Non-oxo vanadium(IV) alkoxide chemistry: solid state structures, aggregation equilibria and thermochromic behaviour in solution

The reversible thermochromic behaviour of homoleptic [{V(OR)(4)}(n)] complexes in solution [R = Pr(i) (product I), Bu(s) (B(s)), Nep (N) and Cy (C)] is accounted for the existence of an aggregation equilibrium involving dimeric and monomeric species in which vanadium(iv) is respectively five- and four-coordinate. Bulky R groups such as Bu(t) and Pe(t) (tert-pentoxide) prevent aggregation and therefore give rise to exclusively mononuclear compounds (B(t) and P(t), respectively) that are not thermochromic. The complexes and their temperature-dependent interconversion were characterised by single crystal X-ray diffractometry, magnetic susceptibility measurements and electronic, FTIR and EPR spectroscopies in a wide temperature range. Equilibrium constants and enthalpy and entropy changes for the dimerization reactions have been determined and compared with literature data.     

Soliton-based Y-branch in photorefractive crystals induced through dispersion-shifted optical fiber

We experimentally demonstrate for what is believed to be the first time that a dispersion-shifted fiber can be used to electro-optically induce a soliton Y-branch structure in a photorefractive centrosymmetric paraelectric crystal (potassium lithium tantalate niobate). The application of a nonstationary external bias field enables us to stabilize the spatially partially coherent behavior of the optical beam at the fiber output. Furthermore, we show the switching capabilities of this soliton-based device in the optical communication field guiding a probe beam at a nonphotorefractive wavelength (1557 nm).     

Spin depolarization in Ni and Ce

Spin polarized electrons produced by polarized light in a Ge single crystal are depolarized by thin layers of Ni and Ce deposited on the surface of the sample. The mean free path for spin-exchange scattering is found to be (12.5 ± 1.5) Å in Ni and (3.2 ± 1) Å in Ce. The depolarization by Ce is found to be identical at 300 and 4 K. It is concluded that the occupancy of the 4? shell of the Ce atoms is similar at both temperatures.     

Elementary theory of electron spin-lattice relaxation (theory and methods of T1 measurements)

Conclusion Here the review article comes to an end; it dealt with some new ideas which may be interesting for physicists who are familiar with the magnetic resonance effects but not specialized in the field of relaxation. The theory was therefore built up elementarily. The experimental methods are described in sufficient detail. The author will be happy if he succeeded in arousing the readers' interest, who may then have recourse to more special papers as compiled in the reference list. We are sure that, although some thirty years have passed since Waller published his excellent paper [30], the investigations into the process of spin-lattice relaxation are still actual. The discovery of the masers and lasers focused the interest particularly to this field of research. A glance at the reference list shows us how many important papers are available published in the past years. The bottle-neck phonons, relaxation in ruby and rare earths, the discovery of new processes-all these problems are objects of active investigations carried out by a great number of scientists, among which we find outstanding specialists.None the less, there is, fortunately for the researchers, still much to do. The complexity of the problems' theory is considerable and many problems are so far unsolved. On the other hand, the measurement of relaxation times is a rather subtle procedure which often is not feasible. So there are all possibilities open for new technical ideas. The work in this field is known to be connected with difficulties but has also p promising future.Translation of the article by J. Pescia La rélaxation des spins électroniques avec le réseau (Théorie élementaire et methodes de mésure du temps T₁) published in J. Phys.,27, 782 (1966). Abstract by S. N. Dobryakov, translator.Laboratory of Solid State Physics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Toulouse, France. Translated from Zhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 9, No. 6, pp. 1111–1130, November–December, 1968.     

Activation-analysis investigation of the behaviour of biological trace elements during wound healing: The roles of calcium and iron

Summary Instrumental neutron-activation analysis was used for the determination of Ca, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Mo, Ag, Sb, and Hg. Blood and tissue samples of 70 mg each were analysed and, from these, changes in the concentrations of calcium, iron, and zinc in affected tissue were established. In this article the results of the behaviour of calcium and iron are reported. The calcium concentration of the fracture haematoma blood (FHB) is about 20 times higher than that of arterial or venous blood (rabbits). The level and the change with time of the calcium concentration in FHB-deposits (rabbits) can be explained by the participation of calcium in the haemolysis of the erythrocytes of the FHB which has been injected for the formation of the deposits. The behaviour of the iron in the FHB-deposits is in agreement with this explanation. The change in calcium concentration in the crust of punch-hole wounds in the skin (rats) can be attributed to the mobilization of calcium for fibrin formation. As a reason for the level and the change with time of the iron concentration in the tissue in the area of fascia and muscle incision wounds (rabbits) the participation of iron in the formation of collagen is discussed. From comparison of the behavoiur of the iron in the FHB-deposits with that in the area of incision wounds it follows that iron enrichments in the area of a complication-free wound are not predominantly caused by a wound haematoma.

