scholarly journals Characteristics and toxicant emissions of JUUL electronic cigarettes

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 678-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soha Talih ◽  
Rola Salman ◽  
Rachel El-Hage ◽  
Ebrahim Karam ◽  
Nareg Karaoghlanian ◽  
...  

IntroductionJUUL is an electronic cigarette (ECIG) with a compact form factor. It is prefilled with a liquid that is advertised to contain a high concentration of nicotine salt. JUUL commands 50% of the US ECIG market share, and its wide popularity with underage users has triggered unprecedented actions by the US FDA. Apart from its nicotine salt-containing liquid and compact form, a salient advertised design feature is a control circuit that limits the heating coil temperature, presumably reducing unwanted toxicants. In this study, several tobacco-flavoured JUUL devices were reverse engineered, and their aerosol emissions were studied.MethodsTotal nicotine and its partitioning (freebase and protonated), propylene glycol/vegetable glycerin (PG/VG) ratio, and carbonyls were quantified by gas chromatography (GC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The temperature control functionality of JUUL was investigated using a temperature-controlled bath in which the coil was submerged.ResultsThe liquid nicotine concentration was found to be 69 mg/mL, and the liquid and aerosol PG/VG ratio was found to be 30/70. In 15 puffs, JUUL emitted 2.05 (0.08) mg of nicotine, overwhelmingly in the protonated form. Carbonyl yields were significantly lower than those reported for combustible cigarettes, but similar to other closed-system ECIG devices. The heating coil resistance was 1.6 (0.66) Ohm, while the maximum power delivered by the JUUL device was 8.1 W. The control circuit limited the peak operating temperature to approximately 215C.ConclusionsJUUL emits a high-nicotine concentration aerosol predominantly in the protonated form. JUUL’s nicotine-normalised formaldehyde and total aldehyde yields are lower than other previously studied ECIGs and combustible cigarettes.

Author(s):  
Boris A. Sokolov ◽  
Nikolay N. Tupitsyn

The paper presents results of engineering studies and research and development efforts at RSC Energia to analyze and prove the feasibility of using the mass-produced oxygen-hydrocarbon engine 11D58M with 8.5 ton-force thrust as a basis for development of a high-performance multifunctional rocket engine with oxygen cooling and 5 ton-force thrust, which is optimal for upper stages (US), embodying a system that does not include a gas generator. The multi-functionality of the engine implies including in it additional units supporting some functions that are important for US, such as feeding propellant from US tanks to the engine after flying in zero gravity, autonomous control of the engine automatic equipment to support its firing, shutdown, adjustments during burn and emergency protection in case of off-nominal operation, as well as generating torques for controlling the US attitude and stabilizing it during coasting, etc. Replacing conventional engine chamber cooling that uses high-boiling hydrocarbon fuel with the innovative oxygen cooling makes it possible to get rid of the internal film cooling circuits and eliminate their attendant losses of fuel, while the use of the oxygen gasified in the cooling circuit of the chamber to drive the turbo pump assembly permits to design an engine that does not have a gas generator. Key words: Multifunctional rocket engine, oxygen cooling, gas-generatorless design, upper stage.


Author(s):  
Lin Lin ◽  
Piyadarsha Amaratunga ◽  
Jerome Reed ◽  
Pornkamol Huang ◽  
Bridget Lorenz Lemberg ◽  
...  

Abstract Quantitative analysis of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) in oral fluid has gained increasing interest in clinical and forensic toxicology laboratories. New medicinal and/or recreational cannabinoid products require laboratories to distinguish different patterns of cannabinoid use. This study validated a high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for 13 different cannabinoids, including (-)-trans-Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC), (-)-trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), cannabidiol (CBD), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid-A (Δ9-THCA-A), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), 11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-Δ9-THC), 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THCCOOH), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabidiorcol (CBD-C1), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabinol (CBN) and cannabigerol (CBG), in oral fluid. Baseline separation was achieved in the entire quantitation range between Δ9-THC and its isomer Δ8-THC. The quantitation range of Δ9-THC, Δ8-THC and CBD was from 0.1 to 800 ng/mL. Two hundred human subject oral fluid samples were analyzed with this method after solid phase extraction. Among the 200 human subject oral fluid samples, all 13 cannabinoid analytes were confirmed in at least one sample. Δ8-THC was confirmed in 11 samples, with or without the presence of Δ9-THC. A high concentration of 11-OH-Δ9-THC or Δ9-THCCOOH (>400 ng/mL) was confirmed in three samples. CBD, Δ9-THCA-A, THCV, CBN and CBG were confirmed in 74, 39, 44, 107 and 112 of the 179 confirmed Δ9-THC-positive samples, respectively. The quantitation of multiple cannabinoids and metabolites in oral fluid simultaneously provides valuable information for revealing cannabinoid consumption and interpreting cannabinoid-induced driving impairment.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1808
Author(s):  
Rosa Tundis ◽  
Carmela Conidi ◽  
Monica R. Loizzo ◽  
Vincenzo Sicari ◽  
Rosa Romeo ◽  
...  

