Liquid-liquid extraction of silver ion with benzothiacrown ether derivatives

The extraction behavior of mono-, poly-, anal bis-(benzothiacrown ether)s is studied for alkali, alkaline-earth, heavy, and transition metal ions in the presence of picrate. These ethers show high selectivity for silver ion. Silver extractions from binary and quaternary mixtures of silver with heavy or transition metal ions were successful, except for mixtures with mercury(II) ion. Silver was extracted from a copper ore with ca. 80% recovery.     

Determination of methylglyoxal in mouse blood by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A highly sensitive and rapid liquid chromatographic method for the determination of methylglyoxal in mouse blood is described, based on the precolumn conversion of methylglyoxal to a highly fluorescent 3-methyl-6,7-methylenedioxyquinoxaline by reaction with 1,2-diamino- 4,5-methylenedioxybenzene. The method is applied to the determination of methylglyoxal (0.1- 10⁴ pmol) in 5 μ1 of blood.     

A multi-objective lead time control problem in multi-stage assembly systems using genetic algorithms

In this paper, we develop a multi-objective model to optimally control the lead time of a multi-stage assembly system, using genetic algorithms. The multi-stage assembly system is modelled as an open queueing network. It is assumed that the product order arrives according to a Poisson process. In each service station, there is either one or infinite number of servers (machines) with exponentially distributed processing time, in which the service rate (capacity) is controllable. The optimal service control is decided at the beginning of the time horizon. The transport times between the service stations are independent random variables with generalized Erlang distributions. The problem is formulated as a multi-objective optimal control problem that involves four conflicting objective functions. The objective functions are the total operating costs of the system per period (to be minimized), the average lead time (min), the variance of the lead time (min) and the probability that the manufacturing lead time does not exceed a certain threshold (max). Finally, we apply a genetic algorithm with double strings using continuous relaxation based on reference solution updating (GADSCRRSU) to solve this multi-objective problem, using goal attainment formulation. The results are also compared against the results of a discrete-time approximation technique to show the efficiency of the proposed genetic algorithm approach.     

Direct mono-phosphorylation of 1,3-diols. A synthesis of FTY720-phosphate

A novel method for selective and direct phosphorylation of various 1,3-diols using silver(I) oxide, tetrabenzyl pyrophosphate (TBPP), and tetrahexylammonium iodide affording mono-phosphates was developed. We applied the present method to the synthesis of FTY720-phosphate.     

Performance of a PIV system for a combusting flow and its application to a spray combustor model

The performance of PIV system for combusting flow was evaluated by using artificial images generated from computer graphics and experimental data. The influences of shutter speed, filter, laser power and the PIV algorithms on the measurement uncertainty were studied for optimizing the performance of the PIV system. This system was applied to the spray combustor model for boiler, and the flow patterns with and without combustion were elucidated. Results showed that the burner flow generates complex three-dimensional flow pattern, which contributes to highly mixed fuel flow in the combustor. Although the flow pattern with and without combustion is similar, the growth of burner flow area and an increase in velocity magnitude are found in the flow field by the influence of chemical reactions in combustion.     

Nanoparticles in Emissions and Atmospheric Environment: Now and Future

Journal of Nanoparticle Research -     

Highly resolved luminescence measurements for traces of 1,3-dibetanato europium(III) and terbium(III) complexes using a microscope laser Raman spectrometer toward the forensic discrimination.

The emission spectra of luminescent trivalent europium (Eu3+) and terbium (Tb3+) complexes were measured using a microscope laser Raman spectrometer with a doubled Nd:YAG laser (532 nm) and an Ar laser (488 nm). Excitation at 532 and 488 nm corresponded to wavelengths of the 7F1 --> 5D1 band of Eu3+ and the 7F6 --> 5D4 band of Tb3+, respectively. The Eu3+ and Tb3+ complexes were discriminated by high-resolution emission spectra more distinctly and sensitively than by fluorescence spectrometry, the usual analytical method.     

Discrete Dynamical Systems with W(A (1) m−1 × A (1) n−1) Symmetry

We give a birational realization of affine Weyl group of type A ⁽¹⁾ _m–1 × A ⁽¹⁾ _n–1. We apply this representation to construct some discrete integrable systems and discrete Painlevé equations. Our construction has a combinatorial counterpart through the ultra-discretization procedure.     

Development of micromarkers with various photoluminescence colors as tracers for shadowing pursuits.

Micromarkers with five photoluminescence colors were developed as tracers for shadowing pursuits. The markers are colorless powders with particle diameters of several tens to several hundreds of micrometers, prepared using a cryogenic sample crusher. They were visualized using red, green, yellow, magenta or cyan photoluminescence under ultraviolet light at approximately 365 nm. The markers were composed of photoluminescent compounds dispersed in polyvinyl butyral. The photoluminescent compounds in the polyvinyl butyral were stable under ambient conditions for more than one year after application. The compounds with the red, green, yellow, magenta and cyan photoluminescence contained a europium (Eu(3+)) complex, a terbium (Tb(3+)) complex, a mixture of Tb(3+) and Eu(3+) complexes, a mixture of Eu(3+) complex and o-coumaric acid, and a mixture of Tb(3+) complex and 7-hydroxycoumarin along with a few drops of a sodium bicarbonate aqueous solution, respectively. Neodymium (Nd(3+)) and ytterbium (Yb(3+)) complexes with photoluminescence in the near-IR wavelength region can also be added to these visible photoluminescent compounds as secret markers for discrimination. The markers were non-destructively identified using a microscopic FT-IR spectrometer and a microscopic spectrometer equipped with a fluorescence detector.