bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mining technological homogeneity and its composition
Authors: Sekisov Gennady , Yakimov Alexey
Published: September 2018

It is proposed with the initial justification, as a new scientific and production category in the field of development of deposits of solid minerals, it is noted - “Mining technological homogeneity”. At the same time, its high relevance, as well as the important role in the solution of the current problem of scientific and practical substantiation and in achieving a significant increase in the efficiency of the development of deposits of solid minerals, in the creation and rational use of innovative mining technologies. The system-complex composition of mining-technological mineral homogeneity as a subject conceptual-terminological category and, mainly, as a scientific and production activity associated with exploration, deposits of solid minerals is presented. The content of this category, as a scientific and industrial activity
Geological structure and coal content of the Ytymdzhinskaya cavity of the Gonamsk coalbearing region in the South Yakut coal basin
Authors: Rukovich Aleksandr
Published: September 2018

Southern Yakut coal basin is a huge and reliable base of the high-quality coked and steam coals in the east of the country. The Southern Yakut TPC was begun in the 70-s in the south of Yakutia forming, what predetermined considerable strengthening in this region of exploration works on coal. Now the fields of Neryungri, Elga and certain sites on Denisovsk and Chulmakan fields are developed by an open method. Absence near the operating Neryungri coal mine of the coalfields suitable for opencast mining, and also finite useful lives of the Neryungri field (till 2018-2020) caused expansion of search works on coal on flanks of the basin, directed at identification of the powerful coal layers suitable for development by an open method.
Problems of modern technological audit of mining enterprises
Authors: Golovyrin Sergei , Kovalev Mikhail , Lebzin Mikhail , Makarov Vladimir
Published: September 2018

Modern economic conditions are characterized by spontaneous changes in market conjuncture, by accelerating the pace of scientific and technological progress in industrial production, which tightened the requirements for production activities, economic and organizational management of domestic enterprises. Currently, the most competitive products in the world market are the products of extractive industries, which determines the increased attention to the problems of the functioning of these industries and the clarification of the conditions of their most sustainable development. The unique mineral resource complex of Russia can provide further economic development of the state only on condition of effective activity of the largest mining enterprises. It is important to adapt enterprises to the changing environment, which imposes new planning requirements, on the basis of which not only forecast indicators are calculated, but also the possibility of improving the competitiveness of the organization.
Investigation of evaporation of sessile droplets using luminescent nano-probes and other applications of NV centers in diamond
Authors: Plakhotnik Taras , Aman Haroon
Published: September 2018

The paper describes application of diamond nano crystals to research on dynamic processes in small (less than 1 mm across) evaporating droplets deposited on a solid substrate. Such droplets are used as a model system for testing proposed bio applications of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. We demonstrate that a high spatial resolution of our methods reveals unexpected features of the evaporation and fluid mechanics in such droplets.
Local and macroscopic characterization with single molecules and single quantum emitters
Authors: Naumov Andrei , Gorshelev Alexey , Gladush Maxim , Köhler Jurgen , Kador Lothar
Published: September 2018

We introduce an experimental approach for mapping effective local values of dielectric characteristics of solid films and the analysis of the related local-field effects. The characterisation technique is based on the imaging and spectroscopy of single chromophore molecules at cryogenic temperatures. The progress in the theory of fluorescence enhancement due to the local field effects is reported.
Live-cell nanoscopy enabled with transient labeling and the control of fluorophore blinking
Authors: Mishin Alexander , Perfilov Maxim , Gavrikov Alexey , Mamontova Anastasia , Bogdanov Alexey , Lukyanov Konstantin
Published: September 2018

Live-cell super-resolution of proteins labeled with genetically encoded fluorescent tags is a challenging task because of the imperfect labeling and the inevitable deterioration of the signal in the course of the experiment. Incomplete maturation of the covalently attached fluorescent tags, inefficient photoconversion, and photobleaching further complicate prolonged live-cell nanoscopy. We have implemented two strategies for lowering the photodamage: ensuring the dynamic replacement of damaged molecules and establishing conditions for the robust intrinsic blinking of the tags at lower illumination powers.
Gel electrophoresis and hybridization of DNA-functionalized quantum-dots as part of a study of linear quantum-dot chains
Authors: Oda Masaru , Sasano Kosuke , Nishi Akira , Zako Tamotsu , Tani Toshiro
Published: September 2018

We report the results of our investigation of agarose gel electrophoresis and hybridization of mercaptopropionic-acid-capped quantum dots (MPA-capped QDs) conjugated with short single-stranded DNA, as part of a study of closely spaced linear QD chains. The electrophoresis results suggest that migration speed and separation resolution depend on the amount of MPA on the QD surface. The QDs separated by electrophoresis according to DNA valence, i.e., the amount of DNA per particle, were used as building blocks for the synthesis of linear QD oligomers.
Multi-photon luminescence of single gold nanoparticles: Exploring the dynamics of plasmons and electron hole pairs
Authors: Wackenhut Frank , Meixner Alfred J.
Published: September 2018

We investigate the dynamics of the multi-photon excitation of single, isolated gold nanoparticles and show that the one/two/three emission can be actively switched by changing the excitation pulse duration.
Light shift of the Ramsey resonance of coherent population trapping in optically dense medium
Authors: Barantsev Konstantin , Voloshin Gavriil , Litvinov Andrey , Popov Evgeniy
Published: September 2018

