Two-point AG codes from the Beelen-Montanucci maximal curve

In this paper we investigate two-point algebraic-geometry codes (AG codes) coming from the Beelen-Montanucci (BM) maximal curve. We study properties of certain two-point Weierstrass semigroups of the curve and use them for determining a lower bound on the minimum distance of such codes. AG codes with better parameters with respect to comparable two-point codes from the Garcia-Güneri-Stichtenoth (GGS) curve are discovered.     

Phase separation of symmetrical polymer mixtures in thin-film geometry

Monte Carlo simulations of the bond fluctuation model of symmetrical polymer blends confined between two neutral repulsive walls are presented for chain lengthN _A=N _B=32 and a wide range of film thicknessD (fromD=8 toD=48 in units of the lattice spacing). The critical temperaturesT _c (D) of unmixing are located by finite-size scaling methods, and it is shown that , wherev ₃0.63 is the correlation length exponent of the three-dimensional Ising model universality class. Contrary to this result, it is argued that the critical behavior of the films is ruled by two-dimensional exponents, e.g., the coexistence curve (difference in volume fraction of A-rich and A-poor phases) scales as , where ₂ is the critical exponent of the two-dimensional Ising universality class ( ₂=1/8). Since for largeD this asymptotic critical behavior is confined to an extremely narrow vicinity ofT _c (D), one observes in practice effective exponents which gradually cross over from ₂ to ₃ with increasing film thickness. This anomalous flattening of the coexistence curve should be observable experimentally.     

RECENT PROGRESS OF NANO-MECHANICAL MAPPING

 Nano-mechanical mapping by atomic force microscopy has been developed as an useful application to measure mechanical properties of soft materials at nanometer scale. To date, the Hertzian theory was used for analyzing force-distance curves as the simplest model among several contact mechanics between elastic bodies. However, the preexisting methods based on this theory do not consider the adhesive interaction in principle, which cannot be neglected in the ambient condition. A new analytical method was introduced to estimate the elasticity and the adhesive energy simultaneously by means of the JKR theory, describing adhesive contact between elastic materials. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and isobutylene-co-isoprene rubber (IIR) were analyzed to verify the applicable limit of the JKR analysis. For elastic samples such as PDMS, the force-deformation plots obtained experimentally were consistent with JKR theoretical curves. Meanwhile, for viscoelastic samples, especially for IIR, the experimental plots revealed large deviations from JKR curves depending on scanning velocity and maximum loading force. Some nano-rheological arguments were employed based on the difference between these specimens.     

THE COMPARISON OF LANZHOU LOESS PROFILE WITH VOSTOK ICE CORE IN ANTARCTICA OVER THE LAST GLACIATION CYCLE

Loess near Lanzhou in the late Pleistocene is very sensitive to climatic fluctuations. The Beiyuan terrace profile in Linxia City, of which the curve of susceptibility tallies with the trend of isotopic curves of Vostok 2083 m ice core in Antarctica, is 35m thick. There are five layers of paleosols under Malan loess(L_1). Upper three layers (S_(1-a),S(1-b)and S_(1-c) correspond to three warm stages in last interglaciation, Interstadial of Last Glacial (C stage in Antarctic ice core)was clearly recorded in the Beiyuan profile, in which three layers of paleosols and two of loess were formed. The lowest section of the profile belongs to penultimate glaciation, in which fossils of cold-drought-resistant mammal and mollusc have been discovered.     

MoO_3、NiO、ZnO在小表面金红石上的分散行为

氧化物、盐类在氧化物载体表面的自发分散是一种广泛存在的现象，文献中已报导过大量氧化物和盐类在高比表面载体上分散的研究结果［'－3］TIO。作为一种较新型的载体，与Y－AI。O。、硅胶等传统载体相比，有许多不同特性．活性组分在TIO。表面的分散状态及所得催化剂的性能已有不少报导［'－'］，但所用的TIOZ主要是较高比表面的锐钛矿型TIOZ（刘金红石型TIO。（r）和锐钛矿型TIOZ（a）的结构不同，它是高温生成相，比表面较小［'］．氧化物在金红石上的分散行为仍未见报导．我们制备了三种具有不同比表面的TIO水），系统地研…     

