges and future perspectives in the development of novel sensing methods for the detection of BP analogs.

Concentrations of short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in indoor dusts from malls in China: Implications for human exposure.

Levels and distribution of short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs and MCCPs) were measured in indoor dusts from malls in China. The concentrations of SCCPs and MCCPs in dustfalls from a building material mall ranged from 6.0 to 361.4 µg g-1 and from 5.0 to 285.9 µg g-1, respectively. Much heavier contamination was found in central air conditioner filter (CACF) dusts from a newly opened shopping mall, with SCCP concentrations of 114.7-707.0 µg g-1 and MCCP concentrations of 89.0-1082.9 µg g-1. The C13- and C14-CPs were the dominant congeners, while the Cl7 and Cl8 groups were the major chlorine congeners in both kinds of dust samples. Significant correlation relationships (p ≤ 0.05) were found between ∑SCCPs and ∑MCCPs in CACF dusts and dustfalls. Varied exposure pathways including dust ingestion and dermal permeation have been evaluated. The average daily exposure doses of SCCPs and MCCPs for the adult in CACF dusts and dustfalls were estimated to be 0.394 and 0.150 µg kg-1 day-1, respectively. The toddler had higher exposure risks with 5.918 and 2.658 µg kg-1 day-1 in the shopping and building material malls, respectively. Dermal permeation was the predominated exposure pathway for the adult, while dust ingestion was suggested to be more important for the toddler due to hand-to-mouth contact.

[Preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers using dummy template and the applications in selective solid-phase extraction of seven bisphenols from human urine, bovine serum and beer samples].

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for selective recognition of seven bisphenols (BPs) was prepared using dummy template phenolphthalein (PP) by bulk polymerization. The characterization results of scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements showed that the prepared PP-MIP possessed narrow particle diameter distribution (40-60 µm), a specific surface area (S(BET)) of 359.77 m2/g and a total pore volume (Vt) of 0.730 cm3/g. The adsorption capacity for bisphenol A (BPA) of PP-MIP was evaluated by static adsorption experiment. And the Scatchard analysis revealed that the maximum specific adsorption capacity of PP-MIP was 4.661 µmol/g. Good class selectivity for BPA and its six structural analogues of bisphenol B (BPB) , bisphenol E (BPE), bisphenol AF (BPAF), bisphenol S (BPS), bisphenol AP (BPAP) and bisphenol Z (BPZ) was demonstrated by the chromatographic evaluation experiment. The prepared PP-MIP was successfully used as solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent for the separation and purification of the seven BPs in human urine, bovine serum and beer samples. Meanwhile, an accurate and sensitive MIP-SPE-HPLC method was established for the determination of the seven BPs in human urine, bovine serum and beer samples. The limits of detection (LODs) for the three samples were in the range of 1.2-2.0 µg/L. The results showed that good linearities were obtained in the range of 0.02-2 mg/L for the seven BPs and the correlation coefficients (r) were higher than 0.999 8. The recoveries of the BPs spiked in blank samples at two spiked levels (100 and 500 µg/L for each BP) were in the range of 90.1%-107.1% with the RSDs ≤ 8.1%. The proposed method is simple and reliable for the rapid detection of the seven BPs in human urine, bovine serum and beer samples.

3D metal-organic framework as highly efficient biosensing platform for ultrasensitive and rapid detection of bisphenol A.

As is well known, bisphenol A (BPA), usually exists in daily plastic products, is one of the most important endocrine disrupting chemicals. In this work, copper-centered metal-organic framework (Cu-MOF) was synthesized, which was characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR and electrochemical method. The resultant Cu-MOF was explored as a robust electrochemical biosensing platform by choosing tyrosinase (Tyr) as a model enzyme for ultrasensitive and rapid detection of BPA. The Cu-MOF provided a 3D structure with a large specific surface area, which was beneficial for enzyme and BPA absorption, and thus improved the sensitivity of the biosensor. Furthermore, Cu-MOF as a novel sorbent could increase the available BPA concentration to react with tyrosinase through π-π stacking interactions between BPA and Cu-MOF. The Tyr biosensor exhibited a high sensitivity of 0.2242A M(-1) for BPA, a wide linear range from 5.0×10(-8) to 3.0×10-6moll(-1), and a low detection limit of 13nmoll(-1). The response time for detection of BPA is less than 11s. The proposed method was successfully applied to rapid and selective detection of BPA in plastic products with satisfactory results. The recoveries are in the range of 94.0-101.6% for practical applications. With those remarkable advantages, MOFs-based 3D structures show great prospect as robust biosensing platform for ultrasensitive and rapid detection of BPA.

Molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres prepared by Pickering emulsion polymerization for selective solid-phase extraction of eight bisphenols from human urine samples.

The bisphenol A (BPA) imprinted polymer microspheres were prepared by simple Pickering emulsion polymerization. Compared to traditional bulk polymerization, both high yields of polymer and good control of particle sizes were achieved. The characterization results of scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements showed that the obtained molecularly imprinted polymer microsphere (MIPMS) particles possessed regular spherical shape, narrow diameter distribution (30-60 µm), a specific surface area (S(BET)) of 281.26 m(2) g(-1) and a total pore volume (V(t)) of 0.459 cm(3) g(-1). Good specific adsorption capacity for BPA was obtained in the sorption experiment and good class selectivity for BPA and its seven structural analogs (bisphenol F, bisphenol B, bisphenol E, bisphenol AF, bisphenol S, bisphenol AP and bisphenol Z) was demonstrated by the chromatographic evaluation experiment. The MIPMS as solid-phase extraction (SPE) packing material was then evaluated for extraction and clean-up of these bisphenols (BPs) from human urine samples. An accurate and sensitive analytical method based on the MIPMS-SPE coupled with HPLC-DAD has been successfully established for simultaneous determination of eight BPs from human urine samples with detection limits of 1.2-2.2 ng mL(-1). The recoveries of BPs for urine samples at two spiking levels (100 and 500 ng mL(-1) for each BP) were in the range of 81.3-106.7% with RSD values below 8.3%.

Novel dummy molecularly imprinted polymers for matrix solid-phase dispersion extraction of eight fluoroquinolones from fish samples.

A series of novel dummy molecularly imprinted polymers (DMIPs) were prepared as highly class-selective sorbents for fluoroquinolones. A non-poisonous dummy template, daidzein, was used for the first time to create specific molecular recognition sites for fluoroquinolones in the synthesized polymers. The influence of porogen polarity on dummy molecular imprinting effect was studied. The DMIP prepared using dimethylsulfoxide-acetonitrile (1:1.8, v/v) as porogen achieved the highest imprinting factors (IF) for fluoroquinolones over a range of IF 13.4-84.0. This DMIP was then used for selective extraction of eight fluoroquinolones (fleroxacin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, pefloxacin, ciprofloxacin, lomefloxacin, enrofloxacin and gatifloxacin) from fish samples based on dummy molecularly imprinted matrix solid-phase dispersion (DMI-MSPD). The extracted fluoroquinolones were subsequently analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with a fluorescence detector (FLD). The developed method had acceptable recoveries (64.4-102.7%) and precision (RSDs: 1.7-8.5%, n=5) for determination of fluoroquinolones in fish samples fortified at levels of 10 and 100ngg(-1). The limits of detection (LODs) for identification of eight fluoroquinolones ranged between 0.06 and 0.22ngg(-1). The results demonstrated great potential of the optimized method for sample preparation in routine analysis of trace fluoroquinolones in fish samples.

Highly class-selective solid-phase extraction of bisphenols in milk, sediment and human urine samples using well-designed dummy molecularly imprinted polymers.

