On-line Method for Montelukast Determination in Bile Salt Medium with Multivariate Optimization and Fluorescent Detection

Journal of Analytical Chemistry - The present development involved a flow injection strategy using a mini-column of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and fluorescent detection (λex of 283 nm,...     

Finding any given 2‐factor in sparse pseudorandom graphs efficiently

Given an $n$‐vertex pseudorandom graph $G$ and an $n$‐vertex graph $H$ with maximum degree at most two, we wish to find a copy of $H$ in $G$, that is, an embedding $\phi :V\left(H\right)\to V\left(G\right)$ so that $\phi \left(u\right)\phi \left(v\right)\in E\left(G\right)$ for all $uv\in E\left(H\right)$. Particular instances of this problem include finding a triangle‐factor and finding a Hamilton cycle in $G$. Here, we provide a deterministic polynomial time algorithm that finds a given $H$ in any suitably pseudorandom graph $G$. The pseudorandom graphs we consider are $\left(p,\lambda \right)$‐bijumbled graphs of minimum degree which is a constant proportion of the average degree, that is, $\mathrm{\Omega }\left(pn\right)$. A $\left(p,\lambda \right)$‐bijumbled graph is characterised through the discrepancy property: $|e\left(A,B\right)?p|A||B||<\lambda \sqrt{|A||B|}$ for any two sets of vertices $A$ and $B$. Our condition $\lambda =O(p^{2}n/\log n)$ on bijumbledness is within a log factor from being tight and provides a positive answer to a recent question of Nenadov. We combine novel variants of the absorption‐reservoir method, a powerful tool from extremal graph theory and random graphs. Our approach builds on our previous work, incorporating the work of Nenadov, together with additional ideas and simplifications.     

Designing an effective federal biomass program

This article addresses two questions: Has the effectiveness of the US governments federal research and development (R&;D) spending suffered from the post-1980 strategic change from freely shared and publicly owned to privately owned scientific advances? What criteria would a federal R&;D program use to design a strategy that most effectively enhances the well-being of farmers and rural communities? Several studies found that the pre-1980 US Department of Agriculture research strategy was very effective. No comparable studies have analyzed the comparative effectiveness of the post-1980 strategy of restricting access to the results of public research. Recent experience and several analytical studies suggest that to significantly enhance the health of rural economies from an expanded use of plant matter as an industrial material, federal policy should channel scientific and engineering research into small- and medium-sized production and processing technologies and should encourage farmer-owned, value-added enterprises.     

Hexaphyrin(1.0.1.0.0.0). A new colorimetric actinide sensor

Hexaphyrin(1.0.1.0.0.0) (isoamethyrin) undergoes a significant color change in the presence of UO₂²⁺, PuO₂²⁺, and NpO₂²⁺. The complexation of the first of these dioxo actinide cations was studied in semi-quantitative fashion in 1:1 MeOH-CH₂Cl₂. Under these conditions, the detection limit for UO₂²⁺ was found to be ca. 5.8 ppm by naked eye monitoring and <28 ppb by UV-vis spectroscopy. Isoamethyrin does not undergo a color change in the presence of most transition metals or when exposed to Gd(III). Isoamethyrin thus constitutes an attractive alternative to 2,2′(1,8-dihydroxy-3,6-disulfonaphthylene-2,7-bisazo)-bisbenzenarsonic acid (AzIII) and 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-(diethylamino)phenol (BrPADAP), systems currently used as actinide cation sensors.     

Reform Teaching Strategies Used by Student Teachers

The purposes of this study were to observe the teaching practices occurring in student teachers' science and mathematics K‐12 classrooms, compare the student teachers' perceptions of their teaching with what was actually occurring in their classrooms, and determine which college faculty members and courses these student teachers felt contributed to the teaching methods they used. Data on each student teacher were gathered via field notes of three classes, an observation protocol completed after each lesson, and an interview. Composites were written for each of the students. The total data set of all composites was examined to see if any patterns generalizable to the whole were evident. Differences between and among grade levels and content areas surfaced and are discussed.     

Inverse problem for a perturbed stratified strip in two dimensions

We consider the divergence form elliptic operator A=??_x,z·(c²(x,z) ?_x,z) in the strip Ω=?× [0,H]. The velocity c(x,z) describes the multistratification of Ω: a horizontal stratification with a compact perturbation K, the velocity in K is a L^∞(K) function. We suppose that the position of the perturbation is known and we prove uniqueness for identification of the perturbation from one generalized eigenfunction pattern in the neighbourhood of K. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fast atom bombardment mass spectra of keto acid and keto ester phosphoranes

Positive-ion fast atom bombardment mass spectra of 13 keto acid and keto ester phosphoranes were examined. All compounds gave a protonated molecular ion and characteristic peaks at m/z 303, 279, 262 and 201.     

Comparisons of pharynx, source, formant, and pressure characteristics in operatic and musical theatre singing

Belting, a vocal technique typically cultivated in musical theatre singing, differs timbrally from operatic singing in many interesting respects. The underlying phonatory differences have not been previously investigated in detail. Yet, belting is frequently associated with disturbances of voice function. Articulatory and phonatory characteristics are investigated in a female subject who is a professional singer (co-author JL) trained in both the operatic and belting styles and in an intermediate vocal technique (“mixed”). This article presents data obtained from this subject by video-fiberoptic observation of the pharynx, inverse filtering of airflow, and measurement of subglottal pressure. The results reveal that belting was characterized by very high subglottal pressures and sound levels, and apparently also by a comparatively high degree of glottal adduction. Comparisons with other investigations of related aspects of belting and operatic singing support the assumption that the data obtained from our subject are representative for these vocal techniques.     

Scanning tunnelling microscopic images of the surface ordering of the liquid crystal 4-n-octyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl

Images of the surface ordering of 4-n-octyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl, a room temperature smectic liquid crystal deposited upon graphite, have been obtained by scanning tunnelling microscopy. The microscope was operated in air using the constant-current mode. Under certain tunnelling conditions it has been possible to resolve both the aliphatic and aromatic parts of the molecule, and to observe individual benzene rings. Two previously unreported conformations have been observed: an overlapping bilayer structure with spacing 3.7 nm, and a monolayer structure with spacing 2.4 nm. The latter structure may represent the first visual evidence for a surface polar ordered structure.