On the pth moment exponential stability criteria of neutral stochastic functional differential equations

The paper discusses the pth moment exponential stability for a general class of neutral stochastic functional differential equations of the Ito type. This investigation can be very complicated, even in many special cases, by using usual methods based on Lyapunov functionals. In this paper we present criteria which are relatively easy to verify the pth moment exponential stability of the solutions of such equations.     

Determination of the measuring position in laser-Doppler anemometry

The present paper is concerned with the determination of the measuring position of a laser-Doppler anemometer (LDA) relative to a wall. The proposed method is based on the finding that the output of a hot-wire anemometer increases when the wire, which is mounted in quiescent air parallel to the wall, is brought closer than 800 m to the wall. For given hot-wire anemometer parameters, the hot-wire anemometer output voltage depends on the wall material and the wire distance from the wall. After suitable calibration for the wall material of the test section, the anemometer reading in a test rig can be used to find the wire position. Moving the measuring volume of a LDA-system across the wire yields an output voltage variation of the LDA-photomultiplier showing a Gaussian shape. When the maximum output voltage is reached, the centre of the measuring control volume is located at the centre of the wire and, hence, the location of the LDA-measuring position is known. All position measurements for the LDA-system are then taken relative to this point using the scale of the LDA-traversing system. If optical effects of transparent test section walls are eliminated by employing refractive index matched liquids, there are other ways to find the measuring position of a laser-Doppler anemometer relative to a wall. One such method and its application to the study of the turbulent near wall flow in a pipe is described in this paper.     

PPV Polymerization through the Gilch Route: Diradical Character of Monomers

Despite various studies on the polymerization of poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) (PPV) through different precursor routes, detailed mechanistic knowledge on the individual reaction steps and intermediates is still incomplete. The present study aims to gain more insight into the radical polymerization of PPV through the Gilch route. The initial steps of the polymerization involve the formation of a p‐quinodimethane intermediate, which spontaneously self‐initiates through a dimerization process leading to the formation of diradical species; chain propagation ensues on both sides of the diradical or chain termination occurs by the formation of side products, such as [2.2]paracyclophanes. Furthermore, different p‐quinodimethane systems were assessed with respect to the size of their aromatic core as well as the presence of heteroatoms in/on the conjugated system. The nature of the aromatic core and the specific substituents alter the electronic structure of the p‐quinodimethane monomers, affecting the mechanism of polymerization. The diradical character of the monomers has been investigated with several advanced methodologies, such as spin‐projected UHF, CASSCF, CASPT2, and DMRG calculations. It was shown that larger aromatic cores led to a higher diradical character in the monomers, which in turn is proposed to cause rapid initiation.     

A heuristic approach for dividing graphs into bi-connected components with a size constraint

In this paper we propose a new problem of finding the maximal bi-connected partitioning of a graph with a size constraint (MBCPG-SC). With the goal of finding approximate solutions for the MBCPG-SC, a heuristic method is developed based on the open ear decomposition of graphs. Its essential part is an adaptation of the breadth first search which makes it possible to grow bi-connected subgraphs. The proposed randomized algorithm consists of growing several subgraphs in parallel. The quality of solutions generated in this way is further improved using a local search which exploits neighboring relations between the subgraphs. In order to evaluate the performance of the method, an algorithm for generating pseudo-random unit disc graphs with known optimal solutions is created. Computational experiments have also been conducted on graphs representing electrical distribution systems for the real-world problem of dividing them into a system of fault tolerant interconnected microgrids. The experiments show that the proposed method frequently manages to find optimal solutions and has an average error of only a few percent to known optimal solutions. Further, it manages to find high quality approximate solutions for graphs having up to 10,000 nodes in reasonable time.     

Comparative analysis of CE‐SSCP to standard RFLP‐CE‐FLA method in quantification of known viral variants within an RNA virus quasispecies

RNA viruses display the highest replication error rate in our biosphere, leading to highly diverse viral populations termed quasispecies. The gold standard method for detection and quantification of variants in a quasispecies is cloning and sequencing, but it is expensive, laborious and time consuming. Therefore, other mutation detection approaches, including SSCP, are often used. In this study, we demonstrate development and the usage of a CE‐SSCP method for quantification of two nearly identical viral variants in heterogenic population of a mumps virus strain and its comparison to RFLP‐CE‐fragment length analysis (RFLP‐CE‐FLA). Analyzed PCR fragments were of the same size (245 bp) with one difference in their nucleotide sequence. The limit of detection of both methods was at 5% of the minor variant. When PCR amplicons of the two variants were pooled, methods' results were very similar. On the contrary, the quantification results of samples in which variants were mixed prior to PCR showed substantial difference between the two methods. Our results indicate that although both methods can be used for detection and monitoring of a specific mutation within a viral population, caution should be taken when quantitative analysis of complex samples is based solely on results of one method.     

