Convergent Algorithm Based on Progressive Regularization for Solving Pseudomonotone Variational Inequalities

In this paper, we extend the Moreau-Yosida regularization of monotone variational inequalities to the case of weakly monotone and pseudomonotone operators. With these properties, the regularized operator satisfies the pseudo-Dunn property with respect to any solution of the variational inequality problem. As a consequence, the regularized version of the auxiliary problem algorithm converges. In this case, when the operator involved in the variational inequality problem is Lipschitz continuous (a property stronger than weak monotonicity) and pseudomonotone, we prove the convergence of the progressive regularization introduced in Refs. 1, 2.     

Rheological properties of polyacrylates used as synthetic road binders

Most adhesives and binders, including bitumen for asphalt mixture production, are presently produced from petrochemicals after the refining of crude oil. The fact that crude oil reserves are a finite resource means that in the future, it may become necessary to produce these materials from alternative and probably renewable sources. Suitable resources of this kind may include polysaccharides, plant oils and proteins. This paper deals with the synthesis of polymer binders from monomers that could, in future, be derived from renewable resources. These binders consist of polyethyl acrylate (PEA) of different molecular weight, polymethyl acrylate (PMA) and polybutyl acrylate (PBA), which were synthesised from ethyl acrylate, methyl acrylate and butyl acrylate, respectively, by atom transfer radical polymerisation. The rheological properties of these binders were determined by means of oscillatory testing using a dynamic shear rheometer and combinations of stress/strain, temperature and frequency sweeps. The results indicate that PEA can be produced to have rheological properties similar to that of ‘soft’ 100/150 penetration grade bitumen, PMA with similar rheological properties to that of ‘hard’ 10/20 penetration grade bitumen, while PBA, due to its highly viscous nature and low dynamic moduli, cannot be used on its own as a binder. The synthetic polymers were found to be thermo-rheologically simple, and the shift factors, used to produce the dynamic moduli master curves, were found to fit an Arrhenius function.     

Oxidation of Aromatic Amines to Quinones by Iodic Acid under Microwave Irradiation in the Presence of Montmorillonite K10 and Silica Gel

A variety of aromatic amines are oxidized to their corresponding quinones in excellent yields by supported iodic acid under microwave irradiation and solvent free conditions.     

Osmium(VIII)-catalyzed oxidation of pentamethylene sulfide

Although pentamethylene sulfide (tetrahydrothiopyran) lacks acidic hydrogen, Os^VIII has been found to catalyze its oxidation by alkaline K₃Fe(CN)₆ to produce 3-hydroxypentamethylene sulfide as the only product. The kinetics reveal first-order dependence on ferricyanide and Os^VIII, and zero order on pentamethylene sulfide and OH^–. The effects of introduced electrolytes, K₄Fe(CN)₆, relative permittivity and temperature have also been studied. On the basis of kinetic evidence, a mechanism that involves anation of the osmium catalyst (sulfide/water interchange) followed by intramolecular proton abstraction, followed by an electron transfer step has been proposed and discussed.     

An existence result for a quadrature surface free boundary problem

The aim of this paper is to present two different approachs in order to obtain an existence result to the so-called quadrature surface free boundary problem. The first one requires the shape derivative calculus while the second one depends strongly on the compatibility condition of the Neumann problem. A necessary and sufficient condition of existences is given in the radial case.     

Robust H∞ control for linear Markovian jump systems with unknown nonlinearities

This paper studies the problem of stochastic stability and disturbance attenuation for a class of linear continuous-time uncertain systems with Markovian jumping parameters. The uncertainties are assumed to be nonlinear and state, control and external disturbance dependent. A sufficient condition is provided to solve the above problem. An H_∞ controller is designed such that the resulting closed-loop system is stochastically stable and has a disturbance attenuation γ for all admissible uncertainties. It is shown that the control law is in terms of the solutions of a set of coupled Riccati inequalities. A numerical example is included to demonstrate the potential of the proposed technique.     

Short-range order and F ion diffusion inside the Pb1 − xAlxF2 + x solid solution Part II: Al NMR investigation and proposal of clustering process

A ²⁷Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) investigation at room temperature of the Pb_{1 − x}Al_xF_{2 + x} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.12) solid solution and of the ordered Pb₉Al₂F₂₄ phase is carried out. Two different types of aluminium ions are identified and their ratio is determined as a function of x. A clustering process based on the formation of column clusters, more and more extended when x increases, is proposed on the basis of results issued from the ¹⁹F (Part I) and ²⁷Al NMR investigations.     

On Subspaces and Quotients of Banach Spaces C(K, X)

 We study the relation of to the subspaces and quotients of Banach spaces of continuous vector-valued functions , where K is an arbitrary dispersed compact set. More precisely, we prove that every infinite dimensional closed subspace of totally incomparable to X contains a copy of complemented in . This is a natural continuation of results of Cembranos-Freniche and Lotz-Peck-Porta. We also improve our result when K is homeomorphic to an interval of ordinals. Next we show that complemented subspaces (resp., quotients) of which contain no copy of are isomorphic to complemented subspaces (resp., quotients) of some finite sum of X. As a consequence, we prove that every infinite dimensional quotient of which is quotient incomparable to X, contains a complemented copy of . Finally we present some more geometric properties of spaces. Received 8 November 2000; in revised form 7 December 2001     

Theoretical estimates for proton-NMR spin–lattice relaxation rates of heterometallic spin rings

Heterometallic molecular chromium wheels are fascinating new magnetic materials. We reexamine the available experimental susceptibility data on MCr₇ wheels in terms of a simple isotropic Heisenberg Hamiltonian for M=Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn and find in that FeCr₇ needs to be described with an iron–chromium exchange that is different from all other cases. In a second step we model the behavior of the proton spin lattice relaxation rate as a function of applied magnetic field for low temperatures as it is measured in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. It appears that CuCr₇ and NiCr₇ show an unexpectedly reduced relaxation rate at certain level crossings.