In this work we calculate the Ramsey resonances of coherent population trapping effect in cold atomic ensembles. The main goal is to investigate the light shift of the resonance on the different parameters in optically dense medium, because such medium can to distort and absorb the interrogating laser pulses.
Upconversion nanoparticles with anti-Stokes luminescence as bioimaging agents
Authors: Demina Polina A. , Khaydukov Evgeniy V. , Sholina Natalia V. , Rocheva Vasilina V. , Khochenkov Dmitry A. , Akasov Roman A. , Generalova Alla N.
Published: September 2018

Lanthanide-based upconversion nanoparticles attach great attention in theranostics due to their unique physicochemical and optical properties. It is innovative platform possessing peculiar properties for luminescent imaging, temperature mapping, sensing, and therapy. In present work we demonstrate advantages of new luminescent agents based on upconversion nanoparticles and hydrophylic biocompatible polymer.
Switching or blinking? – The switching behaviour of single photochromic triads
Authors: Maier Johannes , Pärs Martti , Weller Tina , Thelakkat Mukundan , Köhler Jürgen
Published: September 2018

Photochromic molecules can be interconverted between two bistable conformations by light [1–3]. Irie and coworkers described a strategy to achieve superior fluorescence characteristics and outstanding switching characteristics of a photochromic unit by linking strong fluorophores covalently to photochromic building blocks [3,4]. Accordingly, we synthesised molecular triads that consist of two perylene bisimide (PBI) fluorophores covalently linked to a dithienylcyclopentene (DCP) photochromic switch, see fig. 1. Such kinds of triads are promising candidates for super-resolution microscopy like RESOLFT and PALM [5,6], or can be used as optical transistors or memories [4,7].
Nonlinear optical absorption of non-spherical silver nanoparticles and organic dyes mixtures
Authors: Zvyagin Andrey I. , Perepelitsa Aleksey S. , Lavlinskaya Mariya S. , Ovchinnikov Oleg V. , Smirnov Mikhail S. , Ganeev Rashid A.
Published: September 2018

We study the features of the nonlinear optical response of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) of spherical and triangular shapes synthesized using a citrate-borohydride approach and their mixtures with methylene blue (MB+). The Z-scans at the wavelengths of 532 nm using 10 ns pulses were used to analyze the nonlinear optical absorption of MB+ solutions, Ag NPs of different morphology, particularly, the concurrence of saturable and reverse saturable absorption in the solution of triangular Ag NP and MB+. We show the significant contribution to the increasing in the normalized transmittance accomplished by photochemical degradation of the non-spherical Ag NPs (extinction maximum of 600 nm) and transformation into the spherical ones (extinction maximum of 400 nm). The nonlinear light scattering is also analyzed, which showed the contribution to the variation of the sample transmission when it approaches the focal plane. It is shown that the nonlinear optical response is not additive in the mixture of Ag NPs and MB+. The increasing of the nonlinear absorption is probably due to both a change in the population of the triplet states of the dye and the efficiency of photochemical degradation of NPs in the presence of MB+.
Structural and time-domain peculiarities of the fluorescence excitation spectra of single Mg-TAP in a polymer at low temperatures
Authors: Savostianov Aleksandr , Eremchev Ivan , Gorshelev Alexei , Orlov Sergei , Korotayev Oleg , Naumov Andrei , Starukhin Aleksandr
Published: September 2018

The results of low-temperature measurements of spectral trails (temporal evolutions of individual fluorescence excitation spectra) of single molecules Mg-tetraazaporphyrin embedded in polyisobutylene are presented. Spectral trails were recorded in a broad spectral range (up to 4000 GHz) at a temperature 6K. Spectral diffusion in a broad spectral range has been found. Individual spectra of single molecules with a broad peak shifted with respect to zero-phonon line at ~14 – 15 cm-1 were recorded. These broad peaks can be interpreted as the phonon sidebands.
Themo-mechanical Interfacial Stress Analysis in Electronic Packaging at Different Temperature Conditions: Revisit Author’s Work
Authors: Sujan D. , Vincent L. , Pok Y. W.
Published: September 2018

The study of thermal mismatch induced stresses and their role in mechanical failure is one relevant topic to composite materials, photonic devices and electronic packages. Therefore, an understanding of the nature of the interfacial stresses under different temperature conditions is necessary in order to minimize or eliminate the risk of mechanical failure. An accurate estimate of thermal stresses in the interfaces plays a significant role in the design and reliability studies of microelectronic devices. In the microelectronic industry, from a practical point of view, there is a need for simple and powerful analytical models to determine interfacial stresses in layered structures. This review paper summarizes the work conducted by the authors in relation to the bi-layered assembly with different temperature conditions on the determination of interfacial thermal stresses. The authors have extended the case of uniform temperature model by earlier researchers of two layered structure to account for differential uniform temperatures, linear temperature gradient in the layers. The presence of a heat source in one layer (die) is also presented. Finally, the effect of bond material properties and geometry on interfacial stresses and bond material selection approach are also considered in a simple way.
Study on Valve Strategy and Fuel Benefits of Skip Fire Based on Electromagnetic Valve Train
Authors: Hu Maoyang , Chang Siqin
Published: September 2018

