Nonlinear Unmixing of Hyperspectral Datasets for the Study of Painted Works of Art

Nonlinear unmixing of hyperspectral reflectance data is one of the key problems in quantitative imaging of painted works of art. The approach presented is to interrogate a hyperspectral image cube by first decomposing it into a set of reflectance curves representing pure basis pigments and second to estimate the scattering and absorption coefficients of each pigment in a given pixel to produce estimates of the component fractions. This two‐step algorithm uses a deep neural network to qualitatively identify the constituent pigments in any unknown spectrum and, based on the pigment(s) present and Kubelka–Munk theory to estimate the pigment concentration on a per‐pixel basis. Using hyperspectral data acquired on a set of mock‐up paintings and a well‐characterized illuminated folio from the 15th century, the performance of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated for pigment recognition and quantitative estimation of concentration.     

Synthesis of 2-aroylfuran and novel 3,5-diaroyl-4-arylisoxazole derivatives by ring contraction of pyrylium salts

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Ring contraction of 2,4,6-triarylpyrylium perchlorates by use of sodium nitrite mediated by ionic liquid has been used as a new, direct, and environmentally...     

Oxidative Addition of Hexafluoroacetone,Perfluorinated 1,2-Diketones and Tetrachloro-O-Benzoquinone to Compounds of Low-Valent Phosphorus-New Modes of Addition and Unusual Products

Abstract

The reaction of hexafluoroacetone (HFA) with the benzoxazaphosphorinone 1 leads to the λ⁵-oxazaphosphepinone 2. In several cases unusual products, 3, 8 - 14, 16, and 17, were isolated in the reactions of 1, 4 - 7, and 15 with HFA, tetrachloroorthobenzoquinone (TOB) and perfluorinated 1,2-diketones. X-Ray crystal structure analyses were carried out for the derivatives 2, 3, and 8 - 10.     

The solvent‐free synthesis of polysubstituted pyrroles by a reusable copper Schiff base complex immobilized on silica coated Fe3O4, and DNA binding study of one resulting derivative as a potential anticancer drug

We demonstrate herein the synthesis of a new copper Schiff base complex immobilized on silica‐coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The structure and composition of this magnetic nanocatalyst were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR), X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP‐AES). This nanocomposite was found to be an efficient nanocatalyst for the synthesis of polysubstituted pyrrole derivatives and the products were isolated with high turnover number (TON) and high to excellent yields. Among the new synthesized polysubstituted pyrrole derivatives, we explored the first computational and experimental binding study of methyl 1‐benzyl‐4‐(furan‐2‐yl)‐2‐methyl‐1H‐pyrrole‐3‐carboxylate (SP‐10) with calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (ct‐DNA), suggesting their application as potential anticancer activity. In addition, the binding modes of SP‐10 with DNA and human serum albumin (HSA) were verified by molecular docking technique.     

Structure of nanoparticles embedded in micellar polycrystals

We investigate by scattering techniques the structure of water-based soft composite materials comprising a crystal made of Pluronic block-copolymer micelles arranged in a face-centered cubic lattice and a small amount (at most 2% by volume) of silica nanoparticles, of size comparable to that of the micelles. The copolymer is thermosensitive: it is hydrophilic and fully dissolved in water at low temperature (T ~ 0 °C), and self-assembles into micelles at room temperature, where the block-copolymer is amphiphilic. We use contrast matching small-angle neuron scattering experiments to independently probe the structure of the nanoparticles and that of the polymer. We find that the nanoparticles do not perturb the crystalline order. In addition, a structure peak is measured for the silica nanoparticles dispersed in the polycrystalline samples. This implies that the samples are spatially heterogeneous and comprise, without macroscopic phase separation, silica-poor and silica-rich regions. We show that the nanoparticle concentration in the silica-rich regions is about 10-fold the average concentration. These regions are grain boundaries between crystallites, where nanoparticles concentrate, as shown by static light scattering and by light microscopy imaging of the samples. We show that the temperature rate at which the sample is prepared strongly influence the segregation of the nanoparticles in the grain-boundaries.     

