A look at multiparticle production via modified combinants

The European Physical Journal A - The transverse momentum ($$p_{T}$$) distribution of strange hadrons ($$K_{S}^{0}$$ and $$\varLambda $$) and multi-strange hadrons( $$\varXi $$ and $$\varOmega $$)...     

Delta13C analyses of calcium carbonate: Comparison between the GasBench and elemental analyzer techniques

Measurements of stable carbon isotopic composition (delta13C) of carbonates or carbonate-rich soils are seldom performed in a continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) using an elemental analyzer (EA) as an online sample preparation device. Such analyses are routinely carried out with an external precision better than 0.1 per thousand using a GasBench II (GB) sample preparation device coupled online with a continuous-flow IRMS. In this paper, we report and compare delta13C analyses (86 total analyses) of calcium carbonates obtained by using both the GB and the EA. Using both techniques, the delta13C compositions of two in-house carbonate standards (MERCK carbonate and NR calcite) and ten selected carbonate-rich paleosol samples (of variable CaCO3 content) were analyzed, and data are reported in the VPDB scale calibrated against international standards, NBS 18 and 19. For the in-house standards analyzed by both techniques, a precision better than 0.08 per thousand is achieved. The analytical errors (1sigma) computed from multiple analyses of the delta13C of both the MERCK and NR obtained by the above two techniques are nearly identical. In general, the 1sigma (internal error) of paleosol analyses obtained in the GB is better than 0.06 per thousand, whereas that for the analyses in the EA (three repetitive analyses of the same sample) varies in the range 0.05-0.21 per thousand. However, for paleosols having more than 85% CaCO3, 1sigma is better than 0.15 per thousand (similar to the instrument precision), and in this case the delta13C(VPDB) of samples obtained by the GB is similar to that obtained by the EA. Our results suggest that the delta13C of pure calcium carbonate samples can also be analyzed using the EA technique.     

Polymerization of phosphorus containing cyclic monomers: Synthesis of polymers related to biopolymers

The mechanism of polymerization is discussed, in which cyclic esters of phosphoric acid, and related compounds are converted into linear macromolecules, modelling nucleic and teichoic acid backbones. Structures like deoxyribose polyphosphate and glycerol polyphosphate were prepared from the corresponding cyclic compounds. These polymerizations involve heterolytic breaking of the P-O bond in the cyclic monomer and proceed by ionic mechanism. Both 5- and 6-membered monomers have been polymerized. The thermodynamic parameters of the ring-chain interconversion were determined; the 5-membered rings polymerization is driven by the exothermicity of the ring-opening, whereas polymerization of several 6-membered rings is endothermic and allowed because of the positive change of entropy. Anionic polymerization, and particularly the pseudo(coordinate)anionic polymerization provides, in contrast to the cationic process, high-molecular-weight polymers with more uniform structure. Anionic polymerization proceeds mostly (at the applied conditions) on the macroion – -pairs. The elementary reactions consist of the nucleophilic attack of the paired macroanions on the phosphorus atom in the cyclic monomer molecule. Rate constants of the elementary reactions for the model monomers will be presented. Stereochemistry of the propagation steps is shown to be governed by the statistical ring-opening, leading to the three kinds of polymer units (head-to-tail and two symmetrical units). Apart from the ring-opening, the polyaddition of diepoxides to phosphorous and phosphoric acids is described. Finally, a few examples of preparation of models of biopolymers are given, namely poly(deoxyribose phosphate) and poly(glycerol phosphate).     

