A remark on the uniqueness of embeddings of linear spaces into desarguesian projective planes

Suppose that q ? 2 is a prime power. We show that a linear space with a(q + 1)² + (q + 1) points, where a ? 0.763, can be embedded in at most one way in a desarguesian projective plane of order q. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Heat Content Asymptotics for Oblique Boundary Conditions

We consider the short-time heat content asymptotics for oblique boundary conditions. The first few coefficients in the asymptotic expansion are calculated.     

A long-wavelength biolabeling reagent based on the oxonol fluorophore

A red fluorescent dye of the oxonol class, bis-[1-(carboxymethyl)barbituric acid-(5)]-pentamethinoxonol, has been synthesized and, in the form of the succinimidyl active ester, has been applied to antibody labeling for application to flow cytometry and to imaging of tissue sections. The new dye, named CMOX (for carboxymethyloxonol), shows maximum excitation at 583 nm and emission at 611 nm, with a quantum yield of 0.2 in aqueous buffer and methanol. Antibodies labeled with the new dye show favorable brightness, photostability, and low levels of nonspecific binding.     

Strategy-proofness, solidarity, and consistency for multiple assignment problems

We consider a problem of allocating indivisible objects when agents may desire to consume more than one object and no monetary transfers are allowed. We are interested in allocation rules that satisfy desirable properties from an economic and social point of view. In addition to strategy-proofness and Pareto efficiency, we consider consistency and two solidarity properties (replacement-domination and population-monotonicity). In most of the cases, these properties are satisfied only by serially dictatorial rules. Received: November 1999/Final version: December 2001     

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.     

Self-nucleation and recrystallization of isotactic polypropylene (α phase) investigated by differential scanning calorimetry

The crystallization behavior after partial or complete melting of the α phase of iPP is examined by combined differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and optical microscopy: calorimetric results are directly correlated with corresponding morphologies of microtome sections of DSC samples. On partial melting at various temperatures (hereafter referred to as T_s) located in a narrow range (4°C) below and near T_m, the number of nuclei increases (as in classical self-nucleation experiments), by several orders of magnitude; on subsequent cooling, the crystallization peak is shifted by up to 25°C. After partial melting in the lower part of the T_s range and recrystallization, the polymers display a prominent morphology “memory effect” whereby a phantom pattern of the initial spherulite morphology is maintained. After partial melting in the upper part of the T_s range the initial morphology is erased and self-nucleation affects only the total number of nuclei. The present experimental procedures make it possible to define, under “standard” conditions, the crystallization range of the polymer and in particular, the maximum crystallization temperature achievable when “ideally” nucleated. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Thin-Film Flow Influenced by Thermal Noise

We study the influence of thermal fluctuations on the dewetting dynamics of thin liquid films. Starting from the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with thermal noise, we derive a fourth-order degenerate parabolic stochastic partial differential equation which includes a conservative, multiplicative noise term—the stochastic thin-film equation. Technically, we rely on a long-wave-approximation and Fokker–Planck-type arguments. We formulate a discretization method and give first numerical evidence for our conjecture that thermal fluctuations are capable of accelerating film rupture and that discrepancies with respect to time-scales between physical experiments and deterministic numerical simulations can be resolved by taking noise effects into account.