Quantitative determination of acetylsalicylic acid and acetaminophen in tablets by FT-Raman spectroscopy

A procedure for quantitative determination of acetylsalicylic acid and acetaminophen in pharmaceuticals by PLS (partial least squares) and PCR (principal component regression) treatment of FT (Fourier transform)-Raman spectroscopic data is proposed. The proposed method was tested on powdered samples. Three chemometric models were built: the first, for samples consisting of an active substance diluted by lactose, starch and talc; the second, in which a simple inorganic salt was applied as an internal standard and additions were not taken into account; and the third, in which a model was constructed for a commercial pharmaceutical, where all constituents of the tablet were known. By utilising selected spectral ranges and by changing the chemometric conditions it is possible to carry out fast and precise analysis of the active component content in medicines on the basis of the simplified chemometric models. The proposed method was tested on five commercial tablets. The results were compared with data obtained by intensity ratio and pharmacopoeial methods. To appraise the quality of the models, the relative standard error of predictions (RSEPs) were calculated for calibration and prediction data sets. These were 0.7-2.0% and 0.8-2.3%, respectively, for the different PLS models. Application of these models to the Raman spectra of commercial tablets containing acetylsalicylic acid gave RSEP values of 1.3-2.0% and a mean accuracy of 1.2-1.7% with a standard deviation of 0.6-1.2%.     

Resorbable materials of poly(L-lactide)

Poly(L-lactide) PLLA materials with various porosity in the range of 5 to 300 Μm were produced by crystallization of the polymer in presence of low molecular weight additives from solution in good solvents, followed by the diluent extraction. For the concentration of diluent in PLLA in the range of 10 to 50 per cent by weight, the pore size increased with increasing concentration of additive, while the additive was easily extracted from the polymer. For the concentration of additive in PLLA in the range of 60 to 80 per cent by weight, the pore size increased or/and decreased with increasing concentration of the additive, while the latter was hardly extractable from the polymer. Porous, resorbable tubes or rods of various diameter well accepted by living organism were produced by this method. Tracheal prostheses, pins or porous reservoirs made from PLLA or modified porous PLLA could be some of many potential application of these materials.     

Polyurethane vascular prostheses in pigs

Microporous, compliant vascular prostheses made from segmented polyurethanes of various molecular stability, have been implanted in the infrarenal aorta of young pigs. Prostheses prepared from a hydrolytically suble polyetherurethane showed a limited patency up to 1 month. Composite prostheses with the wall made from a hydrolytically stable polyurethane and the lumen side prepared from a degradable polyurethane, were patent up to one year. A degradable layer of this composite prosthesis induced the growth of a neo-artery. Prostheses prepared from a degradable polyurethane alone, were substituted within 4 months with a functional neo-artery.Presented in part at the 17th International Biomaterials Symposium, San Diego, California, April 1985.     

Experimental investigation of harmonic and subharmonic synchronization of 40 GHz mode-locked quantum-dash laser diodes

Synchronization of a 40 GHz quantum-dash mode-locked (ML) Fabry-Perot laser diode with optically injected pulse streams is experimentally studied. Injected signals consist of nonmodulated and modulated trains of 1.6 ps pulses at various repetition rates, ranging from 10 to 160 GHz and 10 to 160 Gbps, respectively. Subharmonic, fundamental, and harmonic synchronization of the ML laser allows retrieval of stable 40 GHz clock pulses featuring a width of 1.8 ps. Frequency components at 10 and 20 GHz do not create any amplitude modulation on the recovered 40 GHz clock pulses when injecting signals at 10 and 20 GHz/Gbps. In addition, external synchronization of the laser with pulse streams at 80 and 160 GHz/Gbps is sustained despite the absence of significant components at or below 40 GHz.     

Influence of non-uniform flow distribution on overall heat transfer in convective bundle of circulating fluidized bed boiler

In the paper the results of comparative investigations on heat transfer performance of boiler convective bundle and its additional surface, i.e. membrane water wall are presented. For this purpose the non-uniform flow field was modelled in an isothermal test stand operated in self-modeling mode. Then the heat transfer characteristics of such arrangement were estimated by means of naphthalene heat/mass transfer analogy technique. The bundle samples in the shape of round bars (rods) were cast with naphthalene and placed in 27 locations in the bundle while water-wall-modeling samples were coated with naphthalene by painting. Both types of samples were exposed to cold air flow. The results were then compared to the mean heat transfer performance of the same bundle exposed to uniform flow field. The differences of approximately 10% were noticed. Moreover, the heat transfer coefficients for additional surface were even three times lower than those of the bundle. In view of results obtained in the work, the commonly made assumption of equality of heat transfer coefficients for both the bundle and its additional surface may lead to certain errors in heat transfer calculations and discrepancies between the calculated values of heating surfaces area and later operational needs of steam generator.     

Phenol adsorption on closed carbon nanotubes

We present the results of systematic studies of phenol adsorption on closed commercially available, unmodified carbon nanotubes. Phenol adsorption is determined by the value of tube-specific surface area, the presence of small amount of surface groups influence adsorption only in very small amount. Phenol can be applied as a probe molecule for comparative analysis of tube surface areas. Tube curvature influences adsorption from solution, i.e., we observe increasing adsorption energy (and slower desorption process) with the decrease in tube curvature. This is in full accordance with molecular simulation results.