Triterpenoids from the Stems of Momordica charantia

Two new cucurbitane triterpenes, (23E)‐7β‐methoxycucurbita‐5,23,25‐trien‐3β‐ol ( 1 ) and 23,25‐dihydroxy‐5β,19‐epoxycucurbit‐6‐ene‐3,24‐dione ( 2 ), and a new D : C‐friedooleanane triterpene, 3α‐[(E)‐feruloyloxy]‐D : C‐friedooleana‐7,9(11)‐dien‐29‐oic acid ( 3 ), together with two known D : C‐friedooleanane triterpenes, 3β‐[(E)‐feruloyloxy]‐D : C‐friedooleana‐7,9(11)‐dien‐29‐oic acid ( 4 ) and 3‐oxo‐D : C‐friedooleana‐7,9(11)‐dien‐29‐oic acid ( 5 ), were isolated from the stems of Momordica charantia. The structures of the new compounds 1 – 3 were determined by spectroscopic methods.     

Using oppositely charged ions to operate a three-station [2]rotaxane in two different switching modes

A [2]rotaxane undergoes switching of its bis-p-xylyl-[26]crown-6 (BPX26C6) component away from its guanidinium station toward its 2,2'-bipyridyl and carbamate stations upon the addition and removal of Zn(2+) and PO(4)(3-) ions, respectively.     

A strong two-photon induced phosphorescent Golgi-specific in vitro marker based on a heteroleptic iridium complex

A new heteroleptic iridium complex demonstrated low cytotoxicity and near-infrared excitation (via two-photon absorption) for target-specific in vitro Golgi imaging in various cell lines (HeLa and A549 cells) with two-photon absorption cross section (~350 GM) in DMSO.     

Combined DEMATEL technique with hybrid MCDM methods for creating the aspired intelligent global manufacturing & logistics systems

The concept of globalization has been prosperous in the past decades while manufacturing as well as logistics have already become one of the most significant issues in the globalization era. However, while modern globalized firms are leveraging both global manufacturing resources as well as logistics systems for pursuing higher quality, lower cost as well as product differentiation, how to evaluate, selecting an appropriate global manufacturing strategy by considering issues from both aspects of global manufacturing as well as logistics has become one of the most critical and difficult issues. Moreover, how the chosen intertwined global manufacturing as well as logistics system is to be optimized so that the aspired level of the global manufacturing system can be achieved have few been addressed. Thus, this research aims to resolve the above mentioned global manufacturing and logistics strategy selection as well as system reconfiguration issue. A Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique based novel multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) method with Analytic Network Process (ANP), Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) as well as VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) will be proposed for selecting and re-configuring the aspired global manufacturing and logistics system. An empirical study based on the global manufacturing and logistics system design of a semiconductor company will be provided for verifying the effectiveness of this proposed methodology.     

Investigations on the Photoreactions of Phenothiazine and Phenoxazine in Presence of 9-cyanoanthracene by Using Steady State and Time Resolved Spectroscopic Techniques

By using electrochemical, steady state and time resolved (fluorescence lifetime and transient absorption) spectroscopic techniques, detailed investigations were made to reveal the mechanisms of charge separation or forward electron transfer reactions within the electron donor phenothiazine (PTZH) or phenoxazine (PXZH) and well known electron acceptor 9-cyanoanthracene (CNA). The transient absorption spectra suggest that the charge separated species formed in the excited singlet state resulted from intermolecular photoinduced electron transfer reactions within the donor PTZH (or PXZH) and CNA acceptor relaxes to the corresponding triplet state. Though alternative mechanisms of via formations of contact neutral radical by H-transfer reaction have been proposed but the observed results obtained from the time resolved measurements indicate that the regeneration of ground state reactants is primarily responsible due to direct recombination of triplet contact ion-pair (CIP) or solvent-separated ion-pair (SSIP).     

HDTV/Gigabit Ethernet over bidirectional WDM-PON based on injection-locked Fabry-Perot laser diodes

Bidirectional high definition television (HDTV)/Gigabit Ethernet over wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM)-passive optical network (PON) based on injection-locked Fabry-Perot laser diodes (FP LDs) as transmitters were proposed and demonstrated. Injection-locked FP LDs, a particularly inexpensive option, are used to replace conventional distributed feedback (DFB) LDs. Services with 77 HDTV channels and 1 Gigabit Ethernet channel connection were successfully demonstrated over 40 km single-mode fiber (SMF) transport. Good performance of bit error rate (BER) and clear eye diagram were achieved in our proposed bidirectional WDM-PON.     

