Virtual isotropic‐nematic transitions in alkyl cyanobiphenyls

Pretransitional fluctuations in the isotropic phase of liquid crystalline and non‐liquid crystalline alkyl cyanobiphenyls have been investigated using light scattering and magnetic birefringence measurements. We find evidence for a virtual isotropic‐nematic phase transition in short‐chain alkyl cyanobiphenyls with no observable nematic phase. The measured temperature dependence of fluctuations is well‐described by mean‐field theory. Virtual phase transition temperatures extrapolated from separate light scattering and magnetic birefringence experiments are in good agreement. Landau–de Gennes model parameters for the compounds investigated are calculated from the experimental results.     

基于SEDRIS的虚拟试验合成环境建模技术研究

为解决合成环境的统一描述和可交互问题,在分析合成环境数据表示与转换标准SEDRIS基础上,提出了基于SEDRIS的虚拟试验合成环境建模方法,针对大气、红外、电磁等3类自然环境,给出了实现环境数据表示和转换的技术途径。通过系统开发,实现了4种试验环境条件下对产品性能的验证与评估,建立的环境模型具有良好的交互性,建模方法可应用于多种试验环境的描述,为虚拟试验合成环境模型体系、标准规范和辅助工具的形成打下了基础。     

Performance analysis of multiple‐input multiple‐output relay networks based impulse radio ultra‐wideband

In this paper, we study the performance of time hopping pulse position modulation for impulse radio ultra‐wideband. We consider relay network applying decode‐and‐forward protocol. The channels between nodes adopt the IEEE 802.15.4a norms. The bit error rate performance is analyzed considering the effect of interference. Our results show significant improvement due to the diversity gain provided by the relay nodes. However, the performance is limited when multiple access interference (MAI) is present. To combat the MAI effect and further improve the detection reliability, we propose to use antenna selection at the relay. The relay receiver is assumed to be equipped with multiple antennas, and only the best antenna is selected. This is shown to improve the performance in the presence of MAI and improve the diversity gain.Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

利用三维虚拟技术突破物质结构教学*——从演示型工具到探索型工具的转变

针对物质结构教学的抽象性,开发了一套基于三维虚拟技术的物质结构教学软件,可对结构模型进行旋转、平移、缩放、切割、镜像、插入或删除原子(团)及启停预先设置的动画等操作,强大的交互功能不仅能对分子或晶体结构如构造异构、立体异构、晶体的堆积方式、晶胞的划分、配位数、晶体结构中的空隙及空间利用率等问题进行效果极佳的可视化教学,另一方面,通过对B₁₂与C₆₀分子空间构型转变的探究揭示数学构型的重要性,通过对六方晶胞占有原子个数的探究修正晶胞模型,通过对金属晶体的4种基本堆积方式成因的探究提出“半密置层”概念来完善紧密堆积规律等案例,展示出三维虚拟技术在微观结构探索发现方面的巨大潜力。     

A two-point calibration method for quantifying organic binary mixtures using secondary ion mass spectrometry in the presence of matrix effects

Quantification of the composition of binary mixtures in secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is required in the analyses of technological materials from organic electronics to drug delivery systems. In some instances, it is found that there is a linear dependence between the composition, expressed as a ratio of component volumes, and the secondary ion intensities, expressed as a ratio of intensities of ions from each component. However, this ideal relationship fails in the presence of matrix effects and linearity is observed only over small compositional ranges, particularly in the dilute limits. In this paper, we assess an empirical method, which introduces a power law dependence between the intensity ratio and the volume fraction ratio. A previously published physical model of the organic matrix effect is employed to test the limits of the method and a mixed system of 3,3′-bis(9-carbazolyl) biphenyl and tris(2-phenylpyridinato)iridium (III) is used to demonstrate the method. This paper introduces a two-point calibration, which determines both the exponent in the power law and the sensitivity factor for the conversion of ion intensity ratio into volume fraction ratio. We demonstrate that this provides significantly improved accuracy, compared with a one-point calibration, over a wide compositional range in SIMS quantification and with a weak dependence on matrix effects. Because the method enables the use of clearly identifiable secondary ions for quantitative purposes and mitigates commonly observed matrix effects in organic materials, the two-point calibration method could be of significant benefit to SIMS analysts.     

