Unusual synthesis of azines and their oxidative degradation to carboxylic acid using iodobenzene diacetate

Reaction of 3-hydrazonobutan-2-one oxime with aromatic aldehydes resulted in the formation of 1,2-bis(arylidene)hydrazine commonly referred as azine as an unexpected product, instead of expected product 3-(aryl)methylenehydrazonobutan-2-one oxime, which were subsequently oxidized to corresponding aromatic acids with an ecofriendly oxidizing agent iodobenzene diacetate. Azines and carboxylic acids were characterized by IR and NMR (¹H, ¹³C, HMBC, and HMQC) studies.     

Tunable diode lasers and two-tone frequency modulation spectroscopy applied to atmospheric gas analysis

In this paper, we discuss the main features of a class of gas analyzers based on spectroscopic techniques with the aim of realizing fully automated systems which can be used for practical purposes. The technique we deal with is based on semiconductor diode laser as sources, emitting in the near infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and the two-tone frequency modulation spectroscopy as the detection technique. We will describe the main features of a typical device and two particular apparata for industrial and biological applications.     

Determination of strain and stress distribution on shearwalls by using the speckle photography technique

Speckle photography (SP) is a powerful tool that is adequate to determine small displacements in micrometer range. This information shows other characteristics of structure deformation under loads and can be determined as stress and strain distribution. In this paper we present the results of the application of the SP technique used to study the behaviour of discontinuities in a shearwall model. These structural elements are very important to the stability of buildings. The displacement whole field around the discontinuities and loading points was determined using the pointwise method. This allows us to determine stress distribution at the point of interest by means of the suitable equations. We also present the stress distribution obtained through the finite element method in order to compare the results obtained by means of these two techniques. Good correspondence was found between the displacements determined by both techniques (r=0.982) and also between the stress values we obtained.     

Generative Art with Swarm Landscapes

We present a generative swarm art project that creates 3D animations by running a Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm over synthetic landscapes produced by an objective function. Different kinds of functions are explored, including mathematical expressions, Perlin noise-based terrain, and several image-based procedures. A method for displaying the particle swarm exploring the search space in aesthetically pleasing ways is described. Several experiments are detailed and analyzed and a number of interesting visual artifacts are highlighted.     

Gaps in the number of generators of monomial Togliatti systems

Let $I_{d,n}?k[x_0,?,x_n]$ be a minimal monomial Togliatti system of forms of degree d. In [4], Mezzetti and Miró-Roig proved that the minimal number of generators $\mu (I_{d,n})$ of $I_{d,n}$ lies in the interval $[2n+1,\left(\begin{array}{c}n+d?1\\ n?1\end{array}\right)]$. In this paper, we prove that for $n\ge 4$ and $d\ge 3$, the integer values in $[2n+3,3n?1]$ cannot be realized as the number of minimal generators of a minimal monomial Togliatti system. We classify minimal monomial Togliatti systems $I_{d,n}?k[x_0,?,x_n]$ of forms of degree d with $\mu (I_{d,n})=2n+2$ or 3n (i.e. with the minimal number of generators reaching the border of the non-existence interval). Finally, we prove that for $n=4$, $d\ge 3$ and $\mu \in [9,\left(\begin{array}{c}d+3\\ 3\end{array}\right)]?\{11\}$ there exists a minimal monomial Togliatti system $I_{d,n}?k[x_0,?,x_n]$ of forms of degree d with $\mu (I_{n,d})=\mu$.     

Automatic generation of linear programming problems for computer aided instruction

The paper presents a method for generating random linear programming problems with a previously selected type of solution. The user can choose a problem whose solution is unbounded, bounded for minima, maxima or both, unique or multiple, with given structure, at wish. Initially, the feasible solution of the LPP is generated as the sum of a linear space, a cone, and a polytope, depending on the desired properties of the solution. With the aim of obtaining a simple set of constraints, the generators of these three structures are selected as random vectors with integer simple components, the range of which can be given. Next, an objective function that satisfies the required conditions, i.e. leads to a solution of the desired type, is obtained. The generating algorithms have been implemented in Mathematica and some illustrative examples are given to clarify the generation process. With this tool, a LPP can be generated, according to the instructor requirements, where this is a human or an expert system. They can control student progress and generate a sequence of problems covering all possible cases, in steps of increasing difficulty. Combining this tool with another (also produced by the same authors) that solves the problems and explains the whole process, step by step, a computer aided module for learning LPP, which is completely autonomous, can be easily obtained.     

Bayesian estimation of finite time ruin probabilities

In this paper, we consider Bayesian inference and estimation of finite time ruin probabilities for the Sparre Andersen risk model. The dense family of Coxian distributions is considered for the approximation of both the inter‐claim time and claim size distributions. We illustrate that the Coxian model can be well fitted to real, long‐tailed claims data and that this compares well with the generalized Pareto model. The main advantage of using the Coxian model for inter‐claim times and claim sizes is that it is possible to compute finite time ruin probabilities making use of recent results from queueing theory. In practice, finite time ruin probabilities are much more useful than infinite time ruin probabilities as insurance companies are usually interested in predictions for short periods of future time and not just in the limit. We show how to obtain predictive distributions of these finite time ruin probabilities, which are more informative than simple point estimations and take account of model and parameter uncertainty. We illustrate the procedure with simulated data and the well‐known Danish fire loss data set. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of a high‐performance liquid chromatography method with fluorescence detection for the routine quantification of tamoxifen,endoxifen and 4‐hydroxytamoxifen in plasma from breast cancer patients

To date, several methods for the quantification of tamoxifen and its metabolites have been developed, most of which employ liquid chromatography tandem–mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). These methods are highly sensitive and reproducible, but are also time‐consuming and require expensive equipment; one of their main disadvantages is matrix ionization effects. A more viable option, particularly in developing countries, is high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with UV or fluorescence detection. We developed and validated a method for simultaneous quantification of tamoxifen, endoxifen and 4‐hydroxytamoxifen based on high‐performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection in a reverse‐phase column. The method is rapid (16 min plus 5 min of column re‐equilibrium), accurate (80–100%) and precise (0.23–6.00%), and does not require any additional irradiation process. Sample pretreatment consists of protein precipitation with acetonitrile under alkaline conditions, employing only 200 μL plasma. The validated method's wide range allowed quantification of steady‐state levels in patients under standard tamoxifen treatment (20 mg/day). This assay is ready for application in clinical studies and routine quantification of tamoxifen, endoxifen and 4‐hydroxytamoxifen in healthcare institutions.