Analysis of turkish lignite tar by coupled LC/GC,GC/MS,and capillary SFC

This work describes the analysis of a pyrolysis product of a lignite sample obtained from the Turkish Goynuk reserve. The aliphatic, aromatic and polar compounds present in the tar are separated and identified by various chromatographic techniques: Capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), on-line high performance microbore liquid chromatography/capillary gas chromatography (LC/GC) and capillary supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). The suitability of each technique for this particular application is discussed, and semi-quantitative results are presented for the major components detected.     

Emergency Logistics Planning in Natural Disasters

Logistics planning in emergency situations involves dispatching commodities (e.g., medical materials and personnel, specialised rescue equipment and rescue teams, food, etc.) to distribution centres in affected areas as soon as possible so that relief operations are accelerated. In this study, a planning model that is to be integrated into a natural disaster logistics Decision Support System is developed. The model addresses the dynamic time-dependent transportation problem that needs to be solved repetitively at given time intervals during ongoing aid delivery. The model regenerates plans incorporating new requests for aid materials, new supplies and transportation means that become available during the current planning time horizon. The plan indicates the optimal mixed pick up and delivery schedules for vehicles within the considered planning time horizon as well as the optimal quantities and types of loads picked up and delivered on these routes. In emergency logistics context, supply is available in limited quantities at the current time period and on specified future dates. Commodity demand is known with certainty at the current date, but can be forecasted for future dates. Unlike commercial environments, vehicles do not have to return to depots, because the next time the plan is re-generated, a node receiving commodities may become a depot or a former depot may have no supplies at all. As a result, there are no closed loop tours, and vehicles wait at their last stop until they receive the next order from the logistics coordination centre. Hence, dispatch orders for vehicles consist of sets of “broken” routes that are generated in response to time-dependent supply/demand. The mathematical model describes a setting that is considerably different than the conventional vehicle routing problem. In fact, the problem is a hybrid that integrates the multi-commodity network flow problem and the vehicle routing problem. In this setting, vehicles are also treated as commodities. The model is readily decomposed into two multi-commodity network flow problems, the first one being linear (for conventional commodities) and the second integer (for vehicle flows). In the solution approach, these sub-models are coupled with relaxed arc capacity constraints using Lagrangean relaxation. The convergence of the proposed algorithm is tested on small test instances as well as on an earthquake scenario of realistic size.     

Synthesis,characterization of naphthalene‐based polyimides,and their use as immobilized enzyme membrane

A new monomer, 1,5‐bis(p‐dimethylaminophenylimino)naphthalene, was prepared through Schiff‐base condensation reaction of 1,5‐diaminonaphthalene and 4‐(dimethylamino)benzaldehyde in the presence of ethanol. A series of aromatic polyimides bearing naphthalene and ? CH?N? groups were synthesized from the diamine with five kinds of commercial dianhydrides via a conventional one‐stage process. The resulting naphthalene based polyimides (NBPs) showed good solubilities in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone and m‐cresol. NBPs had glass‐transition temperatures at 139–174°C and 10% weightloss temperatures above 430 °C in nitrogen atmospheres. Excellent properties of NBPs are attributed to the incorporation of the naphthalene and ? CH?N? group in 1,5‐bis(p‐dimethylaminophenylimino)naphthalene. Moreover, chemically prepared polyimides were used for immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx). The amperometric responses of the NBPs‐GOx‐Pt electrodes toward glucose were examined at a potential of 0.7 V in PBS solution by means of time‐base (TB) technique. Results show that NBPs bearing ? O? group membrane (PI‐3) has many advantages in the immobilization of glucose oxidase because of its strong adherence to electrode surface and chemical stability and selectivity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

General decay and blowup of solutions for coupled viscoelastic equation of Kirchhoff type with degenerate damping terms

In this work, we consider a nonlinear system of viscoelastic equations of Kirchhoff type with degenerate damping and source terms in a bounded domain. Under suitable assumptions on the initial data, the relaxation functions g_i(i = 1,2) and degenerate damping terms, we obtain global existence of solutions. Then, we prove the general decay result. Finally, we prove the finite time blow‐up result of solutions with negative initial energy. This work generalizes and improves earlier results in the literature.     

Structural,Optical and Electrochromic Properties of WO_3 Thin Films Prepared by Chemical Spray Pyrolysis Versus Spin Coating Technique

In this study, Tungsten Oxide (WO₃) thin films were prepared by Chemical Spray Pyrolysis (CSP) and Spin Coating (SC) techniques and it was investigated effects of technique and parameter on the films. WO₃ thin films were deposited on ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) coated glasses. The structural, optical and electrochromic properties of the WO₃ thin films were characterized by XRD, SEM, UV, and CV measurements. The sharpest (200) peak was observed in the XRD spectra and optical band gaps were calculated around 2.6～3.1 eV via UV-Vis spectra for all of the samples. Micro fibrous reticulated surface (filamentous like) morphology for the films deposited by CSP technique and smooth surface morphology with high optical transmittance for the film deposited by SC Technique were obtained from SEM images. In addition to these results, it was revealed that all the samples exhibit good electrochromic performance.     

The determination of calcium concentrations in human milk with energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence

This work reports on an alternative method for the determination of element concentrations in human milk. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer with an annular Am²⁴¹ and Fe⁵⁵ sources was applied for the analysis of human milk samples. A sample preparation method suitable for the EDXRF analysis was described. The results were presented in Table 1. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence technique has been successfully used for the determination of calcium and other elements in human milk. For this reason, the experimental approach and the analytical method used in this study appear adequate for the purpose and can therefore be exploited for similar investigations.     

Fibonacci oscillators

We discuss the properties of oscillators whose spectrum is given by a generalized Fibonacci sequence. The properties include: invariance under the unitary quantum group, generalized angular momentum, coherent states and difference calculus, relativistic interpretation.     

Evidence for involvement of cationic intermediate in epoxidation of chiral allylic alcohols and unfunctionalised alkenes catalysed by MnIII(quinazolinone) complexes

A pair of Mn^III(quinazolinone) complexes was prepared and evaluated in the catalytic epoxidation of the chiral allylic alcohols and unfunctionalised alkenes with iodosylbenzene. Epoxidation of chiral allylic alcohols with 1,3-allylic strain proceeded chemo- and diastereoselectively to give threo-epoxy alcohol (up to 99% d.r). Epoxidation of unfunctionalised alkenes by the proposed catalyst system proceeded nonselectively, as evidenced by the formation of isomerization and rearrangement products in the epoxidation of (Z)-stilbene. A three-step pathway involving a cationic intermediate is proposed for the formation of isomerization and rearrangement products. The fact that only products resulting from the cationic intermediate were detected in the oxidation of a mechanistic probe, (2-methoxy-3-vinylcyclopropyl)benzene, with Mn^III(quinazolinone) and PhIO substantiated the cationic oxygen transfer mechanism.