Comparison of different flow-through adsorptive stripping voltammetric methods for the determination of molybdenum(VI)

Four different complexing reagents namely chloranilic acid, oxine, tropolone, and cupferron were applied for AdSV determinations of molybdenum. The parameters for the determination using a flow-through cell with a hanging mercury drop (HMDE) as working electrode were examined systematically for all four systems and evaluated. Cyclic voltammograms were recorded to examine the electrode reaction, alternating current (AC) voltammetry was used to determine adsorption processes. The comparison includes sensitivity, detection limit, linear concentration range, the susceptibility to interference by organic compounds or foreign ions, and the applicability to sea and tap water samples. The interpretation of the electrode reaction mechanism for the reduction of the Mo cupferron complex published from Jiao et al. [10] was improved. Received: 12 February 1999 / Revised: 10 May 1999 / Accepted: 14 May 1999     

Transport properties of organic vapors in nanocomposites of isotactic polypropylene

Isotactic polypropylene nanocomposites were obtained by the melt blending of polypropylene‐graft‐maleic anhydride and organophilic layered silicate (OLS) consisting of synthetic fluorohectorite modified by cation exchange with protonated octadecylamine. The composition of the inorganic clay was varied between 2.5 and 10 wt %, and films of the composites were obtained via hot‐press molding. X‐ray analysis showed that nanocomposites in which silicate layers were either delaminated or ordered as in an intercalated structure were obtained. The elastic modulus of the samples was higher than that of the pure polymer over a wide temperature range and increased with increasing inorganic content. The transport properties, sorption and diffusion, were measured for two organic vapors, dichloromethane and n‐pentane. For both vapors, the sorption was not very different from that of the pure polymer, whereas the zero‐concentration diffusion parameter strongly decreased with increasing OLS content. Therefore, the permeability, that is, the product of sorption and diffusion, decreased for both vapors as a result of the decreased value of the diffusion parameter. The decrease was higher for the less interacting n‐pentane. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1798–1805, 2003     

Moment Problem and Spectral Theorem

Hausdorff momentum problem and its relations to spectral theorem for bounded Hilbert space operators are treated. A generalization for some ordered algebras is shown, where projections are replaced by idempotents.     

Symmetries on Partially Ordered Abelian Groups

Recently, Foulis (Foulis, D. J. (2003). Compressible groups, Mathematica Slovaca 53, 433–455.) characterized compressions on effect rings, which were introduced as a generalization of unital C*-algebras in the context of ordered abelian groups with order units. In the present paper, we characterize a class of symmetries on effect rings and show their relations to compressions. This characterization leads to a generalization of the notion of orthosymmetric orthoposets (Mayet, R., Pulmannová, S. (1994). Nearly orthosymmetric ortholattices and Hilbert spaces, Foundations of Physics 24, 1425–1437.) to symmetric ordered abelian groups with order units.     

Marfan syndrome in Europe

OBJECTIVES: Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a relatively frequent systemic connective tissue disorder with an important physical morbidity and mortality. The influences of MFS on physical problems, perception of severity, and impact on the quality of life and psychosocial well-being have been studied only limitedly. The aim of this study was to assess the association between the severity derived from the reported symptoms and subjectively experienced severity of MFS (expressed as a global judgment), with special emphasis regarding impact on relationships and pregnancies, psychosocial adjustment, and differences between the seven European countries. METHODS: A questionnaire designed specifically for this study and translated in each of the native languages was sent to 2,080 members of one of the patient support groups in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. 857 MFS patients of 13 years and older completed the questionnaire and were included in the data analysis. RESULTS: Physical impairments were scored by perception of severity of physical symptoms by the patients (physical severity perception score) and by their perception of the influence of MFS on their life (subjective severity score). Main discrepancy between physical severity perception and subjective severity score was the higher percentage of patients scoring in physical severity perception as severe (53.5%) compared to subjectively severe (26.5%). 61% of those who scored on the physical severity score as severely affected were designated as being mildly-moderately affected on subjective scoring. Both severity scores increased significantly with age. Two hundred-twenty women have carried 430 pregnancies (1.95 pregnancies/woman), with cardiovascular complications in 1.6%. Prenatal studies for MFS were rejected by 7.6% of MFS patients of 25 years and older, 33.6% were undecided, and 48.5% favored prenatal diagnosis for MFS if available. A positive general self-image was reported by 91.5% of patients. However, more than 90% stated that MFS had a negative influence on their sexual relationships, which they ascribed to negative perception of their body image. CONCLUSIONS: MFS has significant impact on daily life activities, but the majority of patients come to terms with their condition. Acceptance is mainly determined by subjective severity, and less by physical symptoms as reported by the patients themselves. It is important to stimulate a positive attitude towards MFS.     

Sensitivity Analysis of the Design Parameters for the Calibration of Cable-driven Parallel Robots

Uncertainties in the kinematic parameters like the pulley positions take a major influence onto the force capability of a cable-driven parallel robot. For that purpose this paper describes a calibration method to estimate exactly the underlying kinematic parameters. As the kinematic is influenced by a variety of different parameter, the calibration can be very complex and time consuming. In this approach, a sensitivity analysis of a cable-driven parallel robot is presented to simplify and enhance the calibration. The results are discussed and the further steps are introduced. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Divergent reaction pathways of a cationic intermediate: rearrangement and cyclization of 2-substituted furyl and benzofuryl enones catalyzed by iridium(III)

In contrast to 2-substituted pyrrole enones, furyl and benzofuryl enones do not undergo the Nazarov electrocyclization. Instead, these furyl and benzofuryl enones exhibit unusual rearrangement sequences in the presence of catalytic amounts of [IrBr(CO)(DIM)((R)-(+)-BINAP)](SbF(6))(2) (1; DIM = diethylisopropylidene malonate) and AgSbF(6) (1:1). A 1,2-H shift followed by intramolecular Friedel-Crafts alkylation leads to synthetically valuable cyclohexanones with furanylic quaternary centers. The electrophilicity of 1 is essential for this rearrangement.     

Polytypism in the lithium-aluminum layered double hydroxides: the [LiAl2(OH)6]+ layer as a structural synthon

The [LiAl(2)(OH)(6)](+) layer obtained from gibbsite-Al(OH)(3) belongs to the layer group symmetry P-312/m. This layer satisfies the defining characteristics of a synthon in that it predicts all the polymorphic modifications of the layered double hydroxides of Li and Al. The various possible ways of stacking these layers can be derived by the systematic elimination of the principal symmetry elements comprising the layer group. This approach yields the complete universe of possible structures. When the 3 axis of the layer is conserved in the stacking, the resultant crystal adopts the structure of the 1H, 2H, or 3R polytypes (H, hexagonal; R, rhombohedral). When the 3 axis is destroyed and the 2/m axis is retained, the crystal adopts monoclinic symmetry and crystallizes in the structures of the 1M(1) or 1M(2) (M, monoclinic) polytypes; the two polytypes differ only in their translational component. Experimentally, gibbsite-based precursors yield the 2H polytype, and bayerite-based precursors yield the 1M polytype. Faulted structures incorporating differently oriented 1M(1) motifs or a mixture of 1M(1) and 1M(2) motifs are also obtained. These stacking faults result in cation disorder along the c axis and produce signature effects on the line shapes of select reflections in the powder X-ray diffraction patterns. This symmetry-guided approach is general and can be extended to other classes of layered solids.