Detonation nanodiamonds as catalysts of steam reforming of ethanol

Physicochemical properties and catalytic performance of detonation nanodiamonds were studied. Original samples of nanodiamonds and nanodiamonds modified by hydrogen, oxygen, and nitric acid with hydrogen peroxide and infrared-treated were investigated. The catalyst structure and morphology were examined by transmission electron microscopy and IR spectroscopy. All the investigated catalysts were active in the steam reforming of ethanol. The correlation of catalytic properties with composition and structure of the described systems is discussed. The specific surface area of nanodiamonds is changed insignificantly upon modification.     

Study of vector mesons in dimuon production in a large kinematic region in p-W and S-W interactions at 200 GeV/c/nucleon

Results are presented on and production in p–W and S–W interactions at 200 GeV/c/nucleon measured via the dimuon decay in a large kinematic region. The data are normalized to the charged particle multiplicity in the same rapidity interval. They have been collected using the HELIOS/3 muon spectrometer at the CERN SPS. The ratio , where is the relevant resonance branching fraction, increases between proton and sulphur projectiles, and is somewhat enhanced going from peripheral to central S–W interactions. This results from an increase in the number of produced 's per charged particle. The ratio is measured in different intervals of p and rapidity. It is not clearly dependent on p, but is larger at higher rapidities. production, likewise normalized to charged multiplicity, is significantly lower in S–W compared to p–W interactions. Received: 27 October 1997 / Revised version: 5 March 1998 / Published online: 13 July 1998     

One-quasiparticle strength functions in medium-heavy spherical nuclei

A method to describe quantitatively the one-quasiparticle strength functions is proposed which takes approximately into account the coupling of one-quasiparticle states to many-phonon configurations. The method is used to interpret the appropriate experimental data for medium-heavy spherical nuclei. The results are compared with the calculations made in different theoretical approaches.     

Ion exchange on resins with temperature-responsive selectivity III. Influence of complex formation stoichiometry on temperature dependence of resin selectivity

The influence of temperature (293308 K 1:1 IDA:Ni2+ complex is dominating. The Cu2+-Ni2+ exchange equilibrium from sulfate medium is characterized by the formation of nickel complexes of both stoichiometries within the whole temperature range studied. The dependence of alpha on T in Zn2+-Co2+ exchange system has been shown to be weaker than that in the Cu2+-Ni2+ system. This result is in a good agreement with the predictions made in the first communication of this series. The results of thermostripping experiments carried out for Cu2+-Co2+ exchange have shown that the efficiency of the thermostripping process depends on both the interval of working temperatures (deltaT) and its position on the temperature scale. The efficiency of thermostripping rises with an absolute deltaT value and also increases following the shift of temperature interval to the lower temperature range.     

DDF-based all-fiber optical source of femtosecond pulses smoothly tuned in the telecommunication range

The possibility of the creation of an optical source of femtosecond pulses that are smoothly tuned in the telecommunication range using a dispersion-decreasing fiber is demonstrated. The smooth tuning is based on the Raman frequency conversion of ultrashort pulses, which can be effectively tuned due to the compression mechanism for maintaining of a relatively high pulse intensity in the medium with a monotonically decreasing anomalous dispersion. The generation of a 90-fs soliton pulse whose spectrum is smoothly tuned in the wavelength range 1.6–1.8 μm is experimentally demonstrated.     

Additive habit formation: consumption in incomplete markets with random endowments

We provide a detailed characterization of the optimal consumption stream for the additive habit-forming utility maximization problem, in a framework of general discrete-time incomplete markets and random endowments. This characterization allows us to derive the monotonicity and concavity of the optimal consumption as a function of wealth, for several important classes of incomplete markets and preferences. These results yield a deeper understanding of the fine structure of the optimal consumption and provide a further theoretical support for the classical conjectures of Keynes (The general theory of employment, interest and money. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1936).     

Widely-wavelength-tunable few-cycle optical pulse generation from an all-fiber erbium-doped laser system

A scheme for the construction of fiber laser systems for the generation of tunable ultrashort optical pulses is proposed. The scheme is based on the self-Raman shift of the soliton frequency in dispersion-decreasing fibers with the subsequent spectral broadening owing to the supercontinuum generation in a short highly nonlinear fiber and the compression in the corresponding fiber compressor. An all-fiber laser system for the generation of ultrashort laser pulses in the wavelength range 1.6–2.0 μm is experimentally demonstrated. In particular, the shortest pulses with a duration of 24 fs are generated at wavelengths of 1.8–1.9 μm, which corresponds to less than four optical cycles.     

A secretory phospholipase A2-mediated neuroprotection and anti-apoptosis

Background  

Phospholipase A₂ liberates free fatty acids and lysophospholipids upon hydrolysis of phospholipids and these products are often associated with detrimental effects such as inflammation and cerebral ischemia. The neuroprotective effect of neutral phospholipase from snake venom has been investigated.