On non-standard algebras and their representations

To Professor Guillermo Torres on the occasion of his 70^th birthday.     

Solving a multiobjective location routing problem with a metaheuristic based on tabu search. Application to a real case in Andalusia

In this work we present a multiobjective location routing problem and solve it with a multiobjective metaheuristic procedure. In this type of problem, we have to locate some plants within a set of possible locations to meet the demands of a number of clients with multiple objectives. This type of model is used to solve a problem with real data in the region of Andalusia (Spain). Thus, we study the location of two incineration plants for the disposal of solid animal waste from some preestablished locations in Andalusia, and design the routes to serve the different slaughterhouses in this region. This must be done while taking into account certain economic objectives (start-up, maintenance, and transport costs) and social objectives (social rejection by towns on the truck routes, maximum risk as an equity criterion, and the negative implications for towns close to the plant).     

In‐situ synthesis of transparent and conductive carbon nanotube networks

A method for the production of transparent carbon nanotube networks (CNTNs) over transparent substrates was developed. In this method, CNTNs were grown directly in the target surface by applying the catalyst in specific zones of the substrate through lithographic techniques. The networks can be also transferred from the original substrate to other surfaces. The newly grown carbon nanotubes have a very high aspect ratio (>50000). Thus far, networks with an optical transmittance of 94% at 550 nm and a surface resistivity of 3.6 kΩ/sq have been produced. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Magnetic calorimeter for registration of small energy release

A scheme of magnetic calorimeter for registration of rare events characterized by small energy release (cosmic rays, WIMPs, solitary X-ray quanta) is proposed. The calorimeter is brought to operation by adiabatic demagnetization, and its magnetic response is measured by a quantum interferometer (SQUID, A. Barone and G. Paterno, Physics and applications of Josephson Effect). Special consideration is given to the specific features of calorimeter operation in the ferromagnetic transition region. The trigger registration of ultrasmall energy release by a ferromagnetic system in the metastable state is described.     

Orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle and their derivatives

We characterize the sequences of orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle whose derivatives are also orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle. Some relations for the sequences of derivatives of orthogonal polynomials are provided. Finally, we pose some problems about orthogonality-preserving maps and differential equations for orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle.     

Inequalities for a unified family of Voigt functions in several variables

The classical Voigt functions occur frequently in a wide variety of problems in astrophysical spectroscopy, emission, absorption and transfer of radiation in heated atmosphere, and plasma dispersion, and indeed also in the theory of neutron reactions. Here, in the present paper, by applying several known upper bounds for the first-kind Bessel function J _ν (x) given recently by (for example) Landau, Olenko and Krasikov, sharp bounding inequalities are obtained for the unified multivariable Voigt function V _μ,ν (x; y) in terms of the confluent Fox-Wright function ₁ψ₀ and its incomplete variant ₁ψ₀. Connections of the unified multivariable Voigt function V _μ,ν (x; y) with other unifications and generalizations of the classical Voigt function are also briefly pointed out.     

Lagrangian Duality in Set-Valued Optimization

In this paper, we study optimization problems where the objective function and the binding constraints are set-valued maps and the solutions are defined by means of set-relations among all the images sets (Kuroiwa, D. in Takahashi, W., Tanaka, T. (eds.) Nonlinear analysis and convex analysis, pp. 221–228, 1999). We introduce a new dual problem, establish some duality theorems and obtain a Lagrangian multiplier rule of nonlinear type under convexity assumptions. A necessary condition and a sufficient condition for the existence of saddle points are given. The authors thank the two referees for valuable comments and suggestions on early versions of the paper. The research of the first author was partially supported by Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Spain) Project MTM2006-02629 and by Junta de Castilla y León (Spain) Project VA027B06.     

Development of a universal constant rate thermal analysis system for being used with any thermoanalytical instrument

The SCTA method implies to control the temperature in such a way that the reaction rate changes with the time according to a function previously defined by the user. Constant Rate Thermal Analysis (CRTA) is one of the most commonly used SCTA methods and implies achieving a temperature profile at which the reaction rate remains constant all over the process at a value previously selected by the user. This method permits to minimize the influence of heat and mass transfer phenomena on the forward reaction. The scope of this work is to develop a universal CRTA temperature controller that could be adapted to any thermoanalytical device. The thermoanalytical signal is programmed to follow a preset linear trend by means of a conventional controller that at the time controls a second conventional temperature programmer that forces the temperature to change for achieving the trend programmed for the thermoanalytical signal. Examples of the performance of this control system with a Thermobalance and a Thermomechanical Analyser (TMA) are given.