Capacity of the Generalized Pulse-Position Modulation Channel

We show the capacity of a generalized pulse-position modulation (PPM) channel, where the input vectors may be any set that allows a transitive group of coordinate permutations, is achieved by a uniform input distribution. We derive a simple expression in terms of the Kullback Leibler distance for the binary case, and the asymptote in the PPM order. We prove a sub-additivity result for the PPM channel and use it to show PPM capacity is monotonic in the order

Probing the competition among different coordination motifs in metal-ciprofloxacin complexes through IRMPD spectroscopy and DFT calculations

The vibrational spectra of ciprofloxacin complexes with monovalent (Li+, Na+, K+, Ag+) and polyvalent (Mg2+, Al3+) metal ions are recorded in the range 1000-1900 cm(-1) by means of infrared multiple-photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy. The IRMPD spectra are analyzed and interpreted in the light of density functional theory (DFT)-based quantum chemical calculations in order to identify the possible structures present under our experimental conditions. For each metal-ciprofloxacin complex, four isomers are predicted, considering different chelation patterns. A good agreement is found between the measured IRMPD spectrum and the calculated absorption spectrum of the most stable isomer for each complex. Metal ion size and charge are found to drive the competition among the different coordination motifs: small size and high charge density metal ions prefer to coordinate the quinolone between the two carbonyl oxygen atoms, whereas large-size metal ions prefer the carboxylate group as a coordination site. In the latter case, an intramolecular hydrogen bond compensates the weaker interaction established by these cations. The role of the metal cation on the stabilization of ionic and nonionic structures of ciprofloxacin is also investigated. It is found that large-size metal ions preferentially stabilize charge separated motifs and that the increase of metal ion charge has a stabilizing effect on the zwitterionic form of ciprofloxacin

Root Cause Determination of On-orbit Degradation of the VIIRS Rotating Telescope Assembly

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometric Suite (VIIRS) is a sensor onboard the recently launched Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) spacecraft. Shortly after launch, VIIRS was found to exhibit a pronounced decrease in the optical throughput of several bands, with the near-infrared bands being more affected than those in the visible. The anomaly investigation team performed several experiments that concluded that the primary source of the degradation was a throughput loss in the VIIRS rotating telescope assembly, most likely caused by ultraviolet light illumination. This paper will discuss the laboratory investigation that determined the root cause of the telescope degradation: UV photo-darkening of a tungsten oxide contaminant film that was inadvertently deposited on top of the telescope mirrors during the manufacturing process. We will present data from experiments conducted on witness mirrors manufactured along with the telescope, as well as other mirrors of the same type that were not contaminated