Determination of radioactivity concentration in the primary coolant channel of a Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor

CdZnTe detector was used to monitor the radioactivity at several locations of primary heat transport (PHT) system of the Tarapur Atomic Power Station-III & IV reactor during shut down as well as operating condition of the reactor. Dose measurements at the same locations were also carried out using a teletector. MCNP code was used to simulate the detector efficiency for the required counting geometry. The efficiencies were then used to convert the experimental count rates (cps) to corresponding activity concentration (Bq/mL) of different radionuclides in coolant water. The total dose rates in these locations were also calculated by summing up the simulated dose rates of individual γ ray energy. The simulated and the measured total dose rates were found to be in reasonably good agreement.     

An unusual conformational similarity of two peptide folds featuring sulfonamide and carboxamide on the backbone

Two folded peptides featuring carboxamide and sulfonamide at the core of the peptide fold have been shown to possess almost similar conformational features, despite the well-known fact that carboxamides and sulfonamides have strikingly different hydrogen-bonding and geometrical preferences.     

Effect of A-HRS on blood pressure and metabolic alterations in fructose-induced hypertensive rats

Fructose feeding induces a rise in blood pressure in normal rats that is associated with insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycaemia, hypercholesterolaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia. We have examined the effect of chronic administration of A-HRS (100 and 300?mg?kg?1; p.o.) isolated from Hibiscus rosa sinensis (Malvaceae) on systolic blood pressure (SBP), vascular reactivity, serum glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, uric acid and insulin in fructose-induced hypertension model. A-HRS treatment (100 and 300?mg?kg?1, p.o. for 6 weeks) reduced SBP, vascular reactivity changes to catecholamines and reversed the metabolic alterations induced by fructose (10%) treatment for 6 weeks. The cumulative concentration response curve (CCRC) of angiotensin II (Ang II) was shifted towards the right in rats treated with A-HRS using an isolated strip of ascending colon. The results suggest that A-HRS could prevent the development of high-blood pressure induced by a diet rich in fructose, probably by reversing the metabolic alterations induced by fructose. In conclusion, A-HRS has an antihypertensive action in a fructose model.     

Generators for Rings of Compactly Supported Distributions

Let \({{\tt C}}\) denote a closed convex cone in \({\mathbb R^d}\) with apex at 0. We denote by \({\mathcal E'({\tt C})}\) the set of distributions on \({\mathbb R^d}\) having compact support contained in \({{\tt C}}\). Then \({\mathcal E'({\tt C})}\) is a ring with the usual addition and with convolution. We give a necessary and sufficient analytic condition on \({\widehat{f}_1,\dots, \widehat{f}_n}\) for \({f_1,\dots ,f_n \in \mathcal E'({\tt C})}\) to generate the ring \({\mathcal E'({\tt C})}\). (Here \({\widehat{\;\cdot\;}}\) denotes Fourier-Laplace transformation.) This result is an application of a general result on rings of analytic functions of several variables by Lars Hörmander. En route we answer an open question posed by Yutaka Yamamoto.     

Isotactic N-alkyl acrylamide oligomers assume self-assembled sheet structure: first unequivocal evidence from crystal structures

Herein we present the first unequivocal evidence of the ability of isotactic N-alkyl acrylamide oligomers to assume self-assembled sheet-like structures that are reminiscent of protein beta-sheets.     

Long-range effects on the capture and release of a chiral guest by a helical molecular capsule

Helically folded molecular capsules based on oligoamide sequences of aromatic amino acids which are capable of binding tartaric acid in organic solvents with high affinity and diastereoselectivity have been synthesized, and their structures and binding properties investigated by (1)H NMR, X-ray crystallography, circular dichroism, and molecular modeling. We found that elongating the helices at their extremities by adding monomers remote from the tartaric binding site results in a strong increase of the overall helix stability, but it does not influence the host-guest complex stability. The effect of this elongation on the binding and release rates of the guest molecules follows an unexpected non-monotonous trend. Three independent observations (direct monitoring of exchange over time, 2D-EXSY NMR, and molecular modeling) concur and show that guest exchange rates tend to first increase upon increasing helix length and then decrease when helix length is increased further. This investigation thus reveals the complex effects of adding monomers in a helically folded sequence on a binding event that occurs at a remote site and sheds light on possible binding and release mechanisms.     

