Universal Laurent series smooth up to a part of the boundary

We prove the generic existence of universal Laurent series in domains of infinite connectivity. The universal approximation is valid on a part of the boundary, while on another disjoint part of the boundary the universal function is smooth.     

Direct Catalytic Conversion of Ethanol to C5+ Ketones: Role of Pd–Zn Alloy on Catalytic Activity and Stability

Ethanol can be used as a platform molecule for synthesizing valuable chemicals and fuel precursors. Direct synthesis of C₅₊ ketones, building blocks for lubricants and hydrocarbon fuels, from ethanol was achieved over a stable Pd-promoted ZnO-ZrO₂ catalyst. The sequence of reaction steps involved in the C₅₊ ketone formation from ethanol was determined. The key reaction steps were found to be the in situ generation of the acetone intermediate and the cross-aldol condensation between the reaction intermediates acetaldehyde and acetone. The formation of a Pd–Zn alloy in situ was identified to be the critical factor in maintaining high yield to the C₅₊ ketones and the stability of the catalyst. A yield of >70 % to C₅₊ ketones was achieved over a 0.1 % Pd-ZnO-ZrO₂ mixed oxide catalyst, and the catalyst was demonstrated to be stable beyond 2000 hours on stream without any catalyst deactivation.     

Performance analysis of high-speed TCP protocols in LTE X2 handover under realistic operational conditions

Telecommunication Systems - Broadband mobile networks have rapidly evolved over the last years. The unique environment they operate, however, sets new challenges for the Transmission Control...     

Nonpreorganized neutral acyclic anion receptors: Structural investigations of N,N′-diphenyl-1, 3-benzenedisulfonamide and N,N′bis(4-t-butylphenyl)-1, 3-benzenedisulfonamide

The structure of N,N-diphenyl-1,3-benzenedisulfonamide (1) was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. It crystallizes in P2₁/n with cell dimensions: a = 11.8390(6) Å, b = 12.3950(10) Å, c = 12.1184(10) Å, = 94.388(6)°, and V = 1773.1(2) ų. Its di-t-butyl derivative, N,N-bis(4-t-butylphenyl)-1,3-benzenedisulfonamide (2), was prepared and structurally characterized as two solvated structures. Both crystallize in P with cell dimensions: 2 CF₃CH₂OH, a = 9.469(2) Å, b = 10.0039(18) Å, c = 16.385(3) Å, = 85.561(16)°, = 83.035(18)°, = 72.459(16), and V = 1467.7(5) ų; 2 ClCH₂CH₂Cl, a = 9.559(2) Å, b = 9.8125(12) Å, c = 17.100(6) Å, = 82.495(19)°, = 83.47(2)°, = 70.100(15), and V = 1491.1(6) ų. The structures exhibit hydrogen-bonding, and are evaluated in terms of preorganization for anion binding.     

Influence of turbulence–chemistry interaction for n-heptane spray combustion under diesel engine conditions with emphasis on soot formation and oxidation

The influence of the turbulence–chemistry interaction (TCI) for n-heptane sprays under diesel engine conditions has been investigated by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The conditional moment closure approach, which has been previously validated thoroughly for such flows, and the homogeneous reactor (i.e. no turbulent combustion model) approach have been compared, in view of the recent resurgence of the latter approaches for diesel engine CFD. Experimental data available from a constant-volume combustion chamber have been used for model validation purposes for a broad range of conditions including variations in ambient oxygen (8?21% by vol.), ambient temperature (900 and 1000 K) and ambient density (14.8 and 30 kg/m³). The results from both numerical approaches have been compared to the experimental values of ignition delay (ID), flame lift-off length (LOL), and soot volume fraction distributions. TCI was found to have a weak influence on ignition delay for the conditions simulated, attributed to the low values of the scalar dissipation relative to the critical value above which auto-ignition does not occur. In contrast, the flame LOL was considerably affected, in particular at low oxygen concentrations. Quasi-steady soot formation was similar; however, pronounced differences in soot oxidation behaviour are reported. The differences were further emphasised for a case with short injection duration: in such conditions, TCI was found to play a major role concerning the soot oxidation behaviour because of the importance of soot-oxidiser structure in mixture fraction space. Neglecting TCI leads to a strong over-estimation of soot oxidation after the end of injection. The results suggest that for some engines, and for some phenomena, the neglect of turbulent fluctuations may lead to predictions of acceptable engineering accuracy, but that a proper turbulent combustion model is needed for more reliable results.     