Cylinder deactivation (CDA) is a fuel consumption reduction technology for gasoline engines. Skip fire is a new type of CDA because the load and the density of firing cylinder are in proportion to the torque demand. However, it is difficult to realize because valves need to be switched between valve deactivation and normal operation stroke by stroke. The Electromagnetic valve train (EMVT) provides a fully flexible control method to achieve skip fire. In the paper, a new skip fire strategy based on electromagnetic intake valve train (EMIV) is proposed. Then, the oxygen concentration of the exhaust pipe, energy losses, in-cylinder pressure of the skipped cycle and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rate of the firing cycle are studied by the 1D simulation in GT-Power. The results shows the majority of gas sucked into the skipped cylinder is exhaust gas by reasonable control of IVO and IVC, and the exhaust oxygen-rich can be avoided. Meanwhile, EGR rate of the firing cylinder and energy losses of the skipped cylinder are maintained at lower level. At the conditions of 1200 and 1600 rpm, fuel economy has been improved respectively 8.1%-16.6% and 6.4%-14.6% when the brake mean effective pressure (BMEP) ranges from 0.4MPa to 0.2MPa.
Transient Dynamic Analysis of a Cantilever Rod with Axial Impulse Loading Using Finite Element Method
Authors: Deka Sushmita , Ramesh Babu Pallekonda , Rahang Maneswar
Published: September 2018

The behavior of bodies subjected to impulse loading is of prime importance in the study of forces that occur in impulse facilities. Before performing the actual tests, theoretical and numerical simulations are carried out to obtain the response of bodies subjected to impulse loading. The simplest model for this study can be considered as a rod of circular cross section fixed at one end and free at other end. When a transient impulse load is applied on a body, vibrations occur in the body for the brief period of time. In this paper, the effect of a half sine impulse force applied on a cantilever rod in the axial direction has been discussed. The displacements at the tip of the rod were obtained based on two theories, the basic vibration formulae and FEM analysis. Simulations were performed using ANSYS and compared with the displacements obtained from the two theoretical methods.
Performance Evaluation of a Resonant-integrated Pumping System
Authors: Lee Vincent Chieng-Chen
Published: September 2018

Impedance pump is a simple valve-less pumping mechanism; it offers a low energy, low noise alternative at both macro- and micro-scale devices. It is also demonstrated to be a promising new technique for producing and amplifying net flow. There have been research studying the effects of series-connected impedance pump, where an increase in net flow is exhibited. In this study, an integrated system of conventional pump and impedance pump is introduced. This paper describes the performance evaluation of this integrated pumping system, with emphasis on the amount of amplification induced as a function of Womersley number (normalized excitation frequency) and normalized pressure head. Due to the nature of the resonant valve-less impedance pump, the integrated pumping system exhibits similar behaviour and characteristics as an impedance pump, such as the pulsatile nature of net flow. Results show positive outcomes where maximum amplification of 91.7% is demonstrated at resonance.
Ultrasonic Image Enhancement to Internal Defect Detection during Material Inspection
Authors: Merazi-Meksen Thouraya , Boudraa Malika , Boudraa Bachir
Published: September 2018

Ultrasonic waves are efficiently exploited to detect internal defects such as cracks and occlusions in non-destructive testing (NDT) of materials. In some automated procedures, emitter and receiver probes are displaced step by step and signals are displayed to form images that make diagnosis easier to interpret. However, too much images are unnecessarily stored when they correspond to safe zones (without presented defects). In this paper, we propose a method that enhances ultrasonic images quality in order to improve the discrimination between images containing or not a shape regarding a detected defect. The method is based on the adapted histogram equalization technique followed by morphological operations that erase all useless shapes on processed images.
Unimodular waveform design for MIMO radar transmit beamforming
Authors: Li Hongtao , Chen Cheng , Zhu Xiaohua
Published: September 2018

In this paper, we consider unimodular waveform optimization for MIMO radar transmit beamforming with prior information on the directions of target and interferences. A phase-only conjugate gradient method is presented to optimize the unimodular waveform by maximizing the ratio of power at the target location to the power at the interference locations. Simulations show that the transmit beampattern obtained from the optimized waveform achieves a coherent gain of the target location while minimizing the radiation powers around the interference locations.
Impact of Xen and Virtual Box Virtualization Environments on Timing Precision under Stressful Conditions
Authors: Korniichuk Mykola , Karpov Kirill , Fedotova Irina , Kirova Veronika , Mareev Nikolay , Syzov Dmytro , Siemens Eduard
Published: September 2018

Sharing physical resources among virtual instances introduces time overhead in comparison with direct access to hardware. Such lag is not significant for most of the everyday tasks however it can influence much more in dealing with time-critical applications and especially in case of reliable network services. The purpose of this paper is to compare time overhead on timing operations such as time acquisition and sleep introduced by different virtualization environments: Xen, VMWare ESXi, QEMU. The current research focus to establish possibility of using such platforms in real-time applications with high resource utilization. In terms of present work, there are several load types to be used to simulate real conditions. Measurement performance includes different methods of time measurements and waiting operations. Considering results, the certain recommendations about timing mechanisms using different virtualization environment have been offered.
Study on the spatial roll angle measurement based on magneto-optic modulation
Authors: Cai Wei , Yang Zhiyong , Xing Junhui , Xu Youan
Published: September 2018

