Synthesis of heavy and superheavy elements by reactions of massive nuclei

By comparing theoretical and experimental excitation functions of evaporation residues resulting from the same compound nucleus or heavy and superheavy nuclei, it is possible to understand the effect of the entrance channel and the shell structure of reacting nuclei on the fusion mechanism. The competition of complete fusion with the quasifission process is strongly related to the intrinsic fusion barrier B _fus ^* and the quasifission barrier B _qf as well as the size of the well in the nucleus-nucleus potential. In our calculations of the excitation functions for capture, fusion, and evaporation residues, we use the relevant variables such as mass asymmetry of nuclei in the entrance channel, potential energy surface, driving potential, spin distribution, and surviving probability of compound nucleus that are responsible for the mechanism of the fusion-fission process. As a result, we obtain a beam energy window for the capture of the nuclei before the system fuses and the Γ_n/Γ_f ratio at each step along the deexcitation cascade of the compound nucleus. Calculations performed in the framework of the model taking into account the nuclear shell effect and shape of colliding nuclei allow us to reach useful conclusions about the mechanism of the fusion-fission process and the production of the evaporation residues. We analyze the ⁴⁰Ar + ¹⁷⁶Hf, ⁸⁶Kr + ¹³⁰Xe, and ¹²⁴Sn + ⁹²Zr reactions leading to ²¹⁶Th*; the ³²S + ¹⁸²W and ⁶⁰Ni + ¹⁵⁴Sm reactions leading to ²¹⁴Th*; the ⁴⁸Ca + ²⁴⁸Cm reaction leading to the ²⁹⁶116 compound nucleus; and the ⁴⁸Ca + ²⁴⁹Cf reaction leading to the ²⁹⁷118 compound nucleus.     

A dynamical partition function for the Lorentz gas

In this paper we introduce a dynamically defined partition function for the Lorentz gas and investigate its connection with the classical ensembles and the phase-space probability measure derived from periodic orbit expansions. Numerical evidence is presented to support the equivalence of these measures and to link them to the thermodynamic quantities for the Lorentz gas. This also suggests a new dynamical basis for the assumption of equala priori probabilities in the microcanonical ensemble.     

Dynamical ensembles in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics and their representations

The stationary states of driven systems of particles are considered from the point of view of the invariant probability distributions in the phase space which characterize them. The main features of various representations of such distributions are reviewed, and a brief derivation of the one based on orbital measures is given. We mention the limits of the mathematical derivations, and discuss the expected range of applicability beyond such limits. (c) 1998 American Institute of Physics.     

Periodic orbit expansions for the Lorentz gas

We apply the periodic orbit expansion to the calculation of transport, thermodynamic, and chaotic properties of the finite-horizon triangular Lorentz gas. We show numerically that the inverse of the normalized Lyapunov number is a good estimate of the probability of an individual periodic orbit. We investigate the convergence of the periodic orbit expansion and compare it with the convergence of the cycle expansions obtained from the Ruelle dynamical -function. For this system with severe pruning we find that applying standard convergence acceleration schemes to the periodic orbit expansion is superior to the dynamical -function approach. The averages obtained from the periodic orbit expansion are within 8% of the values obtained from direct numerical time and ensemble averaging. None of the periodic orbit expansions used here is computationally competitive with the standard simulation approaches for calculating averages. However, we believe that these expansion methods are of fundamental importance, because they give a direct route to the phase space distribution function.     

Gabapentin quantification in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Application to bioequivalence study

A rapid, sensitive and specific analytical method was developed and validated to quantify gabapentin in human plasma using acetaminophen as an internal standard. The method employs a single plasma protein precipitation. The analytes are chromatographed on a C4 reversed-phase chromatographic column and analyzed by mass spectrometry in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The method has a chromatographic run time of 4 min and a linear calibration curve over the range 50-10 000 ng x ml(-1) (r > 0.999). The between-run precision, based on the relative standard deviation for replicate quality controls, was < or = 4.8 % (200 ng x ml(-1)), 6.0% (1000 ng x ml(-1)) and 4.4% (5000 ng x ml(-1)). The between-run accuracy was +/-2.6, 4.4 and 0.5% for the above-mentioned concentrations, respectively. This method was employed in a bioequivalence study of two gabentin capsule formulations (Progresse from Biosintética, Brazil, as a test formulation, and Neurotin from Parke-Davis, as a reference formulation) in 24 healthy volunteers of both sexes who received a single 300 mg dose of each formulation. The study was conducted using an open, randomized, two-period crossover design with a 7-day washout interval. The 90% confidence interval (CI) of the individual ratio geometric mean for Progresse/Neurotin was 87.9-115.6% for AUC(0-36 h) and 88.6-111.7% for Cmax. Since both 90% CI for AUC(0-36 h) and Cmax were included in the 80-125% interval proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration, Progresse was considered bioequivalent to Neurotin according to both the rate and extent of absorption.     

