Making an honest measurement scale out of the oxygen isotope delta-values

The differential measurement of the abundance of oxygen isotopes based on reference materials, such as VSMOW for the case of water, was used because the precision of the absolute mass-spectrometric determination of the abundance fell short of the differences to be measured. Since then these measurements have been much improved, so that a calibration scheme of the oxygen isotope abundance in water, carbonates, silica, phosphates, sulfates, nitrates and organic materials is suggested, based on an accredited primary standard of oxygen in air and using standard fluorination and O(2) to CO(2) conversion techniques.     

Chebyshev reduced basis function applied to option valuation

We present a numerical method for the frequent pricing of financial derivatives that depends on a large number of variables. The method is based on the construction of a polynomial basis to interpolate the value function of the problem by means of a hierarchical orthogonalization process that allows to reduce the number of degrees of freedom needed to have an accurate representation of the value function. In the paper we consider, as an example, a GARCH model that depends on eight parameters and show that a very large number of contracts for different maturities and asset and parameters values can be valued in a small computational time with the proposed procedure. In particular the method is applied to the problem of model calibration. The method is easily generalizable to be used with other models or problems.     

Non-Gibbsian stochastic light-mode dynamics of passive mode locking

We study a stochastic light-mode system with non-Gibbsian steady state statistics, unravelling global nonequilibrium phase transition properties. It relates to the onset of passive mode-locking in the general case of lasers with arbitrary dispersion and Kerr nonlinearity that includes the nonsolitonic regime. The solution is facilitated by a special stationarity criterion imposed by the system gain balance. We show that the mode-locking phase transition is generic, and give exact expressions for the pulse power and its stability map. We find that at the boundary of the mode-locking stability the pulse power is exactly one half of the total intracavity power, and that the parameter region for the most resistant pulses against noise destabilization is not at the soliton condition.     

Direct contact heat transfer from an immiscible liquid jet

Temperature distribution and transfer of heat in a vertical, immiscible, liquid jet in direct contact with a liquid matrix are analyzed. A theoretical model for plug and parabolic flow is adopted from the literature, the treatment of a special V-shaped velocity distribution expected in the experiment and suitable for reactor application is calculated. Two common surface conditions, i.e. constant heat flux or constant temperature are considered. An experiment was performed in which a high Prandtl number fluid (oil) formed the jet and a low Prandtl number fluid (water) formed the matrix. The experimental results fall within theoretical results obtained for a V-type velocity distribution and plug flow. It was determined that the heat transfer characteristics of a direct contact jet flow in most cases have definite advantages over those of flow in a pipe beyond the obvious advantage of removal of the pipe wall's thermal resistance. These advantages result from the more flat velocity distribution encountered in jet flow as compared to a corresponding Laminar pipe flow. The likeliness of having a particular flow shape is discussed. Advantages of a central wire, leading to the V-type flow, are the enhancement of heat transfer and the stabilisation of the jet for any desired length. The jet flow is laminar.     

Alkyne creation in aliphatic polymers: influence of side groups

In this article, we focus on the influence of side groups on terminal alkyne creation, in aliphatic polymers submitted to swift heavy ions, under vacuum. Terminal alkyne creation was compared in polyethylene and in substituted polymers. We selected two classes of side groups: alkyl groups, which differed in their length (polypropylene and polybutene) and allyl groups, which were linear (EPDMh) or cyclic (EPDMn). Irradiated samples were analyzed using Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, in the transmission mode, at room temperature. Alkynes are created when the electronic stopping power, (dE/dx)e, exceeds a threshold value. This threshold value was moderately influenced by the presence of an alkyl side chain but was clearly reduced in the presence of C=C bonds on the side chain. Nevertheless, in all-saturated polymers, below the (dE/dx)e threshold, terminal alkyne formation is observed after a latent dose, rather independently of the side-chain length and directly related to the formation of radiation-induced double bonds prior to alkyne formation. Under S ion irradiation, the radiation chemical yield G0 value obtained in EPDMh was 4 times the value of G0 in PE. This effect is understandable only if important energy transfers, from the backbone to C=C double bonds, are considered.     

Reversed phase UHPLC/ESI-MS determination of oxylipins in human plasma: a case study of female breast cancer

The ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS) method was optimized and validated for the determination of oxylipins in human plasma using the targeted approach with selected reaction monitoring (SRM) in the negative-ion electrospray ionization (ESI) mode. Reversed phase UHPLC separation on an octadecylsilica column enabled the analysis of 63 oxylipins including numerous isomeric species within 12-min run time. The method was validated (calibration curve, linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, carry-over, precision, accuracy, recovery rate, and matrix effect) and applied to 40 human female plasma samples from breast cancer patients and age-matched healthy volunteers (control). Thirty-six oxylipins were detected in human plasma with concentrations above the limit of detection, and 21 of them were quantified with concentrations above the limit of quantitation. The concentrations determined in healthy controls are in a good agreement with previously reported data on human plasma. Quantitative data were statistically evaluated by multivariate data analysis (MDA) methods including principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). S-plot and box plots showed that 13-HODE, 9-HODE, 13-HOTrE, 9-HOTrE, and 12-HHTrE were the most upregulated oxylipin species in plasma of breast cancer patients.