Thermal desorption/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry approach for characterization of the volatile fraction from amber specimens: A possibility of tracking geological origins

Research on the chemical composition of fossil resins has evolved during the last decades as a multidisciplinary field and is strongly oriented toward the correlation with their geological and botanical origin. Various extraction procedures and chromatographic techniques have been used together for identifying the volatile compounds contained in the fossil resin matrix. Hyphenation between thermal desorption (TD), gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry detection (MS) has been chosen to investigate the volatile compounds fraction from ambers with a focus on Romanite (Romanian amber) and Baltic amber species. A data analysis procedure was developed for the main purpose of fingerprinting ambers based on the MS identity of the peaks generated by the volatile fraction, together with their relative percentual area within the chromatogram. Chromatographic data analysis was based entirely on Automated Mass Spectral Deconvolution & Identification System (AMDIS) software to produce deconvoluted mass spectra which were used to build-up a mixed mass spectra and relative retention scale library. Multivariate data analysis was further applied on AMDIS results with successful discrimination between Romanite and Baltic ambers. A special trial was conducted to generate pyrolysis “like” macromolecular structure breakdown to volatile compounds by gamma irradiation with a high absorbed dose of 500 kGy. Contrary to our expectations the volatile fraction fingerprints were not modified after irradiation experiments. A complementary non-destructive new approach by ESR spectroscopy was also proposed for discriminating between Romanite and Baltic ambers.     

Rotating black holes in dilatonic Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet theory

We construct generalizations of the Kerr black holes by including higher-curvature corrections in the form of the Gauss-Bonnet density coupled to the dilaton. We show that the domain of existence of these Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet-dilaton (EGBD) black holes is bounded by the Kerr black holes, the critical EGBD black holes, and the singular extremal EGBD solutions. The angular momentum of the EGBD black holes can exceed the Kerr bound. The EGBD black holes satisfy a generalized Smarr relation. We also compare their innermost stable circular orbits with those of the Kerr black holes and show the existence of differences which might be observable in astrophysical systems.     

Isomorphic Steiner symmetrization of p-convex sets

In this paper we show that given a \(p\) -convex set \(K \subset \mathbb{R }^n\) , there exist \(5n\) Steiner symmetrizations that transform it into an isomorphic Euclidean ball. That is, if \(|K| = |D_n| = \kappa _n\) , we may symmetrize it, using \(5n\) Steiner symmetrizations, into a set \(K'\) such that \(c_p D_n \subset K' \subset C_p D_n\) , where \(c_p\) and \(C_p\) are constants dependent on \(p\) only.     

Improved Iterative Version of the Coats-Redfern Method to Evaluate Non-Isothermal Kinetic Parameters

An improved version of the Coats-Redfern method of evaluating non-isothermal kinetic parameters is presented. The Coats-Redfern approximation of the temperature integral is replaced by a third-degree rational approximation, which is much more accurate. The kinetic parameters are evaluated iteratively by linear regression and, besides the correlation coefficient, the F test is suggested as a supplementary statistical criterion for selecting the most probable mechanism function. For applications, both non-isothermal data obtained by theoretical simulation and experimental data taken from the literature for the non-isothermal dehydration of Mg(OH)₂ have been processed.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

General Kinetic Equation for Solid State Reactions

A general kinetic equation is suggested in order to describe solid state decompositions or, more generally, solid state reactions and transformations on the basis of some existing general equations. This differential equation can be expressed as: dα/dt=k[(1-α)^q]^x{[1-(1-α)^1−q]/(1-q)}^y, where α represents the degree of conversion, k is the rate constant while q, x and y are characteristic parameters for a given mechanism. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Synthesis and Stereochemistry of Novel Dibrominated 1,5-Dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane Derivatives

 The synthesis and stereochemistry of new dibrominated spiro-1,3-dioxane derivatives are reported. Investigations by means of NMR methods and single crystal X-ray diffraction for two compounds revealed the high regio- and diastereoselectivity of the bromination reaction of some new spiro-1,3-dioxanes and the asymmetric induction of the chiral carbon atom located in the spiro skeleton.     

On Some Obvious Cases of Incorrect Choice of the Rate Equation for Non-isothermal Kinetics

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry -     

Ueber das Verh?ltniss zwischen Glycerin und Alkohol im Wein

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Heron triangles with two fixed sides

In this paper, we study the function H(a,b), which associates to every pair of positive integers a and b the number of positive integers c such that the triangle of sides a, b and c is Heron, i.e., it has integral area. In particular, we prove that H(p,q)?5 if p and q are primes, and that H(a,b)=0 for a random choice of positive integers a and b.