Temperature evolution of structural and magnetic properties of stoichiometric LiCu2O2: Correlation of thermal expansion coefficient and magnetic order

Temperature-dependent crystallographic and magnetic studies on stoichiometric single crystals of LiCu₂O₂ are reported. The temperature dependence of the lattice parameters was extracted from X-ray powder diffractograms collected on crushed single crystals, from 12 K to 295 K. The magnetic properties are similar to earlier findings demonstrating antiferromagnetic ordering below 25 K. Evidence of magnetoelastic coupling is observed in the thermal expansion along the c-direction; not only at the low temperature antiferromagnetic transitions, but an anomalous behavior of the thermal expansion indicate magnetoelastic coupling also to the magnetic ordering related to a weak spontaneous magnetic moment appearing at 150 K. Ac-susceptibility measurements at different frequencies and superposed dc-fields are employed to further characterize this magnetic anomaly.     

Determination of rain attenuation parameters for free space optical link in tropical rain

Free space optics (FSO) is a promising communication technique for various types of services in the optical access network. Single beam FSO system in tropical rainy weather is vulnerable to atmospheric rain attenuation, so it is necessary to have precise power law parameters of rain attenuation in tropical regions. In this study, the power law parameters k, and α are estimated as 2.03 and 0.74, respectively for the FSO applications in tropical South-East Asian weather. These parameters were evaluated by using least square mean equation (LSME) method with Levenberg–Marquardt optimization based on the one year collected heavy rain data. The obtained parameter values for tropical weather are contributed to improve link performance for high-speed networks.     

External energy transfer in amplified spontaneous emissions from MEH-PPV conjugated polymer

We observed amplified spontaneous emissions (ASEs) in solutions of conjugated polymer under high power neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser excitation. A solution of coumarin-485 dye (C₄₈₅) and conjugated polymer (MEH-PPV) was prepared in tetrahydrofuran (THF). Here, C₄₈₅ acted as a donor (with different ratios) while MEH-PPV served as an acceptor (with a constant ratio). Without the donor, MEH-PPV exhibited ASE only in the excimeric state; with the donor, however, it produced ASE in both the monomeric and excimeric states simultaneously. These results clearly show that it is possible to monitor and manipulate the excited state behavior of molecules by using an energy transfer process using laser-excited conjugated polymer.     

Sensing cytochrome P450 1A1 activity by a resorufin-based isoform-specific fluorescent probe

Cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1), a heme-containing monooxygenase, is of particular importance for human health because of its vital roles in the metabolic activation of pro-carcinogenic compounds to the carcinogens. Deciphering the relevance of CYP1A1 to human diseases and screening of CYP1A1 modulators require reliable tool(s) for probing this key enzyme in complex biological matrices. Herein, a practical and ultrasensitive fluorescence-based assay for real-time sensing CYP1A1 activities in biological systems has been developed, via designing an isoform-specific fluorogenic sensor for CYP1A1 (CHPO). The newly developed fluorogenic substrate for CYP1A1 has been carefully investigated in terms of specificity, sensitivity, precision, quantitative linear range and the anti-interference ability. The excellent selectivity, strong anti-interference ability and fast response kinetics, making the practicability of CHPO-based CYP1A1 activity assay is better than that of most reported CYP1A1 activity assays. Furthermore, CHPO has been successfully used for imaging CYP1A1 activities in living cells and human tissues, as well as for high-throughput screening of CYP1A1 inhibitors using tissue preparations as enzyme sources. Collectively, this study provided a practical fluorogenic sensor for real-time sensing CYP1A1 in complex biological systems, which would strongly facilitate the investigations on the relevance of CYP1A1 to human diseases and promote high-throughput screening of CYP1A1 modulators for biomedical applications.     

Synthesis and phase transition studies on non-symmetric liquid crystal dimers: N-(4-(n-(4-(benzothiazol-2-yl)phenoxy)alkyloxy)-benzylidene)-4-chloroanilines

A new series of non-symmetric liquid crystal dimers N-(4-(n-(4-(benzothiazol-2-yl)phenoxy)alkyloxy)benzylidene)-4-chloroaniline containing benzothiazole and benzylideneimine units connected by a flexible alkyl spacer, –(CH₂) _n –, with n ranging from 4 to 12 in even parity have been prepared. All five members of this homologous series exhibit an enantiotropic nematic phase. The compounds with greater n of 8–12 exhibit both nematic and smectic phases upon cooling. A notable feature among this series is that for the member with n?=?10, the smectic–nematic transition is also present. The nematic–isotropic transition temperatures and associated entropy changes with respect to all compounds in this series exhibit a dramatic dependence on the length of the flexible spacer. A comparison of the transitional properties of this series with those of α-(4-benzylidenechloroaniline-4′-oxy)-ω-[4-(thiophene-2-carboxyl)benzylideneaniline-4′-oxy]alkanes reveals that replacing benzothiazole moiety at one side of the flexible alkyl spacer reduces the nematic–isotropic transition temperature.     

New Criterion for Starlike Integral Operators

In this paper, we introduce new sufficient conditions for certain integral operators to be starlike and p-valently starlike in the open unit disk.     

Analysis of nonlinear fractional partial differential equations with the homotopy analysis method

In this paper, the time fractional partial differential equations are investigated by means of the homotopy analysis method. This technique is extended to study the partial differential equations of fractal order for the first time. The accurate series solutions are obtained. This indicates the validity and great potential of the homotopy analysis method for solving nonlinear fractional partial differential equations.     

Large-amplitude dust acoustic solitons in an opposite polarity dusty plasma with generalized polarization force

Linear and nonlinear dust acoustic(DA)waves have been investigated in an opposite polarity dusty plasma comprising negatively and positively charged dust grains,Maxwellian electrons and ions,including the generalized polarization force effect.The properties of linear DA waves have been significantly altered by the dual dust polarity and polarization force.Large amplitude DA solitons have been discussed in the framework of the Sagdeev potential technique.Our results show that both rarefactive and compressive solitons can exist in such a dusty plasma.The basic features of the Sagdeev potential have been examined under the effect of the polarization force parameter R,the ratio of the charge number of the positive dust to that of the negative dust Z,and the Mach number M.The results show that these parameters play a significant role in determining the region of existence of large amplitude DA solitons.     

Measurement of the forward and back rate constants for electron transfer at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM): Theory and experiment

A new numerical model is developed for the scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) feedback mode for reversible electron transfer (ET) processes at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES). Results from this model were compared with data obtained using an earlier SECM feedback model in which the back reaction was not considered, to identify when the latter will be important. The dependence of the ET rate constant for the oxidation of 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane radical anion (TCNQ⁻) in 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) by aqueous ferricyanide on the interfacial potential drop (Δ_w^oφ) was studied using SECM. The Δ_w^oφ value was varied by changing the concentration of NaClO₄ in the aqueous phase while a fixed concentration of organic electrolyte, tetra-n-hexylammonium perchlorate, was used in the DCE phase. The results obtained were compared to earlier published studies on the forward reaction between TCNQ in DCE and aqueous ferrocyanide. Both the forward and back ET rate constants were found to depend strongly on the interfacial potential drop, with measured ET coefficients in the region of 0.5–0.6. A similar ET rate constant was observed at zero driving force for both the forward and back reactions. These experimental results suggest that the Butler–Volmer model applies to ET at the ITIES, when the driving force for the reaction is low, and under conditions of relatively high ionic strength in both the aqueous and organic phases.