Plasmon-induced terahertz absorption and photoconductivity in a grid-gated double-quantum-well structure

The terahertz absorption spectra of plasmon modes in a grid-gated double-quantum-well field-effect transistor structure is analyzed theoretically and numerically using the scattering matrix approach and is shown to faithfully reproduce strong resonant features of recent experimental observations of terahertz photo-conductivity in such a structure.     

Simple Constructions of Almost k-wise Independent Random Variables

We present three alternative simple constructions of small probability spaces on n bits for which any k bits are almost independent. The number of bits used to specify a point in the sample space is (2 + o(1)) (log log n + k/2 + log k + log 1/?), where ? is the statistical difference between the distribution induced on any k bit locations and the uniform distribution. This is asymptotically comparable to the construction recently presented by Naor and Naor (our size bound is better as long as ? < 1/(k log n)). An additional advantage of our constructions is their simplicity.     

Determination of physical properties of bitumens by use of near-infrared spectroscopy with neural networks. Joint modelling of linear and non-linear parameters

The fact that bitumens behave as non-Newtonian fluids results in non-linear relationships between their near-infrared (NIR) spectra and the physico-chemical properties that define their consistency (viz. penetration and viscosity). Determining such properties using linear calibration techniques [e.g. partial least-squares regression (PLSR)] entails the previous transformation of the original variables by use of non-linear functions and employing the transformed variables to construct the models. Other properties of bitumens such as density and composition exhibit linear relationships with their NIR spectra. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) enable modelling of systems with a non-linear property-spectrum relationship; also, they allow one to determine several properties of a sample with a single model, so they are effective alternatives to linear calibration methods. In this work, the ability of ANNs simultaneously to determine both linear and non-linear parameters for bitumens without the need previously to transform the original variables was assessed. Based on the results, ANNs allow the simultaneous determination of several linear and non-linear physical properties typical of bitumens.     

Volumetric Properties of the Ternary System 1,4-Dioxane + Butyl Acrylate + Ethyl Acrylate and Its Binary Butyl Acrylate + Ethyl Acrylate at 298.15 K

Densities of the ternary system 1,4-dioxane + butyl acrylate + ethyl acrylate and its binary butyl acrylate + ethyl acrylate have been measured in the whole composition range, at 298.15 K and atmospheric pressure, using an Anton Paar DMA 5000 oscillating U-tube densimeter. The calculated excess molar volumes of the binary system are positive and were correlated with the Redlich–Kister equation and with a series of Legendre polynomials. Several models were used to correlate the ternary behavior from the excess molar volume data of their constituent binaries and were found equally good to fit the data. The best fit was based on a direct approach, without information on the component binary systems.     

Little Grothendieck`s theorem for real JB*-triples

We prove that given a real JB*-triple E, and a real Hilbert space H, then the set of those bounded linear operators T from E to H, such that there exists a norm one functional and corresponding pre-Hilbertian semi-norm on E such that for all , is norm dense in the set of all bounded linear operators from E to H. As a tool for the above result, we show that if A is a JB-algebra and is a bounded linear operator then there exists a state such that for all . Received June 28, 1999; in final form January 28, 2000 / Published online March 12, 2001     

Derivations on Real and Complex JB*-Triples

At the regional conference held at the University of California,Irvine, in 1985 [24], Harald Upmeier posed three basic questionsregarding derivations on JB*-triples: (1) Are derivations automatically bounded? (2) When are all bounded derivations inner? (3) Can bounded derivations be approximated by inner derivations? These three questions had all been answered in the binary cases.Question 1 was answered affirmatively by Sakai [17] for C*-algebrasand by Upmeier [23] for JB-algebras. Question 2 was answeredby Sakai [18] and Kadison [12] for von Neumann algebras andby Upmeier [23] for JW-algebras. Question 3 was answered byUpmeier [23] for JB-algebras, and it follows trivially fromthe Kadison–Sakai answer to question 2 in the case ofC*-algebras. In the ternary case, both question 1 and question 3 were answeredby Barton and Friedman in [3] for complex JB*-triples. In thispaper, we consider question 2 for real and complex JBW*-triplesand question 1 and question 3 for real JB*-triples. A real orcomplex JB*-triple is said to have the inner derivation propertyif every derivation on it is inner. By pure algebra, every finite-dimensionalJB*-triple has the inner derivation property. Our main results,Theorems 2, 3 and 4 and Corollaries 2 and 3 determine whichof the infinite-dimensional real or complex Cartan factors havethe inner derivation property.     

