Optical absorption spectroscopic studies on holmium(III) complexes with beta-diketone and heterocyclic amines: the environment effect on 4f-4f hypersensitive transitions

The optical absorption spectra of [Ho(acac)(3)(H(2)O)(2)].H(2)O, [Ho(acac)(3)phen] and [Ho(acac)(3)bpy] (where acac is the anion of acetylacetone; phen is 1,10-phenanthroline and bpy is 2,2'-bipyridyl) complexes in the visible region, in a series of non-aqueous solvents (methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, chloroform, acetonitrile and pyridine.) have been analyzed. The largest intensity variation was observed in the (5)G(6)<--(5)I(8) (centered at 450 nm), and (5)G(5), (3)H(5), (3)H(6)<--(5)I(8) (centered at 360 nm) transition regions. The band shape and oscillator strength of the hypersensitive transitions display pronounced changes as compared to Ho(3+) aqua-ion. The band shapes of the hypersensitive transitions show remarkable changes on passing from aqueous solution to various non-aqueous solutions which is the result of change in the environment about the Ho(III) ion in the various solutions and suggests coordination of solvent molecule(s), in some cases. The results clearly show that among the solvents studied pyridine is the most effective in promoting the 4f-4f spectral intensity. It has been inferred from this study that 2,2'-bipyridyl is a stronger ligand for heavier lanthanides. A comparative account of hypersensitivity in the present complexes with those of other adducts of Ho(beta-diketoenolate)(3) with heterocyclic amines is discussed. The TGA analyses showed that the phen complex is thermally more stable over its bpy analogue.     

Optimality Conditions for Isolated Local Minimum of Nonsmooth Multiobjective Problems

This article is devoted to the study of Fritz John and strong Kuhn-Tucker necessary conditions for properly efficient solutions, efficient solutions and isolated efficient solutions of a nonsmooth multiobjective optimization problem involving inequality and equality constraints and a set constraints in terms of the lower Hadamard directional derivative. Sufficient conditions for the existence of such solutions are also provided where the involved functions have pseudoconvex sublevel sets. Our results are based on the concept of pseudoconvex sublevel sets. The functions with pseudoconvex sublevel sets are a class of generalized convex functions that include quasiconvex functions.     

Phytoconstituents from the rhizomes of Curcuma aromatica Salisb.

Phytochemical investigation of the chloroform extract of the rhizomes of Curcuma aromatica Salisb. (Zingiberaceae) yielded three new phytoconstituents characterized as n-heneitriacontan-14-one; n-pentatriacontan-5-one; 11α-cyclopentyl-n-decan-1-ol (curcumapentadecanol) along with the known compounds stigmasterol and n-nonacosan-1-ol. The structures of these phytoconstituents have been elucidated on the basis of structural data analysis and chemical reactions.     

Promises and potential pitfalls of a ‘cognitive neuroscience of mathematics learning’

The present commentary discusses the papers of the special issue on ‘cognitive neuroscience and mathematics learning’ with respect to methodological and theoretical constraints of using neuroscientific methods to study educationally relevant processes associated with mathematics learning. A special focus is laid on the relevance of subject populations, methodological limitations of current neuroimaging methods and theoretical questions concerning the relationship between the well-studied neural correlates of numerical magnitude processing and the less-investigated neural processes underlying higher level mathematical skills, such as algebraic reasoning.     

Preparation and Characterization of Polyhydroxyalkanoates Macroporous Scaffold Through Enzyme-Mediated Modifications

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are hydrophobic biodegradable thermoplastics that have received considerable attention in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, mechanical properties, and biodegradability. In this study, the degradation rate was regulated by optimizing the interaction of parameters that influence the enzymatic degradation of P(3HB) film using response surface methodology (RSM). The RSM model was experimentally validated yielding a maximum 21 % weight loss, which represents onefold increment in percentage weight loss in comparison with the conventional method. By using the optimized condition, the enzymatic degradation by an extracellular PHA depolymerase from Acidovorax sp. DP5 was studied at 37 °C and pH 9.0 on different types of PHA films with various monomer compositions. Surface modification of scaffold was employed using enzymatic technique to create highly porous scaffold with a large surface to volume ratio, which makes them attractive as potential tissue scaffold in biomedical field. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the surface of salt-leached films was more porous compared with the solvent-cast films, and hence, increased the degradation rate of salt-leached films. Apparently, enzymatic degradation behaviors of PHA films were determined by several factors such as monomer composition, crystallinity, molecular weight, porosity, and roughness of the surface. The hydrophilicity and water uptake of degraded salt-leached film of P(3HB-co-70%4HB) were enhanced by incorporating chitosan or alginate. Salt-leached technique followed by partial enzymatic degradation would enhance the cell attachment and suitable for biomedical as a scaffold.     

A novel, one-pot, solvent-, and catalyst-free synthesis of 2-aryl/alkyl-4(3H)-quinazolinones

A novel and one-pot synthesis of 2-aryl/alkyl-4(3H)-quinazolinones is described. The in situ prepared amidoximes from the reaction between nitriles and hydroxylamine are condensed with anthranilic acids under solvent- and catalyst-free conditions to produce the title compounds in excellent yields.     

Iterative algorithms for systems of extended regularized nonconvex variational inequalities and fixed point problems

This paper points out some fatal errors in the equivalent formulations used in Noor 2011 [Noor MA. Projection iterative methods for solving some systems of general nonconvex variational inequalities. Applied Analysis. 2011;90:777–786] and consequently in Noor 2009 [Noor MA. System of nonconvex variational inequalities. Journal of Advanced Research Optimization. 2009;1:1–10], Noor 2010 [Noor MA, Noor KI. New system of general nonconvex variational inequalities. Applied Mathematics E-Notes. 2010;10:76–85] and Wen 2010 [Wen DJ. Projection methods for a generalized system of nonconvex variational inequalities with different nonlinear operators. Nonlinear Analysis. 2010;73:2292–2297]. Since these equivalent formulations are the main tools to suggest iterative algorithms and to establish the convergence results, the algorithms and results in the aforementioned articles are not valid. It is shown by given some examples. To overcome with the problems in these papers, we consider a new system of extended regularized nonconvex variational inequalities, and establish the existence and uniqueness result for a solution of the aforesaid system. We suggest and analyse a new projection iterative algorithm to compute the unique solution of the system of extended regularized nonconvex variational inequalities which is also a fixed point of a nearly uniformly Lipschitzian mapping. Furthermore, the convergence analysis of the proposed iterative algorithm under some suitable conditions is studied. As a consequence, we point out that one can derive the correct version of the algorithms and results presented in the above mentioned papers.     

Predictor–Corrector Methods for General Regularized Nonconvex Variational Inequalities

This paper is devoted to the study of a new class of nonconvex variational inequalities, named general regularized nonconvex variational inequalities. By using the auxiliary principle technique, a new modified predictor–corrector iterative algorithm for solving general regularized nonconvex variational inequalities is suggested and analyzed. The convergence of the iterative algorithm is established under the partially relaxed monotonicity assumption. As a consequence, the algorithm and results presented in the paper overcome incorrect algorithms and results existing in the literature.