MoO＿3／（TiO＿2－SiO＿2）催化剂的表面分散状态及催化性能的研究

用气相流动吸附法（ｇｒａｆｔｉｎｇ）制备复合载体，用浸渍法（ｉｍｐｒｅｇｎａｔｉｏｎ）制备ＭｏＯ３／（ＴｉＯ２－ＳｉＯ２）催化剂．应用ＬＲＳ和ＴＰＲ技术研究ＭｏＯ３在复合载体ＴｉＯ２－ＳｉＯ２表面的分散状态，发现ＴｉＯ２在ＳｉＯ２表面的分散可增强ＭｏＯ３与载体之间的相互作用，提高ＭｏＯ３在载体表面的分散阈值．催化剂的活性评价在固定床中压反应装置中进行，以６９％（ｗｔ）环己烷、２０％（ｗｔ）的环己烯、１０％（ｗｔ）的苯、１％（ｗｔ）的噻吩混合液为反应液，以噻吩、环己烯和苯的转化率作为催化剂的ＨＤＳ、ＨＹＤ、ＢＨＤ活性指标．结果表明，经ＴｉＯ２调变后，其ＨＤＳ、ＨＹＤ、ＢＨＤ活性都较原来高，对于不同ＭｏＯ３含量的ＭｏＯ３／（ＴｉＯ２－ＳｉＯ２），ＨＤＳ、ＨＹＤ催化性能测试发现，当ＭｏＯ３含量低于分散阈值时，其ＨＤＳ、ＨＹＤ活性随ＭｏＯ３含量线性上升，但在高于分散阈值后，几乎保持不变．该催化剂对苯几乎没有加氢活性，显示出很高的环己烯加氢选择性．通过分散阈值与其ＨＤＳ、ＨＹＤ活性的关系可知，分散阈值可作为优化加氢精制催化剂配比的一个重要参数，具有较强的实际意义     

Synthesis of poly(styrene-co-3-trimethoxysilyl propyl methacrylate) microspheres coated with polysiloxane layer

A procedure has been developed to coat micron-sized poly(styrene-co-3-trimethoxysilyl propyl methacrylate) microspheres with a smooth layer of polysiloxane by the hydrolysis and condensation of methyl trimethoxylsilane (MTMS). Firstly, polystyrene microspheres containing silanol groups were prepared by conventional dispersion polymerization using 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (MPS) as a functional comonomer in an ethanol/water medium. Secondly, the synthesis of the polysiloxane shell was carried out using a sol–gel process of MTMS. The thickness of the shells can be easily varied with different copolymer seeds and MTMS feed ratio. When we used copolymer particles with 2.00 μm diameter as seeds, the thickness of the polysiloxane shells can be varied from 0.10 to 0.18 μm. The core/shell structure of the composite microspheres was characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM).     

Approximation of titration curves and other sigmoidal functions by proportionally spaced cubic B-splines

Proportionally spaced cubicB-splines are an appropriate function system for the approximation of titration curves and other sigmoidal functions. They give a smooth weighted leastsquares fit without instability problems. The degree of smoothing depends only on the number of spline function which can be chosen by the user. The equivalence points of titration curves can be estimated with high accuracy from the zeros of the second derivative.The method gives good approximation curves even in the case of empty data regions, i. e. there are no artefacts in subranges where no data points exist. The routine has been tested successfully with large series of simulated and experimental data.     

Differences in the electrorheological response of a particle suspension under direct current and alternating current electric fields

We have observed an unusual reduction of shear stress with increasing shear rate under direct current electric fields, for an electrorheological fluid composed of sulfonated poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) particles dispersed in silicone oil. At all shear rates, the shear stress under the electric field is larger than that in the absence of the field, indicating that there is still some field-induced agglomeration of the particles. In contrast, the behavior under alternating current electric fields is the Bingham-fluid-type response commonly observed with electrorheological fluids. It is suggested that the conventional dipole–dipole interaction approach based on simplified microstructural models would be unable to explain these phenomena. Received: 27 November 2000 Accepted: 22 May 2001