Water monolayer and multilayer adsorption on Ni(1 1 1)

Water adsorbed on Ni(1 1 1) forms an ordered, hydrogen bonded ice structure with a (2√7 × 2√7)R19° unit cell. The 2√7 wetting structure forms as islands and persists up to saturation of the first layer. Adsorption of a fraction of a monolayer more water into a second layer destroys the 2√7 registry and creates a disordered ice film. Gas adsorption measurements indicate that the wetting layer is completely covered by a second layer of water before thicker multilayer ice forms. As the second layer is completed the film orders to form an incommensurate crystalline ice film with a hexagonal LEED pattern, oriented to the Ni close packed rows. This ordered, incommensurate structure persists as the ice multilayer grows thicker.     

X-ray crystal structure of trans-bis(monoethanolamine) bis(saccharinato)nickel(II)

The crystal structure of trans-bis(monoethanolamine)bis(saccharinato)nickel(II), [Ni(C₇H₄NO₃S)₂(C₂H₇NO)₂], has been determined from X-ray diffraction data. The metal complex is monoclinic, with a = 11.0555(5), b = 8.9103(4), c = 11.3890(5) Å, = 105.0230(10)°, Z = 2, and space group P2_1/c . The structure consists of individual molecules. Two monoethanolamine molecules and two saccharinate anions coordinate the nickel atom forming a distorted octahedron. The monoethanolamine molecules act as a bidentate ligand and form five-membered trans chelate rings, which constitute the plane of the coordination octahedron, while two saccharinate ions behave as a monodentate ligand occupying the axial positions. Intermolecular hydrogen bonds link the molecules to form a three-dimensional infinite structure.     

Medical imaging using capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer arrays

We are investigating the use of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (cMUT's) for use in medical imaging. We propose an ultrasound probe architecture designed to provide volumetric ultrasound imaging from within an endoscope channel. A complete automated experimental system has been implemented for testing the imaging performance of cMUT arrays. This PC-based system includes custom-designed circuit boards, a software interface, and resolution test phantoms. We have already fabricated 1D and 2D cMUT arrays, and tested the pulse-echo imaging characteristics of 1D arrays. Beamforming and image formation algorithms that aim to reduce the complexity of data acquisition hardware are tested via numerical simulations and using real data acquired from our system.     

A Pseudo-Pareto Distribution and Concomitants of Its Order Statistics

Pareto distributions are very flexible probability models with various forms and kinds. In this paper, a new bivariate Pseudo-Pareto distribution and its properties are presented and discussed. Main variables, order statistics and concomitants of this distribution are studied and their importance for risk and reliability analysis is explained. Joint and marginal distributions, complementing cumulative distributions and hazard functions of the variables are derived. Numerical illustrations, graphical displays and interpretations for the obtained distributions and derived functions are provided. An implementation example on defaultable bonds is performed.     

Synthesis of new aryl(hetaryl)-substituted tandospirone analogues with potential anxiolytic activity via reductive Heck type hydroarylations

Tandospirone (I), developed as an anxiolytic drug, is an aryl-piperazine compound that binds to both 5-HT_1A and dopamine D4 receptors. Palladium-catalysed hydroarylation reactions of tandospirone analogues containing an oxygen bridge and 3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl or 2,3-dichlorophenyl groups were studied in order to find a new stereoselective access to a series of new exo-aryl(hetaryl)-substituted derivatives with potential biological activity.     

Electrochemistry and electrogenerated chemiluminescence of a spirobifluorene-based donor (triphenylamine)-acceptor (2,1,3-benzothiadiazole) molecule and its organic nanoparticles

A new D-A-π-A-D molecule (Spiro-BTA) containing two 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (BTA) as the acceptor (A) and triphenylamine as the donor (D) bridged by a spirobifluorene moiety has been synthesized. The novel D-A molecule shows intense red emission (612 nm) with a high PL quantum yield (Φ(PL) = 0.51) in a solid film. A cyclic voltammogram of Spiro-BTA in 1:2 MeCN:benzene/0.1 M Bu(4)NPF(6) shows two reversible oxidation waves and one reversible reduction wave. The first oxidation wave and reduction wave were assigned as two successive electron transfer peaks separated by ～50 mV related to the oxidation of the two noninteracting donors and the reduction of the two noninteracting acceptors, respectively. Electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of Spiro-BTA upon cyclic oxidation and reduction in MeCN:benzene 1:2 shows a very bright and stable red emission that could be seen in a well-lit room. Using a reprecipitation method, well-dispersed organic nanoparticles (NPs) of the Spiro-BTA were prepared in aqueous solution. The nanoparticles were analyzed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), yielding a NP size (without surfactant) of 130 ± 20 nm, while with surfactant, 100 ± 20 nm. Bathochromic shifts of absorption spectra (～16 ± 2 nm), as compared to that of the dissolved Spiro-BTA in THF, were observed for both NPs in water and as a thin film. While blue shifts (14 ± 2 nm) were observed for the photoluminescence (PL). The PL intensity of the Spiro-BTA nanoparticles was slightly enhanced (Φ(PL) of nanoparticles in water = 48%) over that of the dissolved Spiro-BTA in THF. The ECL of the organic Spiro-BTA nanoparticles in aqueous solution could be observed upon oxidation with tri-n-propylamine as a coreactant.     

