Monitoring trace anion contamination in disk drive components

Ion chromatography was used to determine trace anionic contamination on the surface of hard disk drive components. These contaminants can have a detrimental effect on device reliability and yield. Disk drive components were soaked in deionized water and these extracts were analyzed for anions. The anions fluoride, acetate, formate, acrylate, methacrylate, chloride, nitrite, bromide, nitrate, benzoate, sulfate, oxalate, phthalate and phosphate were separated on a high-performance anion-exchange column and determined at concentrations less than 1 microg/l with suppressed conductivity detection. The extract solutions were analyzed either by injecting 1 ml or by preconcentrating 5 ml. We evaluated the performance of both methods.     

Selberg's inequality in arithmetic progressions. II

We obtain an elementary derivation for Selberg's formula related to the function ψ _{r, k} ^* (x; q, ?) for allr, k positive integers.     

Inclusion-exclusion: Exact and approximate

It is often required to find the probability of the union of givenn eventsA ₁ ,...,A _n . The answer is provided, of course, by the inclusion-exclusion formula: Pr(A _i )= _i – _i<j Pr(A _i A _j )±.... Unfortunately, this formula has exponentially many terms, and only rarely does one manage to carry out the exact calculation. From a computational point of view, finding the probability of the union is an intractable, #P-hard problem, even in very restricted cases. This state of affairs makes it reasonable to seek approximate solutions that are computationally feasible. Attempts to find such approximate solutions have a long history starting already with Boole [1]. A recent step in this direction was taken by Linial and Nisan [4] who sought approximations to the probability of the union, given the probabilities of allj-wise intersections of the events forj=1,...k. The developed a method to approximate Pr(A _i ), from the above data with an additive error of exp . In the present article we develop an expression that can be computed in polynomial time, that, given the sums _|S|=j Pr( _iS A _i ) forj=1,...k, approximates Pr(A _i ) with an additive error of exp . This error is optimal, up to the logarithmic factor implicit in the notation.The problem of enumerating satisfying assignments of a boolean formula in DNF formF=v _l ^m C _i is an instance of the general problem that had been extensively studied [7]. HereA _i is the set of assignments that satisfyC _i , and Pr( _iS A _i )=a _S /2ⁿ where _iS C _i is satisfied bya _S assignments. Judging from the general results, it is hard to expect a decent approximation ofF's number of satisfying assignments, without knowledge of the numbersa _S for, say, all cardinalities . Quite surprisingly, already the numbersa _S over |S|log(n+1)uniquely determine the number of satisfying assignments for F.We point out a connection between our work and the edge-reconstruction conjecture. Finally we discuss other special instances of the problem, e.g., computing permanents of 0,1 matrices, evaluating chromatic polynomials of graphs and for families of events whose VC dimension is bounded.Work supported in part by a grant of the Binational Israel-US Science Foundation.Work supported in part by a grant of the Binational Israel-US Science Foundation and by the Israel Science Foundation.     

Potassium analysis by beta counting using a Geiger-Müller system

A technique for quantitative analysis of different soils, ceramics, feldspars and natural halide samples is presented, based on the measurement of -activities using a Geiger-Müller system. The system was calibrated with KCl, KC₈H₅O₄, KNO₃ and K₂SO₄ standards and a potassium content of 1% yields a net -count rate (background subtracted) of about 55 cph. Precision values of less than ±0.4% K can be achieved in counting times of about 4 hours. The results agree with those obtained by means of other more common analytical methods such as flame photometry, atomic absorption and -spectrometry. In comparison with these methods, this approach is direct, precise and non-destructive, because the samples do not require prior treatment.     

Unusually high phosphodiesterolytic activity of La(III) hydroxide complexes stabilized by glycine derivatives

Glycine and N,N-dimethylglycine stabilize La(III) hydroxide complexes of the type La2L2(OH)4 which possess phosphodiesterolytic activity close to that observed with most active tetravalent cations like Ce(IV).     

Epicardial development in the rat: a new perspective.