Faraday rotation angle formula for polarized light propagating in magneto-optic medium is investigated theoretically. Based on the Biot-Savart Law and Maxwell's equations, a calculation model for electromagnetic field in solenoid paraxial region is deduced. Taking advantage of this model, together with the Bessel functions, the axial magnetic field in a typical medium is calculated and analyzed. In addition, to thoroughly analyze the influence mechanisms of the incident wavelength and temperature on the Verdet constant and then uncover its essence, a hypothesis which suggests the Faraday effect results from the combination of various factors is proposed. Furthermore, a theory of wave-transition contribution to the Verdet constant is deduced by adopting the theory of wave-particle duality. Taking the typical diamagnetic material ZF1 and paramagnetic material TGG as examples, the deduced theory together with the corresponding models is tested and verified by analyzing the relevant parameters and the test data. At last, a testing system for magneto-optical rotation together with its finite element model is introduced.
Defining the nodal equivalent parameters using synchrophasor measurements
Authors: Berdin Alexander , Bliznyuk Dmitriy , Kovalenko Pavel
Published: September 2018

The method for defining the nodal equivalent parameters of grid elements based on synchrophasor measure-ments during transients in a power system is proposed. It allows to define the topology and parameters of nodal equivalents and makes it possible to implement adaptive models for problems of power system control.
An Early Performance Comparison of CUDA and OpenACC
Authors: Li Xuechao , Shih Po-Chou
Published: September 2018

This paper presents a performance comparison between CUDA and OpenACC. The performance analysis focuses on programming models and underlying compilers. In addition, we proposed a Performance Ratio of Data Sensitivity (PRoDS) metric to objectively compare traditional subjective performances: how sensitive OpenACC and CUDA implementations are to change in data size. The results show that in terms of kernel running time, the OpenACC performance is lower than the CUDA performance because PGI compiler needs to translate OpenACC kernels into object code while CUDA codes can be directly run. Besides, OpenACC programs are more sensitive to data changes than the equivalent CUDA programs with optimizations, but CUDA is more sensitive to data changes than OpenACC if there are no optimizations. Overall we found that OpenACC is a reliable programming model and a good alternative to CUDA for accelerator devices.
Trust Evaluation Model for P2P Networks based on Time and Interaction
Authors: Xuemeng Ke , Guofu Zhou , Zhoumin Du
Published: September 2018

The traditional centralized trusting mechanism does not meet the requirements of the modern P2P network, so it is necessary to establish a distributed trusting mechanism to strengthen the system’s reliability. Factors including time attenuation factor, interactive frequency factor, interactive size factor and average online time factor markedly influence the trust of the nodes in a P2P network. This paper defines the precise effects of these factors on trust and proposes a comprehensive trust model and global trust model based on direct trust and indirect trust.
Early Growth Hormone Intervention Improves Glucose Metabolism in Adult Rats Born Small for Gestational Age
Authors: Wang Yingmin , Zhu Weifen , Chen Lianhui , Liang Li
Published: September 2018

Background Small for gestational age (SGA) due to intrauterine malnourishment is closely related to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Growth Hormone (GH) treatment has been demonstrated to influence metabolic parameters and islet function of SGA individuals. The present study demonstrates the effects of early GH treatment on glucose tolerance and expression of pancreatic duodenal homeobox 1 (Pdx1) of SGA rats during adulthood.

Methods SGA rat model was induced by restricting food intake during pregnancy. GH or normal saline was administered during postnatal days 21–35 of SGA rats and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) rats, respectively.

Results In early adulthood (postnatal day 70), as compared to AGA rats, SGA rats showed: (1) decreased body weight; (2) increased postprandial blood glucose; and (3) down-regulated Pdx1 with increased histone deacetylase (HDAC) and down-regulated histone H3-lysine 4 methyltransferase SET7/9. Exogenous GH administration led to a restoration of body weight and normalized glucose tolerance due to an enhanced Pdx1 expression, accompanied by decreased HDAC and up-regulated SET7/9 in SGA rats in early adulthood.

Conclusion Our results demonstrate positive effects on glucose metabolism by an early and short GH treatment in SGA adulthood.
Angiopoietin-like 8 Improves Insulin Resistance and Attenuates
Adipose Tissue Inflammation in Diet-Induced Obese Mice
Authors: Luo Deng , Chen Xiaolin , Yang Wenqiang , Ran Wenzhuo , Wen Zhongyuan
Published: September 2018

