Search for chiral bands in A ～ 110 neutron-rich nuclei

High spin states in A ～ 110 neutron-rich 106Mo, 110Ru and 112Ru nuclei have been reinvestigated by measuring the prompt γ-rays from the spontaneous fission of 252Cf. Two similar sets of bands are observed to high spins in each of three nuclei. Through analyzing of characters of the band structures, the chiral doublet bands are suggested in 106Mo, 110Ru and 112Ru.     

High-spin states in neutron-rich 102Mo nucleus

High-spin states in neutron-rich 102Mo nucleus have been studied by measuring the prompt γ-rays in the spontaneous fission of 252Cf. The previous level scheme has been updated and some new levels and transitions are identified. The one-phonon γ-band is expanded and a band head level of the two-phonon γ-band is proposed. The systematic characteristics of yrast bands, one-phonon γ-bands, two-phonon γ-bands and quasi-particle bands in 102Mo, 104Mo and 106Mo are discussed.     

Gamma Vibrational Bands and Chiral Doublet Bands in A≈100 Neutron-rich Nuclei

The level structures of neutron-rich ~(105)Mo,~(106)Mo,~(108)Mo and 110Ru nuclei in A≈100 region have been carefully investigated by coincidence measurements of the prompt γ-rays populated in the spontaneous fission of ~(252)Cf with the Gammasphere detector array.In 105Mo,one-phonon K =9/2 and two-phonon K=13/2 γ-vibrational bands have been identified.In ~(108)Mo,one-phonon γ-vibrational band is expanded and two-phonon γ-vibrational band has been identified.Two similar sets of bands in ~(106)Mo and ~(110)Ru are observed to high spins,which have been proposed as the soft chiral γ-vibrational bands.The characteristics for these γ-vibrational bands and chiral doublet bands have been discussed.     

A Comparison of the Fluorescence Spectra of Murine and Bovine Central Nervous System and Other Tissues

We describe a comparison of the fluorescence spectra of bovine tissues with murine tissues in order to determine whether spectral features are conserved and whether an appropriate and practical laboratory small animal model system could be identified to be used for investigation of tissue- and age-related fluorescence signal patterns. Recently it has been shown that spectral signatures of lipofuscin have enabled the detection of bovine central nervous system (CNS) tissue in meat products with high sensitivity (Schönenbrücher, H., Adhikary, R., Mukherjee, P., Casey, T.A., Rasmussen, M.A., Maistrovich, F.D., Hamir, A.N., Kehrli, M.J., Richt, J., Petrich, J.W. [2008] J Agric Food Chem 56 , 6220–6226). We report that brain and spinal cord of mice provide fluorescence spectra similar to those of bovine brain and spinal cord. It is concluded that murine CNS tissue is an appropriate model system for bovine CNS tissue for the development of fluorometric CNS detection assays.     

Computation of nonautonomous invariant and inertial manifolds

We derive a numerical scheme to compute invariant manifolds for time-variant discrete dynamical systems, i.e., nonautonomous difference equations. Our universally applicable method is based on a truncated Lyapunov–Perron operator and computes invariant manifolds using a system of nonlinear algebraic equations which can be solved both locally using (nonsmooth) inexact Newton, and globally using continuation algorithms. Compared to other algorithms, our approach is quite flexible, since it captures time-dependent, nonsmooth, noninvertible or implicit equations and enables us to tackle the full hierarchy of strongly stable, stable and center-stable manifolds, as well as their unstable counterparts. Our results are illustrated using a test example and are applied to a population dynamical model and the Hénon map. Finally, we discuss a linearly implicit Euler–Bubnov–Galerkin discretization of a reaction diffusion equation in order to approximate its inertial manifold.     

The early exercise region for Bermudan options on two underlyings

This paper investigates the early exercise region for Bermudan options on two underlying assets. We present a set of analytical validation results for the early exercise region which can be used as a means of validating pricing techniques. When all strike prices are identical we show the existence of an intersection point such that for any asset price pair below this point early exercise is always optimal. We develop an approximation to this point in the two asset put case. When the strike prices are not all equal, we show that three separate cases exist for the early exercise region. For a Bermudan put on two assets we present these cases and show that there exists a critical point in which the boundaries of the two asset early exercise region bifurcate. Comparisons are drawn between the Bermudan results presented and the corresponding American option results.     

Experiences with carrier-mediated transport in liquid-phase microextraction

Different organic borates, phosphates, sulphates, and carboxylic acids are evaluated as extraction carriers in three-phase liquid-phase microextraction (LPME). Hydrophilic basic drugs form ion-pairs with the carriers and are extracted as ion-pair complexes into an organic liquid membrane of n-octanol or peppermint oil immobilized in the pores of a polypropylene hollow fiber. From this point, the basic drugs are released into a 20-microL solution of 50mM HCl placed inside the lumen of the hollow fiber (acceptor solution). Simultaneously, the carrier is neutralized by protons from the acceptor solution (protonated to maintain the charge balance). Both water-soluble and water-insoluble carriers are tested. One promising candidate among the water-soluble carriers is 1-heptanesulfonic acid. This is added to the sample solution to a final concentration of 25mM and served to ion-pair the analytes within the sample solution. Among the less water-soluble candidates, a mixture of di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (DEHP) and tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP) serve as efficient carriers. Ten percent (w/w) of each of DEHP and TEHP are added to the organic liquid membrane, and these carriers principally worked through ion-pairing with the analytes at the interface between the sample solution and the organic liquid membrane. Several carriers are found to be compatible with human plasma samples, and bromthymol blue is particularly efficient in combination with these protein-containing matrices. Following optimization of the conditions for bromthymol blue, including saturation of the plasma samples with sodium sulphate, extraction recoveries between 45% and 75% are obtained for eight model drugs after 60 min of extraction. With bromthymol blue as the carrier, highly acceptable validation data are obtained for phenylpropanolamine and practolol extracted from human plasma.     

Electrokinetic migration across artificial liquid membranes. New concept for rapid sample preparation of biological fluids

Basic drug substances were transported across a thin artificial organic liquid membrane by the application of 300 V d.c. From a 300 microl aqueous donor compartment (containing 10 mM HCl), the drugs migrated through a 200 microm artificial liquid membrane of 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether immobilized in the pores of a polypropylene hollow fiber, and into a 30 microl aqueous acceptor solution of 10 mM HCl inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. The transport was forced by an electrical potential difference sustained over the liquid membrane, resulting in electrokinetic migration of drug substances from the donor compartment to the acceptor solution. Within 5 min of operation at 300 V, pethidine, nortriptyline, methadone, haloperidol, and loperamide were extracted with recoveries in the range 70-79%, which corresponded to enrichments in the range 7.0-7.9. The chemical composition of the organic liquid membrane strongly affected the permeability, and may serve as an efficient tool for controlling the transport selectivity. Water samples, human plasma, and human urine were successfully processed, and in light of the present report, electrokinetic migration across thin artificial liquid membranes may be an interesting tool for future isolation within chemical analysis.     

Molecularly asymmetric triblock copolymers as a single-molecule route to ordered bidisperse polymer brushes

The conditions signaling the formation of bidisperse brushes in ordered block copolymers are investigated as an A(2) block is progressively grown onto an A(1)B diblock copolymer to form a series of molecularly asymmetric, isomorphic A(1)BA(2) triblock copolymers. Small-angle scattering and self-consistent field theory confirm that the microphase-ordered period decreases when the A(2) block is short relative to the A(1) block, but then increases as A(1)+A(2) bidisperse brushes develop. The mechanical properties systematically follow the spatial distribution of the A(2) block.