Efficient mechanically Q-switched diode side pumped Nd:YAG laser using a rotating prism and mirror combination

In this paper the construction of a mechanically Q-switched diode side pumped Nd:YAG laser system is described. It consists of a 50 cm long plane-plane resonator Q-switched with a combination of a rotating prism and a mirror. With an optical to optical efficiency of 25% Q-switched pulses (@1064) of 48 mJ and 8 ns are obtained at a rep-rate of 30 Hz with an output in near TEMoo mode. At a peak power of 6 MW the M ² value is found to be 1.92. The laser is frequency doubled and then tested on a 50 ??m thick tantalum foil which results in circular holes of diameter 13 ??m in it.     

Asymptotic Normality of a Combined Regression Estimator

In this paper, we propose a combined regression estimator by using a parametric estimator and a nonparametric estimator of the regression function. The asymptotic distribution of this estimator is obtained for cases where the parametric regression model is correct, incorrect, and approximately correct. These distributional results imply that the combined estimator is superior to the kernel estimator in the sense that it can never do worse than the kernel estimator in terms of convergence rate and it has the same convergence rate as the parametric estimator in the case where the parametric model is correct. Unlike the parametric estimator, the combined estimator is robust to model misspecification. In addition, we also establish the asymptotic distribution of the estimator of the weight given to the parametric estimator in constructing the combined estimator. This can be used to construct consistent tests for the parametric regression model used to form the combined estimator.     

Computational studies on the interaction of ABO-active saccharides with the norovirus VA387 capsid protein can explain experimental binding data

Norovirus strains are known to cause recurring epidemics of winter vomiting disease. The crystal structure of the capsid protein of VA387, a representative of the clinically important GII.4 genocluster, was recently solved in complex with histo-blood group A- and B-trisaccharides. However, the VA387 strain is known to bind also to other natural carbohydrates for which detailed structural information of the complexes is not available. In this study we have computationally explored the fit of the VA387 with a set of naturally occurring carbohydrate ligands containing a terminal α1,2-linked fucose. MD simulations both with explicit and implicit solvent models indicate that type 1 and 3 extensions of the ABO-determinant including ALe^b and BLe^b pentasaccharides can be well accommodated in the site. Scoring with Glide XP indicates that the downstream extensions of the ABO-determinants give an increase in binding strength, although the α1,2-linked fucose is the single strongest interacting residue. An error was discovered in the geometry of the GalNAc-Gal moiety of the published crystal structure of the A-trisaccharide/VA387 complex. The present modeling of the complexes with histo-blood group A-active structures shows some contacts which provide insight into mutational data, explaining the involvement of I389 and Q331. Our results can be applicable in structure-based design of adhesion inhibitors of noroviruses.     

Gold nanoparticles catalyzed chemiluminescence immunoassay for detection of herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

We present a novel immunoassay format utilizing the catalytic properties of gold nanoparticles in the luminol-silver nitrate-gold nanoparticle based chemiluminescence (CL) system for the detection of widely used herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Highly sensitive anti-2,4-D antibody was produced and conjugated with gold nanoparticles of various sizes. In the present assay format, employing a competitive inhibition approach, a well-characterized hapten-protein conjugate (2,4-D-BSA) was used to coat the microtiter plates. The analyte (2,4-D) was pre-incubated with anti-2,4-D antibody labeled with gold nanoparticles and added to each well of the microtiter plate. The gold label triggered the reaction between luminol and silver nitrate generating a luminescence signal at 425 nm. Under the optimized conditions, the CL based immunoassay showed the detection limit of 2,4-D in standard water samples around 3 ng mL(-1). The CL based immunoassay format, based on gold nanoparticles as a catalyst, could be used as a fast screening methodology (<30 min) for pesticide detection.     

Progress and Insight of Van der Waals Heterostructures Containing Interlayer Transition for Near Infrared Photodetectors

Van der Waals (vdWs) heterostructures enable bandgap engineering of different 2D materials to realize the interlayer transition via type-II band alignment leading to broaden spectrum that is beyond the cut-off wavelength of individual 2D materials. Interlayer transition has a significant effect on the optoelectronic performance of vdWs heterostructure devices, and strong interlayer transition in 2D vdWs heterojunction is always demandable for sufficient charge transfer and rapid speed response. Herein, a state-of-the-art review is presented on recent progress on interlayer transition in vdWs heterostructures for near-infrared (NIR) photodetectors. First, the general synthesis techniques for vdWs heterostructures, band alignments in the vdWs heterostructures are provided. Then, the mechanism of interlayer transition in vdWs heterostructure and recent progress on interlayer transition in vdWs heterostructures for NIR photodetectors are summarized. Afterward, some worthy applications of NIR photodetectors are reviewed in related areas of this topic. At the last, an outlook, challenges, and future research directions of vdWs heterostructures for photodetectors at broaden response spectrum are presented.     

Sodium dodecyl sulfate-poly(amidoamine) interactions studied by AFM imaging, conductivity, and Krafft temperature measurements

The conductivity, kappa, and Krafft temperature, TK, of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) with poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (PAMAM) of 0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 generations (G) have been determined at different surfactant as well as PAMAM concentrations. The critical micelle concentration of SDS increases with the increase in the amount of each generation and the additive effect of 0.5G is maximum. TK of SDS shows a systematic decrease with maximum reduction in the presence of 0.5G. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) captures a layered pattern of 1.0G in the form of nanorods and no AFM images are detected for 1.0G in the presence of SDS. All results demonstrate that SDS has favorable interactions with ester-terminated 0.5G PAMAM rather than amine-terminated 0.0G and 1.0G.     

Significance of activation energy and Wu's slip features in Cross nanofluid with motile microorganisms

The current article investigates the impact of the bioconvection in an unsteady flow of magnetized Cross nanofluid with gyrotactic microorganisms and activation energy over a linearly stretched configuration. The analysis has been performed by utilizing the realistic Wu's slip boundary and zero mass flux conditions. The effects of nonlinear thermal radiation and the activation energy are also addressed. The governing flow equations are deduced to a dimensionless form by considering suitable transformations which are numerically targeted via a shooting algorithm. The physical visualization of each physical parameter governing the flow problem has been displayed graphically for distribution of velocity, temperature, concentration and motile microorganisms. The numerical treatment for the variation of skin friction coefficient, local Nusselt number, local Sherwood number and motile density number is performed in tabular forms.     

Power budget analysis of dual/single feeder fiber WDMPON

This paper investigates how to reduce the cost of wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network （WDM- PON） by comparing the transmission performance of bidirectional single feeder fiber and dual feeder fiber. Comparison is performed on the basis of power budgeting and cost of both arrangements. Simulation results using Optisystem show that the performance of a single feeder fiber is almost equivalent to that of a dual feeder fiber. Therefore, the single feeder fiber WDM-PON can efficiently replace the dual feeder fiber WDM-PON with the minimum deterioration in system performance and reduction in cost.