Angiopoietin-like 8 (ANGPTL8) is closely linked to obesity-associated
metabolic diseases and insulin resistance. The aim of the current study was
to investigate the ability of ANGPTL8 to reverse insulin resistance in obese
mice. The administration of ANGPTL8 reduced weight gain and improved glucose
tolerance in mice with diet-induced obesity. In addition, ANGPTL8
administration modified macrophage infiltration, reduced monocyte
chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-1β(IL-1β)
levels, and increased adiponectin gene expression in inguinal white adipose
tissue (iWAT). Moreover, the exposure of a cultured peritoneal macrophage
line to ANGPTL8 reduced the mRNA expression of M1 macrophage markers
(TNF-α and IL-1β) upon stimulation with lipopolysaccharides
in a dose-dependent manner. By contrast, when incubated with IL-4, exposure
of macrophages to ANGPTL8 increased the mRNA expression of M2 macrophage
markers (Arg1 and Chi3l3) in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, the
results of the present study demonstrated that treatment with ANGPTL8 can
attenuate adipose tissue inflammation through regulation of macrophage
polarization, and thus, it could be useful for improving insulin
resistance.
Brønsted Acid Mediated Direct α-Hydroxylation of Cyclic α-Branched Ketones
Authors: List Benjamin , Shevchenko Grigory , Dehn Stefanie
Published: September 2018

We report a Brønsted acid mediated direct α-hydroxylation of cyclic α-branched ketones via a tandem aminoxylation/N–O bond-cleavage process. Nitrosobenzene is used as the oxidant and subsequently promotes the liberation of the free alcohol. The desired products could be isolated in moderate to good yields at a maximum tested scale of 10 mmol. Derivatizations of the obtained products are presented.
Dehydroxymethyl Bromination of Alkoxybenzyl Alcohols by Using a Hypervalent Iodine Reagent and Lithium Bromide
Authors: Maegawa Tomohiro , Shibata Ayako , Kitamoto Sara , Fujimura Kazuma , Hirose Yuuka , Hamamoto Hiromi , Nakamura Akira , Miki Yasuyoshi
Published: September 2018

We describe the dehydroxymethylbromination of alkoxybenzyl alcohol by using a hypervalent iodine reagent and lithium bromide in F3CCH2OH at room temperature. Selective monobromination or dibromination was possible by adjusting the molar ratios of hypervalent iodine reagent and lithium bromide.
Synthesis of Multisubstituted Guanidines through Palladium-Catalyzed Insertion of Isonitriles
Authors: Yang Li , Tang Hai-Tao , Li Pei-Xia , Meng Xiu-Jin , Pan Ying-Ming
Published: September 2018

A new method for the synthesis of multisubstituted guanidines through tandem intermolecular insertion of isonitriles with un­activated amides has been developed. In this study, isonitriles could be used not only as reaction materials but also as the source of amines.
Gluten-Free Diet: Always as Easy, Useful, and Healthy as People Think?
Authors: Flores Quan Cinthia , Redecillas Ferreiro Susana , Segarra Cantón Oscar
Published: September 2018

A diet free of wheat and other gluten-containing foods is followed by individuals with celiac disease and by unaffected persons. Although the evidence and pathophysiology of gluten-induced symptoms are well established in celiac disease, they are still limited in non-celiac patients. At present, a gluten-free diet is often seen as a healthy lifestyle change instead of an adequate dietary therapy required for a specific condition. Consequently, the market for gluten-free products is steadily growing and improving; in fact, pseudocereals and genetically modified foods and crops are gaining importance in attempts to cover the dietary and nutritional needs of a population that demands it. There is currently interest not only in modifying crops to improve their agronomic traits and product flavor and appearance, but also to improve the nutritional content of crops and/or to silence certain genes with greater risk of allergenicity. However, the gluten-free diet trend is not hazard free, and many people can end up struggling with dietary disorders after making this decision. Therefore, we should be familiar with and take into account the potential shortage of certain nutrients in some of the gluten-free alternative products, which are now being fortified to prevent nutrient deficiencies and their consequences.
Complement Component C3 Binds to the A3 Domain of von Willebrand Factor
Authors: Nolasco Jennifer , Nolasco Leticia , Da Qi , Cirlos Sonya , Ruggeri Zaverio , Moake Joel , Cruz Miguel
Published: September 2018

von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a multimeric protein composed of monomeric subunits (∼280 kD) linked by disulfide bonds. During hemostasis and thrombosis, ultralarge (UL) VWF (ULVWF) multimers initiate platelet adhesion. In vitro, human C3 binds to ULVWF multimeric strings secreted by and anchored to human endothelial cell to promote the assembly and activation of C3 convertase (C3bBb) and C5 convertase (C3bBbC3b) of the alternative complement pathway (AP). The purified and soluble C3 avidly binds to recombinant human VWF A1A2A3, as well as the recombinant isolated human VWF A3 domain. Notably, the binding of soluble human ULVWF multimers to purified human C3 was blocked by addition of a monovalent Fab fragment antibody to the VWF A3 domain. We conclude that the A3 domain in VWF/ULVWF contains a docking site for C3. In contrast, purified human C4, an essential component of the classical and lectin complement pathways, binds to soluble, isolated A1, but not to ULVWF strings secreted by and anchored to endothelial cells. Our findings should facilitate the design of new therapeutic agents to suppress the initiation of the AP on ULVWF multimeric strings during thrombotic and inflammatory disorders.
Magnetic insulation in nitrogen subjected to crossed fields
Authors: Dincer Mustafa Sezai , Tezcan Suleyman Sungur , Duzkaya Hidir
Published: September 2018

