一种金属腔体中微波断层成像的最优分层非均一背景

针对基于金属腔体的微波断层成像系统,提出了一种最优分层非均一背景的设计方法.该方法使用一种新的微波断层成像积分算子评价方法和模拟退火法等最优化方法.首先,介绍了一种基于有限元法的微波断层成像积分算子计算方法.然后,提出一种新的微波断层成像积分算子度量,该度量可以综合评价整个积分算子奇异值谱,并通过一组仿真研究证明该度量与反演结果的误差具有相关性;该度量用一个数值综合评价一个积分算子,可以方便地应用于最优化算法中;利用模拟退火法选择圆形金属腔体中分层非均一背景的每一层介质的相对介电常数,从而获得一个最优分层非均一背景.最后,对尺寸小于半波长的圆柱目标和"凹"字形复杂目标进行仿真研究,仿真结果证明该最优分层非均一背景可以提高微波断层成像算法的收敛速度,提高反演结果的准确性.     

NIR-FT Raman and infrared spectra and ab initio computations of glycinium oxalate

The single crystals of glycinium oxalate are grown by slow evaporation technique and vibrational spectral analysis is carried out using NIR-FT Raman and FT-IR spectra. The ab initio quantum computations are also performed at HF/6-31 G(d) level to derive the optimized geometry, atomic charges and vibrational frequencies of the glycinium oxalate molecule. Vibrational analysis indicates the presence of peculiar intermolecular C-H...O hydrogen bonding interaction producing "blue shift" of C-H stretching frequency. The vibrational spectra confirm the existence of NH3(+) in glycinium oxalate. Hydroxyl vibrations with different inter and intra molecular H-bonding are analysed, supported by computed results.     

Highly sensitive and selective measurement of underivatized methylmalonic acid in serum and plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Methylmalonic acid (MMA) is a functional biomarker of vitamin B12 deficiency. Measurement of plasma MMA is challenging due to its small molecular weight and hydrophilic nature. Several liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods have been developed for measuring plasma MMA. However, these methods involve lengthy sample preparation, long chromatographic run time, inadequate sensitivity, or interference from succinic acid (SA). Here we report a novel LC-MS/MS method for quantitation of underivatized MMA in serum or heparinized plasma with high sensitivity and selectivity. Sample preparation involved only strong anion exchange solid phase extraction. The extract was purified by online turbulent flow and analyzed on an Organic Acids column. MS/MS analysis was performed in negative electrospray mode, and the analytical time was 6 min. The use of ion ratio confirmation in combination with chromatographic resolution from SA greatly enhanced the selectivity. No interference was observed. This method was linear from 26.2 to 26,010.0 nM with an accuracy of 98-111 %. Total coefficient of variation was less than 4.6 % for three concentration levels tested. Comparison with a reference laboratory LC-MS/MS method using leftover patient serum specimens (n = 48) showed a mean bias of -2.3 nM (-0.61 %) with a Deming regression slope of 1.016, intercept of -6.6 nM, standard error of estimate of 25.3 nM, and a correlation coefficient of 0.9945. In conclusion, this LC-MS/MS method offers highly sensitive and selective quantitation of MMA in serum and plasma with simple sample preparation.     

DEGREE 3 ALGEBRAIC MINIMAL SURFACES IN THE 3-SPHERE

We give a local analytic characterization that a minimal surface in the 3-sphere S3 R4 defined by an irreducible cubic polynomial is one of the Lawson’s minimal tori.This provides an alternative proof of the result by Perdomo(Characterization of order 3 algebraic immersed minimal surfaces of S3,Geom.Dedicata 129(2007),23-34).     

More Trouble for Direct Source Incompatibilism: Reply to Yang

Direct source incompatibilism (DSI) is the conjunction of two claims: SI-F: there are genuine Frankfurt-style counterexamples (FSCs); SI-D: there is a sound version of the direct argument (DA). Eric Yang (2012) responds to a recent criticism of DSI (Campbell 2006). We show that Yang misses the mark. One can accept Yang??s criticisms and get the same result: there is a deep tension between FSCs and DA, between SI-F and SI-D. Thus, DSI is untenable. In this essay, we use an important yet overlooked distinction between truthmakers and determiners to help drive this point home.     

