Transients and Evolution in NiTi

Many of the applications that seek to utilize shape memory alloys for their unique set of properties inevitably must deal, on some level, with the dimensional instability that is inherent to these materials under cyclic thermomechanical loading conditions. As a result, a better understanding of the transient and evolutionary behavior of a shape memory alloy is critical to both the successful design of useful actuation systems and development of accurate material models that can adequately capture the types of dimensional instability that can arise during component design. To this end, a set of experiments were conducted wherein the temperature cycling excursion was held fixed while the applied stress was varied. The results indicated that the extent of strain evolution produced under the initially applied stress has a significant impact on both the amount of transient that is observed as well as the rate of evolution observed under subsequent stress levels. In particular, lowering the applied stress to 50 MPa after cycling under an initial stress of 75 MPa did not stabilize the strain. However, lowering the applied stress to 50 MPa after cycling under an initial stress of 150 MPa produced a nearly saturated strain/temperature response. The thermomechanical observations are discussed in terms of the nature of strain evolution and its connection to the concept of a local/global minimization of the energy of the system, however, the exact mechanisms associated with these strain evolutions were not determined.     

Laser location and manipulation of a single quantum tunneling channel in an InAs quantum dot

We use a femtowatt focused laser beam to locate and manipulate a single quantum tunneling channel associated with an individual InAs quantum dot within an ensemble of dots. The intensity of the directed laser beam tunes the tunneling current through the targeted dot with an effective optical gain of 10(7) and modifies the curvature of the dot's confining potential and the spatial extent of its ground state electron eigenfunction. These observations are explained by the effect of photocreated hole charges which become bound close to the targeted dot, thus acting as an optically induced gate electrode.     

Probing the QCD critical point with relativistic heavy-ion collisions

We utilize an event-by-event relativistic hydrodynamic calculation performed at a number of different incident beam energies to investigate the creation of hot and dense QCD matter near the critical point. Using state-of-the-art analysis and visualization tools we demonstrate that each collision event probes QCD matter characterized by a wide range of temperatures and baryo-chemical potentials, making a dynamical response of the system to the vicinity of the critical point very difficult to isolate above the background.     

An Experimental Design Approach to Quantitative Expression for Quality Control of a Multicomponent Antidiabetic Formulation by the HILIC Method

A rapid and reproducible hydrophilic liquid chromatography (HILIC) process was established for concomitant determination of remogliflozin etabonate (RE), vildagliptin (VD), and metformin (MF) in a formulation. A face-centered central composite experimental design was employed to optimize and predict the chromatographic condition by statistically studying the surface response model and design space with desirability close to one. A HILIC column with a simple mobile phase of acetonitrile (65% v/v) and 20 mM phosphate buffer (35% v/v, pH 6, controlled with orthophosphoric acid) was used to separate RE, VD, and MF. RE, VD, and MF were separated in 3.6 min using an isocratic mode mobile phase flow at a flow rate of 1.4 mL at room temperature, and the analytes were examined by recording the absorption at 210 nm. The developed HILIC method was thoroughly validated for all parameters recommended by ICH, and linearity was observed in the ranges 20–150 µg/mL, 10–75 µg/mL, and 50–750 µg/mL for RE, VD, and MF, respectively, along with excellent regression coefficients (r² > 0.999). The calculated percentage relative deviation and relative error ascertained the precision and accuracy of the method. The selectivity and accuracy were further confirmed by the high percentage recovery of added standard drugs to the formulation using the standard addition technique. The robustness of the HILIC processes was confirmed by developing a half-normal probability plot and Pareto chart, as the slight variation of a single factor had no significant influence on the assay outcomes. Utilization of the optimized HILIC procedure for concurrent quantification of RE, VD, and MF in solid dosage forms showed accurate and reproducible results. Hence, the fast HILIC method can be regularly employed for the quality assurance of pharmaceutical preparations comprising RE, VD, and MF.     

A reversible safety-catch method for the hydrogenolysis of N-benzyl moieties

The benzyl groups of β-hydroxy-N-benzyl sulfonamides are labile toward hydrogenolysis-unlike N-benzyl sulfonamides lacking the β-hydroxy moiety. We find that N-acyl-N-benzyl sulfonamides undergo hydrogenolysis under very mild conditions. Based upon these observations, we developed a reversible safety-catch method using tert-butoxycarbonyl moieties to activate N-benzyl sulfonamides toward hydrogenolysis. We also explored the utility of the safety-catch activation method for other nitrogen-based functionality such as N-benzyl carboxamides, imides, and related functionality.     

Macroscopic models of internal dynamics of electrical discharges

The existence of thresholds for electrical discharge onset suggests a functional relation between macroscopic resistivity and current. At low current, the resistivity should be inversely proportional to the magnitude of the current. Macroscopic models which employ this scaling predict many empirically observed properties of transient electrical discharges such as: (i) thresholds for the onset of current, (ii) the abrupt termination of current in active regions of a current channel, (iii) current restart in passive regions of current channels, (iv) leaders, and (v) residual charge, both in channels and at sources when current terminates. An overview of research with these models is presented and examples are used to illustrate the results that have been obtained. These models are shown to predict current channel formation and describe results of efforts to benchmark theory with experimental data     

Reaction of silylated aminonitrofurazane with N-magnesium amine derivatives

A study was carried out on the reaction of N-trimethylsilylaminonitrofurazane with magnesyl amines, leading to the corresponding asymmetric diazene oxides.N. D. Zelinskii Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117913 Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1916–1917, August, 1992.     

Reduction and reductive coupling of imines by Sm(II)-based reagents

The reductive coupling of aldimines and ketimines by a series of Sm(II)-based reagents (SmI₂, SmI₂–HMPA, SmBr₂, Sm{N[Si(CH₃)₃]₂}₂, and SmI₂/triethylamine/water) were examined. In general, aldimines and ketimines were efficiently reduced or coupled using reductants that are more powerful than SmI₂, and the use of Sm{N[Si(CH₃)₃]₂}₂ led to higher diastereoselectivities in reductive coupling reactions. Surprisingly, only the combination of SmI₂/triethylamine/water was capable of reducing and coupling para-substituted benzaldimines and coupling ketimines.     

Molecular orbital description of the polythiazyl polymer Part 1. MNDO calculations of models of (SN)x

Semiempirical MNDO calculations are performed on various models for the polythiazyl polymer with increasing chain sizes. Population analysis, geometry optimization and the evolution of the frontier orbital energies are discussed. A low-lying broken symmetry structure with (SN)₂ repeating units is detected.