A highly sensitive LC‐MS/MS method for the determination of S‐citalopram in rat plasma: application to a pharmacokinetic study in rats

A highly sensitive, rapid assay method has been developed and validated for the estimation of S‐citalopram (S‐CPM) in rat plasma with liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization in the positive‐ion mode. The assay procedure involves a simple liquid–liquid extraction of S‐CPM and phenacetin (internal standard, IS) from rat plasma with t‐butyl methyl ether. Chromatographic separation was operated with 0.2% formic acid:acetonitrile (20:80, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.50 mL/min on a Symmetry Shield RP₁₈ column with a total run time of 3.0 min. The MS/MS ion transitions monitored were 325.26 → 109.10 for S‐CPM and 180.10 → 110.10 for IS. Method validation and pre‐clinical sample analysis were performed as per FDA guidelines and the results met the acceptance criteria. The lower limit of quantitation achieved was 0.5 ng/mL and the linearity was observed from 0.5 to 5000 ng/mL. The intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were in the range of 1.14–5.56 and 0.25–12.3%, respectively. This novel method has been applied to a pharmacokinetic study and to estimate brain‐to‐plasma ratio of S‐CPM in rats. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On Gauss compounding of symmetric weighted arithmetic means

In this research, we investigate Gauss compounding of time-variant (nonautonomous) symmetric weighted arithmetic means. We establish the existence of the compounded mean under an easy-to-apply criterion. Also, we investigate the properties that are enjoyed by the compounded mean.     

Characterization and Transformation of Invariants

We consider difference equations of order k _n+k ≥ 2 of the form: y_n+k = f(yn,…,yn+k-1), n= 0,1,2,… where f: D ^k → D is a continuous function, and D?R. We develop a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a symmetric invariant I(x ₁,…,x_k ) ∈C^∞[D^k,D]. This condition will be used to construct invariants for linear and rational difference equations. Also, we investigate the transformation of invariants under invertible maps. We generalize and extend several results that have been obtained recently.     

On the asymptotic behavior of xn+1=anxn/xn−1

We investigate the asymptotic behavior of solutions of a separable difference equation of the form

     

Erratum to “Uniform convergence and chaotic behavior” [Nonlinear Anal. TMA 65 (4) (2006) 933–937]

We present counterexamples which show that the uniform limit of topologically transitive maps on a compact metric space is not necessarily topologically transitive. We also give stronger conditions that ensure the inheritance of topological transitivity for the case of uniform convergence and other situations.     

On global periodicity of difference equations

In this research, we consider a difference equation of order k?2 of the following form: