Stochastic resonance in perspective

Summary We outline the historical development of stochastic resonance (SR), a phenomenon in which the signal and/or the signal-to-noise ratio in a nonlinear system increase with increasing intensity of noise. We discuss basic theoretical ideas explaining and describing SR, and we review some revealing experimental data that place SR within the wider context of statistical physics. We emphasize the close relationship of SR to some effects that are well known in condensed-matter physics. Paper presented at the International Workshop ?Fluctuations in Physics and Biology: Stochastic Resonance, Signal Processing and Related Phenomena?, Elba, 5–10 June 1994.     

Approximation of a laminated microstructure for a rotationally invariant,double well energy density

Summary. We give error estimates for the approximation of a laminated microstructure which minimizes the energy for a rotationally invariant, double well energy density . We present error estimates for the convergence of the deformation in the convergence of directional derivatives of the deformation in the “twin planes,” the weak convergence of the deformation gradient, the convergence of the microstructure (or Young measure) of the deformation gradients, and the convergence of nonlinear integrals of the deformation gradient. Received July 25, 1995 / Revised version received November 20, 1995     

Behavior of zirconium in the ZrOW(100) system at high temperature, studied by ISS, AES and work-function measurements

The behavior of zirconium atoms at the W(100) surface associated with oxygen adsorption at different sample temperatures has been studied by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS), and the relative change of the work function (Δф) measured by the onset of the secondary electron energy distribution. The results have revealed: (i) adsorption of zirconium onto the W(100) surface followed by the elevation of the sample temperature up to 1710 K in an oxygen partial pressure of 2.7 × 10⁻⁴ induces complete diffusion of zirconium atoms into the W(100) substrate; (ii) further exposure of oxygen induces co-existence of oxygen and tungsten on the surface at 1710 K, resulting in a work function of 4.37 eV; (iii) keeping the sample temperature at 1710 K, simple evacuation of the system has resulted in surface segregation of zirconium atoms to the surface to form a zirconium atomic layer on the top-most surface, reducing the work function to 2.7 eV. The results have revealed that this specific behavior of zirconium atoms at high temperature assures, with very good reproducibility, the highly stable performance and long service life of Zr---O/W(100)-emitters in practical use, even in a low vacuum of 10⁻⁶ Pa.     

Breakage of λ-DNA by inorganic tin and organotin compounds as environmental pollutants

In proportion to the environmental pollution problems caused by organotin compounds, the genotoxicities of tin compounds in the environments have become of interest so as to estimate their safety in recent years. In this work, isolated λ-DNA (double-strand DNA) was incubated with inorganic tin(II) and tin(IV) and five organotin compounds [n-butyltin trichloride, di(n-butyltin) dichloride, methyltin trichloride, dimethyltin dichloride and trimethyltin chloride] in reaction systems both with and without hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content. The tin compounds tested in this study did not induce DNA breakage in the absence of hydrogen peroxide. Divalent inorganic tin (SnCl₂) and tetravalent inorganic tin (SnCl₄) caused DNA breakage in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (10 mM), and the DNA damage activity of inorganic tin was much more potent in divalent inorganic tin (SnCl₂) than in tetravalent inorganic tin (SnCl₄). Divalent inorganic tin (SnCl₂) induced DNA breakage in a concentration-dependent fashion at concentrations greater than 0.1 mM of SnCl₂ in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (10 mM). DNA breakage was not caused by n-butyltin compounds and methyltin compounds either in the presence or in the absence of hydrogen peroxide.     

Pattern forming precipitation in gels due to coupling of chemical reactions with diffusion

Precipitate-forming chemical reactions have been studied in chemically cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) gel medium. One of the reactive components was incorporated into the gel, the other was allowed to diffuse into it. Depending on the experimental conditions the reaction-diffusion process often results in patterns of different type. Experiments performed in tubes and in thin layers were carried out in order to investigate the effects of various factors (cross-linking density, swelling degree as well as the concentrations of the outer and inner electrolytes) on the morphologies of the precipitate patterns. It was found that precipitation occurs not only in the Liesegang bands, but also between bands. Beside Liesegang-type structures, tree-like patterns have been observed, showing a characteristic periodicity in the density profile obtained by digitalized image analyses.     

双（十二烷基亚磺酰）乙烷溶剂萃取钯及其机理的研究

本文研究用双（十二烷基亚磺酰）乙烷萃取钯的性能，在ＫＩ存在下从７ｍｏｌ／Ｌ盐酸介质中用含有ＢＤＳＥ的氯仿能定量萃取钯，有机的钯可被硫脲或氨溶液反萃继之用ＴＭＫ－ＴｒｉｔｏｎＸ－１００光度法测定，研究了萃取的最佳条件及干扰情况，斜率法测得萃合物组成为Ｐｄ：Ｉ：ＢＤＳＥ＝１：２：１，红外光谱证实萃合物中ＢＤＳＥ的二个亚砜以硫原子与钯配位，萃合物为异位体络合物，提出了选择性萃取分离钯的新方法。     

Discontinuous Galerkin method with a posterioriL_p(0,t_i) error estimate for second-kind Volterra problems

Summary. We consider a discontinuous Galerkin finite element method applied in time to a model Volterra equation of the second kind. A residual-based computable Galerkin-error estimate is derived for . This estimate does not explicitly contain the time step and therefore the time step control must be based on a heuristic criterion, the estimate can then be used to demonstrate the integrity, or otherwise, of the finite element solution. After performing some numerical experiments we conclude that this approach is at least competetive with classical discretizations since it is computationally simple to implement, but has the added advantage of reliable error feedback. Received June 25, 1995     

Application of enzyme-field effect transistor sensor arrays as detectors in a flow-injection analysis system for simultaneous monitoring of medium components. Part II. Monitoring of cultivation processes

Glucose, maltose, sucrose, lactose, ethanol and urea concentrations were monitored simultaneously during the cultivation of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae by means of enzyme field effect transistors (EnFETs) applying glucose dehydrogenase (GDH), maltase (MAL)/GDH, invertase (INV)/GDH, β-galactosidase (β-GAL)/galactosedehydrogenase (GALDH), alcoholdehydrogenase (ADH)/aldehydedehydrogenase (ALDH), and urease. These enzymes were (co)immobilized on the pH sensitive gates of an eight-FET array. The FET array was integrated in a commercial FIA system.     

On the free boundary of surfaces with bounded mean curvature: the non-perpendicular case

H?lder continuity up to the free boundary is proved for minimizing solutions if they meet the supporting surface in an angle which is bounded away from zero. The problem is localized by proving the continuity of the distance function, a result which is also true for stationary points. Received: 14 April 1998     

液态金属流的表面张力问题中的两点边值问题解的存在性

本文讨论了在区域提纯过程中，研究液态金属流的表面张力时提出的一个带有非负参数Ｑ的两点边值问题．利用上、下解方法和Ｓｃｈａｕｄｅｒ不动点定理，证明了当０Ｑ８５１时，该问题至少有一个解，对已有结果０Ｑ＜１进行了重要的改进．