Magnetic Resonance Spectra and Statistical Geometry

Methods of statistical geometry are introduced which allow one to estimate, on the basis of computable criteria, the conditions under which maximally informative data may be collected. We note the important role of constraints which introduce curvature into parameter space and discuss the appropriate mathematical tools for treating curvature effects. Channel capacity, a term from communication theory, is suggested as a useful figure of merit for estimating the information content of spectra in the presence of noise. The tools introduced here are applied to the case of a model nitroxide system as a concrete example, but we stress that the methods described here are of general utility.     

Fabrication of zinc oxide nanowires/polymer composites by two‐photon polymerization

We present an approach to fabricate ZnO nanowires/polymer composite into three‐dimensional microstructures, based on two‐photon polymerization direct laser writing, a fabrication method that allows submicrometric spatial resolution. The structural integrity of the structures was inferred by scanning electron microscopy, while the presence and distribution of ZnO nanowires was investigated by energy dispersive X‐ray, Raman spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. The optical properties of the produced composite microstructures were verified by imaging the characteristic ZnO emission using a fluorescence microscope. Hence, such approach can be used to develop composite microstructures containing ZnO nanowires aiming at technological applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 333–337     

Measurement of photoexcitation cross-sections of uranium by saturation method

We report the measurement of photoexcitation cross-sections of three first-step uranium transitions (0 → 16900.38 cm ⁻¹, 0 → 17361.89 cm ⁻¹ and 620 → 17361.89 cm ⁻¹) using saturation method. These measurements were performed on a resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS) set-up consisting of Nd:YAG-pumped dye lasers, a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer and high-temperature atomic vapour source. The uranium vapours were excited and photoionized by two-colour, three-photon photoionization scheme using Nd:YAG-pumped dye laser system. The resultant photoion signal was monitored as a function of dye laser fluence used for first step excitation to measure the excitation cross-section values. A new approach was adopted to overcome the large uncertainties associated with such measurements. With this approach the cross-section of transitions whose value is already reported in the literature was measured as a bench mark. By normalizing the measured value to the reported value, a scaling factor was derived. This scaling factor was used to scale up the cross-section values of other transitions measured by this method.     

Delay-coupled discrete maps: Synchronization, bistability, and quasiperiodicity

The synchronization transition is studied in delay-coupled logistic maps. For low coupling, in-phase and out-of-phase synchronous dynamics coexist, and with increasing coupling there is a regime of quasiperiodicity before eventual attraction to a fixed point at a critical value of coupling that depends on the nonlinearity. The presence of a region of asynchrony separating two synchronized regimes—termed anomalous behaviour—has been observed earlier in continuous systems and is shown here to occur in delay mappings as well. There are regions of in-phase, anti-phase, and out-of-phase dynamics of periodic as well as chaotic attractors.     

Development of Pr(III) Selective Electrode Using 1,6,7,12‐Tetramine‐2,5,8,11‐tetraoxo‐1(12),6(7)‐di(biphenyl)‐dodecane (TATODBDD) as a Neutral Carrier

A polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane based Pr(III) selective electrode was constructed using 1,6,7,12‐tetramine‐2,5,8,11‐tetraoxo‐1(12),6(7)‐di(biphenyl)dodecane (TATODBDD) as a neutral carrier. The sensor exhibits a Nernstian response for Pr(III) ions, a wide concentration range of 3.9×10^?7?1.0×10^?1 mol/L with a detection limit of 5.0×10^?8 mol/L and slope of 19.5 mV/decade. The developed sensor revealed relatively good selectivity and high sensitivity for Pr(III) ions over the other lanthanide ions. The potentiometric response of the sensor is independent in the pH range 2.9–9.5. The advantages of sensor are low resistance, very fast response time (<10 s) with good selectivity. This sensor can be used up to 6 weeks without any divergences in potential response.     

Anisotropic Stars II: Stability

We investigate the stability of self-gravitating spherically symmetric anisotropic spheres under radial perturbations. We consider both the Newtonian and the full general-relativistic perturbation treatment. In the general-relativistic case, we extend the variational formalism for spheres with isotropic pressure developed by Chandrasekhar. We find that, in general, when the tangential pressure is greater than the radial pressure, the stability of the anisotropic sphere is enhanced when compared to isotropic configurations. In particular, anisotropic spheres are found to be stable for smaller values of the adiabatic index .     

Novel antibiotics: macrocyclic peptides designed to trap Holliday junctions

[reaction: see text] Described are the syntheses of eight macrocyclic peptides designed to trap Holliday junctions in bacteria, thereby inhibiting bacterial growth. These macrocycles were designed from linear dimerized hexapeptides that bind to the C-2 symmetrical Holliday junction. They were synthesized from three monomers using a combinatorial-like strategy that permits elucidation of the monomer role in accumulation of Holliday junctions and antibiotic activity. These macrocycles are an important step in designing and synthesizing a new class of antibiotics.     

A novel method for the estimation of arsenic(V) in organic compounds

A novel method for the determination of arsenic(V) in organic compounds has been developed by reducing combined arsenic(V) to arsenic(III) in aqueous acetic acid medium with zinc dust. In some cases, addition of ethyl alcohol is necessary to dissolve the compound and to keep the arsenic(III) compound in solution. The arsenic(III) is titrated with iodine and the end-point is detected visually with starch as indicator or potentiometrically.     

Chemistry of lac resin—VII : Pure lac resin—3: Structure

It has been found that gas-liquid-chromatography of methyl esters of lac acids can be carried our after formylation of free OH groups. By this method, it has been found that pure lac resin is based on terpenic acids (essentially jalaric acid) and aleuritic acid in a 1:1 ratio and not in a 2:1 ratio as suspected earlier. This conclusion is clearly supported by a comparision of 220 MHz PMR spectra of pure lac resin derivatives with suitable reference samples. The PMR spectral data, taken along with the earlier results lead to the most plausible structure 11 for ‘pure lac resin’.