Some efficient methods to correct confocal images for easy interpretation

In this paper we have explained some efficient methods to correct artefacts in confocal laser beam scanning microscope (CLSM) images. The main aim is to enhance object features such that they become clearly visible for interactive evaluation and to reduce the overall noise so that the automatic segmentation and feature measurement can be done easily. A simple automatic-thresholding technique, and a straightforward method to restore the light intensity along the depth of the image stack are proposed. Another problem associated with the CLSM is the non-isotropic resolution. We have presented an interpolation technique based on XOR contouring and morphing to virtually insert the image slices in the image stack for improving the axial resolution. This interpolation technique has the merits of both contour- and intensity-based interpolations. Results of application of these methods on CLSM data are shown.     

Flame speed and self-similar propagation of expanding turbulent premixed flames

In this Letter we present turbulent flame speeds and their scaling from experimental measurements on constant-pressure, unity Lewis number expanding turbulent flames, propagating in nearly homogeneous isotropic turbulence in a dual-chamber, fan-stirred vessel. It is found that the normalized turbulent flame speed as a function of the average radius scales as a turbulent Reynolds number to the one-half power, where the average radius is the length scale and the thermal diffusivity is the transport property, thus showing self-similar propagation. Utilizing this dependence it is found that the turbulent flame speeds from the present expanding flames and those from the Bunsen geometry in the literature can be unified by a turbulent Reynolds number based on flame length scales using recent theoretical results obtained by spectral closure of the transformed G equation.     

Role of vacancy and metal doping on combustive oxidation of Zr/ZrO2 core-shell particles

We studied self-propagated combustion synthesis of transition-metal-doped tetragonal ZrO₂ (t-ZrO₂) with first principles-based one-dimensional diffusion reaction model. The optimal reaction condition for the combustion process was investigated by calculating energetic stability and surface reactivity of oxygen vacancy defects on (101) surface termination of t-ZrO₂ using first-principles density functional methods. In the first-principles model, the surface was doped with 14 different metal impurities in the 4th and 5th row of the periodic table to examine the role of transition-metal doping on the combustion process. Results indicate that there are clear trends in the defect stability and reactivity depending upon the type of metal impurity and their relative location with respect to the oxygen vacancy. Surface density of states and charge density information also show that there is a trade-off between the vacancy stability and chemical activity of the surface defect states. Based on the thermodynamic information obtained from first principles, we analyze the combustion process of a Zr metal particle by using a one-dimensional diffusion-reaction model. The competition between the vacancy-assisted chemisorption and the vacancy diffusion results in an optimal point for rate of combustion reaction with respect to the vacancy stability. From this, we suggest a plausible screening strategy for metal-doping which can be applied at different temperatures and pressures, as well as with different particle sizes. Our analysis indicates that first-principles calculation provides key information that can be subsequently used for an optimization of the reaction rate for a self-sustained combustion process. An explicit inclusion of rates of defect and ionic transport will be introduced into our model in future work.     

TITAN: an ion trap for accurate mass measurements of ms-half-life nuclides

The introduction of Paul traps, in particular linear radio-frequency quadrupoles in the early 2000s, has revolutionized the use of ion traps for probing the properties of radioactive nuclides. It opened the path to trapping all available nuclides, independent of their chemical properties. We present an overview of direct mass measurements of short-lived nuclides using TITAN, a Penning trap mass spectrometer facility particularly suitable for precision measurements of ms-half-life nuclides.     

Studies on CdS nanoparticles dispersed in silica matrix prepared by sol-gel technique

SiO₂/CdS-nanoparticle composite films (SiO₂:CdS=85:15, 80:20, 75:25 and 70:30) were prepared by the sol-gel route. The films were characterized by studying microstructural (XRD and TEM) and optical (transmittance and photoluminescence) properties. Band gaps of these films annealed at different temperatures (373-473 K) for different times (10-120 min) indicated that the signature of nanocrystallinity is retained throughout the range of our experimental conditions. A thermal diffusion process controlled growth in the crystallite size with increasing annealing time and temperature. The average radii of the nanoparticles varied as the cube root of the annealing time but showed exponential dependence on the inverse of annealing temperature. Photoluminescence (PL) studies of the composite films indicated excitonic transitions. Theoretical analysis of the line shapes of the PL peaks recorded at 300 K and 80 K could be accounted for by the combined effects of size distribution and phonon broadening. It was observed that the deformation potential (E _d) effectively controlled the line shapes of the PL measurements. Received 24 May 2002 Published online 27 January 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: msakp@mahendra.iacs.res.in     

Characteristics of electrochemically grown dendritic metallic zinc

A simple electrochemical process has been implemented to fabricated fractal structured leaf-like metallic zinc. The fabricated material was structurally characterized using X-ray diffraction that reveals the hexagonal unit cell structure. Also the growth of the structure is anisotropic. Field emission scanning electron microscopic images revealed clearly the leaf-like morphology of the fabricated material is fern like and ∼500 μm in length, ∼50-60 μm wide and the platelets thickness is ∼5 μm. The growth of this structure is diffusion controlled and locally accomplished with the oriented attachment. Raman shift measurement revealed the existence of surface optical phonon modes which is very significant for surface defects.     

An improved Hardy-Sobolev inequality and its application

For , a bounded domain, and for , we improve the Hardy-Sobolev inequality by adding a term with a singular weight of the type . We show that this weight function is optimal in the sense that the inequality fails for any other weight function more singular than this one. Moreover, we show that a series of finite terms can be added to improve the Hardy-Sobolev inequality, which answers a question of Brezis-Vazquez. Finally, we use this result to analyze the behaviour of the first eigenvalue of the operator as increases to for .

     

Triple minima in the free energy of semiflexible polymers

We study the free energy of the worm-like-chain model, in the constant-extension ensemble, as a function of the stiffness lambda for finite chains of length L. We find that the polymer properties obtained in this ensemble are qualitatively different from those obtained using constant-force ensembles. In particular, we find that as we change the stiffness parameter, t=L/lambda, the polymer makes a transition from the flexible to the rigid phase and there is an intermediate regime of parameter values where the free energy has three minima and both phases are stable. This leads to interesting features in the force-extension curves.     

Axially symmetric solutions generated by the complexification technique

Banerjee and Andrade generated axially symmetric electrovac solutions from the spherically symmetric Reissner-Nordström solution by giving a complex translation along theZ axis. We use the same method for generating new more complicated axially symmetric solutions from known solutions. Several such examples are given.     

Amperometric determination of 2-benzothiazole sulphenamide accelerators

A simple method for the amperometric estimation of N-cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazole sulphenamide, N-dicyclohexyl-2-benzothiazole sulphenamide, 2-(morpholinothio)benzothiazole and N-tert.-butyl-2-benzothiazole sulphenamide is reported. The results are obtained within 5 min and are correct within +/- 2.0%.