Prediction of flow stress at hot working condition

A mathematical model has been developed to determine flow stress at hot deformation condition. The proposed model is capable of including work softening due to dynamic phase transformations as well as the effect of temperature and strain rate variation on flow stress utilizing the additivity rule for strain. To verify the model, hot compression tests for two grades of steels has been carried out. The comparison between the experimental and theoretical results confirms the validity of the model.     

Selective oxidation of alcohols over nickel zirconium phosphate

Nickel zirconium phosphate nanoparticles were found to function as efficient catalysts for the selec-tive oxidation of a wide range of alcohols to their corresponding ketones and aldehydes using H2O2 as an oxidizing agent and without any organic solvents, phase transfer catalysts, or additives. The steric and electronic properties of various substrates had significant influence on the reaction con-ditions required to achieve acetylation. The results showed that this method can be applied for the chemoselective oxidation of benzyl alcohols in the presence of aliphatic alcohols. The catalyst used in the current study was characterized by ICP-OES, XRD, NH3-TPD, Py-FTIR, N2 adsorp-tion-desorption, SEM and TEM. These analyses revealed that the interlayer distance in the catalyst increased from 0.75 to 0.98 nm when Ni2+ was intercalated between the layers, whereas the crystal-linity of the material was reduced. The nanocatalyst could also be recovered and reused at least seven times without any discernible decrease in its catalytic activity. This new method for the oxi-dation of alcohols has several key advantages, including mild and environmentally friendly reaction conditions, short reaction time, excellent yields and a facile work-up.     

Diameter of a direct power of a finite group

We present two conjectures concerning the diameter of a direct power of a finite group. The first conjecture states that the diameter of Gⁿ with respect to each generating set is at most n(|G|?rank(G)); and the second one states that there exists a generating set 𝒜, of minimum size, for Gⁿ such that the diameter of Gⁿ with respect to 𝒜 is at most n(|G|?rank(G)). We will establish evidence for each of the above mentioned conjectures.     

MgO Nanoparticles as a Recyclable Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Synthesis of Polyhydroquinoline Derivatives under Solvent Free Conditions

Magnesium oxide nanopartticels in average size between 35–120 nm were prepared by sonochemistry method. Synthesis of polyhydroquinoline derivatives using MgO nanoparticles from the reaction of dimedone, benzaldehyde, ethyl acetoacetate and ammonium acetate under solvent‐free conditions is reported. Easy handling, reusability, thermal stability and non‐toxicity of the catalyst make the present protocol as an eco‐friendly and economically acceptable method for synthesis of these heterocycles.     

Phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial activities of methanolic extracts of leaf, stem and root from different varieties of Labisa pumila Benth

A local herb, Kacip Fatimah, is famous amongst Malay women for its uses in parturition; however, its phytochemical contents have not been fully documented. Therefore, a study was performed to evaluate the phenolics, flavonoids, and total saponin contents, and antibacterial and antifungal properties of the leaf, stem and root of three varieties of Labisia pumila Benth. Total saponins were found to be higher in the leaves of all three varieties, compared to the roots and stems. Leaves of var. pumila exhibited significantly higher total saponin content than var. alata and lanceolata, with values of 56.4, 43.6 and 42.3 mg diosgenin equivalent/g dry weight, respectively. HPLC analyses of phenolics and flavonoids in all three varieties revealed the presence of gallic acid, caffeic acid, rutin, and myricetin in all plant parts. Higher levels of flavonoids (rutin, quercitin, kaempferol) were observed in var. pumila compared with alata and lanceolata, whereas higher accumulation of phenolics (gallic acid, pyrogallol) was recorded in var. alata, followed by pumila and lanceolata. Antibacterial activities of leaf, stem and root extracts of all varieties determined against both Gram positive (Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis B145, Bacillus cereus B43, Staphylococcus aureus S1431) and Gram negative (Enterobacter aerogenes, Klebsiella pneumonia K36, Escherichia coli E256, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PI96) pathogens showed that crude methanolic extracts are active against these bacteria at low concentrations, albeit with lower antibacterial activity compared to kanamycin used as the control. Antifungal activity of methanolic extracts of all plant parts against Fusarium sp., Candida sp. and Mucor using the agar diffusion disc exhibited moderate to appreciable antifungal activities compared to streptomycin used as positive control.     

SBA-15-functionalized TEMPO confined ionic liquid: an efficient catalyst system for transition-metal-free aerobic oxidation of alcohols with improved selectivity

A novel SBA-15-functionalized TEMPO confined ionic liquid [BMIm]Br was found to be a highly efficient and recyclable catalyst system for the transition-metal-free aerobic oxidation of a wide range of structurally diverse alcohols. Thanks to the strong physical confinement of the ionic liquid inside the mesochannels of SBA-15-supported TEMPO, the resulting solid catalyst showed improved selectivity in the aerobic oxidation of allylic alcohols. The catalyst can be recovered and re-used for at least 11 reaction runs without significant loss of either activity or confined IL.     

Rapid and Facile Access to Indeno[1,2‐d]imidazoles via a Tandem Addition?Cyclization Reaction

A novel and tandem synthesis of highly functionalized tetrahydroindeno[1,2‐d]imidazole is described. A one‐pot reaction between a primary amine, an aryl isothiocyanate, and ninhydrin leads to highly substituted indeno[1,2‐d]imidazoles under solvent‐free conditions in excellent yields (Scheme). Their structures were corroborated spectroscopically (IR, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR, and EI‐MS) and by elemental analyses.     

On the Properties of Convex Multilayered Cyclofusene

Cyclofusene is a corona-condensed benzenoid whose graph-theoretic representation consists of hexacycles each having exactly two non-adjacent shared edges. Multilayered cyclofusene is a fused hexacylic system which can be partitioned into successive layers of cyclofusene. In such systems, an edge shared by two consecutive hexacycles in the same layer is termed radial. We present upper bounds for the number of radial π-bonds in a convex k-layered cyclofusene.     

Analysis and design of a dye-doped polymer optical fiber amplifier

A rhodamine-B-doped polymer optical fiber amplifier (RBDPOFA) has been successfully fabricated and tested. In this paper, all parameters affecting the gain of the RBDPOFA are recognized. The time-dependent and time-independent rate equations are solved. By using Runge–Kutta and finite-element methods, different conditions are described and fluctuations of the fiber laser are analyzed. From the time-dependent rate equations, the gain and level-density variations with time can be predicted. These fiber amplifiers have unstable conditions. In experiments, the decay of dye dopants in the high pump power regime has been observed. For example, in a high pump power rhodamine-B is converted from the zwitterion isomer to the colorless lactone isomer [1]. Therefore, for complete coincidence of theoretical and experimental results, this effect must be included in the analysis, which is however beyond the scope of this paper and will be discussed in the near future. PACS 42.60.Da; 42.81.Wg; 31.15.Fx; 33.80.-b; 42.55.WdAn erratum to this article can be found at