A novel design approach for the epitaxial layer for 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC power bipolar devices

The paper evaluates the optimal design of the low-doped base region inside power diodes and other bipolar devices. It is demonstrated theoretically that a low-doped base region of P⁺N⁻N⁺ diodes can provide a high breakdown voltage and an optimal on-resistance . A simple, accurate and CPU timesaving approach is presented to extract an optimal value for the base region width, W_B, and its doping concentration, N_D. The paper details an analytical relation between W_B and N_D, and gives a method for quantifying the trade-off between their values for a given breakdown voltage and for obtaining the minimal on-resistance. Analytical results are confronted with experimental results for 4H-SiC- and 6H-SiC-based diodes.     

Synthesis and preliminary investigations of the siRNA delivery potential of novel, single-chain rigid cationic carotenoid lipids

The success of nucleic acid delivery requires the development of safe and efficient delivery vectors that overcome cellular barriers for effective transport. Herein we describe the synthesis of a series of novel, single-chain rigid cationic carotenoid lipids and a study of their preliminary in vitro siRNA delivery effectiveness and cellular toxicity. The efficiency of siRNA delivery by the single-chain lipid series was compared with that of known cationic lipid vectors, 3β-[N-(N',N'-dimethylaminoethane)carbamoyl]-cholesterol (DC-Chol) and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphoethanolamine (EPC) as positive controls. All cationic lipids (controls and single-chain lipids) were co-formulated into liposomes with the neutral co-lipid, 1,2-dioleolyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE). Cationic lipid-siRNA complexes of varying (+/-) molar charge ratios were formulated for delivery into HR5-CL11 cells. Of the five single-chain carotenoid lipids investigated, lipids 1, 2, 3 and 5 displayed significant knockdown efficiency with HR5-CL11 cells. In addition, lipid 1 exhibited the lowest levels of cytotoxicity with cell viability greater than 80% at all (+/-) molar charge ratios studied. This novel, single-chain rigid carotenoid-based cationic lipid represents a new class of transfection vector with excellent cell tolerance, accompanied with encouraging siRNA delivery efficiency.     

New HPLC method to detect individual opioids (heroin and tramadol) and their metabolites in the blood of rats on combination treatment

Drug abuse is both an age-old and a constantly evolving problem in society. Trends in illicit drug use are highly fluid, with new formulations increasing in popularity. For this reason, methods for illicit drug detection and analysis need to be continually updated so they remain useful and relevant. A recent trend in street heroin production has seen it diluted with large amounts of tramadol in addition to the classical diluents such as acetaminophen and caffeine. This study describes a sensitive, simple and accurate high-performance liquid chromatographic method with ultraviolet detection for the simultaneous detection of heroin, 6-acetylmorphine, morphine, tramadol and O-desmethyltramadol in the blood of rats using a liquid-liquid back-extraction method. The separation was performed on LichroCART RP-18e with particle size of 5 μm (250 × 4.6 mm) with mobile phase acetonitrile-50 mM KH(2)PO(4) buffer, pH 7.1, using a gradient mode with a 1.0 mL/min flow rate. The calibration curves were linear in the concentration ranges 0.25-100 and 0.1-100 μg/mL for morphine and other analytes, respectively. Recovery values for the substances ranged between 59 and 83%. This technique was successfully used in pharmacokinetic studies measuring 6-acetylmorphine, morphine, tramadol and O-desmethyltramadol in the blood of rats intraperitoneally treated with a blend of 10 mg/kg heroin and 70 mg/kg tramadol. This technique shows promise for analysis of confiscated street heroin.     

Gradient HPLC-DAD stability indicating determination of miconazole nitrate and lidocaine hydrochloride in their combined oral gel dosage form

The pharmaceutical combination of miconazole nitrate (MZ) and lidocaine hydrochloride (LD) is used in the curative and prophylactic therapy of the oral and gastro-intestinal infections caused by Candida albicans. To the best of our knowledge, no attempts have yet been made to assay this combination by any analytical method. A simple and selective high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) stability-indicating method was developed for the simultaneous determination of MZ and LD in their combined formulation. Effective chromatographic separation was achieved using a Zorbax SB-C8 column with gradient elution of the mobile phase composed of 0.05 M phosphoric acid and acetonitrile. The gradient elution started with 25% (by volume) acetonitrile, ramped up linearly to 65% in 6 min, then kept constant until the end of the run. The mobile phase was pumped at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The multiple wavelength detector was set at 215 nm and analytes were quantified by measuring their peak areas. The retention times for LD and MZ were approximately 4.1 and 8.4 min, respectively. The reliability and analytical performance of the proposed HPLC procedure were statistically validated with respect to linearity, ranges, precision, accuracy, selectivity, robustness, detection and quantification limits. Calibration curves were linear in the ranges of 5-100 μg/ml for both drugs with correlation coefficients > 0.999. Both drugs were subjected to stress conditions of hydrolysis, oxidation, photolysis and thermal degradation. The proposed method proved to be stability-indicating by the resolution of the two analytes from the related substance and potential impurity (2,6-dimethylaniline) and from the forced-degradation products. The validated HPLC method was applied to the analysis of MZ and LD in the combined oral gel preparation, in which the two analytes were successfully quantified and resolved from the pharmaceutical additives. The proposed method made use of DAD as a tool for peak identity and purity confirmation.     