Development of the epicardium is critical to proper heart formation. It provides all of the precursor cells that form the coronary system and supplies signals that stimulate cardiac myocyte proliferation. The epicardium forms from mesothelial cells associated with the septum transversum and is referred to as the proepicardium (PE). Two different methods by which these PE cells colonize the developing heart have been described. In avians, PE cells form a bridge to the heart over which PE cells migrate onto the heart. In fish and mammals, PE cells form vesicles of cells that detach from the mesothelium, float through the pericardial cavity, and attach to the heart. A previous study of rat PE development investigated this process at the histological level. Protein markers have been developed since this study. Thus, we investigated this important developmental process coupled with these new markers using other visualization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal microscopy. Finally, a novel, three-dimensional (3-D) culture system was used to confirm the identity of the PE cells. In this study, we found convincing evidence that the rat PE cells directly attach to the heart in a manner similar to that observed in avians.     

Reference materials for marine science

Summary The second edition of the catalog of reference materials suited for use in marine science, originally compiled in 1986 for NOAA, IOC and UNEP, has been recently completed. The catalog lists more than 900 reference materials from thirteen producers and contains information about their proper use, sources, availability, and analyte concentrations. The reference material matrices include ashes, airborne particulate matter, gases, oils, rocks and sediments, sludges, tissues and waters. Reference materials used for the evaluation of instruments and the determination of sample physical properties are also included. Indices are available for elements, isotopes and organic compounds, as are cross references to CAS registry numbers, and alternate names and chemical structures of selected organic compounds.     

Trends in metal-biradical exchange interaction for first-row M(II)(nitronyl nitroxide-semiquinone) complexes

We report molecular structures and temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility data for several new metal complexes of heterospin triplet ground-state biradical ligands. The ligands are comprised of both nitronyl-nitroxide (NN) and semiquinone (SQ) spin carriers. Five compounds are five-coordinate M(II) complexes (M = Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn), and one is a six-coordinate Ni(II) complex. Five compounds were structurally characterized. During copper complex formation a reaction with methanol occurs to form a unique methoxy-substituted SQ ring. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility studies are consistent with strong intraligand (NN-SQ and NN-PhSQ) ferromagnetic exchange coupling. For the five-coordinate Mn, Co, and Ni complexes, the S = 1 ligand is antiferromagnetically coupled to the metal. For both the five-coordinate Cu complex and the six-coordinate Ni complex, the ligand is ferromagnetically coupled to the metal spins in accordance with orbital symmetry arguments. Despite the low molecular symmetries, the predicted trend in metal-ligand exchange interactions is supported by spin dimer analysis based on extended Hückel calculations. For (NN-SQ)NiTp(Cum,Me)() (Tp(Cum,Me)() = hydro-tris(3-cumenyl-5-methylpyrazolyl)borate), an antisymmetric exchange term was required for the best fit of the magnetic susceptibility data. Antisymmetric exchange was less important for the other complexes due to inherently smaller Deltag. Finally, it is shown that intraligand exchange coupling is of paramount importance in stabilizing high-spin states of mixed metal-biradical complexes.     

Intermolecular interactions in pi-stacked conjugated molecules. Synthesis,structure, and spectral characterization of alkyl bithiazole oligomers

Syntheses are reported of new 4,4'-dialkyl-2,2'-bithiazole oligomers that have alkenoxy side chains that are capable of easy conversion to oligomers with functionalized side chains, e.g., terminally substituted hydroxy chains. The crystal structures of two representative oligomers (4,4',4' ',4' "-tetra-(2-propenoxymethyl)-2,2',5',5' ',2' ',2' "-quaterthiazole (3P2) and 4,4',4' ',4' "-tetra-(3-hydroxypropyloxymethyl)-2,2',5',5' ',2' ',2' "-quaterthiazole (3H2)) were determined; 3P2 crystallizes in a pi-stacked motif with two molecules per unit cell, whereas 3H2 forms pi-stacks that are linked with hydrogen bonds to form infinite two-dimensional sheets with one molecule per unit cell. A comparison of the UV-vis spectra of the compounds in solution and in the solid state provides unequivocal evidence for the presence of a Davydov splitting, W(D) approximately 0.2 eV, in solid 3P2. The spectra are interpreted in the framework of molecular exciton theory to extract a value of the intermolecular transfer integral, J approximately 0.2 eV, for a total exciton bandwidth of ca. 0.8 eV. Monte Carlo calculations were used to determine the density of states of the exciton band and the absorption and emission line shapes of the 0 <-- 0 transition. It is suggested that the "three-humped" absorption profile typical of partially crystalline, regioregular polymers is the "optical signature" of pi-stacking.