Electron spin lifetimes in Hg0.78Cd0.22 Te and InSb

We have made direct pump–probe measurements of spin lifetimes in long wavelength narrow-gap semiconductors at wavelengths between 4 and 10 μm and from 4 to 300 K. In particular, we measure remarkably long spin lifetimes, τ_s300 ps, even at 300 K for epilayers of degenerate n-type InSb. In this material the mobility is approximately constant between 77 and 300 K, and we find that τ_s is approximately constant in this temperature range. In order to determine the dominant spin relaxation mechanism we have investigated the temperature dependence of τ_s in non-degenerate lightly n-type Hg_0.78Cd_0.22Te of approximately the same band gap as InSb, and find that τ_s varies from 356 ps at 150 K to 24 ps at 300 K. Our results, both in magnitude and temperature dependence of τ_s, imply that the Elliott–Yafet model dominates in these materials.     

Constructing orthogonal pandiagonal Latin squares and panmagic squares from modular n‐queens solutions

In this article, we show how to construct pairs of orthogonal pandiagonal Latin squares and panmagic squares from certain types of modular n‐queens solutions. We prove that when these modular n‐queens solutions are symmetric, the panmagic squares thus constructed will be associative, where for an n × n associative magic square A = (a_ij), for all i and j it holds that a_ij + an?i?1,n?j?1 = c for a fixed c. We further show how to construct orthogonal Latin squares whose modular difference diagonals are Latin from any modular n‐queens solution. As well, we analyze constructing orthogonal pandiagonal Latin squares from particular classes of non‐linear modular n‐queens solutions. These pandiagonal Latin squares are not row cyclic, giving a partial solution to a problem of Hedayat. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 15: 221–234, 2007     

Simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid by HPLC with postcolumn derivatisation and fluorometric detection

Summary A reproducible method is described for the separation and simultaneous and specific quantitation of ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid by ion-pairing reversed-phase HPLC with fluorometric detection. Copper sulphate and copper acetate were compared as oxidizing reagents for ascorbic acid and 1,2-diaminobenzene dihydrochloride and 1,2-diamino-3,4-dimethylbenzene dihydrochloride as derivatising reagents. The HPLC-method was applied to human plasma. The detection limit reaches 16 ng for ascorbic acid and 3 ng for dehydroascorbic acid. Sample preparation is carried out by solid phase extraction with a recovery of 98%; it is compared with conventional precipitation of plasma proteins by metaphosphoric acid.     

Homoconjugated ketones with extended unsaturation: Wavelength-selective,regioselective, diastereoselective,and enantiospecific photochemical transformations of methyl 7-oxospiro[5.5]undeca-1,3-and -2,4,-diene-2-carboxylate

The title molecules were shown to photorearrange with remarkable selectivity. Wavelength variation steers the rearrangement modes, of which the [1,2]-acyl shift was found to be largely regioselective, diastereoselective, and enantiospecific. Chemical intercorrelation of products and mechanistic studies were carried out all along. The potential significance of these photochemical processes in selective synthetic schemes is discussed.     

The proportional hazards regression model with staggered entries: A strong martingale approach

The proportional hazards regression model, when subjects enter the study in a staggered fashion, is studied. A strong martingale approach is used to model the two-time parameter counting processes. It is shown that well-known univariate results such as weak convergence and martingale inequalities can be extended to this two-dimensional model. Strong martingale theory is also used to prove weight convergence of a general weighted goodness-of-fit process and its weighted bootstrap counterpart.     

Effect of stoichiometry on liquid crystalline supramolecular polymers formed with complementary nucleobase pair interactions

We report herein studies on the liquid crystalline behavior of a series of supramolecular materials that contain different ratios of two complementary symmetrically-substituted alkoxy-bis(phenylethynyl)benzene AA- and BB-type monomers. One monomer has thymine units placed at either end of the rigid mesogenic core, while the other has N⁶-(4-methoxybenzoyl)-adenine units placed on the ends. Differential scanning calorimetric and polarized optical microscopy studies have been carried out on these systems. These studies show that the material's behavior is strongly dependent on its thermal history. As a result, the materials can exhibit, on heating, either a liquid crystalline phase, a crystalline phase, or the coexistence of crystalline and liquid crystalline regions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5049–5059, 2006