Cooperative Strategies for Solving the Bicriteria Sparse Multiple Knapsack Problem

For hard optimization problems, it is difficult to design heuristic algorithms which exhibit uniformly superior performance for all problem instances. As a result it becomes necessary to tailor the algorithms based on the problem instance. In this paper, we introduce the use of a cooperative problem solving team of heuristics that evolves algorithms for a given problem instance. The efficacy of this method is examined by solving six difficult instances of a bicriteria sparse multiple knapsack problem. Results indicate that such tailored algorithms uniformly improve solutions as compared to using predesigned heuristic algorithms.     

Five new nortropane alkaloids and six new amino acids from the fruit of Morus alba LINNE growing in Turkey

Investigation of the constituents of the fruits of Morus alba LINNE (Moraceae) afforded five new nortropane alkaloids (1-5) along with nor-psi-tropine (6) and six new amino acids, morusimic acids A-F (7-12). The structures of the new compounds were determined to be 2alpha,3beta-dihydroxynortropane (1), 2beta,3beta-dihydroxynortropane (2), 2alpha,3beta,6exo-trihydroxynortropane (3), 2alpha,3beta,4alpha-rihydroxynortropane (4), 3beta,6exo-dihydroxynortropane (5), (3R)-3-hydroxy-12-[(1S,4S)-4-[(1S)-1-hydroxyethyl]-pyrrolidin-1-yll-dodecanoic acid-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7), (3R)-3-hydroxy-12-[(1S,4S)-4-[(1S)-1-hydroxyethyl]-pyrrolidin-1-yll-dodecanoic acid (8), (3R)-3-hydroxy-12-1(1R,4R,5S)-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-piperidin-1-yll-dodecanoic acid-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (9), (3R)-3-hydroxy-12-[(1R,4R,5S)-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-piperidin-1-yll-dodecanoic acid (10), (3R)-3-hydroxy-12-[(1R,4R,5S)-4-hydroxy-5-hydroxymethyl-piperidin-1-yl]-dodecanoic acid-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (11), and (3R)-3-hydroxy-12-[(1R,4S,5S)-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-piperidin-1-yl]-dodecanoic acid (12) on the basis of spectral and chemical data.     

Determination of Triazines and N-Methylcarbamate Pesticides in Water by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode Array Detection

A rapid and selective method for the simultaneous determination of triazine herbicides (atrazine, its degradation product desethylatrazine, simazine, prometryn, terbutryn) and N-methylcarbamate insecticides (propoxur, carbaryl and methiocarb) in surface water has been developed. A 0.5 L of the water sample was preconcentrated by passage through a 1 g C₁₈ solid-phase extraction cartridge. The retained compounds were eluted with 5 mL of methanol from the cartridge. The pesticides were separated and quantified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with UV diode-array detection. Analytical separation was performed using a concave gradient elution with acetonitrile and water on a C₁₈ column. Prometryn and terbutryn were determined at 240 nm; propoxur, methiocarb at 204 nm and the others at 220 nm. Recoveries varied from 85 to 102% over concentrations at 0.025 and 0.2 µg L^?1. The limits of detection for the compounds investigated are in the range of 0.005-0.012 µg L^?1.     

Acid-Catalysed Hydrolysis of Some Aromatic Cyclic Sulfamates

The acid catalysed hydrolysis of some cyclic sulfamates, X-3-(p-tolylsulfonyl)-1,2,3-benzoxathiazole 2,2-dioxides ( 1a , X = Me; 1b , X = H; 1c , X = Cl; 1d , X = NO 2 ) have been studied in concentrated aqueous sulfuric and perchloric acid solutions. Analysis of the data by the Excess Acidity Method, activation parameters, substituent, solvent deuterium isotope effect and order of the catalytic effects of the acids are all in agreement with an A-1 mechanism in the studied range.     

