In vivo optical analysis of quantitative changes in collagen and elastin during arterial remodeling

Altered collagen and elastin content correlates closely with remodeling of the arterial wall after injury. Optical analytical approaches have been shown to detect qualitative changes in plaque composition, but the capacity for detection of quantitative changes in arterial collagen and elastin content in vivo is not known. We have assessed fluorescence spectroscopy for detection of quantitative changes in arterial composition in situ, in rabbit models of angioplasty and stent implant. Fluorescence emission intensity (FEI) recorded at sites remote from the primary implant site was correlated with immunohistochemical (IH) analysis and extracted elastin and collagen. FEI was significantly decreased (P<0.05) after treatment with anti-inflammatory agents, and plaque area decreased on comparison with saline-treated rabbits after stent implant or angioplasty (Por=0.961) analysis were detected by multiple regression (MR) analysis. Good correlations also were found for FEI with elastin and collagen measured by high-performance liquid chromatography; MR analysis provided highly predictive values for collagen and elastin (R2>or=0.994). Fluorescence spectroscopic analysis detects quantitative compositional changes in arterial connective tissue in vivo, demonstrating changes at sites remote from primary angioplasty and stent implant sites.     

Growth of Sb(2)E(3) (E = S, Se) polygonal tubular crystals via a novel solvent-relief-self-seeding process

A novel solvent-relief-self-seeding (SRSS) process was applied to grow bulk polygonal tubular single crystals of Sb(2)E(3) (E = S, Se), using SbCl(3) and chalcogen elements E (E = S, Se) as the raw materials at 180 degrees C for 7 days in ethanol solution. The products were characterized by various techniques, including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscope (SEM), transmission electronic microscope (TEM), electronic diffraction (ED), and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). The calculated electrical resistivities of the tubular single crystals in the range 20-320 K were of the order of 10(5)-10(6) Omega cm for Sb(2)S(3) and 10(3)-10(4) Omega cm for Sb(2)Se(3), respectively. The studies of the optical properties revealed that the materials formed had a band gap of 1.72 eV for Sb(2)S(3) and 1.82 eV for Sb(2)Se(3), respectively. The optimal reaction conditions for the growth of bulk tubular single crystals were that the temperature was not lower than 180 degrees C and the reaction time was not shorter than 7 days. The possible growth mechanism of tubular crystals was also discussed.     

Versatile cobalt complexes for initiating immortal ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide (LA), mediating living radical polymerization of t‐butyl acrylate (tBA) and catalyzing copolymerization of LA and tBA by combination of ROP and organometallic‐mediated radical polymerization

Low‐cost, highly active and versatile amino‐bis(phenolate) cobalt complexes are developed. The cobalt complexes can control living polymerization of different categories of monomers including lactide (LA) by immortal ring‐opening polymerization in argon and even in air and acrylate via living radical polymerization (LRP). The cobalt‐based catalysts were used for copolymerization of LA and acrylate. The immortal polymerization of LA using the cobalt complexes as initiators proceeds in argon and even in air and without the requirement for extensive drying techniques or inert atmosphere whilst retaining end‐group fidelity. The cobalt complexes are used to mediate LRP of t‐butyl acrylate (tBA) in methanol. The block copolymerization of LA and tBA catalyzed by single‐site cobalt organometallic catalyst is also reported for the first time. This cobalt system offers a versatile and green way to produce homopolymers and block copolymers.     

Suppression of the Charge Density Wave State in Two-Dimensional 1T-TiSe2 by Atmospheric Oxidation

Two-dimensional (2D) metallic transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), such as 1T-TiSe₂, have recently emerged as unique platforms for exploring their exciting properties of superconductivity and the charge density wave (CDW). 2D 1T-TiSe₂ undergoes rapid oxidation under ambient conditions, significantly affecting its CDW phase-transition behavior. We comprehensively investigate the oxidation process of 2D TiSe₂ by tracking the evolution of the chemical composition and atomic structure with various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques and reveal its unique selenium-assisting oxidation mechanism. Our findings facilitate a better understanding of the chemistry of ultrathin TMDCs crystals, introduce an effective method to passivate their surfaces with capping layers, and thus open a way to further explore the functionality of these materials toward devices.     