In the E/N range from 150 to 400 Td (1 Td = 10-17 Vcm2), the combination of crossed magnetic fields resulting in avalanche growth inhibition in nitrogen are evaluated by means of a Monte Carlo simulation. The simulation technique employed analysis swarm development without any a priori assumptions on electron energy distribution functions and electron collisional frequencies. For the combined crossed fields evaluated, variation of number of free electrons, average positions of the swarm and pulsed Townsend energies with respect to sampling times are reported. The pulsed Townsend energies indicate considerable reduction in the mean energies when the electron avalanche at a given E/N is inhibited upon the application of a specific magnetic field value. Effectively reduced electric fields are calculated from the magnetic deflection angles obtained from the simulation. It is observed that the calculated effectively reduced fields with the related pulsed Townsend mean energies favor the effectively reduced field concept in the combined fields.
Enhanced superprism effect in symmetry reduced photonic crystals
Authors: Gumus M. , Giden I. H. , Akcaalan O. , Turduev M. , Kurt H.
Published: September 2018

We propose compact S-vector superprism providing broadband wavelength sensitivity within a/λ = 0.610–0.635, where “a” is the lattice constant, λ is the incident wavelength, and S denotes the Poynting vector. The reported configuration overcomes strong beam divergence and complex beam generation due to the self-collimation ability of the low symmetric primitive photonic crystal (PhC) cells. Analytical calculations of equi-frequency contours, photonic band structures, and group velocity dispersions are performed by solving Maxwell's equations and using the plane wave expansion method. Besides, finite-difference time-domain analyses are also conducted. The designed superprism induces large refracted angle variation for different frequencies when the incident angle is fixed: 4% change of incident frequencies results in approximately 40° deflected angle difference with a maximum 68.9° deflection angle inside the PhC. Meanwhile, for a fixed incident wavelength, a large output variation occurs if the incident angle is altered. Microwave experimental results are found to be in good agreement with the numerical analyses.
A Finnish Meteorological Institute–Aerosol Cloud Interaction Tube (FMI–ACIT): Experimental setup and tests of proper operation
Authors: Doulgeris Konstantinos M. , Brus David , Raatikainen Tomi , Kerminen Veli-Matti
Published: September 2018

The Finnish Meteorological Institute–Aerosol Cloud Interaction Tube (FMI–ACIT) is a multi-purpose instrument for investigating atmospherically relevant interactions between aerosol particles and water vapor under defined laboratory conditions. This work introduces an experimental setup of FMI–ACIT for investigation of the aerosol activation and the droplet growth under supersaturated conditions. Several simulations and experimental tests were conducted to find out what the proper operational parameters are. To verify the ability of FMI–ACIT to perform as a cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) counter, activation experiments were executed using size selected ammonium sulfate [(NH4)2SO4] particles in the size range of 10–300 nm. Supersaturations from 0.18% to 1.25% were tested by experiments with different temperature gradients. Those showed that FMI–ACIT can effectively measure CCN in this range. Measured droplet size distributions at supersaturations 0.18% and 1.25% are in good agreement with those determined by a droplet growth model.
The charge exchange recombination spectroscopy diagnostic on the upgraded Lithium Tokamak eXperiment (LTX-β)
Authors: Elliott D. B. , Biewer T. M. , Boyle D. P. , Kaita R. , Majeski R.
Published: September 2018

The Lithium Tokamak eXperiment has undergone an upgrade to LTX-β, a major part of which is the addition of neutral beam injection (NBI). NBI has allowed for a new charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CHERS) system to be installed in order to measure impurity concentrations, ion temperature, and toroidal velocity. Previously on LTX measuring these parameters relied on passive spectroscopy and inversion techniques and had large uncertainty. The CHERS system has 52 total views, split into four groups of 13, half facing toward the beam and half symmetrically facing away from the beam, so the background non-beam related emission can be simultaneously subtracted. Both sets of views sample a major radius of 27-59 cm, with resolution through the beam of 1.5-2.5 cm. LTX-β is expected to have its magnetic axis near 35 cm, with minor radii of 18-23 cm. Three separate spectrometers will be used for the diagnostic, giving the system great flexibility to simultaneously measure emission from multiple impurity lines. The viewing optics are f/1.8, allowing all of the spectrometers to be fully illuminated. Design and calibration of the system as well as the advantages of various configurations of the spectrometers will be highlighted.
Effect of noise amplification during the transition to amplitude death in coupled thermoacoustic oscillators
Authors: Thomas Nevin , Mondal Sirshendu , Pawar Samadhan A. , Sujith R. I.
Published: September 2018

We present a systematic investigation of the effect of external noise on the dynamics of a system of two coupled prototypical thermoacoustic oscillators, horizontal Rijke tubes, using a mathematical model. We focus on the possibility of amplitude death (AD), which is observed in the deterministic model of coupled thermoacoustic oscillators as studied by Thomas et al. [Chaos 28, 033119 (2018)], in the presence of noise. Although a complete cessation of oscillations or AD is not possible in the stochastic case, we observe a significant reduction in the amplitude of coupled limit cycle oscillations (LCOs) with the application of strong coupling. Furthermore, as we increase the noise intensity, a sudden drop in the amplitude of pressure oscillations at the transition from LCO to AD, observed in the noise free case, is no longer discernible because of the amplification of noise in AD state. During this transition from LCO to AD, we notice a qualitative change in the distribution of the pressure amplitude from bimodal to unimodal. Furthermore, in order to demarcate the boundary of the transition from LCO and AD in the noisy case, we use 80% suppression in the amplitude of LCO, which generally occurs in the parameter range over which this qualitative change in the pressure distribution happens, as a threshold. With the help of bifurcation diagrams, we show a qualitative change as well as a reduction in the size of amplitude suppression zones that happen due to the increase in noise intensity. We also observe the relative ease of suppressing the amplitude of LCO with time-delay coupling when detuning and dissipative couplings are introduced between the two thermoacoustic oscillators in the presence of noise.
Anti-Langmuir decay instability in Langmuir decay instability cascade
Authors: Feng Q. S. , Zheng C. Y. , Liu Z. J. , Cao L. H. , Wang Q. , Xiao C. Z. , He X. T.
Published: September 2018

