Chemical composition,antibacterial and anticancer activities of volatile oil of Melicope denhamii leaves

Melicope denhamii leaf volatile oil was isolated by hydrodistillation, and twenty-six constituents comprising 95.95% of the leaf oil were characterised by gas chromatographic techniques. Sesquiterpenes, zierone (22.49%) and α-gurjunene (19.96%), were identified as the major components. M. denhamii leaf oil tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria showed significant activity against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. Anticancer activity of M. denhamii leaf oil against Dalton's lymphoma ascites cells was assessed by trypan blue exclusion and MTT assays, and the oil showed significant cytotoxicity at CD₅₀ of 12.2 μg/mL. Induction of apoptosis on DLA cells by M. denhamii leaf oil was confirmed by morphological observation, nuclear damage and comet assays.     

10 Hz flicker improves recognition memory in older people

Background  

10 Hz electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha rhythms correlate with memory performance. Alpha and memory decline in older people. We wished to test if alpha-like EEG activity contributes to memory formation. Flicker can elicit alpha-like EEG activity. We tested if alpha-frequency flicker enhances memory in older people. Pariticpants aged 67–92 identified short words that followed 1 s of flicker at 9.0 Hz, 9.5 Hz, 10.0 Hz, 10.2 Hz, 10.5 Hz, 11.0 Hz, 11.5 Hz or 500 Hz. A few minutes later, we tested participants' recognition of the words (without flicker).     

Sufficient structure conditions for uniqueness of viscosity solutions of semilinear and quasilinear equations

In this article, we introduce a new approach for proving Maximum Principle type results for viscosity solutions of second-order, fully nonlinear possibly degenerate elliptic equations. This approach leads, in particular, to a better understanding of the conditions on the equation which are necessary to obtain such results. It allows us to provide new comparison results for semilinear and quasilinear equations.     

Uniqueness of unbounded viscosity solutions for impulse control problem

We study here the impulse control problem in infinite as well as finite horizon. We allow the cost functionals and dynamics to be unbounded and hence the value function can possibly be unbounded. We prove that the value function is the unique viscosity solution in a suitable subclass of continuous functions, of the associated quasivariational inequality. Our uniqueness proof for the infinite horizon problem uses stopping time problem and for the finite horizon problem, comparison method. However, we assume proper growth conditions on the cost functionals and the dynamics.     

A Y-fed directional coupler modulator with a highly linear transfer curve

We demonstrated a linearized Y-fed directional coupler modulator in Z-cut LiNbO/sub 3/. The proof-of-concept device employed two electrode sections of opposite polarity whose lengths were chosen based on the results of our previous theoretical modeling. A highly linear modulation characteristic and improved tolerance to fabrication errors were achieved with a simple design, in excellent agreement with the theory. The linearity exceeded 90% over a wavelength range of 45 nm, centered around 1530 nm, with a maximum linearity of 97% at 1510 nm and a maximum modulation depth of 98%. By comparison, the linearity of conventional modulators is typically around 70%. Thus the device was proven to have a high linearity with a wide usable spectral range and relaxed fabrication tolerances.     

GC–MS method for the determination of paraben preservatives in the human breast cancerous tissue

The general presumption that the preservative laden personal care products may be one of the causative agents for breast cancer, has remained a matter of controversy during this decade. Extensive studies have not been carried out to either prove or disprove the role of preservatives in breast cancer incidences. In this study we have developed a new method for the identification and quantification of the preservatives such as methyl paraben (MeP), ethyl paraben (EtP), propyl paraben (PrP) and butyl paraben (BuP) in breast tissue using Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS). Tissue was extracted by using acetone:n-hexane mixture (1:1 v/v) and derivatized with N-Methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA). The extent of reaction time and the amount of MSTFA to attain greater derivatization were optimized. The developed method yielded good recovery (mean ± SD) of 99.8 ± 5.1, 96 ± 4.4, 107 ± 17 and 113 ± 13% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 5.1, 4.6, 15.6 and 13%, and the limits of detection (LOD) of 2.02, 1.05, 1.71 and 3.75 ng g^{− 1} for MeP, EtP, PrP and BuP, respectively. The method was successfully validated for the determination of parabens including butyl paraben (log K_ow = 3.57) in cancerous breast tissues; this could be a promising one for screening of breast tissues and also the environment for paraben residues. As far as our knowledge goes this is the first GC–MS method for the determination of parabens in human tissue.     

Construction of Approximate Saddle-Point Strategies for Differential Games in a Hilbert Space

Two-person zero-sum infinite-dimensional differential games with strategies and payoff as in Berkovitz (SIAM J. Control Optim. 23: 173–196, 1985) are studied. Using Yosida type approximations of the infinitesimal generator (of the unbounded dynamics) by bounded linear operators, we prove convergence theorems for the approximate value functions. This is used to construct approximate saddle-point strategies in feedback form. A.J. Shaiju: NBHM Postdoctoral Fellow and the financial support from NBHM is gratefully acknowledged.     

Rings, chains and cages in metal phosphate chemistry: The interdependence and possible interconversion between various structural forms

Our endeavour to build soluble model compounds of basic building blocks in zeolite structures have resulted in a plethora of main group and transition metal phosphate complexes. Many of these complexes show highly intriguing and novel structural features. Careful examination of the core structures allowed us to rationalize the interdependence between the different structural types and visualize their plausible pathway of formation. Due to the high reactivity and short life span of the intermediates it has not been possible to characterize many intermediates. However, the common structural features present in the isolated products drive us to arrive at a plausible mechanism. Further investigation and isolation of other structural types will definitely provide more credential to these hypotheses and help us to solve the zeolite jigsaw.