Astability and negative differential resistance of the Wigner solid

We report spontaneous narrow band oscillations in the high field Wigner solid. These oscillations are similar to the recently seen and yet unexplained oscillations in the reentrant integer quantum Hall states. The current-voltage characteristic has a region of negative differential resistance in the current biased setup and it is hysteretic in the voltage biased setup. As a consequence of the unusual breakdown, the oscillations in the Wigner solid are of the relaxation type.     

Stereoselective Palladium‐Catalyzed C−F Bond Alkynylation of Tetrasubstituted gem‐Difluoroalkenes

A stereoselective Pd(PPh₃)₄‐catalyzed C?F bond alkynylation of tetrasubstituted gem‐difluoroalkenes with terminal alkynes has been developed. This method gives access to a great variety of conjugated monofluoroenynes bearing a tetrasubstituted alkene moiety with well‐defined stereochemistry. Chelation‐assisted oxidative addition of Pd to the C?F bond is proposed to account for the high level of stereocontrol. An X‐ray crystal structure of a key monofluorovinyl Pd^II intermediate has been obtained for the first time as evidence for the proposed mechanism.     

Catalytic Hydroetherification of Unactivated Alkenes Enabled by Proton‐Coupled Electron Transfer

We report a catalytic, light‐driven method for the intramolecular hydroetherification of unactivated alkenols to furnish cyclic ether products. These reactions occur under visible‐light irradiation in the presence of an Ir^III‐based photoredox catalyst, a Brønsted base catalyst, and a hydrogen‐atom transfer (HAT) co‐catalyst. Reactive alkoxy radicals are proposed as key intermediates, generated by direct homolytic activation of alcohol O?H bonds through a proton‐coupled electron‐transfer mechanism. This method exhibits a broad substrate scope and high functional‐group tolerance, and it accommodates a diverse range of alkene substitution patterns. Results demonstrating the extension of this catalytic system to carboetherification reactions are also presented.     

QUANTIFICATION OF SHEAR DAMAGE EVOLUTION IN ALUMINIUM ALLOY 2024T3

Shear damage may occur in the process of metal machining such as blanking and cutting, where localized shear deformation is developed. Experimental findings indicate that microscopic shear damage evolution in aluminium alloy 2024T3 (A1 2024T3) is a multi-stage mechanism, including particle cracking, micro-shear banding, matrix microcracking and coalescence of microcracks. This study is an attempt to use a set of equations to describe the multi-stage shear damage evolution in Al 2024T3. The shear damage variables in terms of multi-couple parameters of a power-law hardening material have been defined. An evolution curve of shearing damage has been calculated from experimental data. The values of the shear damage variable at different stages of damage have also been calculated. By making use of the findings, the relation between the microscopic shear damage evolution and the macroscopic shear response of the material has been discussed.     

Using 1 MHz pulse-echo ultrasound externally applied to detect mastoid effusion: cadaver experiments

The objective of this study is to explore the feasibility of using ultrasound to detect mastoid effusion (ME). In the past, ultrasound has been used to measure middle ear effusion (MEE) by injecting water into the external ear canal to measure echoes from the tympanic membrane, which is uncomfortable for the patient. It has been shown that air cells in the mastoid of patients with MEE are filled with fluid, which implies that ME could be a useful indicator of MEE. This study suggests using ultrasound to detect ME as a potentially noninvasive approach for MEE detection. In vitro experiments were performed on ten cadaver samples of the human ear. A single-element 1 MHz transducer was used to measure the mastoid of each cadaver before and after injecting water into the mastoid. The experimental results showed that the relative amplitudes of ultrasonic signals differed significantly between before (0.24 ± 0.09, mean ± standard deviation) and after (0.15 ± 0.03) the water injection (p < 0.05, t-test), demonstrating that the ultrasonic reflection can be used to detect ME. The location of the human mastoid under the skin behind the ear allows external measurements, and hence ultrasound-based ME detection may be an alternative, noninvasive diagnostic approach to detecting MEE in the future, providing an examination that avoids discomfort.     

High‐mobility solution‐processed zinc oxide thin films on silicon nitride

A high effective electron mobility of 33 cm² V^–1 s^–1 was achieved in solution‐processed undoped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films. The introduction of silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) as growth substrate resulted in a mobility improvement by a factor of 2.5 with respect to the commonly used silicon oxide (SiO₂). The solution‐processed ZnO thin films grown on Si₃N₄, prepared by low‐pressure chemical vapor deposition, revealed bigger grain sizes, lower strain and better crystalline quality in comparison to the films grown on thermal SiO₂. These results show that the nucleation and growth mechanisms of solution‐processed films are substrate dependent and affect the final film structure accordingly. The substantial difference in electron mobilities suggests that, in addition to the grain morphology and crystalline structure effects, defect chemistry is a contributing factor that also depends on the particular substrate. In this respect, interface trap densities measured in high‐κ HfO₂/ZnO MOSCAPs were about ten times lower in those fabricated on Si₃N₄ substrates. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

     

Enabling drug discovery project decisions with integrated computational chemistry and informatics

Computational chemistry/informatics scientists and software engineers in Genentech Small Molecule Drug Discovery collaborate with experimental scientists in a therapeutic project-centric environment. Our mission is to enable and improve pre-clinical drug discovery design and decisions. Our goal is to deliver timely data, analysis, and modeling to our therapeutic project teams using best-in-class software tools. We describe our strategy, the organization of our group, and our approaches to reach this goal. We conclude with a summary of the interdisciplinary skills required for computational scientists and recommendations for their training.     

Experimental and theoretical analysis of bias ionization by?α-particles in a nitrogen laser

Nitrogen laser performance with TE configuration and wedge electrodes is analyzed with background ionization in the laser discharge channel by α particles at a low exposition rate. With the bias ionization, the laser power presents two peaks as a function of gas pressure, with one at the normal low pressure, without bias ionization, and the other at high pressure generated by bias ionization. A simple theoretical model has been developed in a trial to understand this behavior. This model was first tested in later results for a TE configuration nitrogen laser, with flat electrodes, without and with bias ionization. It has been observed that due to the competition between electrode shielding by positively charged α particles and bulk ionization by impact, the laser energy is suppressed with pressure below 50 Torr and enhanced above it.     

Self-organization of a carbide superlattice during deposition of carbon on Mo

Formation and evolution of a carbide superlattice (SL) during C deposition on Mo have been studied using molecular beam epitaxy techniques. The ordering of the SL is energetically driven, such that the interplay between strain and surface energies determines the length scale of the SL. Surface precipitation of C occurs within a narrow range of SL spacing that appears to control the size and spacing of the precipitates leading to a possible mechanism for nucleation of single-walled carbon nanotubes.     

Left ventricular 4D echocardiogram motion and shape analysis

The article describes the methodology and the processes of modeling the function and the motion of left ventricle using transesophageal echocardiograph. The parameters can be used in studying the functionality of left ventricle, the status of abnormality of myocardial, and the geometric and morphological of left ventricle in shape analysis. The parameters describes the motion of left ventricle are the left ventricular (LV) floating long axis, the morphological parameters. The LV morphological parameters describe the wall motion, the LV chamber cavity variation, the effective R-ratio of endomyocardial chamber of LV, the area surface curvature, and the global surface curvature circularity. The parameters such as stroke volume, ejection fraction used in evaluation of LV functions are also extracted.