Almost all self-dual codes are rigid

We prove that almost every binary self-dual code has trivial automorphism group. We also construct a self-dual code with trivial automorphism group.     

Crystallographic report: Bis{µ‐[O‐cyclopentyl(4‐methoxyphenyl) dithiophosphonato]1κ:S,2κ:S‐[O‐cyclopentyl(4‐methoxyphenyl)dithiophosphonato]1κ2S,S′} dizinc(II)

The centrosymmetric [Zn₂{CH₃OC₆H₄P(OC₅H₉)S₂}₄], features an eight‐membered Zn₂S₄P₂ ring as a result of two bidentate bridging thiolate ligands; the remaining ligands are chelating. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Poly(styrene‐b‐tetrahydrofuran)/clay nanocomposites by mechanistic transformation

Synthesis of poly(styrene‐block‐tetrahydrofuran) (PSt‐b‐PTHF) block copolymer on the surfaces of intercalated and exfoliated silicate (clay) layers by mechanistic transformation was described. First, the polystyrene/montmorillonite (PSt/MMT) nanocomposite was synthesized by in situ atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) from initiator moieties immobilized within the silicate galleries of the clay particles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed the existence of both intercalated and exfoliated structures in the nanocomposite. Then, the PSt‐b‐PTHF/MMT nanocomposite was prepared by mechanistic transformation from ATRP to cationic ring opening polymerization (CROP). The TGA thermogram of the PSt‐b‐PTHF/MMT nanocomposite has two decomposition stages corresponding to PTHF and PSt segments. All nanocomposites exhibit enhanced thermal stabilities compared with the virgin polymer segments. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 2190–2197, 2009     

Improving the appearance of all textile products from clothing to home textile using laser technology

Denim trousers, commonly known as “blue jeans”, have maintained their popularity for many years. For the purpose of supporting customers’ purchasing behaviour and to address their aesthetic taste, companies have been trying in recent years to develop various techniques to improve the visual aspects of denim fabrics. These techniques mainly include printing on fabrics, embroidery and washing the final product. Especially, fraying certain areas of the fabric by sanding and stone washing to create designs is a popular technique. However, due to certain inconveniences caused by these procedures and in response to growing demands, research is underway to obtain a similar appearance by creating better quality and more advantageous manufacturing conditions.

As is known, the laser is a source of energy which can be directed on desired objects and whose power and intensity can be easily controlled. Use of the laser enables us to cut a great variety of material from metal to fabric. Starting off from this point, we thought it would be possible to transfer certain designs onto the surface of textile material by changing the dye molecules in the fabric and creating alterations in its colour quality values by directing the laser to the material at reduced intensity.

This study mainly deals with a machine specially designed for making use of laser beams to transfer pictures, figures as well as graphics of desired variety, size and intensity on all kinds of surfaces in textile manufacturing such as knitted—woven fabrics, leather, etc. at desired precision and without damaging the texture of the material.

In the designed system, computer-controlled laser beams are used to change the colour of the dye material on the textile surface by directing the laser beams at a desired wavelength and intensity onto various textile surfaces selected for application. For this purpose, a laser beam source that can reach the initial level of power and that can be controlled by means of a computer interface; reflecting mirrors that can direct this beam at two axes; a galvanometer which comprised of an optical aperture; and a computer program that can transfer images obtained in standard formats to the galvanometer control card were used.

Developing new designs by using the computer and transferring the designs that are obtained on textile surfaces will not only increase and facilitate the production in a more practical manner, but also help you to create identical designs. This means serial manufacturing of the products at a standard quality and increasing their added values. Moreover, creating textile designs using laser will also contribute to the value of the product as far as the consumer is concerned because it will not cause any wearing off and deformation in the texture of the fabric unlike the sanding and stoning processes.

Another advantage of this system is that it gives a richer look to the product by causing the textile surfaces to get wrinkled and become three-dimensional by deformation as well as enabling you to create pictures and patterns on leather and synthetic fabrics by means of heat.

As for the results of the study, the first step was to prepare 40 pairs of denim trousers, half of which were prepared manually and the other half by using laser beam. Time studies were made at every step of the production. So as to determine the abrasion degrees of the trousers in design applications, tensile strength as well as tensile extension tests were conducted for all the trousers.     