Conorm and Essential Conorm in C*-Algebras

Let A be a unital C^*-algebra with non-zero socle (soc(A)). We introduce the essential conorm of an element a in A (denoted by γ _e (a)), as the conorm of the element π(a), where π denotes the canonical projection of A onto . It is established that for every von Neumann regular element , γ _e (a) = max . We characterize the continuity points of the conorm and essential conorm for extremally rich C^*-algebras. Some formulae for the distance from zero to the generalized spectrum and Atkinson spectrum are also obtained. Authors partially supported by I+D MEC projects no. MTM2005-02541 and MTM2007-65959, and Junta de Andalucía grants FQM0199 and FQM1215.     

An XAS study of the binding and reduction of Au(III) by hop biomass

Previous studies have shown that hop biomass is capable of adsorbing significant amounts of Au(III) from aqueous solutions. Hop biomass was chemically modified to determine the contributions that the different functional groups on the biomass have on the binding and reduction of Au(III). Previously, performed batch studies showed that Au(III) binding is fast, occurring within the first 5 min of contact and in a pH dependent manner. However, esterified hop biomass behaved in a pH independent manner and the binding was found not to change with changing pH. However, the hydrolyzed biomass had a similar Au(III) binding to the native hops biomass, showing a pH dependent binding trend. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analysis, XANES (X-ray absorption near edge structure), and EXAFS (extended X-ray absorption fine structure) were used to determine the oxidation state, coordination environment, and the average radii of the gold nanoparticles bound to the hops biomass. The XAS data confirmed the presence of Au(0) in both the native and chemically modified hop biomasses. XANES fittings show that the Au(III) was reduced to Au(0) by approximately 81%, 70%, and 83% on the native, esterified, and hydrolyzed hop biomass, respectively. In addition, the calculation of the particle radius was also in agreement with the results of previously performed transmission electron microscopy studies. The average particle could only be calculated for the native and esterified hops biomass, which showed average particle radii of 17.3 Å and 9.2 Å, respectively.     

A novel application of immobilization on membranes for the separation and spectrofluorimetric quantification of amiloride and furosemide in pharmaceutical samples

A new, simple and highly sensitive method for spectrofluorimetric determination of amiloride (AMI) and furosemide (FUR) in pharmaceuticals is presented. The proposed method is based on the separation of AMI from FUR by solid-phase extraction using a nylon membrane, followed by spectrofluorimetric determination of both drugs, on the solid surface and the filtered aqueous solution, respectively. AMI shows low native fluorescence, but its separation-preconcentration by immobilization (solid-phase extraction) on nylon membrane surface provides a considerable enhancement in fluorescence intensity. The fluorescence determination is carried out at λ_ex = 237, λ_em = 415 nm for FUR; and λ_ex = 365, λ_em = 406 nm for AMI. The calibration graphs are linear in the range 3.20 × 10⁻⁴ to 0.8 μg mL⁻¹and 1.33 × 10⁻³ to 4.0 μg mL⁻¹, for AMI and FUR, respectively, with a detection limit of 9.62 × 10⁻⁵ and 4.01 × 10⁻⁴ μg mL⁻¹ (S/N = 3). The commonly found excipients in commercial pharmaceutical formulations do not interfere. The developed method is successfully applied to the determination of both drugs in pharmaceutical formulations.     

Encapsulation of complementary model drugs in spray-dried nanostructured materials

Two model drugs of different physico-chemical and pharmaceutical properties (ibuprofen, acetaminophen) have been incorporated together or separately in silica-based microspheres using sol–gel and spray-drying processes. A variable amount of a neutral surfactant Brij-56© has also been added. The properties of the microspheres vary significantly depending on their composition. Three kinds of texture are identified: (1) silica containing spheroid nano-domains (formed by ibuprofen; diameters between 20 and 100 nm), (2) silica containing worm-like mesophases (formed by Brij-56© and both model drugs, typical correlation distances ~6 nm), (3) silica intimately mixed with the drug (acetaminophen) without visible phase-separation. The kinetics of drug release in simulated intestinal fluid strongly depend on these textures. The association of ibuprofen and acetaminophen in a single type of microsphere and without surfactant favours a concomitant release. Possible mechanisms of materials’ formation are discussed.