Effect of Urea on the Morphology of Co3O4 Nanostructures and Their Application for Potentiometric Glucose Biosensor

In this study, an effect of different concentrations of urea on the morphology of cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) nanostructures was investigated. The Co₃O₄ nanostructures are fabricated on gold coated glass substrate by the hydrothermal method. The morphological and structural characterization was performed by scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray diffraction techniques. The Co₃O₄ nanostructures exhibit morphology of flowers‐like and have comprised on nanowires due to the increasing amount of urea. The nanostructures were highly dense on the substrate and possess a good crystalline quality. The Co₃O₄ nanostructures were successfully used for the development of a sensitive glucose biosensor. The presented glucose biosensor detected a wide range of glucose concentrations from 1×10^?6 M to 1×10^?2 M with sensitivity of a ?56.85 mV/decade and indicated a fast response time of less than 10 s. This performance could be attributed to the heterogeneous catalysis effect at glucose oxidase enzyme, nanoflowers, and nanowires interfaces, which have enhanced the electron transfer process on the electrode surface. Moreover, the reproducibility, repeatability, stability and selectivity were also investigated. All the obtained results indicate the potential use of the developed glucose sensor for monitoring of glucose concentrations at drugs, human serum and food industry related samples.     

Photo-switchable azobenzene-functionalized block copolymers from atom transfer radical polymerizations

Diblock copolymers composed of monomers of tert-butyl acrylate and a side-chain azobenzenecontaining monomer, 4-[(E)-(4-nitrophenyl)diazenyl]phenyl prop-2-enoate were synthesized using atom transfer radical polymerization technique. Experimental strategy involved synthesis of block of tert-butyl acrylate macroinitiator followed by addition of second block of azobenzene-containing monomer to prepare desired block-copolymer. GPC analysis indicated narrow molecular weight distributions with degree of polymerization found in good agreement with targeted value. Prepared block copolymers of varying chain lengths can potentially be used to obtain morphologies that can find useful applications for biomedical applications including intriguing photo-switchable drug delivery systems.     

Preparation of QP4VP-b-LCP liquid crystal block copolymer and its application as a biosensor

The interface between nematic liquid crystal, 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl (5CB), and water in a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grid cell coated with QP4VP-b-LCP (quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine) (QP4VP) and poly(4-cyanobiphenyl-4′-oxyundecylacrylate) (LCP)) was examined for protein and DNA detection. QP4VP-b-LCP was synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Quaternization of P4VP with iodomethane (CH₃I) made it a strong cationic polyelectrolyte and allowed QP4VP-b-LCP to form complexes with oppositely charged biological species. Several proteins, such as bovine serum albumin (BSA), hemoglobin (Hb), α chymotrypsinogen-A (ChTg), and lysozyme (LYZ), were tested for nonspecific protein detection. By injecting the protein solutions into the TEM grid cell, the initial homeotropic orientation of the TEM grid cell changed to a planar orientation above their isoelectric points (PIs) due to electrostatic interactions between QP4VP (+charge) and proteins (?charge), which did not occur below the PIs of the tested proteins. Their minimum concentrations at which the homeotropic to planar configurational change (H-P change) occurred were 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04 wt.% for BSA, ChTg, Hb, and LYZ, respectively. One of the strong anionic polyelectrolytes, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) (due to the phosphate deoxyribose backbone) was also tested. A H-P change was observed with as little as 0.0013 wt.% salmon sperm DNA regardless of the pH of the cell. A H-P change occurred in 5CB and was observed by polarized optical microscopy. This simple and inexpensive setup for nonspecific biomaterial detection provides the basic idea for developing effective selective biosensors by introducing specific binding groups, such as the aptamer and antibody.     

Random Čech complexes on Riemannian manifolds

In this paper we study the homology of a random ?ech complex generated by a homogeneous Poisson process in a compact Riemannian manifold M. In particular, we focus on the phase transition for “homological connectivity” where the homology of the complex becomes isomorphic to that of M. The results presented in this paper are an important generalization of 7 , from the flat torus to general compact Riemannian manifolds. In addition to proving the statements related to homological connectivity, the methods we develop in this paper can be used as a framework for translating results for random geometric graphs and complexes from the Euclidean setting into the more general Riemannian one.