Thermal analysis study of Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3-x</Subscript>Er<Subscript>x</Subscript>O<Subscript>10+δ</Subscript> glass-ceramic system

Summary We have fabricated glasses in the Bi-2223 HT_c superconductor system with Bi₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu_3-xEr_xO_{10+ δ} nominal composition, where x=0.5 and 1.0, by the glass-ceramic technique. Using an analysis developed for non-isothermal crystallization studies, information on some aspects of crystallization temperature and thermal properties has been obtained. The crystallization studies were made using DTA with several uniform rates. The calculations of crystallization activation energies, E_a, and the Avrami parameters, n, were made based on the non-isothermal kinetic theory of Kissinger and the Ozawa’s equations. The DTA data of the samples showed that the first crystallization temperature, T_x1, increases and the second crystallization temperature, T_x2, decreases by increasing the Er concentration. This suggests that the Er substitution had significant effect on the glassification of the BSCCO material due to change on the surface nucleation and increased ionic activities at high temperature region. The activation energy for crystallization, E_a, of the samples was also showed an increase at high Er concentration case. However, the Avrami parameter, n, decreased from 2.5 to 1.7 for x=0.5 and 1.0 samples, respectively. This suggests that the growth mechanism is diffusion-controlled and three-dimensional parabolic growth takes place near the first crystallization temperature. The oxidization rates and the activation barrier for oxygen out-diffusion process, E, was calculated using the TG data. It was found that the total mass gain in the x=0.5 sample is comparably smaller than that of the x=1.0 sample. This shows that the oxygen absorption of the x=1.0 sample is faster than the x=0.5 sample, leading to increase in the oxidization rate in the x=1.0 material.     

A class of random field memory models for mortality forecasting

This article proposes a parsimonious alternative approach for modeling the stochastic dynamics of mortality rates. Instead of the commonly used factor-based decomposition framework, we consider modeling mortality improvements using a random field specification with a given causal structure. Such a class of models introduces dependencies among adjacent cohorts aiming at capturing, among others, the cohort effects and cross generations correlations. It also describes the conditional heteroskedasticity of mortality. The proposed model is a generalization of the now widely used AR-ARCH models for random processes. For such a class of models, we propose an estimation procedure for the parameters. Formally, we use the quasi-maximum likelihood estimator (QMLE) and show its statistical consistency and the asymptotic normality of the estimated parameters. The framework being general, we investigate and illustrate a simple variant, called the three-level memory model, in order to fully understand and assess the effectiveness of the approach for modeling mortality dynamics.     

Achieving Enhanced Photochromic Properties of Diarylethene through Host-Guest Interaction in Aqueous Solution

Diarylethene (DTE) has been widely used in fluorescence probes, molecular logic gates, optical data-storage devices owing to the excellent photochromic property, while constructing high-performance photochromic DTE in aqueous media remains a big challenge. Herein we present several host-guest systems formed between cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n], n=7, 8, 10) and two water-soluble DTE derivatives 1 and 2 . It was found that host-guest interactions not only affect the photophysical properties of photochromic guests, but also make great differences on the photoreaction process. Different host-guest binding behaviors also lead to different effects on the photochromic properties of guests. In the presence of CB[n], both 1 and 2 showed enhanced emission and higher fluorescence quenching ratio at photostationary state. Besides, CB[10] ⋅1 exhibited faster response rate in cyclization reaction and better photofatigue resistance than free 1 in aqueous solution, while the supramolecular assembly of (CB[8])_n ⋅ ( 2 )_n showed slower response rate in both directions of the reversible photoreaction. Besides, the photofatigue resistance of 2 can be greatly improved through binding with CB[7]. Our results suggest that host-guest interactions could be an efficient way to improve photochromic properties of DTE in aqueous solution.     

Approximation by an iterative method of a low‐Mach model with temperature dependent viscosity

In this work, we prove the existence and the uniqueness of the strong solution of a low‐Mach model, for which the dynamic viscosity of the fluid is a given function of its temperature. The method is based on the convergence study of a sequence towards the solution, for which the rates are also given. The originality of the approach is to consider the system in terms of the temperature and the velocity, leading to a nonlinear temperature equation and the development of some specific tools and results.     

