Solid phase extraction for analysis of biogenic carbonates by electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ETV-ICP-MS): an investigation of rare earth element signatures in otolith microchemistry

Uptake of trace elements into fish otoliths is governed by several factors such as life histories and environment in addition to stock and species differences. In an attempt to elucidate the elemental signatures of rare earth elements (REEs) in otoliths, a solid phase extraction (SPE) protocol was used in combination with electrothermal vaporization (ETV) as a sample introduction procedure for the determinations by inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Effects of various parameters, such as carrier gas flow rate, atomization temperature and chemical modification, were examined for optimization of the conditions by ETV-ICP-MS. Atomization was achieved at 2800 °C. Lower temperatures (i.e. 2600 °C) resulted in severe memory problems due to incomplete atomization. Palladium was used as a chemical modifier. It was found that an increase in Pd concentration up to 0.5 μg in the injection volume (70 μl) led up to four-fold enhancement in the integrated signals. This phenomenon is attributed to the carrier effect of Pd rather than the stabilization since no significant losses were observed for high temperature drying around 700 °C even in the absence of Pd. Preconcentration was performed on-line at pH 5 by using a mini-column of Toyopearl AF-Chelate 650M chelating resin, which also eliminated the calcium matrix of otolith solutions. After preconcentration of 6.4 ml of solution, the concentrate was collected in 0.65 ml of 0.5% (v/v) HNO₃ in autosampler cups, and then analyzed by ETV-ICP-MS. The method was validated with the analysis of a fish otolith certified reference material (CRM) of emperor snapper, and then applied to samples. Results obtained from otoliths of fish captured in the same habitat indicated that otolith rare earth element concentrations are more dependent on environmental conditions of the habitat than on species differences.     

Shape Optimization and Fictitious Domain Approach for Solving Free Boundary Problems of Bernoulli Type

This contribution deals with an efficient method for the numerical realization of the exterior and interior Bernoulli free boundary problems. It is based on a shape optimization approach. The state problems are solved by a fictitious domain solver using boundary Lagrange multipliers.     

Improved bounds for some nonstandard problems in generalized heat conduction

We consider the Maxwell-Cattaneo system of equations for generalized heat conduction where the temperature and heat flux satisfy a nonstandard auxiliary condition which prescribes a combination of their values initially and at a later time. We obtain L₂ bounds for the temperature and heat flux by means of Lagrange identities. These bounds extend the range of validity for the parameter in the nonstandard condition under a constraint on the coefficients in the differential equations.     

Exploring Little Higgs models with ATLAS at the LHC-

The European Physical Journal C - We discuss possible searches for the new particles predicted by Little Higgs Models at the LHC. By using a simulation of the ATLAS detector, we demonstrate how the...     

Optimally Stable Multivariate Bases

We show that the tensor product B-spline basis and the triangular Bernstein basis are in some sense best conditioned among all nonnegative bases for the spaces of tensor product splines and multivariate polynomials, respectively. We also introduce some new condition numbers which are analogs of component-wise condition numbers for linear systems introduced by Skeel.     

On the Representation of Band-Dominant Functions on the Sphere Using Finitely Many Bits

A band-dominant function on the Euclidean sphere embedded in R ^q+1 is the restriction to this sphere of an entire function of q+1 complex variables having a finite exponential type in each of its variables. We develop a method to represent such a function using finitely many bits, using the values of the function at scattered sites on the sphere. The number of bits required in our representation is asymptotically the same as the metric entropy of the class of such functions with respect to any of the L ^p norms on the sphere.     

Concerning seven and eight mutually orthogonal Latin squares

In this paper, three new direct Mutually Orthogonal Latin Squares (MOLS) constructions are presented for 7 MOLS(24), 7 MOLS(75) and 8 MOLS(36); then using recursive methods, several new constructions for 7 and 8 MOLS are obtained. These reduce the largest value for which 7 MOLS are unknown from 780 to 570, and the largest odd value for which 8 MOLS are unknown from 1935 to 419. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Nonlocality of Reaction-Diffusion Equations Induced by Delay: Biological Modeling and Nonlinear Dynamics

We present a short survey on the biological modeling, dynamics analysis, and numerical simulation of nonlocal spatial effects, induced by time delays, in diffusion models for a single species confined to either a finite or an infinite domain. The nonlocality, a weighted average in space, arises when account is taken of the fact that individuals have been at different points in space at previous times. We discuss and compare two existing approaches to correctly derive the spatial averaging kernels, and we summarize some of the recent developments in both qualitative and numerical analysis of the nonlinear dynamics, including the existence, uniqueness (up to a translation), and stability of traveling wave fronts and periodic spatio-temporal patterns of the model equations in unbounded domains and the linear stability, boundedness, global convergence of solutions and bifurcations of the model equations in finite domains.