Chaos break and synchrony enrichment within Hindmarsh–Rose-type memristive neural models

Nonlinear Dynamics - The fluctuation of ions concentration across the cell membrane of neuron can generate a time varying electromagnetic field. Thus, memristors are used to realize the coupling...     

Salt effect on molecular orientation at air/liquid methanol interface

The salt effects on molecular orientation at air/liquid methanol interface were investigated by the polarization-dependent sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy(SFG-VS). We clarified that the average tilting angle of the methyl group to be u = 308 58 at the air/pure methanol surface assuming a d-function orientational distribution. Upon the addition of 3 mol/L Na I, the methyl group tilts further away from the surface normal with a new u = 418 38. This orientational change does not explain the enhancement of the SFG-VS intensities when adding Na I, implying the number density of the methanol molecules with a net polar ordering in the surface region also changed with the Na I concentrations. These spectroscopic findings shed new light on the salt effects on the surfaces structures of the polar organic solutions. It was also shown that the accurate determination of the bulk refractive indices and Raman depolarization ratios for different salt concentrations is crucial to quantitatively interpret the SFG-VS data.     

Surface of room temperature ionic liquid [bmim][PF6] studied by polarization- and experimental configuration-dependent sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

Understanding and control of the surface properties such as molecular orientations are of great importance in numerous applications of ionic liquids. However, there remain discrepancies among the previous experimental and theoretical studies on the surface orientation and structures of room temperature ionic liquids(RTIL) systems. In this article, the orientation of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium([bmin]) cation at the air/liquid interface of a characteristic RTIL, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate([bmim][PF6]), was investigated by the sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy(SFG-VS). Detailed polarization and experimental configuration analyses of the SFG-VS spectra showed the possibility of a small spectral splitting in the CH3 symmetric stretching region, which can be further attributed to the probable existence of multiple orientations for the interfacial [bmim] cations. In addition, the(N)–CH3 vibrations were absent, ruling out the prediction by several recent molecular dynamics simulations which state that portions of the [bmim] cations orient with a standing-up(N)–CH3 group at the ionic liquid surface. Hence, new realistic theoretical models have to be developed to reflect the complex nature of the ionic liquid surface.     

Chemical equilibrium controlled synthesis of polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers over sulfated titania

The chemical equilibrium and reaction kinetic behavior in the synthesis of polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers(DMMn) were investigated over sulfated titania in order to reveal the decisive factor controlling the reaction. The results showed that the molar ratio of adjacent DMMn products in equilibrium solution had the same value, which depended absolutely on the reaction temperature. Meanwhile, the reactions had the same DMMn products distributions under varied reaction conditions. The equilibrium constants of the related step-wise reactions for DMMn formation were equal, which were calculated based on the bulk compositions of the reaction solution. And thus, the selectivity to DMMn was mainly controlled by the chemical equilibrium, i.e., thermodynamic control. In brief, the present results provide some guidance for future synthesis of DMMn.     

Direct synthesis of propylene carbonate from propylene and carbon dioxide catalyzed by quaternary ammonium heteropolyphosphatotungstate–TBAB system

In this paper,we have developed a highly efficient method for the direct preparation of propylene carbonate from propylene and carbon dioxide(CO2) using quaternary ammonium heteropolyphosphatotungstate–quaternary ammonium halide catalytic system with anhydrous hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant through one-pot two-step process.The effects of the amount of tetrabutylammonium bromide(TBAB),the concentration of hydrogen peroxide and other reaction conditions were investigated.The catalyst system gave an optimum propylene oxide yield(91%) at75°C in oxidation step and the highest propylene carbonate yield(99%) at 140°C and 3.0 MPa in cycloaddition step.Based on the results,a reaction mechanism has been proposed.     