Characterization of complexation and phase behavior of mixed systems of unmodified and hydrophobically modified oppositely charged polyelectrolytes

This paper reports turbidity, rheology, zeta potential, and rheo-small angle light scattering measurements on aqueous mixtures of oppositely charged and hydrophobically modified hydroxyethylcellulose derivatives (HM-HEC(?) and HM-HEC(+)) and mixtures of oppositely charged hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC(?) and HEC(+)). The experiments were restricted to the one-phase region, i.e., at mixing ratios before and after the two-phase area. The associative phase separation behavior usually observed when mixing oppositely charged polyelectrolytes was undetectable in the mixtures of the polyelectrolytes without attached hydrophobic groups. Upon modification of HEC by incorporation of pendant hydrophobic groups and by introducing charges of negative or positive sign (HM-HEC(?) and HM-HEC(+)), the mixtures showed phase separation over a certain mixing interval, revealing the existence of large polyelectrolyte complexes. The zero shear viscosity was strongly dependent on both the hydrophobicity of the polymers and the mixing ratio, increasing significantly with hydrophobic modification of polyelectrolytes. The strong enhancement of the turbidity and the viscosity drop as the two-phase area is approached suggest the formation of fragmented non-connected complexes. This work demonstrates that if the oppositely charged polyions have a hydrophilic character, it is not necessary that the attractive Coulombic forces induce insoluble polyelectrolyte complexes.     

Stability of the polar {111} NaCl crystal face

We present a surface x-ray diffraction determination of the {111} NaCl-liquid interface structure. Using ultrathin water or formamide liquid layers we ascertained that the crystal surface is smooth at an atomic level and is not reconstructed. Our results reveal surprisingly small differences in surface structure between the two cases, which nevertheless lead to dramatic differences in crystal morphology. We determined that the rocksalt {111} surface is Na(+) terminated for both environmental conditions. A quarter to half a monolayer of laterally disordered Cl(-) ions is located on top of a fully ordered Na(+) crystal surface with occupancy 0.75-1.0. This means that the polar surface is stabilized through the formation of an electrochemical double layer.     

Particle deposition onto micropatterned charge heterogeneous substrates: trajectory analysis

A trajectory analysis of particles near a micropatterned charged substrate under radial impinging jet flow conditions is presented to investigate the effect of surface charge heterogeneity on particle trajectory and deposition efficiency. The surface charge heterogeneity is modeled as concentric bands of specified width and pitch having positive and negative surface potentials. The flow distribution is obtained using finite element analysis of the governing Navier-Stokes equations. The particle trajectory analysis takes into consideration the hydrodynamic interactions, gravity, van der Waals and electrostatic double layer interactions. The presence of surface charge heterogeneity on the substrate gives rise to an oscillating particle trajectory near the collector surface due to repulsive and attractive forces. As a result of the coupled effects of hydrodynamic and colloidal forces, the particle trajectories and deposition efficiencies are increasingly affected by surface charge heterogeneity as one moves radially away from the stagnation point. The results indicate that it is possible to render collectors with up to 50% favorable surface fraction completely unfavorable by modifying the ratio of the radial to normal fluid velocity. Utilizing the real favorable area fraction of the collector, the patch model expression for calculating the deposition efficiency is modified for impinging jet flow geometry.     

The design of an optimal viscous damper for a bridge stay cable using energy-based approach

An energy-based method is developed in the present paper to evaluate the damping property of a stay cable when transversely attached to a viscous damper. The overall increase of the cable damping offered by the external damper is determined by examining the time history of the kinetic energy in the damped cable. The concept of kinetic energy decay ratio is introduced as a key index to evaluate the effectiveness of a damper design in suppressing cable vibration. Compared to earlier studies, the proposed energy-based approach has no restrictions on the damper location. In addition, the flexural rigidity and sag extensibility of the cable are included in the formulation. Numerical simulation of free vibration of a damped stay cable is conducted using ABAQUS. To assist the design process, a set of damping estimation curves, which directly relate a damper design with the corresponding equivalent structural damping in a damped cable are developed for the practical parameter ranges of bridge stay cables. A number of numerical examples are presented. The validity and accuracy of the proposed method and damping estimation curves are verified by comparing with other studies. Results show that the energy-based approach developed in the present study is effective and efficient in determining the overall damping property of a cable-damper system, particularly in the preliminary stage of a damper design. In addition, the flexible applications of the developed damping estimation curves to damper design are demonstrated through these examples.     

Truncation of scales by time relaxation

We study a time relaxation regularization of flow problems proposed and tested extensively by Stolz and Adams. The aim of the relaxation term is to drive the unresolved fluctuations in a computational simulation to zero exponentially fast by an appropriate and often problem dependent choice of its coefficient; this relaxation term is thus intermediate between a tunable numerical stabilization and a continuum modeling term. Our aim herein is to understand how this term, by itself, acts to truncate solution scales and to use this understanding to give insight into parameter selection.