Oligothienylenevinylenes incorporating 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) units

A new series of π-conjugated oligomers based on various combinations of thiophene and EDOT units and double bonds has been synthesized by Wittig-Horner reactions from phosphonate anions carrying EDOT or bis-EDOT units. Optical and electrochemical results evidence the crucial role of the EDOT moiety for modulating the electronic properties of the oligomers. The insertion of bis-EDOT unit in the middle of the molecule leads to a self-rigidification of the conjugated system due to non covalent S?O intramolecular interactions. The strong electron donor effect of the EDOT units explains the determining role of the relative position of the EDOT units on the localization and stabilization of the positive charges in the radical cation or dication states.     

Method and algorithm of obtaining the molecular intrinsic characteristic contours (MICCs) of organic molecules

The molecular intrinsic characteristic contour (MICC) is defined as the set of all the classical turning points of electron movement in a molecule. Studies on the MICCs of some medium organic molecules, such as dimethylether, acetone, and some homologues of alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes, as well as the electron density distributions on the MICCs, are shown for the first time. Results show that the MICC is an intrinsic approach to shape and size of a molecule. Unlike the van der Waals hard-sphere model, the MICC is a smooth contour, and it has a clear physical meaning. Detailed investigations on the cross-sections of MICCs have provided a kind of important information about atomic size changing in the process of forming molecules. Studies on electron density distribution on the MICC not only provide a new insight into molecular shape, but also show that the electron density distribution on the boundary surface relates closely with molecular properties and reactivities. For the homologues of alkanes, Rout(H), Dmin, and Dmax (the minimum and maximum of electron density on the MICC), all have very good linear relationships with minus of the molecular ionization potential. This work may serve as a basis for exploring a new reactivity indicator of chemical reactions and for studying molecular shape properties of large organic and biological molecules.     

Significance of Non-isothermal Kinetic Data. A statistical study

Arrhenius parameters values, in non-isothermal kinetic vaporisation processes for a series of compounds with related structures, have been calculated. This was made using a method of calculation that allows to find the most probable vaporisation mechanisms. According to this method DTG curves were compared with some theoretical ones reported in literature, whose shape results to be only a function of the mechanisms. In this way the choice of the mathematical functions which can be inserted in the kinetic equations, was influenced by the shape of the DTG plots and other thermal analysis signals thus allowing to choose the most probable mechanisms. The kinetic parameters derived from these mechanisms were compared, using statistical analysis, with those obtained from another method of calculation based on ‘a priori’ vaporisation mechanism chosen for the investigated liquid–gas transition. The standard deviations of the slope and of the intercept, together with the standard deviation and the square correlation coefficient (r ²) of the linear regression equations related to the mechanisms of the two methods were calculated. Student t-test, Fisher F-test, confidence intervals (c.i.) and residuals valueswere also given. Statistical analysis shows that the mechanisms obtained with the former method (diffusive and geometrical models) and the related Arrhenius parameters result to be more significant (in terms of probability) than the corresponding quantities of the latter for which a first-order model was chosen. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Theory on the molecular characteristic contour (II)--Molecular intrinsic characteristic contours of several typical organic molecules

The molecular intrinsic characteristic contour (MICC) is defined based on the classical turning point of electron movement in a molecule. Three typical organic molecules, I.e. Methane, methanol and formic acid, were employed as examples for detailed introduction of our method. Investigations on the cross-sections of MICC provide important information about atomic size changing in the process of forming molecules. The electron density distributions on the MICCs of these molecules were calculated and shown for the first time. Results showed that the electron density distribution on the MICC correlates closely with molecular chemical properties, and it provides a new insight into molecular boundary.     

Guest-Host Type Liquid Crystal Displays

Eight modes of the guest-host cells (GH-cells), in which types of dye, liquid crystal and their alignments are adequately combined, are surveyed, and the color contrast of each mode is calculated.

Three modes among them are of positive type display, that is, colored patterns on the colorless background contrary to the initially proposed fundamental GH-cell. Another three modes are the GH-cells without polarizer, by which bright display can be obtained.

Light stability of dyes are also discussed and lifetimes of various dyes are estimated by accelerated life test. As a result, it is found that diazo-and axomethine-dayes without thiazole groups as well as anthraqunone-dyes have satisfying lifetimes as long as they are used indoors.     

线性不对称损失时非正态分布过程均值优化

针对常见的两种非正态分布———梯形分布和三角分布，研究线性不对称质量损失时其过程均值的优化问题，建立了梯形分布在五种不同情况下线性不对称质量损失的数学模型，基于以上模型给出了线性不对称质量损失时梯形分布最优过程均值的确定方法；研究三角分布在四种不同情况下线性不对称质量损失的数学模型，并给出了线性不对称质量损失时三角分布最优过程均值的确定方法。最后，用实例验证本过程均值优化模型的有效性。实例表明，应用线性不对称损失函数，适当的改变过程均值，可以有效地降低产品的质量损失，通过调整工艺过程将获得最佳经济效益。     

Vacuum birefringence in strong magnetic fields: (I) Photon polarization tensor with all the Landau levels

Photons propagating in strong magnetic fields are subject to a phenomenon called the “vacuum birefringence” where refractive indices of two physical modes both deviate from unity and are different from each other. We compute the vacuum polarization tensor of a photon in a static and homogeneous magnetic field by utilizing Schwinger’s proper-time method, and obtain a series representation as a result of double integrals analytically performed with respect to proper-time variables. The outcome is expressed in terms of an infinite sum of known functions which is plausibly interpreted as summation over all the Landau levels of fermions. Each contribution from infinitely many Landau levels yields a kinematical condition above which the contribution has an imaginary part. This indicates decay of a sufficiently energetic photon into a fermion–antifermion pair with corresponding Landau level indices. Since we do not resort to any approximation, our result is applicable to the calculation of refractive indices in the whole kinematical region of a photon momentum and in any magnitude of the external magnetic field.     

Reconstruction of n-dimensional convex bodies from surface tensors

In this paper, we derive uniqueness and stability results for surface tensors. Further, we develop two algorithms that reconstruct shape of n-dimensional convex bodies. One algorithm requires knowledge of a finite number of surface tensors, whereas the other algorithm is based on noisy measurements of a finite number of harmonic intrinsic volumes. The derived stability results ensure consistency of the two algorithms. Examples that illustrate the feasibility of the algorithms are presented.     

Many-to-many location-routing with inter-hub transport and multi-commodity pickup-and-delivery

In this paper, we consider a variant of the many-to-many location-routing problem, where hub facilities have to be located and customers with either pickup or delivery demands have to be combined in vehicle routes. In addition, several commodities and inter-hub transport processes are taken into account. A practical application of the problem can be found in the timber-trade industry, where companies provide their services using hub-and-spoke networks. We present a mixed-integer linear model for the problem and use CPLEX 12.4 to solve small-scale instances. Furthermore, a multi-start procedure based on a fix-and-optimize scheme and a genetic algorithm are introduced that efficiently construct promising solutions for medium- and large-scale instances. A computational performance analysis shows that the presented methods are suitable for practical application.     

Bootstrapping the empirical distribution of a linear process

The validity of the moving block bootstrap for the empirical distribution of a short memory causal linear process is established under simple conditions that do not involve mixing or association. Sufficient conditions can be expressed in terms of the existence of moments of the innovations and summability of the coefficients of the linear model. Applications to one and two sample tests are discussed.