A new nonlocal model for the restoration of textured images

In this paper, we focus on the mathematical and numerical study of a new nonlocal reaction-diffusion system for image denoising. This model is motivated by involving the decomposition approach of $H^{-1}$ norm suggested by Meyer [25] which is more appropriate to represent the oscillatory patterns and small details in the textured image. Based on Schaeffer''s fixed point theorem, we prove the existence and uniqueness of solution of the proposed model. To illustrate the efficiency and effectiveness of our model, we test the denoising experimental results as well we compare with some existing models in the literature.     

RF-sputtered CrB2 diffusion barrier for Ni/Au Ohmic contacts on p-CuCrO2

Ohmic contacts to p-type CuCrO₂ using Ni/Au/CrB₂/Ti/Au contact metallurgy are reported. The samples were annealed in the 200–700 °C range for 60 s in flowing oxygen ambient. A minimum specific contact resistance of 2 × 10⁻⁵ Ω cm² was obtained after annealing at 400 °C. Further increase in the annealing temperature (>400 °C) resulted in the degradation of contact resistance. Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) depth profiling showed that out-diffusion of Ti to the surface of the contact stacks was evident by 400 °C, followed by Cr at higher temperature. The CrB₂ diffusion barrier decreases the specific contact resistance by almost two orders of magnitude relative to Ni/Au alone.     

Plasma-based preparation of polyaniline/graphene and polypyrrole/graphene composites for dye-sensitized solar cells as counter electrodes

This study presents the preparation of graphene (GR) nanocomposites with polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPy) through the fast, versatile and environmentally friendly process of radio frequency (RF)-plasma polymerization. Morphological characterization of the nanocomposites is performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and shows that the PANI and PPy conducting polymers coated the GR surface. The surface properties of the GR nanocomposites are determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The prepared GR nanocomposites are then used as counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The conversion cell efficiencies for iodine-doped DSSC samples are found to be 0.086%, 5.41%, and 5.60% for I₂-PANI, I₂-PANI-GR and I₂-PPy-GR, respectively, while the corresponding undoped samples reaches power conversion efficiencies of 3.82%, 1.30%, and 0.077% for PPy-GR, PANI-GR and PANI, respectively. The incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) of iodine-doped composite-based DSSCs is significantly enhanced.     

Synthesis of some new anils: part 1. Reaction of 2-hydroxy-benzaldehyde and 2-hydroxynaphthaldehyde with 2-aminopyridene and 2-aminopyrazine

New Schiff bases derived from 2-aminopyridene and 2-aminopyrazine have been synthesized. The UV-Visible spectra of the compounds have been investigated in acetonitrile and toluene. The compounds were in tautomeric equilibrium (enol-imine O- H...N, keto-amine O...H-N forms) in polar and nonpolar solvents. For some derivatives the keto-amine form was observed in both toluene and acetonitrile. 1H-NMR and IR results showed that all Schiff bases studied favor the enol-imine form over the keto form in a weakly polar solvent such as deuterochloroform.     

AaTs-1: A Tetrapeptide from Androctonus australis Scorpion Venom,Inhibiting U87 Glioblastoma Cells Proliferation by p53 and FPRL-1 Up-Regulations

Glioblastoma is an aggressive cancer, against which medical professionals are still quite helpless, due to its resistance to current treatments. Scorpion toxins have been proposed as a promising alternative for the development of effective targeted glioblastoma therapy and diagnostic. However, the exploitation of the long peptides could present disadvantages. In this work, we identified and synthetized AaTs-1, the first tetrapeptide from Androctonus australis scorpion venom (Aa), which exhibited an antiproliferative effect specifically against human glioblastoma cells. Both the native and synthetic AaTs-1 were endowed with the same inhibiting effect on the proliferation of U87 cells with an IC₅₀ of 0.56 mM. Interestingly, AaTs-1 was about two times more active than the anti-glioblastoma conventional chemotherapeutic drug, temozolomide (TMZ), and enhanced its efficacy on U87 cells. AaTs-1 showed a significant similarity with the synthetic peptide WKYMVm, an agonist of a G-coupled formyl-peptide receptor, FPRL-1, known to be involved in the proliferation of glioma cells. Interestingly, the tetrapeptide triggered the dephosphorylation of ERK, p38, and JNK kinases. It also enhanced the expression of p53 and FPRL-1, likely leading to the inhibition of the store operated calcium entry. Overall, our work uncovered AaTs-1 as a first natural potential FPRL-1 antagonist, which could be proposed as a promising target to develop new generation of innovative molecules used alone or in combination with TMZ to improve glioblastoma treatment response. Its chemical synthesis in non-limiting quantity represents a valuable advantage to design and develop low-cost active analogues to treat glioblastoma cancer.     

Microwave‐Sensitive Foamable Poly(ionic liquids) Bearing tert‐Butyl Ester Groups: Influence of Counterions on the Ester Pyrolysis

Several poly(ionic liquids) have been synthesized based on poly(1‐vinyl‐3‐tert‐butoxycarbonylmethylene imidazolium) salts with different counterions to investigate the tert‐butyl ester pyrolysis of these compounds. It is found that the counterions strongly influence the temperature of the pyrolysis. The pyrolysis temperature shifts to higher or lower temperatures depending on the nature of the counterions. The use of microwave irradiation was employed to accelerate the gas release because of the high dipolar interaction of amorphous salts with microwaves. The result of these reactions is the formation of organic foams that could be of industrial interest.

     

Synthesis of lariat ether carboxylic acids based on dibenzo‐16‐crown‐5

Synthetic routes to forty‐seven dibenzo‐16‐crown‐5 compounds with pendant carboxylic acid groups are reported. When taken together with previously described lariat ether carboxylic acids, these new compounds provide several series with systematic structural variations including changes in the identity and attachment site(s) of one or more lipophilic groups and the length of the spacer that connects the carboxylic acid group to the polyether framework.