Toric degenerations of spherical varieties

We prove that any affine, resp. polarized projective, spherical variety admits a flat degeneration to an affine, resp. polarized projective, toric variety. Motivated by mirror symmetry, we give conditions for the limit toric variety to be a Gorenstein Fano, and provide many examples. We also provide an explanation for the limits as boundary points of the moduli space of stable pairs whose existence is predicted by the Minimal Model Program.     

Synthesis of new [2]rotaxane including a macrocyclic receptor and a photochromic unit

The novel photochromic [2]rotaxane based on chromene molecule introduced into a crown-containing macrocyclic receptor was synthesized. The photochemical properties of rotaxane could be modified by the complexation of the crown ether moiety.     

Manifolds with minimal radial curvature bounded from below and big volume

We prove that a convergence in the Gromov-Hausdorff distance of manifolds with minimal radial curvature bounded from below by 1 to the standard sphere is equivalent to a volume convergence.

     

Structure and lattice dynamics of solid solutions (1 − x)BiFeO3-xANbO3 (A = K,Na)

The structures and the dynamic characteristics of the lattices of two compositions of solid solutions of multiferroic BiFeO₃ with ferroelectric KNbO₃ and antiferroelctric NaNbO₃, namely, (1 ? x)BiFeO₃-xKNbO₃ and (1 ? x)BiFeO₃-xNaNbO₃, have been studied using X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. For these systems with x = 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7, the symmetry and unit cell parameters at room temperature have been determined. An analysis of the vibrational spectra has revealed sequences of rotational distortions with variations in the concentrations of components.     

Effect of the structure of nitroxyl radicals on the kinetics of their acid‐catalyzed disproportionation

Acid‐catalyzed disproportionation of cyclic nitroxyl radicals R₂NO^? includes the half‐reactions of their oxidation to oxoammonium cations R₂NO⁺ and reduction to hydroxylamines R₂NOH. For many nitroxyl radicals, this reaction is characterized by its ~100% reversibility. Quantitative characteristics of acid–base and redox properties of the whole redox triad may be obtained from research of kinetics and equilibrium of this reaction. Here, we have examined the kinetics for the disproportionation of twenty piperidine‐, pyrroline‐, pyrrolidine‐, and imidazoline nitroxyl radicals in aqueous H₂SO₄, and interpreted it in terms of the excess acidity function X. The rate‐limiting step of this reaction is R₂NO^? oxidation by its protonated counterpart R₂NOH^+?. Kinetic stability of R₂NO^? in acidic media depends on the basicity of nitroxyl group. This basicity is influenced predominantly by protonation of another, more basic group in radical structure, and its proximity to nitroxyl group. The discovered estimates of pK values for radical cations R₂NOH^+? (from ?5.8 to ?12.0) indicate a very low basicity of nitroxyl groups in all commonly used R₂NO^?. For the first time, a linear correlation is obtained between the one‐electron reduction potentials of oxoammonium cations and the basicity of nitroxyl groups of related radicals. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Baryon Structure in AdS/QCD

We discuss baryon structure in a soft-wall anti-de Sitter/quantum chromodynamics model. From unified point of view we describe nucleon form factors and the electroproduction of the N(1440) Roper resonance. The Roper resonance is identified as the first radially excited state of the nucleon. The obtained results for helicity amplitudes of the Roper electroproduction are in good agreement with the recent results of the CLAS Collaboration at JLab.     

Voltammetric study of levomepromazine induced ionic permeability in a model lipid membrane system

The interaction of solid supported liquid films of lipids with levomepromazine is investigated in the present work by voltammetry. It is shown that the levomepromazine penetrates into the films, which results in a readily detectable change of the film permeability to electroactive species. In this respect, possibilities for the employment of supported lipid films as model systems in the research of biomembrane active compounds are briefly discussed.     

Structural phase transitions in CdTiO3

The reconstructive phase transition from the ilmenite-like CdTiO₃ modification to the perovskite modification is investigated thoroughly. It is revealed that the reconstructive transition is determined by size effects, results in the formation of the closest packing of the ilmenite CdTiO₃ structure, and is irreversible with a decrease in temperature. The perovskite CdTiO₃ modification undergoes displacive structural phase transitions at temperatures of 110, 220, and 380°C. The first displacive phase transition is isostructural, whereas the second and third transitions are associated with rotations of oxygen octahedra.     

Hydroelastic stability of multi-plate structures interacting with flowing fluid

The paper is concerned with the finite-element analysis of natural vibrations and hydroelastic stability of two parallel plates interacting with liquid. The influence of the fluid layer thickness on the eigenfrequencies, vibration modes and hydroelastic stability boundary are estimated based on the results of numerical solution of some example problems. The numerical investigation substantiates the existence of various instability modes, the onset of which depends on the combinations of kinematic boundary conditions specified at the plate ends. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Persistent centers of complex systems

On the basis of some works on persistent centers and weakly persistent centers, in this paper we discuss a generalized version of persistent center and weakly persistent center for complex planar differential systems, in which conjugacy of variables may not be required. We give some complex systems which have a persistent center or weakly persistent center at the origin. Then, we find all conditions of persistent center for cubic systems and all conditions of weakly persistent center for complex cubic Lotka–Volterra system. Relations between complex systems and real ones are given concerning persistent centers and weakly persistent centers.