Loffe-Regel' crossover and boson peaks in disordered solid solutions and similar anomalies in heterogeneous crystalline structures

Low-frequency features of the phonon spectra of disordered solid solutions and heterogeneous crystalline structures are analyzed at the microscopic level. It is shown that boson-peak type excitations can arise in disordered solid solutions whose sites have only translational degrees of freedom. Thus it is established that such excitations appear mainly because of the additional positional dispersion of sound waves which is due to the disordering. The influence of boson-peak excitations on the low-temperature specific heat is investigated. It is found that in a number of cases the specific heat is more sensitive to excitations of this kind than the low-frequency density of states is. It is shown that anomalies similar to Ioffe-Regel' crossover and boson peaks can also arise in disordered heterogeneous crystalline structures with a complicated lattice

Synthesis-Analysis of the Use of Cavitation Technologies

Анализ литературных источников в области использования кавитационных технологий показал, что эффекты кавитации используются в широком спектре промышленных технологий. В данной работе приведены основные результаты работ по кавитационной обработке различных жидких композиций, многокомпонентных сред в последние десятилетия. Представленный обзор позволяет сделать вывод об актуальности использования кавитационных технологий в различных областях техники и технологии для решения важных практических задач и, как следствие, необходимости их всестороннего изученияAn analysis of literature sources in the field of the use of cavitation technologies has shown that the effects of cavitation are used in a wide range of industrial technologies. This paper presents the main results of work on the cavitation treatment of various liquid compositions, multicomponent media in recent decades. The presented review allows us to conclude that the use of cavitation technologies in various fields of engineering and technology is relevant for solving important practical problems and, as a result, the need for their comprehensive stud

Ice imaging in aircraft anti-icing fluid films using polarized light

Article presents how to enhance ice contrast in the visible spectrum by using ice birefringence and polarized light reflection. The method can be used for both visual inspection and automatic ice detection systems

Structural Biology by NMR: Structure, Dynamics, and Interactions

The function of bio-macromolecules is determined by both their 3D structure and conformational dynamics. These molecules are inherently flexible systems displaying a broad range of dynamics on time-scales from picoseconds to seconds. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has emerged as the method of choice for studying both protein structure and dynamics in solution. Typically, NMR experiments are sensitive both to structural features and to dynamics, and hence the measured data contain information on both. Despite major progress in both experimental approaches and computational methods, obtaining a consistent view of structure and dynamics from experimental NMR data remains a challenge. Molecular dynamics simulations have emerged as an indispensable tool in the analysis of NMR data

Experimental characterisation of textile compaction response: A benchmark exercise

This paper reports the results of an international benchmark exercise on the measurement of fibre bed compaction behaviour. The aim was to identify aspects of the test method critical to obtain reliable results and to arrive at a recommended test procedure for fibre bed compaction measurements. A glass fibre 2/2 twill weave and a biaxial (±45°) glass fibre non-crimp fabric (NCF) were tested in dry and wet conditions. All participants used the same testing procedure but were allowed to use the testing frame, the fixture and sample geometry of their choice. The results showed a large scatter in the maximum compaction stress between participants at the given target thickness, with coefficients of variation ranging from 38% to 58%. Statistical analysis of data indicated that wetting of the specimen significantly affected the scatter in results for the woven fabric, but not for the NCF. This is related to the fibre mobility in the architectures in both fabrics. As isolating the effect of other test parameters on the results was not possible, no statistically significant effect of other test parameters could be proven. The high sensitivity of the recorded compaction pressure near the minimum specimen thickness to changes in specimen thickness suggests that small uncertainties in thickness can result in large variations in the maximum value of the compaction stress. Hence, it is suspected that the thickness measurement technique used may have an effect on the scatter

Stability and kinetics of G-quadruplex structures

In this review, we give an overview of recent literature on the structure and stability of unimolecular G-rich quadruplex structures that are relevant to drug design and for in vivo function. The unifying theme in this review is energetics. The thermodynamic stability of quadruplexes has not been studied in the same detail as DNA and RNA duplexes, and there are important differences in the balance of forces between these classes of folded oligonucleotides. We provide an overview of the principles of stability and where available the experimental data that report on these principles. Significant gaps in the literature have been identified, that should be filled by a systematic study of well-defined quadruplexes not only to provide the basic understanding of stability both for design purposes, but also as it relates to in vivo occurrence of quadruplexes. Techniques that are commonly applied to the determination of the structure, stability and folding are discussed in terms of information content and limitations. Quadruplex structures fold and unfold comparatively slowly, and DNA unwinding events associated with transcription and replication may be operating far from equilibrium. The kinetics of formation and resolution of quadruplexes, and methodologies are discussed in the context of stability and their possible biological occurrence