A multidisciplinary graduate level project-based programme in applied statistics

The use of a project-based approach for designing a one-year graduate level programme in applied statistics is addressed. The pedagogical approach, academic setting, and learning activities are described in a multidisciplinary context. Some comments on implementation of such a programme based on the results from five successive graduating classes at the University of Veracruz (1994–2000) are included.     

Potentiometric studies on the composition of cobalt ferrocyanide complex

Summary The formation and precipitation of cobaltferrocyanide has been studied by potentiometric titrations between cobalt nitrate and potassium ferrocyanide using ferricyanide-ferrocyanide electrode both by the direct and the inverse methods. The end point obtained from the maximum value of E/C corresponds to the formation of a compound having the composition 4Co₂Fe(CN)₂ · 3K₄Fe(CN)₆ with either of the substance used as the reagent. The titration curves have a regular shape, a sharp break in potential occurs at the end point and the results are accurate and reproducible. The effects of electrolytes and alcohol in varying concentrations on the end point as well as on the nature of the curves has been studied. In presence of 30% alcohol, the observed titre values closely approach the calculated points of equivalence required for the formation of the above compound.     

An efficient algorithm for the parallel solution of high-dimensional differential equations

The study of high-dimensional differential equations is challenging and difficult due to the analytical and computational intractability. Here, we improve the speed of waveform relaxation (WR), a method to simulate high-dimensional differential-algebraic equations. This new method termed adaptive waveform relaxation (AWR) is tested on a communication network example. Further, we propose different heuristics for computing graph partitions tailored to adaptive waveform relaxation. We find that AWR coupled with appropriate graph partitioning methods provides a speedup by a factor between 3 and 16.     

Remarkable enhancement in thermoelectric performance of BiCuSeO by Cu deficiencies

A significant enhancement of thermoelectric performance in layered oxyselenides BiCuSeO was achieved. The electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of BiCu(1-x)SeO (x = 0-0.1) indicate that the carriers were introduced in the (Cu(2)Se(2))(2-) layer by Cu deficiencies. The maximum of electrical conductivity is 3 × 10(3) S m(-1) for Bicu(0.975)Seo at 650 °C, much larger than 470 S m(-1) for pristine BiCuSeO. Featured with very low thermal conductivity (～0.5 W m(-1) K(-1)) and a large Seebeck coefficient (+273 μV K(-1)), ZT at 650 °C is significantly increased from 0.50 for pristine BiCuSeO to 0.81 for BiCu(0.975)SeO by introducing Cu deficiencies, which makes it a promising candidate for medium temperature thermoelectric applications.     

Effect of annealing temperature on photoelectrochemical properties of nanocrystalline MoBi2(Se0.5Te0.5)5 thin films

Nanocrystalline MoBi₂(Se_0.5Te_0.5)₅ thermoelectric thin films have been deposited on ultrasonically cleaned glass and FTO-coated glass substrates by Arrested Precipitation Technique. The change in properties of MoBi₂(Se_0.5Te_0.5)₅ thin films were examined after annealing at the temperature 473 K for 3 h. The structural, morphological, compositional and electrical properties of thin films were characterized by X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, etc. Thermoelectric properties of the thin films have been evaluated by measurements of electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient in the temperature range 300–500 K. Our aim is to investigate the effect of annealing on behaviour of MoBi₂(Se_0.5Te_0.5)₅ thin films along with photoelectrochemical properties.     

Potentiometric studies on bismuth ferrocyanide and the determination of bismuth

Summary The reaction between bismuth nitrate and ferrocyanides of alkali metals such as sodium, potassium, lithium and ammonium, has been studied potentiometrically using platinum as an indicator electrode in conjunction with a saturated calomel electrode through KNO₃ bridge. The equivalence point obtained from the maximum value of dE/dV corresponds to the formation and complete precipitation of a compound having molecular formula BiMFe(CN)₆, where M represents an alkali metal. The potentiometric curves are symmetrical on both sides of the end point and the results obtained are very accurate and reproducible. The method of potentiometric titrations, though simple, offers a rapid and accurate means for the determination of bismuth solutions at fairly low concentrations. The effect of addition of ethanol and electrolytes on the course of the reaction has been studied.     

