Integrated production of ethanol fuel and protein from Coastal Bermudagrass

The herbaceous crops that may provide fermentable carbohydrates for production of fuels and chemicals also contain 10–20% protein. Protein coproduction with biomass-derived fuels and chemicals has important advantages: (1) food and fuel production can be integrated, and (2) protein is a high-value product that may significantly improve overall process economics. We report the results of an integrated approach to producing protein and fermentable sugars from one herbaceous species, Coastal Bermudagrass (CBG). The ammonia fiber explosion (AFEX) process makes possible over 90% conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose to simple sugars (about 650 mg reducing sugars/g dry CBG) at 5 IU cellulase/g vs < 20% conversion for untreated CBG. The AFEX treatment also improves protein extraction from CBG; over 80% protein recovery is possible from AFEX-treated CBG vs about 30% recovery from untreated CBG.     

Baclofen impurities: Facile synthesis and novel environmentally benign chromatographic method for their simultaneous determination in baclofen

An efficient, economic and high yielding method was described for the synthesis of baclofen (BAC) pharmacopoeial impurities (impurity A and impurity B) which can be used for gram‐scale synthesis. Furthermore, a novel ecofriendly thin‐layer chromatographic TLC–densitometric method was established and validated for the determination of BAC and its synthesized impurities. The developed TLC–densitometric method is based on the chromatographic separation using TLC plates (60 F₂₅₄) using a green mobile phase of ethyl acetate–methanol–ammonia solution, 33% (8:2:0.1, by volume) with UV scanning at 220 nm. The proposed method was validated with respect to International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The validated method was successfully applied for determination of BAC in pure form and in its commercial dosage form. Additionally, the greenness profile of the developed method was evaluated and compared with those of the reported chromatographic methods. The developed method was found to be superior to the published methods, being environmentally benign.     

Experimental violation of Bell's inequality in spatial-parity space

We report the first experimental violation of Bell's inequality in the spatial domain using the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen state. Two-photon states generated via optical spontaneous parametric down-conversion are shown to be entangled in the parity of their one-dimensional transverse spatial profile. Superpositions of Bell states are prepared by manipulation of the optical pump's transverse spatial parity-a classical parameter. The Bell-operator measurements are made possible by devising simple optical arrangements that perform rotations in the one-dimensional spatial-parity space of each photon of an entangled pair and projective measurements onto a basis of even-odd functions. A Bell-operator value of 2.389+/-0.016 is recorded, a violation of the inequality by more than 24 standard deviations.     

Photon statistics of non-stationary gaussian-markovian light

The photon counting distribution due to gaussian-markovian light relaxing from an excited state to equilibrium, is calculated and compared with the distribution due to stationary light having the same average intensity.     

Enhancing the axial resolution of quantum optical coherence tomography by chirped quasi-phase matching

We show theoretically that a chirped quasi-phase-matching nonlinear crystal structure can significantly enhance the axial resolution in quantum optical coherence tomography by increasing the spectral width of the generated entangled photon pairs. For pulsed pumps we show how the pump-pulse duration affects the maximum resolution attainable.     

Synthesis and photochemistry of pH-sensitive GFP chromophore analogs

GFP chromophore analogs (7a-e, 8, and 10a,b) containing 2-thienyl-, 5-methyl-2-furyl-, 2-pyrryl, and 6-methyl-2-pyridyl-groups were synthesized and their fluorescence spectra recorded in the pH range 1-7. NMR studies showed that protonation of 8 (2-thienyl system) inhibited photoisomerization (Z-E) about the exocyclic double bond but that protonation of 7c (E + Z) (2-pyrryl system) gave only 7cE. Fluorescence studies revealed enhancement of fluorescence intensity of 7c and 7b,e (furyl system) below pH 2.5 and gave a similar result for 10a (pyridyl system) below pH 6. Quantum yields at pH 1 were low, probably due to excited state proton transfer (ESPT).     

Optimal control of parabolic equation with an infinite number of variables for non-standard functional and time delay

A distributed control problem for the parabolic operator withan infinite number of variables and time delay is considered.The performance index has an integral form. Constraints on controlsare imposed. To obtain optimality conditions for the Neumannproblem, the generalization of the Dubovitskii–Milyutintheorem given by Walczak in WALCZAK, S. Folia Mathematics, 1,187–196 and WALCZAK, S. J. Optim. Theory Appl., 42, 561–582was applied.     

Bayesian filtering of speckled images

Speckle noise arises in imaging systems that use coherent or partially coherent illumination. We demonstrate that such noise may be reduced by use of bayesian filters. The usual assumption that speckle noise is approximately equivalent to multiplicative image noise is replaced with an exact analysis.