Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), 13c solid state nmr and micro-thermomechanical studies of historical parchment

DMA and solid state ¹³C NMR techniques were used to measure historical parchment samples within the framework of the project (MAP) Micro Analysis of Parchment (EC contract No. SMT4-96-2101) in collaboration with the School of Conservation in Copenhagen. DMA was used in both thermal scan and creep modes. Thermal scans provided information on the transitions associated with the collagen polymer. Microthermal analysis was also used to obtain information on the topography and thermal conductivity of sample areas of 100 μm. Localised heating enabled measurements of softening transitions in the sample. This behaviour is influenced by the chemical composition of parchment. 13C NMR provided information on the carbon atoms associated with the polypeptide chains of the collagen in parchment. The behaviour of samples immersed in water and measured in DMA creep mode was used to measure the shrinkage behaviour of the parchment samples. The different but complementary techniques provided a means for characterising the physicochemical state of parchment samples. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Controlled growth of well-aligned ZnO nanorod array using a novel solution method

A simple method of synthesizing nanomaterials and the ability to control the size and position of them are crucial for fabricating nanodevices. In this work, we developed a novel ammonia aqueous solution method for growing well-aligned ZnO nanorod arrays on a silicon substrate. For ZnO nanorod growth, a thin zinc metal seed layer was deposited on a silicon substrate by thermal evaporation. Uniform ZnO nanorods were grown on the zinc-coated silicon substrate in aqueous solution containing zinc nitrate and ammonia water. The growth temperature was as low as 60-90 degrees C and a 4-in. wafer size scale up was possible. The morphology of a zinc metal seed layer, pH, growth temperature, and concentration of zinc salt in aqueous solution were important parameters to determine growth characteristics such as average diameters and lengths of ZnO nanorods. We could demonstrate the discrete controlled growth of ZnO nanorods using sequential, tailored growth steps. By combining our novel solution method and general photolithography, we selectively grew ZnO nanorod arrays on a patterned silicon substrate. Our concepts on controlled ZnO nanorod growth using a simple solution method would be applicable for various nanodevice fabrications.     

Kinetics of polymer translocation through a pore

We theoretically study kinetics of a polymer threading through a pore embedded in a flat membrane. We numerically solve three coupled kinetic equations for the number n(1) of polymer segments in one side of the membrane and expansion factors of the polymer chain in each side of the membrane. We find the time evolution n(1) proportional to t(1/(1+nu)) at late stages and the translocation time tau(t) is scaled as tau(t) proportional to 1+nu) for large number n of the polymer segments, where nu is the effective size exponent of the radius of gyration of the polymer. When the polymer is translocated into a region with a good solvent condition (nu=3/5), we obtain n(1) proportional to t(5/8) and tau(t) proportional to n(8/5).     

Convergence rate estimate for a domain decomposition method

Summary We provide a convergence rate analysis for a variant of the domain decomposition method introduced by Gropp and Keyes for solving the algebraic equations that arise from finite element discretization of nonsymmetric and indefinite elliptic problems with Dirichlet boundary conditions in ². We show that the convergence rate of the preconditioned GMRES method is nearly optimal in the sense that the rate of convergence depends only logarithmically on the mesh size and the number of substructures, if the global coarse mesh is fine enough.This author was supported by the National Science Foundation under contract numbers DCR-8521451 and ECS-8957475, by the IBM Corporation, and by the 3M Company, while in residence at Yale UniversityThis author was supported by the Applied Mathematical Sciences subprogram of the Office of Energy Research, U.S. Department of Energy under Contract W-31-109-Eng-38This author was supported by the National Science Foundation under contract number ECS-8957475, by the IBM Corporation, and by the 3M Company     

Combinatorial characterizations of authentication codes

In this paper, we prove two new combinatorial characterizations of authentication codes. Authentication codes without secrecy are characterized in terms of orthogonal arrays; and general authentication codes are characterized in terms of balanced incomplete block designs. In both of these characterizations, it turns out that encoding rules must be equiprobable; in the second characteriztion, the source states must also be equiprobable.A preliminary version of this paper appeared in Advances in Cryptology—CRYPTO '91 Proceedings Lecture Notes in Computer Science 576 (1992) 62–73, Springer-Verlag.Research supported by NSERC grant A9287.     

The isomonodromy approach to matric models in 2D quantum gravity

We consider the double-scaling limit in the hermitian matrix model for 2D quantum gravity associated with the measure exp . We show that after the appropriate modification of the contour of integration the Cross-Migdal-Douglas-Shenker limit to the Painlevé I equation (in the generic case of the pure gravity) is valid and calculate the nonperturbative parameters of the corresponding Painlevé function. Our approach is based on the WKB-analysis of the L-A pair corresponding to the discrete string equation in the framework of the Inverse Monodromy Method. Here we extend our results, which were obtained before for the particular casesN=2,3. Our analysis complements the isomonodromy approach proposed by G. Moore to the general string equations that come from the matrix model in the continuous limit and differ in that we apply the isomonodromy technique to investigate the double scaling limit itself.     

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis of river waters in its stream across the city of Cordoba,in Argentina

The aim of this work was to analyze the composition of river waters and to study their quality by detecting possible contaminants. The samples were taken at 32 points of the Suquía River in its stream across the city of Córdoba (in the Province of Córdoba, Argentina). The samples were analyzed with total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) using beam guides. Beam guides made of two Si plate reflectors were used as sample carriers and to guide the X-ray photons to the sample; the measurements were taken using the characteristic configuration that ensures the best excitation and detection conditions (in TXRF). The analyses were carried out by preconcentration of the water samples and by adding an internal standard (Gallium); small amounts of samples (30 μl) were deposited on the Si reflector plate and they were then analyzed in the total reflection regime. Spectra were analyzed with standard methods using conventional programs. The results show interesting behaviors of the concentration of trace elements along the river: elements of low atomic number (such as Ca, Cl, S, K) present higher concentrations as compared to high Z elements (such as Fe, Zn, Br, Sr); the concentrations of light elements follow a similar behavior along the stream, the same situation is observed in the set of elements with high atomic number. Some samples present high concentrations in certain elements indicating possible sources of contamination.     

Reductions of (1R,3R,4R)-3-([1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-x]azin-3-yl)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ones and their analogues

Reductions of (1R,3R,4R)-3-([1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-x]azin-3-yl)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ones and their lactone analogues, prepared from (1R)-(+)-camphor, were studied. Catalytic hydrogenation selectively led to partial saturation of the [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-x]azine residue, while in reactions with borane–methylsulfide coordination of borane to the 1-position of [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-x]azine system took place. On the other hand, activation of the carbonyl group in (1R,3R,4R)-3-([1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-x]azin-3-yl)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ones with boron trifluoride etherate followed by reaction with borane–methylsulfide furnished the corresponding isoborneols, stereoselectively. The structures of all representative compounds were confirmed by X-ray diffraction.     

平行光栅对在刻线不平行时的色散研究

 利用三维空间光线追迹法，分析了啁啾脉冲放大系统中的压缩光栅对，在刻线不平行而光栅面平行时光的衍射特性。导出了此时光通过光栅对的群延时，数值计算了系统2阶和3阶色散量，以及这些色散量在光栅对严格平行时的相对误差。得出了中心波长光的接收位置相对于光栅对严格平行时的偏移量，并且分析了它与入射角的变化关系。