Backward stimulated Raman scattering (BSRS) with Langmuir decay instability (LDI) and anti-Langmuir decay instability (ALDI or anti-LDI) has been researched by Vlasov simulation. The decay productions of anti-LDI in LDI cascade and their evolution with time are demonstrated for the first time. The BSRS reflectivity will be decreased largely through LDI cascade and ALDI in the small wave-number region. Different mechanisms to saturate BSRS in CH (or H) and C plasmas have been demonstrated. The dominant saturation mechanism of BSRS in CH (or H) plasmas is LDI cascade and ALDI. However, in C plasmas, due to very weak Landau damping of ion acoustic waves, LDI cascade will promote stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) excitation, then SBS will compete with BSRS and saturate BSRS in the later stage. The proportion of the hot electrons is decreased largely through LDI cascade and ALDI. These results give an effective mechanism to suppress BSRS and hot electron generation in the small wave-number region, which are of important significance in the inertial confinement fusion.
Flow patterns and red blood cell dynamics in a U-bend
Authors: Ye Ting , Phan-Thien Nhan , Khoo Boo Cheong , Li Yu
Published: September 2018

The flow of cells in curved vessels is often accompanied by a secondary flow, which plays an important and practical role in various biomedical and bioengineering applications. However, there have been few attempts to investigate how the cells affect the development of the secondary flow in those curved microvessels. In this work, we use a particle-based model, smoothed dissipative particle dynamics, to numerically simulate the flow of red blood cells (RBCs) in a U-bend, with a diameter comparable to the RBC diameter. We first carry out three validation studies on the flow field, the cell deformation, and the cell aggregation, respectively, to establish the model predictive capability. Then, we study the formation and development of the secondary flow in a U-bend for the suspending (Newtonian) fluid, followed by exploring the disturbance of a single RBC and multiple RBCs to the secondary flow. The simulation results show that a secondary flow is developed in the U-bend for the suspending fluid, with a pair of Dean vortices. When a single RBC is suspended in the fluid, the secondary flow is disturbed, which is implemented by a transition from two to four and then back to two vortices again. This is the first time to show that cells can initiate such transition in a curved bend. When multiple RBCs are suspended in the fluid, the secondary flow becomes less likely to occur as the RBC number increases. On the contrary, the flow becomes more developed with increasing intercellular interactions.
Extending the limits of powder diffraction analysis: Diffraction parameter space, occupancy defects, and atomic form factors
Authors: Yin Liang , Mattei Gerard S. , Li Zhou , Zheng Jianming , Zhao Wengao , Omenya Fredrick , Fang Chengcheng , Li Wangda , Li Jianyu , Xie Qiang , Zhang Ji-Guang , Whittingham M. Stanley , Meng Ying Shirley , Manthiram Arumugam , Khalifah Peter G.
Published: September 2018

Although the determination of site occupancies is often a major goal in Rietveld refinement studies, the accurate refinement of site occupancies is exceptionally challenging due to many correlations and systematic errors that have a hidden impact on the final refined occupancy parameters. Through the comparison of results independently obtained from neutron and synchrotron powder diffraction, improved approaches capable of detecting occupancy defects with an exceptional sensitivity of 0.1% (absolute) in the class of layered NMC (Li[NixMnyCoz]O2) Li-ion battery cathode materials have been developed. A new method of visualizing the diffraction parameter space associated with crystallographic site scattering power through the use of f* diagrams is described, and this method is broadly applicable to ternary compounds. The f* diagrams allow the global minimum fit to be easily identified and also permit a robust determination of the number and types of occupancy defects within a structure. Through a comparison of neutron and X-ray diffraction results, a systematic error in the synchrotron results was identified using f* diagrams for a series of NMC compounds. Using neutron diffraction data as a reference, this error was shown to specifically result from problems associated with the neutral oxygen X-ray atomic form factor and could be eliminated by using the ionic O2− form factor for this anion while retaining the neutral form factors for cationic species. The f* diagram method offers a new opportunity to experimentally assess the quality of atomic form factors through powder diffraction studies on chemically related multi-component compounds.
The dynamic characteristics of micro-diaphragms subjected to thermal stress when coupled with a fluid
Authors: Dong Ming , Ma Shujun , Wang Shiliang
Published: September 2018

