Self-assembled structures of 1,3:2,4-di(3,4-dimethylbenzylidene) sorbitol in hydrophobic polymer matrices prepared using different heat treatments

Journal of Nanoparticle Research - Ni-doped (CeO2?δ )–YSZ (5 mol% Ni oxide, 10 mol% ceria) mesoarchitectures (MA) with nanocrystalline framework have been...     

Translations and Associated Dirichlet Polyhedra in Complex Hyperbolic Space

We study a nonidentity transvection (i.e. (strictly) hyperbolic isometry) or nonidentity Heisenberg translation f of complex hyperbolic space H ⁿ and a Dirichlet polyhedron P of the cyclic group f. We have four main results: (a) If z & in H ⁿ and the axis of a nonidentity transvection are not complex collinear, then, roughly speaking, any two distinct 'naturally arising' geodesics passing through z are not complex collinear. (b) If g is also a transvection or Heisenberg translation of H ⁿ and z & in H ⁿ such that f(z)=g(z) and f ^–1(z)=g ^–1(z), then f=g. (c) We classify all this kind of polyhedra up to congruence in H ⁿ. (d) We obtain an equivalent condition for P to be cospinal (which means that the complex spines of the two sides of P coincide) in terms of the distance of the spines of the two sides of P.     

Effect of SiO2/Si3N4 dielectric distributed Bragg reflectors (DDBRs) for Alq3/NPB thin-film resonant cavity organic light emitting diodes

In this article, we report on the effect of SiO₂/Si₃N₄ dielectric distributed Bragg reflectors (DDBRs) for Alq₃/NPB thin-film resonant cavity organic light emitting diode (RCOLED) in increasing the light output intensity and reducing the linewidth of spontaneous emission spectrum. The optimum DDBR number is found as 3 pairs. The device performance will be bad by further increasing or decreasing the number of DDBR. As compared to the conventional Alq₃/NPB thin-film organic light emitting diode (OLED), the Alq₃/NPB thin-film RCOLED with 3-pair DDBRs has the superior electrical and optical characteristics including a forward voltage of 6 V, a current efficiency of 3.4 cd/A, a luminance of 2715 cd/m² under the injection current density of 1000 A/m², and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 12 nm for emission spectrum over the 5-9 V bias range. These results represent that the Alq₃/NPB thin-film OLED with DDBRs shows a potential as the light source for plastic optical fiber (POF) communication system.     

Thermal stability and structural characterization of organic/inorganic hybrid nonlinear optical material containing a two-dimensional chromophore

In this study, two nonlinear optic hybrid materials with different dimensional alkoxysilane dyes were prepared and characterized. One NLO silane (Cz2PhSO 2OH- TES), a two-dimensional structure based on carbazole, had a larger rotational volume than the other (DR19-TES). Second harmonic ( d 33) analysis verified there is an optimum heating process for the best poling efficiency. The maximum d 33 value of NLO hybrid film containing Cz2PhSO 2OH was obtained for 10.7 pm/V after precuring at 150 degrees C for 3 h and poling at 210 degrees C for 60 min. The solid-state (29)Si NMR spectrum shows that the main factor influencing poling efficiency and thermal stability was cross-linking degree of NLO silane, but not that of TMOS. In particular, the two-dimensional sol-gel system has a greater dynamic and temporary stability than the one-dimensional system due to Cz2PhSO 2OH-TES requiring a larger volume to rotate in the hybrid matrix after cross-linking.     

Microcalorimetrics studies of the thermodynamics and binding mechanism between L-tyrosinamide and aptamer

In recent years, several high-resolution structures of aptamer complexes have shed light on the binding mode and recognition principles of aptamer complex interactions. In some cases, however, the aptamer complex binding behavior and mechanism are not clearly understood, especially with the absence of structural information. In this study, it was demonstrated that isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and circular dichroism (CD) were useful tools for studying the fundamental binding mechanism between a DNA aptamer and L-tyrosinamide (L-TyrNH2). To gain further insight into this behavior, thermodynamic and conformational measurements under different parameters such as salt concentration, temperature, pH value, analogue of L-TyrNH2, and metal ion were carried out. The thermodynamic signature along with the coupled CD spectral change suggest that this binding behavior is an enthalpy-driven process, and the aptamer has a conformational change from B-form to A-form. The results showed that the interaction is an induced fit binding, and the driving forces in this binding behavior may include electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic effects, hydrogen bonding, and the binding-linked protonation process. The amide group and phenolic hydroxyl group of the L-TyrNH2 play a vital role in this binding mechanism. In addition, it should be noted that Mg(2+) not only improves binding affinity but also helps change the structure of the DNA aptamer.     