Diffusion of palladium clusters on magnesium oxide

The diffusion of small palladium clusters on MgO(100) is theoretically investigated. It is found that small clusters can diffuse even faster than isolated adatoms by a variety of mechanisms (some of which are novel), such as dimer rotation, trimer walking, tetramer rolling, and sliding. The consequences of the diffusion of small clusters on the growth of Pd aggregates on MgO(100) are investigated, and it is shown that fast mobility of clusters larger than a single atom is essential to bring the theoretical results into agreement with the outcome of molecular beam epitaxy experiments.     

Ternary complexes of some phenoxyacetic acid herbicides and pyridines with metal ions of biological interest

Ternary complexes of Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) with pyridine (Py) or 2-methyl pyridine (2-MePy) (primary ligand) and some phenoxyacetic acid herbicides, such as phenoxyacetic acid (PAA), 2-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (2-CPA), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) (secondary ligands) have been studied in solution using a potentiometricpH-titration technique in order to test a complexation hypothesis of plant growth regulating activities of these herbicides. From stability constant data, the species distribution have been computed and it was found that the percentage of ternary complex (MAL) is about 60% of the totalM ²⁺ present at highpH indicating greater stability of these ternary complexes. TheMA ⁺ species (M ²⁺-Py andM ²⁺-2-MePy) have shown discriminating behaviour towards the next incoming secondary ligand containing O as donor atoms. Since the stabilities of biologically active (2-CPA, 2,4-D and2,4,5-T) and inactive (PAA) phenoxyacetic acid herbicides in binary (ML ₂) and ternary (MAL) metal complexes were found approximately of the same magnitude, chelation may not thus be the probable mode of action of these plant growth regulators.

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Ternäre Komplexe einiger Phenoxyessigsäure-Herbizide mit Pyridin und Metallionen von biologischer Bedeutung

Zusammenfassung Ternäre Komplexe von Co(II), Ni(II) und Cu(II) mit Pyridin (Py) oder 2-Methylpyridin (2-Me Py) als Primärliganden und einigen Herbiziden vom Phenoxyessigsäure-Typ [Phenoxyessigsäure (PAA), 2-Chlor-PAA (2-CPA), 2,4-Dichlor-PAA (2,4-D) und 2,4,5-Trichlor-PAA (2,4,5-T)] als Sekundärliganden wurden im Hinblick auf eine Komplexierungshypothese der pflanzenwuchssteuernden Wirkung dieser Herbizide mittels potentiometrischerpH-Titration untersucht. Aus den Stabilitätskonstanten wurden die Anteile der einzelnen Spezien in Lösung berechnet. Dabei wurden 60% an ternärem Komplex (MAL) — bezogen auf die totaleM ^2–-Menge — bei hohenpH-Werten festgestellt und damit die größere Stabilität dieser Komplexe gezeigt. DieMA ⁺-Spezies (M ²⁺-Py undM ²⁺-MePy) zeigte ein unterschiedliches Verhalten gegenüber dem nächsten chelierenden Liganden mit O als Donor. Da die Stabilitäten der biologisch aktiven (2-CPA, 2,4-D und2,4,5,-T) und inaktiven (PAA) Liganden in binären (ML ₂) und ternären (MAL) Metallkomplexen in der gleichen Größenordnung liegen, scheint die Komplexierung bei der Regulierung des Pflanzenwuchses bei diesen Herbiziden kein entscheidender Faktor zu sein.

     

UV-A fingerprint mutations in human skin cancer

This review of our work, presented at the Photocarcinogenesis Symposium of the 14th International Congress on Photobiology, shows that UV-A causes a similar number of gene mutations as UV-B in human skin cancer. Areas of about 20 keratinocytes from solar keratoses and squamous cell carcinomas, which are benign and malignant skin cancers, respectively, were sampled by laser capture microdissection. Automated sequencing of the p53 gene was used to detect mutations in these tumor areas, and the cause of the mutations was attributed on the basis of previously published studies. UV-A and UV-B caused similar numbers of p53 gene mutations in both benign and malignant human skin tumors, with UV-B-induced mutations being restricted to the upper areas of the tumors and UV-A-induced mutations predominating at the basal layer. Furthermore, each microdissected region within a tumor had distinct mutations showing that the skin tumors consisted of different clones of cells. This is not consistent with how human skin carcinogenesis is currently understood, and hypotheses to explain our data are presented. We propose that the UV-A waveband of sunlight is as important as UV-B in causing skin cancer in humans.