Solar UV irradiation and dermal photoaging.

The skin is increasingly exposed to ambient UV-irradiation thus increasing risks for photooxidative damage with long-term detrimental effects like photoaging, characterized by wrinkles, loss of skin tone and resilience. Photoaged skin displays alterations in the cellular component and extracellular matrix with accumulation of disorganized elastin and its microfibrillar component fibrillin in the deep dermis and a severe loss of interstitial collagens, the major structural proteins of the dermal connective tissue. The unifying pathogenic agents for these changes are UV-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) which deplete and damage non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant defense systems of the skin. As well as causing permanent genetic changes, ROS activate cytoplasmic signal transduction pathways in resident fibroblasts that are related to growth, differentiation, senescence and connective tissue degradation. This review focuses on the role of UV-induced ROS in the photodamage of the skin resulting in clinical and biochemical characteristics of photoaging. In addition, the relationship of photoaging to intrinsic aging of the skin will be briefly discussed. A decrease in the overall ROS load by efficient sunscreens or other protective agents may represent promising strategies to prevent or at least minimize ROS-induced photoaging.     

Intramolecular cyclization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-propargyl anilines: a new synthetic entry into highly substituted indoles

Indole derivatives are an important class of heterocycle found in a large number of natural products and synthetic pharmaceuticals. Given the low cost and easy availability of N-propargyl anilines, synthesis of indole cores from these versatile structural motifs has attracted a lot of attention in the past decade. In this review, we summarize the most representative and interesting reports on this rapidly advancing area, with special emphasis on mechanistic aspects of the reactions.     

Inhibitory effect of safranal and crocin,two principle compounds of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crocus sativus</Emphasis>, on fibrillation of lysozyme

A key feature in more than twenty amyloid-related diseases is the aggregation of intra-and/or extracellular misfolded proteins as amyloid fibrils. Therefore, preventing or reversing amyloid aggregation by using of small molecules is considered as useful approaches to the treatment of these diseases. We have evaluated the ability of safranal and crocin, to inhibit amyloid self-assembly of hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL), as an in vitro model system. Structural properties of HEWL in the presence of these compounds were investigated individually using thioflavin T, anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid fluorescence assays, far-UV circular dichroism and scanning electron microscopy as well as docking method. Our results showed that incubation of HEWL with either crocin or safranal at various concentrations leads a significant inhibition in the rate of amyloid formation. Docking analysis revealed crocin and safranal interact with the central hydrophobic region of lysozyme through van der Waals interaction. Hydroxyl group in crocin through hydrogen bonds connected to the several hydrophilic amino acids of lysozyme, while in safranal there are just one aldehyde group that through hydrogen bonds connected to aspartic acid in lysozyme. It can be concluded that both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups contribute to lower lysozyme fibril accumulation.     

Resource allocation based on cost efficiency

In this paper, we consider a resource allocation (RA) problem and develop an approach based on cost (overall) efficiency. The aim is to allocate some inputs among decision making units (DMUs) in such way that their cost efficiencies improve or stay unchanged after RA. We formulate a multi-objective linear programming problem using two different strategies. First, we propose an RA model which keeps the cost efficiencies of units unchanged. This is done assuming fixed technical and allocative efficiencies. The approach is based on the assumption that the decision maker (DM) may not have big changes in the structure of DMUs within a short term. The second strategy does not impose any restrictions on technical and allocative efficiencies. It guarantees that none of the cost efficiencies of DMUs get worse after RA, and the improvement for units is possible if it is feasible and beneficial. Two numerical examples and an empirical illustration are also provided.     

Action du N-bromosuccinimide sur les dioxolannes en série bicyclo [2.2.1 ]heptanique. Limitation des transpositions de wagner-meerwein

Vicinal benzoyloxy-trans-bicyclo [2.2.1] heptanic bromhydrins, otherwise difficult to obtain are formed from N-bromosuccinimide and norbornanes bearing a 2-aryl-1,3 dioxolane skeleton. The greater stability of the intermediate dioxolenium ion reduces the tendency towards both Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement and neighbouring group participation by chlorine, processes usually observed when a less stable intermediate is involved. Nevertheless, methoxycarbonyl neighbouring group participation and Wagner Meerwein rearrangment occur in methoxycarbonylbicyclo [2.2.1]heptane and in a bornanic compound respectively.     

Novel applications of bipolar fuzzy graphs to decision making problems

Zhang introduced the concept of bipolar fuzzy sets as a generalization of fuzzy sets. Bipolar fuzzy sets have shown advantages in solving decision making problems than fuzzy sets. In this research paper, we study several different types of domination, including equitable domination, k-domination and restrained domination in bipolar fuzzy graphs. We present novel applications of bipolar fuzzy graphs to decision making problems. We also present an algorithm for computing dominating number in our applications.     

New concepts in neutrosophic graphs with application

A neutrosophic set is a generalization of an intuitionistic fuzzy set. Neutrosophic models give more flexibility, precisions and compatibility to the system as compared to intuitionistic fuzzy models. In this research study, we apply the concept of neutrosophic sets to graphs and discuss certain concepts of single-valued neutrosophic graphs. We illustrate the concepts by several examples. We investigate some interesting properties. We describe an application of single-valued neutrosophic graph in decision making process. We also present the procedure of our proposed method as an algorithm.     

Families of multiresolution and wavelet spaces with optimal properties

Under suitable conditions, if the scaling functions ?₁ and ?₂ generate the multiresolutions V _(j)(?₁) and V _(j)(?₂), then their convolution ?₁*?₂also generates a multiresolution V _(j)(?₁*?₂) More over, if p is an appropriate convolution operator from l ₂ into itself and if ? is a scaling function generating the multiresolution V _(j)(?),then p*?is a scaling function generating the same multiresolution V _(j)(?)=V _(j)(p*?). Using these two properties, we group the scaling and wavelet functions into equivalent classes and consider various equivalent basis functions of the associated function spaces We use the n-fold convolution product to construct sequences of multiresolution and wavelet spaces V _(j)(?ⁿ) and W _(j)(?ⁿ) with increasing regularity. We discuss the link between multiresolution analysis and Shannon's sampling theory. We then show that the interpolating and orthogonal pre- and post-filters associated with the multiresolution sequence V ₍₀₎(?ⁿ)asymptotically converge to the ideal lowpass filter of Shannon. We also prove that the filters associated with the sequence of wavelet spaces W ₍₀₎(?ⁿ)convergeto the ideal bandpass filter. Finally, we construct the basic wavelet sequences ψ ^b _nand show that they tend to Gabor functions. Thisprovides wavelets that are nearly time-frequency optimal. The theory is illustrated with the example of polynomial splines.     

Recurrence Tracking Microscope Based on Two Magnetic Mirrors

We introduce a recurrence tracing microscope based on the reflection of cold atoms from two magnetic mirrors placed in parallel. A cantilever is attached perpendicularly to one of the two mirrors at the lower end that probes surface structures. The quantum dynamics in the system provides the matter waves to store information on the height and spacing between the nanostructures. We use the recurrence tracking microscope in static and dynamic modes to study arbitrary and periodic nanostructures.