Single‐crystal sapphire microstructure for high‐resolution synchrotron X‐ray monochromators

We report on the growth and characterization of sapphire single crystals for X‐ray optics applications. Structural defects were studied by means of laboratory double‐crystal X‐ray diffractometry and white‐beam synchrotron‐radiation topography. The investigations confirmed that the main defect types are dislocations. The best quality crystal was grown using the Kyropoulos technique. Therein the dislocation density was 10²–10³ cm⁻² and a small area with approximately 2*2 mm² did not show dislocation contrast in many reflections. This crystal has suitable quality for application as a backscattering monochromator. A clear correlation between growth rate and dislocation density is observed, though growth rate is not the only parameter impacting the quality.     

Modulation of Extracellular Matrix Rigidity Via Riboflavin-mediated Photocrosslinking Regulates Invasive Motility and Treatment Response in a 3D Pancreatic Tumor Model

In this study, we evaluate the use of riboflavin-mediated collagen photocrosslinking as an experimental tool to modulate extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanical properties in 3D in vitro tumor models. Using this approach in conjunction with 3D pancreatic tumor spheroid transplants, we show that the extent of matrix photocrosslinking in reconstituted hydrogels with fixed protein concentration scales inversely with the extent of invasive progression achieved by cells infiltrating into the surrounding ECM from primary transplanted spheroids. Using cross-linking to manipulate the extent of invasion into ECM in conjunction with imaging-based treatment assessment, we further leverage this approach as a means for assaying differential therapeutic response in primary nodule and ECM-invading populations and compare response to verteporfin-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) and oxaliplatin chemotherapy. Treatment response data shows that invading cell populations (which also exhibit markers of increased EMT) are highly chemoresistant yet have significantly increased sensitivity to PDT relative to the primary nodule. In contrast, the oxaliplatin treatment achieves greater growth inhibition of the primary nodule. These findings may be significant in themselves, while the methodology developed here could have a broader range of applications in developing strategies to target invasive disease and/or mecahanobiological determinants of therapeutic response in solid tumors.     

A note on total reinforcement in graphs

In this note we prove a conjecture and improve some results presented in a recent paper of Sridharan et al. [N. Sridharan, M.D. Elias, V.S.A. Subramanian, Total reinforcement number of a graph, AKCE Int. J. Graphs Comb. 4 (2) (2007) 197-202].     

Josephson current through randomly oriented CNTs

In this paper, we employ tunneling Hamiltonian formulation to obtain analytical expression for the Josephson current in (n, m) Carbon nanotubes (CNT) sandwiched between s-wave superconductors. For metallic tubes, we find that the dominant contribution to the Josephson current arises from modes crossing the Dirac points. Contribution from such conducting channels is independent of tube diameter of carbon nanotubes. Josephson current for each CNT is determined in terms of the spacing d between the superconductors, and the angle between the tube axis and the vector normal to the interface. Averaging over orientation angles gives the Josephson current through an assembly of randomly oriented CNTs, which turns out to be on the scale of 100 nA.     

Dynamic NMR and computational study of 5,5-dimethyl-3,4-di-p-tolyl-2-cylopenten-1-one

The restricted rotation of p-tolyl moiety in 5,5-dimethyl-3,4-di-p-tolyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one was studied by variable temperature NMR spectroscopy at a temperature range of 218-368 K. A free rotation, in NMR time scale, was observed at temperatures higher than 368 K; while, the rotation froze below 248 K. From dynamic NMR analysis, the Arrhenius energy of activation ΔG? was calculated as 56.37 kJ mol(-1). The experimental results were confirmed by theoretical calculation using the density functional theory method B3LYP with basis sets, 6-31G and 6-31+G.     

