Performance study of LaBr3:Ce detectors coupled to R2083 PM tube for energy and timing characteristics

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Performance of 1″?×?1″ LaBr3 (5% Ce) scintillator coupled to Hamamatsu R2083 PM Tube has been investigated for the...     

Designing hierarchical NiCo2S4 nanospheres with enhanced electrochemical performance for supercapacitors

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Hierarchical nanostructure materials have attracted significant attention due to their fascinating structural features for the application of...     

Field of linear frames as a fundamental self-interacting system

We present some philosophical and physical arguments supporting the hypothesis that the most fundamental self-interacting field in an amorphous space-time is the field of linear frames, i.e. the quadruple of vector bosons. We construct a wide class of Lagrangian dynamical models invariant under the total group of diffeomorphisms and under the natural action of the proper linear group GL⁺ (4, R) on the tetrad field. There exist some links between these models and the Hamiltonian dynamical systems on GL⁺ (3, R) (the mechanics of affinely-rigid bodies [23] [27]). We present the general form of field equations, conservation laws and Bianchi identities. There exist some formal similarities between our Lagrangians and those used in non-linear electrodynamics, in particular in the Born–Infeld theory [21]. We also give a few rough remarks concerning models invariant under natural subgroups of GL⁺ (4, R), i.e. under SL(4, R) and SO(1, 3; R) (special linear group and Lorentz group). The latter class includes the conventional Einstein relativity and the more general metrical-parallelism models. It turns out that there are GL⁺ (4, R)-invariant Lagrangians which are structurally alike the conventional Einstein Lagrangian.We have not derived as yet either mathematical or physical consequences of the presented model. Nevertheless, it seems to follow from our discussion that, a priori, the GL⁺ (4, R)-invariant tetrad models could be competitive with the Einstein theory. The next thing to be done would be a careful mathematical analysis of these models and attempts to compare their consequences with those of the Einstein relativity and of other field theories.     

Effect of high gamma dose on the PADC properties

The effect of the properties of PADC nuclear track detectors after exposure to high doses of gamma absorbed doses up to 5×10⁵ Gray (50 Mrad) were studied. The gamma source was a 9.03 PBq (244 KCi), Co-60 source. Results indicate that each of the bulk etch rate (V_b), the tracks etch rate (V_t) and the sensitivity (V) of the detectors increases with the high gamma absorbed dose, but there is a drop in these parameters at the low gamma absorbed dose. Signs of surface roughness were observed by increasing the gamma absorbed doses and changes in color observed for doses larger than 2×10⁵ Gray. The temperature of detectors during irradiation time reached 41°C. The fission fragment tracks (from Cf-252 source) disappeared quickly within the etching time (minutes) for total absorbed doses greater than 3×10⁵ Gray due to their high bulk etch rate.     

Analytic wave functions and energies for two-dimensional \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} -symmetric quartic potentials

Analytic wave functions and the corresponding energies for a class of the $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} $ -symmetric two-dimensional quartic potentials are found. The general form of the solutions is discussed.     

Two-Dimensional Supramolecular Polymerization of a Bis-Urea Macrocycle into a Brick-Like Hydrogen-Bonded Network

We report on a dendronized bis-urea macrocycle 1 self-assembling via a cooperative mechanism into two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets formed solely by alternated urea-urea hydrogen bonding interactions. The pure macrocycle self-assembles in bulk into one-dimensional liquid-crystalline columnar phases. In contrast, its self-assembly mode drastically changes in CHCl₃ or tetrachloroethane, leading to 2D hydrogen-bonded networks. Theoretical calculations, complemented by previously reported crystalline structures, indicate that the 2D assembly is formed by a brick-like hydrogen bonding pattern between bis-urea macrocycles. This assembly is promoted by the swelling of the trisdodecyloxyphenyl groups upon solvation, which frustrates, due to steric effects, the formation of the thermodynamically more stable columnar macrocycle stacks. This work proposes a new design strategy to access 2D supramolecular polymers by means of a single non-covalent interaction motif, which is of great interest for materials development.     

Natural Small Molecules in Gastrointestinal Tract and Associated Cancers: Molecular Insights and Targeted Therapies

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Although surgery is the primary treatment, serious maladies that dissipate to other parts of the body may require chemotherapy. As there is no effective procedure to treat stomach cancer, natural small molecules are a current focus of research interest for the development of better therapeutics. Chemotherapy is usually used as a last resort for people with advanced stomach cancer. Anti-colon cancer chemotherapy has become increasingly effective due to drug resistance and sensitivity across a wide spectrum of drugs. Naturally-occurring substances have been widely acknowledged as an important project for discovering innovative medications, and many therapeutic pharmaceuticals are made from natural small molecules. Although the beneficial effects of natural products are as yet unknown, emerging data suggest that several natural small molecules could suppress the progression of stomach cancer. Therefore, the underlying mechanism of natural small molecules for pathways that are directly involved in the pathogenesis of cancerous diseases is reviewed in this article. Chemotherapy and molecularly-targeted drugs can provide hope to colon cancer patients. New discoveries could help in the fight against cancer, and future stomach cancer therapies will probably include molecularly formulated drugs.     

Stress induced half-metallicity in surface defected germanium nanowires

Germanium nanowires (GeNWs) with single, double, quadruple and octuple surface dangling bonds (SDBs) are investigated using density-functional-theory calculations. We show that single SDB defected GeNWs remain semiconducting as their non-defected form while double or multiple SDB defects result in either semiconducting or metallic GeNWs, depending on the defect's locations on the surface. More importantly, we show that the electronic properties of surface defected GeNWs can also be fine-tuned by applying tensile and compressive strains. Upon the right loading, the surface defected GeNWs become half-metallic. In addition, we determine that the surface defected GeNWs can be classified into three classes: (1) GeNWs with zero magnetic moment, which are either metallic or semiconducting; (2) GeNWs with net magnetic moments equal to the number of SDBs, which are semiconducting with distinct spin-up and spin-down configurations; and (3) GeNWs with net magnetic moments significantly lower than the number of SDBs. We also find that only the defected GeNWs that fall under (3) are potentially half-metallic. Our results predict that half-metallic GeNWs can be obtained via engineering of the surface defects and the structures without the presence of impurity dopants.     

Regioselective Synthesis of 1,8-Naphthyridinone-Annulated Oxygen and Sulfur Heterocycles by Tri-n-butyl Tinhydride–Mediated Aryl Radical Cyclization

The tin hydride–mediated cyclizations of a number of ethers, sulfides, and sulfones under mild, neutral conditions have been investigated. While the 2-bromobenzyloxy ethers were prepared in 62–65% yields by the alkylation of 4-hydroxy-1-phenyl-1,8-naphthyridin-2(1H)-one with 2-bromobenzyl bromides in refluxing acetone in the presence of anhydrous potassium carbonate, the sulfides were derived from 4-mercapto-1-phenyl-1,8-naphthyridin-2(1H)-one and 2-bromobenzyl bromides in 82–84% yields by a phase-transfer catalysis (PTC) reaction. The corresponding sulfones were prepared by treatment of the sulfides with m-CPBA in refluxing dichloromethane. The ethers, sulfides, and the sulfones were treated with ⁿ Bu₃SnH-AIBN to give regioselectively 1,8-naphthyridinone-annulated oxygen and sulfur heterocycles in 70–78% yields.     

Synthesis and structure of a chiral areno-bridged [2.4]metacyclophane

The reductive coupling reaction of 1,4-bis(3-acetyl-5-tert-butyl-2-methoxyphenyl)butane 3 was carried out using TiCl₄-Zn in pyridine followed by a McMurry coupling reaction to afford the compounds anti and syn 1,2-dimethyl[2.4]MCP-1-ene 4. Bromination of 4 with BTMA-Br₃ in dry CH₂Cl₂ afforded the interesting compound 1,2-bis-(bromomethyl)-5,15-di-tert-butyl-8,18-dimethoxy[2.4]MCP-1-ene 6 and consecutive debromination with Zn and AcOH in CH₂Cl₂ solution afforded the stable solid 5,15-di-tert-butyl-8,18-dimethoxy-1,2-dimethylene[2.4]MCP 7 in 89% yield. Compound 7 was conveniently employed in a Diels–Alder reaction with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) to provide 2-(3′,6′-dihydrobenzo)-5,15-di-tert-butyl-8,18-dimethoxy[2.4]MCP-4′,5′-dimethylcarboxylate 8 in good yield. Diels–Alder adduct 8 was converted into a novel and inherently chiral areno-bridged compound [2.4]MCP 9 by aromatization. The chirality of the two conformers was characterized by circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the separated enantiomer which are perfect mirror images of each other.