A Sensitive and Selective RP-LC Method for the Simultaneous Determination of the Antihypertensive Drugs,Enalapril, Lercanidipine,Nitrendipine and Their Validation

A RP-LC method is presented, which is sensitive and selective for the simultaneous determination of enalapril–lercanidipine and enalapril–nitrendipine binary mixtures in their pharmaceutical dosage forms. The analyte peaks were detected using the LC method with the mobile phase ratio of methanol: water (70:30 v/v, pH 3.0) and a 1.0 mL min⁻¹ flow rate. The detection wavelength was selected at 210 nm using photo diode array detector and column temperature was optimized to 30 °C. Linearity was obtained at different concentration ranges for all working pharmaceutically active compounds between 0.5 and 25 μg mL⁻¹. The proposed methods were extensively validated according to USP 27 requirements and ICH guidelines. The methods were applied to the analysis of pharmaceutical dosage forms containing binary mixtures of enalapril–lercanidipine and enalapril–nitrendipine. Moreover, the proposed methods were applied for the degradation studies of the selected compounds. Degradation studies were conducted using stress conditions such as UV light, acidic and alkaline hydrolysis, oxidation and heat in oven, to evaluate the ability of the separation of the response of standard compounds from their degradation products.

     

Electrochemical investigation and determination of ceftazidime in pharmaceutical dosage forms and human urine

A voltammetric study of the oxidation of Ceftazidime (CEFT) has been carried out at the glassy carbon electrode by cyclic, differential pulse (DPV) and square wave (SWV) voltammetry. The oxidation of CEFT was irreversible and exhibited diffusion controlled process depending on pH. The oxidation mechanism was proposed and discussed. According to the linear relationship between the peak current and concentration, DPV and SWV voltammetric methods for CEFT assay in pharmaceutical dosage forms and human urine were developed. For analytical purposes, a well resolved diffusion controlled voltammetric peak was obtained in 0.1 M H₂SO₄ at 1.00 and 1.02 V for differential pulse and square wave voltammetric techniques, respectively. The linear response was obtained within the range of 4 × 10^?6?8 × 10^?5 M with a detection limit of 6 × 10^?7 M for differential pulse and 4 × 10^?6–2 × 10^?4 M with a detection limit of 1 × 10^?6 M for square wave voltammetric technique. The determination of CEFT in 0.1 M H₂SO₄ was possible over the 2 × 10^?6–1 × 10^?4 M range in urine sample for both techniques. The standard addition method was used for the recovery studies.     

Determination of phenytoin in exhaled breath condensate using electromembrane extraction followed by capillary electrophoresis

Application of hollow fiber-based electromembrane extraction was studied for extraction and quantification of phenytoin from exhaled breath condensate (EBC). Phenytoin is extracted from EBC through a supported liquid membrane consisting of 1-octanol impregnated in the walls of a hollow fiber, and into an alkaline aqueous acceptor solution inside the lumen of the fiber. Under the obtained conditions of electromembrane extraction, that is, the extraction time of 15 min, stirring speed of 750 rpm, donor phase pH at 11.0, acceptor pH at 13.0, and an applied voltage of 15 V across the supported liquid membrane, an enrichment factor of 102-fold correspond to extraction percent of 25.5% was achieved. Good linearity was obtained over the concentration range of 0.001–0.10 µg/mL (r² = 0.9992). Limits of detection and quantitation were 0.001 and 0.003 µg/mL, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to determine phenytoin from EBC samples of patients receiving the drug. No interfering peaks were detected that indicating excellent selectivity of the method. The intra- and interday precisions (RSDs) were less than 14%.     

Kinetics of an exciton-trion system in shallow GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells

The formation of three-particle charged exciton complexes (trions) in shallow GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells in the temperature range 1.7–15 K has been investigated by luminescence spectroscopy and resonant light scattering. The effect of the photon energy and the intensity of additional above-barrier illumination on the trion formation kinetics has been analyzed. It is established that, upon intrawell excitation, illumination leads to the formation of trions when the light photon energy corresponds to the regions of effective formation of trions in the photoluminescence excitation spectra. It is shown that, with an increase in the illumination level, the trion concentration first increases and then reaches a plateau since the quantum well acquires an electric charge whose field equalizes the electron and hole capture rates.