Mossbauer, infrared and magnetic susceptibility studies of iron sodium borate glasses doped by sulphur

The affect of sulphur on the structural properties of iron sodium diborate glasses having the composition {(100−x)Na₂B₄O₇+xFe₂O₃}+yS, where x=0.05, 0.15 and 0.25 mol% and Y=0, 2.5 and 5 wt% was studied by infrared, Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility measurements. It was found that, for samples having 5 mol% Fe₂O₃ and free from sulphur, the iron ions are present in both Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ states and also 92% of the total iron enters the glass network as a glass former. The ratio of Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ increases with increasing the iron content for sulphur-free samples and others containing sulphur. This ratio also decreases with increasing the sulphur content. The magnetic susceptibility was found to decrease with increasing the sulphur content. Also, the increase of Fe₂O₃ content led to a less symmetrical environment of Fe³⁺ ions and vice versa for the Fe²⁺ environment.     

Solving a robotic assembly line balancing problem using efficient hybrid methods

In this paper we are studying a robotic assembly line balancing problem. The goal is to maximize the efficiency of the line and to balance the different tasks between the robots by defining the suitable tasks and components to assign to each robot. We are interested in a robotic line which consists of seizing the products on a moving conveyor and placing them on different location points. The performances evaluations of the system are done using a discret event simulation model. This latter has been developed with C++ language. As in our industrial application we are bounded by the execution time, we propose some resolution methods which define the suitable component and point positions in order to define the strategy of pick and place for each robot. These methods are based on the ant colony optimization, particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithms. To enhance the quality of the developed algorithms and to avoid local optima, we have coupled these algorithms with guided local search. After that, an exact method based on full enumeration is also developed to assess the quality of the developed methods. Then, we try to select the best algorithm which is able to get the best solutions with a small execution time. This is the main advantage of our methods compared to exact methods. This fact represents a great interest taking in consideration that the selected methods are used to manage the functioning of real industrial robotic assembly lines. Numerical results show that the selected algorithm performs optimally for the tested instances in a reasonable computation time and satisfies the industrial constraint.     

Radon exhalation rate in building materials using plastic track detectors

The radon flux emitted from building material samples and from the surface of building materials could be determined using a simple and reliable method. This method was based on the use of cellulose nitrate films (LR-115 II). The samples and the detectors were placed in a closed can of known dimensions. Tracks due to alpha-particles of radon that migrate from the building material into the air space in the chamber were registered on the LR-115 film. The detectors were chemically etched in 2.5N NaOH solution at 60±1 °C for 115 minutes. Exhalation rates of various building material samples and of building surfaces of various building components were determined. The results obtained by this technique could be used to establish a database for average radon exhalation rates for all available building materials and walls or floors.     

A comparative study of HPLC-UV and UPLC-DAD methods for simultaneous estimation of aspirin and cilostazol in the presence of their related impurities in bulk and capsules

Aspirin (ASP) and cilostazol (CST) are used as a combination in pharmaceutical formulations for treatment of strokes. Salicylic acid (SAL) is considered to be one of the main synthesis impurities and a degradation product of ASP. On the other hand, the main related impurities of CST are CST related A, B, and C (CST-RA, CST-RB, and CST-RC), respectively. Furthermore, as high efficiency and less elution are the basic requirements of high-speed chromatographic separation, so, a comparative study of two simple, precise, and accurate reversed-phase HPLC and UPLC methods was developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of ASP and CST in bulk and capsules in the presence of SAL, CST-RA, CST-RB, and CST-RC. A Eurospher II C18 (250?×?4.6?mm², 5?µm) for HPLC method and an Agilent Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 (50?×?2.1?mm², 1.8?µm) for UPLC method were used. A gradient mobile phase of 20?mM anhydrous KH₂PO₄ buffer solution (containing 0.2% triethylamine (TEA), v/v) with pH adjusted to 2.9 using orthophosphoric acid (solution A) and acetonitrile (solution B) mixed in different proportions for HPLC and UPLC methods was prepared. Flow rate was set to 1.0 and 0.3?mL min^?1 for HPLC and UPLC methods, respectively, and the detection was performed for both methods at 210?nm. It worth noting that the proposed UPLC-DAD assay exhibited relatively much more precision, sensitivity, specificity, and economic and chromatographic separation superiority than proposed HPLC-UV assay. Both developed methods were compared with reference methods to prove its applicability and are suitable for purity assessment of ASP and CST in bulk and capsules.     

