Schröder quasigroups with a specified number of idempotents

AbstractSchröder quasigroups have been studied quite extensively over the years. Most of the attention has been given to idempotent models, which exist for all the feasible orders v, where v≡0,1(mod4) except for v=5,9. There is no Schröder quasigroup of order 5 and the known Schröder quasigroup of order 9 contains 6 non-idempotent elements. It is known that the number of non-idempotent elements in a Schröder quasigroup must be even and at least four. In this paper, we investigate the existence of Schröder quasigroups of order v with a specified number k of idempotent elements, briefly denoted by SQ(v,k). The necessary conditions for the existence of SQ(v,k) are v≡0,1(mod4), 0≤k≤v, k≠v−2, and v−k is even. We show that these conditions are also sufficient for all the feasible values of v and k with few definite exceptions and a handful of possible exceptions. Our investigation relies on the construction of holey Schröder designs (HSDs) of certain types. Specifically, we have established that there exists an HSD of type 4nu1 for u=1,9, and 12 and n≥max{(u+2)/2,4}. In the process, we are able to provide constructions for a very large variety of non-idempotent Schröder quasigroups of order v, all of which correspond to v2×4 orthogonal arrays that have the Klein 4-group as conjugate invariant subgroup

Solid-liquid equilibria for the dimethyl ether plus carbon dioxide binary system

A recently built experimental setup was employed for the estimation of the solid-liquid equilibria of alternative refrigerants systems. The behavior of dimethyl ether (DME) + carbon dioxide was measured down to temperatures of 131.6 K. To confirm the reliability of the apparatus, the triple point of the DME was measured. The triple point data measured revealed a good consistency with the literature. The results obtained for the mixtures were corrected by the Rossini method and interpreted by means of the Schröder equation. © 2010 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary

Carbon Dioxide + Fluoromethane and Nitrous Oxide + Fluoromethane: Solid−Liquid Equilibria Measurements

A recently built experimental setup was employed for the estimation of the solid-liquid equilibria (SLE) of alternative refrigerant systems. The behavior of two binaries, that is, carbon dioxide + fluoromethane (CO2 + R41) and nitrous oxide + fluoromethane (N2O + R41), was measured down to temperatures of 126.5 K. To confirm the reliability of the apparatus, the triple points of the pure fluids constituent of the binary systems were measured. All triple-point data measured revealed a generally good consistency with the literature. The results obtained for the mixtures were corrected by the Rossini method and interpreted by means of the Schröder equation. © 2010 American Chemical Society

Low temperature behavior of the heavy Fermion Ce3Co4Sn13

The compound Ce3Co4Sn13 is an extremely heavy cubic heavy fermion system with a low temperature electronic specific heat of order ~4 J/mol-K2. If the compound is nonmagnetic, it would be one of the heaviest nonmagnetic Ce-based heavy fermions reported to date and therefore would be expected to lie extremely close to a quantum critical point. However, a broad peak of unknown origin is observed at 0.8 K in the specific heat and magnetic susceptibility, suggesting the possibility of antiferromagnetic order. We present neutron diffraction data from polycrystalline samples which do not show any sign of magnetic scattering below 0.8 K. In addition, we present inelastic neutron scattering data from a single crystal sample which is consistent with the 1.2 K energy scale for Kondo spin fluctuations determined from specific heat measurements.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, submitted to J. Mag. Mag. Mater. for ICM 200

Cancellation of the collisional frequency shift in caesium fountain clocks

We have observed that the collisional frequency shift in primary caesium fountain clocks varies with the clock state population composition and, in particular, is zero for a given fraction of the |F = 4, mF = 0> atoms, depending on the initial cloud parameters. We present a theoretical model explaining our observations. The possibility of the collisional shift cancellation implies an improvement in the performance of caesium fountain standards and a simplification in their operation. Our results also have implications for test operation of fountains at multiple pi/2 pulse areas

Stellungnahme zur Replik von Winfried Schröder (Vechta) auf meine Kritik an der im Handbuch der Umweltwissenschaften veröffentlichten „Landschaftsökologischen Raumgliederung Deutschlands“

