Reducing the formation of six-membered ring ester during thermal degradation of biodegradable PHBV to enhance its thermal stability

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) has attracted the attention of academia and industry because of its biodegradability, biocompatibility, thermoplasticity and plastic-like properties. However, PHBV is unstable above 160 °C during melt processing at a temperature above the melting temperature, which restricts practical applications as a commodity material. It is widely believed that thermal degradation of PHBV occurs almost exclusively via a random chain scission mechanism involving a six-membered ring transition state. Here, 2,2′-bis(2-oxazoline) (BOX) was selected to modify PHBV to control the formation of six-membered ring ester during thermal degradation. The resulting hydroxyl-terminated PHBVs (HT-PHBVs) had improved thermal stability due to a decrease in the negative inductive effect of the neighboring group of methylene groups at the β-position to the ester oxygen, and a decrease in the electron-denoting effect of substituent group of carbon atoms at α-position to the ester oxygen. The optimal reaction temperature and time were determined to be 95 °C and 6 h, respectively. Compared with those of original PHBV, the temperature determined at 5% weight loss (T_5%), the initial decomposition temperature (T₀), the maximum decomposition temperature (T_max), the complete decomposition temperature (T_f) of HT-PHBV prepared under the optimal conditions increased by 31, 24, 19 and 19.1 °C, respectively.     

Sufficient conditions for the projective freeness of Banach algebras

Let R be a unital semi-simple commutative complex Banach algebra, and let M(R) denote its maximal ideal space, equipped with the Gelfand topology. Sufficient topological conditions are given on M(R) for R to be a projective free ring, that is, a ring in which every finitely generated projective R-module is free. Several examples are included, notably the Hardy algebra H^∞(X) of bounded holomorphic functions on a Riemann surface of finite type, and also some algebras of stable transfer functions arising in control theory.     

On the notion of Cohen–Macaulayness for non-Noetherian rings

There exist many characterizations of Noetherian Cohen–Macaulay rings in the literature. These characterizations do not remain equivalent if we drop the Noetherian assumption. The aim of this paper is to provide some comparisons between some of these characterizations in non-Noetherian case. Toward solving a conjecture posed by Glaz, we give a generalization of the Hochster–Eagon result on Cohen–Macaulayness of invariant rings, in the context of non-Noetherian rings.     

Primitive divisors of some Lehmer-Pierce sequences

We study primitive prime divisors of the terms of Δ(u)=(Δn(u))_n?1, where Δn(u)=NK/Q(un−1) for K a real quadratic field, and u a unit element of its ring of integers. The methods used allow us to find the terms of the sequence that do not have a primitive prime divisor.     

Interpolation problems on the spectrum of <Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis><Superscript>∞</Superscript>

We characterize those sequences (x _n ) in the spectrum of H ^∞ whose Nevanlinna–Pick interpolation problems admit thin Blaschke products as solutions. We also study under which conditions there is a Blaschke product B with prescribed zero-set distribution and solving problems of the form B(x) = f _n (x) for every x ∈ P(x _n ), where P(x _n ) is the Gleason part associated with the point x _n and where (f _n ) is an arbitrary sequence of functions in the unit ball of H ^∞. As a corollary we get a new characterization of Carleson–Newman Blaschke products in terms of bounded universal functions, a result first proved by Gallardo and Gorkin.      

Discrete exact solutions to some nonlinear differential-difference equations via the (G′/G)-expansion method

We extended the (G′/G)-expansion method to two well-known nonlinear differential-difference equations, the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation and the Toda lattice equation, for constructing traveling wave solutions. Discrete soliton and periodic wave solutions with more arbitrary parameters, as well as discrete rational wave solutions, are revealed. It seems that the utilized method can provide highly accurate discrete exact solutions to NDDEs arising in applied mathematical and physical sciences.     

Divisibity,iterated digit sums,primality tests

The divisibility of numbers is obtained by iteration of the weighted sum of their integer digits. Then evaluation of the related congruences yields information about the primality of numbers in certain recursive sequences. From the row elements in generalized Delannoy triangles, we can verify the primality of any constellation of numbers. When a number set is not a prime constellation, we can identify factors of their composite numbers. The constellation primality test is proven in all generality, and examples are given for twin primes, prime triplets, and Sophie Germain primes.      

基于综合权重的理想模糊物元多属性决策法及应用

研究了属性指标具有不相容性和模糊性及其指标的权重完全未知的模糊多属性决策问题.分析了目前广泛采用的模糊物元分析法以及仅有主观赋权法或客观赋权法确定其指标权重的缺点.根据物元可拓理论和理想解法的思想,定义了理想模糊物元和负理想模糊物元的概念.利用兼顾主观偏好和客观信息的综合权重赋值法,提出了基于综合权重的理想模糊物元多属性决策方法.该法既能充分利用指标本身所包含的客观信息,又能充分发挥决策者的主观能动性.实例研究结果表明该法能反映出决策方案间的细微差别,能对决策方案的优劣做出更准确有效的评价.     

环上带有广义导子和自同构的恒等式

设R是一个素环,RF是它的左Martindale商环.如果φ(xigik△ij)是环R的某个本质理想I的一个多重线性既约且带有自同构的广义微分恒等式,那么φ(zikj)是环RF的一个广义多项式恒等式.设R是一个具有特征P≥0的半素环,RF是它的左Martindale商环.如果φ(xigik△ijfik)是环R的一个多重线性既约且带有自同构的广义微分恒等式,那么φ(zikjfike(△ij)是环RF的一个广义多项式恒等式,这里fik和e(△ij)是RF中的幂等元.     

Independence of vectors in codes over rings

We study codes over Frobenius rings. We describe Frobenius rings via an isomorphism to the product of local Frobenius rings and use this decomposition to describe an analog of linear independence. Special attention is given to codes over principal ideal rings and a basis for codes over principal ideal rings is defined. We prove that a basis exists for any code over a principal ideal ring and that any two basis have the same number of vectors. Hongwei Liu is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10571067).