The design and investigation of the self-assembly of dimers with two nematic phases

A series of non-symmetric dimers were synthesised containing either cyanobiphenyl or difluoroterphenyl moieties on one side and a range of long, short, bent, polar or apolar mesogens on the other side of the molecules. The dielectric anisotropy of the mesogens was varied systematically. The systems were characterised by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), optical polarizing microscopy (OPM) and detailed X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, both in the nematic and the Nx phase. The results are compared and structure properties relationships are discussed. A model for the assembly in the Nx phase is developed discussing Ntb structures, coaxial helices, swiss roll structures and chiral domain formation

Femtosecond dynamics of hydrogen elimination: benzene formation from cyclohexadiene

Using femtosecond-resolved mass spectrometry in a molecular beam, we report real-time study of the hydrogen elimination reaction of 1,4-cyclohexadiene. The experimental observation of the ultrafast stepwise H-elimination elucidates the reaction dynamics and mechanism. With density-functional theory (ground-state) calculations, the nature of the reaction (multiple) pathways is examined. With the help of recent conical-intersection calculations, the excited-state and ground-state pathways are correlated. From these experimental and theoretical results we provide a unifying picture of the thermochemistry, photochemistry and the stereochemistry observed in the condensed phase

The stabilisation of the Nx phase in mixtures

The phase behaviour of mixtures between two symmetric dimers, CBC9CB and the ether-linked analogue CBOC9OCB was investigated by Polarizing Optical Microscopy (POM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) studies. The dimeric constituents are fully miscible and the construction of a temperature-composition phase diagram reveals a surprising amplification of the stability of the Nx phase in compositions of up to 37 wt% of CBOC9OCB in CBC9CB. The origin for this enhancement of stability is discussed and an explanation based on chiral recognition is developed

On Zone-Based Analysis of Duration Probabilistic Automata

We propose an extension of the zone-based algorithmics for analyzing timed automata to handle systems where timing uncertainty is considered as probabilistic rather than set-theoretic. We study duration probabilistic automata (DPA), expressing multiple parallel processes admitting memoryfull continuously-distributed durations. For this model we develop an extension of the zone-based forward reachability algorithm whose successor operator is a density transformer, thus providing a solution to verification and performance evaluation problems concerning acyclic DPA (or the bounded-horizon behavior of cyclic DPA).Comment: In Proceedings INFINITY 2010, arXiv:1010.611

Deuteron and proton NMR study of D₂, p-dichlorobenzene and 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene in bimesogenic liquid crystals with two nematic phases

The solutes dideuterium, 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene and p-dichlorobenzene (pdcb) are co-dissolved in a 61/39 wt% mixture of CBC9CB/5CB, a bimesogenic liquid crystal with two nematic phases. NMR spectra are collected for each solute. The local electric field gradient (FZZ) is obtained from the dideuterium spectrum. A double Maier-Saupe potential (MSMS) is used to rationalize the order parameters of pdcb. The liquid-crystal fields G₁ and G₂ are taken to be due to size and shape interactions and interactions between the solute molecular quadrupole and the mean FZZ of the medium. The FZZ’s obtained from D₂ and G₂ (from pdcb) are compared and discussed

Chimeric Yellow Fever/Dengue Virus as a Candidate Dengue Vaccine: Quantitation of the Dengue Virus-Specific CD8 T-Cell Response

We have constructed a chimeric yellow fever/dengue (YF/DEN) virus, which expresses the premembrane (prM) and envelope (E) genes from DEN type 2 (DEN-2) virus in a YF virus (YFV-17D) genetic background. Immunization of BALB/c mice with this chimeric virus induced a CD8 T-cell response specific for the DEN-2 virus prM and E proteins. This response protected YF/DEN virus-immunized mice against lethal dengue encephalitis. Control mice immunized with the parental YFV-17D were not protected against DEN-2 virus challenge, indicating that protection was mediated by the DEN-2 virus prM- and E-specific immune responses. YF/DEN vaccine-primed CD8 T cells expanded and were efficiently recruited into the central nervous systems of DEN-2 virus challenged mice. At 5 days after challenge, 3 to 4% of CD8 T cells in the spleen were specific for the prM and E proteins, and 34% of CD8 T cells in the central nervous system recognized these proteins. Depletion of either CD4 or CD8 T cells, or both, strongly reduced the protective efficacy of the YF/DEN virus, stressing the key role of the antiviral T-cell response

Bond strength of a new Kevlar fiber-reinforced composite post with semi-interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) matrix

This study aimed to evaluate the bond strength and the penetration depth of two adhesive systems to a new experimental semi-IPN fiber post versus a commercial post. Experimental Kevlar fiber (KF) and control everStick®POST (ES) posts (n=20/ group) with a diameter of 1.5 mm were used, 10 posts coated with StickResin (SR) and the other 10 posts coated with Scotch bond multipurpose (SBMP) adhesives. Composite resin buildup was performed over each post, using a cylindrical plastic mold (10 mm × 6 mm). Four discs of 2 mm thickness were prepared from each post/composite buildup and underwent pushout bond strength test at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min accompanied by failure mode analysis. A further three specimens from each subgroup were bonded with adhesives labeled with 0.1 wt% Rhodamine B and embedded in acrylic resin, sectioned and examined under a confocal Laser-scanning microscope (CLSM) to measure the depth of resin penetration. Statistical analysis included ANOVA and Tukey test, the significance level was assumed at a p-value less than 0.05. The push-out bond strength of KF was comparable to that of ES with both SBMP and SR adhesives (P >0.05). Bond strength value for SBMP was higher than SR adhesive in either ES and KF posts with no significant difference (P > 0.05). ES exhibited higher adhesive penetration depth compared with KF (p<0.05). The bond strength of Kevlar post was comparable with the everStick post and the semi-interpenetrating structure of Kevlar post displayed some adhesive monomers diffusion indicating its usefulness as a new intracanal post

Estimating the Number of Patents in the World Using Count Panel Data Models

In this paper, we review some estimators of count regression (Poisson and negative binomial) models in panel data modeling. These estimators based on the type of the panel data model (the model with fixed or random effects). Moreover, we study and compare the performance of these estimators based on a real dataset application. In our application, we study the effect of some economic variables on the number of patents for seventeen high-income countries in the world over the period from 2005 to 2016. The results indicate that the negative binomial model with fixed effects is the better and suitable for data, and the important (statistically significant) variables that effect on the number of patents in high-income countries are research and development (R&D) expenditures and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita