Highly irregular graphs

A connected graph is highly irregular if each of its vertices is adjacent only to vertices with distinct degrees. In this paper we investigate several problems concerning the existence and enumeration of highly irregular graphs as well as their independence numbers, with particular focus on the corresponding problems for highly irregular trees.     

RCM‐TVD hybrid scheme for hyperbolic conservation laws

We describe a hybrid method for the solution of hyperbolic conservation laws. A third‐order total variation diminishing (TVD) finite difference scheme is conjugated with a random choice method (RCM) in a grid‐based adaptive way. An efficient multi‐resolution technique is used to detect the high gradient regions of the numerical solution in order to capture the shock with RCM while the smooth regions are computed with the more efficient TVD scheme. The hybrid scheme captures correctly the discontinuities of the solution and saves CPU time. Numerical experiments with one‐ and two‐dimensional problems are presented. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vibrational spectroscopy differentiates between multipotent and pluripotent stem cells

Over the last few years, there has been an increased interest in the study of stem cells in biomedicine for therapeutic use and as a source for healing diseased or injured organs/tissues. More recently, vibrational spectroscopy has been applied to study stem cell differentiation. In this study, we have used both synchrotron based FTIR and Raman microspectroscopies to assess possible differences between human pluripotent (embryonic) and multipotent (adult mesenchymal) stem cells, and how O(2) concentration in cell culture could affect the spectral signatures of these cells. Our work shows that infrared spectroscopy of embryonic (pluripotent) and adult mesenchymal (multipotent) stem cells have different spectral signatures based on the amount of lipids in their cytoplasm (confirmed with cytological staining). Furthermore, O(2) concentration in cell culture causes changes in both the FTIR and Raman spectra of embryonic stem cells. These results show that embryonic stem cells might be more sensitive to O(2) concentration when compared to mesenchymal stem cells. While vibrational spectroscopy could therefore be of potential use in identifying different populations of stem cells further work is required to better understand these differences.     

A simple and rapid dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method followed by GC-FID for determination of N-methylpyrrolidine in cefepime

A simple, rapid and efficient sample preparation technique, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, coupled with gas chromatography-flame ionization detection has been developed to determine N-methylpyrrolidine in cefepime. The effect of various experimental factors on the preparation procedure, such as the nature and volume of extraction and disperser solvents, extraction time, the nature of buffer and its pH, and salt effect, was investigated, optimized and the following results were obtained: extraction solvent, chloroform; dispersive solvent and solvent for dissolving cefepime, a mixture of methanol/water (88:12, v/v); salting out agent, NaCl; and buffer, carbonate/bicarbonate (C=0.5?M, pH=12). The optimized conditions were applied to the real sample (cefepime) for the extraction and determination of N-methylpyrrolidine. The calibration graph is linear from 0.02 to 850?mg/L with the square of correlation coefficient 0.999. LOD and LOQ are 6.4 and 21.2?μg/L in solution, respectively, and 0.2 (2×10(-5) ) and 0.6 (6×10(-5) ) μg/g (%, w/w) in cefepime powder, respectively, using sample size 50?mg. Repeatability of the method is good and RSD% for six repeated experiments (C=170?mg/L) is 6.35%.     

Dense monoenergetic proton beams from chirped laser-plasma interaction

Interaction of a frequency-chirped laser pulse with single protons and a hydrogen gas target is studied analytically and by means of particle-in-cell simulations, respectively. The feasibility of generating ultraintense (10(7) particles per bunch) and phase-space collimated beams of protons (energy spread of about 1%) is demonstrated. Phase synchronization of the protons and the laser field, guaranteed by the appropriate chirping of the laser pulse, allows the particles to gain sufficient kinetic energy (around 250 MeV) required for such applications as hadron cancer therapy, from state-of-the-art laser systems of intensities of the order of 10(21) W/cm(2).     

The spherical spectrum of a graded ring

We introduce a functor Sph, the spherical spectrum, which assigns to a graded ringG a space Sph(G) of homogeneous orderings ofG. It combines ideas of concrete geometry in theN-sphere defined by positively homogeneous polynomial equations and inequalities with the abstract notion of the real spectrum of a ring to give a counterpart for real semialgebraic geometry of the functor Proj.     

Mono-energetic GeV electrons from ionization in a radially polarized laser beam

Fields of a radially polarized laser beam developed recently [Y. I. Salamin, Opt. Lett.31, 2619 (2006)] are employed to show that electrons produced by atomic ionization near the focus may be accelerated to GeV energies. Conditions for producing a mono-energetic and well-collimated electron beam are discussed.     