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Zusammenfassung Die Untersuchungen erfolgten mit Hilfe der instrumentellen Neutronenaktivierungsanalyse. Das Verfahren war für die Erfassung der Gehalte an Ca, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Mo, Ag, Sb und Hg ausgelegt. Es wurden Blut bzw. Gewebeproben von jeweils etwa 70 mg analysiert und dabei Änderungen der Calcium-, Eisen- und Zinkgehalte des betroffenen Gewebes festgestellt. In diesem Artikel wird über das Verhalten des Calciums und Eisens berichtet. Der Calciumgehalt des Frakturhämatombluts (FHB) ist etwa 20mal höher als der von arteriellem oder venösem Blut (Kaninchen). Höhe und zeitlicher Verlauf der Calciumgehalte von FHB-Depots (Kaninchen) lassen sich mit der Beteiligung des Calciums an der Hämolyse der Erythrozyten des FHB erklären, das zur Bildung der Depots injiziert wurde. Das Verhalten des Eisens in den FHB-Depots stimmt mit dieser Erklärung überein. Der Verlauf der Calciumgehalte des Schorfes von Hautstanzwunden (Ratten) kann auf die Mobilisierung von Calcium für die Fibrinbildung zurückgeführt werden. Als Ursache für Höhe und zeitlichen Verlauf der Eisengehalte des Gewebes im Bereich von Faszie- und Muskelschnittwunden (Kaninchen) wird die Beteiligung des Eisens an der Kollagenbildung diskutiert. Aus dem Vergleich des Verhaltens des Eisens in FHB-Depots und im Bereich von Schnittwunden folgt, daß die Eisenanreicherungen im Bereich einer komplikationslosen Schnittwunde nicht vorwiegend durch ein Wundhämatom bedingt sind.

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Auszug aus der Dissertation des Herrn Danilo Boani, Technische Universität München. This work was supported by the Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie and the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie, and the paper was presented at the International Symposium on Microchemical Techniques, Davos, May 1977.     

Observation of stripe mobility in a dipolar frustrated ferromagnet

We have discovered two novel aspects of the stripe-domain to paramagnetic transition in perpendicularly magnetized Fe films on Cu(100). First, the width of the stripes carrying oppositely oriented spins decreases, close to the transition temperature, with a power law. Second, in a small temperature interval close to the transition temperature, the stripes--which form stationary patterns at low temperatures--become mobile. Various theoretical works have predicted stripe mobility in similar frustrated systems but no direct proof of this phenomenon has been reported so far.     

An Informational Theory of Counterfactuals

Backtracking counterfactuals are problem cases for the standard, similarity based, theories of counterfactuals e.g., Lewis (Noûs13.4, 455–476, 1979). These theories usually need to employ extra-assumptions to deal with those cases (e.g., Lewis’ “standard resolution of vagueness”). Hiddleston (Noûs 39(4), 632–657, 2005) proposes a causal theory of counterfactuals that, supposedly, deals well with backtracking. The main advantage of the causal theory is that it provides a unified account for backtracking and non-backtracking counterfactuals (no extra-assumption is needed). In this paper, I present a backtracking counterfactual that is a problem case for Hiddleston’s account. Then I propose an informational theory of counterfactuals, which deals well with this problem case while maintaining the main advantage of Hiddleston’s account (the unified account for backtracking and non-backtracking counterfactuals). In addition, the informational theory offers a general theory of backtracking that provides clues for the semantics and epistemology of counterfactuals. I propose that backtracking is reasonable when the (possibly non-actual) state of affairs expressed in the antecedent of a counterfactual transmits less information about an event in the past than the actual state of affairs.     

A segmentation procedure of the pervious area of the aorta artery from CT images without contrast medium

In this paper, we develop an algorithm for the segmentation of the pervious lumen of the aorta artery in computed tomography (CT) images without contrast medium, a challenging task due to the closeness gray levels of the different zones to segment. The novel approach of the proposed procedure mainly resides in enhancing the resolution of the image by the application of the algorithm deduced from the mathematical theory of sampling Kantorovich operators. After the application of suitable digital image processing techniques, the pervious zone of the artery can be distinguished from the occluded one. Numerical tests have been performed using 233 CT images, and suitable numerical errors have been computed and introduced ex novo to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The above procedure is completely automatic in all its parts after the initial region of interest (ROI) selection. The main advantages of this approach relies in the potential possibility of performing diagnosis concerning vascular pathologies even for patients with severe kidney diseases or allergic problems, for which CT images with contrast medium cannot be achieved.     

Method for Measurements of Terrestrial Ultraviolet Radiation on Inclined Surfaces in Personal Dosimetry Field Studies

Understanding personal ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure is essential for the evaluation of the health risks and benefits; however, personal dosimetry could be challenging in large‐scale or/and long‐term population studies. Alternatively, personal exposure could be simulated using three‐dimensional models and lifestyle surveys together with data on a body position with respect to the sun. These models require a real‐time input on local environmental UVR. The main challenge in using this method is retrieval of the diffuse irradiance as it requires an often‐expensive tracking of solar position. In this study, a hypothesis that UVR measured on a vertical plane in the north direction can be used in the UK as a proxy for diffuse radiation was tested against direct measurements and compared with models based on solar tracker data in Chilton, UK, (51.57°N) in June–July 2018. The statistical analysis over 17 days under all weather conditions showed that for 45° and 90° tilted surfaces the proposed method performed as well as the best of the models based on solar tracker data. A proposed system could offer a portable and low‐cost alternative to measurements of diffuse radiation by solar tracking radiometers for spatial distribution of terrestrial erythema effective UVR in population field studies.