A New Graphical Tool for Copula Selection

The selection of copulas is an important aspect of dependence modeling. In many practical applications, only a limited number of copulas is tested, and the modeling applications usually are restricted to the bivariate case. One explanation is the fact that no graphical copula tool exists that allows us to assess the goodness-of-fit of a large set of (possible higher-dimensional) copula functions at once. This article seeks to overcome this problem by developing a new graphical tool for the copula selection, based on a statistical analysis technique called “principal coordinate analysis.” The advantage is three-fold. First, when projecting the empirical copula of a modeling application on a two-dimensional (2D) copula space, it allows us to visualize the fit of a whole collection of multivariate copulas at once. Second, the visual tool allows us to identify “search” directions for potential fit improvements (e.g., through the use of copula transforms). Finally, the tool makes it also possible to give a 2D visual overview of a large number of known copula families, leading to a better understanding and a more efficient use of the different copula families. The robustness of the new graphical tool is investigated by means of a small simulation study, and the practical use of the tool is demonstrated for two 2D and two 3D (three-dimensional) fitting examples. MATLAB code through the examples is available online in the supplementary materials.     

Determination of nitrogen in uranium and uranium-oxide by high-temperature gas-extraction

Summary The reducing fusion gas extraction method has been used for the determination of nitrogen in uranium metal and uranium dioxide reference materials at levels of about 10–15g·g^–1. It has been found that when extracting at temperatures above 2700° C the use of a platinum flux is no longer necessary. Pure nitrogen and nitrogen-helium mixtures were used for calibrating the detection unit in the range of 1.5–670 g. The calibration of the extraction was performed with metallic reference materials in the range of 8–331 g N₂ content.

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Bestimmung von Stickstoff in Uran und Uranoxid durch Hochtemperatur-Gasextraktion

Zusammenfassung Die Gasextraktion aus reduzierender Schmelze wurde zur Stickstoffbestimmung in Uranmetall- und Urandioxid-Referenzmaterialien bei Gehalten von 10–15 g·g^–1 angewendet. Bei Temperaturen über 2700° C ist kein Platinbad mehr erforderlich. Zur Eichung der Detektionseinheit im Bereich von 1,5–670 g wurden reiner Stickstoff oder Stickstoff-Helium-Mischungen benutzt. Zur Eichung der Extraktion wurden metallische Referenzmaterialien mit (8–331g) N₂ eingesetzt.

     

Rational design of photoconvertible and biphotochromic fluorescent proteins for advanced microscopy applications

Advanced fluorescence imaging, including subdiffraction microscopy, relies on fluorophores with controllable emission properties. Chief among these fluorophores are the photoactivatable fluorescent proteins capable of reversible on/off photoswitching or irreversible green-to-red photoconversion. IrisFP was recently reported as the first fluorescent protein combining these two types of phototransformations. The introduction of this protein resulted in new applications such as super-resolution pulse-chase imaging. However, the spectroscopic properties of IrisFP are far from being optimal and its tetrameric organization complicates its use as a fusion tag. Here, we demonstrate how four-state optical highlighting can be rationally introduced into photoconvertible fluorescent proteins and develop and characterize a new set of such enhanced optical highlighters derived from mEosFP and Dendra2. We present in particular NijiFP, a promising new fluorescent protein with photoconvertible and biphotochromic properties that make it ideal for advanced fluorescence-based imaging applications.     

Analyzing the convergence factor of residual inverse iteration

We will establish here a formula for the convergence factor of the method called residual inverse iteration, which is a method for nonlinear eigenvalue problems and a generalization of the well-known inverse iteration. The formula for the convergence factor is explicit and involves quantities associated with the eigenvalue to which the iteration converges, in particular the eigenvalue and eigenvector. Residual inverse iteration allows for some freedom in the choice of a vector w _k and we can use the formula for the convergence factor to analyze how it depends on the choice of w _k . We also use the formula to illustrate the convergence when the shift is close to the eigenvalue. Finally, we explain the slow convergence for double eigenvalues by showing that under generic conditions, the convergence factor is one, unless the eigenvalue is semisimple. If the eigenvalue is semisimple, it turns out that we can expect convergence similar to the simple case.     

Towards a real-time, label-free, diamond-based DNA sensor

Most challenging in the development of DNA sensors is the ability to distinguish between fully complementary target ssDNA (single-strand DNA) and 1-mismatch ssDNA. To deal with this problem, we performed impedance spectroscopy on DNA-functionalized nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) layers during hybridization and denaturation. In both reactions, a difference in behavior was observed for 1-mismatch target DNA and complementary target DNA in real-time. During real-time hybridization, a decrease of the impedance was observed at lower frequencies when the complementary target DNA was added, while the addition of 1-mismatch target ssDNA caused no significant change. Fitting these results to an electrical circuit demonstrates that this is correlated with a decrease of the depletion zone in the space charge region of the diamond. During real-time denaturation, differentiation between 1-mismatch and complementary target DNA was possible at higher frequencies. Denaturation of complementary DNA showed the longest exponential decay time of the impedance, while the decay time during 1-mismatch denaturation was the shortest. The real-time hybridization and denaturation experiments were carried out on different NCD samples in various buffer solutions at temperatures between 20 and 80 degrees C. It was revealed that the best results were obtained using a Microhyb hybridization buffer at 80 degrees C and 10x PCR buffer at 30 degrees C for hybridization and 0.1 M NaOH at temperatures above 40 degrees C for denaturation. We demonstrate that the combination of real-time hybridization spectra and real-time denaturation spectra yield important information on the type of target. This approach may allow a reliable identification of the mismatch sequence, which is the most biologically relevant.     

New high-energy luminescence bands from Co2+ in ZnSe

Three sharp absorption features in the energy range 2.36–2.55 eV have been detected in the transmission spectrum of Co-diffused ZnSe, and a number of luminescence transitions originating from the lowest of these states at 2.361 eV have been observed. Photoluminescence excitation spectra prove that these are high energy excited states of the Co²⁺_Zn impurity, a conclusion confirmed by comparison of measured and predicted luminescence energies. This represents the first identification of luminescence branching from a higher excited state of a transition metal ion in any semiconductor. The sharp, weakly phonon-coupled transitions involve either intra-impurity excitation or transitions from the impurity to localised states split off from a minimum in the conduction band. The implications of these observations for the mechanism of host-impurity energy transfer and for the nature of the excited state wavefunctions are discussed.     

Assay of the nerve agent Soman in serum by capillary gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection and splitless injection

Summary A procedure is described for the determination of the nerve agent Soman in serum. The nerve agent is separated from the serum on C₁₈ modified silica and then eluted with benzene. The concentrated sample, to which butylacetate is added, is injected splitless into a polyethylene glycol (CP Wax 57) coated fused silica column. Solvent trapping of the analytes occurs due to the added butyl-acetate. The detection is performed with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD). The determination limit of the method is 40 pg/ml.