Dynamic polarization of lipid bilayers as a special case in the electrochemistry of liquid/liquid interfaces

Dynamically obtained current/voltage curves of bilayer lipid membranes partitioning a solution of lipophilic ions are compared with the results of the type expected in a voltammetry experiment involving ionic transport across a liquid/liquid interface. Lipophilic ions yielding “voltammograms” analogous to reversible and irreversible voltammograms (in conventional electrochemical systems) are reported. Also reported are examples of ions which yield what may be analogous to a masked response, a phenomenon known in the literature of liquid/liquid interfaces. Although the behavior of the two systems is similar, there exist differences in the interpretation of the voltammograms and suggestions are offered for an energetic and mechanistic interpretation of the membrane voltammogram.     

Fabrication of patterned gold electrodes with spin-coated-and-fired Au(1 1 1) film by the soft lithography

We prepared high quality Au(1 1 1) film on Si wafer through the spin coating and thermal decomposition of a gold ink, spin-coated-and-fired (SCAF) Au film. The X-ray measurements, XRD and pole-figure analysis, showed that the SCAF Au film has a (1 1 1) out-of-plane orientation with a random in-plane orientation. In order to confirm the chemical activity of the SCAF Au film, we demonstrate the formation of patterned structures with the film by using soft lithography technique. The chemical activities of this physically stable SCAF Au film to the alkanethiols were at least equivalent those of physically deposited the Au films. The possibility of the mass production of micro patterned structure with the SCAF Au film was also demonstrated over the wide region on Si wafer by the microcontact lithography. These suggest that the Au film will help the easy fabrication of various nanosized devices on Si wafer and other substrates.     

An efficient construction of period-2 bulbs in the cubic Mandelbrot set with parametric boundaries

A parametric boundary equation is established for the principal period-2 bulb in the cubic Mandelbrot set. Using its geometry, an efficient escape-time algorithm which reduces the construction time for the period-2 bulbs in the cubic Mandelbrot set is introduced and the implementation graphic results display the fascinating fractal beauty     

Investigation of chemical decomposition of CCl4 on TiO2 near room temperature

Dissociative adsorption of CCl₄ on TiO₂ at 35 °C has been studied by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron spin resonance. CCl₄ decompose to form CO, CO₂, and CO₃ on the surface, at such a low temperature, in which CO₂ formation is not from CO oxidation on TiO₂, but CO₃ can be produced by CO and CO₂ adsorption. The Cl generated from CCl₄ decomposition is left on the surface and bonded to titanium ions. Mineralization of CCl₄ on TiO₂ involves the lattice oxygens. Thermodynamical driving force and possible reaction routes for CO and CO₂ formation in the CCl₄ decomposition on TiO₂ are discussed.     

Biphotonic recording effect of polarization gratings based on dye-doped liquid crystal films

This study investigates a holographic recording effect of biphotonic polarization gratings (BPGs) written on dye-doped liquid crystal (DDLC) films. One linearly polarized green light (λ_G = 514.5 nm) and a polarization-modulated interference pattern formed by two mutually coherent orthogonal (±45° with respect to the polarization of the green light) polarized red lights simultaneously excite the DDLC films to generate a BPG. The formation of BPGs depends primarily on the dichroism of the dye molecules and a sequence of mechanisms: photoisomerization, anisotropic adsorption and inhibition of dye adsorption. The cis-isomer absorbance-modulated distribution associated with the red polarization-modulation pattern induces the dye adsorption-modulated pattern, in turn, yielding the permanent BPG which generates a modulated twisted nematic (TN) structure pattern in the sample. It is found that each BPG is verified to be electrically switchable and thermally erasable. The switching time is in the order of milliseconds. Additionally, the recording time to form a BPG decreases with increasing intensity of the green pump beam.     

Bimodal fission in binary and ternary spontaneous fission of 252Cf

The hot bimodal fission of ²⁵²Cf is reexamined with new high-statistics data. We constructed a γ-γ-γ coincidence cube for binary fission and LCP-gated γ-γ matrix for ternary fission. By identifying the secondary fission fragments from their γ-ray transitions, we measured the yields for various fission splits. The normal neutron yield distribution is found to be Gaussian for Xe-Ru. However, the binary fission split of Ba-Mo is found to exhibit a bimodal neutron distribution with the “hot mode” corresponding to ≈3.1% of the total yield. In α ternary fission, the first measurements of yields for specific fission splits are presented. The Te-α-Ru and Xe-α-Mo neutron yields fit well with a single mode, but the Ba-α-Zr split shows evidence for an enhanced hot mode with an intensity of ≈13.8% of the normal mode. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Magnetic behavior of core–shell particles

We have prepared composite magnetic core–shell particles using the process of soap-free emulsion polymerization and the co-precipitation method. The shell of the synthesized composite sphere is cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄) nanoparticles and the core consists of poly(styrene-co-methacrylic acid) polymer. The mean crystallite sizes of the coated CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were controlled in the range of 2.4–6.7 nm by the concentration of [NH₄⁺] and heated temperature. The magnetic properties of the core–shell spherical particles can go from superparamagnetic to ferromagnetic behavior depending on the crystalline sizes of CoFe₂O₄.     

Asymmetric responses of international stock markets to trading volume

The major goal of this paper is to examine the hypothesis that stock returns and return volatility are asymmetric, threshold nonlinear, functions of change in trading volume. A minor goal is to examine whether return spillover effects also display such asymmetry. Employing a double-threshold GARCH model with trading volume as a threshold variable, we find strong evidence supporting this hypothesis in five international market return series. Asymmetric causality tests lend further support to our trading volume threshold model and conclusions. Specifically, an increase in volume is positively associated, while decreasing volume is negatively associated, with the major price index in four of the five markets. The volatility of each series also displays an asymmetric reaction, four of the markets display higher volatility following increases in trading volume. Using posterior odds ratio, the proposed threshold model is strongly favored in three of the five markets, compared to a US news double threshold GARCH model and a symmetric GARCH model. We also find significant nonlinear asymmetric return spillover effects from the US market.     

Annealing effect on soft magnetic properties and magnetoimpedance of Finemet Fe73.5Si13.5B9Nb3Au1 alloy

Effect of annealing on the soft magnetic properties of Fe_73.5Si_13.5B₉Nb₃Au₁ amorphous ribbon has been investigated by means of structure examination, magnetoimpedance ratio (MIR) and incremental permeability ratio (PR) spectra measured in the frequency range of 1–10 MHz at a fixed current of 10 mA X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the as-cast sample was amorphous and it became nanocrystalline under a proper heat treatment. When annealing amorphous alloy at 530 °C for 30, 60, 90 min, soft magnetic properties have been improved drastically. Among the samples investigated, the sample annealed at 530 °C for 90 min showed the softest magnetic behavior. The MIR and PR curves revealed the desirable changes in anisotropy field depending upon annealing.