Tunable two-dimensional hexagonal phase array in domain-engineered Z-cut lithium niobate crystal

An optical phase array with tunable phase step is demonstrated. The phase array consists of a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice of inverted ferroelectric domains fabricated on a Z-cut lithium niobate substrate. The electro-optically tunable phase step is obtained by the application of an external electric field along the z axis of the crystal via transparent electrodes. Theoretical analysis and experimental results are presented, showing that a tunable and flexible adaptive optical illuminator device can be realized by combining the electro-optic tunability with the Talbot effect. Generation of a multiplicity of light patterns is shown.     

Structures and electronic absorption spectra of a recently synthesised class of photodynamic therapy agents

A theoretical study was performed on a novel class of boron-containing molecules (various substituted tetraarylazadipyrromethenes), which show in vitro activity for application in photodynamic therapy. Geometric optimisation of the structures for the singlet and triplet electronic states was carried out on compounds in vacuo at the density functional level of theory, by employing the PBE0 hybrid functional and the split-valence plus polarisation basis set. The absorbance properties in the UV-visible region were examined by means of time-dependent density functional response theory, using the same functional as mentioned above. To evaluate the influence of the solvent on the excitation energies, the continuum polarisable model was applied. Calculated electronic excitations, such as those regarding the Q-like band, were found to be in good agreement (within 0.01-0.1 eV) with experimental values and experimental trends on changing both the substituents and solvent.     

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of 2‐(acyl or carboxyalkyl)‐3‐(H or alkyl or aryl)‐5 (or ‐6 or ‐8)‐monochloro, 7‐fluoro‐substituted‐4H‐1,4‐benzothiazines

A series of 2‐(acyl or carboxyalkyl)‐3‐(H or alkyl or aryl)‐5 (or ‐6 or ‐8)‐monochloro, 7‐fluoro‐substituted‐4H‐1,4‐benzothiazines 3a‐x were prepared to investigate their potential biological activity. In this work the 3a‐w structures are supported with physical and analytical data and the results of their in vitro antimicrobial activity against some strains Gram positive, Gram negative, and Fungi are reported. It was found that compounds 3a, 3d displayed interesting antibacterial activity, whereas compound 3f displayed interesting antifungal activity.     

On the rearrangement in dioxane/water of (Z)-arylhydrazones of 5-amino-3-benzoyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole into (2-aryl-5-phenyl-2H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)ureas: substituent effects on the different reaction pathways

We have recently evidenced an interesting differential behavior in the reactivity in dioxane/water between the (Z)-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (1a) and the (Z)-phenylhydrazone (1b) of 5-amino-3-benzoyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole. The former rearranges into the relevant triazole 2a only at pS+ > 4.5 while undergoing hydrolysis at high proton concentration (pS+ < 3.5); on the contrary, the latter rearranges into 2b in the whole pS+ range examined (0.1 < or = pS+ < or = 14.9). Thus, for a deeper understanding of these differences we have now collected kinetic data on the rearrangement in dioxane/water of a series of 3- or 4-substituted (Z)-phenylhydrazones (1c-l) of 5-amino-3-benzoyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole in a wide range of proton concentrations (pS+ 0.1-12.3) with the aim of gaining information about the effect of the substituent on the course of the reaction. All of the (Z)-arylhydrazones studied rearrange via three different reaction routes (specific-acid-catalyzed, uncatalyzed, and general-base-catalyzed), and the relevant results have been examined by means of free energy relationships.     

Iron speciation in ancient Attic pottery pigments: a non‐destructive SR‐XAS investigation

The present work reports a detailed investigation on the speciation of iron in the pigments of decorated pottery fragments of cultural heritage relevance. The fragments come from the Gioiosa Guardia archaeological site in the area of the `Strait of Messina' (Sicily, Southern Italy), and date back to VI–V century BC. The purpose of this study is to characterize the main pigmenting agents responsible for the dark‐red coloration of the specimens using non‐destructive analytical techniques such as synchrotron radiation X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (SR‐XAS), a well established technique for cultural heritage and environmental subjects. Absorption spectra were collected at the Fe K‐edge on the Italian beamline for absorption and diffraction (BM8‐GILDA) at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble (France). In order to determine the speciation of Fe in the samples, principal component analysis and least‐squares fitting procedures were applied to the near‐edge part of the absorption spectra (XANES). Details on the local structure around the Fe sites were obtained by analyzing the extended part of the spectra (EXAFS). Furthermore, an accurate determination of the average Fe oxidation state was carried out through analysis of the pre‐edge peaks of the absorption spectra. Samples resulted composed of an admixture of Fe₂O₃ (hematite or maghemite) and magnetite (Fe₃O₄), occurring in different relative abundance in the dark‐ and light‐colored areas of the specimens. The results obtained are complementary to information previously obtained by means of instrumental neutron activation analysis, Fourier transform infrared absorbance and time‐of‐flight neutron diffraction.     

