An Efficient Synthesis of Benzo[g]thiazolo[2,3‐b]quinazolin‐4‐ium and Benzo[g]benzo[4,5]thiazolo[2,3‐b]quinazolin‐14‐ium Hydroxides by a One‐pot,Three‐component Reaction under Green Conditions

A new series of benzo[g]thiazolo[2,3‐b]quinazolin‐4‐ium and benzo[g]benzo[4,5]thiazolo[2,3‐b]quinazolin‐14‐ium hydroxide derivatives have been synthesized by the one‐pot, three‐component reaction of aryl glyoxal monohydrates, 2‐hydroxy‐1,4‐naphthoquinone, and 2‐aminothiazole or 2‐aminobenzothiazole in the presence of triethylamine and p‐toluenesulfonic acid as organocatalysts in H₂O/acetone (2:1) at room temperature. This method offers mild reaction conditions, excellent yields, easy workup, and readily accessible starting materials and catalysts.     

Equations différentielles invariantes sur les groupes et algèbres de Lie réductifs II

Dans un article précédent, nous avons démontré que si D est un opérateur différentiel bi-invariant sur un groupe réductif G vérifiant la condition de Benabdallah-Rouvière, alors on peut résoudre l’équation différentielle Du=v dans l'espace des distributions G-invariantes (par automorphismes intérieurs) d'ordre fini; nous allons montrer ici que, sous la même hypothèse, on peut résoudre cette équation dans l'espace de toutes les distributions G-invariantes. D'autre part, nous donnons un exemple dans qui montre que les équations différentielles invariantes dans les algèbres de Lie réductives ne sont pas toujours résolubles dans l'espace des fonctions indéfiniment différentiables invariantes.     

Preparation of protein gradients through the controlled deposition of protein-nanoparticle conjugates onto functionalized surfaces

This paper describes a simple method for the preparation and characterization of protein density gradients on solid supports. The method employs colloidal metal nanoparticles as protein carriers and optical tags and is capable of forming linear, exponential, 1D, 2D, and multiprotein gradients of varying slope without expensive or sophisticated surface patterning techniques. Surfaces patterned with proteins using the procedures described within are shown to support cell growth and are thus suitable for studies of protein-cell interactions.     

Synergistic Effect of Sarocladium sp. and Cryptococcus sp. Co-Culture on Crude Oil Biodegradation and Biosurfactant Production

This study was conducted to evaluate the co-culture ability of two yeast (Sarocladium sp. and Cryptococcus sp.) isolates as compared to their individual cultures in surfactant production and oil degradation. The results showed that individual culture of each strain was capable of producing surfactant, degrading oil, and pyrene; also, a synergistic effect was observed when a co-culture was applied. Oil removal and biomass production were 28 and 35% higher in the co-culture than in individual cultures, respectively. To investigate the synergistic effects of mix culture on oil degradation, the surface tension, emulsification activity (EA), and cell surface hydrophobicity of individual and co-culture were studied. A comparison between the produced biosurfactant and chemical surfactants showed that individual culture of each yeast strain could reduce the surface tension like SDS and about 10% better than Tween 80. The results showed that the microbial consortium could reduce the surface tension more, by 10 and 20%, than SDS and Tween 80, respectively. Both individual cultures of Sarocladium sp. and Cryptococcus sp. showed good emulsification activity (0.329 and 0.412, respectively) when compared with a non-inoculated medium. Emulsification activity measurement for the two yeast mix cultures showed an excellent 33 and 67% increase as compared to the individual culture of Sarocladium sp. and Cryptococcus sp., respectively. The cell surface hydrophobicity of Sarocladium sp. and Cryptococcus sp. increased (38 and 85%) when the cells were treated with pyrene as a hydrophobic substrate for four generations. Finally, a 40% increase for pyrene degradation was measured in a co-culture of the two yeast mix culture. According to the results of the present study, the co-culture system exhibited better performance and this study will enhance the understanding of the synergistic effects of yeast co-culture on oil degradation.

