Electrical Double Layer Structure on Electrodes of Platinum Metals: Effect of the Carbon Monoxide Adsorption

Results on the paper's theme are reviewed. Attention is focused mainly on the use of transients of current and open-circuit potential for elucidating changes in the structure of the electrical double layer (EDL) caused by the CO adsorption. It is shown that the high binding energy of CO with surfaces of platinum metals leads to a strong suppression of the total differential capacitance of the electrode, the recharge of the surface, the displacement of strongly adsorbed atoms formed during the adsorption of ions with a total charge transfer, and to other alterations in the EDL plates facing both solution and metal. The importance of allowing for double-layer effects when solving problems of electrocatalysis on platinum metals is emphasized.     

Label Free Colorimetric Biosensing Using Nanoparticles

In this review article, we discuss a class of biosensors that exploit the change in the colorimetric properties of noble metal nanoparticles in response to biomolecular binding at their surface. Several sensor fabrication techniques as well as sensor configurations are discussed with an emphasis on their strengths and limitations. We conclude by presenting the future prospects and challenges for the successful transition of this technology from the laboratory to a commercial product.     

Evaluation of the protein solvent-accessible surface using reduced representations in terms of critical points of the electron density

The aim of our study is the development of a method for calculating the interface of dimerization of protein-protein complexes based on simplified medium-resolution structures. In particular, we wished to evaluate if the existing concepts for the computation of the Solvent-Accessible Surface Area (SASA) of macromolecules could be applied to medium-resolution models. Therefore, we selected a set of 140 protein chains and computed their reduced representations by topological analysis of their electron density maps at 2.85 A crystallographic resolution. This procedure leads to a limited number of critical points (CPs) that can be identified and associated to backbone and side-chain parts. To evaluate the SASA and interfaces of dimerization of the reduced representations, we chose and modified two existing programs that calculate the SASA of atomic representations, and tested (1) several radii tables of amino acids, (2) the influence of the backbone and side-chain points, and (3) the radius of the solvent molecule, which rolls over the surface. The results are shown in terms of relative error compared to the values calculated on the corresponding atomic representations of the proteins.     

Solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of volatile compounds from avocado puree after microwave processing

Microwave processing offers an alternative to blanch fruits and vegetables, since the application of high temperature and short time often results in minimum damage. An experimental design was used to investigate the effect of microwave time, pH, and avocado leaves (independent variables) on avocado flavor (response) using solid-phase microextraction (SPME)-GC-MS. Among the fully characterized flavor volatiles, 19 compounds were derived from lipid oxidation and only 4 from the avocado leaves. The main components derived from lipids were aldehydes, ketones and alcohols. Terpenoids, estragole, and 2-hexenal [E] were volatiles derived from avocado leaves. When leaves were added to fresh and microwaved avocado terpenoids and 2-hexenal [E]/hexanal ratio increased, this behavior was considered to have a positive effect on the sensorial quality of the product. From the statistical analysis of the experimental design, it was possible to determinate that the most important factors influencing the abundance of flavor compounds derived from lipids were microwave time and pH. Maximum values of these compounds were detected at high levels of microwave time and low values of pH. On the other hand, response surface of terpenoids and estragole showed an increment when microwave time and avocado leaf was increased. The region of optimum response was 30 s microwave time, pH 5.5, and 1% of avocado leaf.     

Inheritance of surjectivity for partial differential operators on spaces of real analytic functions

For an open set let A(Ω) be the space of real analytic functions on Ω. Improving our previous results, we prove a new quantitative characterization of the linear partial differential operators P(D) which are surjective on A(Ω). This implies that P(D) is surjective on if P(D) is surjective on A(Ω) for some Ω≠∅. Further inheritance properties for the surjectivity of P(D) on A(Ω) are also obtained.     

Dynamic Behavior of Rigid–Plastic Sector Plates

The paper studies the dynamic behavior of perfect rigid-plastic plates in the form of a sector with hinged or clamped sides under short-term intensive loads. Two dynamic deformation mechanisms are demonstrated. The dynamic equation is derived for each of the mechanisms. The realization conditions for the mechanisms are analyzed. Analytical expressions are derived for the ultimate (high) loads and the maximum residual deflection. Numerical examples are given     

Existence results for singular three point boundary value problems on time scales

We prove the existence of a positive solution for the three point boundary value problem on time scale given by

     

The null controllability of thermoelastic plates and singularity of the associated minimal energy function

We consider the null controllability problem for thermoelastic plates, defined on a two dimensional domain Ω, and subject to hinged, clamped or free boundary conditions. The uncontrolled partial differential equation system generates an analytic semigroup on the space of finite energy. Consequently, the concept of null controllability is indeed appropriate for consideration here. It is shown that all finite energy states can be driven to zero by means of just one L2((0,T)×Ω) control be it either mechanical or thermal. The singularity, as T↓0, of the associated minimal energy function is the main object studied in the paper. Singularity and blow-up rates for minimal energy function are not only of interest in their own right but are also of critical importance in Stochastic PDEs. In this paper, we establish the optimal blow-up rate for this function. It is shown that the rate of singularity is the same as for finite-dimensional truncations of the model. In view of sharp estimates available in the finite dimensional setting [Math. Control Signals Systems 9 (1997) 327], the singularity rates provided in this paper are optimal.     

Decomposition Rank of Subhomogeneous C*-Algebras

We analyze the decomposition rank (a notion of covering dimensionfor nuclear C*-algebras introduced by E. Kirchberg and the author)of subhomogeneous C*-algebras. In particular, we show that asubhomogeneous C*-algebra has decomposition rank n if and onlyif it is recursive subhomogeneous of topological dimension n,and that n is determined by the primitive ideal space. As an application, we use recent results of Q. Lin and N. C.Phillips to show the following. Let A be the crossed productC*-algebra coming from a compact smooth manifold and a minimaldiffeomorphism. Then the decomposition rank of A is dominatedby the covering dimension of the underlying manifold. 2000 MathematicsSubject Classification 46L85, 46L35.