Bass and Topological Stable Ranks of Complex and Real Algebras of Measures,Functions and Sequences

We compute the Bass stable rank and the topological stable rank of several convolution Banach algebras of complex measures on (-∞,∞) or on [0,∞) consisting of a discrete measure and/or of an absolutely continuous measure. We also compute the stable ranks of the convolution algebras \({\ell^1(\mathbb {N}^n)}\) , \({\ell^1(\mathbb {Z}^n)}\) , ?¹(S) and \({\ell^1(S\cap\mathbb {R}_+)}\) , where S is an arbitrary subgroup of \({\mathbb {R}}\) , of the almost periodic algebra AP and of \({{{\rm AP} \cap H^{\infty}}}\) , etc. We answer affirmatively the question posed by Mortini (Studia Mathematica 103(3):275–281, 1992). For the above algebras, the polydisc algebra \({A(\mathbb {D}^n)}\) , the algebra \({C(\mathbb T^n)}\) of continuous functions, and others, we also study their subsets (real Banach algebras) of real-valued measures, real-valued sequences or real-symmetric functions, and of corresponding exponentially stable algebras (for example, the Callier–Desoer algebra of causal exponentially decaying measures and L¹ functions), and we compute their stable ranks. Finally, we show that in some of these real algebras a variant of the parity interlacing property is equivalent to reducibility of a unimodular (or coprime) pair. Also corona theorems are presented and the existence of coprime fractions is studied; in particular, we list which of these algebras are Bézout domains.     

The Hermite Property of a Causal Wiener Algebra Used in Control Theory

Let \mathbbC₊ : = {s ? \mathbbC    |     Re(s) 3 0}{{\mathbb{C}}}_{+} := \{s \in {{\mathbb{C}}}\quad | \quad {\rm Re}(s) \geq 0\} and let A\mathcal{A} denote the Banach algebra

A solvent and transition metal-free,highly efficient Brønsted acidic ionic liquid promoted one-potthree-component reactions for the synthesis of tetrasubstituted pyrroles

Abstract

The present protocol describes a highly efficient, transition metal and solvent-free one-pot annulation of amines, dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates and β-nitrostyrene using imidazolium Brønsted acidic ionic liquid for the synthesis of tetrasubstituted pyrroles. A diverse functionalized tetrasubstituted pyrroles derivatives were obtained with excellent yields under transition metal and solvent-free conditions. The Brønsted acidic ionic liquid can be easily recovered and reused for the next reaction without any effects on the yields of the products. This green protocol provides structurally complex, medicinally important tetrasubstituted pyrroles with various substitution patterns in a one-pot operation.     

Column chromatographic separation of uranium(VI) and other elements using poly(dibenzo-18-crown-6) and ascorbic acid medium

A selective and very effective separation method for uranium(VI) has been developed by using poly(dibenzo-18-crown-6) and column chromatography. The separations are carried out from ascorbic acid medium. The adsorption of uranium(VI) was quantitative from 0.00002 to 0.006 M ascorbic acid. The elution of uranium(VI) was quantitative with 2.0-8.0 M HCl and 2.0-5.0 M H2SO4. The capacity of poly(dibenzo-18-crown-6) for uranium(VI) was found to be 0.92 +/- 0.01 mmol g(-1) of crown polymer. Uranium(VI) was separated from a number of cations in binary as well as in multicomponent mixtures. The method was extended to the determination of uranium in geological samples. It is possible to separate and determine 5 ppm of uranium(VI) by this method. The method is very simple, rapid, selective and has good reproducibility (approximately +/- 2%).