Evaluation of Matrix-Fracture Transfer Functions for Counter-Current Capillary Imbibition

Different functions describing matrix-fracture transfer were tested for counter-current capillary imbibition interaction. The recovery curves obtained from capillary imbibition experiments were used to fit the transfer functions. The exponential coefficients yielding the best fit to the experimental data were obtained and correlated to the effective parameters such as viscosity, IFT, matrix length and diameter, matrix permeability and porosity, and wettability using multivariable regression analysis. In order to obtain the recovery curves, experiments were conducted on Berea sandstone and Indiana limestone samples. Cylindrical samples with different shape factors were obtained by cutting the plugs 1, 2.5, and 5 cm in diameter and 2.5, 5, and 10 cm in length. All sides were coated with epoxy except one end. More than fifty static imbibition experiments were carried out on vertically and horizontally situated samples where the imbibition took place upward and lateral directions, respectively. Brine–air, brine–kerosene, brine–mineral oil, and surfactant solution–mineral oil pairs were used as fluids. For many matrix shape factors (especially longer and small diameter ones), dividing the recovery curve into three parts were needed as the early, intermediate, and late times, which are typically distinguished by the time required for the imbibition front to reach the closed boundary at the end of the core. Correlations among the exponential coefficients and rock/fluid properties were developed. It was observed that different rock/fluid properties and transfer mechanisms (capillary imbibition and gravity drainage) govern the process for each part. Hence, the analyses done in this study were useful not only for developing explicit transfer functions but also identifying the physics of the counter-current imbibition recovery.     

Synthesis and photophysical properties of poly-(phenylenevinylene) dendrimers with a ruthenium tris-bipyridine core

The photophysical processes have been investigated in first, second and third generation dendrimers with poly-(phenylenevinylene) branches and a ruthenium tris-bipyridine core, RuDn (n = 1–3). These dendrimers show very efficient forward singlet–singlet energy transfer from the branches to the ruthenium core upon UV irradiation, with efficiencies of 0.99 for RuD1 and 0.88 for RuD2 and RuD3 in CH₂Cl₂. The RuDn dendrimers show a bi-exponential emission decay in CH₂Cl₂, when excited with a 460 nm light with short lifetimes, however, the emission decay lifetimes become mono-exponential in 10% Triton X-100 aqueous solution (τ = 840 ns for RuD1, 890 ns for RuD2 and 1120 ns for RuD3).     

New One Pot‐synthesis of Functionally Substituted Pyridines from Enaminoketones

Several new pyridine derivatives were prepared via reaction of enaminoketones 1a , 1b , 1c , 1d with active hydrogen reagents. Reaction of the enaminoketones 1a , 1b , 1c with 4‐acetyl‐1,5‐dimethyl‐2‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazol‐3(2H)‐one 2a yielded the pyridines 3a , 3b , 3c . Condensation of the enaminonitrile 1d with compounds 2b , 2c , 2d and compound 8 gave the pyridine derivatives 6a , 6b , 6c and 10 respectively. Also, (3‐(dimethylamino)acryloyl)‐2H‐chromen‐2‐one 1a reacted with active methylenes in diethyl 3‐oxopentanedioate 12 and 4‐methyl‐6‐oxo‐2‐thioxo‐1,2,5,6‐tetrahydropyridine‐3‐carbonitrile 15 to afford the pyridine derivatives 14 and 16 respectively.     

Geometry of the common dynamics of Pisot substitutions with the same incidence matrix

Any Pisot substitution can be associated with a bounded set with interesting properties, called the Rauzy fractal. This set is obtained by projection of the broken line associated with an infinite fixed point. Two substitutions having the same incidence matrix can have different Rauzy fractals. We show that under weak conditions, the intersection of these two fractals has strictly positive measure, and can also be generated by a substitution.     

Multi-analyte HPLC–DAD Method for Concurrent Analysis of Six Antimicrobials and Three Proton Pump Inhibitors Frequently used in Management of Helicobacter pylori Infection: Application to Simulated Intestinal Fluid Samples

Chromatographia - The present work deals with the optimization, validation and application of a versatile HPLC–DAD method for concurrent estimation of nine antimicrobials and proton pump...     

Ultrasound-assisted nanoscaled supramolecular coordination polymer as an efficient recyclable catalyst for photocatalytic degradation of dye pollutants

An ultrasound-assisted nanoscaled supramolecular coordination polymer (nanosized 1′ ) has been synthesized using a self-assembly reaction of K₃[Cu (CN)₄] and hexamethylenetetramine in the presence of Me₃SnCl under ambient conditions. Nanosized 1′ was examined using elemental analysis, Fourier transform–infrared, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffractions. It was structurally compared with the single crystal supramolecular coordination polymer ^∞₃[Cu₆(CN)₇(C₆H₁₂N₄)₂(OH₃)]; SCP 1. The photocatalytic activities of nanosized 1′ and SCP 1 toward different hazardous organic dyes were determined under ambient, UV-light irradiation and ultrasonic conditions. SCP 1 and nanosized 1′ as heterogeneous nanoparticles catalysts exhibited high catalytic activity for degradation of Congo Red, Methyl Violet 2B and Methylene Blue dyes. The effects of operational parameters on catalytic degradation process, identification of the degradation products and recycling of the catalyst were also investigated. SCP 1 and nanosized 1′ are recyclable heterogeneous catalysts and can be reused with efficient activities. The mechanism of degradation using different scavenger techniques iss proposed and discussed. The catalytic oxidation process is mainly caused by ^•OH radicals.