Phase mask selection in wavefront coding systems: A design approach

A method for optimizing the strength of a parametric phase mask for a wavefront coding imaging system is presented. The method is based on an optimization process that minimizes a proposed merit function. The goal is to achieve modulation transfer function invariance while quantitatively maintaining final image fidelity. A parametric filter that copes with the noise present in the captured images is used to obtain the final images, and this filter is optimized. The whole process results in optimum phase mask strength and optimal parameters for the restoration filter. The results for a particular optical system are presented and tested experimentally in the laboratory. The experimental results show good agreement with the simulations, indicating that the procedure is useful.     

Instrumental planar chromatographic method for determination of carbamazepine in human serum

An instrumental planar chromatographic (HPTLC) method for quantification of carbamazepine in human serum was developed using liquid‐liquid extraction with dichloromethane, fluorescence activation with perchloric acid 60%/ethanol/water (1:1:1, v/v) and fluorescence detection. Planar chromatographic separation was performed on precoated silica gel F254 HPTLC plates using a mixture of ethyl acetate/toluene/methanol/acetic acid glacial (5:4:0.5:0.5, v/v) as mobile phase. Densitometric detection was done at 366 nm. The method was validated for linearity, precision and accuracy. Linear calibration curves in the range of 3 and 20 ng/μL showed correlation coefficient of 0.998. The intra‐assay and inter‐assay precision, expressed as the RSD, were in the range of 0.41–1.24% (n = 3) and 2.17–3.17% (n = 9), respectively. The LOD was 0.19 ng, and the LOQ was 0.57 ng. Accuracy, calculated as percentage recovery, was between 98.98 and 101.96%, with a RSD not higher than 1.52%. The method was selective for the active principle tested. In conclusion, the method is useful for quantitative determination of carbamazepine in human serum.     

Uranium determination using atomic spectrometric techniques: An overview

This review focuses on the determination of uranium using spectroanalytical techniques that are aimed at total determination such as flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES); and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) that also enables the determination of uranium isotopes. The advantages and shortcomings related to interferences, precision, accuracy, sample type and equipment employed in the analysis are taken into account, as well as the complexity and costs (i.e., acquisition, operation and maintenance) associated with each of the techniques. Strategies to improve their performance that employ separation and/or preconcentration steps are considered, with an emphasis given to solid-phase extraction because of its advantages compared to other preconcentration procedures.     

Simultaneous speciation of arsenic (As(III), MMA, DMA, and As(V)) and selenium (Se(IV), Se(VI), and SeCN−) in petroleum refinery aqueous streams

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to an ICP-MS with an octapole reaction system (ORS) has been used to carry out quantitative speciation of selenium (Se) and arsenic (As) in the stream waters of a refining process. The argon dimers interfering with the ⁷⁸Se and ⁸⁰Se isotopes were suppressed by pressurizing the octapole chamber with 3.1 mL min⁻¹ H₂ and 0.5 mL min⁻¹ He. Four arsenic species arsenite—As(III), arsenate (As(V)), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA)—and three inorganic Se species—selenite Se(IV), selenate Se(VI), and selenocyanate (SeCN⁻)—were separated in a single run by ion chromatography (IC) using gradient elution with 100 mmol L⁻¹ NH₄NO₃, pH 8.5, adjusted by addition of NH₃, as eluent. Repeatabilities of peak position and of peak area evaluation were better than 1% and about 3%, respectively. Detection limits (as 3σ of the baseline noise) were 81, 56, and 75 ng L⁻¹ for Se(IV), Se(VI), and SeCN⁻, respectively, and 22, 19, 25, and 16 ng L⁻¹ for As(III), As(V), MMA, and DMA, respectively. Calibration curve R ² values ranged between 0.996 and 0.999 for the arsenic and selenium species. Column recovery for ion chromatography was calculated to be 97 ± 6% for combined arsenic species and 98 ± 3% for combined selenium species. Because certified reference materials for As and Se speciation studies are still not commercially available, in order to check accuracy and precision the method was applied to certified reference materials, BCR 714, BCR 1714, and BCR 715 and to two different refinery samples—inlet and outlet wastewater. The method was successfully used to study the quantitative speciation of selenium and arsenic in petroleum refinery wastewaters.     

Local Coordination Geometry and Spin State in Novel Fe(II) Complexes with 2,6-Bis(pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine-Type Ligands as Controlled by Packing Forces: Structural Correlations

A substituted 2,6-bis(pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine (3-bpp) ligand, H(4) L, created to facilitate intermolecular interactions in the solid, has been used to obtain four novel Fe(II) complexes: [Fe(H(4) L)(2) ](ClO(4) )(2) ?2?CH(3) NO(2) ?2?H(2) O, [Fe(H(4) L)(H(2) LBF(2) )](BF(4) )?5?C(3) H(6) O (H(2) LBF(2) is an in situ modified version of H(4) L), [Fe(H(4) L)(2) ](ClO(4) )(2) ?2?C(3) H(7) OH and [Fe(H(4) L)(2) ](ClO(4) )(2) ?4?C(2) H(5) OH. Changing of spin-inactive components (solvents, anions or distant ligand substituents) causes differences to the coordination geometry of the metal that are key to the magnetic proper- ties. Magnetic measurements show that, contrary to the previously published complex [Fe(H(4) L)(2) ](ClO(4) )(2) ?H(2) O?2?CH(3) COCH(3) , the newly synthesised compounds remain in the high-spin (HS) state at all temperatures (5-300?K). A member of the known family of Fe(II) /3-bpp complexes, [Fe(3-bpp)(2) ](ClO(4) )(2) ?1.75?CH(3) COCH(3) ?1.5?Et(2) O, has also been prepared and characterised structurally. In the bulk, this compound exhibits a gradual and incomplete spin transition near 205?K. The single-crystal structure is consistent with it being HS at 250?K and partially low spin at 90?K. Structural analysis of all these compounds reveals that the exact configuration of intermolecular interactions affects dramatically the local geometry at the metal, which ultimately has a strong influence on the magnetic properties. Along this line, the geometry of Fe(II) in all published 3-bpp compounds of known structure has been examined, both by calculating various distortion indices (Σ, Θ, θ and Φ) and by continuous shape measures (CShMs). The results reveal correlations between some of these parameters and indicate that the distortions from octahedral geometry observed on HS systems are mainly due to strains arising from intermolecular interactions. As previously suggested with other related compounds, we observe here that strongly HS-distorted systems have a larger tendency to remain in that state.     

Increasing storage capability of pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) embryos by chilling: development of a useful methodology for hatcheries management

Cryopreservation of fish gametes has been studied extensively in the last few decades, but the successful cryopreservation of fish embryos remains elusive. However, recent studies using short-term chilling techniques have shown that it is possible to store embryos at low temperatures with no significant loss in viability. Information on cryopreservation of Neotropical freshwater fish embryos has so far been very limited in the literature. In the present study, chilling protocols for storage of pacu embryos at -8°C for up to 24 h were studied using different concentrations of sucrose in methanol. Embryos tolerated the subzero temperature for up to 6 h with no adverse effects (P > 0.05). After 12 h chilling, hatching rate of 64.0 +/- 3.5 percent was recorded. Low temperature storage of pacu embryos by chilling is detailed here for the first time. Further studies are needed to extend the storage time and to improve the hatching rate.     

Optimal number of bypasses: minimizing cost of calls to wireless phones under Calling Party Pays

In telecommunications, Calling Party Pays is a billing formula that prescribes that the person who makes the call pays its full cost. Under CPP land-line to wireless phone calls have a high cost for many organizations. They can reduce this cost at the expense of installing wireless bypasses to replace land-line to wireless traffic with wireless-to-wireless traffic, when the latter is cheaper than the former. Thus, for a given time-horizon, the cost of the project is a trade-off between traffic to-wireless and the number of bypasses. We present a method to determine the number of bypasses that minimizes the expected cost of the project. This method takes into account hourly varying traffic intensity. Our method takes advantage of parallels with inventory models for rental items. Examples illustrate the economic value of our approach.     

Tetranuclear Cu(II) complex supported by a central mu4-1,1,3,3 azide bridge

The new cluster [Cu4L2(N3)]Cl.16H2O has been synthesized and characterized; it features a unique mu4-1,1,3,3 bridging mode for azide, whose capacity to mediate magnetic coupling has been examined through bulk magnetic measurements and numeric fitting procedures.     

Mobility of a one-dimensional confined file of water molecules as a function of file length

Confinement of water by pore geometry to a one-dimensional file of molecules interacting with the pore alters the diffusion coefficient D(W). Here we report an exponential dependence of D(W) on the number of water positions in the pore. The result is based on measurements of single channel water permeabilities of structurally similar peptidic nanopores of different length. The inconsistency with predictions from continuum or kinetic models indicates that pore occupancy is reduced in single file transport. In longer pores (e.g., in aquaporins) the presence of charged residues increases D(W).     

Application of field portable EDXRF spectrometry to analysis of pigments of Levantine rock art

The results of the analyses of elemental composition of red and black pigments of Levantine rock art from La Saltadora rock shelters (Valltorta gorge, Castellón, Spain) are presented in this paper. Nondestructive analyses were carried out using a portable energy dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer developed for in situ analysis. The results revealed the strong presence of calcium in all the analyzed locations due to the contribution of the underlying calcareous bedrock and the overlying crust. Iron is the main element detected in red pigments and manganese in black pigments. Iron and calcium ratios have been found indicative of the degree of preservation of the pictorial layer. Trace elements detected in the pigment composition confirm the use of different raw materials. Therefore, this work illustrates the potential of the portable EDXRF spectrometers for in situ analysis of rock art paintings. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.