Mathematics achievement and interest in mathematics from a differential perspective

In this article, we present results of an empirical study with 500 German students of grades 7 and 8. The study focussed on students' mathematics achievement and their interest in mathematics as well as on the relation between these two constructs. In particular, the results show that the development of an individual student's achievement between grade 7 and grade 8 depends on the achievement level of the specific classroom and therefore on the specific mathematics instruction Interest in mathematics could be regarded a predictor for mathematics achievement Moreover, our findings suggest that the students show hardly any fear of mathematics independent of their achievement level.     

Low-frequency noise and inelastic tunneling spectroscopy in Fe(1 1 0)/MgO(1 1 1)/Fe(1 1 0) epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions

We report on tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR), current–voltage (IV) characteristics and low-frequency noise in epitaxially grown Fe(1 1 0)/MgO(1 1 1)/Fe(1 1 0) magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with dimensions from 2×2 to 20×20 μm². The evaluated MgO energy barrier (0.50±0.08 eV), the barrier width (13.1±0.5 Å) as well as the resistance times area product (7±1 MΩ μm²) show relatively small variation, confirming a high quality epitaxy and uniformity of all MTJs studied. At low temperatures (T<10 K) inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS) shows anomalies related to phonons (symmetric structures below 100 meV) and asymmetric features above 200 meV. We explain the asymmetric features in IETS as due to generation of electron standing waves in one of the Fe electrodes. The noise power, though exhibiting a large variation, was observed to be roughly anti-correlated with the TMR. Surprisingly, for the largest junctions we observed a strong enhancement of the normalized low-frequency noise in the antiparallel magnetic configuration. This behavior could be related to the influence of magnetostriction on the characteristics of the insulating barrier through changes in local barrier defects structure.     

Ketene dithioacetal derivatives of 1-phenyl-3,5-dioxopyrazolidine. Synthesis and NMR characterization

1-Phenyl-3,5-dioxopyrazolidine 1 reacts with carbon disufide and alkyl halides in presence of excess of sodium acetate in dimethylformamide to afford the ketene dithioacetals 3a-h . The ¹³C chemical shift assignments of these compounds were made on the basis of two-dimensional nmr studies performed on the N-methylketene dithioacetal derivative 4.     

The synthesis of macrocyclic polyether-diesters incorporating 1,10-phenanthrolino and 1,8-naphthyridino subunits

The preparation of a series of macrocycles, formed by reaction of HO-(-CH₂-CH₂-O-)_nH with 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dicarbonyl chloride (n = 2,3,4) and 1,8-naphthyridine-2,7-dicarbonyl chloride (n = 3,4), is described. An improved synthetic route to 2,7-dimethyl-1,8-naphthyridine 9 is also reported.     

New aspects of the electroadsorption of ethyl xanthate on copper electrodes

The interaction of the ethyl xanthate (EX) anion with a copper electrode in a borate buffer solution, pH 9.2, has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and measurements of contact angle (CA) under controlled potential. The results obtained allow establishing that, in the potential range from -0.80 and -0.60 V, two parallel reactions were characterized. These reactions were the ethyl xanthate electroadsorption and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This last reaction has not been described by previous authors. Besides, the EIS measurements show that the mechanism of the HER on copper electrodes is not affected by the presence of a ethyl xanthate species. The EQCM study shows that in the electrodesorption process the departure of each ethyl xanthate species from the copper electrode is accompanied with the simultaneous entry of four to five water molecules. This fact is in accordance with the number of copper atoms involved in the adsorption of one ethyl xanthate species.     

Regarding the structure of [2.2](2,6,2',7')-naphthalenophane-1,11-diene and its conformational mobility

The synthesis of [2.2](2,6,2',7')naphthalenophane -1,11 - diene 4 has been effected by pyrolysis of the bis-sulphoxide 10, in turn prepared by a ring-contraction procedure of the [3.3]dithiacyclophane 7. The diene 4 has been fully characterized by spectroscopic and chemical methods. The variable-temperature ¹H NMR spectra of the diene 4 indicated that the compound undergoes conformational flipping in solution and has a conformational energy barrier ΔG^≠_25°. 14.9 kcal mol^-1 and a coalescence temperature T_c 38° for the internal protons H_c and H_c' (at 100 MHz). These results differ from those previously recorded. A complete assignment of the pmr spectrum of the cyclophane diene 4 at 270 MHz is presented together with the spectrum of the corresponding saturated [2.2]cyclophane 3.