Comparison of three sequential extraction procedures to describe metal fractionation in anaerobic granular sludges

In the last few decades, several sequential extraction procedures have been developed to quantify the chemical status of metals in the solid phase. In this study, three extraction techniques (modified [A. Tessier, P.G.C. Campbell, M. Bisson, Anal. Chem. 51 (1979) 844]; [R.C. Stover, L.E. Sommers, D.J. Silvera, J. Water Pollut. Con. F. 48 (1976) 2165]; and the Bureau Communautaire de Reference (BCR) [K.F. Mossop, C.M. Davidson, Anal. Chim. Acta 478 (2003) 111]) were applied to study the distribution of trace (Co, Ni, Zn and Cu) and major (Mn and Fe) elements in two different anaerobic granular sludges from full-scale methanogenic wastewater treatment plants. The Stover scheme displayed a higher number of fractions that induces a poor recovery compared to the other schemes. The sequential extraction scheme recommended by BCR and the modified Tessier scheme gave similar trends and are sufficiently repeatable and reproducible for application in fractionation studies. However, the BCR scheme seems to be of limited utilisation to study anaerobic matrixes because the extraction stage for its reducible fraction may release substantial amounts of trace elements bound to the organic/sulfides fraction, and consequently, the recovery of trace elements in the oxide fraction may be overestimated at the expense of the oxidisable fraction. As a final conclusion, the modified Tessier scheme seems to be the most suitable scheme to study the metal partitioning in anaerobic granular sludges.     

Long-term stability of pure standards and stock standard solutions for the determination of pesticide residues using gas chromatography

The regular replacement of pure standards used in pesticide residue analysis laboratories and frequent preparation of stock standard solutions, both required by many accreditation bodies, impose considerable demands on a laboratory's resources. In this study, pure standards for all but one (heptenophos) of 118 different pesticides amenable to analysis by GC, and stock standard solutions (1000 microg/ml) prepared from these in toluene, acetone or ethyl acetate have been shown to be stable at < or = -20 degrees C over long periods: 4-13 and 2-8 years, respectively, for pure standards and solutions. Suitable solvents, containers and handling procedures are essential to avoid evaporation from solutions.     

Uniqueness of the standard model neutral current predictions

In view of an excellent agreement between the recently determinedv _μ-hadron couplings and predictions of the standard model, the basic question discussed is how far its neutral current predictions can be mimiced in going either from the isodoublet to an isotriplet (or an even higher isospin) left-handed representation or from SU _L (2) × U(1) toG × U(1), whereG is a simple group of rank two. This question is addressed with reference to a sufficiently broad class of schemes. Their most distinctive properties are: in the higher isospin scheme, neutrino couplings are precisely in the form obtainable with standard l.h. representation; the higher g.g. scheme isL+R type in which, to each light fermion of evenRU parity, a superheavy fermion of the same charge and oddRU parity is associated, parity conservation forbidding their mixing. Reasons for excluding theL-type andG ₂ higher g.g. schemes are given. Their neutral current predictions are compared with those of the standard model. A higher isospin representation can mimic the predictions of the standard model in inclusive and semi-inclusivev _μ-hadron reactions but is conclusively discriminated from the isodoublet representation by elasticv _μ ⁽⁻ p scattering. TheG × U(1) scheme can mimic standard model neutrino sector but is conclusively discriminated from minimal scheme by parity violating effects.     

Properties of four partial orders on standard Young tableaux

Let SYTn be the set of all standard Young tableaux with n cells. After recalling the definitions of four partial orders, the weak, KL, geometric and chain orders on SYTn and some of their crucial properties, we prove three main results:

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Intervals in any of these four orders essentially describe the product in a Hopf algebra of tableaux defined by Poirier and Reutenauer.

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The map sending a tableau to its descent set induces a homotopy equivalence of the proper parts of all of these orders on tableaux with that of the Boolean algebra ²[n−1]. In particular, the Möbius function of these orders on tableaux is (−1)ⁿ⁻³.

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For two of the four orders, one can define a more general order on skew tableaux having fixed inner boundary, and similarly analyze their homotopy type and Möbius function.

     

Enumeration formulas for standard Young tableaux of nearly hollow rectangular shapes

This paper considers the enumeration problem of a generalization of standard Young tableau (SYT) of truncated shape. Let $\lambda ?\mu |\left\{(i_0,j_0)\right\}$ be the SYT of shape $\lambda$ truncated by $\mu$ whose upper left cell is $(i_0,j_0)$, where $\lambda$ and $\mu$ are partitions of integers. The summation representation of the number of SYT of the truncated shape $(n+k+2,{(n+2)}^{m+1})?\left(n^m\right)|\left\{(2,2)\right\}$ is derived. Consequently, three closed formulas for SYT of hollow shapes are obtained, including the cases of (i). $m=n=1$, (ii). $k=0$, and (iii). $k=1,m=n$. Finally, an open problem is posed.     

Local automorphisms of standard operator algebras

Let X be an infinite-dimensional separable real or complex Banach space and A a closed standard operator algebra on X. Then every local automorphism of A is an automorphism. The assumptions of infinite-dimensionality, separability, and closeness are all indispensable.     

Evaluating the goodness of fit of stochastic mortality models

This study sets out a framework to evaluate the goodness of fit of stochastic mortality models and applies it to six different models estimated using English & Welsh male mortality data over ages 64-89 and years 1961-2007. The methodology exploits the structure of each model to obtain various residual series that are predicted to be iid standard normal under the null hypothesis of model adequacy. Goodness of fit can then be assessed using conventional tests of the predictions of iid standard normality. The models considered are: Lee and Carter’s (1992) one-factor model, a version of Renshaw and Haberman’s (2006) extension of the Lee-Carter model to allow for a cohort-effect, the age-period-cohort model, which is a simplified version of the Renshaw-Haberman model, the 2006 Cairns-Blake-Dowd two-factor model and two generalized versions of the latter that allow for a cohort-effect. For the data set considered, there are some notable differences amongst the different models, but none of the models performs well in all tests and no model clearly dominates the others.     

Standard Bases of a Vector Space Over a Linearly Ordered Incline

Inclines are additively idempotent semirings, in which the partial order ≤ : x ≤ y if and only if x + y = y is defined and products are less than or equal to either factor. Boolean algebra, max-min fuzzy algebra, and distributive lattices are examples of inclines. In this article, standard bases of a finitely generated vector space over a linearly ordered commutative incline are studied. We obtain that if a standard basis exists, then it is unique. In particular, if the incline is solvable or multiplicatively-declined or multiplicatively-idempotent (i.e., a chain semiring), further results are obtained, respectively. For a chain semiring a checkable condition for distinguishing if a basis is standard is given. Based on the condition an algorithm for computing the standard basis is described.