A Strong Szegö-Widom Limit Theorem for operators with almost periodic diagonal

The classical Strong Szegö-Widom Limit Theorem describes the asymptotic behavior of the determinants of the finite sections PnT(a)Pn of Toeplitz operators, i.e., of operators which have constant entries along each diagonal. We generalize these results to operators which have almost periodic sequences as their diagonals.     

Photosynthetic energy conversion in the diatom <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phaeodactylum tricornutum</Emphasis>

Isothermal microcalorimetry can be used to investigate the photosynthetic energy conversion of autotrophic organisms. In this study, for the first time a diatom alga was used to compare the calorimetrically measured heat flux with measurements of the photosynthetic performance by oxygen evolution and pulse-amplitude modulated fluorescence. The presented experimental setup proved suitable to compare calorimetric data with those of conventional methods of the determination of photosynthesis rates. Special attention was paid to the contribution of energy dissipation via non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of chlorophyll fluorescence to the metabolic energy balance. This was achieved by a combination of different light conditions and the use of an inhibitor of NPQ. Although NPQ is an important photoprotective mechanism in diatoms, the inhibition of NPQ resulted in an activation of alternative, energy dissipating pathways for absorbed radiation which completely compensated for the fraction of energy dissipation by NPQ.     

Maximum‐norm a posteriori error bounds for a collocation method applied to a singularly perturbed reaction–diffusion problem in three dimensions

Collocation with triquadratic C¹‐splines for a singularly perturbed reaction–diffusion problem in three dimension is studied. A posteriori error bound in the maximum norm is derived for the collocation method on arbitrary tensor‐product meshes which is robust in the perturbation parameter. Numerical results are presented that support our theoretical estimate.     

$${\varvec{teaspoon}}$$ : solving the curriculum-based course timetabling problems with answer set programming

Annals of Operations Research - Answer Set Programming (ASP) is an approach to declarative problem solving, combining a rich yet simple modeling language with high performance solving capacities....     

A novel monochromator for experiments with ultrashort X‐ray pulses

Aiming at advancing storage‐ring‐based ultrafast X‐ray science, over the past few years many upgrades have been undertaken to continue improving beamline performance and photon flux at the Femtoslicing facility at BESSY II. In this article the particular design upgrade of one of the key optical components, the zone‐plate monochromator (ZPM) beamline, is reported. The beamline is devoted to optical pump/soft X‐ray probe applications with 100 fs (FWHM) X‐ray pulses in the soft X‐ray range at variable polarization. A novel approach consisting of an array of nine off‐axis reflection zone plates is used for a gapless coverage of the spectral range between 410 and 1333 eV at a designed resolution of E/ΔE = 500 and a pulse elongation of only 30 fs. With the upgrade of the ZPM the following was achieved: a smaller focus, an improved spectral resolution and bandwidth as well as excellent long‐term stability. The beamline will enable a new class of ultrafast applications with variable optical excitation wavelength and variable polarization.     

Gas chromatographic determination of aromatic amines in water samples after solid-phase extraction and derivatization with iodine: I. Derivatization

A new method for the selective determination of aromatic amines is presented, which is based on the solid-phase extraction at pH 9 and subsequent derivatization of the analytes to the corresponding iodobenzenes. These can selectively and sensitively be determined with gas chromatography and electron-capture detection. Separation of at least 30 compounds in a single chromatographic run in 30 min is possible. With this method, 56 aromatic amines were investigated, and only in six cases no derivatives were obtained. Limits of quantitation were between 0.5 and 8 μg l⁻¹, but may still be lowered with higher sample volumes or different injection techniques. The application to water samples revealed the suitability for the investigation of ground, leachate and wastewater.     

Correlation between mechanical and electrical properties on conductive SiC-fibre reinforced composites

Electrical and mechanical properties of ceramic composites are investigated to develop “smart materials” and establish a fracture prediction technique. The “smart materials” are based on silicon carbide fibre-reinforced composites. The SiC-fibres were checked to determine the changes in mechanical and electrical properties during the composites’ production. Samples were produced for the determination of the mechanical strength with in situ detection of the degree of damage by recording the electrical resistance.