Dielectric investigations of associate formation process in thin nitrobenzene interlayers formed between metal substrates

Studies of thickness and temperature dependencies of the dielectric susceptibility of nitrobenzene interlayers formed on conductive substrates were carried out. The obtained data were processed under the assumption of the existence of dimers (with opposite directions of molecular dipole moments) in orientationally ordered wall-adjacent layers. The results were treated on the basis of Lifshits theory.     

Convex Hamiltonian energy surfaces and their periodic trajectories

In this paper we introduce symplectic invariants for convex Hamiltonian energy surfaces and their periodic trajectories and show that these quentities satisfy several nontrivial relations. In particular we show that they can be used to prove multiplicity results for the number of periodic trajectories.This paper represents results obtained while holding a visiting position at the Courant Institute for Mathematical Sciences, New YorkResearch partially supported by NSF Grant No. DMS-8603149 and a Rutgers University Research Council Grant     

Construction algorithms for polynomial lattice rules for multivariate integration

We introduce a new construction algorithm for digital nets for integration in certain weighted tensor product Hilbert spaces. The first weighted Hilbert space we consider is based on Walsh functions. Dick and Pillichshammer calculated the worst-case error for integration using digital nets for this space. Here we extend this result to a special construction method for digital nets based on polynomials over finite fields. This result allows us to find polynomials which yield a small worst-case error by computer search. We prove an upper bound on the worst-case error for digital nets obtained by such a search algorithm which shows that the convergence rate is best possible and that strong tractability holds under some condition on the weights.

We extend the results for the weighted Hilbert space based on Walsh functions to weighted Sobolev spaces. In this case we use randomly digitally shifted digital nets. The construction principle is the same as before, only the worst-case error is slightly different. Again digital nets obtained from our search algorithm yield a worst-case error achieving the optimal rate of convergence and as before strong tractability holds under some condition on the weights. These results show that such a construction of digital nets yields the until now best known results of this kind and that our construction methods are comparable to the construction methods known for lattice rules.

We conclude the article with numerical results comparing the expected worst-case error for randomly digitally shifted digital nets with those for randomly shifted lattice rules.

     

A WKB analysis of the buckling condition for a cylindrical shell of arbitrary thickness subjected to an external pressure

We consider the plane-strain buckling of a cylindrical shellof arbitrary thickness which is made of a Varga material andis subjected to an external hydrostatic pressure on its outersurface. The WKB method is used to solve the eigenvalue problemthat results from the linear bifurcation analysis. We show thatthe circular cross-section buckles into a non-circular shapeat a value of µ₁ which depends on A₁/A₂ and a mode number,where A₁ and A₂ are the undeformed inner and outer radii, andµ₁ is the ratio of the deformed inner radius to A₁. Inthe large mode number limit, we find that the dependence ofµ₁ on A₁/A₂ has a boundary layer structure: it is constantover almost the entire region of 0 < A₁/A₂ < 1 and decreasessharply from this constant value to unity as A₁/A₂ tends tounity. Our asymptotic results for A₁ – 1 = O(1) and A₁– 1 = O(1/n) are shown to agree with the numerical resultsobtained by using the compound matrix method.     

Reciprocating sliding wear behavior of laser-clad small amplitude Mo2Ni3Si/NiSi metal silicide composite coatings

Mo₂Ni₃Si/NiSi metal silicide composite coatings with a fine microstructure consisting of Mo₂Ni₃Si primary dendrites and the interdendritic Mo₂Ni₃Si/NiSi eutectics were fabricated on austenitic stainless steel AISI 321 by laser cladding process. Small amplitude reciprocating sliding wear resistance of the coatings is evaluated as functions of normal load and slip amplitude and the wear mechanisms were discussed based on worn surface morphology observations. Results showed that the Mo₂Ni₃Si/NiSi coatings have excellent small amplitude reciprocating sliding wear resistance.     

Activity of microemulsion-based nanoparticles at the human bio-nano interface: concentration-dependent effects on thrombosis and hemolysis in whole blood

Background: Although microemulsion-based nanoparticles (MEs) may be useful for drug delivery or scavenging, these benefits must be balanced against potential nanotoxicological effects in biological tissue (bio-nano interface). We investigated the actions of assembled MEs and their individual components at the bio-nano interface of thrombosis and hemolysis in human blood. Methods: Oil-in-water MEs were synthesized using ethylbutyrate, sodium caprylate, and pluronic F-68 (ME4) or F-127 (ME6) in 0.9% NaCl_w/v. The effects of MEs or components on thrombosis were determined using thrombo-elastography, platelet contractile force, clot elastic modulus, and platelet counting. For hemolysis, ME or components were incubated with erythrocytes, centrifuged, and washed for measurement of free hemoglobin by spectroscopy. Results and conclusions: The mean particle diameters (polydispersity index) for ME6 and ME4 were 23.6 ± 2.5 nm (0.362) and 14.0 ± 1.0 nm (0.008), respectively. MEs (0, 0.03, 0.3, 3 mM) markedly reduced the thromboelastograph maximal amplitude in a concentration-dependent manner (49.0 ± 4.2, 39.0 ± 5.6, 15.0 ± 8.7, 3.8 ± 1.3 mm, respectively), an effect highly correlated (r2 = 0.94) with similar changes caused by pluronic surfactants (48.7 ± 10.9, 30.7 ± 15.8, 20.0 ± 11.3, 2.0 ± 0.5) alone. Neither oil nor sodium caprylate alone affected the thromboelastograph. The clot contractile force was reduced by ME (27.3 ± 11.1–6.7 ± 3.4 kdynes/cm², P = 0.02, n = 5) whereas the platelet population not affected (175 ± 28–182 ± 23 10⁶/ml, P = 0.12, n = 6). This data suggests that MEs reduced platelet activity due to associated pluronic surfactants, but caused minimal changes in protein function necessary for coagulation. Although pharmacological concentrations of sodium caprylate caused hemolysis (EC₅₀ = 213 mM), MEs and pluronic surfactants did not disrupt erythrocytes. Knowledge of nanoparticle activity and potential associated nanotoxicity at this bio-nano interface enables rational ME design for in vivo applications.     

Derivations in Commutative Regular Algebras

Mathematical Notes -