My critical observation “Down-to-earth is imperative” concerning the “Landschaftsökologische Raumgliederung Deutschlands” (landscape-ecological regionalisation of Germany; Schröder et al. 2006), published in this journal in 2009 (Weller 2009), received a reply by Winfried Schröder (Schröder 2011, 2012) in which he underlines the scientificity of the method applied in his regionalisation approach and stresses its superiority compared to a more observational empiricism. The reply closes with the remarks that the critic “has not understood the statistical method which underlies the landscape-ecological regionalisation” and that his “alternative approach does not satisfy fundamental criteria of scientific work”. I have not postulated an “alternative approach” at all; I have simply contrasted Schröder’s regionalisation with a number of facts which everybody who has ever dealt with landscapes in situ can observe. Numerous examples are able to show that the regionalisation published by Schröder has in fact very little to do with the actual conditions in the field. Unfortunately, Schröder’s reply does not consider this evidence, not with a single sentence. The missing plausibility test does not seem to be a problem for the authors of this regionalisation. This is not a unique case, but an especially striking example for the kind of uncritical data analysis frequently applied in science disciplines today where the real objects get out of sight. The findings resulting from such an approach are very much in danger of being totally inadequate as a basis for practical applications – which is, after all, explicitly sought by their authors. It was my objective to point out this danger. If there had been any need for another proof of the topicality of the observation of “down-to-earth is imperative”, the distance to reality of this reply is ample evidence for this

Characterisation of two alcohol acyltransferases from kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) reveals distinct substrate preferences.

Volatile esters are key compounds of kiwifruit flavour and are formed by alcohol acyltransferases that belong to the BAHD acyltransferase superfamily. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to screen kiwifruitderived expressed sequence tags with proposed acyltransferase function in order to select ripeningspecific sequences and test their involvement in alcohol acylation. The screening criterion was for at least 10-fold increased transcript accumulation in ripe compared with unripe kiwifruit and in response to ethylene. Recombinant expression in yeast revealed alcohol acyltransferase activity for Actinidia-derived AT1, AT16 and the phylogenetically distinct AT9, using various alcohol and acyl-CoA substrates. Functional characterisation of AT16 and AT9 demonstrated striking differences in their substrate preferences and apparent catalytic efficiencies ðV0 max K�1 m Þ. Thus revealing benzoyl-CoA:alcohol O-acyltransferase activity for AT16 and acetyl-CoA:alcohol O-acyltransferase activity for AT9. Both kiwifruit-derived enzymes displayed higher reaction rates with butanol compared with ethanol, even though ethanol is the main alcohol in ripe fruit. Since ethyl acetate and ethyl benzoate are major esters in ripe kiwifruit, we suggest that fruit characteristic volatile profiles result from a combination of substrate availability and specificity of individual alcohol acyltransferases

Social Democracy, Globalization and Governance: Why is there no European Left Program in the EU? CES Germany & Europe Working Papers, no.00.6, September

This paper addresses globalization and governance in the EU by attempting to generate some plausible hypotheses that might explain the policy choices of the 12 out of 15 European democratic left governments. With all of the discussion in recent years of a democratic deficit, and then need to maintain a "social Europe," why have these governments not produced more explicit left-wing policies? It suggests three possible hypotheses to account for this apparently mysterious outcome. Hypothesis #1: They want to but they can't. Hypothesis #2: They don't want to because they aren't really left anymore. Hypothesis #3: They could, but they all are suffering from a fundamental failure of imagination. The paper explores each of these hypotheses in two ways. First it examines the initial years of the Schröder government in Germany apparently, pursuing each of these three hypotheses and different times during this period. Then it looks more systematically and comparatively and each of the three hypotheses by including analysis both of Germany and several other EU member states. The larger goal of this work is to provoke discussion and research on what role left political movements can actually play. Is it even reasonable to expect such a group of nation states to develop innovative forms of cross-national governance? Or are new and/or revised forms of representation and governance beyond traditional nation-state models