A sequential injection system for the spectrophotometric determination of calcium, magnesium and alkalinity in water samples.

A sequential injection methodology for the spectrophotometric determination of calcium, magnesium and alkalinity in water samples is proposed. A single manifold is used for the determination of the three analytes, and the same protocol sequence allows the sequential determination of calcium and magnesium (the sum corresponds to the water hardness). The determination of both metals is based on their reaction with cresolphtalein complexone; mutual interference is minimized by using 8-hydroxyquinoline for the determination of calcium and ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) for the determination of magnesium. Alkalinity determination is based on a reaction with acetic acid, and corresponding color change of Bromcresol Green. Working ranges of 0.5 - 5 mg dm(-3) for Ca, 0.5 - 10 mg dm(-3) for Mg, and 10 - 100 mg HCO3- dm(-3), for alkalinity have been achieved. The results for water samples were comparable to those of the reference methods and to a certified reference water sample. RSDs lower than 5% were obtained, a low reagent consumption and a reduced volume of effluent have been accomplished. The determination rate for calcium and magnesium is 80 h(-1), corresponding to 40 h(-1) per element, while 65 determinations of alkalinity per hour could be carried out.     

A note on compact elements in the lattice of radicals

An example of radical compact ring A whose Dorroh extension A¹ is not radical compact is constructed.     

Fold‐2‐covering triangular embeddings

For a graph G and a positive integer m, G_(m) is the graph obtained from G by replacing every vertex by an independent set of size m and every edge by m² edges joining all possible new pairs of ends. If G triangulates a surface, then it is easy to see from Euler's formula that G_(m) can, in principle, triangulate a surface. For m prime and at least 7, it has previously been shown that in fact G_(m) does triangulate a surface, and in fact does so as a “covering with folds” of the original triangulation. For m = 5, this would be a consequence of Tutte's 5‐Flow Conjecture. In this work, we investigate the case m = 2 and describe simple classes of triangulations G for which G₍₂₎ does have a triangulation that covers G “with folds,” as well as providing a simple infinite class of triangulations G of the sphere for which G₍₂₎ does not triangulate any surface. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 43: 79–92, 2003     

Three-dimensional structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae inorganic pyrophosphatase complexed with cobalt and phosphate ions

Crystals of Saccharomyces cerevisiae inorganic pyrophosphatase suitable for X-ray diffraction study were grown by cocrystallization of the enzyme with cobalt chloride and imidodiphosphate. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a metal-dependent enzyme which catalyzes hydrolysis of inorganic pyrophosphate to orthophosphate. The three-dimensional structure of this enzyme was solved by the molecular-replacement method and refined at 1.8 Å resolution to an R factor of 19.5%. Cobalt and phosphate ions were revealed in the active centers of both identical subunits (A and B) of the pyrophosphatase molecule. In subunit B, a water molecule was found between two cobalt ions. It is believed that this water molecule acts as an attacking nucleophile in the enzymatic cleavage of the pyrophosphate bond. It was demonstrated that cobalt ions and a phosphate group occupy only part of the potential binding sites (two chemically identical and crystallographically independent subunits have different binding sites). The arrangement of ligands and the structure of the nucleophile-binding site are discussed in relation to the mechanism of action of the enzyme and the nature of the metal activator.     

A note on the necessary conditions for the algebraic Riccati equation

We derive some useful and easily computable necessary conditionsfor the existence of a positive semi-definite solution to thealgebraic Ricatti equation (ARE). A motivating example is givento highlight the usefulness of the conditions for controllerand observer designs for nonlinear systems. Further, an upperbound on the trace of the solution to the ARE is also derived.     

Karhunen–Loeve representations of turbulent channel flows using the method of snapshots

For three‐dimensional flows with one inhomogeneous spatial coordinate and two periodic directions, the Karhunen–Loeve procedure is typically formulated as a spatial eigenvalue problem. This is normally referred to as the direct method (DM). Here we derive an equivalent formulation in which the eigenvalue problem is formulated in the temporal coordinate. It is shown that this so‐called method of snapshots (MOS) has some numerical advantages when compared to the DM. In particular, the MOS can be formulated purely as a matrix composed of scalars, thus avoiding the need to construct a matrix of matrices as in the DM. In addition, the MOS avoids the need for so‐called weight functions, which emerge in the DM as a result of the non‐uniform grid typically employed in the inhomogeneous direction. The avoidance of such weight functions, which may exhibit singular behaviour, guarantees satisfaction of the boundary conditions. The MOS is applied to data sets recently obtained from the direct simulation of turbulence in a channel in which viscoelasticity is imparted to the fluid using a Giesekus model. The analysis reveals a steep drop in the dimensionality of the turbulence as viscoelasticity is increased. This is consistent with the results that have been obtained with other viscoelastic models, thus revealing an essential generic feature of polymer‐induced drag reduced turbulent flows. Published in 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Superradiance of polaritons in finite one-dimensional crystals of increasing length: Passage from a dimer to an infinite crystal

Solutions of the dispersion equations for polariton states in finite one-dimensional crystals of arbitrary length are obtained. The appearance and evolution of the radiative and nonradiative polariton branches are traced as the length varies from two monomers to limiting values, above which the spectrum no longer undergoes significant changes. The dependences of the frequencies and radiative widths on the polariton wave vector are found for various orientations of the dipole moment of the quantum transition. The evolution of superradiance as the length of the crystal increases is traced. Some previously unknown significant features of the polariton spectrum are noted particularly the damping of the branch traditionally termed nonradiative as a consequence of emission from the end faces. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 2136–2140 (November 1998)