Dielectric‐loaded plasmonic waveguide components: Going practical

Surface plasmon propagating modes supported by metal/dielectric interfaces in various configurations can be used for radiation guiding similarly to conventional dielectric waveguides. Plasmonic waveguides offer two attractive features: subdiffraction mode confinement and the presence of conducting elements at the mode‐field maximum. The first feature can be exploited to realize ultrahigh density of nanophotonics components, whereas the second feature enables the development of dynamic components controlling the plasmon propagation with ultralow signals, minimizing heat dissipation in switching elements. While the first feature is yet to be brought close to the domain of practical applications because of high propagation losses, the second one is already being investigated for bringing down power requirements in optical communication systems. In this review, the latest application‐oriented research on radiation modulation and routing using thermo‐optic dielectric‐loaded plasmonic waveguide components integrated with silicon‐based photonic waveguides is overviewed. Their employment under conditions of real telecommunications is addressed, highlighting challenges and perspectives.     

Microfabricated Porous Silk Scaffolds for Vascularizing Engineered Tissues

There is critical clinical demand for tissue‐engineered (TE), 3D constructs for tissue repair and organ replacements. Current efforts toward this goal are prone to necrosis at the core of larger constructs because of limited oxygen and nutrient diffusion. Therefore, critically sized 3D TE constructs demand an immediate vascular system for sustained tissue function upon implantation. To address this challenge the goal of this project was to develop a strategy to incorporate microchannels into a porous silk TE scaffold that could be fabricated reproducibly using microfabrication and soft lithography. Silk is a suitable biopolymer material for this application because it is mechanically robust, biocompatible, slowly degrades in vivo, and has been used in a variety of TE constructs. Here, the fabrication of a silk‐based TE scaffold that contains an embedded network of porous microchannels is reported. Enclosed porous microchannels support endothelial lumen formation, a critical step toward development of the vascular niche, while the porous scaffold surrounding the microchannels supports tissue formation, demonstrated using human mesenchymal stem cells. This approach for fabricating vascularized TE constructs is advantageous compared to previous systems, which lack porosity and biodegradability or degrade too rapidly to sustain tissue structure and function. The broader impact of this research will enable the systemic study and development of complex, critically‐sized engineered tissues, from regenerative medicine to in vitro tissue models of disease states.     

Handling mobility in future publish-subscribe information-centric networks

Future information-oriented Internet architectures are expected to effectively support mobility. PSIRP, an EU FP7 research project, designed, prototyped, and investigated a clean-slate architecture for the future Internet based on the publish-subscribe paradigm. PURSUIT, another EU FP7 research project, is further developing this architecture, which we refer to as Ψ, the Publish Subscribe Internet (PSI) architecture, extending it in various directions, including a deeper investigation of higher (transport and application) and lower layers (e.g., various link technologies, such as wireless and optical). In this paper we present the basics of the Ψ architecture, including the built-in multicast and caching mechanisms, with particular focus on mobility support. We discuss how the native, clean-slate, Ψ instantiation of the information-centric model can support mobility and also present an overlay variant of Ψ we have developed in order to provide an evolutionary path to adoption. Based on analysis and simulation we demonstrate the advantages of the proposed architecture compared to well established solutions such as Mobile IPv6.     

Fine structure and formation mechanism of particulate phase‐inversion poly(vinylidene fluoride) membranes

The structure and formation mechanism of a microporous phase‐inversion poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane exhibiting a relatively loosely packed agglomerate of semicrystalline globules are explored. The membrane has been prepared by the coagulation of a solution of PVDF in dimethylformamide by the action of 1‐octanol, which is a soft nonsolvent. Experimental observations pertain to the globule surface, which is dominated by a grainy nanostructure; the globular interior, which exhibits a range of fine structures (e.g., twisted sheets and treelike branches); and the globule–globule connections, which exhibit a sheetlike or ropelike structure. On the basis of the observed structural details and phase diagram considerations, it is proposed that the membrane structure is the result of a unique combination of a polymer crystallization and a liquid–liquid phase‐separation process, with end‐result globular structural features of remarkable uniformity. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1578–1588, 2003     

Preparation of Chiral Building Blocks for Starburst Dendrimer Synthesis

Double aldols, formally derived from acetic acid and two different aldehydes, as obtained by addition of the enolate of (R,R)-2-(tert-butyl)-6-methyl-1,3-dioxan-4-one ( A ) to various aldehydes, are reduced to triols which are actually substituted chiral ‘tris(hydroxymethyl)methanes’ (see B and 3–8 ). Etherifications of the three OH groups of these triols with functionalized halides (allyl, 4-(silyloxy)but-2-en-l-yl, 4-substituted benzyl) and esterifications with pent-4-enoic and 3,5-dinitrobenzyl chlorides, followed by functional group manipulations, lead to the potential center pieces 14–30 for the construction of chiral dendrimers: the building blocks prepared contain the required ‘spacers’ between the core unit, as well as three vinyl groups, three aryl bromide groups, three alcoholic or phenolic OH groups, three mesylate groups, three ester groups, or six arylamino groups at the terminus of their branches. The new compounds are all obtained on a preparative scale and are fully characterized (including elemental analysis).