Synthesis and characterization of fast-decaying bluish green phosphors of Tb3+-doped CaSi2O2N2 for 2D/3D plasma display panels

Oxynitride phosphor powders comprising of CaSi₂O₂N₂ doped with Tb³⁺ were successfully synthesized using a high-temperature solid-state reaction method. The experimentally determined photoluminescence (PL) properties of the produced phosphors meet the requirements of 2D/3D plasma display panels (PDPs). In particular, under the excitation of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) synchrotron radiation and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, emission peaks corresponding to the ⁵D₃→⁷F_J (J=6, 5, 4, 3) and ⁵D₄→⁷F_J (J=6, 5, 4, 3) transitions of Tb³⁺ ions were recorded. Monitoring the ⁵D₄→⁷F₅ emission of Tb³⁺ at 545 nm, the excitation bands were assigned to the host-related absorption as well as the 4f–5d (fd) and the 4f–4f (ff) transitions of Tb³⁺. The produced phosphors can be efficiently excited at 147 nm, and have an adequately short decay time (τ_1/10=1.14 ms).     

Generic Existence and Approximation of Fixed Points for Nonexpansive Set-valued Maps

We study nonexpansive set-valued maps in Banach and metric spaces. We are concerned, in particular, with the generic existence and approximation of fixed points, as well as with the structure of fixed point sets.      

Affine blocking sets, three-dimensional codes and the Griesmer bound

We construct families of three-dimensional linear codes that attain the Griesmer bound and give a non-explicit construction of linear codes that are one away from the Griesmer bound. All these codes contain the all-1 codeword and are constructed from small multiple blocking sets in AG(2,q).     

Numerical Solution of Contact Problems using Level Set Methods on Voxel Discretizations

Fast solvers performing on a regular grid are often used for problems in elasticity, in order to avoid expensive mesh generations. However, if overlaps between solid materials occur without any interactions, these might deteriorate the results, especially for the stresses. Therefore, we want to present an approach for developing numerical methods for contact problems on a regular mesh with the help of signed distance data and multi-material voxels. In this contribution we will focus on problems in linear elastostatics with contact between several different bodies. Finally, we present the results from a numerical test for the two dimensional Hertz problem, solved on a triangular regular mesh. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Tramadol—A True Natural Product?

We have independently investigated the source of tramadol, a synthetic analgesic largely used for treating moderate to severe pain in humans, recently found in the roots of the Cameroonian medicinal plant, Nauclea latifolia. We found tramadol and its three major mammalian metabolites (O‐desmethyltramadol, N‐desmethyltramadol, and 4‐hydroxycyclohexyltramadol) in the roots of N. latifolia and five other plant species, and also in soil and local water bodies only in the Far North region of Cameroon. The off‐label administration of tramadol to cattle in this region leads to cross‐contamination of the soil and water through feces and urine containing parent tramadol as well as tramadol metabolites produced in the animals. These compounds can then be absorbed by the plant roots and also leached into the local water supplies. The presence of tramadol in roots is, thus, due to an anthropogenic contamination with the synthetic compound.     

Spatial dependencies of wind power and interrelations with spot price dynamics

Wind power has seen strong growth over the last decade and increasingly affects electricity spot prices. In particular, prices are more volatile due to the stochastic nature of wind, such that more generation of wind energy yields lower prices. Therefore, it is important to assess the value of wind power at different locations not only for an investor but for the electricity system as a whole. In this paper, we develop a stochastic simulation model that captures the full spatial dependence structure of wind power by using copulas, incorporated into a supply and demand based model for the electricity spot price. This model is calibrated with German data. We find that the specific location of a turbine – i.e., its spatial dependence with respect to the aggregated wind power in the system – is of high relevance for its value. Many of the locations analyzed show an upper tail dependence that adversely impacts the market value. Therefore, a model that assumes a linear dependence structure would systematically overestimate the market value of wind power in many cases. This effect becomes more important for increasing levels of wind power penetration and may render the large-scale integration into markets more difficult.     

