Experimental investigation for stability and surface properties of TiO2 and Al2O3 water-based nanofluids

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Nanofluids have gained recent attention because of their potential applications in diverse engineering fields like enhancing thermal transport,...     

A dried blood spot assay with HPLC–MS/MS for the determination of larotrectinib in mouse blood and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

Larotrectinib is a first-generation tropomyosin kinase inhibitor, approved for the treatment of solid tumors. In this paper, we present a validated dried blood spot (DBS) method for the quantitation of larotrectinib from mouse blood using HPLC–MS/MS, which was operated under multiple reaction monitoring mode. To the DBS disc cards, acidified methanol enriched with internal standard (IS; enasidenib) was added and extracted using tert-butyl methyl ether as an extraction solvent with sonication. Chromatographic separation of larotrectinib and the IS was achieved on an Atlantis dC₁₈ column using 10 mm ammonium formate–acetonitrile (30:70, v/v) delivered at a flow-rate of 0.80 ml/min. Under these optimized conditions, the retention times of larotrectinib and the IS were ~0.93 and 1.37 min, respectively. The total run time was 2.50 min. Larotrectinib and the IS were analyzed using positive ion scan mode and parent–daughter mass to charge ion (m/z) transitions of 429.1 → 342.1 and 474.1 → 267.1, respectively, were used for the quantitation. The calibration range was 1.06–5,080 ng/ml. No matrix effect or carryover was observed. Hematocrit did not influence DBS larotrectinib concentrations. All of the validation parameters met the acceptance criteria. The applicability of the validated method was shown in a mouse pharmacokinetic study.     

An EOQ model with process reliability considerations

The classical economic order quantity (EOQ) model assumes that items produced are of perfect quality and that the unit cost of production is independent of demand. However, in realistic situations, product quality is never perfect, but is directly affected by the reliability of the production process. In this paper, we consider an EOQ model with imperfect production process and the unit production cost is directly related to process reliability and inversely related to the demand rate. In addition, a numerical example is given to illustrate the developed model. Sensitivity analysis is also performed and discussed.     

Transition of 3D to 2D growth modes of InAs grown on GaAs

We report a method to grow thin strain-released InAs layer on GaAs (1 0 0) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. We have shown that by controlling the growth parameters, a thin 2D InAs layer can be grown during initial stages, which eventually serves as a buffer layer to trap dislocations and epitaxial regrowth of InAs on this buffer results in high crystal quality. The size dependence of the InAs islands formed during initial stages with growth time has been studied by atomic force microscopy. With continuous short-time epitaxial growth during various stages, the InAs growth mode transfers from 3D to 2D. The introduction of dislocations into InAs epitaxial islands and their behavior during initial growth stage has been theoretically studied. The theoretical results are in remarkable agreement with the experimental results and shows that once the film is formed, the film strain is totally relaxed. The 200 nm thick InAs epilayer grown on this buffer shows a narrow X-ray diffraction peak. Such InAs strain-released buffer layer would be useful for regrowth of high In content based materials on top of it for electronics and optoelectronics device applications.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel thermoresponsive‐co‐biodegradable hydrogels composed of N‐isopropylacrylamide,poly(L‐lactic acid), and dextran

A series of novel multifunctional hydrogels that combined the merits of both thermoresponsive and biodegradable polymeric materials were designed, synthesized, and characterized. The hydrogels were copolymeric networks composed of N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAM) as a thermoresponsive component, poly(L‐lactic acid) (PLLA) as a hydrolytically degradable and hydrophobic component, and dextran as an enzymatically degradable and hydrophilic component. The chemical structures of the hydrogels were characterized by an attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR) technique. The hydrogels were thermoresponsive, showing a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) at approximately 32 °C, and their swelling properties strongly depended on temperature changes, the balance of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic components, and the degradation of the PLLA component. The degradation of the hydrogels caused by hydrolytic cleavage of ester bonds in the PLLA component was faster at 25 °C below the LCST than at 37 °C above the LCST, determined by the ATR–FTIR technique. Due to their multifunctional properties, the designed hydrogels show great potential for biomedical applications, including drug delivery and tissue engineering. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5054–5066, 2004     

Bounds on the inverses of nonnegative triangular matrices with monotonicity properties

Some bounds on the entries and on the norm of the inverse of triangular matrices with nonnegative and monotone entries are found. All the results are obtained by exploiting the properties of the fundamental matrix of the recurrence relation which generates the sequence of the entries of the inverse matrix. One of the results generalizes a theorem contained in a recent article of one of the authors about Toeplitz matrices.     

Substituted m-phenylene bridges as strong ferromagnetic couplers for Cu(II)-bridge-Cu(II) magnetic interactions: new perspectives

Based on a combined theoretical-experimental study, we propose that substituted m-phenylene ligands (m-N-Phi-N) can act as tuneable strong ferromagnetic couplers connecting Cu(II) ions; a new complex presenting that bridge with J close to +15 cm(-1) has been suggested and synthesized.     

Exact expressions for row correlation functions in the isotropicd=2 ising model

We present exact explicit expressions for the row spin-spin correlation functions _{00 n}0 in the isotropicd= 2 Ising model, in terms of elliptic integrals, forn 5. We also give a general structural formula for _{00 n}0.     

Photoaffinity labeling of bovine rhodopsin

Photoaffinity labeled (3-diazoacetoxy)-9-cis-retinal (1) and (9-methylenediazoacetoxy)-9-cis-retinal (20) were synthesized and bound to absorption maxima at 465 and 460 nm respectively. Binding studies established that synthetic retinals 1 and 2 bind to the natural binding site and that the integrity of the diazoacetoxy photoaffinity label is preserved in the process. Incorporation of 3-(O¹⁴COCHN₂)-labeled 9-cis retinal could be conveniently carried out in high yield using apomembrane solubilized in CHAPS as detergent to afford the pigment analog in a pure form. Photolysis of the diazoacetoxy group within the binding site led to 15–20%, crosslinking of rhodopsin as estimated by using radiocarbon containing labeled retinal 1 thus showing that this synthetic retinal is suitable for photoaffinity labeling of the active site in rhodopsin. Subsequent experiments to establish the site(s) of crosslinking by sequencing studies will then contribute to our knowledge of the structure of rhodopsin.     

THE 'OPSIN SHIFT' IN BACTERIORHODOPSIN: STUDIES WITH ARTIFICIAL BACTERIORHODOPSINS

Abstract— The difference (in cm⁻¹) in absorption maxima between the protonated Schiff base of retinals and the pigment derived therefrom has been defined as the opsin shift. It represents the influence of the opsin binding site on the chromophore. The analysis of the opsin shifts of a series of dihydrobacteriorhodopsins has led to the external point-charge model, which in addition to a counter anion near the Schiff base ammonium, carries another negative charge in the vicinity of the β-ionone ring. This is in striking contrast to the external point-charge model proposed earlier for the bovine visual pigment. The absorption maxima of rhodopsins formed from bromo- and phenyl retinals support the two models. A retinal carrying a photoaffinity label has yielded a nonbleachable bacteriorhodopsin.