Unsaturated hydrocarbons adsorbed on low coordinated Pd surface: A periodic DFT study

In this work, the adsorption of several unsaturated hydrocarbon molecules on a stepped Pd(4 2 2) surface was studied. Using a periodic method based on the Density Functional Theory (DFT) formalism, different adsorption geometries for ethylene, three butene isomers (cis/trans-2-butene and 1-butene), acetylene and 2-butyne were investigated. The results were compared with those obtained for a free defect surface as Pd(1 1 1). The 1-butene is more stable on the free defect surface than on Pd(4 2 2). On the stepped surface, the olefins adsorb tilted towards the step and increases, in almost all the cases, the magnitude of the adsorption energy. Conversely, the 3-fold site is the most stable for the alkynes adsorption on the stepped surface, as it was found on Pd(1 1 1). The analysis of the dipole moment change indicate a charge transfer from the double bond of the olefin to the metallic surface, being higher for the Pd(1 1 1) surface. In case of the alkynes, an important back-donation is produced. Except the alkynes and the 1-butene molecule, the results show the preference of ethylene and cis/trans-2-butene to be adsorbed on the stepped surface. These observations are related with experimental catalytic results.     

93.7 W 1112 nm diode-side-pumped CW Nd:YAG laser

We demonstrate a high power continuous wave (CW) infrared laser operated at 1112 nm from a diode side-pumped Nd:YAG crystal with a plano-plano symmetrical resonator. By inserting an etalon, an output power of as high as 93.7 W at 1112 nm was obtained at the pump power of 570 W with conversion efficiency of 16.4%. The beam quality factor of M² was measured to be about 17. The wavelength tunable performance of the etalon was also analyzed. To the best of our knowledge, it is the highest output power at 1112 nm CW laser based on Nd:YAG crystal.     

Effect of blue light radiation on curcumin-induced cell death of breast cancer cells

In the present study, we have successfully set up a novel blue light source with the power density of 9 mW/cm² and the wavelength of 435.8 nm and then the novel light source was used to investigate the effect of light radiation on curcumin-induced cell death. The cytotoxicity was investigated 24 h after the treatment of curcumin and blue light radiation together using MTT reduction assay. Nuclear chromatin was observed using a fluorescent microscopy with Hoechst33258 staining. The results showed blue light radiation could significantly enhance the cytotoxicity of curcumin on the MCF-7 cells and apoptosis induction. These findings demonstrated that blue light radiation could enhance curcumin-induced cell death of breast cancer cells, suggesting light radiation may be an efficient enhancer of curcumin in the management of breast cancer.     

Vibro-acoustic noise control treatments for payload bays of launch vehicles: Discrete to fuzzy solutions

Sound transmitted through an enclosing structure into a cavity has been minimised by optimising the locations, numbers and properties of tuned mass dampers placed on the structure and Helmholtz resonators placed in the cavity. Most of the results presented in the literature show the effect of a few well selected acoustic or vibration absorbers on simple vibro-acoustic systems, whereas the results presented here indicate the trends that occur when a few absorbers are replaced by a large number. The results indicate that for low numbers of absorbers, the result of the optimal configuration is to reduce the response of discrete modes, and for a large number of absorbers the result of the optimal configuration is a tendency for the vibro-acoustic energy to be smeared over a range of frequencies, which is similar to the results seen in fuzzy structures. The enormous computational task was achieved using a distributed computing network and an asynchronous parallel genetic algorithm.     

Superstring motivated gauge models based on a rank six subgroup ofE 6

We discuss gauge models based on a superstring motivated rank six subgroup ofE ₆. Lepton number is an accidental unbroken symmetry of the models which leads to an essentially stable proton. One of the neutral gauge bosons couples toB-L and may have mass below a TeV.     

Existence for nonoscillatory solutions of higher-order nonlinear neutral difference equations

In this paper, we consider the following forced higher-order nonlinear neutral difference equation

     

Experimental study of enhanced emission of the laser-ablated plume in backing gas

The effects of background gases on the optical emission of the excimer-laser-ablated plume from a brass target have been studied experimentally. It is found that the plume emission can be enhanced significantly in a proper gas ambient. In hydrogen, the highest peak intensity is detected, and in argon, there is a distinctive difference in the pressure-dependent emission between in He and in the other three gases, Ar, N₂ and H₂. Moreover, the monitored line peak intensity remains unchanged in Ar and N₂ and increases in H₂ within a distance above the target surface; but in He, the observed peak intensity decreases with distance like in vacuum. Furthermore, the emissions of several more atomic lines of Cu and Zn atoms from the plume are also found to be enhanced in the same manner in gas ambient. Some physical processes involved in the plume expansion and the possible mechanisms for the enhanced emission of the plume in backing gas are discussed.     

How Focusing Phenomena in the Instructional Environment Support Individual Students' Generalizations

This article sets forth a way of connecting the classroom instructional environment with individual students' generalizations. To do so, we advance the notion of focusing phenomena, that is, regularities in the ways in which teachers, students, artifacts, and curricular materials act together to direct attention toward certain mathematical properties over others. The construct of focusing phenomena emerged from an empirical study conducted during a 5-week unit on slope and linear functions in a high school classroom using a reform curriculum. Qualitative evidence from interviews with 7 students revealed that students interpreted the m value in y = b + mx as a difference rather than a ratio as a result of counterproductive generalization afforded by focusing phenomena. Classroom analysis revealed 4 focusing phenomena, which regularly directed students' attention to various sets of differences rather than to the coordination of quantities.     

Variational estimates of chiral order parameter in 1+1 dimensional lattice QCD

We discuss analytically the vacuum structure and chiral-symmetry breaking in 1+1 dimensional lattice QCD with naive and Wilson fermions, using a unitary transformation and the variational method developed recently. As an example, the chiral order parameter is evaluated systematically for any coupling constant and fermion mass by including the multilink-terms in the transformation. The expected scaling behavior is observed. Our results are consistent with the continuum predictions.