Collective behavior of cortico-thalamic circuits: Logic gates as the thalamus and a dynamical neuronal network as the cortex

This paper introduces a two-layer network to investigate the effects of cortico-thalamic circuits on the cortex's collective behavior. In the brain, different parts of the cortex collaborate to process information. One of the main parts, which is the path of different cortex contacts, is the thalamus whose circuit is referred to as the "vertical" cortico-thalamic connectivity. Thalamus subnuclei can participate in the processing of the information that passes through them. It has been shown that they play the functional role of logic gates (AND, OR and XOR). To study how these thalamus circuits affect the cortical neuron behavior, a two-layer network is proposed wherein the cortex layer is composed of Hindmarsh-Rose models and the thalamus layer is constructed with logic gates. Results show that considering these logic gates can lead the network towards different synchronization, asynchronization, chimera and solitary patterns. It is revealed that for AND-gate and OR-gate, increasing the number of gates or their outputs can increase and decrease the network's coherency in excitatory and inhibitory cases, respectively. However, considering XOR-gates always results in the chimera state.     

Comparing emerging and mature markets during times of crises: A non-extensive statistical approach

One of the important issues in finance and economics for both scholars and practitioners is to describe the behavior of markets, especially during times of crises. In this paper, we analyze the behavior of some mature and emerging markets with a Tsallis entropy framework that is a non-extensive statistical approach based on non-linear dynamics. During the past decade, this technique has been successfully applied to a considerable number of complex systems such as stock markets in order to describe the non-Gaussian behavior of these systems. In this approach, there is a parameter q$q$, which is a measure of deviation from Gaussianity, that has proved to be a good index for detecting crises. We investigate the behavior of this parameter in different time scales for the market indices. It could be seen that the specified pattern for q$q$ differs for mature markets with regard to emerging markets. The findings show the robustness of the stated approach in order to follow the market conditions over time. It is obvious that, in times of crises, q$q$ is much greater than in other times. In addition, the response of emerging markets to global events is delayed compared to that of mature markets, and tends to a Gaussian profile on increasing the scale. This approach could be very useful in application to risk and portfolio management in order to detect crises by following the parameter q$q$ in different time scales.     

A parametric bootstrap approach for the equality of coefficients of variation

In this article, a parametric bootstrap approach for testing the equality of coefficient of variation of $k$ normal populations is proposed. Simulations show that the actual size of our proposed test is close to the nominal level, irrespective of the number of populations and sample sizes, and that this new approach is better than the other existing ones. Also, the power of our approach is satisfactory. An example is proposed for illustrating our new approach.     

A Bound on the Order of Non-Abelian Tensor Square of a Prime-Power Group

Supertropical matrix theory was investigated in [6 Izhakian , Z. , Rowen , L. ( 2011 ). Supertropical matrix algebra III: powers of matrices and their supertropical eigenvalues . Journal of Algebra 341 ( 1 ): 125 – 149 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]], whose terminology we follow. In this work we investigate eigenvalues, characteristic polynomials and coefficients of characteristic polynomials of supertropical matrices and their powers, and obtain the analog to the basic property of matrices that any power of an eigenvalue of a matrix is an eigenvalue of the corresponding power of the matrix.     

Stabilization and Synchronization of a Complex Hidden Attractor Chaotic System by Backstepping Technique

In this paper, the stabilization and synchronization of a complex hidden chaotic attractor is shown. This article begins with the dynamic analysis of a complex Lorenz chaotic system considering the vector field properties of the analyzed system in the Cn domain. Then, considering first the original domain of attraction of the complex Lorenz chaotic system in the equilibrium point, by using the required set topology of this domain of attraction, one hidden chaotic attractor is found by finding the intersection of two sets in which two of the parameters, r and b, can be varied in order to find hidden chaotic attractors. Then, a backstepping controller is derived by selecting extra state variables and establishing the required Lyapunov functionals in a recursive methodology. For the control synchronization law, a similar procedure is implemented, but this time, taking into consideration the error variable which comprise the difference of the response system and drive system, to synchronize the response system with the original drive system which is the original complex Lorenz system.