A Hybrid Finite Volume Method for Advection Equations and Its Applications in Population Dynamics

We present in this article a very adapted finite volume numerical scheme for transport type‐equation. The scheme is an hybrid one combining an anti‐dissipative method with down‐winding approach for the flux (Després and Lagoutière, C R Acad Sci Paris Sér I Math 328(10) (1999), 939–944; Goudon, Lagoutière, and Tine, Math Method Appl Sci 23(7) (2013), 1177–1215) and an high accurate method as the WENO5 one (Jiang and Shu, J Comput Phys 126 (1996), 202–228). The main goal is to construct a scheme able to capture in exact way the numerical solution of transport type‐equation without artifact like numerical diffusion or without “stairs” like oscillations and this for any regular or discontinuous initial distribution. This kind of numerical hybrid scheme is very suitable when properties on the long term asymptotic behavior of the solution are of central importance in the modeling what is often the case in context of population dynamics where the final distribution of the considered population and its mass preservation relation are required for prediction. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 33: 1114–1142, 2017     

Lateral flow test for visual detection of silver(I) based on cytosine-Ag(I)-cytosine interaction in C-rich oligonucleotides

The authors describe an oligonucleotide-based lateral flow test for visual detection of Ag(I). The assay is based on cytosine-Ag(I)-cytosine [C-Ag(I)-C] coordination chemistry to capture gold nanoparticle (AuNP) tags in the test zone. A thiolated C-rich oligonucleotide probe was immobilized on the AuNPs via gold-thiol chemistry, and a biotinylated C-rich oligonucleotide probe was immobilized on the test zone. The AuNPs labelled with C-rich oligonucleotides are captured by Ag(I) ions in the test zone through the C-Ag(I)-C coordination. The resulting accumulation of AuNPs produces a readily visible red band in the test zone. Under optimized conditions, the test is capable of visually detecting 1.0 ppb of Ag(I) which is 50 times lower than the maximum allowable concentration as defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency for drinking water. Hence, the test is inexpensive and highly sensitive. It was applied to the detection of Ag(I) in spiked samples of tap water and river water. In our perception, the test is a particularly valuable tool in limited resource settings.

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基于拓扑描述函数的连续体结构拓扑优化方法

提出了一种利用拓扑描述函数(TDF)作为拓扑设计变量求解连续体结构拓扑优化问题 的新方法. 优化问题的目标函数是结构的整体柔顺性，约束条件为对于可利用材料的体积限 制. 这种方法不仅可以消除拓扑优化中经常出现的棋盘格式等数值不稳定现象，而且能够有 效地抑制传统算法处理此类优化问题时所引发的边界扩散效应. 与其它的基于水平集描述函 数的拓扑优化方法相比，所提出的算法不仅无需求解控制水平集函数演化的双曲守恒方 程，而且合理地考虑了目标函数的拓扑导数信息，因而使得算法的计算效率有了显著的提高.     

Down syndrome and parity

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of parity on Down syndrome (DS). METHODS: The study was conducted on data from Northeast Italy (NEI) (1981-1996) and Sicily (ISMAC) (1991-1996) Congenital Malformation Registries. In these areas, all DS births are recorded and confirmed by chromosomal analysis; the NEI Registry also registers pregnancy terminations (TOPs) after prenatal diagnosis of DS. In order to estimate the effect of parity independently of the mother's age and to reduce the truncation effect, different age classes and three classes of parity (1, 2-4, >4) were defined. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 1,088 consecutive newborns and 169 consecutive fetuses affected by DS. In both NEI and ISMAC samples, we found a significantly increased risk of having a DS child for multiparas > or =35 years of age. In the NEI sample, the inclusion of TOP data did not seem to modify this finding. In the ISMAC sample, a significantly reduced risk for primiparas was found at all ages. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirm a higher risk of having a DS child in women with parity >4. As this effect is evident only in women > or =35 years age, its practical impact is null because these women are usually offered prenatal diagnosis in any case. However, the mechanisms involved, if this association is true, are very intriguing and the observation should stimulate scientific studies allowing a better knowledge of the nondisjunction mechanism.     

Confining effect on the bearing capacity of circular footings on a purely cohesive soilEffet du confinement sur la capacité portante d'une fondation circulaire sur un sol purement cohérent

The bearing capacity of axially symmetrical footings acting on a purely cohesive soil foundation contained by a rigid wall at a finite distance is investigated within the framework of the Yield design theory. Following the same tracks as in a preceding paper devoted to strip footings, the analysis is performed by referring to already existing results concerning the bearing capacity of a circular footing on a soil layer with limited thickness. It comes out that the bearing capacity factor determined by Eason and Shield for a rough circular footing on an unlimited soil foundation is increased by a correction factor that increases when the diameter of the container decreases. Comparison with the results obtained for strip footings acting on a purely cohesive soil in the same conditions shows that the confining effect is significantly lower for a circular footing than for a strip footing. To cite this article: J. Salençon, C. R. Mecanique 330 (2002) 521–525.