Structure-toxicity relationships of thiono and seleno phosphoramidate compounds: new type of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

Novel thiono and seleno phosphoramidate compounds with the general formula (X)(Y)P(C₆H₅)₂; (X = NMe₂ & Y = S, 1a; X = NEt₂ & Y = S, 2a; X = NMe(CH₂Ph) & Y = S, 3a; X = NH(CH₂Ph) & Y = S, 4a; X = NEt(CH₂Ph) & Y = S, 5a; X = N(C(Me)₃) (CH₂Ph) & Y = S, 6a; X = N(CH₂Ph)₂ & Y = S, 7a; X = NMe₂ & Y = Se, 1b; X = NEt₂ & Y = Se, 2b; X = NMe(CH₂Ph) & Y = Se, 3b; X = NH (CH₂Ph) & Y = Se, 4b; X = NEt(CH₂Ph) & Y = Se, 5b; X = N(C(Me)₃)(CH₂Ph) & Y = Se, 6b and X = N(CH₂Ph)₂ & Y = Se, 7b) were prepared and characterized by ¹H, ³¹P and ¹³C NMR and IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. ³¹P chemical shift of thiono and seleno derivatives didn’t show significant different because of their little difference in electronegativity sulfur and selenium. Hydrophobic parameter of compounds was determined by measurement of octanol-water partition coefficient by shake-flask technique. Determination of human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (hAChE) activity was carried out according to the Ellman’s modified kinetic method. IC₅₀ values of the selected thiono and seleno compounds varied from 3.4 to 0.11 and 9.9 to 5.1 mM, respectively. The seleno compounds show lower affinities for hAChE relative to the thino compounds. These results demonstrate that hydrophobic and electronic factors of the organophosphorus compounds play a key role on the inhibitory potency.     

A new effective on chip electromembrane extraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography for enhancement of extraction efficiency

In the present research, an effective on chip electromembrane extraction (CEME) coupled with high performance liquid chromatography was presented for analysis of nortriptyline (NOR) and amitriptyline (AMI) as basic model analytes from urine samples. The chip consists of two polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) parts with two craved microfluidic channels in each part. These channels were used as flow path for the sample solution and a thin compartment for the acceptor phase. A porous polypropylene sheet membrane impregnated with an organic solvent was placed between two parts of chip device to separate the channels. Two platinum electrodes were mounted at the bottom of these channels that were connected to a power supply providing the electrical driving force for migration of ionized analytes from sample solution through the porous sheet membrane into the acceptor phase. This new setup provides effective and reproducible extractions with low volume of sample solution. Efficient parameters on CEME of the model analytes were optimized using one variable at a time method. Under the optimized conditions, the calibration curve was linear in the range of 10.0–500 μg L⁻¹ with coefficient of determination (r²) more than 0.9902. The relative standard deviations (RSDs %) for extraction and determination of the analytes were less than 6.8% based on six replicate measurements. LODs less than 4.0 μg L⁻¹ were obtained for both of the model analytes. The preconcentration factors higher than 17.0-fold were obtained. The results demonstrated that CEME would be used efficiently for extraction and determination of AMI and NOR from urine samples.     

Molecular Architecture Manipulation in Free Radical Copolymerization: An Advanced Monte Carlo Approach to Screening Copolymer Chains with Various Comonomer Sequence Arrangements

A Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulation approach has been adopted in this study to capture evolutionary events in the course of free radical copolymerization, through which batch and starved‐feed semibatch processes are compared. The implementation of the KMC code deve­loped in this work: (i) enables satisfactory control of the molecular weight of the copolymer by tracking the profiles of concentrations of macroradicals, monomers, and polymer as well as degree of polymerization, polydispersity, and chain length distribution; (ii) captures the bivariate distribution of chain length and copolymer composition; (iii) comprehensively tracks and analyzes detailed information on the molecular architecture of the growing chains, thus distinguishing between sequence length and polydispersity of chains produced in batch and starved‐feed semibatch operations; (iv) makes possible the screening of products, based on such details as the number and weight fractions of products having different comonomer units located at various positions along the copolymer chains. The aforementioned characteristics are achieved by stochastic calculations through code developed in‐house. This KMC simulator becomes a very useful tool for the development of tailored copolymers through free radical polymerization, with blocks separated with single units of a different type.