Understanding the performance of CMS calorimeter

The performance of the CMS hadron calorimeter is studied using test beam facilities at CERN. Two wedges of brass-scintillator calorimeter are exposed to negative and positive beams with momenta between 3 and 300 GeV/c. Light produced in the scintillators are collected using wavelength shifting fibres and read out using hybrid photodiodes. Each of the wedges has 17 layers of scintillators. In one of these wedges signal from all 17 layers are grouped together while in the other each layer is read out separately. The response, energy resolution, longitudinal and lateral shower profiles are measured. on behalf of the CMS Collaboration     

Bell’s Theorem Without Inequalities and Only Two Distant Observers

A proof of Bell's theorem without inequalities and involving only two observers is given by suitably extending a proof of the Bell-Kochen-Specker theorem due to Mermin. This proof is generalized to obtain an inequality-free proof of Bell's theorem for a set of n Bell states (with n odd) shared between two distant observers. A generalized CHSH inequality is formulated for n Bell states shared symmetrically between two observers and it is shown that quantum mechanics violates this inequality by an amount that grows exponentially with increasing n.     

Tunable,concentration‐independent,sharp, hysteresis‐free UCST phase transition from poly(N‐acryloyl glycinamide‐acrylonitrile) system

Poly(N‐acryloylglycinamide‐co‐acrylonitrile) (poly(NAGA‐AN)) copolymers were synthesized using reversible‐addition‐fragmentation transfer polymerization. In contrast to poly(NAGA) the thermoresponsive behavior of poly(NAGA‐AN) shows a narrow cooling/heating hysteresis in water with a tunable cloud point, depending on the acrylonitrile amount in polymer. Furthermore, we showed that there is no significant effect of the solution concentration on the cloud point and stable phase transition behavior in electrolyte solutions, which is presumable controlled by forming stable micellar like structures as a result of the block/graft‐copolymer structure. This is in contrast to poly(NAGA) which shows a strong concentration dependent cloud point in aqueous solution with a broad cooling/heating hysteresis. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 274–279     

Study of moisture sorption behavior of urea inclusion compounds with aliphatic guests and with linear polymers

Urea is known to form stable inclusion compounds (IC) with a wide variety of guests, which include aliphatic organic substances as well as linear polymers. Urea in its native form is also known to undergo deliquescence when exposed to an atmosphere of higher water activity. The purpose of the present study was to determine and compare the moisture sorption profiles of the uncomplexed urea as well as ICs of urea with different guests. Urea ICs with two types of guest moieties were prepared, that is, either monosubstituted unbranched alkane derivatives possessing an anchor length of 16 carbons or linear polymer poly (ethylene glycol) of different molecular weights. The formation of ICs was confirmed through thermal analysis and powder X‐ray diffraction/single crystal diffraction. The ICs were exposed to environment of varying water activity in dynamic water sorption analyzer, and the rate and extent of moisture uptake were determined. Critical relative humidity of urea and representative ICs was determined by two techniques. Urea ICs were found to demonstrate greater resistant to deliquescence as exhibited by increase in critical relative humidity in comparison with uncomplexed urea. Thermodynamic considerations involved in the process of deliquescence are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermodynamic Properties of Binary Liquid Mixtures of n-Dodecane with an Alkan-1-ol or an Alkan-2-ol at 298.15 K: A Comparative Study

Experimental densities (ρ), viscosities (η), and speeds of sound (u) of the binary mixtures of n-dodecane with an alkan-1-ol (hexan-1-ol, heptan-1-ol, octan-1-ol) or an alkan-2-ol (hexan-2-ol, heptan-2-ol and octan-2-ol) were measured over the whole mixture composition range at T = 298.15 K. From these data, the excess molar volume ( $ V_{\text{m}}^{\text{E}} $ V m E ), deviations in viscosity (Δη), and excess isentropic compressibility ( $ \kappa_{S}^{\text{E}} $ κ S E ) have been calculated. The results were fitted by means of the Redlich–Kister equation, in order to estimate the binary coefficients and standard errors. Differences among these binary systems are ascribed to the different association abilities of the alkan-1-ols and alkan-2-ols. Experimental data on the constituted binaries were analyzed using McAllister’s multi-body interaction model, the Jouyban–Acree model, the Prigogine–Flory–Patterson theory, and the Bloomfield and Dewan model. The experimental and calculated quantities are used to study the nature of mixing behavior among the mixtures.     

Oxidation of α-Benzoyl-O-hydroxyacetophenones Using Iodobenzene Diacetate in Methanolic Potassium Hydroxide: A New Synthesis of 2-Benzoylcoumaran-3-ones

The oxidation of α-benzoyl-o-hydroxyacetophenones (3a-d) using iodobenzene diacetate in methanolic potassium hydroxide provides a new direct method for the synthesis of 2-benzoylcoumaran-3-ones (4a-c) in good yields. The formation of 4a-d is explained by neighb uring group participation.     

Syntheses of 1,5-Benzothiazepines: Part XXXVI—Syntheses and Antimicrobial Evaluation of 2-(2-Chlorophenyl)-4-(4-chlorophenyl/2-thienyl)-2,5-dihydro-8-substituted-1,5-benzothiazepines

Six 5-substituted-2-aminobenzenethiols have been reacted with 3-(2-chlorophenyl)-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-propenone and 3-(2-chlorophenyl)-1-(2-thienyl)-2-propenone in dry ethanol saturated with dry HCl gas, to obtain twelve new compounds, 8-substituted-2-(2-chlorophenyl)-4-(4-chlorophenyl/2-thienyl)-2,5-dihydro-1,5-benzothiazepines in satisfactory yields. The structures of the final products have been assigned by elemental microanalyses data for elements, C, H, and N and by IR, ¹ H NMR, and mass spectroscopies. The synthesized compounds have been evaluated for their relative antimicrobial activity against the gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the fungus, Candida albicans. The compounds have been found to show little antibacterial activity, but interestingly, showed significant antifungal activity.     

A Rare Example of the Formation of Polystyrene‐Grafted Aliphatic Polyester in One‐Pot by Radical Polymerization

The radical copolymerization of cyclic ester β‐propiolactone (β‐PL) with styrene (St) at 120 °C, with a complete range of monomer ratios, is a rare example of a system providing graft copolymers (PSt‐g‐β‐PL) in one pot. The structure of the resulting β‐PL–St copolymers was proven by using a combination of different characterization techniques, such as 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC), before and after alkaline hydrolysis of the polymers. The number of grafting points increased with an increasing amount of β‐PL in the feed. A significant difference in the reactivity of St and β‐PL and radical chain‐transfer reactions at the polystyrene (PSt) backbone, followed by combination with the active growing poly(β‐PL) chains, led to the formation of graft copolymers by a grafting‐onto mechanism.     

Ferulic Acid: A Natural Phenol That Inhibits Neoplastic Events through Modulation of Oncogenic Signaling

Despite the immense therapeutic advances in the field of health sciences, cancer is still to be found among the global leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Ethnomedicinally, natural bioactive compounds isolated from various plant sources have been used for the treatment of several cancer types and have gained notable attention. Ferulic acid, a natural compound derived from various seeds, nuts, leaves, and fruits, exhibits a variety of pharmacological effects in cancer, including its proapoptotic, cell-cycle-arresting, anti-metastatic, and anti-inflammatory activities. This review study presents a thorough overview of the molecular targets and cellular signaling pathways modulated by ferulic acid in diverse malignancies, showing high potential for this phenolic acid to be developed as a candidate agent for novel anticancer therapeutics. In addition, current investigations to develop promising synergistic formulations are also discussed.