Sensitive CE-MS method for monitoring of riociguat and desmethylriociguat levels in human serum

Riociguat is novel antihypertensive drug for treatment of pulmonary hypertension. As such, it is still being tested in many clinical and pharmacokinetic trials. Existing methods that determine serum riociguat and desmethylriociguat (DMR) are based solely on liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. Therefore, we present a novel capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometry method (CE-MS) for their determination in human serum as alternative method for ongoing trials. Complete resolution of both analytes was achieved by means of pH optimization of ammonium formate background electrolytes that are fully compatible with ESI/MS detection. Simple liquid-liquid extraction was used as sample pretreatment. The calibration dependence of the method was linear (in the range of 10–1000 ng/mL), with adequate accuracy (90.1–114.9%) and precision (13.4%). LOD and LOQ were arbitrarily set at 10 ng/mL for both analytes. Clinical applicability was validated using serum samples from patients treated with riociguat in pharmacokinetic study and the results corresponded with reference HPLC-MS/MS values. Capillary electrophoresis proved to be sensitive and selective tool for the analysis of riociguat and DMR.     

Metabolomics techniques applied in the investigation of phenolic acids from the agro-industrial by-product of Carapa guianensis Aubl

Processing of Carapa guianensis seeds to obtain oil on an industrial scale generates a significant amount of by-product, approximately 66% w/w, which is called cake and is a potential source of biomolecules, including simple phenolic structures. For this reason, studies were carried out on the chemical profiles of hydrolyzed extract from this agro-industrial by-product through High Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS). These techniques were used to detect metabolic classes and/or groups, and to identify, for the first time, thirteen simple phenolic acids in this by-product. The sample antioxidant capacity was determined by methods of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS⁺) radicals direct sequestration. The hydrolyzed fraction showed a total of 63.47% in the relative abundance of the total of compounds, standing out: p-hydroxybenzoic acid (39.19%) and protocatechuic acid (3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid) (5.62%), both from hydroxybenzoic acids and 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)lactic acid, (7.76%) hydroxycinnamic acids derivatives. In these results, the fraction rich in simple phenolic acids was obtained, attributing the prominent behavior of this matrix antioxidant activity, expressed by (IC₅₀: of 16.42 µg/mL and 6.52 µg/mL for DPPH and ABTS⁺ radicals, respectively). The research demonstrated an alternative to applicability that involves sustainability from agro-industrial. These techniques were used to detect metabolic classes and/or groups, and to identify, for the first time, thirteen simple phenolic acids in this by-product, generating a process capable of converting biomass into a bioproduct, consisting of bioactive compounds, in addition to adding value to the industrial chain.     

Elongating the area of plasma/fluid interaction of surface nanosecond pulsed discharges

Plasma-assisted flow control is of high industrial interest, but practical applications at full scale require a large surface of interaction. Nanosecond pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) have demonstrated promising results of flow control, but their interacting region is limited to only a few cm². In this paper, the conditions to extend a surface nanosecond DBD are documented. It is shown that a sliding discharge regime can fully fill an inter-electrode distance of 40 mm. This discharge regime promotes the formation of two hemispheric pressure waves originating from both air-exposed electrodes while an horizontal region of pressure gradient is also observed.     

原子吸收光谱法测定铝锂合金中锂

本文研究了用原子吸收光谱法在笑气－乙炔火焰中测定铝锂合金中锂的最佳条件。其电离干扰可通过加进钾进盐来控制。应用本法测定合金中 锂的含量，获得了满意结果。     

微波消解-氢化物发生-原子荧光光谱法测定7种中草药中砷

利用原子荧光光谱法测定7种驱虫类中草药中的砷.实验采用微波消解样品,以盐酸为测定介质,硫脲-抗坏血酸为预还原剂,硼氢化钾为氢化剂,用氢化物发生-原子荧光光谱法测定砷含量.砷含量在10-100ng/mL浓度范围内线性关系好(r2=0.9924).回收率为93.83%-110.94%之间.方法简便、快速、灵敏、准确,可用于中草药中砷的测定.     

托卡马克工程试验混合堆等离子体性能的等值线图分析

本文简要叙述托卡马克工程试验混合堆等离子体概念设计的物理基础,对等离子体性能进行了等值线图(Plasma Operation Contour)分析。根据工程试验混合堆的要求,得出一组等离子体参数。     

Coupled intervals in the discrete calculus of variations: necessity and sufficiency

In this work we study nonnegativity and positivity of a discrete quadratic functional with separately varying endpoints. We introduce a notion of an interval coupled with 0, and hence, extend the notion of conjugate interval to 0 from the case of fixed to variable endpoint(s). We show that the nonnegativity of the discrete quadratic functional is equivalent to each of the following conditions: The nonexistence of intervals coupled with 0, the existence of a solution to Riccati matrix equation and its boundary conditions. Natural strengthening of each of these conditions yields a characterization of the positivity of the discrete quadratic functional. Since the quadratic functional under consideration could be a second variation of a discrete calculus of variations problem with varying endpoints, we apply our results to obtain necessary and sufficient optimality conditions for such problems. This paper generalizes our recent work in [R. Hilscher, V. Zeidan, Comput. Math. Appl., to appear], where the right endpoint is fixed.     

Magnetic properties of oxygenated carbon nitride films from RF-discharge in an acetylene, nitrogen, and oxygen mixture environments

Properties of oxygenated carbon nitride films have attracted the attention of physics researchers due to their magnetic and physical properties, as well as for their usefulness in the industry. The free radicals were investigated using electron paramagnetic resonance applied in the study of spin concentration due to the different mechanism of preparation of carbon nitride films by RF-discharge with different kinds of plasma. Unpaired spin concentrations, in the order of 10²⁰ per cm³, were measured and their time recombination dependency was important in those films. The films were grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition using mixtures of hydrocarbons, N₂ and O₂ in different proportions.     

Mass transport in metals under intensive impulse reactions

An unusually high mobility of atoms under intensive impulse reactions is explained by the behavior of point defects at the shock wave front. It is shown that either a shock wave front or moving dislocations can capture the interstitials, or they can be thermally activated in the direction of the shock wave propagation.     

A generalized quasi-sum relations for oscillator strengths in transition arrays: theoretical study of the opacity of Ge plasmas

We present a simplified relativistic configuration interaction method (SRCI), by which all the energy levels and oscillator strengths in each transition array can be calculated. There exist generalized quasi-sum relations for the calculated oscillator strengths in the relevant transition arrays by the SRCI and by an unresolved transition array model (UTA). Based on UTA and the detailed configuration accounting (DCA), with a fully relativistic treatment incorporated with the quantum defect theory, the X-ray absorption spectra for any middle- and high-Z plasmas or composite plasmas can be calculated with much less computational efforts. The gross features of calculated spectra by DCA-UTA are in agreement with the relevant experimental measurements, except some detailed structures in some narrow spectral ranges. Such detailed structures can be calculated by SRCI incorporated with DCA-UTA. As an illustrative example, the absorption spectra of Ge plasmas are calculated by DCA-UTA-SRCI and are in agreement with the experimental opacity data. Therefore, the theoretical method (DCA-UTA-SRCI) verified by experimental measurements will not only be a basic tool to provide “precision” opacity data for the inertial confinement fusion research (ICF) and studies in stellar physics but also can be used to analyze the relevant diagnostic measurements for ICF plasmas.