Cloud point extraction of vanadium in parenteral solutions using a nonionic surfactant (PONPE 5.0) and determination by flow injection-inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

A preconcentration and determination methodology for vanadium at trace levels in parenteral solutions was developed. Cloud point extraction was successfully employed for the preconcentration of vanadium prior to inductively coupled plasma atomic optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) coupled to a flow injection (FI) system. The vanadium was extracted as vanadium-2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol [V-(5-Br-PADAP)] complex, at pH 3.7 mediated by micelles of the nonionic surfactant polyoxyethylene (5.0) nonylphenol (PONPE 5.0). The extracted surfactant-rich phase (100 mul) was mixed with 100 mul of ethanol and this final volume injected into ICP-OES for the vanadium determination. Under these conditions, the 50 ml sample solution preconcentration allowed raising an enrichment factor of 250-fold; however, it was possible to obtain a theoretical enrichment factor of 500-fold. The lower limit of detection (LOD) obtained under the optimal conditions was 16 ng l(-1). The precision for 10 replicate determinations at the 2.0 mug l(-1) V level was 2.3% relative standard deviation (RSD), calculated with the peak heights. The calibration graph using the preconcentration system for vanadium was linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.9996 at levels near the detection limits up to at least 50 mug l(-1). The method was successfully applied to the determination of vanadium in parenteral solution samples.     

Fairness in ambulance routing for post disaster management

Central European Journal of Operations Research - Disaster management generally includes the post-disaster stage, which consists of the actions taken in response to the disaster damages. These...     

Some results on BZ structures from Hilbertian unsharp quantum physics

Some algebraic structures determined by the class (þ) of all effects of a Hilbert space þ and by some subclasses of (þ) are investigated, in particular de Morgan-Brouwer-Zadeh posets [it is proved that (þ ⁿ )(n<) has such a structure], Brouwer-Zadeh ^* posets (a quite trivial example consisting of suitable effects is given), and Brouwer-Zadeh ³ posets which are both de Morgan and ^*.It is shown that a nontrivial class of effects of a Hilbert space exists which is a BZ ³ poset. An -preclusivity relation on the set of all vectors of þ is introduced, and it is shown that it satisfies the regularity condition also for [1/2, 1].     

On the intrinsic definition of local observables

In a theory of local field algebras satisfying the split property, we introduce an algebra generated by the local energy-momentum operators obtained from the canonical local implementation of translations, and possibly by the local charges operators. We discuss the relations of this algebra to the given algebra of local observables and take some steps toward the characterization of theories where they coincide. In the presence of spontaneously broken symmetries, we present a no-go theorem.     

A theoretical prediction for exclusive decaysB→K(K*)η c

The decay rates for the exclusiveB decaysBK _c andBK* _c are calculated in the context of the heavy quark effective theory. We obtain(BK _c )/ (BK)=1.6±0.2 and(BK* _c )/ (K*)=0.39±0.04. These results lead to estimates BR(BK _c )=(0.11±0.02)% and BR(BK* _c )=(0.05±0.01)% if we use the central current experimental values forB(K, K ^*) branching ratios.     

Ablation of poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) by 308, 222 and 193 nm excimer-laser radiation

Data on the ablation of Poly(Methyl MetAcylate) (PMMA) and Poly(2-Hydroxyethyl MetAcylate) (PHEMA) with 0%, 1% and 20% of Ethylene Glycol DiMethAcrylate (EGDMA) as crosslinking monomer by 193, 222 and 308 nm laser radiation are presented. Direct photoetching of PMMA at 308 nm is demonstrated for laser fluences ranging from 2 to 18 J/cm². The ablation rate of PHEMA is lower than the corresponding to PMMA and decreases when the amount of EGDMA increases. The determination of the absorbed energy density required to initiate significant ablation suggests that the photoetching mechanism is similar for all the polymers studied and is a function of the irradiation wavelength. The Beer-Lambert law, the Srinivasan, Smrtic and Babu (SSB) theory and the kinetic model of the moving interface are used to analyze the experimental results. It is shown that only the moving interface theory fits well the etch rate for all the selected polymers at the three radiation wavelengths.     

Drinfeld-Sokolov gravity

A lagrangian euclidean model of Drinfeld-Sokolov (DS) reduction leading to generalW-algebras on a Riemann surface of any genus is presented. The background geometry is given by the DS principal bundleK associated to a complex Lie groupG and anSL(2,) subgroupS. The basic fields are a hermitian fiber metricH ofK and a (0, 1) Koszul gauge fieldA ^* ofK valued in a certain negative graded subalgebrar ofg related tos. The action governing theH andA ^* dynamics is the effective action of a DS field theory in the geometric background specified byH andA ^*. Quantization ofH andA ^* implements on one hand the DS reduction and on the other defines a novel model of 2d gravity, DS gravity. The gauge fixing of the DS gauge symmetry yields an integration on a moduli space of DS gauge equivalence classes ofA ^* configurations, the DS moduli space. The model has a residual gauge symmetry associated to the DS gauge transformations leaving a given fieldA ^* invariant. This is the DS counterpart of conformal symmetry. Conformal invariance and certain non-perturbative features of the model are discussed in detail.     

The frequency-domain method reveals the dimeric structure of Na,K-ATPase

Lucifer yellow and lissamine rhodamine sulfonyl hydrazine were used as the donor and the receptor, respectively, for Förster energy transfer measurements to determine the location of the subunit in the native Na,K-ATPase from pig kidney. It was found that (1) the subunits are located in one functional complex, i.e., the dimer ()₂ appears to be the functional complex of Na,K-ATPase, and (2) the subunits in the functional enzyme complex in the membrane are not located next to each other but are rather well separated. The distance between fluorophores covalently attached to the subunits was found to be 5.3 nm.     

Integral relations for pointed curves in a real projective plane

We study some global projective properties of real plane curves with cusps, beaks and normal crossings. Starting from Fabricius-Bjerre's formula on the singularities of a curve in an affine plane, we describe its extension to a projective setting. Given a curve RP², by fixing a base point we associate some indices to its singularities and double tangents. We prove two global relations linking these entities together.     

Extensions of automorphisms and gauge symmetries

We characterize the automorphisms of aC ^*-algebra which extend to automorphisms of the crossed product by a compact group dual. The case where the inclusion is equipped with a group of automorphisms commuting with the dual action is also treated. These results are applied to the analysis of broken gauge symmetries in Quantum Field Theory to draw conclusions on the structure of the degenerate vacua on the field algebra.Dedicated to Huzihiro ArakiResearch supported by MURST and CNR, GNAFA