Olive mill wastewater (OMW), generated as a by-product of olive oil production, is considered one of the most polluting effluents produced by the agro-food industry, due to its high concentration of organic matter and nutrients. However, OMW is rich in several polyphenols, representing compounds with remarkable biological properties. This study aimed to analyze the chemical profile as well as the antioxidant and anti-obesity properties of concentrated fractions obtained from microfiltered OMW treated by direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) analyses were applied to quantify some phenols selected as phytochemical markers. Moreover, α-Amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase inhibitory activity were investigated together with the antioxidant activity by means of assays, namely β-carotene bleaching, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic) acid (ABTS) diammonium salts, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, and Ferric Reducing Activity Power (FRAP) tests. MD retentate—which has content of about five times greater of hydroxytyrosol and verbascoside and about 7 times greater of oleuropein than the feed—was more active as an antioxidant in all applied assays. Of interest is the result obtained in the DPPH test (an inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) of 9.8 μg/mL in comparison to the feed (IC50 of 97.2 μg/mL)) and in the ABTS assay (an IC50 of 0.4 μg/mL in comparison to the feed (IC50 of 1.2 μg/mL)).


Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1738
Author(s):  
Saeid Vafaei ◽  
Alexander Wolosz ◽  
Catlin Ethridge ◽  
Udo Schnupf ◽  
Nagisa Hattori ◽  
...  

SnO2 nanoparticles are regarded as attractive, functional materials because of their versatile applications. SnO2 nanoaggregates with single-nanometer-scale lumpy surfaces provide opportunities to enhance hetero-material interfacial areas, leading to the performance improvement of materials and devices. For the first time, we demonstrate that SnO2 nanoaggregates with oxygen vacancies can be produced by a simple, low-temperature sol-gel approach combined with freeze-drying. We characterize the initiation of the low-temperature crystal growth of the obtained SnO2 nanoaggregates using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results indicate that Sn (II) hydroxide precursors are converted into submicrometer-scale nanoaggregates consisting of uniform SnO2 spherical nanocrystals (2~5 nm in size). As the sol-gel reaction time increases, further crystallization is observed through the neighboring particles in a confined part of the aggregates, while the specific surface areas of the SnO2 samples increase concomitantly. In addition, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements suggest that Sn (II) ions exist in the SnO2 samples when the reactions are stopped after a short time or when a relatively high concentration of Sn (II) is involved in the corresponding sol-gel reactions. Understanding this low-temperature growth of 3D SnO2 will provide new avenues for developing and producing high-performance, photofunctional nanomaterials via a cost-effective and scalable method.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-23
Author(s):  
Arjun Bhusal ◽  
Peter M. Muriana

In the US, sodium nitrate is used as a preservative and curing agent in processed meats and is therefore a regulated ingredient. Nitrate reducing bacteria (NRB) can convert vegetable nitrate into nitrite allowing green/clean label status in the US as per the USDA-FSIS definition of ‘natural nitrite’. The current ‘in-liquid’ test tube assay for detecting nitrite is not suitable for screening mixtures of bacteria nor is commercial nitrate broth suitable for growth of many Gram (+) bacteria. M17 broth was therefore used to develop M17-nitrate broth to be inclusive of Gram (+) bacteria. An ‘on-agar’ colony-screening assay was developed to detect the conversion of nitrate to nitrite on agar plates and could detect one NRB+ colony among ~300–500 colonies on a single plate. Samples that might have NRB were spread-plated on M17 agar plates, sandwiched with nitrate agar, and after incubation followed with sequential agar overlays containing the reagents used in the nitrate reduction assay; the appearance of red color zones above colonies indicated the presence of nitrite. NRB derived from various samples were confirmed for nitrate conversion and both nitrate and nitrite were quantified by C8 reversed-phase (RP) ion-pairing high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis (1 ppm limit of detection). Staphylococcus carnosus, a strain commonly used for nitrate reduction, was able to convert 1100 ppm M17-nitrate broth to 917 ppm nitrite. Staphylococcus caprae and Panteoa agglomerans, NRB isolated using the M17-nitrate agar assay, were also able to ferment the same broth to 916 ppm and 867 ppm nitrite, respectively. This is the first report of an on-agar colony screening assay for the detection and isolation of nitrite reducing bacteria allowing NRB to be readily isolated. This may allow for the identification of new bacteria that may have a more efficient process to generate nitrite, and possibly concomitant with production of additional natural antimicrobials, as vegetable nitrite becomes more widely used to prevent spore germination.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1455
Author(s):  
David T. Bird ◽  
Nuggehalli M. Ravindra

The US Department of Defense (DoD) realizes the many uses of additive manufacturing (AM) as it has become a common fabrication technique for an extensive range of engineering components in several industrial sectors. 3D Printed (3DP) sensor technology offers high-performance features as a way to track individual warfighters on the battlefield, offering protection from threats such as weaponized toxins, bacteria or virus, with real-time monitoring of physiological events, advanced diagnostics, and connected feedback. Maximum protection of the warfighter gives a distinct advantage over adversaries by providing an enhanced awareness of situational threats on the battle field. There is a need to further explore aspects of AM such as higher printing resolution and efficiency, with faster print times and higher performance, sensitivity and optimized fabrication to ensure that soldiers are more safe and lethal to win our nation’s wars and come home safely. A review and comparison of various 3DP techniques for sensor fabrication is presented.


