Manifolds: Hausdorffness versus homogeneity

We analyze the relationship between Hausdorffness and homogeneity in the frame of manifolds not confined to be Hausdorff. We exhibit examples of homogeneous non-Hausdorff manifolds and prove that a Lindelöf homogeneous manifold is Hausdorff.

     

Dielectric Relaxation Phenomena and Electric Properties of Conductive Composite Polyurethane/Polyaniline Films

Summary: Composite polyurethane/polyaniline (PU/PANI) films have been chemically prepared by oxidative in-situ polymerization of aniline inside the previously swelled PU film. Swelling kinetic studies have shown that for PU films the swelling degree of aniline is 25 wt.%. The dielectric and electrical properties of the composite films were measured using dielectric relaxation spectroscopy and four-probe method. Dielectric measurements as a function of temperature and frequency revealed the presence of a relaxation process for the composite PU/PANI-HCl film. This relaxation was explained in terms of interfacial polarization due to the double-layered structure of the composite film. The activation energy values found by dielectric and electrical measurements are close and this result confirms the conducting character of the PANI containing layer.     

A mixed-valent ruthenium-oxo oxalato cluster Na7[Ru4(mu3-O)4(C2O4)6] with potent anti-HIV activities

A structurally characterized mixed-valent tetranuclear ruthenium-oxo oxalato cluster exhibits anti-viral activities toward R5- and X4-tropic HIV-1, and possesses cytoprotective activity toward HIV-1 infected cells.     

Determination of ethephon residues in water by gas chromatography with cubic mass spectrometry after ion-exchange purification and derivatisation with N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide

An analytical method has been developed for the determination of residues of ethephon (2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid) in drinking and surface water. The procedure is based on de-ionisation with an anion/cation-exchange resin, solid phase extraction by means of anion-exchange polystyrene-divinylbenzene extraction disks, elution with a mixture of methanol and 10 M hydrochloric acid (98/2, v/v), redisolution into acetonitrile after evaporation and silylation with N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA). Quantification is performed by gas chromatography with ion-trap cubic mass spectrometric detection in the electron impact mode (GC-EI-MS3). Method validation was conducted using samples of mineral, tap, and river water that were fortified with ethephon at concentration levels ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 microg/L. The mean recovery from all the fortified samples (n = 36) amounted to 88% with a relative standard deviation of 17%. The method, therefore, was shown to allow accurate determination of ethephon residues in drinking and surface water with a limit of quantification of 0.1 microg/L.     

Uranium colloid analysis by single particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

Uranium single particle analysis has been performed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the performances are compared with that provided by scanning electron microsopy and single particle counting. The transient signal induced by the flash of ions due to the ionisation of an uranium colloidal particle in the plasma torch can be detected and measured for selected uranium ion masses (²³⁸U⁺, ²³⁵U⁺ or ²⁵⁴[²³⁸U¹⁶O]⁺) by the mass spectrometer. The signals recorded via time scanning are analysed as a function of particle size or fraction of the studied element or isotope in the colloid phase. The frequency of the flashes is directly proportional to the concentration of particles in the colloidal suspension. The feasibility tests were performed on uranium dioxide particles. The study also describes the experimental conditions and the choice of mass to detect uranium colloids in a single particle analysis mode.     

The mapping class group of powers of the long ray and other non-metrisable spaces

We identify the mapping class group, i.e. the space of homeomorphisms modulo isotopy, of powers of the long ray and long line as well as generalisations of the long plane obtained by taking copies of the first octant of the long plane and identifying them along their boundaries. We show that every countable group is the mapping class group of such a space. We also consider homotopy classes of continuous functions between these spaces.     

Physiologically stable vanadium(IV) porphyrins as a new class of anti-HIV agents

The water soluble oxovanadium(IV) tetraarylporphyrin has demonstrated excellent solution stability against glutathione reduction and high potency (5 microM, 97% inhibition) in inhibiting HIV-1 replication in Hut/CCR5 cells.     

Determination of iodoacetic acid using liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid analytical method based on liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) using electrospray ionization in negative ion detection mode was developed for the analysis of underivatized iodoacetic acid in water. The method was applied to model reaction mixtures in the study of the formation of iodoacetic acid after chlorinated tap water was boiled in the presence of potassium iodide or iodized table salt. Samples can be directly analyzed by the LC/MS/MS system without extraction or chemical derivatization. Limit of detection was determined to be 0.3 microg/L (or 0.3 ng/mL) and limit of quantitation was about 1 microg/L (1 ng/mL).     

Thorium colloid analysis by single particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

Thorium colloid analysis in water has been carried out by a single particle mode using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The flash of ions due to the ionisation of a thorium colloidal particle in the plasma torch can be detected and measured in a time scan for ²³²Th⁺ or ²⁴⁸[ThO]⁺ according to the sensitivity required by the mass spectrometer. The peaks of the recorded intensity of the MS signal can be analysed as a function of the particle size or fraction of the studied element in the colloid phase. The frequency of the flashes is directly proportional to the concentration of particles in the colloidal suspension. After discussing Th colloid detection, on the basis of the intensity of the ion flashes generated in the plasma torch, tests were performed on thorium dioxide colloidal particles. This feasibility study also describes the experimental conditions and the limitation of the plasma design to detect thorium colloids in a single particle analysis mode down to about 10 fg.     

Saturation of the two-plasmon decay instability in long-scale-length plasmas relevant to direct-drive inertial confinement fusion

Measurements of the hot-electron generation by the two-plasmon-decay instability are made in plasmas relevant to direct-drive inertial confinement fusion. Density-scale lengths of 400 μm at n(cr)/4 in planar CH targets allowed the two-plasmon-decay instability to be driven to saturation for vacuum intensities above ~3.5×10(14) W cm(-2). In the saturated regime, ~1% of the laser energy is converted to hot electrons. The hot-electron temperature is measured to increase rapidly from 25 to 90 keV as the laser beam intensity is increased from 2 to 7×10(14) W cm(-2). This increase in the hot-electron temperature is compared with predictions from nonlinear Zakharov models.