Characterization of multivariate stable processes

This paper deals with a characterization of a multivariate stable process using an independence property with a positive random variable. Moreover, we establish a characterization of a multivariate Lévy process based on the notion of cut in a natural exponential family. This allows us to draw some related properties. More precisely, we give the probability density function of this process and the law of the mixture of the Lévy process governed by the convolution semigroup with respect to an exponential random variable. These results are confidentially connected with the univariate case given by [G. Letac and V. Seshadri, Exponential stopping and drifted stable processes, Stat. Probab. Lett., 72:137–143, 2005].     

Labeling of atenolol with radioactive iodine-125 using <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-bromosuccinimide and hydrogen peroxide as oxidizing agents

An adopted method for the preparation of high radiochemical purity ¹²⁵I-atenolol was investigated. Direct radioiodination of atenolol was carried out using N-bromosuccinamide or hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent. The reaction proceeds well within 30 min at room temperature (25 ± 1 °C) and afforded a radiochemical yield up to 97% as pure as ¹²⁵I-atenolol. Different chromatographic techniques (electrophoresis, TLC and HPLC) were used to determine the radiochemical yield and purity of the labeled product. Biodistribution studies were carried out in normal Albino Swiss mice and the results indicate that ¹²⁵I-atenolol can be used safely as myocardial imaging agent.     

Validated spectrophotometric methods for the simultaneous determination of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride and metronidazole in tablets

A binary mixture of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CIP) and metronidazole (MET) was determined by five simple and accurate methods, without prior separation. In the first method, CIP was determined by second derivative spectrophotometric method ((2)D) by measuring the amplitude at 282 nm (zero ordinate value of MET). On the other hand, the determination of MET was based on isosbestic point technique, where the total content of the mixture was determined at 294.5 nm (isosbestic point), then the content of MET could be calculated by subtraction. The second method was first derivative ratio spectrophotometric method ((1)DD) where the total amplitude at 261 and 285 nm and the amplitude at 295.5 nm were selected to simultaneously determine CIP and MET in binary mixture, respectively. The third method was based on dual wavelength analysis, in which two wavelengths were selected, at which the absorbances of the other component were the same. The fourth method depends on using Q-analysis method (absorbance ratio) which involves the formation of Q-absorbance equation using the respective absorptivity values at 294.5 nm (isosbestic point) and 281.5 nm (λ(max) of CIP). The fifth method is partial least-squares (PLS) chemometric technique for determination of CIP and MET. The developed methods were successfully applied to the analysis of CIP and MET in laboratory prepared mixtures and tablets with good recoveries and their validation was carried out following the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. The results obtained were statistically compared with each other showing no significant difference with respect to accuracy and precision.     

Numerical modeling of guided wave interaction with non-axisymmetric cracks in elastic cylinders

A three dimensional (3D) hybrid method combining the classical finite element (FE) method with the semi-analytical finite element (SAFE) technique is developed. This hybrid method is employed to study the interaction of guided waves with non-axisymmetric damages in cylinders. The near field surrounding the damage is analysed with the 3D FE method. The solution is expanded into sums of guided modes on both inlet and outlet cross-sections. Such eigenmode expansions enable separation into ingoing and outgoing waves, i.e., incident, reflected and transmitted waves. Using the SAFE method, elastic guided modes are then computed at the aforementioned cross-sections thus reducing the analysis to two dimensions (2D). The amplitudes of the incident modes are imposed, whereas those of the scattered modes are determined by solving the global system of the 3D hybrid FE-SAFE model. In this paper, a formula is proposed for the calculation of eigenforces and modal power flows from eigendisplacements and SAFE matrices. This has the advantage of simplifying the post-process of load eigenvectors in hybrid FE-SAFE methods. Results obtained for a vertical free-end cylinder are in good agreement with those published in the literature. Moreover, first results of the interaction of the fundamental compressional, flexural and torsional Pochhammer–Chree modes with non-axisymmetric vertical cracks are obtained and discussed. Then, the interactions of the fundamental compressional mode with oblique free-ends and cracks are briefly addressed. The power balance is shown to be satisfied with a good accuracy.     

13C NMR Assignments of Artemisinin,Desoxyartemisinin and Artemether

The ¹³C nmr assignments for all carbons except the methylene groups were made for artemisinin (1), artemether (2) and desoxyartemisinin (3). The assignments were based on chemical shift theory and confirmed by selective band decoupling experiments.