Isopiestic Determination of the Osmotic and Activity Coefficients of K<Subscript>2</Subscript>HPO<Subscript>4</Subscript>(aq), Including Saturated and Supersaturated Solutions,at <Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis>=298.15 K

The osmotic coefficients of K₂HPO₄(aq) have been measured at T=298.15 K by the isopiestic vapor pressure method over the range of molalities from 1.3846 mol⋅kg⁻¹ to 13.939 mol⋅kg⁻¹ (oversaturation) with CaCl₂(aq) as the reference solution. The molalities and osmotic coefficients of saturated solutions in equilibrium with K₂HPO₄⋅xH₂O(cr) were measured simultaneously by the same method. Available literature osmotic coefficients of K₂HPO₄(aq) at T=298.15 K, and our new experimental data, were combined and modeled using an extended form of Pitzer’s equation and the Clegg-Pitzer-Brimblecombe equation based on the mole-fraction-composition scale. These equations were used to calculate the activity coefficients of K₂HPO₄(aq) at T=298.15 K.     

Simultaneous Determination of Pb and Cd Traces in Water Samples by Anodic Stripping Voltammetry Using a Modified GC Electrode

The determination of Pb and Cd with a Nafion‐modified glassy carbon electrode and Cu‐DPABA complex (Cu‐DPABA–NA/GCE; DPABA is methyl 3,5‐bis{bis‐[(pyridin‐2‐yl)methyl]amino}methyl‐benzoate) as an alternative electrode for anodic stripping voltammetry was described. Pb and Cd were accumulated in acetate buffer pH 4 at a potential of ?1.4 V (vs. Ag/AgCl electrode) for 120 s followed by a DPASV scan from ?1.2 to ?0.2 V. Under optimum conditions the calibration curves were linear in the range of 4.8×10^?9–5.0×10^?5 and 5.0×10^?9–5×10^?5 mol L^?1 for Pb and Cd, respectively. Detection limits were 1.8×10^?9 and 1.2×10^?9 mol L^?1 for Pb and Cd, respectively. Different parameters and conditions, such as membrane ingredients, accumulation time, potential and pH value were optimized. A study of interfering substances was also performed. A significant increase in current was achieved at the modified electrode in comparison with the bare glassy carbon electrode. The validation of the proposed method was made by Pb and Cd determination in the certified reference material Groundwater CRM 610 (BCR, Community Bureau of Reference, Brussels, Belgium). The electrode was successfully applied for determination of Pb and Cd in river water with a high content of organic contaminants without any pretreatment.     

Structural identification of SAR-943 metabolites generated by human liver microsomes in vitro using mass spectrometry in combination with analysis of fragmentation patterns

SAR-943 (32-deoxo rapamycin) is a proliferation signal inhibitor via interaction with the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Most importantly, SAR-943 has improved chemical stability compared to rapamycin (sirolimus) and is currently under investigation as a drug coated on coronary stents. It was the goal of this study to identify the SAR-943 metabolites generated after incubation with human liver microsomes using high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) and MS/iontrap (MS(n)) and comparison of fragmentation patterns of the metabolites with those of SAR-943 and other known rapamycin derivatives. Our study showed that SAR-943 is mainly hydroxylated and/or demethylated by human liver microsomes. The structures of the following metabolites were identified: O-demethylated metabolites: 39-O-desmethyl, 16-O-desmethyl and 27-O-desmethyl SAR-943; hydroxylated metabolites: hydroxy piperidine SAR-943, 11-hydroxy, 12-hydroxy, 14-hydroxy, 23-hydroxy, 24-hydroxy, 25-hydroxy, 46-hydroxy and 49-hydroxy SAR-943; didemethylated metabolites: 16,39-O-didesmethyl and 27,39-O-didesmethyl SAR-943; demethylated-hydroxylated metabolites: 39-O-desmethyl, 23- or 24-hydroxy and 39-O-desmethyl, hydroxy piperidine SAR-943 and dihydroxylated metabolites: 12-,23- or 24-dihydroxy SAR-943. In addition, several other demethylated-hydroxylated and dihydroxylated metabolites were detected. However, their exact structures could not be identified.     

Comparison of UPLC and HPLC for Analysis of Dietary Folates

Ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) using small sub-2 ??m particles and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were compared for separation and determination of the most common dietary folates; 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, tetrahydrofolate, 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, 10-formylfolic acid and folic acid. Two UPLC columns??Acquity BEH C₁₈ and Acquity HSS T3, and two HPLC columns with similar surface chemistry??Xbridge C₁₈ and Atlantis d18 were tested. When using UPLC, the signal-to-noise ratio could be improved by a factor of 2?C50 for different folate derivatives and the run time could be reduced fourfold without sacrificing separation efficiency. The applicability of UPLC to real food samples was demonstrated.