Combining Different Docking Engines and Consensus Strategies to Design and Validate Optimized Virtual Screening Protocols for the SARS-CoV-2 3CL Protease

The 3CL-Protease appears to be a very promising medicinal target to develop anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents. The availability of resolved structures allows structure-based computational approaches to be carried out even though the lack of known inhibitors prevents a proper validation of the performed simulations. The innovative idea of the study is to exploit known inhibitors of SARS-CoV 3CL-Pro as a training set to perform and validate multiple virtual screening campaigns. Docking simulations using four different programs (Fred, Glide, LiGen, and PLANTS) were performed investigating the role of both multiple binding modes (by binding space) and multiple isomers/states (by developing the corresponding isomeric space). The computed docking scores were used to develop consensus models, which allow an in-depth comparison of the resulting performances. On average, the reached performances revealed the different sensitivity to isomeric differences and multiple binding modes between the four docking engines. In detail, Glide and LiGen are the tools that best benefit from isomeric and binding space, respectively, while Fred is the most insensitive program. The obtained results emphasize the fruitful role of combining various docking tools to optimize the predictive performances. Taken together, the performed simulations allowed the rational development of highly performing virtual screening workflows, which could be further optimized by considering different 3CL-Pro structures and, more importantly, by including true SARS-CoV-2 3CL-Pro inhibitors (as learning set) when available.     

空空导弹测试系统应用LXI总线研究

首先对空空导弹测试系统应用各种仪器总线的情况进行了分析研究,然后介绍了一台PXI总线测试设备的改造方案,该方案中设计了一套基于LXI总线控制的电源子系统,该子系统与PXI主系统一起形成了新的混合总线控制测试设备。该改造方案实现了改造需求中的低成本和小型化设计。同时,结合该方案分析了LXI总线在空空导弹测试系统上应用的优缺点和现阶段局限性。提出了空空导弹测试系统应向着通用、开放和网络化方向发展的观点,得出了未来的空空导弹测试系统将是包含GPIB、VXI、PXI、LXI等总线接口的合成系统,各总线接口仅是网络上的一个节点的结论。     

Frequency ratios of Sr,Yb, and Hg based optical lattice clocks and their applications

This article describes the recent progress of optical lattice clocks with neutral strontium (⁸⁷Sr), ytterbium (¹⁷¹Yb) and mercury (¹⁹⁹Hg) atoms. In particular, we present frequency comparison between the clocks locally via an optical frequency comb and between two Sr clocks at remote sites using a phase-stabilized fibre link. We first review cryogenic Sr optical lattice clocks that reduce the room-temperature blackbody radiation shift by two orders of magnitude and serve as a reference in the following clock comparisons. Similar physical properties of Sr and Yb atoms, such as transition wavelengths and vapour pressure, have allowed our development of a compatible clock for both species. A cryogenic Yb clock is evaluated by referencing a Sr clock. We also report on an Hg clock, which shows one order of magnitude less sensitivity to blackbody radiation, while its large nuclear charge makes the clock sensitive to the variation of fine-structure constant. Connecting all three types of clocks by an optical frequency comb, the ratios of the clock frequencies are determined with uncertainties smaller than possible through absolute frequency measurements. Finally, we describe a synchronous frequency comparison between two Sr-based remote clocks over a distance of 15 km between RIKEN and the University of Tokyo, as a step towards relativistic geodesy.     

Chemical promenades: Exploring potential-energy surfaces with immersive virtual reality

The virtual-reality framework AVATAR (Advanced Virtual Approach to Topological Analysis of Reactivity) for the immersive exploration of potential-energy landscapes is presented. AVATAR is based on modern consumer-grade virtual-reality technology and builds on two key concepts: (a) the reduction of the dimensionality of the potential-energy surface to two process-tailored, physically meaningful generalized coordinates, and (b) the analogy between the evolution of a chemical process and a pathway through valleys (potential wells) and mountain passes (saddle points) of the associated potential energy landscape. Examples including the discovery of competitive reaction paths in simple A + BC collisional systems and the interconversion between conformers in ring-puckering motions of flexible rings highlight the innovation potential that augmented and virtual reality convey for teaching, training, and supporting research in chemistry.     

Combining electronic properties and virtual screening for the development of new antioxidants: Trolox-like compounds as application example

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the antioxidant defenses of the organism. Heart diseases, anemia, inflammation, and neurodegenerative disorders have been associated with this biological condition. Trolox is a notable antioxidant drug similar to vitamin E, and it is used to decrease the oxidative stress or repair the damage caused by it. In this work, the virtual screening technique is applied to identify compounds with antioxidant activities similar to Trolox. The antioxidant activity of these compounds was assessments by the mechanisms of hydrogen atom transfer and single electron transfer. Properties such as bond dissociation enthalpy, adiabatic ionization potential, Gibbs free reaction energy, spin density, highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), and GAP (HOMO-LUMO) energies, obtained from the DFT approach, point out to the predominance of the HAT mechanism for the antioxidant action of these compounds. The obtained results contribute to a better understanding of the chemical and physical properties responsible for antioxidant activity and the design of new antioxidant agents.