Structural functionality, catalytic mechanism modeling and molecular allergenicity of phenylcoumaran benzylic ether reductase, an olive pollen (Ole e 12) allergen

Isoflavone reductase-like proteins (IRLs) are enzymes with key roles in the metabolism of diverse flavonoids. Last identified olive pollen allergen (Ole e 12) is an IRL relevant for allergy amelioration, since it exhibits high prevalence among atopic patients. The goals of this study are the characterization of (A) the structural-functionality of Ole e 12 with a focus in its catalytic mechanism, and (B) its molecular allergenicity by extensive analysis using different molecular computer-aided approaches covering (1) physicochemical properties and functional-regulatory motifs, (2) sequence analysis, 2-D and 3D structural homology modeling comparative study and molecular docking, (3) conservational and evolutionary analysis, (4) catalytic mechanism modeling, and (5) sequence, structure-docking based B-cell epitopes prediction, while T-cell epitopes were predicted by inhibitory concentration and binding score methods. Structural-based detailed features, phylogenetic and sequences analysis have identified Ole e 12 as phenylcoumaran benzylic ether reductase. A catalytic mechanism has been proposed for Ole e 12 which display Lys133 as one of the conserved residues of the IRLs catalytic tetrad (Asn-Ser-Tyr-Lys). Structure characterization revealed a conserved protein folding among plants IRLs. However, sequence polymorphism significantly affected residues involved in the catalytic pocket structure and environment (cofactor and substrate interaction-recognition). It might also be responsible for IRLs isoforms functionality and regulation, since micro-heterogeneities affected physicochemical and posttranslational motifs. This polymorphism might have large implications for molecular differences in B- and T-cells epitopes of Ole e 12, and its identification may help designing strategies to improve the component-resolving diagnosis and immunotherapy of pollen and food allergy through development of molecular tools.     

Galerkin approximation for inverse problems for nonautonomous nonlinear distributed systems

We develop an abstract framework and convergence theory for Galerkin approximation for inverse problems involving the identification of nonautonomous, in general nonlinear, distributed parameter systems. We provide a set of relatively easily verified conditions which are sufficient to guarantee the existence of optimal solutions and their approximation by a sequence of solutions to a sequence of approximating finite-dimensional identification problems. Our approach is based upon the theory of monotone operators in Banach spaces and is applicable to a reasonably broad class of nonlinear distributed systems. Operator theoretic and variational techniques are used to establish a fundamental convergence result. An example involving evolution systems with dynamics described by nonstationary quasi-linear elliptic operators along with some applications and numerical results are presented and discussed.Part of this research was carried out while the first and third authors were visiting scientists at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering (ICASE), NASA Langley Research Center. Hampton, VA, which is operated under NASA Contracts NAS1-17070 and NAS1-18107. Also, a portion of this research was carried out with computational resources made available through a grant to the second and third authors from the San Diego Supercomputer Center operated for the National Science Foundation by General Atomics, San Diego, CA. The research of the first author was supported in part under Grants NSF MCS-8504316, NASA NAG-1-517, AFOSR-84-0398, and AFOSR-F49620-86-C-0111. The second author's research was supported in part by the Fund for the Promotion of Research at the Technion and by the Technion VPR Fund. The research of the third author was supported in part under Grants AFOSR-84-0393 and AFOSR-87-0356.     

The Drazin inverse in multibody system dynamics

Summary The numerical analysis of multibody system dynamics is based on the equations of motion as differential-algebraic systems. A thorough analysis of the linearized equations and their solution theory leads to an equivalent system of ordinary differential equations which gives deeper insight into the derivation of integration schemes and into the stabilization approaches. The main tool is the Drazin inverse, a generalized matrix inverse, which preserves the eigenvalues. The results are illustrated by a realistic truck model. Finally, the approach is extended to the nonlinear index 2 formulation.