Extended VIKOR method in comparison with outranking methods

The VIKOR method was developed to solve MCDM problems with conflicting and noncommensurable (different units) criteria, assuming that compromising is acceptable for conflict resolution, the decision maker wants a solution that is the closest to the ideal, and the alternatives are evaluated according to all established criteria. This method focuses on ranking and selecting from a set of alternatives in the presence of conflicting criteria, and on proposing compromise solution (one or more). The VIKOR method is extended with a stability analysis determining the weight stability intervals and with trade-offs analysis. The extended VIKOR method is compared with three multicriteria decision making methods: TOPSIS, PROMETHEE, and ELECTRE. A numerical example illustrates an application of the VIKOR method, and the results by all four considered methods are compared.     

Dimers on a Simple-Quartic Net with a Vacancy

A seminal milestone in lattice statistics is the exact solution of the enumeration of dimers on a simple-quartic net obtained by Fisher, Kasteleyn, and Temperley (FKT) in 1961. An outstanding related and yet unsolved problem is the enumeration of dimers on a net with vacant sites. Here we consider this vacant-site problem with a single vacancy occurring at certain specific sites on the boundary of a simple-quartic net. First, using a bijection between dimer and spanning tree configurations due to Temperley, Kenyon, Propp, and Wilson, we establish that the dimer generating function is independent of the location of the vacancy, and deduce a closed-form expression for the generating function. We next carry out finite-size analyses of this solution as well as that of the FKT solution. Our analyses lead to a logarithmic correction term in the large-size expansion for the vacancy problem with free boundary conditions. A concrete example exhibiting this difference is given. We also find the central charge c=–2 in the language of conformal field theory for the vacancy problem, as versus the value c=1 when there is no vacancy.     

High birefringence and high resistivity isothiocyanate-based nematic liquid crystal mixtures

The molecular structures and physical properties of several single- and double-fluorinated isothiocyanatotolane, isothiocyanatocyclohexyltolane, and isothiocyanatoterphenyl compounds are reported. Two eutectic mixtures comprising these compounds are formulated and their properties evaluated. These mixtures exhibit a high birefringence, relatively low viscosity, high resistivity, and good photo and thermal stabilities. Potential applications of these mixtures for spatial light modulators, optical phased arrays, and high speed photonics are discussed.     

Synthesis of 1-[(3-Halo-1-Hydroxy-2-Propoxy)methyl]uracil and Thymine as Potential Antiviral Agents

3′-Halogen acyclonucleoside analogs have been prepared. The starting material, benzyl glycidyl ether (5) , prepared from eplchlorohydrin and sodium benzyloxidc, underwent ring opening by soft halogen ions to give l-benzyloxy-3-fluoro-2-propanol (6) , l-bcnzyloxy-3-chloro-2-propanol (7) , and l-benzyloxy-3- bromo-2-propanol (8) respectively. The treatment of 5 with lithium iodide in the presence of acetic acid provided 1-benzyloxy-3-iodo-2-propanol (9) . The treatment of 8 with sodium iodide in anhydrous acetone also produced l-benzyloxy-3-iodo-2-propanol (9) . Chloromethylation of these halohydrins 6-9 using paraformaldehyde and hydrogen chloride gas produced the chloromcthyl ethers 10-13 . These chloromethyl ethers without further purification were allowed to react with the silylated bases 16-17 , previously prepared by silylating the bases 14-15 with HMDS in the presence of ammonium sulfate to give 1- [(l-benzyloxy-3-halogen-2-propoxy)methyl]uracils and thymines 19-25 . The target compounds 26-33 were obtained respectively after the debcnzylation of 18-25 . Compounds 26, 27, 30 and 31 had no significant cell toxicity in the range of concentrations 0.001-20 mM. Compounds 26, 27, 28 and 29 have no significant activity against HSV II (for less than 2 mM there is a cytopathic effect). Compounds 30, 31, 32 and 33 show no activity against HSV II virus even at the level 20 mM.