Applying the combined integral method to one-dimensional ablation

In this paper the combined integral method is applied to a simple one-dimensional ablation problem. One of the drawbacks of heat balance integral methods is how to choose the approximating function. It is common to use a polynomial form but even then it is not clear what the power of the highest order term should be. Previous studies have determined exponents either from exact solutions or from expansions valid over short time scales; neither approach is satisfactory nor very accurate for larger times. We combine the heat balance and refined integral methods to determine this exponent as part of the solution process, and conclude that it is in fact time-dependent in the ablation stage. From comparing the approximate solutions with numerical and exact analytical solutions whenever possible, we show that this new method greatly improves the accuracy on standard methods, without overcomplicating the method.     

Oriental Lacquer. 10. The South East Asian Lacquer

Abstract

The family Anacardiaceae consists of 76 genera and about 600 species. A comparison of the species of Anacardiaceae is discussed with special emphasis on the importance of the exudates, the so-called sap, for their importance as lacquer to produce lacquer ware. Many exudates are poisonous. The individual chemical compounds which constitute the active ingredients of the oleoresin part of the sap and their function are described based on space-filling molecular models. Emphasis is also given to the organic components of lacquer trees of the South East Asian region, which is compared to other species of the Anacardiaceae family.     

Improving human health through understanding the complex structure of glucose polymers

Two highly branched glucose polymers with similar structures—starch and glycogen—have important relations to human health. Slowly digestible and resistant starches have desirable health benefits, including the prevention and alleviation of metabolic diseases and prevention of colon cancer. Glycogen is important in regulating the use of glucose in the body, and diabetic subjects have an anomaly in their glycogen structure compared with that in healthy subjects. This paper reviews the biosynthesis–structure–property relations of these polymers, showing that polymer characterization produces knowledge which can be useful in producing healthier foods and new drug targets aimed at improving glucose storage in diabetic patients. Examples include mathematical modeling to design starch with better nutritional values, the effects of amylose fine structures on starch digestibility, the structure of slowly digested starch collected from in vitro and in vivo digestion, and the mechanism of the formation of glycogen α particles from β particles in healthy subjects. A new method to overcome a current problem in the structural characterization of these polymers using field-flow fractionation is also given, through a technique to calibrate evaporative light scattering detection with starch.

An Improved Method for the Mono-Hydroxymethylation of Pyridines. A Modification of the Minisci Procedure

The reaction of N-methoxy-derivatives of pyridines in methanol with ammonium persulphate gives improved yields of mono-hydroxymethylated products. In contrast to the original Minisci procedure the reaction requires only catalytic amounts of ammonium persulphate. Evidence is presented which establishes that the reaction does not proceed via an intramolecular pathway.     

Towards Polyoxometalate‐Cluster‐Based Nano‐Electronics

We explore the concept that the incorporation of polyoxometalates (POMs) into complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies could offer a fundamentally better way to design and engineer new types of data storage devices, due to the enhanced electronic complementarity with SiO₂, high redox potentials, and multiple redox states accessible to polyoxometalate clusters. To explore this we constructed a custom‐built simulation domain bridge. Connecting DFT, for the quantum mechanical modelling part, and mesoscopic device modelling, confirms the theoretical basis for the proposed advantages of POMs in non‐volatile molecular memories (NVMM) or flash‐RAM.     

An efficient synthesis of 3-(N-piperidinemethyl)-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-oxy-3-pyrroline,a promising radioprotector for cancer radiotherapy

Nitroxides can ameliorate the toxic effects of radiation during cancer therapy. Nitroxides are paramagnetic and can be used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) to monitor in vivo oxidative stress status. Compound 5 (3-(N-piperidinemethyl)-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-oxy-3-pyrroline) was found to be the most effective nitroxide radioprotector. An efficient synthesis for this promising radioprotector was developed.     

Computational Insights into the Catalytic Mechanism of Is-PETase: An Enzyme Capable of Degrading Poly(ethylene) Terephthalate

Is-PETase has become an enzyme of significant interest due to its ability to catalyse the degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) at mesophilic temperatures. We performed hybrid quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics (QM/MM) at the DSD-PBEP86-D3/ma-def2-TZVP/CHARMM27//rev-PBE-D3/dev2-SVP/CHARMM level to calculate the energy profile for the degradation of a suitable PET model by this enzyme. Very low overall barriers are computed for serine protease-type hydrolysis steps (as low as 34.1 kJ mol⁻¹). Spontaneous deprotonation of the final product, terephthalic acid, with a high computed driving force indicates that product release could be rate limiting.     

Nonlinear spectral-spatial control and localization of supercontinuum radiation

We present the first observation of spatiospectral control and localization of supercontinuum light through the nonlinear interaction of spectral components in extended periodic structures. We use an array of optical waveguides in a LiNbO3 crystal and employ the interplay between diffraction and nonlinearity to dynamically control the output spectrum of the supercontinuum radiation. This effect presents an efficient scheme for optically tunable spectral filtering of supercontinua.     

Reentrant orbital order and the true ground state of LaSr2Mn2O7

Contrary to conventional wisdom, our purified La 2-2x Sr 1+2x Mn2O7 crystals exhibit CE-type orbital and charge order as the low-temperature ground state for a hole doping level h=0.5. For small deviations from h=0.5, the high-temperature CE phase is replaced at low temperatures by an A-type antiferromagnet without coexistence. Larger deviations result in a lack of CE order at any temperature. Thus, small inhomogeneities in cation or oxygen composition could explain why others commonly see this reentrance with coexistence.