Alpha particle and deuteron impactL-shell ionization of Ar,Cu, Ge,Br, Zr and Ag

Alpha particle and deuteron impactL-subshell ionization cross-sections of Ar, Cu, Ge, Br, Zr and Ag have been computed using Vriens’ expressions for ionization cross-section of atoms due to impact of heavy charged particles. The effects of Coulomb deflection of the projectile and increase in binding of the target electron in the presence of projectile have been incorporated. Hartree-Fock velocity distributions for the target electrons have been used in the present calculations. The simple binary encounter approximation model is found to give results which are in satisfactory agreement with those obtained from experiments and from other theories.     

Superheated drops of R114—as a neutron spectrometer

The basic principle that has been used in the application of superheated drops in neutron spectrometry is its dependence of threshold energy of nucleation on temperature. In the present work, superheated drops of R114 suspended in a visco-elastic gel were irradiated at different temperatures by neutrons obtained from an ²⁴¹Am–Be source. The temperature of the detector was converted to the energy of the incident neutrons following the method developed by us to unfold the neutron energy spectrum. The threshold energy obtained by us agrees well with other results obtained using monochromatic neutron sources, clearly demonstrating the validity of our principle of spectrometry.     

Characterization of the Hf-NTA complex

Hafnium ion forms a strong complex with nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA). But there is a controversy about the nature of the complex on whether it is a 1:1 or a 1:2 complex. We have carried out an electrophoresis experiment and supplemented data to establish the nature of the complex. Our data indicates that it is a 1:2 complex i.e. [Hf(NTA)₂]^2- in which the coordination number 8 has been satisfied for hafnium.     

Highly stereoselective approach toward the synthesis of the macrolactone core of amphidinolide W

The diastereoselective synthesis of the macrolactone core of amphidinolide W was successfully accomplished using Evans’ asymmetric alkylation, Aldol reaction, Julia-Kocienski olefination, and Kita’s macrocyclization protocol.     

Markov property of continuous dislocation band propagation

Tensile tests were carried out by deforming polycrystalline samples of substitutional Al–2.5%Mg alloy at room temperature for a range of strain rates. The Portevin–Le Chatelier (PLC) effect was observed throughout the strain rate regime. The deformation bands in this region are found to be of type A in nature. From the analysis of the experimental stress time series data we could infer that the dynamics of type A dislocation band propagation is a Markov process.     

A crystal field investigation of the properties of RCuAs2 (R=Pr, Nd, Sm, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er and Yb)

A crystal field (CF) investigation of the magnetic properties and heat capacities of RCuAs₂ (R=Pr, Nd, Sm, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er and Yb) has been carried out using the observed average magnetic susceptibilities (1.8-300 K) of the title compounds. The CF parameters proposed for the systems show a systematic variation throughout the rare-earth series. Other physical properties dependent on the CF are also computed and compared with available experimental data. The experimental heat capacity data reported for a limited range of temperature agree well with computed heat capacity for all the compounds (except SmCuAs₂ and YbCuAs₂). CF J mixing was found to be appreciable for all the samples except YbCuAs₂.     

Search designs for searching for one among the two-and three-factor interaction effects in the general symmetric and asymmetric factorials

This paper describes the construction of search designs which permit the estimation of the general mean and main-effects, and allow the search for and estimation of one possibly unknown non-zero effect among the two-and three-factor interactions in the general symmetric and asymmetric factorial set-up.     

Enzyme-mediated biodegradation of heat treated commercial polyethylene by Staphylococcal species

Extruded low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films commonly available in the market as 20-micron thick carrier bags were autoclaved, overlaid on nutrient agar plates and inoculated with BP/SU1 strain of Staphylococcus epidermis. The nutrient agar plate showed growth of the organism within two to three days. The polymer film supporting the growth of the organism showed pore formation as recorded by SEM analysis. The growth of BP/SU1 is supported by the presence of shredded LDPE as its only carbon source in inorganic salt minimal nutrient medium. The organism survives even after three months of inoculation and this is accompanied by gradual breakdown of the size of the shredded plastic as seen by light scattering. The cell-free supernatant of the organism, grown with the help of shredded plastic shows the presence of the over expressed proteins with approximate molecular weight of about 55 kDa and 35 kDa, through SDS-PAGE analysis.     

Development and validation of an LC-ESI-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantitation of olmesartan and pioglitazone in rat plasma and its pharmacokinetic application

A simple, high‐throughput and specific high‐performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated according to the FDA guidelines for simultaneous quantification of olmesartan and pioglitazone in rat plasma. The bioanalytical method consists of liquid–liquid extraction and quantitation by triple quadrupole mass spectrometry using electrospray ionization technique, operating in multiple reaction monitoring and positive ion modes. The compounds were eluted isocratically on a C₁₈ column with a mobile phase consisting of a mixture of methanol and water (containing 0.5% formic acid) in a ratio of 9:1. The response to olmesartan and pioglitazone was linear over the range 0.01–10 µg/mL. The validation results demonstrated that the method had satisfactory precision and accuracy across the calibration range. Intra‐ and inter‐day precisions ranged from 0.66 to 3.32 and from 0.94 to 2.93% (%CV), respectively. The accuracy determined at three quality control levels was within 91.27–107.28%. There was no evidence of instability of the analytes in rat plasma following the stability studies. The method proved highly reproducible and sensitive and was successfully applied in a pharmacokinetic study after single dose oral administration of olmesartan and pioglitazone to the rat. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.