Crystallization pathways and kinetics of carbamazepine–nicotinamide cocrystals from the amorphous state by in situ thermomicroscopy, spectroscopy, and calorimetry studies

The work presented here was motivated by the premise that the amorphous state serves as a medium to study cocrystal formation. The molecular mobility inherent to amorphous phases can lead to molecular associations between different components such that a single crystalline phase of multiple components or cocrystal is formed. Cocrystallization pathways and kinetics were investigated from amorphous equimolar phases of carbamazepine and nicotinamide using hot-stage polarized microscopy (HSPM), hot-stage Raman microscopy (HSRM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). Nonisothermal studies revealed that amorphous phases generate cocrystals and that thermal history affects crystallization pathways in significant ways. Two different pathways to cocrystal formation from the amorphous phase were identified: (1) at low heating rates (3°C/min) a metastable cocrystalline phase initially nucleates and transforms to the more stable cocrystalline phase of CBZ–NCT, and (2) at higher heating rates (10°C/min) individual components crystallize, then melt and the stable cocrystalline phase nucleates and grows from the melt. Isothermal studies above the T g of the amorphous equimolar phase also confirm the nucleation of a metastable cocrystalline phase from the amorphous state followed by a solid phase mediated transformation to the stable cocrystalline phase. Cocrystallization kinetics were measured by image analysis and by thermal analysis from small samples and are described by the Avrami–Erofeev model. These findings have important implications for the use of amorphous phases in the discovery of cocrystals and to determine the propensity of cocrystallization from process-induced amorphization. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 96: 1147–1158, 2007Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/55996/1/20945_ftp.pd

Measurement of radium and thorium isotopes in environmental samples by alpha-spectrometry

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02035979[EN] A new method for the determination of low-level radium and thorium isotopes in environmental samples by α-spectrometry is described. Thorium and radium isotopes were chemically separated from the same sample, by using the same tracer (229Th). Two different ways were explored for the concentration process in water samples, obtaining a chemical yield for Ra isotopes between 70–90% in both cases using KMnO4 as carrier and BaCl2 and FeCl3, respectively. The method can also be directly applied for uranium measurements, but in this case there is a limitation on the range of uranium isotopes that can be analyzed.One of us (M.J.R.A.) is grateful to Institución Valenciana de Estudios e Investigación, Spain (IVEI) for fellowshipRodríguez Álvarez, MJ.; Sánchez, F. (1995). Measurement of radium and thorium isotopes in environmental samples by alpha-spectrometry. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. 191(1):3-13. doi:10.1007/BF02035979S3131911W.H.O. Method of Radiochemical Analysis, Univ. of Tokio, Intern. edition, 23 (1967) 117.T. OKUBO, M. SAKANOUE, Geochem. J., 9 (1975) 221.TJOE-PA LIM, N. K. DAVE, N. R. CLOUTIER, Appl. Radiat. Isot., 40 (1989) 63.G. J. HANCOCK, P. MARTIN, Appl. Radiat. Isot., 42 (1991) 63.M. KOIDE, K. W. BRULAND, Anal. Chim. Acta, 75 (1975) 1.K. J. ODELL, Proc. 4th Symp. on the Determination of Radionuclides in Environmental and Biological Materials, April 1983, Ed-Rd Press, London.L. HALLSTADIUS, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., 223 (1984) 266.Radionuclide Transformations, Annals of the ICRP, ICRP Publication 38, Pergamon Press, Vol. 11, 1983, p. 13.M. J. RODRÍGUEZ-ALVAREZ, F. SÁNCHEZ, E. NAVARRO, Proc. 3rd Inter. Summer School, Huelva Spain, M. GARCÍA-LEÓN and G. MADURGA (Eds), World Scientific, Singapore, 1994.M. J. RODRÍGUEZ-ALVAREZ, F. SÁNCHEZ, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 190 (1995) 123.C. W. SILL, Anal. Chem., 49 (1977) 618.J. L. GASCÓN MURILLO, PhD Thesis, University of Zaragoza, Spain, 1990.M. C. MORÓN, A. MARTINEZ-AGUIRRE, M. GARCÍA-LEÓN, Intern. Conf. on Environmental Radioactivity in the Mediterranean Area, Barcelona, 10–13 May 1988. SNE-ENS, Barcelona, 1988, p. 111.M. YAMAMOTO, K. KOMURA, K. UENO, Radiochim. Acta, 46 (1989) 137.R. GARCÍA-TENORIO, M. GARCÍA-LEÓN, G. MADURGA, C. PIAZZA, Anal. Física B, 82 (1986) 238

Pulsational frequencies of the eclipsing delta-Scuti star HD 172189

The eclipsing delta-Scuti star HD 172189 is a probable member of the open cluster IC 4756 and a promising candidate target for the CoRoT mission. The detection of pulsation modes is the first step in the asteroseismological study of the star. Further, the calculation of the orbital parameters of the binary system allows us to make a dynamical determination of the mass of the star, which works as an important constraint to test and calibrate the asteroseismological models. From a detailed frequency analysis of 210 hours of photometric data of HD 172189 obtained from the STEPHI XIII campaign we have identified six pulsation frequencies with a confidence level of 99% and a seventh with a 65% confidence level in the range between 100-300 uHz. In addiction, three eclipses were observed during the campaign, allowing us to improve the determination of the orbital period of the system.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure

Direct and sequential radiative three-body reaction rates at low temperatures

We investigate the low-temperature reaction rates for radiative capture processes of three particles. We compare direct and sequential capture mechanisms and rates using realistic phenomenological parametrizations of the corresponding photodissociation cross sections.Energy conservation prohibits sequential capture for energies smaller than that of the intermediate two-body structure. A finite width or a finite temperature allows this capture mechanism. We study generic effects of positions and widths of two- and three-body resonances for very low temperatures. We focus on nuclear reactions relevant for astrophysics, and we illustrate with realistic estimates for the $\alpha$-$\alpha$-$\alpha$ and $\alpha$-$\alpha$-$n$ radiative capture processes. The direct capture mechanism leads to reaction rates which for temperatures smaller than 0.1 GK can be several orders of magnitude larger than those of the NACRE compilation.Comment: To be published in European Physical Journal

The field high-amplitude SX Phe variable BL Cam: results from a multisite photometric campaign. II. Evidence of a binary - possibly triple - system

Short-period high-amplitude pulsating stars of Population I ($\delta$ Sct stars) and II (SX Phe variables) exist in the lower part of the classical (Cepheid) instability strip. Most of them have very simple pulsational behaviours, only one or two radial modes being excited. Nevertheless, BL Cam is a unique object among them, being an extreme metal-deficient field high-amplitude SX Phe variable with a large number of frequencies. Based on a frequency analysis, a pulsational interpretation was previously given. aims heading (mandatory) We attempt to interpret the long-term behaviour of the residuals that were not taken into account in the previous Observed-Calculated (O-C) short-term analyses. methods heading (mandatory) An investigation of the O-C times has been carried out, using a data set based on the previous published times of light maxima, largely enriched by those obtained during an intensive multisite photometric campaign of BL Cam lasting several months. results heading (mandatory) In addition to a positive (161 $\pm$ 3) x 10$^{-9}$ yr$^{-1}$ secular relative increase in the main pulsation period of BL Cam, we detected in the O-C data short- (144.2 d) and long-term ($\sim$ 3400 d) variations, both incompatible with a scenario of stellar evolution. conclusions heading (mandatory) Interpreted as a light travel-time effect, the short-term O-C variation is indicative of a massive stellar component (0.46 to 1 M_{\sun}) with a short period orbit (144.2 d), within a distance of 0.7 AU from the primary. More observations are needed to confirm the long-term O-C variations: if they were also to be caused by a light travel-time effect, they could be interpreted in terms of a third component, in this case probably a brown dwarf star ($\geq$ 0.03 \ M_{\sun}), orbiting in $\sim$ 3400 d at a distance of 4.5 AU from the primary.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Synthesis of Nylon 6/Modified Carbon Black Nanocomposites for Application in Uric Acid Adsorption

High uric acid levels cause different clinic conditions. One of them is hyperuricemia, which leads to kidney damage. A solution for eliminating uric acid in the blood is by hemodialysis, which is performed using nanocomposite membranes. In this work, Nylon 6 nanocomposites were synthesized with modified carbon black (MCB), which were considered candidate materials for hemodialysis membranes. The modification of carbon black was made with citric acid using the variable-frequency ultrasound method. The new MCB was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dispersion tests. Nylon 6/MCB nanocomposites were processed using the ultrasound-assisted melt-extrusion method to improve the dispersion procedure of the nanoparticles. The Nylon 6/MCB nanocomposites were characterized by FTIR, TGA, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). These were assessed for the absorption of toxins and hemocompatibility. MBC and nanocomposites showed excellent uric acid removal (78–82%) and hemocompatibility (1.6–1.8%). These results suggest that Nylon 6/MCB nanocomposites with low loading percentages can be used on a large scale without compatibility problems with blood

Evaluación de una interfaz cerebro-ordenador basada en potenciales relacionados con eventos para la detección de estímulos visuales en una tarea de vigilancia

Las interfaces cerebro-ordenador (BCI) permiten establecer un canal de comunicación entre un usuario y un dispositivo a través de su actividad cerebral. El presente trabajo explora el uso de una BCI basada en potenciales relacionados con eventos (ERP) para la detección automática de nuevos estímulos durante una tarea de vigilancia. La tarea de vigilancia consistió en detectar la presencia de nuevos aviones en un mapa. Asimismo, se estudio el impacto de las siguientes variables sobre el rendimiento: el tamaño de la superficie a vigilar, y la saliencia de la aparición de nuevos aviones manipulada a través del color. Para ello, 10 participantes controlaron tres condiciones: aparición de un avión rojo, diferente a los amarillos ya presentes, en un área pequeña a vigilar (RP); aparición de un avión amarillo, similar a los ya presentes, en un área pequeña a vigilar (AP); y aparición de un avión rojo, diferente a los amarillos ya presentes, en un área grande a vigilar (RG). La accuracy promedio de cada condición fue la siguiente: RP, 64.5%; AP, 67.5%; RG, 41%. Los resultados mostraron que el tamaño de la superficie a vigilar tenia un impacto negativo en el rendimiento del sistema, pero no la saliencia manipulada a través del color. Por tanto, futuros estudios podrían explorar cómo solucionar el problema del área a vigilar, o estudiar qué otras variables medien en el rendimiento de una BCI para la detección de estímulos en tareas de vigilancia.Esta investigación forma parte del proyecto SICODIS (PID2021-127261OB-I00), que ha sido financiado conjuntamente por el Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU); la Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); el Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) y la Universidad de Málaga (UMA). Asimismo, los autores quieren agradecer la colaboración de todos los participantes durante las pruebas

