Reverse micellar synthesis and properties of nanocrystalline GMR materials (LaMnO3, La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 and La0.67Ca0.33MnO3): Ramifications of size considerations

Nanoparticles of complex manganites (viz. LaMnO₃, La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ and La_0.67Ca{0.33}MnO₃) have been synthesized using the reverse micellar route. These manganites are prepared at 800‡C and the monophasic nature of all the oxides has been established by powder X-ray diffraction studies. TEM studies show an average grain size of 68, 80 and 50 nm for LaMnO₃, La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ and La_0.67Ca{0.33}MnO₃respectively. Ferromagnetic ordering is observed at around 250 K for LaMnO₃, 350 K for La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ and 200 K for La_0.67Ca{0.33}MnO₃. These Curie temperatures correspond well with those reported for bulk materials with similar composition.     

Heat Kernel Asymptotics of Zaremba Boundary Value Problem

The Zaremba boundary-value problem is a boundary value problem for Laplace-type second-order partial differential operators acting on smooth sections of a vector bundle over a smooth compact Riemannian manifold with smooth boundary but with discontinuous boundary conditions, which include Dirichlet boundary conditions on one part of the boundary and Neumann boundary conditions on another part of the boundary. We study the heat kernel asymptotics of Zaremba boundary value problem. The construction of the asymptotic solution of the heat equation is described in detail and the heat kernel is computed explicitly in the leading approximation. Some of the first nontrivial coefficients of the heat kernel asymptotic expansion are computed explicitly. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The synthesis mechanism of Ca3Al2O6 from soft mechanochemically activated precursors studied by time-resolved neutron diffraction up to 1000°C

The reaction pathway for the Ca₃Al₂O₆ formation up to 1300°C, from mechanochemically treated mixtures of amorphous aluminum hydroxide and CaCO₃, was studied in situ by differential thermal analysis, constant heating rate dilatometry and time-resolved neutron powder diffraction. The experiment was carried out, in an open system, on a sample with the nominal Ca₃Al₂O₆ stoichiometry. The results obtained by neutron diffractometry and thermal analysis were in good agreement with the data obtained by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction on heat-treated and-quenched samples. The synthesis path implied the formation of cryptocrystalline Al₂O₃, crystalline CaO, CaAl₂O₄ and Ca₁₂Al₁₄O₃₃ as transitory phases. Finally the nucleation and growth of the single phase Ca₃Al₂O₆ took place at 1300°C and exhibited porous structure due to CO₂ and H₂O release.     

Tail probabilities of the limiting null distributions of the Anderson–Stephens statistics

For the purpose of testing the spherical uniformity based on i.i.d. directional data (unit vectors) z_i, i=1,…,n, Anderson and Stephens (Biometrika 59 (1972) 613–621) proposed testing procedures based on the statistics S_max=max_u S(u) and S_min=min_u S(u), where u is a unit vector and nS(u) is the sum of squares of u′z_i's. In this paper, we also consider another test statistic S_range=S_max−S_min. We provide formulas for the P-values of S_max, S_min, S_range by approximating tail probabilities of the limiting null distributions by means of the tube method, an integral-geometric approach for evaluating tail probability of the maximum of a Gaussian random field. Monte Carlo simulations for examining the accuracy of the approximation and for the power comparison of the statistics are given.     

A Representation of a Family of Secret Sharing Matroids

Deciding whether a matroid is secret sharing or not is a well-known open problem. In Ng and Walker [6] it was shown that a matroid decomposes into uniform matroids under strong connectivity. The question then becomes as follows: when is a matroid m with N uniform components secret sharing? When N = 1, m corresponds to a uniform matroid and hence is secret sharing. In this paper we show, by constructing a representation using projective geometry, that all connected matroids with two uniform components are secret sharing     

Synthesis of endogenous sperm-activating and attracting factor isolated from ascidian Ciona intestinalis

A chemoattractant candidate named sperm-activating and attracting factor (SAAF) from the eggs of ascidian Ciona intestinalis, was synthesized from chenodeoxycholic acid in 16 steps. The present synthesis led to the unambiguous structure determination of SAAF to be (3R,4R,7R,25S)-3,4,7,26-tetrahydroxycholestane-3,26-disulfate. The synthetic pure specimen was also used to confirm the dual sperm-activating and attracting activity.     

The Ends of Manifolds with Bounded Geometry, Linear Growth and Finite Filling Area

We prove that simply connected open manifolds of bounded geometry, linear growth and sublinear filling growth (e.g. finite filling area) are simply connected at infinity.     

Reagent concentration effects in the REM resin solid phase synthesis of tertiary amines

The use of reagent concentration has resulted in increased rates for all stages of the REM resin synthesis of tertiary amines. These increases in rate translate into faster reaction times, higher yields and lower reagent consumption. Of the methods examined, the most successful was the use of perfluorous solvents, either alone or with a small amount of organic co-solvent.     

CO_2 Reforming of CH_4 over Ni/CeO_2-ZrO_2-Al_2O_3 Prepared by Hydrothermal Synthesis Method

The Ni/CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 catalyst with different Al2O3 and NiO contents were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis method. The catalytic performance for CO2 reforming of CH4 reaction, the interaction among components and the relation between Ni content and catalyst surface basicity were investigated. Results show that the interaction between NiO and Al2O3 is stronger than that between NiO and CeO2-ZrO2.The addition of Al2O3 can prevent the formation of large metallic Ni ensembles, increase the dispersion of Ni, and improve catalytic activity, but excess Al2O3 causes the catalyst to deactivate easily. The interaction between NiO and CeO2 results in more facile reduction of surface CeO2. The existence of a small amount of metallic Ni can increase the number of basic sites. As metallic Ni may preferentially reside on the strong basic sites, increasing Ni content can weaken the catalyst basicity.