The free vibration of circular diaphragms subjected to in-plane tensile biaxial stress while in contact with a fluid is analyzed using the Rayleigh-Ritz method, in which the linear superposition of a number of polynomial functions is used to describe the displacement of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is placed into a hole in an infinite rigid wall, and the fluid is assumed to be incompressible and inviscid. Analytical expressions for the nondimensional added virtual mass incremental factor and the quality factor are easily derived using the proposed method. Our numerical results are validated by comparisons with published theoretical results and a finite element model. This work demonstrates the thermal stress contribution to the nondimensional added virtual mass incremental factor and the quality factor, which is important in the design of circular-diaphragm-based sensors.
Graphene-based “hybrid” aerogels with carbon nanotubes: Mesoporous network–functionality promoted defect density and electrochemical activity correlations
Authors: Gupta Sanju , Meek Romney , Evans Brendan , Dimakis Nicholas
Published: September 2018

Electrochemical activity of graphene and graphene-based “hybrid” nanomaterials is crucial for energy and water sustainability applications, which requires fine tuning over combined geometric and electronic structures. We demonstrate that precise control of defects, porosity, and topological interconnectedness, invoked in hydrothermally synthesized graphene aerogel integrated with multi-walled carbon nanotubes, promotes finely tuned morphology, structure, defect number density, hierarchical mesoporosity, and conductivity and enhances the electrochemical heterogeneous electron transfer rate (kET). We prepared a range of graphene-based “hybrid” scaffolds (or monolithic aerogels) and their nitrogenated equivalents with varying graphene–carbon nanotube compositions using two synthetic schemes known as approaches 1 and 2. This study allows us to correlate quantitatively between number defect density (via Raman spectroscopy; RS) and heterogeneous electron transfer rate (via scanning electrochemical microscopy). RS provided microscale structural characterization revealing localized lattice vibrations. The first- and second-order Raman bands were analyzed in terms of band position, intensity ratio, and integrated intensity determining structural disorder, in-plane cluster size, inter-defect distance, and number defect density. The role of oxygenated (carbonyl; C═O, carboxyl; —COOH) and nitrogenated (pryridinic-N and graphitic/pyrrolic-N) functionalities and bonding configurations besides mesoporosity is emphasized for understanding the role of surface chemistry in regionally improved physicochemical (electroactivity and catalytic) properties. The defect-induced increase in finite electronic density of states (DOS) near Fermi level calculated using density functional theory under hydration helped in establishing moderate defect density for enhanced heterogeneous electron transfer rate as a critical onset such that the carbon system is electroactive while maintaining integral sp2 C structural network. Moreover, the defect sites allow sufficient overlap between DOS for graphene-based aerogels and redox probe wavefunctions, which emphasizes the experimental correlation establishments.
Statistical field theory for polar fluids
Authors: Zhuang Bilin , Wang Zhen-Gang
Published: September 2018

Using a variational field-theoretic approach, we derive a theory for polar fluids. The theory naturally accounts for the reaction field without resorting to the cavity construct and leads to a simple formula for the dielectric constant in terms of the molecular dipole moment and density. We apply our formula to calculate the dielectric constants of nonpolarizable liquid models for more than a hundred small molecules without using any adjustable parameters. Our formula predicts dielectric constants of these nonpolarizable liquid models more accurately than the Onsager theory and previous field-theoretic dielectric theories, as demonstrated by the closer agreement to the simulation results. The general theory also yields the free energy, which can describe the response of polar fluids under applied electric fields.
Phase-imposed regime of relativistic backward-wave oscillators
Authors: Ginzburg N. S. , Golovanov A. A. , Romanchenko I. V. , Rostov V. V. , Sharypov K. A. , Shunailov S. A. , Ulmaskulov M. R. , Yalandin M. I. , Zotova I. V.
Published: September 2018

We investigate in detail the method of coherent summation of multiple sub-gigawatt Ka-band backward-wave oscillators (BWOs) based on their phase-imposed excitation by an incoming short seed electromagnetic pulse. For theoretical analysis, we use particle-in-cell simulations as well as a basic model that describes both spontaneous and stimulated Cherenkov emission of an electron beam moving in corrugated waveguides. In the scope of the model, the influence of the electron beam front edge length, the phase and the power of the seed pulse, and other conditions important for the performed experiments is studied. The predictions of the model are compared to the experiments in which both superradiant and longer-pulse BWOs are explored. Despite sub-nanosecond duration of the seed pulse, phase stability throughout the entire generated pulse with up to nanosecond duration is demonstrated.
Hydrogen solubility in donor-doped SrTiO3 from first principles
Authors: Baker Jonathon N. , Bowes Preston C. , Irving Douglas L.
Published: September 2018

Hydrogen contamination of strontium titanate (STO) during processing and usage is a known problem. However, it is relatively little-studied due to the difficulty in quantifying the amount of hydrogen that dissolves in the lattice. Here, we use hybrid exchange-correlation density functional theory calculations as input to a grand canonical thermodynamics framework to estimate hydrogen solubility and site preferences in donor-doped STO. Our results provide clear theoretical evidence that hydrogen contamination in donor-doped STO occurs at a low enough level to essentially ignore. But, this simple conclusion belies hydrogen's rich behavior; unlike many dopants, it is able to easily change its incorporation site in response to changes in processing conditions. Overall, the findings are consistent with prevailing wisdom and suggest that the presented first principles approach could be used for systematic exploration of hydrogen's impact as a function of doping and processing in this and other wide bandgap materials.