Atmospheric pressure photoionization applied to quantitation of cyproterone acetate in human plasma

Cyproterone acetate [6-chloro-1beta,2beta-dihydro-17alpha-hydroxy- 3'H-cyclopropa(1,2)-pregna-1,4,6-triene-3,20-dione acetate] is a powerful antiandrogen used in the treatment of women suffering from disorders associated with androgenization such as hirsutism and acne. A fast, sensitive, and robustness method is developed for the determination and quantitation of cyproterone acetate in human blood plasma by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Cyproterone acetate is extracted from 0.2 mL human plasma by liquid-liquid extraction. The method has a chromatographic run of 4.5 min, using a C18 analytical column (100- yen 2.1-mm i.d.), and the linear calibration curve over the range is linear from 1 to 500 ng/mL (r2 > 0.994). The between-run precision, based on the relative standard deviation replicate quality controls, is 96.2% (3 ng/mL), 97.5% (120 ng/mL), and 99.1% (400 ng/mL). The between-run accuracy was +/- 2.7%, 3.1%, and 4.8% for the previously mentioned concentrations, respectively. The method is employed in a bioequivalence study of two tablet formulations of cyproterone acetate (100 mg).     

Immobilization on chitosan of a thermophilic βglycosidase expressed inSaccharomyces cerevisiae

ASulfolobus solfataricus β-glycosidase expressed inSaccharomyces cerevisiae (Sβgly) was immobilized on chitosan activated with glutaraldehyde. The yield of immobilization was evaluated as 80%. Compared to the free β-glycosidase, the immobilized enzyme showed a similar pH optimum (pH = 7.0), the same increasing activity up to 80°C, improved thermostability, and no inhibition by glucose. Functional studies pointed out that the kinetic constant values for both enzymes were comparable. A bioreactor, assembled with the immobilized Sβgly, was used for glucose production. The values of cellobiose conversion increased on increasing residence time in the bioreactor, following a nonlinear trend. However, the highest glucose production/ min was obtained at a flow of 0.5 mL/min.     

Nevirapine quantification in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Application to bioequivalence study

A rapid, sensitive and specific method to quantify nevirapine in human plasma using dibenzepine as the internal standard (IS) was developed and validated. The method employed a liquid-liquid extraction. The analyte and the IS were chromatographed on a C(18) analytical column, (150 x 4.6 mm i.d. 4 microm) and analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. The method had a chromatographic run time of 5.0 min and a linear calibration curve over the range 10-5000 ng ml(-1) (r(2) > 0.9970). The between-run precision, based on the relative standard deviation for replicate quality controls was 1.3% (30 ng ml(-1)), 2.8% (300 ng ml(-1)) and 3.6% (3000 ng ml(-1)). The between-run accuracy was 4.0, 7.0 and 6.2% for the above-mentioned concentrations, respectively. This method was employed in a bioequivalence study of two nevirapine tablet formulations (Nevirapina from Far-Manguinhos, Brazil, as a test formulation, and Viramune from Boehringer Ingelheim do Brasil Química e Farmacêutica, as a reference formulation) in 25 healthy volunteers of both sexes who received a single 200 mg dose of each formulation. The study was conducted using an open, randomized, two-period crossover design with a 3 week washout interval. The 90% confidence interval (CI) of the individual ratio geometric mean for Nevirapina/Viramune was 96.4-104.5% for AUC((0-last)), 91.4-105.1% for AUC((0-infinity)) and 95.3-111.6% for C(max) (AUC = area under the curve; C(max) = peak plasma concentration). Since both 90% CI for AUC((0-last)) and AUC((0-infinity)) and C(max) were included in the 80-125% interval proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration, Nevirapina was considered bioequivalent to Viramune according to both the rate and extent of absorption.