Approaches to the construction of substituted 4-amino-1H-pyrrol-2(5H)-ones

Fully substituted 4-aminopyrrolones are easily accessed via simple routes starting from imines, ketones, or α-bromophenyl acetonitriles. Imines were reacted with KCN/NH(4)Cl in aqueous ethanol to produce α-arylamino benzyl cyanides. On the other hand, ketones were transformed to the desired α-amino nitriles using a modified Strecker reaction. Then, α-amino nitrile precursors were allowed to react with a suitable acyl halide to produce the corresponding amides. Further treatment of these amides with ethanolic KOH converted them to highly substituted 4-amino-1H-pyrrol-2(5H)-one derivatives in moderate to excellent yields.     

Platelet-Activating Factor (PAF) Antagonistic Activity of a New Biflavonoid from <em>Garcinia nervosa</em> var. <em>pubescens</em> King

The methanol extract of the leaves of Garcinia nervosa var. pubescens King, which showed strong inhibitory effects on platelet-activating factor (PAF) receptor binding, was subjected to bioassay-guided isolation to obtain a new biflavonoid, II-3,I-5, II-5,II-7,I-4',II-4'-hexahydroxy-(I-3,II-8)-flavonylflavanonol together with two known flavonoids, 6-methyl-4'-methoxyflavone and acacetin. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. The compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit PAF receptor binding to rabbit platelets using ³H-PAF as a ligand. The biflavonoid and acacetin showed strong inhibition with IC₅₀ values of 28.0 and 20.4 μM, respectively. The results suggest that these compounds could be responsible for the strong PAF antagonistic activity of the plant.     

Transport of long neutral polymers in the semidilute regime through a protein nanopore

We investigate the entrance of single poly(ethylene glycol) chains into an α-hemolysin channel. We detect the frequency and duration of the current blockades induced by large neutral polymers, where chain radius is larger than pore diameter. In the semidilute regime, these chains pass only if the monomer concentration is larger than a well-defined threshold. Experiments are performed in a very large domain of concentration and molecular mass, up to 35% and 200 kDa, respectively, which was previously unexplored. The variation of the dwell time as a function of molecular mass shows that the chains are extracted from the semidilute solution in contact with the pore by a reptation mechanism.     

Wide-band fanned-out supercontinuum source covering O-, E-, S-, C-, L- and U-bands

A wide-band supercontinuum source generated by mode-locked pulses injected into a Highly Non-Linear Fiber (HNLF) is proposed and demonstrated. A 49 cm long Bismuth–Erbium Doped Fiber (Bi–EDF) pumped by two 1480 nm laser diodes acts as the active gain medium for a ring fiber laser, from which mode-locked pulses are obtained using the Non-Polarization Rotation (NPR) technique. The mode-locked pulses are then injected into a 100 m long HLNF with a dispersion of 0.15 ps/nm km at 1550 nm to generate a supercontinuum spectrum spanning from 1340 nm to more than 1680 nm with a pulse width of 0.08 ps and an average power of ?17 dBm. The supercontinuum spectrum is sliced using a 24 channel Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG) with a channel spacing of 100 GHz to obtain a fanned-out laser output covering the O-, E-, S-, C-, L- and U-bands. The lasing wavelengths obtained have an average pulse width of 9 ps with only minor fluctuations and a mode-locked repetition rate of 40 MHz, and is sufficiently stable to be used in a variety of sensing and communication applications, most notably as cost-effective sources for Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) networks.     

Detection of multiple elements in coal samples from Bangladesh by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used to analyze the coal samples from the Barapukuria coal mine of Bangladesh and coal from eastern India. Besides the major elements carbon and silicon, a number of minor and trace elements, such as iron, titanium, aluminum, calcium, sodium, copper, zirconium, neodymium, ytterbium, cerium, samarium, dysprosium and gadolinium were identified. In earlier work some researchers identified the lines around 279 and 280 nm as due to Mg II rather than Yb III. The reasons for identifying these two lines as due to ytterbium in the present work are explained. The detection of multiple elements in one experiment in a commonly used fuel demonstrated the versatility and multi-elemental capability of LIBS.     

Operation of brillouin fiber laser in the O-band region as compared to that in the C-band region

A first time O band Brillouin fiber laser is demonstrated and compared with the C band Brillouin fiber laser. By utilizing a 20 km True wave fiber (TWF), the experiment demonstrated four Brillouin lines generated from the simple set-up of Brillouin fiber laser. We compared the threshold between the Brillouin pump wavelength at 1310 nm which represent O band region and 1550 nm for C band region. It shows that the Brillouin threshold at O band region is smaller that C band. The channels spacing between these two bands are also different, where O band have 12.72 GHz spacing while 1550 nm have 10.25 GHz spacing.     

Chemistry of 2-Amino-3-cyanopyridines

This review presents a systematic and comprehensive survey of the method of preparation and the chemical reactivity of 2-amino-3-cyanopyridines. The target compounds are important intermediates for the synthesis of a variety of synthetically useful and novel heterocyclic systems.     

Mathematical modeling of ruby laser as a pumping source of a “self Q-switched” distributed feedback dye laser

A mathematical model describing the dynamic emission of the ruby laser as a pumping source of a distributed feedback dye laser (DFDL) has been adapted. The suggested model allows the temporal behavior investigation of the ruby laser and the DFDL on mode characteristics and, moreover, investigating the affect of laser input parameters on the output laser pulses in the ruby laser and in the DFDL.The numerical solutions of a coupled nonlinear rate equations system of the adapted model that predict the generation of picoseconds pulses, with neglecting the effect of refractive index variation, are discussed (feedback process is achieved only by optical gain). The model estimates the density of the emitted radiation, energy density of the first excited state, and the output power of the DFDL. The adapted mathematical model is in good agreement with the available experimental data.     

A Review: Carbon Dioxide Capture: Biomass-Derived-Biochar and Its Applications

The changes in global temperatures as a result of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions has suggested that cumulative CO₂ emissions will continue to increase over time. Many countries are looking for ways to reduce or alter the amount of CO₂ harming our environment; therefore, this review is a compilation of CO₂ adsorption on biomass-derived-biochar (BDB). This suggests that effective measures to mitigate the risk of dangerous climate change will need to limit cumulative emissions of CO₂. Further, if cumulative CO₂ emissions overshoot acceptable limits, it will become necessary to remove CO₂ from the air, that is, the so-called “negative emissions.” In this review, we discuss the definitions and classes of technologies for capturing CO₂ from the air and the application of biochar in the improvement of soil fertility. We also discuss the economic tradeoff between biochar and bio-oil, agricultural nutrient leaching, the novel magnetic property of biochar and its durability.