A Note on the Multiplicative Semigroups Z n Whose Bi-ideals Are Quasi-ideals

We show that for any positive integer n, the multiplicative semigroup Z_n has the property that the set of bi-ideals and the set of quasi-ideals coincide if and only if either n = 4 or n is square-free.AMS Subject Classification (1991): 20M10     

Effect of Silane Coupling Agent and Compatibilizer on Properties of Short Rossells Fiber/Poly(propylene) Composites

Rossells fiber reinforced polypropylene composites were prepared by melt mixing. The fiber content was 20 wt%. Octadecyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS) and maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) were used to improve the adhesion between poly(propylene) (PP) and the fiber. The mechanical, rheological, and morphological properties, and heat distortion temperature (HDT) of the composites were investigated. Tensile strength, impact strength, flexural strength and HDT of MAPP modified PP composites increased with an increase in MAPP content. However, no remarkable effect of MAPP content on the Young's modulus of the composites was found. OTMS resulted in small decreases of tensile strength and Young's modulus, and increase in impact strength. Scanning electron micrographs revealed that MAPP enhanced surface adhesion between the fiber surface and PP matrix.     

Treatment of oxidized cellulose fabric with chitosan and its surface activity towards anionic reactive dyes

The surface modification of cellulose fabric with chitosan was achieved through an oxidation of the fabric with KIO₄ followed by reductive ammination with chitosan. The chitosan content in the fabric determined by Kjeldahl nitrogen analysis technique was 1.69%. The scanning electron micrograph revealed submicron particles of chitosan attached on the fabric surface. Dyeing of the modified fabrics with mono-chloro-triazine and vinyl sulfone anionic reactive dyes, showed vastly improved exhaustion and color yield (K/S) indicating that this method of surface modification is effective for changing surface activity of the fabric. The enhancement of the dye uptake brought about an improved dyeing process in which the dye and salt used could be reduced by half and 14%, respectively. A Significant drop in burst strength upon the oxidation but no discernable adverse color fastness property was observed for the chitosan-modified fabric.     

Regularity and Unit-regularity of Generalized Semigroups of Linear Transformations

Let V and W be vector spaces over a division ring D and L_D (V, W) the set of all linear transformations from V into W. For L_D(W, V), let (L_D (V, W), ) denote the semigroup L_D (V, W) with the operation * defined by * = for all , L_D(V, W). By a unit-regular semigroup we mean a semigroup S with identity having the property that for each a S, a = aua for some unit u S. The main purpose of this paper is to prove the following statements. The semigroup (L_D(V, W), ) is regular if and only if V = {0}, W = {0} or is an isomorphism from W onto V. The semigroup (L_D (V, W), ) is unit-regular if and only if (i) V = {0}, (ii) W = {0} or (iii) is an isomorphism from W onto V and dim_D V .     

Microfluidic electrochemical sensor for on-line monitoring of aerosol oxidative activity

Particulate matter (PM) air pollution has a significant impact on human morbidity and mortality; however, the mechanisms of PM-induced toxicity are poorly defined. A leading hypothesis states that airborne PM induces harm by generating reactive oxygen species in and around human tissues, leading to oxidative stress. We report here a system employing a microfluidic electrochemical sensor coupled directly to a particle-into-liquid sampler (PILS) system to measure aerosol oxidative activity in an on-line format. The oxidative activity measurement is based on the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay, where, after being oxidized by PM, the remaining reduced DTT is analyzed by the microfluidic sensor. The sensor consists of an array of working, reference, and auxiliary electrodes fabricated in a poly(dimethylsiloxane)-based microfluidic device. Cobalt(II) phthalocyanine-modified carbon paste was used as the working electrode material, allowing selective detection of reduced DTT. The electrochemical sensor was validated off-line against the traditional DTT assay using filter samples taken from urban environments and biomass burning events. After off-line characterization, the sensor was coupled to a PILS to enable on-line sampling/analysis of aerosol oxidative activity. Urban dust and industrial incinerator ash samples were aerosolized in an aerosol chamber and analyzed for their oxidative activity. The on-line sensor reported DTT consumption rates (oxidative activity) in good correlation with aerosol concentration (R(2) from 0.86 to 0.97) with a time resolution of approximately 3 min.