     

Experimental and Numerical Study of the Static Performance of a Hoop-Wrapped CNG Composite Cylinder Considering Its Variable Wall Thickness and Polymer Liner

Mechanics of Composite Materials - The static performance of a composite type 4 CNG cylinder was investigated using a finite-element simulation and experimental validation. This cylinder involved a...     

Ultra‐small and highly dispersed Pd nanoparticles inside the pores of ZIF‐8: Sustainable approach to waste‐minimized Mizoroki–Heck cross‐coupling reaction based on reusable heterogeneous catalyst

The rapid development of nanomaterials, particularly advanced hybrid nanoparticles, has made new opportunities for the design and fabrication of high‐performance metal‐based catalysts. However, generating metal nanoparticles of desired size without aggregation is an important challenge for enhancing the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles supported in the host matrix. In this work, a hybrid nanoporous material, namely Pd nanoparticles@N‐heterocyclic carbene@ZIF‐8, with a high internal surface area was successfully prepared using a dispersed anionic sulfonated N‐heterocyclic carbene–Pd(II) precursor inside the cavities of zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF‐8) using an impregnation approach followed by reduction with NaBH₄. The anionic sulfonated N‐heterocyclic carbene was found to be a superb ligand for the stabilization of Pd nanoparticles in the pores of ZIF‐8. The resulting system was applied to the Mizoroki–Heck cross‐coupling reaction, in which the catalyst showed high catalytic activity under mild reaction conditions.     

Attack of radicals and protons on ladderane lipids: quantum chemical calculations and biological implications

Quantum chemical calculations on possible decomposition processes for ladderane lipids are described. Based on the results of these calculations, it is proposed that hydrogen atom abstraction next to the ladderane core can lead to opening of the cyclobutane rings comprising the ladderane substructure, and protonation leads directly to fragmentation. Potential biological implications of these processes are discussed.     

Experimental study of blade thickness effects on the overall and local performances of a Controlled Vortex Designed axial-flow fan

The purpose of this work is to study the effects of blade thickness on the performances of an axial-flow fan. Two fans that differ only in the thickness of their blades were studied. The first fan was designed to be part of the cooling system of an automotive vehicle power unit and has very thin blades. The second fan has much thicker blades compatible with the rotomoulding conception process. The overall performances of the fans were measured in a test bench designed according to the ISO-5801 standard. The curve of aerodynamics characteristics (pressure head versus flow-rate) is slightly steeper for the fan with thick blades, and the nominal point is shifted towards lower flow-rates. The efficiency of the thick blades fan is lower than the efficiency of the fan with thin blades but remains high on a wider flow-rate range. The mean velocity fields downstream of the rotors are very similar at nominal points with less centrifugation for the thick blades fan. Moreover, the thick blades fan maintains an axial exit-flow on a wider range of flow-rates. The main differences concern local properties of the flow: phase-averaged velocities and wall pressure fluctuations strongly differ at the nominal flow-rates. The total level of fluctuations is lower for the thick blades fan that for the thin blades fan and the spectral decomposition of the wall fluctuations and velocity signals reveal more harmonics for the thick blades fan, with less correlation between the different signals. For this kind of turbomachinery, the use of thick blades could lead to a good compromise between aerodynamic and acoustic performances, on a wider operating range.     

Identification of internal cracks in a three-dimensional solid body via Steklov–Poincaré approaches

This Note deals with the identification of internal planar cracks inside a three-dimensional elastic body via two approaches relying on domain decomposition using elastostatic measurements. These approaches consist in recasting the problem in terms of primal or dual Steklov–Poincaré equations. The primal approach is a straightforward continuation to the elastic Cauchy problem of the work presented in J. Ben Abdallah (2007) [1] which is devoted to the Cauchy problem for the scalar Laplace equation. The numerical performances of these formulations are compared.