Combined supercritical-fluid chromatography/mass spectrometry in the analysis of diuron in plasma using on-line phase-system switching

On-line sample pretreatment by means of the phase-system switching approach is an interesting technique for the analysis of aqueous samples, e.g., plasma, by means of supercritical-fluid chromatography. In order to analyse plasma samples the following analytical procedure is used. The plasma sample is injected on to a short precolumn, which is washed with water and subsequently dried with nitrogen. Next, the solutes are desorbed with the supercritical mobile phase, analysed with packed-column supercritical-fluid chromatography and detected with either a UV detector or a mass spectrometer, equipped with a moving-belt interface. The herbicide diuron is selected as a test compound to study the feasibility of this approach. Using a selective detector the procedure is sufficiently sensitive to detect diuron in plasma, but not appropriate to detect the diuron metabolites in a post-mortem plasma sample. These have been identified with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The detection limit of diuron in plasma using the procedure described is about 30 ng/mL.     

An interpretation of cortical maps in echolocating bats

Target parameters such as reflectivity, range, velocity, and angular position are represented by ordered maps of tuned cortical neurons in insectivorous bats. It is suggested that the response of each neuron in such a map is determined by a hypothesis test conditioned on a particular value of the mapped parameter. The excitation of each neuron is then interpreted as a sample value of a conditional log-likelihood ratio or a log-likelihood function. Interpolation between the samples, which is needed to find the parameter that maximizes the mapped function (e.g., the maximum likelihood parameter estimate), can be accomplished with overlapped tuning curves. An attempt to portray a sharp peak by a weighted sum of relatively broad neuronal tuning curves or interpolation functions results in excitatory center/inhibitory surround behavior. Facilitation or antifacilitation of neurons that are likely to be excited by succeeding observations can be used for sequential detection and tracking. Interpolation and pulse-to-pulse data storage capability are required to explain range jitter sensitivity and to allow for moving target indication in bat sonar. If a cortical map represents an ordered array of hypothesis tests, then many such tests are implemented in parallel when target parameters are unknown. Detection performance is then degraded relative to the idealized situation in which all parameters are specified. Performance in noise may thus appear to be much worse than that of an ideal detector, even if each hypothesis test is optimally implemented.     

Binary quantum logic and generating semigroups

A refined definition of basic concepts for logic describing physical systems is proposed. Within the suggested formalism of generating semigroups the active logic of questions and passive logic of answers are introduced. The objects for which both logics are isomorphic are called self-adequate. It is shown that the assumption of self-adequacy implies that the object is either quantum or classical. The possibility of application of the theory to non-self-adequate objects is discussed.     

Nonlinear effects of electrical transport in crystals with orbital degeneration

The influence of an electrical field on the charge transfer in crystals with orbital degeneration is investigated. An expression is obtained for the current density in crystals with narrow d-conduction bands in transition metal compounds. As the electrical field intensity increases, a current density maximum is observed with a subsequent section of negative differential conductivity. The results of the investigation agree qualitatively with experimental data.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 2, pp. 14–18, February, 1989.     

Conservation de la charge dans les codes PIC

This Note introduces a new integral form of the charge and current deposition scheme given in 1992 by Villasenor and Buneman, which permits the conservation of charge in PIC codes. This integral form extends directly to higher order spline shape factors, whose use produces less numerical noise. We thus get a discrete charge conserving method for high order shape factors. This method extends easily to nonuniform Cartesian grids for first order shape factors. To cite this article: R. Barthelmé, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 341 (2005).     

Sound radiation from a joint of plates of different thickness

A method of solving the problem of sound radiation from a plate with elements of different thickness in its plane is proposed, and the results obtained with this method are presented. It is shown that the main sources of sound radiation are the inhomogeneous flexural fields formed in the elements on both sides of their joint.     

Study of removal processes of <Superscript>7</Superscript>Be and <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs from the atmosphere

In order to understand better the way in which radioactive contamination may be transferred from the atmosphere to other ecological compartments it is necessary to obtain information of the deposition mechanisms of radionuclides. Concentration and speciation of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁷Be in the atmospheric aerosol and deposition were studied. The mixed deposition velocities of water-soluble and insoluble ¹³⁷Cs and ⁷Be were determined. The relation between activity concentrations of insoluble ⁷Be in the atmosphere and its amount in deposition was observed. It is supposed that in the deposition process of radiocesium the precipitation plays an important role in scavenging of water-soluble radiocesium by falling raindrops, in contrast to insoluble ¹³⁷Cs where the dry deposition becomes predominant.     

Asymptotics of collision integral matrix elements in the isotropic case

The method of nonlinear moments, when used to solve the Boltzmann equation, necessitates the calculation of collision integral matrix elements. The matrix elements are hard to calculate numerically, especially at large indices. The asymptotics of the matrix elements are constructed. In terms of the model of pseudopower particle interaction, a formula free of summation is derived. This makes it possible to find the asymptotic behavior of linear and nonlinear elements when two indices are large. For an arbitrary interaction cross section, asymptotic expansions of linear and nonlinear matrix elements in one index are obtained. For Maxwellian molecules, asymptotic formulas are derived for three large indices.     

Effect of Conditions of Electric-Spark Dispersion of Zinc on the Quality of the Product Obtained

Influence exerted by additives introduced into the working solution, by iron or copper formedin electric-spark dispersion of these metals and zinc, on the quality of the products obtained in electric erosionwas studied.     

Semiempirical calculation of the fine structure of the indium ion

The fine-structure parameters of a series of configurations of the first ion of indium and the gyromagnetic ratios in intermediate coupling are calculated by a semiempirical method in the single-configuration approximation.