Crystal Structures of Diphosphinated Chromium Fischer Amino Carbenes

The crystal structures of four new diphosphinated chromium Fischer amino carbenes with the compositions fac-[(P-P)(CO)₃Cr=C(NR₂′)(R)] (R = Me, NR₂′ = pyrrolidino, P-P = dppe, 1; R = Me, NR₂′ = pyrrolidino, P-P = dppp, 2; R = Me, R′ = Me, P-P = dppe, 3; R = Me, R′ = Me, P-P = dppp, 4) have been determined at 243 K. Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P2₁ /n with a = 12.1597(11) Å, b = 20.1556(17) Å, c = 14.0557(12) Å, β = 114.163(3)°, V = 3143.0(5) Å³, and Z = 4. Compound 2 crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P ? 1 with a = 7.4424(3) Å, b = 10.8830(5) Å, c = 20.6040(9) Å, α = 100.9880(10)°, β = 91.7650(10)°, γ = 97.6610(10)°, V = 1620.90(12) Å³, and Z = 2. Compound 3 crystallizes in the monoclinic system as a mono-solvate of d⁵-pyridine, space group P2₁ /c with a = 11.485(2) Å, b = 22.825(5) Å, c = 14.092(3) Å, β = 108.53(3)°, V = 3502.7(12) Å³, and Z = 4. Compound 4 crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group P2 ₁ 2 ₁ 2 ₁ with a = 8.359(3) Å, b = 15.364(6) Å, c = 23.784(9) Å, V = 3055(2) Å³, and Z = 4. Steric repulsions with the diphosphine ligand favor a conformation with the amino moiety directed away from the diphosphine backbone in 1–4.     

Teacher Rationales for Scoring Students' Problem Solving Work

This article presents the scores teachers assigned to samples of actual students' problem-solving work and the rationales teachers provided for these scores. These rationales may reflect teachers' values relative to aspects of mathematical problem solving. It may be that when teachers can express rationales for scoring students' work, they are able to justify their evaluation of what students can “know and do” in mathematics.     

Prediction and realisation of high mobility and degenerate p-type conductivity in CaCuP thin films

Phosphides are interesting candidates for hole transport materials and p-type transparent conducting applications, capable of achieving greater valence band dispersion than their oxide counterparts due to the higher lying energy and increased size of the P 3p orbital. After computational identification of the indirect-gap semiconductor CaCuP as a promising candidate, we now report reactive sputter deposition of phase-pure p-type CaCuP thin films. Their intrinsic hole concentration and hole mobility exceed 1 × 10²⁰ cm⁻³ and 35 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ at room temperature, respectively. Transport calculations indicate potential for even higher mobilities. Copper vacancies are identified as the main source of conductivity, displaying markedly different behaviour compared to typical p-type transparent conductors, leading to improved electronic properties. The optical transparency of CaCuP films is lower than expected from first principles calculations of phonon-mediated indirect transitions. This discrepancy could be partly attributed to crystalline imperfections within the films, increasing the strength of indirect transitions. We determine the transparent conductor figure of merit of CaCuP films as a function of composition, revealing links between stoichiometry, crystalline quality, and opto-electronic properties. These findings provide a promising initial assessment of the viability of CaCuP as a p-type transparent contact.

We synthesize air-stable, p-type CaCuP thin films with high hole concentration and high hole mobility as potential p-type transparent conductors. We study their optoelectronic properties in detail by advanced experimental and computational methods.     

Finding cliques using few probes

Consider algorithms with unbounded computation time that probe the entries of the adjacency matrix of an n vertex graph, and need to output a clique. We show that if the input graph is drawn at random from (and hence is likely to have a clique of size roughly ), then for every δ<2 and constant ?, there is an α<2 (that may depend on δ and ?) such that no algorithm that makes n^δ probes in ? rounds is likely (over the choice of the random graph) to output a clique of size larger than .