Recent changes in A-level Mathematics: is the availability and uptake of mechanics declining yet more?

In the past 6 years changes have occurred in GCE A-levels. Inparticular, there have been several major changes in A-levelMathematics courses. As engineering students are usually requiredto have studied A-level Mathematics, or its equivalent, thesechanges have had an effect on their prior mathematical knowledge.Moreover, engineering students traditionally obtained a goodgrounding in mechanics as part of their A-level Mathematicsqualification. However, mechanics, which was once included inthe core syllabus, is now optional. This article investigatesthe current availability and uptake of mechanics modules withinA-level Mathematics courses in schools. Comparisons are drawnbetween these results and results of a survey of schools in2004 and surveys of first year engineering students conductedin 2004 and 2005. It is found that there is a decline in theavailability of mechanics modules and the uptake of more thanone mechanics module has also decreased. The implications ofthese findings for engineering educators are discussed.     

Zinn und Antimon in Legierungen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Studies on calcium‐containing poly(urethane ether)s

The calcium salt of mono(hydroxyethoxyethyl)phthalate [Ca(HEEP)₂] was synthesized by the reaction of diethylene glycol, phthalic anhydride, and calcium acetate. Calcium‐containing poly(urethane ether)s (PUEs) were synthesized by the reaction of hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI) or tolylene 2,4‐diisocyanate (TDI) with a mixture of Ca(HEEP)₂ and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG₃₀₀ or PEG₄₀₀) with di‐n‐butyltin dilaurate as a catalyst. A series of calcium‐containing PUEs of different compositions were synthesized with Ca(HEEP)₂/PEG₃₀₀ (or PEG₄₀₀)/diisocyanate (HMDI or TDI) molar ratios of 2:2:4, 3:1:4, and 1:3:4 so that the coating properties of the PUEs could be studied. Blank PUEs without calcium‐containing ionic diols were also prepared by the reaction of PEG₃₀₀ or PEG₄₀₀ with HMDI or TDI. The PUEs were well characterized by Fourier transform infrared, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, solid‐state cross‐polarity/magic‐angle‐spinning ¹³C NMR, viscosity, solubility, and X‐ray diffraction studies. The thermal properties of the polymers were also studied with thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The PUEs were applied as top coats on acrylic‐coated leather, and their physicomechanical properties were also studied. The coating properties of PUEs, such as the tensile strength, elongation at break, tear strength, water vapor permeability, flexing endurance, cold crack resistance, abrasion resistance, color fastness, and adhesive strength, were better than the standard values. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2865–2878, 2003     

A Multisensor Deconvolution Problem

Meisters and Peterson gave an equivalent condition under which the multisensor deconvolution problem has a solution when there are two convolvers, each the characteristic function of an interval. In this article we find additional conditions under which the deconvolution problem for multiple characteristic functions is solvable. We extend the result to the space of Gevrey distributions and prove that every linear operator S, fromthe space of Gevrey functions with compact support onto itself, which commutes with translations can be represented as convolution with a unique Gevrey distribution T of compact support. Finally, we find explicit formula for deconvolvers when the convolvers satisfy weaker conditions than the equivalence conditions using nonperiodic sampling method.     

Determination of carbamazepine by chemiluminescence detection using chemically prepared tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(III) as oxidant.

A new chemiluminescence method for the determination of carbamazepine (CBZ) has been developed. The method is based on the chemiluminescence produced in the reaction of tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(III) and CBZ in an acidic medium. The chemiluminescence intensity was enhanced by organic solvents in the reaction system. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the calibration curve was linear over the range 4.0 x 10(-3)-8.6 x 10(-7) mol/L for CBZ. The detection limit (S/N = 3) was 2.5 x 10(-7) mol/L and the relative standard deviation of six replicate measurements was 2.6% for 4.0 x 10(-4) mol/L of CBZ. The possible reaction mechanism were also discussed. The chemiluminescence method was successfully applied to assay the CBZ contents in pharmaceutical tablets.     

A discontinuous Galerkin method for the Cahn-Hilliard equation

The Cahn-Hilliard equation is modeled to describe the dynamics of phase separation in glass and polymer systems. A priori error estimates for the Cahn-Hilliard equation have been studied by the authors. In order to control accuracy of approximate solutions, a posteriori error estimation of the Cahn-Hilliard equation is obtained by discontinuous Galerkin method.     

Ergodicity for the Dissipative Boussinesq Equations with Random Forcing

We study the stationary measure for the two-dimensional Boussinesq equation with random forcing. We prove the ergodicity for the two-dimensional stochastically forced Boussinesq equation. We also study the Galerkin truncations of the three-dimensional Boussinesq equations under degenerate stochastic forcing. We follow closely the previous results on the stochastically forced Navier–Stokes equations.     

Optical spectroscopy of single InAs/InP quantum dots around λ=1.55 μm

We discuss the preparation and spectroscopic characterisation of a single InAs/InP quantum dot suitable for long-distance quantum key distribution applications around λ=1.55 μm. The dot is prepared using a site-selective growth technique which allows a single dot to be deposited in isolation at a controlled spatial location. Micro-photoluminescence measurements as a function of exciton occupation are used to determine the electronic structure of the dot. Biexciton emission, shell filling and many-body re-normalization effects are observed for the first time in single InAs/InP quantum dots.