Phenanthrenoids from Juncus acutus L., new natural lipopolysaccharide-inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitors

The novel natural product juncutol (1), 1,4,7-trimethyl-8,9-dihydro-4H-cyclopenta[def]phenanthrene-2,6-diol, along with the three related metabolites juncusol (2), dehydrojuncusol (3), and 6-hydroxymethyl-1-methyl-5-vinyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene-2-ol (4), were isolated from the rhizomes of Juncus acutus L. (Juncaceae) growing in Egypt. The structural identity of 1 was determined on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, including 2D NMR spectroscopy. The inhibitory effect of these natural products on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells was determined for the first time. The unprecedented symmetrical compound juncutol (1) was found to be the most potent inhibitor against the induction of the proinflammatory iNOS protein.     

Conditional linearizability criteria for a system of third-order ordinary differential equations

We provide linearizability criteria for a class of systems of two third-order ordinary differential equations that is cubically nonlinear in the first derivative, by differentiating a system of second-order quadratically nonlinear ordinary differential equations and using the original system to replace the second derivatives. The procedure developed splits into two cases: those for which the coefficients are constant and those for which they are variables. Both cases are discussed and examples given.     

双金属镍-锰／γ-Al2O3催化剂对甲烷二氧化碳重整反应的影响

用浸渍法制备γ-Al2O3负载的Ni-Mn双金属催化剂．在500-700。C按照17：17：2的C02／CHa／N2比例,以36mL／min的载气流速进行甲烷二氧化碳重整反应,利用甲烷二氧化碳的转化率、生成的合成气H2／CO比例以及长期稳定性等指标评价了催化剂的催化性能．实验表明,添加Mn提高催化性能并使双金属催化剂的稳定性更高,比单金属催化剂更好地抑制焦炭生成,Mn最合适的添加量为0．5wt％．通过BET、C02-TPD、TGA、XRD、SEM、EDX和FTIR各种技术对催化剂进行了表征．     

The effect of replacing pnictogen elements on the physical properties of SrMg_2X_2(X=N,P,As,Sb,Bi) Zintl compounds

The effect of replacing the anion from N to Bi down the group in the periodic table is investigated on SrMg_2X_2(X = N,P,As,Sb,Bi).A full potential linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbitals method is used along with different exchange–correlation potentials to obtain the lattice constants,phonons,electronic,and optical properties of the Sr Mg_2X_2(X = N,P,As,Sb,Bi) Zintl compounds.A good agreement is achieved and our calculations are validated by previous experimental and theoretical data.All compounds have shown stable dynamical behavior with gamma centered longitudinal response having no imaginary frequencies.Electronic band structures reveal the semiconducting nature of the compounds.The Pnictogen(X)-p state contributed mainly in the valence band and the Sr-d state forms the conduction of the compounds.Relative charge transfer and low overlapping of the atomic densities indicates the preferable ionic bonding character of these materials.In the optical properties,real and imaginary parts of dielectric function,complex refractive index,birefringence,reflectivity,and optical conductivity are calculated.These compounds can be utilized in the optical and optoelectronic devices.     

Robust doped BaCeO<Subscript>3-δ</Subscript> electrolyte for IT-SOFCs

Single phase polycrystalline BaZr_0.3Ce_0.5Y_0.1Yb_0.1O_{3 - δ} electrolyte material was prepared by solid state reaction route. Rietveld analysis of the XRD data confirms the tetragonal symmetry in the I4/mcm space group with unit cell parameters of a = b = 6.0567(3) Å and c = 8.5831(5) Å. The addition of ZnO as a sintering additive was found to reduce the sintering temperature and enhance both overall sinterability and grain growth. Sintering temperature was reduced by 200–300 °C, and a very high relative density of about 98% was achieved at 1400 °C. Impedance spectroscopy in humidified 5% H₂/Ar atmosphere shows that the protonic conductivity at 600 °C was 8.60 × 10^?3 S cm^?1. Thermal analysis performed in pure CO₂ atmosphere shows very good chemical stability up to 1200 °C. Good biaxial flexure strength of 100–200 MPa was reported which makes this material a promising electrolyte material for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs).     

