The impurity characteristics of methamphetamine synthesized by Emde and Nagai method

Impurity profiling and classification of seized methamphetamine may play an important role in the interpretation of analytical results, the determination of the synthetic method employed, and the criminal investigations of drug traffic routes. Our study is focused on classifying seized methamphetamine samples according to the groups sorted by the types and quantities of impurities present in illicit methamphetamine samples. The samples (100 mg) were dissolved in 2 mL of potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), extracted with 200 μL of ethyl acetate under basic condition, and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) with a DB-1 capillary column (30 m × 0.25 mm i.d., 0.25 μm). Five impurities are used as criteria for the classification of seized methamphetamine samples by Emde and Nagai method. A total of fifty-two samples of seized methamphetamine were analyzed by GC–MS and classified by five organic impurities, and then sorted into four groups, which are Nagai type, Emde Type, Undetermined I type, and Undetermined II type.     

Korea-related information,resources and activism in Cyberspace

Abstract

Until a few years ago, information and resources on Korea were hard to obtain. The mainstream media chose to cover news stories on Korea only in times of crisis. One had to search diligently amongst academic journals for in-depth analysis of current events in Korea.     

Failure of thumbtacks used in control of presacral hemorrhage.

We report a case of failure of thumbtacks used in achieving last-resort hemostasis in a gunshot injury to the presacral venous plexus/sacrum. Four of five thumbtacks used detached. The exact mechanism of failure is not known. To our knowledge, there are no reports of failure of these hemostatic devices in the literature. This finding suggests to us that thumbtack hemostasis is not without complication. It is not known whether injury to internal viscera and organs occurred secondary to the loose thumbtacks. We suggest that surgeons as well as pathologists use caution when exploring pelvic or abdominal cavities following pelvic vascular trauma due to the considerable danger posed by these sharp objects.     

(1S,2S)-1-Methylamino-1-phenyl-2-chloropropane: Route specific marker impurity of methamphetamine synthesized from ephedrine via chloroephedrine

Identification of route specific marker impurities of (S)-(+)-methamphetamine can provide us with very useful information for (S)-(+)-methamphetamine abuse criminal investigation. (1S,2S)-(+)-Chloropseudoephedrine and (1R,2S)-(-)-chloroephedrine are well known impurities of (S)-(+)-methamphetamine synthesized by metal catalyzed hydrogenation of (1R,2S)-(-)-ephedrine or (1S,2S)-(+)-pseudoephedrine. In this report (1S,2S)-1-methylamino-1-phenyl-2-chloropropane is identified as a route specific marker impurity from metal catalyzed hydrogenation method for the synthesis of (1R,2S)-(-)-ephedrine or (1S,2S)-(+)-pseudoephedrine via its chloro-derivative. (1S,2S)-1-Methylamino-1-phenyl-2-chloropropane is a ring-opening compound of cis-1,2-dimethyl-3-phenylaziridine by reacting with HCl in high temperature condition of GC inlet.     

Development and security in international aid to North Korea: commonalities and differences among the European Union,the United States and South Korea

In this paper, we contend that the nexus of security and development lies in the crux of challenges confronting human security and aid failure in North Korea. We first review academic and policy discourses concerning the security-development nexus. We then analyse how the nexus works out its logic in North Korea by exploring how insecurity and underdevelopment have fed into each other, producing a vicious cycle that complicates efforts to address human security in North Korea. In the third and main section, we examine the ways in which South Korea, the USA and the EU provided for assistance to North Korea from 1995 to 2012 at national and international policy levels. We analyse their approaches to international aid and identify differences and commonalities in them so as to better understand how aid giving exacerbates or mitigates the insecurity/underdevelopment and then impacts on the development-security nexus. We finally conclude with a consideration of various strategies to help overcome the dual challenges of underdevelopment and insecurity that besiege North Korea.     

South Korea-China economic relations: Trends and prospects

Since the establishment of official diplomatic ties in 1992, bilateral economic relations between Korea and China have rapidly improved. The economic dynamism in China is expected to continue in the future. As continued economic development of China gains momentum, the economic relationship between the two countries will further be strengthened. However, future bilateral economic cooperation will take a path that differs significantly from the past. Both the quantity and quality of economic relations will increase and improve. In particular, Korea’s investment in China, which tends to be concentrated in the manufacturing sector, will broaden out to nonmanufacturing sectors, with the strategic motive of gaining access to China’s huge domestic market. His publications includeNortheast Asian Economic Cooperation: Perspectives and Challenges (KIEP, 1991).     

Simultaneous determination of creatinine and uric acid in urine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with polarity switching electrospray ionization

A simple liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated to simultaneously determine creatinine (Cr) and uric acid (UA) levels as a confirmatory method for adulteration or dilution of urine. Centrifuged urine samples (10μL) were diluted with 390μL of distilled water. 30μL of internal standard solution (Cr-d(3), 5μg/mL) and 10μL of acetonitrile were added to 20μL aliquots of diluted urine samples and filtered. The samples (1μL) were introduced into LC-MS/MS with no further pretreatment. Cr and UA were separated on a multi-mode ODS column (Scherzo SM-C18, 75mm×2.0mm I.D., 3μm) and quantified by LC-MS/MS with polarity-switching electrospray ionization. Cr requires the positive-ion mode, whereas the negative-ion mode is required for the analysis of UA. The linear ranges were 1.0-300mg/dL for Cr and 0.5-300mg/dL for UA, with good determination coefficients (R(2)≥0.9988). The intra-day and inter-day precision of the analytes was within 13.0% and 14.4%, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day accuracy was -8.8 to 3.7% and -0.3 to 6.6%, respectively. The lower limits of detection (LLODs) were 0.3mg/dL for Cr and 0.07mg/dL for UA. The applicability of the developed method was examined by analyzing urine samples from suspected drug abusers (n=46).     

Negotiators as Mediators: The Case of 1987–1995 Korea–United States Bilateral Trade Negotiations

Despite their widely recognized benefits, integrative approaches to negotiation have seldom been effectively used in interorganizational negotiations. This study analyzes the 1987–1995 Korea–United States Trade Negotiations, identifying elements in those talks that could have moved the negotiations in a more integrative direction. The role of building relationships — especially between key negotiators — is examined. Informal negotiations between the key negotiators from both sides were crucial in building such relationships, which helped both sides create solutions for mutual gains. This process was realized, inter alia, by the dual role that the key negotiators took on as negotiators and as mediators.