Primera detección de Lonsdalea quercina subsp. populi en chopo en España (abstract)

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Behaviour of uranium along Jucar River (Eastern Spain) Determination of 234U/238U and 235U/238U ratios

The uranium concentration and the U-234/U-238, U-235/U-238 activity ratios were studied in water samples from Jucar River, using low-level alpha-spectrometry. The effects of pH, temperature and salinity were considered and more detailed sampling was done in the neighbourhood of Cofrentes Nuclear plant (Valencia, Spain). Changes were observed in the uranium concentration with the salinity and the U-234/U-238 activity ratio was found to vary with pH. Leaching and dilution, which depend on pH and salinity, are the probable mechanisms for these changes in the concentration of uranium and the activity ratios.Rodríguez Álvarez, MJ.; Sanchez, F. (1995). Behaviour of uranium along Jucar River (Eastern Spain) Determination of 234U/238U and 235U/238U ratios. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. 190(1):113-120. doi:10.1007/BF02035642S1131201901M. J. RORDÍGUEZ-AALVAREZ, F. SÁNCHEZ, E. NAVARRO, Proc. 3nd Intern. Summer School, Huelva Spain, M. GARCÍA-LEÓN, G. MADURGA (Eds), World Scientific, Singapore, 1994.M. IVANOVICH, R. S. HARMON (Eds), Uranium Disequilibrium Series: Applications to Environmental Problems, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1982.K. OSMOND, J. B. COWART, At. Energy Rev., 14 (1976) 621.B. L. DICKSON, R. L. MEAKINS, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., 223 (1983) 593.J. L. GASCÓN, MURILLO, PhD Thesis, University of Zaragoza, Spain, 1990.M. C. MORÓN, A. MARTINEZ-AGUIRRE, M. GARCÍA-LEÓN, Intern. Conf. on Environmental Radioactivity in the Mediterranean Area, Barcelona 10–13 May 1988, SNE-ENS, Barcelona, 1988, p. 111.R. BOJANOWSKI, R. FUKAI, S. BALLESTRA, H. ASARI, Determination of natural radioactive elements in marine environmental materials by ion-exchange and α-spectrometry. Proc. 4th Symp. on the Determination of Radionuclides in Environmental and Biological Materials, April 1983, London, Ed-Rd Press.R. GARCÍA-TENORIO, M. GARCÍA-LEÓN, G. PIAZZA, Anal. Física B, 82 (1986) 238.L. HALLSTADIUS, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., 223 (1984) 266.F. VERA, A. MARTIN, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., A276 (1989) 289.A. MARTINEZ-AGUIRRE, M. GARCÍA-LEÓN, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 155 (1991) 97.J. R. DOOLEY, H. C. ROSHOLT, Econ. Geol., 61 (1996) 326.A. MARTINEZ-AGUIRRE, M. GARCÍA-LEÓN, Radiat. Prot. Dosim., 45 (1992) 249.J. TOOLE, M. S. BAXTER, J. THOMSON, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Sci., 25 (1987) 283.S. G. BHAT, S. KRISHANASWAMI, Proc. Indian Acad. Sci., A LXX, (1969).K. K. TUREKIAN, J. K. COCHRAN, in: Chemical Oceanography, Vol. 7, J. P. RILEY and R. CHESTER (Eds), 2nd ed., Academic Press, New York, 1978.D. LANGMUIR, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 42 (1978) 547.J. M. MARTIN, M. MEYBECK, Mar. Chem., 7 (1979) 173.Radionuclide Transformations, Annals of the ICRP, ICRP Publication 38, Vol. 11–13, Pergamon Press, 1983.A. MANGINI, G. SONNTAG, G. BERTSCH, E. MÜLLER, Nature, 278 (1979) 337.M. R. SCOTT, in: M. IVANOVICH, R. S. HARMON (Eds), Uranium Disequilibrium Series: Applications to Environmental Problems, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1982.J. K. OSMOND, J. B. COWART, in: M. IVANOVICH, R. S. HARMON (Eds), Uranium Disequilibrium Series: Applications to Environmental Problems, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1982.R. BOWEN (Eds), Isotopes in the Earth Sciences, Elsevier Applied Science, 1988.F. VERA, PhD Thesis, University Extremadura, Spain, 1988.F. VERA, A. MARTIN, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 134 (1988) 73