Structure–activity relationships of anthocyanidin glycosylation

This paper summarizes the main achievements about the structure–activity relationships of anthocyanidin glycosylation. Anthocyanidin glycosylation is the essential step of anthocyanin biosynthesis and also the prerequisite of the further modifications of anthocyanins, which is jointly characterized by the glycosylation site, the type and number of the glycosyl as well as the glycosidic bond type. It generally enhances the stability, results in the hypsochromic effect and blueing, decreases the bioavailability and anticancer activity, and decreases, increases, or does not change the antioxidant activity of the anthocyanidins or anthocyanins, which is synergetically determined by the glycosylation site and the type and number of the glycosyl. Thereinto, in nature, the blue hues caused by the glycosylation may also be reinforced by the formation of the anthocyanic vacuolar inclusions. This review could provide a reference for the research of the structure-optimizing and function-exploiting of anthocyanins.     

Slow light in a simple metamaterial structure constructed by cut and continuous metal strips

Recently, slow light in metamaterials has been investigated based on the coupling between two quasi-bound states, in classic analogue of electromagnetically induced transparency in atomic systems. Here we demonstrate the feasibility in achieving slow light in metamaterials, based on the mechanism of coupling between a quasi-bound state and a continuum state. The theoretical prediction by a two-particle model is in good agreement with the experimental result in the metamaterial composed of the cut and continuous metal strips. The present work illustrates the versatility of metamaterials, implying the great potential in many applications.     

Interfacial passivation mechanism of sulfide towards quantum dot-sensitized nanocrystalline thin films

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - We report on the interfacial passivation mechanism in CdSe quantum dot-sensitized ZnO nanocrystalline thin film, where different sulfide semiconductors...     

Vertex-deleted subgraphs and regular factors from regular graph

Let k, m, and r be three integers such that 2≤k≤m≤r. Let G be a 2r-regular, 2m-edge-connected graph of odd order. We obtain some sufficient conditions for G-v to contain a k-factor for all v∈V(G).     

Stability and phase transition of localized modes in Bose–Einstein condensates with both two- and three-body interactions

We investigate the stability and phase transition of localized modes in Bose–Einstein Condensates (BECs) in an optical lattice with the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger model by considering both two- and three-body interactions. We find that there are three types of localized modes, bright discrete breather (DB), discrete kink (DK), and multi-breather (MUB). Moreover, both two- and three-body on-site repulsive interactions can stabilize DB, while on-site attractive three-body interactions destabilize it. There is a critical value for the three-body interaction with which both DK and MUB become the most stable ones. We give analytically the energy thresholds for the destabilization of localized states and find that they are unstable (stable) when the total energy of the system is higher (lower) than the thresholds. The stability and dynamics characters of DB and MUB are general for extended lattice systems. Our result is useful for the blocking, filtering, and transfer of the norm in nonlinear lattices for BECs with both two- and three-body interactions.     

The Wigner–Yanase information can increase under phase sensitive incoherent operations

We found that the Wigner-Yanase skew information, which has been recently proposed as a measure of coherence in Girolami (2014), can increase under a class of operations which may be interpreted as incoherent following the framework of Baumgratz et al., while being phase sensitive.     

A Six-Coordinate Picrate Nickel(II) Complex Based on the V-Shaped Ligand 1,3-Bis (1-Benzylbenzimidazol-2-yl)-2-Thiapropane: Synthesis,Crystal Structure,Biological Activities

Abstract

A six-coordinate picrate nickel(II) complex based on the V-shaped ligand 1,3-bis(1-benzylbenzimidazol-2-yl)-2-thiapropane (L), with the composition [Ni(L)₂](pic)₂, has been synthesized and characterized systematically. The crystal structure of the Ni(II) complex is a six-coordinated octahedron, which is considerably close to ideal octahedral geometry with N₄S₂ donors of the two ligands. Biological activities of compounds were investigated using electronic absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and viscosity measurements. The results suggested that both ligand L and Ni(II) complex bind to DNA in an intercalative binding mode, and DNA-binding affinity of the Ni(II) complex is stronger than that of ligand L.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements for the following free supplemental files: Additional figures.]     

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/melamine phosphate composites prepared through thermal processing: thermal stability and flame retardancy

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/melamine phosphate composites (PVA/MP) as a novel halogen‐free, flame‐retardant foam matrix were prepared through thermal processing, and then their thermal stability and flame retardancy were investigated by thermo‐gravimetric analysis, micro‐scale combustion calorimeter, cone calorimeter, vertical burning test, and limiting oxygen index (LOI) test. It was found that the thermal stability and combustion properties of the PVA/MP composites could be influenced by the addition of MP. Compared with the control PVA sample (B‐PVA), in the PVA/MP (75/25) composites, the temperature at 5% mass loss (T_5%) decreased about 10°C, the residual chars at 600°C increased by nearly 27%, the temperature at the maximum peak heat release rate (T_P) shifted from 292°C to 452°C, and the total heat released and the heat release capacity (HRC) decreased by 28% and 14%, respectively. Moreover, the PVA/MP composites could reach LOI value up to 35% and UL94 classification V‐0, showing good flame retardancy. At the same time, both Fourier transform infrared and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra of the residual chars from the PVA/MP composites demonstrated that the catalytic effect of MP on the dehydration and decarboxylation reactions of PVA, and the chemical reactivity of MP during the chars‐forming reactions could be used to account for the changed thermal stability and flame retardancy of the PVA/MP composites. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.