Geometrically Nonlinear Cantilever under Stochastic Loading Vectors

This paper deals with the static and dynamic response of acantilever beam affected by Gaussian and non-Gaussian vectorprocesses. The load is modeled by three different correlationstructures based on the second-order Markov process, and thenon-Gaussian random features are described by translationprocesses. Both the linear and geometrically nonlinear behaviorare described using the finite element approach, and the beammechanical characteristics (natural frequencies and damping) arevaried to investigate their influence on the response. Finally,the Monte Carlo approach is used to estimate the responsestatistics. The transverse displacement and the bending moment atthe beam joints are used to summarize the obtained results interms of skewness and kurtosis coefficients, and probabilitydensity functions. The study presented in this paper providesinformation on the influence of the load nature and the structuralbehavior on the response random features.     

Isomerization and rearrangement of (E)‐ and (Z)‐phenylhydrazones of 3‐benzoyl‐5‐phenyl‐1,2,4‐oxadiazole: evidence for a ‘new’ type of acid‐catalysis by copper(II) salts in mononuclear rearrangement of heterocycles

A kinetic investigation in methanol of the title reaction has evidenced the occurrence of two processes: the 1‐ E 1‐ Z isomerization and the rearrangement of the (Z)‐isomer into the relevant 4‐benzoylamino‐2,5‐diphenyl‐1,2,3‐triazole ( 1‐ Z → T ). The latter reaction is in line with the ability of the (Z)‐phenylhydrazones of 3‐benzoyl‐1,2,4‐oxadiazoles to undergo the so called mononuclear rearrangement of heterocycles (MRH). The occurrence of both the examined reactions is dependent on a Lewis‐acid‐catalysis. The obtained results have shown the possibility of a ‘new’ type of acid‐catalysis (bifunctional catalysis by Lewis salts) in the MRH. This catalysis operates through a completely different mechanism with respect to the one recently observed, and deeply investigated, in the presence of protic acids for the (Z)‐phenylhydrazone of 5‐amino‐3‐benzoyl‐1,2,4‐oxadiazole, in both dioxane/water and toluene, for which the catalytic process was dependent on the protonation of N(4) ring‐nitrogen of the 1,2,4‐oxadiazole. As a matter of fact, the copper salts seem able to interact with the >C?N? NH? C₆H₅ moiety, yielding adducts which, in some cases, are prone to both isomerize and rearrange. Therefore, a similar behaviour in some manner parallel to that already observed in benzene in the presence of aliphatic amines (base‐catalysis) has been evidenced. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

O(3P)+1，2-丁二烯反应的交叉分子束和理论研究：丙烯+CO和亚乙基+乙烯酮反应的主要分子通道

详细了解O(~3P)与不饱和烃的多通道燃烧反应机理需要鉴定所有主要反应产物、确定分支比、评估三重态与单重态势能面之间的系间窜跃.将交叉分子束实验、软电离、质谱、飞行时间分析,以及高级从头算计算三重态/单线态势能面,RRKM/Master方程计算支化比包括系间窜跃,均可以获得最佳效果.最近已经证明这些方法对于含有两个或三个碳原子的最简单的不饱和烃(炔烃,烯烃,二烯)和O(~3P)反应是成功的.本文通过交叉分子束与理论相结合的方法研究O(~3P)和含有四个C原子的二烯类化合物,1,2-丁二烯(甲基芳烃)的反应,探索产物分布、分支比和系间窜跃如何随着分子复杂性的增加而变化,即从O(~3P)和丙二烯反应到O(~3P)1,2-丁二烯的反应变化.尤其关注了最重要的导致链终止的主导分子通道(即形成丙烯+CO(分支≥0.5)和亚乙基+乙烯酮(分支比≥0.15))与导致链传递的自由基形成通道进行对比(分支比≥0.35).     

Measuring financial risk and portfolio optimization with a non-Gaussian multivariate model

In this paper, we propose a multivariate market model with returns assumed to follow a multivariate normal tempered stable distribution. This distribution, defined by a mixture of the multivariate normal distribution and the tempered stable subordinator, is consistent with two stylized facts that have been observed for asset distributions: fat-tails and an asymmetric dependence structure. Assuming infinitely divisible distributions, we derive closed-form solutions for two important measures used by portfolio managers in portfolio construction: the marginal VaR and the marginal AVaR. We illustrate the proposed model using stocks comprising the Dow Jones Industrial Average, first statistically validating the model based on goodness-of-fit tests and then demonstrating how the marginal VaR and marginal AVaR can be used for portfolio optimization using the model. Based on the empirical evidence presented in this paper, our framework offers more realistic portfolio risk measures and a more tractable method for portfolio optimization.     

Timescales and Phenomenology of Mechanically Stimulated Glasses: a Review

The principal features of the volumetric as well as the viscoelastic response of mechanically stimulated glasses can be summarized as follows: i) the time-aging time shift factors contract upon increasing the probe stress (i.e. the stress apparently modifies the volume recovery kinetics), ii) the volume recovery baseline remains unaltered (i.e. the underlying structure of the stimulated glass remains unchanged) iii) yielding scales linearly with the logarithmic of the strain rate. Here we present a review of the above features with aid of a series of numerically simulated results concerning the responses of glassy polycarbonate. Simulations are obtained coupling a modified KAHR equation with the constitutive law for linear viscoelasticity within the domain of the reduced time. It will be shown that by using a minimum of experimental (PVT and linear viscoelastic) data inputs even the subtle intricacies can be predicted. Furthermore a new class of results concerning the stress-strain behaviour of glassy polymers is presented that never appeared before.