Plane Symmetric Viscous Fluid Cosmological Models with Varying <Emphasis Type="Italic">Λ</Emphasis>-Term

Plane symmetric viscous fluid cosmological models of the universe with a variable cosmological term are investigated. The viscosity coefficient of bulk viscous fluid is assumed to be a power function of mass density whereas the coefficient of shear viscosity is to be proportional to rate of expansion in the model. We have also obtained a special model in which the shear viscosity is assumed to be zero. The cosmological constant Λ is found to be a decreasing function of time and a positive which is supported by results from recent supernovae Ia observations. Some physical and geometric properties of the models are also discussed.     

Study of gain flatness for multi-channel amplification in single stage EDFA for WDM applications

In this paper, gain flatness is studied for simultaneous 16-ITU-T channel amplifications at C-band (1,532–1,558 nm) in a single stage EDFA for WDM application at different average inversion levels. The inversion levels are varied due to the change of the input signal levels from the targeted operating point and also for dropping few numbers of channels. Specially designed gain flattening filter (GFF) is used in order to get the flat gain with gain variation ±0.5 dB for −20 dBm/ch input signal power (total input signal power is −8.0 dBm) at a fixed average inversion level which is maintained by proper selection of optimum fibre length and pump power. A specific loss spectrum of GFF is obtained by writing a chirped fibre Bragg grating of length 20 mm. Gain variations are studied by changing the total input signal levels from −8.0 dBm to −20.0 dBm and maintained within 20.0 ± 0.5 dB by using automatic gain control (AGC) circuit. About 15 out of 16 channels are dropped and observed ± 0.5 dB gain-variation which is an important parameter in optical network system.     

Ti(III)-mediated opening of 2,3-epoxy alcohols to build five-membered carbocycles with multiple chiral centres

Stereoselective construction of highly substituted five-membered carbocycles with multiple chiral centres is described. Sharpless kinetic resolution was applied as the key step to prepare the required 2,3-epoxy alcohols and a Ti(III) radical mediated opening of the epoxide ring followed by intramolecular trapping of the generated radical with a suitably placed α,β-unsaturated ester resulted in the formation of five-membered carbocycles with up to three consecutive new chiral centres stereoselectively fixed.     

Mass spectrometry guided in situ proteolysis to obtain crystals for X-ray structure determination

A strategy for increasing the efficiency of protein crystallization/structure determination with mass spectrometry has been developed. This approach combines insights from limited proteolysis/mass spectrometry and crystallization via in situ proteolysis. The procedure seeks to identify protease-resistant polypeptide chain segments from purified proteins on the time-scale of crystal formation, and subsequently crystallizing the target protein in the presence of the optimal protease at the right relative concentration. We report our experience with 10 proteins of unknown structure, two of which yielded high-resolution X-ray structures. The advantage of this approach comes from its ability to select only those structure determination candidates that are likely to benefit from application of in situ proteolysis, using conditions most likely to result in formation of a stable proteolytic digestion product suitable for crystallization.     

Effect of time delay on a harvested predator-prey model

The predator-prey systems with harvesting have received a great deal of attentions for last few decades. Incorporating discrete time delays into predator-prey models could induce instability and bifurcation. In this paper we are interested in studying the combined effects of harvesting and discrete time delay on the dynamics of a predator-prey model. A comparative analysis is provided for stability behaviour in absence as well as in presence of time delay. The length of discrete time delay to preserve stability of the model system is obtained. Existence of Hopf-bifurcating small amplitude periodic solutions is derived by taking discrete time delay as a bifurcation parameter.     

Sulfonation of metallocene‐based polyolefinic elastomers and its influence on physicomechanical properties: Effect of reaction parameters,styrene grafting,and pendant chain length

Direct sulfonation and styrene‐mediated sulfonation were carried out onto metallocene‐based poly(ethylene‐co‐octene) (POE) and poly(ethylene‐co‐butene) (PBE) elastomers to impart polarity on the completely nonpolar rubbery matrices and to prepare a new class of elastomer. The influence of styrene‐grafting and pendant chain length on the degree of sulfonation was also studied. The effects of sulfonation, styrene grafting and styrene‐mediated sulfonation at their optimized levels on various physicomechanical properties were thoroughly investigated, and the resultant properties were correlated with structures of the modified elastomers. Higher extent of sulfonic acid groups were introduced through direct sulfonation in comparison with the styrene‐mediated sulfonation, whereas better thermal and mechanical properties were obtained through styrene‐mediated sulfonation in comparison with the direct sulfonation process. PBE had shown higher degree of sulfonation and percentage grafting than POE. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 8023–8040, 2008     

Spin-orbit gauge and quantum spin Hall effect

We have shown that the non-Abelian spin-orbit gauge field strength of the Rashba and Dresselhaus interactions, when split into two Abelian field strengths, the Hamiltonian of the system can be re-expressed as a Landau level problem with a particular relation between the two coupling parameters. The quantum levels are created with up and down spins with opposite chirality and leads to the quantum spin Hall effect.