Eye tissue structure and refraction alterations upon nondestructive laser action

A new approach to alterations in eye refraction upon nondestructive laser action on the sclera and cornea is studied. It is demonstrated in in vivo experiments on rabbit eyes that sequential laser irradiation of the sclera and cornea yields a significant alteration in the eye refraction. The collagen structure of the sclera and cornea is studied after the nondestructive laser action with noninvasive polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography. It is demonstrated that collagen fibers that provide for the cornea tension and applanation partially survive in the zone of the local denaturation of sclera. An irradiation mode that corresponds to an increase in the cornea’s plasticity and does not cause visible structural changes is chosen. The simplest theoretical model for alterations in the eye refraction upon the nonablative laser action on sclera is analyzed. The alteration in the cornea curvature upon stretching resulting from the local sclera coagulation and the corresponding decrease in its volume is calculated. The model makes it possible to approximately estimate the laser irradiation modes that provide the desired alterations in eye refraction.     

UP-conversion of terahertz radiation induced by photon drag effect

An all-optical approach to convert terahertz radiation (THz, wavelength λ₁) into infrared (IR, peak wavelength λ₂) is presented. We show that this up-conversion process is due to the photon drag effect induced by the THz radiation in intrinsic narrow-gap semiconductors followed by spatial redistribution of current carriers and band-to-band radiative recombination. The process results in non-selective high-speed (ns range rise/fall times) IR imaging of positive (conventional luminescence) and/or negative (negative luminescence) contrasts. Estimates made for an InSb pixelless converter at 300 K and moderate THz intensity (kW/cm²) show that this up-conversion process (with λ₁/λ₂>10²) can be observed with a conventional thermal imaging camera.     

Phase transformations in hydrogen sorption-desorption by hydrides of intermetallic compounds of the CrB structural type

State Institute of the Nitrogen Industry. M. V. Lomonosov State University, Moscow. Translated from Zhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 32, No. 5, pp. 74–81, September–October, 1991.     

Rigidity of Branch Groups Acting on Rooted Trees

Automorphisms of groups acting faithfully on rooted trees are studied. We find conditions under which every automorphism of such a group is induced by a conjugation from the full automorphism group of the rooted tree. These results are applied to known examples such as Grigorchuk groups, Gupta–Sidki group, etc.     

The mechanism of selective NOx reduction by hydrocarbons in excess oxygen on oxide catalysts: V. Adsorption properties of a commercial Ni-Cr oxide catalyst

According to X-ray diffraction analysis data, the test catalyst was a Ni-Cr spinel with an impurity of NiO. With the use of in situ IR spectroscopy, it was found that nitrite, nitrate, and acetate surface complexes occurred under the reaction conditions of the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides by propane in the presence of oxygen on the nickel-chromium catalyst. As the temperature was increased, the nitrite complexes were converted into nitrate species. The molar absorption coefficient of surface nitrate complexes was determined. According to IR-spectroscopic and TPD data, the nitrate complexes were bound relatively weakly to the surface. The temperature region of their existence was 50–200°C. The temperature region of existence of the surface acetate complexes was 200–400°C. The individual adsorption of oxygen was not observed; however, oxygen-containing surface sites (Cr⁵⁺=O) participated in the formation of the surface complexes of reactants.     

Modification of multiwalled carbon nanotubes by carboxy groups and determination of the degree of functionalization

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes were modified by carboxy groups. Four independent methods for the determination of the degree of functionalization of the surface were proposed: ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, titrimetry, and fluorimetry. The first two methods show the total content of carboxy groups in the sample, and the latter two methods give information about the content of the surface groups only. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 291–295, February, 2008.     

Spectral Properties of Image Measures Under the Infinite Conflict Interaction

We introduce the conflict interaction with two positions between a couple of image probability measures and consider the associated dynamical system. We prove the existence of invariant limiting measures and find the criteria for these measures to be a pure point, absolutely continuous, or singular cotinuous as well as to have any topological type and arbitary Hausdorff dimension.     

A stereoselective synthesis of asymmetrically substituted calix[4]arenecarbamates

Calix[4]arenes bearing a methoxy and an R or S α-phenylethylacetamido group at the narrow rim of macrocycles are stereoselectively acylated with 1 equiv of trichloroacetyl isocyanate to give chiral asymmetrically substituted calix[4]arenecarbamates in preparative yields and high diastereomeric excess.     

2D metal slabs in new nickel-tin chalcogenides Ni7−δSnQ2 (QSe, Te): average crystal and electronic structures, chemical bonding and physical properties

A systematic search for mixed low-valence, nickel-tin chalcogenides performed by establishing phase relations in the parts of Ni-Sn-Se and Ni-Sn-Te ternary systems resulted in the discovery of two new compounds, Ni_5.62SnSe₂ and Ni_5.78SnTe₂. Single crystals of both compounds were prepared by chemical transport with iodine and crystal structures were determined by single crystal X-ray investigation. The ED patterns for Ni_5.78SnTe₂ showed the presence of satellite reflections, which indicate a modulated structure with q≈0.4a^*. Average crystal structures of both compounds were determined to be of tetragonal symmetry (Sp.gr. I4/mmm, Z=2) with a=3.6890(8) Å, c=18.648(3) Å, R_w=0.0716 and a=3.7680(5) Å, c=19.419(4) Å, R_w=0.0832, correspondingly, and are isostructural to known Ni_5.72SbSe₂ and Ni_5.66SbTe₂. Measurements were carried out for both compounds with respect to thermal, electrical and magnetic properties. Ab initio band structure calculations were also performed to take a first glance into the electronic structure of such type compounds. The anisotropy of their band structure was found. Physical property measurements showed both compounds to be the anisotropic metallic conductors and paramagnetics. Calculated difference charge density maps revealed pairwise covalent and multicenter metallic nature of the d-metal—chalcogen and d-metal—p-metal interactions, respectively.     

Pattern formation in nonextensive thermodynamics: selection criterion based on the Renyi entropy production

We analyze a system of two different types of Brownian particles confined in a cubic box with periodic boundary conditions. Particles of different types annihilate when they come into close contact. The annihilation rate is matched by the birth rate, thus the total number of each kind of particles is conserved. When in a stationary state, the system is divided by an interface into two subregions, each occupied by one type of particles. All possible stationary states correspond to the Laplacian eigenfunctions. We show that the system evolves towards those stationary distributions of particles which minimize the Renyi entropy production. In all cases, the Renyi entropy production decreases monotonically during the evolution despite the fact that the topology and geometry of the interface exhibit abrupt and violent changes.