The resolution of the anti‐Pasch conjecture

We show that an anti‐Pasch Steiner triple system of order v exists for v ≡ 1 or 3 (mod 6), apart from v = 7 and 13. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Combin Designs 8: 300–309, 2000     

Formation of highly organised,periodic microstructures on steel surfaces upon pulsed laser irradiation

We present results on the growth of highly organised, reproducible, periodic microstructure arrays on a stainless steel substrate using multi-pulsed Nd:YAG (wavelength of 1064 nm, pulse duration of 7 ns, repetition rate of 25 kHz, beam quality factor of M ²∼1.5) laser irradiation in standard atmospheric environment (room temperature and normal pressure) with laser spot diameter of the target being ∼50 μm. The target surface was irradiated at laser fluence of ∼2.2 J/cm² and intensity of ∼0.31×10⁹ W/cm², resulting in the controllable generation of arrays of microstructures with average periods ranging from ∼30 to ∼70 μm, depending on the hatching overlap between the consecutive scans. The received tips of the structures were either below or at the level of the original substrate surface, depending on the experimental conditions. The peculiarity of our work is on the utilised approach for scanning the laser beam over the surface. A possible mechanism for the formation of the structures is proposed.     

Rapid discovery of potent siRNA-containing lipid nanoparticles enabled by controlled microfluidic formulation

The discovery of potent new materials for in vivo delivery of nucleic acids depends upon successful formulation of the active molecules into a dosage form suitable for the physiological environment. Because of the inefficiencies of current formulation methods, materials are usually first evaluated for in vitro delivery efficacy as simple ionic complexes with the nucleic acids (lipoplexes). The predictive value of such assays, however, has never been systematically studied. Here, for the first time, by developing a microfluidic method that allowed the rapid preparation of high-quality siRNA-containing lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for a large number of materials, we have shown that gene silencing assays employing lipoplexes result in a high rate of false negatives (~90%) that can largely be avoided through formulation. Seven novel materials with in vivo gene silencing potencies of >90% at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg in mice were discovered. This method will facilitate the discovery of next-generation reagents for LNP-mediated nucleic acid delivery.     

Alternating cycles in edge-colored graphs

We show that the edges of a 2-connected graph can be partitioned into two color classes so that every vertex is incident with edges of each color and every alternating cycle passes through a single edge. We also show that the edges of a simple graph with minimum vertex degree δ ? 2 can be partitioned into three color classes so that every vertex is incident with edges in exactly two colors and no cycle is alternating.     

Polymer jacket stripping of optical fibres by laser irradiation

Laser jacket stripping of the two-layer polymer jacket coating of Corning SMF-28 silica fibres has been studied as an alternative approach to chemical and mechanical techniques. These polymer outer layers, although chemically similar, become discernable through laser ablation and depth per pulse experiments. Etch rate measurements using nanosecond UV excimer laser sources (F₂, ArF, KrF and XeCl lasers) reveal that, as expected, the threshold fluence (energy per unit area) for significant material removal drops as the laser wavelength becomes shorter. For some wavelengths and fluences, spontaneous cone formation has been observed, thus providing additional threshold data through apex angle determination. The possible occurrence of deleterious damage to the silica cladding has been assessed using electron microscopy and optical transmission measurements. A wide fluence range over which damage was not observed characterised all the interactions. Irradiation techniques for producing apertures in the polymer coating or complete jacket removal are demonstrated and discussed. Briefly, polymer jacket stripping using a femtosecond laser source (800 nm) has been demonstrated. PACS 42.62.Cf; 52.38.Mf     

The application of semiconductor diode lasers to the soldering of electronic components

Work being carried out at the University of Hull into the application of high power laser diodes to the soldering process is described. The commercial availability of semiconductor diode lasers has brought an exciting new soldering tool to the manufacturers of electronics assemblies: trends in electronics assembly are to increasingly high-density interconnections and increasing device functionality. Packages are reducing in size and pin-out counts are increasing. Currently 0.010–0.016 inch lead pitch devices are being introduced by many manufacturers. Lasers can be used with advantage in the soldering of such fine and precise devices and high-power semiconductor laser diodes can be used to build compact, flexible and controllable soldering units. With computer control of the power and duration of the laser energy it is possible to ensure consistent and reliable soldering. To achieve this, however, the various parameters involved in the laser beam-solder assembly interaction need to be carefully defined. This paper reports on our identification of these parameters and the salient design features of an automated diode laser soldering system.     

Cutpoints and the chromatic polynomial

We prove that the multiplicity of the root 1 in the chromatic polynomial of a simple graph G is equal to the number of nontrivial blocks in G. In particular, a connected simple graph G has a cutpoint if and only if its chromatic polynomial is divisible by (λ – 1)². We apply this theorem to obtain some chromatic equivalence and uniqueness results.     

A finite element method for the solution of two-dimensional transonic flows in cascades

Steady two-dimensional transonic flow is calculated in cascades of compressor and turbine blades using a mesh of triangular finite elements. A velocity potential is used, the equations being solved by the Newton-Raphson technique. The resulting computer program is fast, and is shown to give good accuracy. Shock waves are well represented, provided they are not too strong.     

Hybrid Organic–Inorganic Rotaxanes,Including a Hetero‐Hybrid [3]Rotaxane Featuring Two Distinct Heterometallic Rings and a Molecular Shuttle

[2] and [3] hybrid rotaxanes are reported based on {Ti₇M} rings (M is a trivalent metal such as Fe^III or Ga^III). NMR studies show that [2]rotaxanes can act as molecular shuttles, while EPR studies of [3]rotaxanes show weak interactions between the paramagnetic components of the supramolecular assemblies.     

Observation of111Ag and110mAg in the Chernobyl fallout

Evidence for the presence of¹¹¹Ag in Chernobyl fallout at Monaco is given. This fission radionuclide has not been previously reported in Chernobyl fallout. Peak values were as high as 1.9 Bq m^–3. Arguments are presented that the observed^110mAg content in the fallout originated from volatilisation of silver neutron flux monitors in the reactor rather than production by other nuclear reactions.