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Peter Ault ◽  
Pete Lockwood ◽  
Robert Cloutier ◽  
David Kinee

Polysiloxane coatings are the most recent high performance coatings developed to take advantage of the heat and oxidation resistant properties of silicone-based materials. Commercially available polysiloxane coatings predominately consist of organic-inorganic siloxane materials (though some pure siloxane materials are available). Recently, the US Navy has approved polysiloxane coatings as “High Durability” in their specification for exterior weather resistant coatings (MIL-PRF-24635 Type V and VI). Navy approval comes after over 20 years of industry development of polysiloxane coatings for high performance industrial and marine applications, yet issues remain with their cost-effective implementation in the Navy fleet. This paper will review experiences of the offshore and marine industry with polysiloxane coatings and provide an update on the Navy adoption of the technology.


2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manivannan Kandasamy ◽  
Ping C. Wu ◽  
Scott Bartlett ◽  
Loc Nguyen ◽  
Frederick Stern

The US Navy is currently considering the introduction of a Flight III variant beginning with DDG-123 in Fiscal Year 2016. The new design incorporates a new combat system and associated power and cooling upgrades. The overall system improvements increase the payload of the ship and the resulting increased displacement has a negative impact on the service life allowance for range, fuel consumption and sea-keeping characteristics. The present objective is to increase the hull displacement without resistance and sea-keeping penalty and with minimal modifications to the baseline DTMB-5415 design (open literature surrogate of the existing DDG-51 hull form) by using retrofitted blisters in the form of side hull expansions and a bow-bulb. The investigation makes use of high-performance CFD computing for analysis of wave cancellation mechanisms. A candidate modified 5415 design with both blisters and bow bulb shows a resistance reduction of ~11% w.r.t.the baseline 5415 in the design speed range of 15-19 knots, even though the displacement is increased by 8%, such that the transport factor is increased by 19%.


Significance Although low commodity prices deterred investment in recent years, this is changing as the market rallies. The creation of a regional electric vehicle (EV) supply chain straddling the Canada-US border has the potential to transform the Canadian mining sector while loosening China’s grip on the minerals used in high-performance batteries. Impacts Canada is the world’s eighth-largest cobalt producer and has significant copper, graphite and rare earth deposits. Fortune Minerals, which is developing a cobalt mine in Northwest Territories, has held funding talks with the US Export/Import Bank. First Cobalt is building North America’s only cobalt refinery to give battery makers an alternative source to the DRC. Several of the country’s mines are using cutting-edge technologies to reduce their carbon emissions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 671-674

Bioanalytical methods for bioequivalence studies require high sensibility and rapidity due to the large number of samples and the low plasma concentration of drugs. The present study aimed to develop and validate a high-performance liquid chromatography method to quantify cimetidine (CMT) in human plasma and to apply it in a bioequivalence study. Spiked plasma of 500 µl (l, m and h concentration) was used for the assay. The HPLC injection volume was 20μl of the reconstitute sample where, 2 ml of ethyl acetate used for extraction purposes. Cimetidine was prepared separately for low (80 ng/ml), medium (2000 ng/ml) and high (3600 ng/ml) concentrations and internal standard (ranitidine) concentration was 3000 ng/ml. Freeze thawing and long terms stability were conducted at -25º c. The individual calibration curve for spiked standards was linear with R2= 0.99. The inaccuracy values for QC samples were within 15% of the actual value and not more than 20% for the LOQ. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 40 ng/ml, which was also the lowest concentration of cimetidine that was quantitated with the variability of 5.9%. The within day precision and between day precision for LOQ were 10.8 and 5.9 respectively. The retention time for the analyte was 4.1-4.5 minutes during the within a day and between day results. The mean % inaccuracy values for low, medium and high concentration were 6.8, 5.6 and 7.8 respectively for within day and 2.4, 6.1 and 7.9 respectively for between days. The within day and between day % inaccuracy for LOQ concentration was 12.4 and 5.5 respectively. The mean recoveries for low, medium and high concentration of cimetidine were 80.2, 70.9 and 74.2. The overall mean recovery for cimetidine was 75.1%. The maximum inaccuracy for freeze thaw cycle and long term stability samples for low, medium and high was found with CV less than 15% for all concentrations, indicating that cimetidine is stable. The developed method was precise and accurate and was suitable to be applied for the bioequivalence study of cimetidine.


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