Novel Approach to Two-Component Analysis Based on the Generalized Calibration Strategy

The generalized calibration strategy (GCS), developed and previously applied to chemical analysis, has been adapted to two-component (2C) analysis. According to the 2C-GCS procedure, a set of 10 calibration solutions containing a sample and standards of two analytes in well-defined composition was diluted. The measurements performed at a given dilution stage allow the concentration of both analytes in a sample to be evaluated with six apparent concentrations calculated with various mathematical approaches. As a result, the method allows the detection, examination, and elimination of nonlinear and interference effects with multiplicative and additive characteristics. To perform 2C-GCS automatically and effectively, a dedicated flow sequential injection system was designed to be fully controlled by a computer. Caffeine and paracetamol were determined in synthetic and pharmaceutical samples using this calibration approach. The analytes were determined with good precision and accuracy with low consumption of sample and standard solutions. On the basis of this experimental model, the influence of effects and tendencies in the examined analytical system was detected and evaluated.     

Analytical Strategy for the Determination of Selenium in Biological Materials by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry with a Dynamic Reaction Cell

Selenium was determined in serum, hair, and tobacco by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry using ⁷⁷Se, ⁷⁸Se, and ⁸²Se. The set of standards method (SSM) and the standard addition method (SAM) were applied to calibration with and without the use of internal standards (⁷²Ge and ¹⁰³Rh). In addition, the usefulness of the dynamic reaction cell (DRC) with methane as the reaction gas was characterized. The results obtained in different conditions were evaluated in terms of precision and accuracy. It was demonstrated theoretically and experimentally that an internal standard is a potential source of systematic errors as it can be influenced multiplicatively and additively by its own interferents (independently of selenium). Furthermore, it was shown that—against common opinion—an internal standard can fail in elimination of chemical interference effects influencing selenium and in increasing of precision of selenium determinations. The DRC was shown to be effective in the elimination of additive effects, although the results obtained by both SSM and SAM with DRC were systematically positively erroneous. Finally, selenium was determined accurately in each examined sample when SAM was applied to calibration, and signals were measured either for ⁸²Se without the use of the DRC, or for ⁷⁷Se or ⁷⁸Se with the use of the DRC. In addition, it has also been shown that samples should be diluted prior to analysis to the greatest acceptable extent.     

Mathematical modelling and the learning trajectory: tools to support the teaching of linear algebra

In this article we present a didactic proposal for teaching linear algebra based on two compatible theoretical models: emergent models and mathematical modelling. This proposal begins with a problematic situation related to the creation and use of secure passwords, which leads students toward the construction of the concepts of spanning set and span. The objective is to evaluate this didactic proposal by determining the level of match between the hypothetical learning trajectory (HLT) designed in this study with the actual learning trajectory in the second experimental cycle of an investigation design-based research more extensive. The results show a high level of match between the trajectories in more than half of the conjectures, which gives evidence that the HLT has supported, in many cases, the achievement of the learning objective, and that additionally mathematical modelling contributes to the construction of these linear algebra concepts.     

Estimates of densities for Lévy processes with lower intensity of large jumps

We obtain general lower estimates of transition densities of jump Lévy processes. We use them for processes with Lévy measures having bounded support, processes with exponentially decaying Lévy measures for large times and for processes with high intensity of small jumps for small times.     

Summability in of a vector measure

We show a picture of the relations among different types of summability of series in the space  of integrable functions with respect to a vector measure m of relatively norm compact range. In order to do that, we study the class of the so‐called m‐1‐summing operators. We give several applications regarding the existence of copies of c ₀ in , as well as on m‐1‐summing operators which are weakly compact, Asplund or weakly precompact.     

Diameter of a direct power of a finite group

We present two conjectures concerning the diameter of a direct power of a finite group. The first conjecture states that the diameter of Gⁿ with respect to each generating set is at most n(|G|?rank(G)); and the second one states that there exists a generating set 𝒜, of minimum size, for Gⁿ such that the diameter of Gⁿ with respect to 𝒜 is at most n(|G|?rank(G)). We will establish evidence for each of the above mentioned conjectures.     

On the inheritance of the strongly π-extending property

In this article, we focus on modules with the property that every projection invariant submodule is essential in a fully invariant direct summand. In contrast to π-extending condition, it is shown that the former property is inherited by direct summands and Morita invariant. An application of our results yields that the endomorphism ring of a free module enjoys the property. Moreover, we characterize generalized triangular matrix rings with the aforementioned property and apply to somewhat special cases.