Cr(VI) Oxidation of Cholesterol—A Kinetic Study Using N-Cetylpicolinium Dichromates,A Class of Novel Phase Transfer Oxidants

Kinetics and Catalysis - Kinetic study of cholesterol oxidation has been studied using a series of N-cetylpicolinium dichromates (CPDC), a class of phase transfer oxidants, in acetic acid medium...     

Numerical predictions for unsteady viscous flow past an array of cylinders

The unsteady two-dimensional flow around an array of circular cylinders submerged in a uniform onset flow is analysed. The fluid is taken to be viscous and incompressible. The array of cylinders consists of two horizontal rows extending to infinity in the upstream and downstream directions. The centre-to-centre distance between adjacent cylinders is fixed at three diameters, and the rows are staggered. Advantage is taken of spatially periodic boundary conditions in the flow direction. This reduces the computational domain to a rectangular region surrounding a single circular cylinder. Two cases, for Reynolds numbers of 1000 and 10,000, are presented.     

Determination of plasma ethambutol with liquid chromatography and ultraviolet spectrophotometry

The method presented here is based on the ability of ethambutol to give chelates with divalent cationic metals. With copper salts, the chelate presents a characteristic ultraviolet absorbance at 270 nm, making it possible to titrate ethambutol extracted from plasma with chloroform in alkaline medium. The column which was used contained silica (LiChrosorb Si 60, 5 microns) and the mobile phase was a mixture of equal parts of water and acetonitrile, containing copper sulphate and ammonia. The internal standard was a lower homologue of ethambutol with the same chelating ability. The detection limit was 0.15 mg/l. No interference with other antitubercular agents was observed.     

A semiclassical formula for the reaction cross-section of heavy ions

We discuss an improvement to the expression for the heavy-ion reaction cross-section proposed long ago by Karol (P.J. Karol, Phys. Rev. C 11, 1203 (1975)) which describes the two-ion interaction through the nucleon-nucleon collisions in their overlap region when they come into contact. This improvement consists in considering the limitations due to the Pauli principle, which at low incident energies forbids many nucleon interactions, and in including a Coulomb factor. The final expression for which we also propose a new parametrization reproduces satisfactorily the known reaction cross-sections for many ion combinations using a global set of parameters. A decomposition of the reaction cross-section into the contributions of peripheral interactions, as a function of the impact parameter, is also discussed.     

Elastic properties of the Ta–V system: bcc Ta0.33V0.67 and C15 TaV2

Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy was used to measure the elastic constants of bcc Ta_0.33V_0.67 over the temperature range 3.5–300?K; the results were compared to earlier measurements on C15 TaV₂. The temperature dependence of the polycrystalline shear modulus is completely different in the two phases; that of the bcc phase decreases with temperature whereas that of the C15 phases increases in an anomalous fashion. This difference is consistent with a model involving doubly-degenerate levels at the X point of the Brillouin zone in the C15 phase with the Fermi level lying near the doubly degenerate level. This model accounted for the unusual behaviour of the C15 phase. Debye temperatures were determined from the ultrasonic measurements: 295?K for the C15 phase and 315?K for the bcc phase.     

Structural characteristics of different types of nanoparticles synthesised in mesomorphic metal alkanoates

The class of thermotropic ionic liquid crystals (LCs) of the metal alkanoates possesses a number of unique properties, such as intrinsic ionic conductivity, high dissolving ability and ability to form time-stable mesomorphic glasses. These ionic LCs can be used as nanoreactors for the synthesis and stabilisation of different types of nanoparticles (NPs). Thus, some semiconductors, metals and core/shell NPs were chemically synthesised in the thermotropic ionic liquid crystalline phase (smectic A) of the cadmium octanoate (CdC₈) and of the cobalt octanoate (CoC₈). By applying the scanning electron microscopy, the cadmium and cobalt octanoate composites containing CdS, Au, Ag and core/shell Au/CdS NPs have been studied. NPs’ sizes and dispersion distribution of the NPs’ size in the nanocomposites have been obtained.     

Rapid and sensitive HILIC–MS/MS analysis of carnitine and acetylcarnitine in biological fluids

Monitoring carnitine and acetylcarnitine levels in biological fluids is a powerful tool for diagnostic studies. Research has recently shown that the analysis of carnitine and related compounds in clinical samples can be accomplished by different analytical approaches. Because of the polar and ionic nature of the analytes and matrix complexity, accurate quantitation is a highly challenging task. Thus, sample processing factors, preparation/cleanup procedures, and chromatographic/ionization/detection parameters were evaluated. On the basis of the results obtained, a rapid, selective, sensitive method based on hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of carnitine and acetylcarnitine in serum and urine samples is proposed. The matrix effect was assessed. The proposed approach was validated, the limits of detection were in the nanomolar range, and carnitine and acetylcarnitine levels were found within the micromolar range in both types of sample.

Irradiation of a cone by a magnetic dipole

Th electromagnetic field produced by a magnetic dipole in thepresence of a perfectly conducting cone of arbitrary cross-sectionis determined. The solution is used to find out how a currenton the cone travelling towards the apex is reflected. Some valuesof the reflection coefficient are calculated. In particular,it is shown that there is a sort of resonance with the reflectionincreasing significantly as the cone approaches a plane.     

Prospect on Rare Earth Elements and Metals Fingerprint for the Geographical Discrimination of Commercial Spanish Wines

This paper presents a novel tool for Spanish commercial wine discrimination according to their designation of origin (PDO). A total of 65 commercial wines from different Spanish designation of origin (Alicante, Bullas, Campo de Borja, Jumilla, Castilla la Mancha, Ribeiro, Ribera de Duero, Rioja, Rueda, Utiel-Requena, Valdepeñas and Valencia) were characterized. The rare earth elements (REEs) content was determined by a high-temperature torch integrated sample introduction system (hTISIS) coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The REE content was used to draw characteristic PDOs radar charts. Results indicated that the REEs fingerprint provides a good prospect to discriminate the different Spanish PDOs, except for Alicante, Castilla la Mancha, Jumilla, Utiel-Requena and Valdepeñas. Finally, for those PDOs that were not properly distinguished, a second fingerprint obtained from Ba, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb and V content was used for discrimination purposes.