Multiplicative designs II. Uniform normal and related structures

We continue the study of multiplicative designs concentrating primarily on uniform, normal designs with two replications. A structure result and consequent finiteness theorem is obtained and certain classes are related to symmetric block designs, supplementary difference sets, and three eigenvalue graphs.     

Numerical solution of the finite horizon stochastic linear quadratic control problem

The treatment of the stochastic linear quadratic optimal control problem with finite time horizon requires the solution of stochastic differential Riccati equations. We propose efficient numerical methods, which exploit the particular structure and can be applied for large‐scale systems. They are based on numerical methods for ordinary differential equations such as Rosenbrock methods, backward differentiation formulas, and splitting methods. The performance of our approach is tested in numerical experiments.     

A note on the translation of a thin rod inside a cylinder

The problem of a thin rod moving longitudinally along the axis of symmetry of a cylindrical vessel is examined for Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids. For non-Newtonian fluids, the inelastic power-law type solution predicts the experimental results particularly well. On account of wall effects, the induced pressure gradients are much greater for a Newtonian fluid than for a viscoelastic fluid. In fact, in the latter case, they may be considered negligible when the radius of the inner cylinder is small compared to the one of the outer cylinder.     

X-Ray Crystal Structures of Two Monopentamethylcyclopentadienylhafnium(IV) Complexes

Crystallography Reports - The crystal structures of two monopentamethylcyclopentadienylhafnium(IV) derivatives have been determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The [Hf(η5-C5Me5)Cl3] complex...     

Density contrast indicators in cosmological dust models

We discuss ways of quantifying structuration in relativistic cosmological settings, by employing a family of covariant density constrast indicators. We study the evolution of these indicators with time in the context of inhomogeneous Szekeres models. We find that different observers (having either different spatial locations or different indicators) see different evolutions for the density contrast, which may or may not be monotonically increasing with time. We also find that monotonicity seems to be related to the initial conditions of the model, which may be of potential interest in connection with debates regarding gravitational entropy and the arrow of time.     

On the way to raising the technology readiness level of diamond electrolysis

During the last decades, hundreds of scientific papers have focused on the use of anodes consisting of conductive diamond coatings, pointing out their outstanding capacity for the mineralization of organic pollutants contained in wastewater. Most of the works consist of the evaluation of the removal of different types of organics, with concentrations ranging from a few micrograms up to several grams per liter, in different matrices, from synthetic solutions containing large concentrations of sulfate or chloride to real wastewater. However, the technology readiness level has been stagnant in the lab at levels 4–5 and, because of the promising results published, there is a need to raise the readiness levels to values that indicate the full-scale applicability. In this review, two of the main challenges that need to be overcome to reach higher readiness levels are reviewed. The first is the improvement in the formulation of the doped diamond coatings targeting to be tailored for dedicated applications. Its significance is explained in terms of the high influence of these anodic surfaces on the efficiencies of the degradation of complex anthropogenic organics and, overall, on the efficient production of oxidants, that extend the oxidation of pollutants from the nearness of the anode surface to the bulk of the wastewater during electrolysis. The second advantage is the improvement in the design of the electrochemical cell that integrates the diamond anode, trying to take advantage of the outstanding properties of the diamond not only by improving the mass transport rates but also by optimizing the combination of its very efficient oxidation paths with other non-electrochemical oxidation mechanisms.     

The multivalent effect in glycosidase inhibition: probing the influence of architectural parameters with cyclodextrin-based iminosugar click clusters

In contrast to most lectins, glycosidases may appear to be unpromising targets for multivalent binding because they display only a single active site. To explore the potential of multivalency on glycosidase inhibition, unprecedented cyclodextrin-based iminosugar conjugates have been designed and prepared. The synthesis was performed by way of Cu(I) -catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction under microwave activation between propargylated multivalent β-cyclodextrins and an azide-armed N-alkyl 1-deoxynojirimycin derivative. Evaluation with a panel of glycosidases of this new class of glycomimetic clusters revealed the strongest affinity enhancement observed to date for a multivalent glycosidase inhibitor, with binding enhancement up to four orders of magnitude over the corresponding monovalent ligand for α-mannosidase. These results demonstrate that the multivalency concept extends beyond carbohydrate-lectin recognition processes to glycomimetic-enzyme inhibition.