Thermodynamic Limit for Directed Polymers and Stationary Solutions of the Burgers Equation

The first goal of this paper is to prove multiple asymptotic results for a time-discrete and space-continuous polymer model of a random walk in a random potential. These results include: existence of deterministic free energy density in the infinite-volume limit for every fixed asymptotic slope, concentration inequalities for free energy implying a bound on its fluctuation exponent, and straightness estimates implying a bound on the transversal fluctuation exponent. The culmination of this program is almost sure existence and uniqueness of polymer measures on one-sided infinite paths with given endpoint and slope, and interpretation of these infinite-volume Gibbs measures as thermodynamic limits. Moreover, we prove that marginals of polymer measures with the same slope and different endpoints are asymptotic to each other. The second goal of the paper is to develop ergodic theory of the Burgers equation with positive viscosity and random kick forcing on the real line without any compactness assumptions. Namely, we prove a one force–one solution principle, using the infinite-volume polymer measures to construct a family of stationary global solutions for this system, and proving that each of those solutions is a one-point pullback attractor on the initial conditions with the same spatial average. This provides a natural extension of the same program realized for the inviscid Burgers equation with the help of action minimizers that can be viewed as zero temperature limits of polymer measures. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

分配问题的多角度分析

从数理逻辑、整数规划和博弈论三方面对分配问题进行分析,介绍不同的数学分支在分配问题中的应用.     

Controllable immobilization of polyacrylamide onto glass slide: synthesis and characterization

A novel route was introduced to synthesize dense polyacrylamide (PAM) onto the glass slide surface. To investigate the surface chemistry of the PAM on the glass slides, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was utilized to obtain detailed chemical state information on the PAM layer constituents. The XPS peak data were consistent with the presented model of the PAM on the glass slide surface. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscope data indicated the presence of PAM on the glass slides, which consist of nodules. The results showed that PAM was successfully immobilized onto glass slides with a two-tier structure under aqueous condition and a monolayer structure under anhydrous condition. Compared with those under aqueous condition, the controllability of the molecular layer on glass slides and the reproducibility under anhydrous condition were much better, which makes anhydrous condition an advisable condition for the study of the reaction mechanisms of glass slides modified by PAM.     

Effect of plane-mirror installation errors on pointing errors in periscope-type satellite optical communication terminals

In a satellite optical communication system, the pointing error is an important factor that strongly influences the system performance. For periscope-type satellite optical communication terminals, installation errors of 45° plane mirrors in the coarse point apparatus (CPA) can lead to pointing errors. In this respect, we classify the installation errors of two 45° plane mirrors in the system and derive the corresponding ??transfer?? matrices to describe them. Furthermore, we establish mathematical models of the pointing error caused by installation errors of 45° plane mirrors. These models allow one to calculate and compensate the pointing errors in periscope-type satellite optical communication terminals. The results of our simulations show that the pointing errors vary with the elevation axis angle but do not depend on the azimuth axis angle. Compared to the side-angle error, the slope-angle error brings a larger pointing error. However, the mathematical model we developed allows one to compensate more than 99.9?% of the overall pointing error. The present work provides a theoretical basis for the design of periscope-type satellite optical communication terminals.     

Phenol-formaldehyde resin route to the synthesis of several iron group transition metal phosphides

Abstract

A series of iron, cobalt and nickel metal phosphides of chemical formula Fe_xP, Co₂P and Ni₂P with high specific surface areas of 331.1, 294.2 and 228.0 m² g^?1, respectively, was firstly synthesized by phenol-formaldehyde resin route. It was found that the as-prepared Co₂P and Ni₂P samples synthesized using phenol-formaldehyde resin as a carbon source showed much higher BET surface areas than those prepared using other carbon sources reported before, including cinnamic strong alkali anion exchange resin, p-phenylenediamine and hexamethylenetetramine. This phenol-formaldehyde resin route was proved to be as universal as traditional H₂ reduction method.