Five Novel Taccalonolides from the Roots of the Vietnamese Plant Tacca paxiana

Chemical investigation of the roots of the Vietnamese plant Tacca paxiana resulted in the isolation of five new steroidal compounds, taccalonolide R ( 6 ), S ( 7 ), T ( 8 ), U ( 9 ), and V ( 10 ). Their structures were established on the basis of NMR and mass‐spectral data. In addition, the five known taccalonolides A ( 1 ), B ( 2 ), E ( 3 ), K ( 4 ), and N ( 5 ) were also isolated and identified.     

Synthesis of chiral 2′,3′-pyranone(pyrrolidinone)-fused tryptamines

Chiral pyrano- and pyrrolidino-fused tryptamines were prepared by a diasteroselective trimolecular condensation between indole, Garner's aldehyde and Meldrum's acid, followed by selective functional group transformations.     

Exciton states in In x Ga1−x As/GaAs double quantum wells: Normalized reflection spectra

Il Nuovo Cimento D - Normalized reflection spectra in GaInAs/GaAs quantum wells are shown for two sets of samples with different alloy concentration (x=9% and 18.5%) and well thickness ranging from...     

Quantization of complex Lagrangian submanifolds

Let Λ be a smooth Lagrangian submanifold of a complex symplectic manifold X. We construct twisted simple holonomic modules along Λ in the stack of deformation-quantization modules on X.     

Relations between Types of Reasoning and Computational Representations

This paper examines the idea that particular representations differentially support and enhance different cognitive processes, in particular different types of reasoning. Five case studies were conducted consisting of detailed observations of pairs of middle-school students interacting with a computer-based learning environment. The software environment, called NumberSpeed, deals with kinematics concepts by having students construct various motion scenarios by adjusting numerical motion parameters: position, velocity and acceleration. NumberSpeed provides feedback about the student-specified motion using two representations: the motion representation and the number-lists representation. Two distinct types of reasoning were recognized in students’ learning while interacting with NumberSpeed: (1) model-based reasoning and (2) constraint-based reasoning. These two types of reasoning are characterized in detail and their roles in problem-solving are analyzed. A cross-analysis between the types of reasoning and the use of particular NumberSpeed representations reveals a correlation between type of reasoning and representational choice. These findings are explained by analyzing the representations’ characteristics and the ways they may differentially support and enhance particular types of reasoning.     

A priori estimates for quasilinear degenerate parabolic equations

We prove some maximum and gradient estimates for classical solutions to a wide class of quasilinear degenerate parabolic equations, including first order ones. The proof is elementary and exploits the smallness of the domain in the time direction.

     

An experimental analysis of a population based approach for global optimization

In this paper we perform a computational analysis of a population based approach for global optimization, Population Basin Hopping (PBH), which was proven to be very efficient on very challenging global optimization problems by the authors (see ). The experimental analysis aims at understanding more deeply how the approach works and why it is successful on challenging problems.     

Mathematical and numerical analysis of a simplified time-dependent viscoelastic flow

A time-dependent model corresponding to an Oldroyd-B viscoelastic fluid is considered, the convective terms being disregarded. Global existence in time is proved in Banach spaces provided the data are small enough, using the implicit function theorem and a maximum regularity property for a three fields Stokes problem. A finite element discretization in space is then proposed. Existence of the numerical solution is proved for small data, so as a priori error estimates, using again an implicit function theorem. Supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation. Fellowship PBEL2–114311.     

Synthesis of potential selective cox‐2 enzyme inhibitors derived from ethyl ester of 2‐isothiocyanato‐5‐phenyl‐3‐thiophenecarboxylic acid

Derivatives containing the thieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidin‐4‐one system, potential selective COX‐2 inhibitors, were prepared starting from ethyl ester of 2‐isothiocyanato‐5‐phenyl‐3‐thiophenecarboxylic acid ( 2 ); their structural elucidation is also reported.