Reflection and Transmission Coefficients in Uniaxial Crystals

Abstract

In this work we present a detailed deduction of the general solution of the boundary conditions for an isotropic medium-uniaxial birefringent crystal interface. The reflection and transmission coefficients are defined with reference to a polarization perpendicular or parallel to the incidence plane of the incident ray. The explicit expressions and curves of these coefficients are obtained as functions of the incidence angle, and they are discussed comparing them with the isotropic case.     

Effect of Hybridization on Stiffness Properties of Woven Textile Composites

The present study focuses on stiffness properties of woven textile reinforced polymeric composites with respect to hybridization, and geometry of reinforcement. The analyzed composites represent combinations of different fibre materials (E-glass, Kevlar 49, carbon HM) in a predetermined fabric geometry (a plane weave embedded in thermosetting polymeric resin) serving controlled properties and required performance. The effects of hybridization on the stiffness properties of woven textile composites have been studied with respect to the fibres materials, the unbalancing degree of fabrics, and the variation of compactness and undulation of yarns. Some undesirable effects in fabric geometry can be overcome by the combined effects of hybridization and compactness.     

Determination of the Synthetic Cannabinoids JWH-122, JWH-210, UR-144 in Oral Fluid of Consumers by GC-MS and Quantification of Parent Compounds and Metabolites by UHPLC-MS/MS

The consumption of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) has significantly increased in the last decade and the analysis of SCs and their metabolites in human specimens is gaining interest in clinical and forensic toxicology. A pilot study has been carried out using a combination of an initial last generation gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) screening method for the determination of JWH-122, JWH-210, UR-144) in oral fluid (OF) of consumers and an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) confirmatory method for the quantification of the parent compounds and their metabolites in the same biological matrix. OF samples were simply liquid-liquid extracted before injecting in both chromatographic systems. The developed methods have been successfully validated and were linear from limit of quantification (LOQ) to 50 ng/mL OF. Recovery of analytes was always higher than 70% and matrix effect always lower than 15% whereas intra-assay and inter-assay precision and accuracy were always better than 16%. After smoking 1 mg JWH-122 or UR-144 and 3 mg JWH-210, maximum concentration of 4.00–3.14 ng/mL JWH-122, 8.10–7.30 ng/mL JWH-210 ng/mL and 7.40 and 6.81 ng/mL UR-144 were measured by GC-MS and UHPLC-HRMS respectively at 20 min after inhalation. Metabolites of JWH 122 and 210 were quantified in OF by UHPLC-HRMS, while that of UR144 was only detectable in traces. Our results provide for the first time information about disposition of these SCs and their metabolites in consumers OF. Last generation GC-MS has proven useful tool to identify and quantify parent SCs whereas UHPLC-HRMS also confirmed the presence of SCs metabolites in the OF of SCs consumers.     

Predictability of Fixed-Job Priority schedulers on heterogeneous multiprocessor real-time systems

The multiprocessor Fixed-Job Priority (FJP) scheduling of real-time systems is studied. An important property for the schedulability analysis, the predictability (regardless to the execution times), is studied for heterogeneous multiprocessor platforms. Our main contribution is to show that any FJP schedulers are predictable on unrelated platforms. A convenient consequence is the fact that any FJP schedulers are predictable on uniform multiprocessors.     

Influence of the substitution degrees on the optical properties of cellulose acetates

Cellulose acetates with different substitution degrees possess a set of properties that makes them highly suitable for optical applications. This article discusses some of these properties, namely refractivity, dielectric properties, and transmittance. The contribution of the ratio between the molar refraction, which is proportional to the induced dipole moment, and the molar volume for the different atoms present in the studied polymers to the optical properties was investigated. The study illustrates the importance of such structural and compositional characteristics in tailoring some specific optical applications. Furthermore, optical transmission has been investigated in the 200–1000 nm range. To obtain the optical parameters, the approach proposed by Tauc for amorphous semiconductors has been used because of the similarity of the absorption edges. The values of pseudogap energy ranged between 3.44 and 4.70 eV, whereas those of Urbach energy were modified in the 18–37 meV range. All parameters determined have been related to the influence of the substitution degrees and of the synthesis condition. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Laser Beam Melting of Alumina: Effect of Absorber Additions

Ceramic laser beam melting offers new manufacturing possibilities for complex refractory structures. Poor absorptivity in near infra-red wavelengths of oxide ceramics is overcome with absorber addition to ceramic powders. Absorbers affect powder bed densities and geometrical stability of melted tracks. Optimum absorber content is defined for Al₂O₃ by minimizing powder bed porosity, maximizing melting pool geometrical stability and limiting shrinkage. Widest stability fields are obtained with addition of 0.1 wt.% C and 0.5 wt.% β-SiC. Absorption coefficient values of Beer-Lambert law follow stability trends: they increase with C additions, whereas with β-SiC, a maximum is reached for 0.5 wt.%. Powder particle ejections are also identified. Compared to metallic materials, this ejection phenomenon can no longer be neglected when establishing a three-dimensional manufacturing strategy.     

Stereoselective block of hERG channel by bupivacaine scrutinized at molecular level

In the heart, the hERG voltage-gated potassium channel mediates the I(Kr) current, which is crucial for the duration of cardiac action potential. Undesired block of the channel may prolong the QT interval with increased risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmia called torsades de pointes. Although the molecular determinants of hERG block are intensively studied, stereoselectivity has been poorly investigated. Levo-(S)-bupivacaine was the first drug reported to have higher affinity for hERG than its enantiomer. This study aims at understanding the principles underlying the stereoselectivity of bupivacaine block with the help of molecular modeling. Putative binding modes of levo-(S)- and dextro-(R)-bupivacaine inside an open form model of hERG channel were predicted by docking simulations, allowing a clear depiction of ligand-protein interactions. Estimated binding energies for both enantiomers to wild-type channel are in line with previously published electrophysiology measurements. These results may be considered as a confirmation at the molecular level of bupivacaine stereoselective binding towards hERG. Moreover this information lays the foundations for a structural guideline to filter out potentially cardiotoxic drug candidates in silico.