Mean growth and geometric zero distribution of solutions of linear differential equations

The aim of this paper is to consider certain conditions on the coefficient A of the differential equation f″ + Af = 0 in the unit disc which place all normal solutions f in the union of Hardy spaces or result in the zero-sequence of each non-trivial solution being uniformly separated. The conditions on the coefficient are given in terms of Carleson measures.     

Quantitative determination of drug encapsulation in poly(lactic acid) nanoparticles by capillary electrophoresis

Capillary electrophoretic (CE) methods were used for the quantitative determination of model drugs [salbutamol sulphate (SS), sodium cromoglycate (SCG) and beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP)] in poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PLA) nanoparticles, which were prepared by the nanoprecipitation method. Zeta potential and size distribution of the nanoparticles were determined by electrophoretic mobility determinations and photon correlation spectroscopy, respectively. Interactions between the drugs, the PLA nanoparticles and the fused-silica capillary were investigated by electrokinetic capillary chromatography (EKC). A quantitative CE method was developed for salbutamol sulphate and sodium cromoglycate, and the linearity and repeatability of migration times, peak areas and peak heights were determined. Microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography was used for the quantitative determination of beclomethasone dipropionate. According to this study, the applied electromigration techniques were suitable for the interaction, drug entrapment and dissolution studies of pharmaceutical nanoparticles. The results suggest that even quantitation of the drug located inside the nanoparticles was possible. Encapsulation of the more hydrophilic model drugs (SS, SCG) in the PLA nanoparticles was less efficient than in the case of BDP.     

Solid-contact ion-selective electrodes for aromatic cations based on pi-coordinating soft carriers

Ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) based on pi-coordinating carriers were prepared and investigated as potentiometric sensors for aromatic cations, using N-methylpyridinium as a model aromatic cation. Derivatives of tetraphenylborate were studied as charged carriers in plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membranes. Furthermore, neutral compounds containing pi-coordinating anthryl groups were studied as neutral carriers. Bis(2-ethylhexyl)sebacate (DOS) and 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether (o-NPOE) were used as non-polar and polar plasticizer, respectively. ISEs were constructed by using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) as solid-contact material. Conventional ISEs with internal filling solution were used for comparison. The potentiometric responses of the ISEs were investigated using N-methylpyridinium as primary ion. The results show that the selectivity of the ISEs is influenced significantly by both the plasticizer and the charged carriers, while the neutral carriers studied have only a minor influence on the selectivity. The role of cation-pi interactions between aromatic cations and the membrane components is discussed.     

Testing the single-state dominance in two-neutrino double-beta decay

The single-state-dominance hypothesis (SSDH) states that the decay rates of the two-neutrino double beta decay are governed by a virtual two-step transition connecting the initial and final ground states through the first 1⁺ state, 1 ₁ ⁺ , of the intermediate odd-odd nucleus, for those odd-odd nuclei where the 1 ₁ ⁺ state is the ground state. To investigate the validity the SSDH we have performed a systematical theoretical analysis of all known double-beta-decay transitions where the SSDH conditions are fulfilled. The analysis shows that the SSDH is realized either through a true dominance of the first intermediate 1⁺ state or by cancellations among the contributions of higher lying 1⁺ states of the intermediate nucleus.     

Neutrinoless ββ decay and the electron neutrino mass

We discuss the nuclear structure elements participant in the calculation of the half-life of the neutrinoless double beta decay, and the consequences upon the adopted limits of the electron-neutrino mass. Presented by O. Civitarese at the Workshop on calculation of double-beta-decay matrix elements (MEDEX’05), Corfu, Greece, September 26–29, 2005.     

A study of neutrinoless double-beta decay in the framework of QRPA

A study concerning the valence space dependence of neutrinoless doubleβ ⁻ decay observables is performed for several nuclei in the framework of QRPA using the multiple commutator method (MCM). Calculations and comparison to earlier results show that at least for the ground state to ground state transition the dependence is much weaker than in the two neutrino doubleβ ⁻ decay. It is still a difficult task to extract the parameters of the neutrinoless doubleβ ⁻ decay since the half-life expression contains products of the parameters 〈m _ν 〉 〈η〉 and 〈λ〉. Presented by M. Aunola at the Workshop on calculation of double-beta-decay matrix elements (MEDEX’97), Prague, May 27–31, 1997.     

Synthesis, characterization, reactivity and theoretical studies of ruthenium carbonyl complexes containing ortho-substituted triphenyl phosphanes

A series of ruthenium o-phosphane complexes was synthesized and characterized. The reactivity of the prepared complexes was studied by using them as catalysts for the hydroformylation of 1-hexene. The activities depended on the binding mode of the phosphane and on the strength of the ruthenium-phosphane interaction. Strongly coordinated chelating [2-(dimethylamino)phenyl]-(diphenyl) phosphane and [2-(methylthio)phenyl]-(diphenyl) phosphane showed poor activity, while weakly chelated [2-(methoxy)phenyl]-(diphenyl) phosphane and non-chelating phosphanes such as [2-(methyl)phenyl]-(diphenyl) phosphane or [2-(ethyl)phenyl]-(diphenyl) phosphane led to higher activities.     

A novel heterobidentate chiral phosphine and its coordination chemistry in transition metal clusters

The optically active ligand R,R-PHAZAN (1,3-bis[(1R)-1-Phenylethyl]-2-(2-thienyl)-1,3,2-diazaphospholane) has been prepared and the products resulting from the reactions with Rh₆(CO)₁₅NCMe, H₃RhOs₃(CO)₁₂, and H₄Ru₄(CO)₁₂ have been investigated by X-ray crystallography and a variety of multinuclear NMR methods. X-ray studies show that PHAZAN can behave as a bidentate ligand in Rh₆(CO)₁₄(μ₂,κ²-R,R-PHAZAN) (with coordination through P and S) or a monodentate ligand (through P coordination) in H₄Ru₄(CO)₁₁(κ¹-R,R-PHAZAN) and NMR studies show that these structures are retained in solution. In Rh₆(CO)₁₄(μ₂,κ²-R,R-PHAZAN), edge-bridging coordination of PHAZAN results in the formation of an additional two novel chiral centres and these are observed in solution. Reaction of PHAZAN with H₃RhOs₃(CO)₁₂ results in cleavage of the thienyl group and formation of the phosphido cluster, H₂RhOs₃(CO)₁₁(μ₂-PNN), (PNN = 1,3-bis-(1-phenylethyl)-[1,3,2]diazaphospholidine-2-yl). A variety of NMR measurements show that the hydride site-occupancies in the solid state are retained in solution and there is evidence for interaction of an ortho-phenyl hydrogen and a hydride through “dihydrogen” bonding.