CO2-Enhanced Production and Synthesis of 2,5- Furandicarboxylic Acid under CO2 Flow through Henkel Reaction

The present study investigated the preparation of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) via the Henkel reaction between furoic acid alkali metal salts and zinc chloride under a continuous CO₂ flow at atmospheric pressure. The results obtained were compared with those of previous studies that used high-pressure conditions or toxic cadmium catalysts. The pathways and rate-determining steps of the reaction are revealed for the first time. Furthermore, the enhanced formation of FDCA through the promotion of carboxyl exchange and rearrangement during the reaction under a CO₂ flow was examined. The CO₂-rich environment afforded a high FDCA yield of 86.30 %, which is the highest yield obtained to date using the Henkel reaction. The findings of this study offer economically improved conditions for large-scale FDCA production.     

Cotranchal Bisectors in Complex Hyperbolic Space

Two bisectors in complex hyperbolic space H ⁿ are called cotranchal if they possess a common slice. We define a natural thing called the prespinal angle between two such bisectors and use it to study the intersection of two such bisectors.     

Studies of the binding mechanism between aptamers and thrombin by circular dichroism, surface plasmon resonance and isothermal titration calorimetry

Thrombin, a multifunctional serine protease, has both procoagulant and anticoagulant functions in human blood. Thrombin has two electropositive exosites. One is the fibrinogen-binding site and the other is the heparin-binding site. Over the past decade, two thrombin-binding aptamers (15-mer and 29-mer) were reported by SELEX technique. Recently, many studies examined the interactions between the 15-mer aptamer and thrombin extensively, but the data on the difference of these two aptamers binding to thrombin are still lacking and worth investigating for fundamental understanding. In the present study, we combined conformational data from circular dichroism (CD), kinetics and thermodynamics information from surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to compare the binding mechanism between the two aptamers with thrombin. Special attentions were paid to the formation of G-quadruplex and the effects of ions on the aptamer conformation on the binding and the kinetics discrimination between specific and nonspecific interactions of the binding. The results indicated reasonably that the 15-mer aptamer bound to fibrinogen-binding site of thrombin using a G-quadruplex structure and was dominated by electrostatic interactions, while the 29-mer aptamer bound to heparin-binding site thrombin using a duplex structure and was driven mainly by hydrophobic effects.     

Design models for unit load storage and retrieval systems using autonomous vehicle technology and resource conserving storage and dwell point policies

Computationally efficient design conceptualization models are proposed for automated unit load storage and retrieval systems based on autonomous vehicle technology. Vehicle and lift travel times and the probability distribution for 12 service scenarios occurring under realistic operating assumptions are formulated and used to generate expected transaction service times. Additional measures of system performance including transaction waiting time and vehicle utilization are formulated for systems using random storage and point-of-service-completion dwell point rules. The models provide a practical means of predicting key aspects of system performance based on five design variables that drive the majority of system costs. They are illustrated in the context of a conceptualization study adapted from an actual system installation.     

Effect of GaInP intermediate barrier in 1.3 μm compressive-strained GaInAsP/GaInAsP multiple-quantum-wells laser diodes

In this article, 1.3 μm Ga_0.27In_0.63As_0.67P_0.33/Ga_0.11In_0.89As_0.24P_0.76 compressive-strain multiple-quantum-wells (CS-MQWs) with Ga_0.09In_0.91P intermediate barrier (IB) laser diodes (LDs) have been grown by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD). The photoluminescence (PL) measurement indicates that the CS-MQWs with 20 Å Ga_0.09In_0.91P IB have the narrowest full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 43.9 meV. The 55-μm-width metal contact and 900-μm cavity length as-cleaved broad-area LDs with the Ga_0.09In_0.91P IB have the better performance than those of LDs without Ga_0.09In_0.91P IB, including a threshold current density of 0.86 kA/cm², a differential quantum efficiency of 25.6%, an internal quantum efficiency of 50%, and an internal optical loss of 25 cm⁻¹. Finally, the GaInAsP/GaInAsP CS-MQWs with the Ga_0.09In_0.91P IB LDs were processed as 4-μm-width ridge and an as-cleaved 600-μm-cavity length. It exhibits a threshold current of 38.5 mA, a slope efficiency of 0.16 W/A, a characteristic temperature of 80.5 K, a maximum operating temperature up to 80 °C without power saturation, and a red-shift rate of 0.38 nm/°C, and a relaxation frequency response of 5.8 GHz. The 3-dB bandwidth for the LDs with GaInP IB is as high as 9 GHz without considering the damping factor and coupling loss.