Silver Nanowires and Silanes in Hybrid Functionalization of Aramid Fabrics

New functionalization methods of meta- and para-aramid fabrics with silver nanowires (AgNWs) and two silanes (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)) and diethoxydimethylsilane (DEDMS) were developed: a one-step method (mixture) with AgNWs dispersed in the silane mixture and a two-step method (layer-by-layer) in which the silanes mixture was applied to the previously deposited AgNWs layer. The fabrics were pre-treated in a low-pressure air radio frequency (RF) plasma and subsequently coated with polydopamine. The modified fabrics acquired hydrophobic properties (contact angle Θ_W of 112–125°). The surface free energy for both modified fabrics was approximately 29 mJ/m², while for reference, meta- and para-aramid fabrics have a free energy of 53 mJ/m² and 40 mJ/m², respectively. The electrical surface resistance (R_s) was on the order of 10² Ω and 10⁴ Ω for the two-step and one-step method, respectively. The electrical volume resistance (R_v) for both modified fabrics was on the order of 10² Ω. After UV irradiation, the Rs did not change for the two-step method, and for the one-step method, it increased to the order of 10¹⁰ Ω. The specific strength values were higher by 71% and 63% for the meta-aramid fabric and by 102% and 110% for the para-aramid fabric for the two-step and one-step method, respectively, compared to the unmodified fabrics after UV radiation.     

On the Ehrenfeucht–Mycielski sequence

We introduce the inverted prefix tries (a variation of suffix tries) as a convenient formalism for stating and proving properties of the Ehrenfeucht–Mycielski sequence [A. Ehrenfeucht, J. Mycielski, A pseudorandom sequence—how random is it? American Mathematical Monthly 99 (1992) 373-375]. We also prove an upper bound on the position in the sequence by which all strings of a given length will have appeared; our bound is given by the Ackermann function, which, in light of experimental data, may be a gross over-estimate. Still, it is the best explicitly known upper bound at the moment. Finally, we show how to compute the next bit in the sequence in a constant number of operations.     

Total Synthesis of (+)- and (−)-Ononitol

Abstract

A practical, five-step synthetic sequence for conversion of myo-inositol into enantiomerically pure (+)- and (?)-ononitols in 17% and 18% overall yield, respectively, has been developed.     

Uncertainty and stepwise investment

We analyze the optimal investment strategy of a firm that can complete a project either in one stage at a single freely chosen time point or in incremental steps at distinct time points. The presence of economies of scale gives rise to the following trade-off: lumpy investment has a lower total cost, but stepwise investment gives more flexibility by letting the firm choose the timing individually for each stage. Our main question is how uncertainty in market development affects this trade-off. The answer is unambiguous and in contrast with a conventional real-options intuition: higher uncertainty makes the single-stage investment more attractive relative to the more flexible stepwise investment strategy.     

On translations of subsets of the real line

In this paper we discuss various questions connected with translations of subsets of the real line. Most of these questions originate from W. Sierpinski. We discuss the number of translations a single subset of the reals may have. Later we discuss almost invariant subsets of Abelian groups.

     

Highly sulfurated heterocycles via dithiiranes and trithietanes as key intermediates

2,2,4,4-Tetramethyl-3-thioxocyclobutanone (8b) easily reacts with gaseous chlorine to yield the stable alpha-chloro sulfenyl chloride 10. The same product was obtained when 8b was treated either with phosphorus pentachloride (PCl(5)) or sulfuryl chloride (SO(2)Cl(2)) in CCl(4) solution. Sulfur dichloride (SCl(2)) reacts with 8b to give the alpha-chloro thiosulfenyl chloride 12 along with an almost equimolar amount of the trisulfide 13b. The less reactive disulfur dichloride (S(2)Cl(2)) was shown to react slowly with 8b and the symmetrical tetrasulfide 15 was found as the exclusive product. The pure thiosulfenyl chloride 12 added to adamantanethione (8c) yielded the unsymmetrical trisulfide 13c. When 12 was treated with thioacetic acid, the acetylated trisulfide 17 was formed in high yield. "Unzipping" reactions with the acetylated disulfide 16 and trisulfide 17 with morpholine in THF at -40 degrees C led to the formation of mixtures of two sulfur-rich heterocycles identified as the pentathiepane 6b and the hexathiepane 7b. A mixture of analogous products was obtained when alpha-chloro sulfenyl chloride 10 was treated with sodium sulfide in anhydrous THF at -40 degrees C. The formation of 6b and 7b is believed to occur via the intermediate dithiirane 1b and/or the isomeric thiosulfine 2b. In the case of 17 the reaction starts probably with the formation of a nonisolable tetrathiane 18b as presented in Scheme 5.