Intensity clamping and re-focusing of intense femtosecond laser pulses in nitrogen molecular gas

We present results of measurements of fluorescence spectra due to the interaction of a Ti:sapphire laser pulse with N₂ molecules at different gas pressures and pulse energies. The analysis of the data together with the results of numerical simulations, using a propagation model, reveal signatures of the phenomena of intensity clamping and of re-focusing of the laser pulse at high gas pressure. The laser pulse energy for intensity clamping as a function of the gas pressure is determined. Received: 21 May 2001 / Revised version: 10 July 2001 / Published online: 19 September 2001     

Turbulent boundary layer measurements over flat surfaces coated by nanostructured marine antifoulings

Whilst recent developments of nanotechnology are being exploited by chemists and marine biologists to understand how the completely environmentally friendly foul release coatings can control marine biofouling and how they can be developed further, the understanding of the hydrodynamic performances of these new generation coatings is being overlooked. This paper aims to investigate the relative boundary layer, roughness and drag characteristics of some novel nanostructured coatings, which were developed through a multi-European and multi-disciplined collaborative research project AMBIO (2010), within the framework of turbulent flows over rough surfaces. Zero-pressure-gradient, turbulent boundary layer flow measurements were conducted over flat surfaces coated with several newly developed nanostructured antifouling paints, along with some classic reference surfaces and a state-of-the-art commercial coating, in the Emerson Cavitation Tunnel (ECT) of Newcastle University. A large flat plane test bed that included interchangeable flat test sections was used for the experiments. The boundary layer data were collected with the aid of a two-dimensional DANTEC Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) system. These measurements provided the main hydrodynamic properties of the newly developed nanostructured coatings including local skin friction coefficients, roughness functions and Reynolds stresses. The tests and subsequent analysis indicated the exceptionally good frictional properties of all coatings tested, in particular, the drag benefit of some new nanostructured coatings in the Reynolds number range investigated. The rapidly decreasing roughness function trends of AKZO19 and AKZO20 as the $ k_{s}^{ + } $ increases were remarkable along with the dissimilar roughness function character of all tested coatings to the well-known correlation curves warranting further research at higher Reynolds numbers. The wall similarity concept for the Reynolds stresses was only validated for the transitionally rough surfaces from $ (y + \varepsilon)^{ + } \approx 100 $ up to the end of the boundary layer.     

New peripherally tetra-[trans-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol] substituted metallophthalocyanines: synthesis,characterization and catalytic activity studies on the oxidation of phenolic compounds

In this paper, we elucidated the synthesis, characterization, and investigation of catalytic activity studies of new metallophthalocyanines 4 and 5 as the catalyst for phenolic compounds oxidation by trying different types of oxygen sources. The structural characterization of the products was made by a combination of elemental analysis, FT-IR, LC-MS/MS (for phthalonitrile derivative 3), MALDI-TOF mass spectral data (for metallophthalocyanines 4–7), UV–vis spectroscopy (for metallophthalocyanines 4–7), ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies (for compounds 3 and 6). The synthetic routes for the (trans-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol) substituted phthalonitrile derivative 3 and corresponding metallophthalocyanines 4–7 are outlined in Scheme 1. The MPc complexes 4–7 were synthesized via cyclotetramerization of compound 3 in the presence of the corresponding anhydrous metal salts (CoCl₂ for 4, CuCl₂ for 5, Zn(CH₃COO)₂ for 6 and MnCl₂ for 7) in dry n-pentanol as solvent and 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) as strong base at reflux temperature under nitrogen gas. Phthalocyanines and their metal complexes, in general, display poor solubility in most of the organic solvents, however, the synthesized metallophthalocyanine complexes 4–7 were highly soluble in common organic solvents because of the introduction of the methyl groups on alkyl chains of peripheral arms. The catalytic activity of compounds 4 and 5 was evaluated for the oxidation of phenolic compounds such as 4-nitrophenol, o-chlorophenol, 2,3-dichlorophenol, and p-methoxyphenol. CoPc 4 displayed good catalytic performance with a full oxidation of 4-nitrophenol into the corresponding benzoquinone and hydroquinone with the highest TON and TOF values within 3 h.     

How to Separate Kinase Inhibition from Undesired Monoamine Oxidase A Inhibition—The Development of the DYRK1A Inhibitor AnnH75 from the Alkaloid Harmine

The β-carboline alkaloid harmine is a potent DYRK1A inhibitor, but suffers from undesired potent inhibition of MAO-A, which strongly limits its application. We synthesized more than 60 analogues of harmine, either by direct modification of the alkaloid or by de novo synthesis of β-carboline and related scaffolds aimed at learning about structure–activity relationships for inhibition of both DYRK1A and MAO-A, with the ultimate goal of separating desired DYRK1A inhibition from undesired MAO-A inhibition. Based on evidence from published crystal structures of harmine bound to each of these enzymes, we performed systematic structure modifications of harmine yielding DYRK1A-selective inhibitors characterized by small polar substituents at N-9 (which preserve DYRK1A inhibition and eliminate MAO-A inhibition) and beneficial residues at C-1 (methyl or chlorine). The top compound AnnH75 remains a potent DYRK1A inhibitor, and it is devoid of MAO-A inhibition. Its binding mode to DYRK1A was elucidated by crystal structure analysis, and docking experiments provided additional insights for this attractive series of DYRK1A and MAO-A inhibitors.