An investigation of Forex market efficiency based on detrended fluctuation analysis: A case study for Iran

The efficient market hypothesis (EMH) states that asset prices fully reflect all available information. As a result, speculators cannot predict the future behavior of asset prices and earn excess profits at least after adjusting for risk. Although initial tests of the EMH were performed on stock market data, the EMH was soon applied to other markets including foreign exchange (FX). This study uses the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) technique to test 01:12:2005–18:04:2010 Iranian Rial/US Dollar exchange rate time series data to see if it can be explained by the weak form of the EMH. Moreover, to determine changes in the degree of inefficiency over time, the whole period has been divided into four subperiods. The study shows that the Iranian Forex market (the Rial/Dollar case) is weak-form inefficient over the whole period and in each of the subperiods. However, the degree of inefficiency is not constant over time. The findings suggest that profitable risk-adjusted trades could be made using past data.     

Error analysis of idealized nanopore sequencing

This numerical study provides an error analysis of an idealized nanopore sequencing method in which ionic current measurements are used to sequence intact single‐stranded DNA in the pore, while an enzyme controls DNA motion. Examples of systematic channel errors when more than one nucleotide affects the current amplitude are detailed, which if present will persist regardless of coverage. Absent such errors, random errors associated with tracking through homopolymer regions are shown to necessitate reading known sequences (Escherichia coli K‐12) at least 140 times to achieve 99.99% accuracy (Q40). By exploiting the ability to reread each strand at each pore in an array, arbitrary positioning on an error rate versus throughput tradeoff curve is possible if systematic errors are absent, with throughput governed by the number of pores in the array and the enzyme turnover rate.     

Understanding the electronic energy transfer pathways in the trimeric and hexameric aggregation state of cyanobacteria phycocyanin within the framework of Förster theory

In the present study, the electronic energy transfer pathways in trimeric and hexameric aggregation state of cyanobacteria C‐phycocyanin (C‐PC) were investigated in term of the Förster theory. The corresponding excited states and transition dipole moments of phycocyanobilins (PCBs) located into C‐PC were examined by model chemistry in gas phase at time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), configuration interaction‐singles (CIS), and Zerner's intermediate neglect of differential overlap (ZINDO) levels, respectively. Then, the long‐range pigment‐protein interactions were approximately taken into account by using polarizable continuum model (PCM) at TDDFT level to estimate the influence of protein environment on the preceding calculated physical quantities. The influence of the short‐range interaction caused by aspartate residue nearby PCBs was examined as well. Only when the protonation of PCBs and its long‐ and short‐range interactions were properly taken into account, the calculated energy transfer rates (1/K) in the framework of Förster model at TDDFT/B3LYP/6‐31+G* level were in good agreement with the experimental results of C‐PC monomer and trimer. Furthermore, the present calculated results suggested that the energy transfer pathway in C‐PC monomer is predominant from β‐155 to β‐84 (1/K = 13.4 ps), however, from α‐84 of one monomer to β‐84 (1/K = 0.3–0.4 ps) in a neighbor monomer in C‐PC trimer. In C‐PC hexamer, an additional energy flow was predicted to be from β‐155 (or α‐84) in top trimer to adjacent β‐155 (or α‐84) (1/K = 0.5–2.7 ps) in bottom trimer. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Generation of sub‐terahertz repetition rates from a monolithic self‐mode‐locked laser coupled with an external Fabry‐Perot cavity

A novel scheme to multiply the repetition rate of a monolithic self‐mode‐locked laser for generating sub‐terahertz pulse sources is successfully demonstrated. A coated Yb:KGW crystal is designed to achieve a self‐mode‐locked operation at a repetition rate of 24 GHz with an average output power exceeding 1.0 W at a pump power of 4.8 W. A partially reflective mirror is utilized to combine with the output surface of the gain medium to constitute an external Fabry‐Perot cavity. It is theoretically and experimentally verified that adjusting the external cavity length to satisfy the commensurate condition can lead to the frequency spacing to be various order harmonics of the mode spacing of the monolithic cavity. The maximum pulse repetition rate of the laser output can be up to 216 GHz and the pulse duration is as short as 330 fs. More importantly, the overall characteristics of the first‐order temporal autocorrelation traces obtained by sequentially scanning the external cavity.length display an intriguing phenomenon of temporally fractional revivals, similar to the feature of spatial Talbot revivals.