Characterisation of the Kratos Axis Ultra with spherical mirror analyser for XPS imaging

The imaging performance of an XPS instrument employing a spherical mirror electron energy analyser has been characterised by measuring the peak position, full width at half maximum (FWHM), and lineshape, at every pixel in the image, for different modes of operation. Changes in these parameters have been identified and recommendations made for quantification of, and chemical state determination from, spectrum image data sets. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Deflagration-to-detonation transition process for spherical aluminum dust/epoxypropane mist/air mixtures in a large-scale experimental tube

The deflagration-to-detonation transitions (DDTs) for clouds of spherical aluminum dust (SAD) mixed with air or epoxypropane mist (EPM) and air were investigated in a 29.6-m-long experimental tube of 199 mm in diameter. The clouds formed through the injection of SAD and SAD/liquid epoxypropane samples into the experimental tube. Explosions of the SAD/air mixture were initiated using a 7-m-long EPM/air cloud explosion ignited by a 40-J electric spark. Explosions in SAD/EPM/air clouds were initiated using a 1...     

Towards a quaternionic function theory linked with the Lamé's wave functions

Over the past few years, considerable attention has been given to the role played by the Lamé's Wave Functions (LWFs) in various problems of mathematical physics and mechanics. The LWFs arise via the method of separation of variables for the wave equation in ellipsoidal coordinates. The present paper introduces the Lamé's Quaternionic Wave Functions (LQWFs), which extend the LWFs to a non‐commutative framework. We show that the theory of the LQWFs is determined by the Moisil‐Theodorescu type operator with quaternionic variable coefficients. As a result, we explain the connections between the solutions of the Lamé's wave equation, on one hand, and the quaternionic hyperholomorphic and anti‐hyperholomorphic functions on the other. We establish analogues of the basic integral formulas of complex analysis such as Borel‐Pompeiu's, Cauchy's, and so on, for this version of quaternionic function theory. We further obtain analogues of the boundary value properties of the LQWFs such as Sokhotski‐Plemelj formulae, the ‐hyperholomorphic extension of a given Hölder function and on the square of the singular integral operator. We address all the text mentioned earlier and explore some basic facts of the arising quaternionic function theory. We conclude the paper showing that the spherical, prolate, and oblate spheroidal quaternionic wave functions can be generated as particular cases of the LQWFs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distributed and multicore QuBiLS-MIDAS software v2.0: Computing chiral,fuzzy, weighted and truncated geometrical molecular descriptors based on tensor algebra

Advances to the distributed, multi-core and fully cross-platform QuBiLS-MIDAS software v2.0 ( http://tomocomd.com/qubils-midas ) are reported in this article since the v1.0 release. The QuBiLS-MIDAS software is the only one that computes atom-pair and alignment-free geometrical MDs (3D-MDs) from several distance metrics other than the Euclidean distance, as well as alignment-free 3D-MDs that codify structural information regarding the relations among three and four atoms of a molecule. The most recent features added to the QuBiLS-MIDAS software v2.0 are related (a) to the calculation of atomic weightings from indices based on the vertex-degree invariant (e.g., Alikhanidi index); (b) to consider central chirality during the molecular encoding; (c) to use measures based on clustering methods and statistical functions to codify structural information among more than two atoms; (d) to the use of a novel method based on fuzzy membership functions to spherically truncate inter-atomic relations; and (e) to the use of weighted and fuzzy aggregation operators to compute global 3D-MDs according to the importance and/or interrelation of the atoms of a molecule during the molecular encoding. Moreover, a novel module to compute QuBiLS-MIDAS 3D-MDs from their headings was also developed. This module can be used either by the graphical user interface or by means of the software library. By using the library, both the predictive models built with the QuBiLS-MIDAS 3D-MDs and the QuBiLS-MIDAS 3D-MDs calculation can be embedded in other tools. A set of predefined QuBiLS-MIDAS 3D-MDs with high information content and low redundancy on a set comprised of 20,469 compounds is also provided to be employed in further cheminformatics tasks. This set of predefined 3D-MDs evidenced better performance than all the universe of Dragon (v5.5) and PaDEL 0D-to-3D MDs in variability studies, whereas a linear independence study proved that these QuBiLS-MIDAS 3D-MDs codify chemical information orthogonal to the Dragon 0D-to-3D MDs. This set of predefined 3D-MDs would be periodically updated as long as new results be achieved. In general, this report highlights our continued efforts to provide a better tool for a most suitable characterization of compounds, and in this way, to contribute to obtaining better outcomes in future applications.     

Organic Spherical Nucleic Acids for the Transport of a NIR‐II‐Emitting Dye Across the Blood–Brain Barrier

DNA nanotechnology plays an increasingly important role in the biomedical field; however, its application in the design of organic nanomaterials is underexplored. Herein, we report the use of DNA nanotechnology to transport a NIR‐II‐emitting nanofluorophore across the blood–brain barrier (BBB), facilitating non‐invasive imaging of brain tumors. Specifically, the DNA block copolymer, PS‐b‐DNA, is synthesized through a solid‐phase click reaction. We demonstrate that its self‐assembled structure shows exceptional cluster effects, among which BBB‐crossing is the most notable. Therefore, PS‐b‐DNA is utilized as an amphiphilic matrix to fabricate a NIR‐II nanofluorephore, which is applied in in vivo bioimaging. Accordingly, the NIR‐II fluorescence signal of the DNA‐based nanofluorophore localized at a glioblastoma is 3.8‐fold higher than the NIR‐II fluorescence signal of the PEG‐based counterpart. The notably increased imaging resolution will significantly benefit the further diagnosis and therapy of brain tumors.     

Contact vibration analysis of the functionally graded material coated half-space under a rigid spherical punch

This paper studies the contact vibration problem of an elastic half-space coated with functionally graded materials (FGMs) subject to a rigid spherical punch. A static force superimposing a dynamic time-harmonic force acts on the rigid spherical punch. Firstly, we give the static contact problem of FGMs by a least-square fitting approach. Next, the dynamic contact pressure is solved by employing the perturbation method. Lastly, the dynamic contact stiffness with different dynamic contact displacement conditions is derived for the FGM coated half-space. The effects of the gradient index, coating thickness, internal friction, and punch radius on the dynamic contact stiffness factor are discussed in detail.     

Effects of pressure rise rate on laminar flame speed under normal and engine-relevant conditions

Laminar flame speed (LFS) is one of the most important physicochemical properties of a combustible mixture. At normal and elevated temperatures and pressures, LFS can be measured using propagating spherical flames in a closed chamber. LFS is also used in certain turbulent premixed flame modelling for combustion in spark ignition engines. Inside the closed chamber or engine, transient pressure rise occurs during the premixed flame propagation. The effects of pressure rise rate (PRR) on LFS are examined numerically in this study. One-dimensional simulations are conducted for spherical flame propagation in a closed chamber. Detailed chemistry and transport are considered. Different values of PRR at the same temperature and pressure are achieved through changing the spherical chamber size. It is found that the effect of PRR on LFS is negligible under the normal and engine-relevant conditions considered in this study. This observation is then explained through the comparison between the unsteady and convection terms in the energy equation for a premixed flame.     

功能梯度球形水凝胶的化学力学耦合分析

作为一种新型智能材料,水凝胶具有特殊的化学力学耦合性能.采用功能梯度形式可使得水凝胶具有更好的适应性和可调控性.本研究中假设交联密度沿径向按幂函数规律变化,并基于水凝胶的大变形多场耦合一般理论,采用Flory-Huggins自由能函数,建立了功能梯度球形水凝胶在球对称情形的控制方程,并开展了功能梯度球形水凝胶在给定内压和化学势情行的非均匀大变形溶胀行为的理论研究.计算结果表明,不同梯度指数的球形水凝胶的内压、内孔半径曲线和内压、内表面径向伸长率曲线均呈现出一段稳定区间和另一段不稳定区间,说明内压超出某临界值会发生失稳并导致水凝胶的最终破坏.内压的临界值随梯度指数的增大而增大.研究表明,功能梯度球形水凝胶的材料参数(梯度指数、亲疏水特性、交联密度和溶剂分子的体积)和环境化学势对水凝胶溶胀行为具有重要的影响.在给定内表面压力的情况下,功能梯度球形水凝胶内表面的径向位移随梯度指数的改变接近为线性变化,而随其他参数的影响都呈现出明显的非线性.本研究有助于实现水凝胶智能结构和器件在复杂条件下的精准调控.}      

双层网格圆底扁球壳的非线性稳定问题

从基于等效夹层壳思想的双层网格扁壳,非线性弯曲理论的变分方程出发,利用坐标变换方法和驻值余能原理,导出双层网格圆底扁球壳,在均布压力作用下的轴对称大挠度方程和边界条件．采用修正迭代法,求得了两类边界条件下双层网格圆底扁球壳的非线性载荷-位移关系式和临界屈曲载荷的解析表达式,并讨论了几何参数对临界屈曲载荷的影响．     

用电阻定义式求特殊电容器直流电阻

在电子线路工程及其教学过程中,都需要对电容器的直流电阻进行计算.然而,对一些特殊形状的电容器的直流电阻计算,普遍采用的电流密度法是比较麻烦的.本文根据电阻定义式,结合电阻的串联和并联的简洁关系,简单明了地对球冠形电容器、柱冠形电容器和正多棱柱形电容器等的直流电阻进行了计算,并给出相应的定量表达式.