Partitioning multi-edge graphs

We introduce a new kind of graph called multi-edge graph which arises in many applications such as finite state Markov chains and broadcasting communication networks. A cluster in such a graph is a set of nodes such that for any ordered pair of nodes, there is a path of multi-edges from one to the other such that these edges remain within the same set. We give two algorithms to partition a multi-edge graph into maximal clusters. Both these algorithms are based on the depth-first search algorithm to find strongly connected components of the directed graph. We also discuss some applications of clustering in multi-edge graphs.     

Development and Validation of a Liquid Chromatographic Method for Determination of Efavirenz in Human Plasma

A simple, rapid, and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method for estimation of efavirenz in human plasma has been developed and validated. Chromatography was performed with C₁₈ analytical column and 50:50 acetonitrile–phosphate buffer (pH 3.5) as mobile phase. Compounds were monitored by UV detection at 247 nm. The retention time for efavirenz was 6.45 min and that for the internal standard, nelfinavir, was 2.042 min. Response was a linear over the concentration range of 0.1 μg–10 μg mL⁻¹ in human plasma. The method was simple, specific, precise and accurate and was useful for bioequivalence and pharmacokinetic studies of efavirenz.     

Synthesis of 3‐(substituted)‐2,4,8,15‐tetroxa‐3‐phosphadispiro[5.2.5]hexadecane‐3‐oxides

Novel 3‐(substituted)‐2,4,8,15‐tetroxa‐3‐phosphadispiro[5.2.5]hexadecane‐3‐oxides (3‐12) have been synthesized by cyclization of 1,5‐dioxaspiro[5.5]undecande‐3,3‐dimethanol (1) with various substituted aryl phosphorus dichloridates (2) in dry toluene‐THF in the presence of triethylamine at 40‐60 ^oC. Their molecular structures were determined by ir, nmr and mass spectral studies and were screened for antifungal activity against Curvularia lunata and Aspergillus niger, and antibacterial activity on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Most of them possess significant activity.     

EXAFS studies of cobalt oxides and oxide glasses

The exafs of Co²⁺ has been studied in rare earth cobaltites and in sulphate and borate glasses. It has been found that the environment of Co²⁺ ions is very similar in these cases. It appears feasible to study local structures in glasses using probe ion exafs. Communication No. 151 from the Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit.     

Synthesis and characterisation of bis(pentafluorophenyl)antimony(V) cations, [(C6F5)2SbL3]

Pentacoordinate complex cations of the general formula [(C₆F₅)₂SbL₃]³⁺ stabilized as solid salts in combination with tetraphenylborate (BPh₄), tetrafluorobroate (BF₄) anions, where L=DMSO, Ph₃AsO, PyO, DMF, α-, β- and γ-picoline have been isolated. The newly formed complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance measurements, solid-state IR and and NMR. From these results, a five-fold coordination around antimony was required.     

Universal consequences of the presence of excluded volume interactions in dilute polymer solutions undergoing shear flow

The role of solvent quality in determining the universal material properties of dilute polymer solutions undergoing steady simple shear flow is examined. A bead-spring chain representation of the polymer molecule is used, and the influence of solvent molecules on polymer conformations is modelled by a narrow Gaussian excluded volume potential that acts pairwise between the beads of the chain. Brownian dynamics simulations data, acquired for chains of finite length, and extrapolated to the limit of infinite chain length, are shown to be model independent. This feature of the narrow Gaussian potential, which leads to results identical to a delta-function repulsive potential, enables the prediction of both universal crossover scaling functions and asymptotic behavior in the excluded volume limit. Universal viscometric functions, obtained by this procedure, are found to exhibit increased shear thinning with increasing solvent quality. In the excluded volume limit, they are found to obey power law scaling with the characteristic shear rate beta, in close agreement with previously obtained renormalization group results. The presence of excluded volume interactions is also shown to lead to a weakening of the alignment of the polymer chain with the flow direction.     

An approximate max-flow min-cut relation for undirected multicommodity flow,with applications

In this paper, we prove the first approximate max-flow min-cut theorem for undirected multicommodity flow. We show that for a feasible flow to exist in a multicommodity problem, it is sufficient that every cut's capacity exceeds its demand by a factor ofO(logClogD), whereC is the sum of all finite capacities andD is the sum of demands. Moreover, our theorem yields an algorithm for finding a cut that is approximately minimumrelative to the flow that must cross it. We use this result to obtain an approximation algorithm for T. C. Hu's generalization of the multiway-cut problem. This algorithm can in turn be applied to obtain approximation algorithms for minimum deletion of clauses of a 2-CNF formula, via minimization, and other problems. We also generalize the theorem to hypergraph networks; using this generalization, we can handle CNF clauses with an arbitrary number of literals per clause.Most of the results in this paper were presented in preliminary form in Approximation through multicommodity flow,Proceedings, 31th Annual Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science (1990), pp. 726–737.Research supported by the National Science Foundation under NSF grant CDA 8722809, by the Office of Naval and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under contract N00014-83-K-0146, and ARPA Order No. 6320, Amendament 1.Research supported by NSF grant CCR-9012357 and by an NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award.     

On pathwise behavior of multiserver queues

In this paper, by exploiting recent results on the pathwise behavior of the workload process in single server, work conserving queues of theG/G/1/ type, we show that the workload of multiserver, work conserving queues ofG/G/m/ (m<) (andG/G/) queues satisfies an o(t) growth condition, provided that the time average of the work brought into the system is less thanm form < (and finite form=).     

Local magnetism of Rh in Ni-Rh alloys near the critical composition for ferromagnetism

Local magnetic behaviour of Rh implanted into Ni-Rh alloys near the critical Rh compositionx=0.37 has been studied using the TDPAC method. The observed Curie-Weiss type local susceptibility reflects the presence of large d spin polarization around Rh yielding a total moment of 4.7 _B. Our results show that the magnetism of Rh in the alloys depends strongly on the number of Ni near neighbour atoms.     

Determination of hydrogen peroxide based on a metal dispersed sol-gel derived ceramic-graphite composite electrode

A new copper dispersed ceramic-graphite composite electrode was fabricated by the initial mixing of copper nitrate and (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxy silane (MPS) followed by stirring with graphite powder. The combination of the metal catalysis and the advantages of the ceramic composite favored the electrocatalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at a reduced overpotential of -0.2 V with good sensitivity, stability and reproducibility. The sensor showed a good linear response to H2O2 in the range from 8.3 x 10(-6) M to 2.0 x 10(-3) M with a correlation coefficient of 0.9989 and the detection limit was 6.2 x 10(-6) M (S/N =3).