Heavy quarks at RHIC and LHC within a partonic transport model

Production and space-time evolution of heavy quarks in central and non-central heavy-ion collisions at RHIC and LHC are studied with the partonic transport model Boltzmann Approach of MultiParton Scatterings (BAMPS). In addition to the initially created heavy quarks in hard parton scatterings during nucleon-nucleon collisions, secondary heavy quark production in the quark-gluon plasma is investigated and the sensitivity on various parameters is estimated. In BAMPS heavy quarks scatter with particles of the medium via elastic collisions, whose cross section is calculated with the running coupling and a more precise implementation of Debye screening. In this framework, we compute the elliptic flow and nuclear modification factor of heavy quarks and compare it to the experimental data.     

Top-down synthesis of polyoxometalate-like sub-nanometer molybdenum-oxo clusters as high-performance electrocatalysts

The top-down fabrication of catalytically active molecular metal oxide anions, or polyoxometalates, is virtually unexplored, although these materials offer unique possibilities, for catalysis, energy conversion and storage. Here, we report a novel top-down route, which enables the scalable synthesis and deposition of sub-nanometer molybdenum-oxo clusters on electrically conductive mesoporous carbon. The new approach uses a unique redox-cycling process to convert crystalline Mo^IVO₂ particles into sub-nanometer molecular molybdenum-oxo clusters with a nuclearity of ∼1–20. The resulting molybdenum-oxo cluster/carbon composite shows outstanding, stable electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen reduction reaction with catalyst characteristics comparable to those of commercial Pt/C. This new material design could give access to a new class of highly reactive polyoxometalate-like metal oxo clusters as high-performance, earth abundant (electro-)catalysts.

The top-down synthesis and deposition of polyoxometalate-like clusters on porous carbon is reported together with the high electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reactivity of the composite.     

Trimeric and tetrameric liquid crystalline thiadiazole derivatives

Abstract

Novel liquid crystalline 2-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole based oligomers with three and four rigid aromatic units linked by a flexible central unit have been investigated by polarizing microscopy. The synthesis of these compounds and the influence of structural variations on the mesomorphic properties are described. The combination of suitable mesogenic moieties with appropriate central units leads to oligomers which exhibit S_c phases.     

Comparative dielectric investigations on samples consisting of fluorinated bent core molecules

Dielectric measurements on four samples composed of bent-shaped molecules with the same basic structure were carried out. They differ only in the position of one fluorine atom in the central core. Two relaxation ranges were detected: the fast reorientation about the long axes and a slow collective process. In three cases, evidence for a positive dipole correlation in the isotropic phase near to the transition to the B₂2 phase was found. All samples show a tendency to give a glass transition. The dielectric constants are discussed in relation to the position of the fluorine atoms.     

Monolithic 160 Gbit/s optical time-division multiplexer

We present the design and experimental characterization of a monolithic optical time-division multiplexer (MUX) for 160 Gbit/s operation based on periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguides. Its key figures of merit agree well with theoretical predictions and meet or exceed those of a previously demonstrated PPLN-planar-light-wave-circuit hybrid MUX. The monolithic design has a simpler layout and higher efficiency while keeping the cross talk low.     

Electro-Mechanochemical Atom Transfer Radical Cyclizations using Piezoelectric BaTiO3

The formation and regeneration of active Cu^I species is a fundamental mechanistic step in copper-catalyzed atom transfer radical cyclizations (ATRC). Typically, the presence of the catalytically active Cu^I species in the reaction mixture is secured by using high Cu^I catalyst loadings or the addition of complementary reducing agents. In this study it is demonstrated how the piezoelectric properties of barium titanate (BaTiO₃) can be harnessed by mechanical ball milling to induce electrical polarization in the strained piezomaterial. This strategy enables the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy, leading to the reduction of a Cu^II precatalyst into the active Cu^I species in copper-catalyzed mechanochemical solvent-free ATRC reactions.     

Artificial Splitting of a Non‐Ribosomal Peptide Synthetase by Inserting Natural Docking Domains

The interaction in multisubunit non‐ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) is mediated by docking domains that ensure the correct subunit‐to‐subunit interaction. We introduced natural docking domains into the three‐module xefoampeptide synthetase (XfpS) to create two to three artificial NRPS XfpS subunits. The enzymatic performance of the split biosynthesis was measured by absolute quantification of the products by HPLC‐ESI‐MS. The connecting role of the docking domains was probed by deleting integral parts of them. The peptide production data was compared to soluble protein amounts of the NRPS using SDS‐PAGE. Reduced peptide synthesis was not a result of reduced soluble NRPS concentration but a consequence of the deletion of vital docking domain parts. Splitting the xefoampeptide biosynthesis polypeptide by introducing docking domains was feasible and resulted in higher amounts of product in one of the two tested split‐module cases compared to the full‐length wild‐type enzyme.     

Comparative Dielectric Investigations on Nematic Liquid Crystals with Aerosil

Dielectric measurements on a nematic room temperature mixture and the mixture with 20% aerosil were carried out. Addition of aerosil results in a small increase of the clearing temperature and in increasing relaxation frequency for the reorientation around the short molecular axis. The results are interpreted as orientation effect of the nematic sample at the fractal aerosil.     

On the uniqueness of symmetric bases in finite dimensional Banach spaces

Suppose{e _i} _i=1 ⁿ and{f _i} _i=1 ⁿ are symmetric bases of the Banach spacesE andF. Letd(E,F)≦C andd(E,l _n ² )≧n' for somer>0. Then there is a constantC _r=C_r(C)>0 such that for alla _i∈Ri=1,...,n $$C_r^{ - 1} \left\| {\sum\limits_{i = 1}^n {a_i e_i } } \right\| \leqq \left\| {\sum\limits_{i = 1}^n {a_i f_i } } \right\| \leqq C_r \left\| {\sum\limits_{i = 1}^n {a_i e_i } } \right\|$$ We also give a partial uniqueness of unconditional bases under more restrictive conditions.