Carbon precipitation and diffusion in SiGeC alloys under silicon self-interstitial injection

In this work we investigate the diffusion and precipitation of supersaturated substitutional carbon in 200-nm-thick SiGeC layers buried under a silicon cap layer of 40 nm. The samples were annealed in either inert (N₂) or oxidizing (O₂) ambient at 850 °C for times ranging from 2 to 10 h. The silicon self-interstitial (I) flux coming from the surface under oxidation enhances the C diffusion with respect to the N₂-annealed samples. In the early stages of the oxidation process, the loss of C from the SiGeC layer by diffusion across the layer/cap interface dominates. This phenomenon saturates after an initial period (2–4 h), which depends on the C concentration. This saturation is due to the formation and growth of C-containing precipitates that are promoted by the I injection and act as a sink for mobile C atoms. The influence of carbon concentration on the competition between precipitation and diffusion is discussed. Received: 19 October 2001 / Accepted: 19 December 2001 / Published online: 20 March 2002 / Published online: 20 March 2002     

Automatic continuity and representation of group homomorphisms defined between groups of continuous functions

Let C(X,G) be the group of continuous functions from a topological space X into a topological group G with pointwise multiplication as the composition law, endowed with the uniform convergence topology. To what extent does the group structure of C(X,G) determine the topology of X? More generally, when does the existence of a group homomorphism H between the groups C(X,G) and C(Y,G) implies that there is a continuous map h of Y into X such that H is canonically represented by h? We prove that, for any topological group G and compact spaces X and Y, every non-vanishing C-isomorphism (defined below) H of C(X,G) into C(Y,G) is automatically continuous and can be canonically represented by a continuous map h of Y into X. Some applications to specific groups and examples are given in the paper.     

Automatic detection and identification of shocks in Gaussian state‐space models: a Bayesian approach

An automatic monitoring and intervention algorithm that permits the supervision of very general aspects in an univariate linear Gaussian state–space model is proposed. The algorithm makes use of a model comparison and selection approach within a Bayesian framework. In addition, this algorithm incorporates the possibility of eliminating earlier interventions when subsequent evidence against them comes to light. Finally, the procedure is illustrated with two empirical examples taken from the literature. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

MgO films grown on yttria-stabilized zirconia by molecular beam epitaxy

MgO films were grown on (0 0 1) yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The crystalline structures of these films were investigated using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Growth temperature was varied from 350 to 550 °C, with crystalline quality being improved at higher temperatures. The MgO films had a domain structure: (1 1 1)[1 1 2¯]_MgO(0 0 1)[1 0 0]_YSZ with four twin variants related by a 90° in-plane rotation about the [1 1 1]_MgO axis. The observed epitaxial orientation was compared to previous reports of films grown by pulsed laser deposition and sputtering and explained as resulting in the lowest interface energy.     

In vivo tibial lead measurement to assess the health hazard of Venezuelan workers

Gamma-ray induced X-ray emission (GIXE) technique for elemental lead in-vivo tibial measurement using a large volume hyper pure germanium detector is presented with the most convenient source-sample-detector geometry. The system operates advantageously when several parameters are considered for a lower dead time operation. The detection limit (DL) is better that 3.5 μg/g of Ca. Results of in-vivo average tibial lead concentration for some of the monitored groups are: control 7 μg of lead per g of Ca; gasoline filling attendants 6 μg/g of Ca; custom office workers near the DL; industrial workers range from DL up to 84±3 μg/g of Ca, suggesting that lead accumulation in the bone does not represent a major health risk This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Development and Validation of a High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatographic Method,with Densitometry,for Quantitative Analysis of Tizoxanide (a Metabolite of Nitazoxanide) in Human Plasma

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - A new simple, rapid, and selective high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method with metronidazole as the internal...     

Solid sampling Fourier transform infrared determination of Mancozeb in pesticide formulations

A series of approaches have been assayed for FTIR determination of Mancozeb in several solid commercial fungicides using different calibration strategies. The simplest procedure was based on the use of the ratio between the absorbance of a characteristic band of Mancozeb and that of a KSCN internal standard measured in the FTIR spectra obtained from KBr pellets. It was employed the quotient between peak height absorbance values at 1525 cm⁻¹ for Mancozeb and 2070 cm⁻¹ for KSCN. In these conditions a precision as relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.6% and a relative accuracy error of 0.8% (w/w) were found. For complex formulations, containing other compounds with characteristic absorption bands at different wavenumbers than Mancozeb, one of them was used as internal reference being employed the standard addition approach. In this case, the Mancozeb bands at 1525 cm⁻¹ or at 1289 cm⁻¹ were employed, being used the ferrocyanide band at 2075 cm⁻¹ as internal reference. RSD values between 0.7-1.4% and a relative accuracy error of 3% (w/w) were found. A third strategy was based on the use of partial least squares (PLS) calibration. A reference set was prepared mixing Mancozeb, Kaolin, Cymoxanil and KBr, being predicted the Mancozeb concentration in pesticide formulations by using the quotient between absorbance bands of Mancozeb and those of Cymoxanil. In these conditions a relative accuracy error of 0.6% (w/w) and a relative standard deviation of 1.3% were found.     

A mew method of synthesis of 1,2,3,4-telrahydro-5H-5-oxo-1,4-benzodiazepines

A new one-step facile method for the synthesis of 1,12,3,4-tetrahydro5H-5-oxo-1,4-benzo-diuzepines is described. The method involves the addition of methyl anlhranilates to elhyl-enimine followed by intramolecular cyclizalion of the resulting intermediate compounds. Another attempted method starting from β-anilinoethylisocyanales is also described.     

Simultaneous LC-MS-MS Analysis of Capecitabine and its Metabolites (5′-deoxy-5-fluorocytidine, 5′-deoxy-5-fluorouridine, 5-fluorouracil) After Off-Line SPE from Human Plasma

A new single extraction procedure was developed to isolate capecitabine and its major metabolites (5′-deoxy-5-fluorocytidine, 5′-deoxy-5-fluorouridine, and 5-fluorouracil) from human plasma. The simultaneous extraction of the four analytes was performed on an Atoll XWP solid phase support. Separation and detection were by liquid chromatography (5 µm Atlantis C₁₈, 150 × 2.1 mm) and Turbospray Mass spectrometry in negative mode. To our knowledge, this report is the first to use these conditions for the simultaneous analysis of capecitabine and its metabolites.