Reduced field-of-view diffusion-weighted imaging of the brain at 7 T

Ventral and rostral regions of the brain are of emerging importance for the MRI characterization of early dementia, traumatic brain injury and epilepsy. Unfortunately, standard single-shot echo planar diffusion-weighted imaging of these regions at high fields is contaminated by severe imaging artifacts in the vicinity of air–tissue interfaces. To mitigate these artifacts and improve visualization of the temporal and frontal lobes at 7 T, we applied a reduced field-of-view strategy, enabled by outer volume suppression (OVS) with novel quadratic phase radiofrequency (RF) pulses, combined with partial Fourier and parallel imaging methods. The new acquisition greatly reduced the level of artifacts in six human subjects (including four patients with early symptoms of dementia).     

New Fluorinated Poly(imide siloxane) Random and Block Copolymers with Variation of Siloxane Loading

Several new random and block copoly(imide siloxane)s have been prepared by the solution polycondensation of commercially available 4,4′-oxydianiline (ODA) and amino-propyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane (APPS) with 4,4′-(hexafluoro-isopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA). The siloxane loading was kept to 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 wt% in the copolymers. The random copolymers were prepared by a one pot solution imidization technique, and two pot solution imidization technique was adopted for the synthesis of the block copolymers. The diamine ODA and the dianhydride 6FDA composed the hard block segment, while APPS and 6FDA composed the soft block segment. The hard block length was kept constant while the soft block lengths were varied by varying the siloxane loading. Accordingly, block copoly(imide siloxane)s were prepared on increasing the soft block lengths (DP) from 3 to 6, 10, 18 and 36 for fixed hard block length of 22. The resulting polymers have been well characterized by IR, NMR and GPC techniques. Thermal and mechanical properties of the random and block copolymers were compared with the already reported homopolyimide without siloxane moiety.     

Magnesium Methoxide-Assisted Synthesis of 2,4,6-Triaryl Pyridines

A new three-component reaction of chalcones, ketones, and ammonia assisted by magnesium methoxide is described. The corresponding 2,4,6-triaryl pyridines (Kröhnke pyridines) are formed in fair to good yields (34–76%) within 3 h. The method also provides a facile way to synthesize 2(6)-difluoromethyl pyridines via an interesting mechanism.     

A ligand free copper(II) catalyst is as effective as a ligand assisted Pd(II) catalyst towards intramolecular C–S bond formation via C–H functionalization

Copper(I) catalysts are usually ineffective on the other hand Pd(II) catalysts are quite effective in promoting intramolecular sp² C–H functionalization (C–S bond formation). Herein, we have developed a ligand assisted Pd(II) catalyzed C–S bond formation via C–H activation from arylthioureas leading to the formation of 2-aminobenzothiazoles for substrates bearing electron donating (EDG) groups in the aryl ring. However without the assistance of ligand this Pd(II) catalyzed reaction is quite unproductive particularly for thioureas possessing strongly electron donating groups in the aryl rings. Interestingly, the ligand free Cu(II) catalyzed oxidative cyclization of arylthioureas are equally effective both for arylthioureas possessing electron donating as well as electron withdrawing groups in the aryl rings.     

Heteropoly acid catalyzed synthesis of 8-methyl-2-aryl/alkyl-3-oxabicyclo[3.3.1]non-7-ene derivatives through (3,5)-oxonium-ene reaction

A variety of aldehydes undergo a smooth coupling with (4-methylcyclohex-3-en-1-yl)methanol in the presence of 2 mol % of phosphomolybdic acid in dichloromethane to afford 3-oxabicyclo[3.3.1]non-7-ene in good yields through 3,5-oxonium-ene cyclization under mild conditions. The use of inexpensive, nontoxic, and readily available heteropoly acid catalyst makes this method simple, convenient, and environmental-friendly.     

Study of Sorption of 2,4‐D on Outer Peristaltic Part of Waste Tire Rubber Granules

From this study it was evident that outer peristaltic parts of waste tire granules gave the highest removal. Film and pore diffusions are the major factors controlling rates of sorption from solution by porous adsorbents. For sorption of 2,4‐D on waste tire rubber granules, the sorption rate coefficient of second‐order kinetic equation was utilized indirectly to determine the rate‐limiting step. The diffusion coefficient lies in the scale of 10^?8 cm²/s, and the pore diffusion coefficient is in the range of 10^?9–10^?10 cm²/s. So both film and pore diffusion are rate limiting. Considering external mass transfer from fluid to particle, using the effect of initial concentration, and using the effect of adsorbent size, no conclusion was reached regarding rate‐controlling steps. It is apparent from the study that external mass transfer (film diffusion) as well as intra‐particle diffusion (pore diffusion) play significant roles in the sorption process for 2,4‐D removal from water onto rubber granules.     

Realization of vibronic entanglement in terms of tunneling current in an artificial molecule

Based on the concept of molecular nonadiabatic processes, namely, curve crossing and electronic interstate coupling, here we have introduced a model of an artificial molecule composed of three coupled quantum dots in terms of displaced harmonic oscillators of the confinement potential. We have shown that the static and dynamic features of vibronic entanglement can be realized in terms of the tunneling current in our model. An entanglement sudden-death can be shown to be equivalent to the suppression of tunneling current at the appropriate parameters of the magnetic field. We have also provided the nonclassicality of the vibration of the dot confinement potential which maximizes at the anticrossing zone.