Stability indicating HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of moxifloxacin and prednisolone in pharmaceutical formulations

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: A simple, specific, and fast stability indicating reverse phase liquid chromatographic method was established for instantaneous determination of moxifloxacin and prednisolone in bulk drugs and pharmaceutical formulations. RESULTS: Optimum chromatographic separations among the moxifloxacin, prednisolone and stressinduced degradation products were achieved within 10 minutes by use of BDS Hypersil C8 column (250 X 4.6 mm, 5 mum) as stationary phase with mobile phase consisted of a mixture of phosphate buffer (18 mM) containing 0.1% (v/v) triethylamine, at pH 2.8 (adjusted with dilute phosphoric acid) and methanol (38:62 v/v) at a flow rate of 1.5 mL min-1. Detection was performed at 254 nm using diode array detector. The method was validated in accordance with ICH guidelines. Response was a linear function of concentrations over the range of 20-80 mug mL-1 for moxifloxacin (r2 [greater than or equal to] 0.998) and 40-160 mug mL-1 for prednisolone (r2 [greater than or equal to] 0.998). The method was resulted in good separation of both the analytes and degradation products with acceptable tailing and resolution. The peak purity index for both the analytes after all types of stress conditions was [greater than or equal to] 0.9999 indicated a complete separation of both the analyte peaks from degradation products. The method can therefore, be regarded as stabilityindicating. CONCLUSIONS: The developed method can be applied successfully for simultaneous determination of moxifloxacin and prednisolone in pharmaceutical formulations and their stability studies.     

Role of donor defects in stabilizing room temperature ferromagnetism in (Mn, Co) co-doped ZnO nanoparticles

We report the effects of co-doping ZnO with Co and Mn in an n-type environment on ferromagnetism (FM). Two sets of samples, Zn(0.95-x)Co(0.04)Mn(x)O (0.000 ≤ x ≤ 0.02) and Zn(0.95-y)Co(y)Mn(0.04)O (0.000 ≤ y ≤ 0.02), were synthesized by the chemical route with oxygen vacancies introduced via annealing in a forming gas (reducing the atmosphere). In addition to the magnetization, the particles were characterized by x-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and x-ray absorption near-edge emission spectroscopy. The Co and Mn ions were determined to be in the + 2 state in a tetrahedral symmetry, with no evidence of metallic Co or Mn. We find that while a purely Mn-doped sample exhibits weak FM at room temperature, the general effect of Mn as a co-dopant with Co, in an n-type environment, is to decrease the moment strongly. All of our results can be systematically explained within the context of defect mediated FM in these wide bandgap semiconductors, where the coincidence of the spin-split-impurity (defect) band states and the 3d states leads to the development of a net moment alongside the formation of spin polarons.     

A new fractional analytical approach via a modified Riemann–Liouville derivative

This work suggests a new analytical technique called the fractional homotopy perturbation method (FHPM) for solving fractional differential equations of any fractional order. This method is based on He’s homotopy perturbation method and the modified Riemann–Liouville derivative. The fractional differential equations are described in Jumarie’s sense. The results from introducing a modified Riemann–Liouville derivative in the cases studied show the high accuracy, simplicity and efficiency of the approach.     

Nonclassicality of two-mode nonorthogonal states

Nonclassical features of Schrödinger cat state with two-mode superposition state based on two coherent states π out of phase by fixing the relative phase equal to average photon number are discussed. Study of two-mode quadrature squeezing, oscillatory and sub-Poissonian photon statistics show that nonclassicality exists for these states. However, it is observed that the considered states do not violates the Cauchy–Schwarz inequality. Furthermore, simultaneously existence of quadrature squeezing and sub-Poissonian photon statistics shows that these states have more nonclassical features than that of famous even and odd coherent states.     

Vibration characteristics of FGM circular cylindrical shells filled with fluid using wave propagation approach

The vibration characteristics of a functionally graded material circular cylindrical shell filled with fluid are examined with a wave propagation approach. The shell is filled with an incompressible non-viscous fluid. Axial modal dependence is approximated by exponential functions. A theoretical study of shell vibration frequencies is analyzed for simply supported-simply supported, clamped-simply supported, and clamped-clamped boundary conditions with the fluid effect. The validity and the accuracy of the present method are confirmed by comparing the present results with those available in the literature. Good agreement is observed between the two sets of results.