Dummy molecularly imprinted polymers (DMIPs) towards bisphenols (BPs) were prepared employing 1,1,1-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane (THPE) and phenolphthalein (PP) as dummy templates. The selectivity of the resulting DMIPs was evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Both PP-DMIP and THPE-DMIP showed excellent class selectivity towards bisphenols. THPE-DMIP prepared using the template molecule with three hydroxyphenyl functionalities achieved higher imprinting factors (IF) for the bisphenols over a range of 7.9-19.8. An efficient approach based on dummy molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction (DMISPE) coupled with HPLC-DAD was developed for selective extraction of eight bisphenols in sediment, milk and human urine samples using THPE-DMIP as sorbents. The method showed good recoveries (82-102%) and precision (RSD 0.2-4%, n=3) for these samples spiked at two concentration levels (25 and 250ngg(-1) or ngmL(-1)). The detection limits ranged between 0.6 and 1.1ngg(-1) or ngmL(-1). Efficient removal of sample matrix and interferences was also achieved for these samples after DMISPE process. The results demonstrated great potential of the optimized methods for sample preparation in the routine analysis of trace BPs in complex samples.

Highly selective dummy molecularly imprinted polymer as a solid-phase extraction sorbent for five bisphenols in tap and river water.

A simple and fast method for both dummy template selection and polymer composition optimization is proposed here. A series of dummy templates for bisphenols imprinting were screened by running them on a non-imprinted polymer (NIP) column with porogen solvent as mobile phase. The tested dummy templates mainly involved bisphenol S (BPS), bromobisphenol A (TBBPA), bisphenol F (BPF), bisphenol E (BPE), bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol AF (BPAF), 2,2',6,6'-tetramethyl-4,4'-sulfonyldiphenol (BS-TM) and 4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane (DADPM). Different monomers and porogens were also investigated for BPS and DADPM using the same method. BPS dummy template was finally selected with acetonitrile and 4-VP as porogen and monomer. The resulting dummy molecularly imprinted polymer (DMIP) achieved superior affinities for BPF, BPE, BPA, BPB and BPAF with imprinting factors 14.5, 13.8, 8.7, 5.7 and 4.2, respectively. An efficient method based on BPS-DMIP-SPE coupled with HPLC-UV was developed for selective extraction of BPF, BPE, BPA, BPB and BPAF in water samples. The method showed excellent recoveries (89.4-102.0%) and precision (RSD 0.3-4.8%, n=5) for tap and river water samples spiked at three concentration levels each (40, 200 and 1000ngL(-1)). The detection limits ranged between 2.2 and 3.8ngL(-1) with a sample volume of 500mL. The result demonstrated the superiority of the optimized method for selective extraction of BPs in water samples at the ngL(-1) level.

Immobilization of the proteins in the natural rubber with dialdehyde sodium alginate.

The biodegradable dialdehyde sodium alginate (DASA) was exploited to immobilize the proteins in the natural rubber latex (NRL) and the variations of the properties for the NRL films were estimated in detail. As demonstrated, the proteins were distributed more uniformly in the NRL films with DASA and the extractable protein (EP) content was effectively decreased. Particularly, the EP content was lowered to a value about 46 µg/g with 0.40% DASA, which could meet with the demands of the allergy protein threshold limit of 50 µg/g as described in ASTM D 5712 standard. Furthermore, there was some improve on the burial degradability of the NRL films modified with DASA. The mechanical properties, however, had no evident variation in the presence of DASA. In conclusion, the immobilization of the proteins with DASA should be a potential alternative to tackle the protein allergy problem for the NRL and its products.

Preparation and characterization of neutral poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate-based monolith for normal phase liquid chromatography.

A novel porous poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate-based monolithic column for normal phase liquid chromatography was prepared by thermally initiated polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMEMA) and ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) in the presence of selected porogens. The monolith was macroscopically homogeneous, had low flow resistance, and did not swell or shrink significantly in solvents of different polarities. Inverse size-exclusion data indicate that the monolith had a total porosity of 79.2%, including an external porosity of 69.3% and an internal porosity of 9.9%. Due to its mild polarity (hydrophilicity), the PEG-functionalized monolith could perform traditional normal phase chromatography using non-polar solvents The van Deemter plot demonstrated that the column efficiency of 33,600-34,320 theoretical plates/m could be achieved at a linear flow velocity of 0.9-1.5mm/s. The dual retention capability (both weak hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions) investigated in this paper explains well why the PEG-functionalized monolith could operate in various chromatographic modes.