All-optical method of developing some fundamental and functional quaternary logic gates

All optical multivalued logic processors are of paramount importance in optical computing and signal processing. In this article the author proposes a method of developing all-optical quaternary Inversion, NOT and Bitswap logic gates, which are essential parts of quaternary arithmetic and logical processors. Nonlinear switching and add/drop multiplexing (ADM) properties of semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) are exploited here to develop the frequency encoded quaternary logic gates.     

Diamagnetic susceptibility obtained from the six-vertex model and its implications for the high-temperature diamagnetic state of cuprate superconductors

We study the diamagnetism of the six-vertex model with the arrows as directed bond currents. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the diamagnetism of this model. A special version of this model, called the F model, describes the thermal disordering transition of an orbital antiferromagnet, known as d-density wave, a proposed state for the pseudogap phase of the high-T(c) cuprates. We find that the F model is strongly diamagnetic and the susceptibility may diverge in the high-temperature critical phase with power-law arrow correlations. These results may explain the surprising recent observation of a diverging low-field diamagnetic susceptibility seen in some optimally doped cuprates within the d-density wave model of the pseudogap phase.     

Surfactant-assisted bioremediation of hexavalent chromium by use of an aqueous extract of sugarcane bagasse

Agricultural products and by-products are now widely used for removal of hexavalent chromium from waste water. This option is more efficient and less expensive than conventional physicochemical treatments. The purpose of this study was reduction of carcinogenic hexavalent chromium to non-toxic trivalent chromium by use of aqueous extracts of sugar cane bagasse, which contains a variety of reducing components, for example sugar. The rate of this process is accelerated by use of surfactant as catalyst.     

Synthesis of the Immunodominant Trisaccharide Related to the Antigen From E. COLI O 126

The trisaccharide derivative methyl 2-O-[4,6-di-O-acetyl-3-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-α-D-gal-actopyranosyl)-2-deoxy-2-phthalimido-β-D-gluco-pyranosyl]-4,6-O-benzylidene-β-D-mannopyranoside (12) was obtained when 3-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-α-D-galactopyranosyl)-4,6-di-Oacetyl-2-deoxy-2-phtha-limido-β-D-glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (8) was allowed to react with methyl 3-O-benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-β-D-mannopyranoside (11) in presence of trimethylsilyl triflate. Removal of protecting groups then gave the desired trisaccharide.     

Selenium Biofortification: Roles,Mechanisms, Responses and Prospects

The trace element selenium (Se) is a crucial element for many living organisms, including soil microorganisms, plants and animals, including humans. Generally, in Nature Se is taken up in the living cells of microorganisms, plants, animals and humans in several inorganic forms such as selenate, selenite, elemental Se and selenide. These forms are converted to organic forms by biological process, mostly as the two selenoamino acids selenocysteine (SeCys) and selenomethionine (SeMet). The biological systems of plants, animals and humans can fix these amino acids into Se-containing proteins by a modest replacement of methionine with SeMet. While the form SeCys is usually present in the active site of enzymes, which is essential for catalytic activity. Within human cells, organic forms of Se are significant for the accurate functioning of the immune and reproductive systems, the thyroid and the brain, and to enzyme activity within cells. Humans ingest Se through plant and animal foods rich in the element. The concentration of Se in foodstuffs depends on the presence of available forms of Se in soils and its uptake and accumulation by plants and herbivorous animals. Therefore, improving the availability of Se to plants is, therefore, a potential pathway to overcoming human Se deficiencies. Among these prospective pathways, the Se-biofortification of plants has already been established as a pioneering approach for producing Se-enriched agricultural products. To achieve this desirable aim of Se-biofortification, molecular breeding and genetic engineering in combination with novel agronomic and edaphic management approaches should be combined. This current review summarizes the roles, responses, prospects and mechanisms of Se in human nutrition. It also elaborates how biofortification is a plausible approach to resolving Se-deficiency in humans and other animals.     

Synthesis,structure, optical and magnetic properties of [CrL(X)3], {L = 4′-(2-pyridyl)-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine; X = Cl,N3, NCS}

Three complexes of composition [CrL(X)₃], where L = 4′-(2-pyridyl)-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine and X = Cl⁻, N₃⁻, NCS⁻ are synthesized. They are characterized by IR, UV–Vis, fluorescence, EPR spectroscopic, and X-ray crystallographic studies. Structural studies reveal that the Cr(III) ion is coordinated by three N atoms of L in a meridional fashion. The three anions occupy the other three coordination sites completing the mer-N₃Cl₃ (1) and mer-N₃N₃ (2 and 3), distorted octahedral geometry. The Cr–N2 has a shorter length than the Cr–N1 and Cr–N3 distances and the order Cr–N(NCS⁻) < Cr–N(N₃⁻) < Cr–Cl is observed. They exhibit some of the d–d transitions in the visible and intra-ligand transitions in the UV regions. The lowest energy d–d transition follows the trend [CrLCl₃] < [CrL(N₃)₃] < [CrL(NCS)₃] consistent with the spectrochemical series. In DMF, they exhibit fluorescence having π → π^∗ character. All the complexes show a rhombic splitting as well as zero-field splitting (zfs) in X-band EPR spectra at 77 K.     

Quasihomogeneous nucleation of amyloid beta yields numerical bounds for the critical radius, the surface tension, and the free energy barrier for nucleus formation

Amyloid aggregates are believed to grow through a nucleation mediated pathway, but important aggregation parameters, such as the nucleation radius, the surface tension of the aggregate, and the free energy barrier toward aggregation, have remained difficult to measure. Homogeneous nucleation theory, if applicable, can directly relate these parameters to measurable quantities. We employ fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to measure the particle size distribution in an aggregating solution of Alzheimer's amyloid beta molecule (Abeta(1-40)) and analyze the data from a homogeneous nucleation theory perspective. We observe a reproducible saturation concentration and a critical dependence of various aspects of the aggregation process on this saturation concentration, which supports the applicability of the nucleation theory to Abeta aggregation. The measured size distributions show a valley between two peaks ranging from 5 to 50 nm, which defines a boundary for the value of the nucleation radius. By carefully controlling the conditions to inhibit heterogeneous nucleation, we can hold off nucleation in a 25 times supersaturated solution for at least up to 3 h at room temperature. This quasi-homogeneous kinetics implies that at room temperature, the surface energy of the Abeta/water interface is > or =4.8 mJ/m(2), the free energy barrier to nucleation (at 25 times supersaturation) is > or =1.93x10(-19) J, and the number of monomers in the nucleus is > or =29.