Determination of the ratio of soot refractive index function E(m) at the two wavelengths 532 and 1064 nm by laser induced incandescence

A new method is proposed to measure the ratio of the refractive index function of soot particles E(m) at the two fixed wavelengths: 532 and 1064 nm. Using a non-intrusive, in-situ laser based technique, the ratio E(m,1064 nm)/E(m,532 nm) can be determined by comparing laser induced incandescence (LII) intensities at 532 and 1064 nm excitation wavelengths. The method consists of selecting laser energies that insure the equality of the LII signals in the low fluence regime under given conditions. Such equality is consistent with the fact that the soot particle will have reached the same temperature independently of the laser wavelength, i.e. the soot particle has absorbed the same energy. As the absorbed energy is proportional to the laser irradiance times E(m), the measurement of the laser energies required to insure perfect concordance of the LII intensities (spatially and temporally) serves to deduce the ratio E(m,1064 nm)/E(m,532 nm). The method is demonstrated in an acetylene/air flame, validated against extinction measurements performed by cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) by using laser radiations at 532 nm and 1064 nm and finally applied to different flame conditions. PACS 78.20.Ci; 78.90.+t; 81.05.Uw; 42.62.-b     

Hyperfine structure of the f(0+g) state of iodine investigated through cw optical-optical double resonance

From a two-step excitation using visible and U.V. high resolution tunable lasers, the hyperfine structure of the f(0⁺_g) state of iodine has been measured for the first time. The hyperfine parameters obtained for several rovibrational levels are consistent with a correlation of the f state to the I⁺(³P₀) + I^-(¹S) dissociation limit.     

Semi-Parametric Estimation Using Bernstein Polynomial and a Finite Gaussian Mixture Model

The central focus of this paper is upon the alleviation of the boundary problem when the probability density function has a bounded support. Mixtures of beta densities have led to different methods of density estimation for data assumed to have compact support. Among these methods, we mention Bernstein polynomials which leads to an improvement of edge properties for the density function estimator. In this paper, we set forward a shrinkage method using the Bernstein polynomial and a finite Gaussian mixture model to construct a semi-parametric density estimator, which improves the approximation at the edges. Some asymptotic properties of the proposed approach are investigated, such as its probability convergence and its asymptotic normality. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed estimator, a simulation study and some real data sets were carried out.     

Targeting Proteolysis with Cyanogenic Glycoside Amygdalin Induces Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells

Background: Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among women, and its incidence and mortality are rapidly growing worldwide. In this regard, plant-derived natural compounds have been shown to be effective as chemotherapeutic and preventative agents. Apricot kernels are a rich source of nutrients including proteins, lipids, fibers, and phenolic compounds and contain the aromatic cyanogenic glycoside amygdalin that has been shown to exert a cytotoxic effect on cancer cells by affecting the cell cycle, inducing apoptosis, and regulating the immune function. Methods: Here, we describe a previously unexplored proapoptotic mechanism of action of amygdalin in breast cancer (MCF7) cells that involves the modulation of intracellular proteolysis. For comparative purposes, the same investigations were also conducted upon cell treatment with two apricot kernel aqueous extracts from Prunus armeniaca L. Results: We observed that both the 20S and 26S proteasome activities were downregulated in the MCF7 cells upon 24 h treatments. Simultaneously, the autophagy cascade resulted in being impaired due to cathepsin B and L inhibition that also contributed to a reduction in cancer cell migration. The inhibition of these proteolytic systems finally promoted the activation of apoptotic events in the MCF7 cells. Conclusion: Collectively, our data unveil a novel mechanism of the anticancer activity of amygdalin, prompting further investigations for potential application in cancer preventative strategies.     

Concomitant polymorphism in the stereoselective synthesis of a β‐benzyl‐β‐hydroxyaspartate analogue

Two concomitant polymorphs, (I) and (II), of a β‐benzyl‐β‐hydroxyaspartate analogue [systematic name: dibenzyl 2‐benzyl‐2‐hydroxy‐3‐(4‐methylphenylsulfonamido)succinate], C₃₂H₃₁NO₇S, crystallize from a mixture of ethyl acetate and cyclohexane at ambient temperature. The structure of (I) has triclinic (P) symmetry and that of (II) monoclinic (P2₁/c) symmetry. Both crystal structures are made up of a stacking of homochiral racemic dimers (2S,3S and 2R,3R) which are internally connected by a similar R₂²(9) hydrogen‐bonding pattern consisting of intermolecular N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds. The centroid of the racemic dimer lies on an inversion centre. The main structural difference between the two polymorphs is the conformational orientation of two of the four aromatic rings present in the molecule. Polymorph (II) is found to be twinned by reticular merohedry with twin index 3 and twin fractions 0.854 (1) and 0.146 (1).     

Prime ideals in polynomial rings

Summary Study of relations between the prime and maximal spectra of a ringA and ofA[X], without noetherian assumptions. Application to the cases whereA has finite noetherian type andA is an arbitrary valuation domain; behaviour of the catenary property. New proofs of known results aboutG-ideals and Hilbert domains.

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Riassunto Si studiano le relazioni fra lo spettro ideale e quello massimale di un anelloA e diA[X] senza ipotesi di noetherianità. Si fanno delle applicazioni ai casi in cuiA è un anello di tipo noetheriano finito o è un arbitrario dominio di valutazione; si studia inoltre il comportamento della proprietà catenaria. Si danno nuove dimostrazioni di risultati noti suG-ideali e domini di Hilbert.

     

Cross‐linking emulsion copolymerization of butyl acrylate with diallyl maleate

The emulsion copolymerization of butyl acrylate (BA) with a trifunctional cross‐linker, diallyl maleate (DAM), was investigated. The effect of the monomer feeding time and the amount of cross‐linker on the microstructural properties (branching, cross‐linking, gel formation, and sol MWD) of the seeded semicontinuous emulsion copolymerization of BA with DAM was investigated. It was found that the gel content was not significantly affected by increasing feeding time, but the level of quaternary carbons (an indication of the branching density) increased. On the other hand, increasing the amount of DAM in the feed composition caused gel content, level of quaternary carbons, and the cross‐linking density to increase. Interestingly, the level of quaternary carbons and the cross‐linking density sharply increased during the cooking period. The molecular weight of the sol decreased as DAM increased in the feed. In addition, the effect of process type, batch versus semibatch, was also considered and important differences in the level of quaternary carbons, cross‐linking, and gel content were found. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 4684–4694, 2005