A unique approach in ultra-flattened dispersion photonic crystal fibers containing elliptical air-holes

In this paper, we report that it is possible to control chromatic dispersion of index guiding PCFs in wide wavelength range by arranging the major axis of the first inner ring perpendicular to that of the second inner ring. Using this unique arrangement, a newly PCF with ultra-low and ultra-flattened dispersion is designed through a finite difference method with anisotropic perfectly matched layers absorbing boundary condition. As an example, we have design a unique PCF with flattened dispersion of ±0.23 ps/(nm·km) from 1.5 to 1.8 μm wavelength and confinement losses of less than 10⁻¹³ dB/m in the wavelength range shorter than 1.8 μm.     

Ultra-trace level determination of hydroquinone in waste photographic solutions by UV-vis spectrophotometry

A simpler UV-vis spectrophotometric method was investigated for hydroquinone (HQ) determination using KMnO₄ as oxidizing agent for conversion of HQ to p-benzoquinone (BQ) as well as signal enhancer. Various parameters such as analytical wavelength, stability time, temperature, pH, solvent effect and interference of chemicals were checked and parameters optimized by using 1 μg ml⁻¹ standard solution of HQ. Beer's Law was applicable in the range of 0.07-2 μg ml⁻¹ and 0.005-0.05 μg ml⁻¹ at 245.5 nm and at 262 nm for aqueous standard solutions of HQ with linear regression coefficient value of 0.9978 and 0.9843 and detection limit of 0.021 μg ml⁻¹ and 0.0016 μg ml⁻¹ HQ, respectively. Standard deviation of 1.7% and 2.4% was true for 1 μg ml⁻¹ and 0.03 μg ml⁻¹ HQ solution (n = 11) run at respective wavelengths. The method was successfully applied to dilute waste photographic developer samples for free HQ determination.     

Anti-tumour-promoting and thermal-induced protein denaturation inhibitory activities of β-sitosterol and lupeol isolated from Diospyros lotus L.

In this study, the anti-tumour-promoting and thermal-induced protein denaturation inhibitory activities of β-sitosterol (1) and lupeol (2), isolated from Diospyros lotus L., were explored. Compound 1 showed a marked concentration-dependent inhibition against 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (20 ng/32 pmol)-induced Epstein–Barr virus early antigen activation in Raji cells with IC₅₀ of 270 μg/ml, without significant toxicity (70% viability). Compound 2 showed significant anti-tumour-promoting effect with IC₅₀ of 412 μg/ml, without significant toxicity (60% viability). In heat-induced protein denaturation assay, compound 1 exhibited a concentration-dependent attenuation with a maximum effect of 73.5% at 500 μg/ml with EC₅₀ of 117 μg/ml, while compound 2 exhibited a maximum effect of 59.2% at 500 μg/ml with EC₅₀ of 355 μg/ml. Moreover, in silico docking studies against the phosphoinositide 3-kinase enzyme also show the inhibitory potency of these compounds. In short, both the compounds exhibited a marked anti-tumour-promoting and potent inhibitory effect on thermal-induced protein denaturation.     

A structural investigation of heteroleptic pentavalent antimonials and their leishmanicidal activity

In the quest for new drug candidates for the safe treatment of parasitic diseases like leishmaniasis, a series of heteroleptic pentavalent antimonials of the type [SbR₃(OOCR′)₂] were synthesized and characterized using elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and multinuclear (¹H and ¹³C) NMR spectroscopy. The carboxylate moieties are predominantly substituted benzoates with some complexes that fit in acetato or nicotinato ligands. The crystal structures of [Sb(p‐Tol)₃(p‐CH₃C₆H₄COO)₂], [Sb(p‐Tol)₃(3,5‐Cl₂C₆H₃COO)₂] and [Sb(p‐Tol)₃(3‐nicotinato)₂] were determined crystallographically and shown to adopt geometries intermediate between trigonal bipyramidal and square pyramidal, and essentially monomeric with a five‐coordinated Sb center. The leishmanicidal activity was assessed against the Leishmania tropica KWH23 parasite, and the cytotoxicity level was also measured on human macrophage blood cells. It was observed that IC₅₀ of the antimonials was 100‐fold superior as compared with the standard antimonial drug used. Cytotoxicity results showed that these antimonials are highly active even at low concentrations and are biocompatible with human macrophages, making them highly promising drug candidates for further investigation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Specific heat of V6O11 between 0.4 and 50 K

The specific heat of 3 sets of V₆O₁₁ single crystals has been measured between 0.4 and 50 K. This compound is an insulator below 170 K; the specific heat shows a λ-type anomaly at 24 K, T_N and linear term above this temperature. The features of the specific heat can be understood if a model of independent antiferromagnetic chains above T_N is postulated. The λ-type anomaly arises as a consequence of the weak interactions between the chains and the one dimensional system changes to a three dimensional system.     

Efficient Design of Multi-stage Cascade Waveband Separator

We propose a cascade system of filters for realizing a non-uniform waveband separation for optical networks. The use of such separation is required at the DEMUX stage in a optical OXC switching wavebands. The design of the system is based on optimized balanced tree, which minimizes the overall optical loss.     

Method for measuring liquid phase diffusion based on tilted fiber Bragg grating

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a method for measuring liquid phase diffusion based on tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG). By monitoring the transmission spectra of the TFBG placed at different positions of the diffusion zone and calculating the normalized area enclosed by the upper and lower envelope curves of the cladding modes, the distribution curves of the glycerol concentration are obtained, according to the experimental calibration formulas between the glycerol concentration and the normalized area. This method can conveniently achieve remote and distributed measurement of the liquid phase diffusion in hostile environment because of its all-fiber structure.     

New insights on integer-programming models for the kidney exchange problem

In recent years several countries have set up policies that allow exchange of kidneys between two or more incompatible patient–donor pairs. These policies lead to what is commonly known as kidney exchange programs.