Etching and Polishing Studies on MgO Crystals in Acids

The effect of temperature and concentration of a variety of inorganic and organic acids, on etch rates is investigated. It is observed that in HCl, CH₃COOH and C₂H₅COOH the value of activation energy of dissolution and that of the corresponding pre-exponential factor are sensitive to acid concentration. In H₃PO₄ and HCOOH, while the value of activation energy remains unchanged, only the pre-exponential factor changes. The concentration dependence of etch rates in HCl, CH₃COOH and C₂H₅COOH is different from that of H₃PO₄ and HCOOH. In the former acids maximum and minimum values are obtained on the etch rate versus concentration curves, but in the letter ones etch rate slowly increases with concentration. The influence of temperature on the maximum value of etch rate on the etch rate-concentration plots of HCl, and that of the degree of dissociation of the acids on etch rate are also studied. The observations are discussed, and important conclusions are enumerated.     

Bounds tightening based on optimality conditions for nonconvex box-constrained optimization

First-order optimality conditions have been extensively studied for the development of algorithms for identifying locally optimal solutions. In this work, we propose two novel methods that directly exploit these conditions to expedite the solution of box-constrained global optimization problems. These methods carry out domain reduction by application of bounds tightening methods on optimality conditions. This scheme is implicit and avoids explicit generation of optimality conditions through symbolic differentation, which can be memory and time intensive. The proposed bounds tightening methods are implemented in the global solver BARON. Computational results on a test library of 327 problems demonstrate the value of our proposed approach in reducing the computational time and number of nodes required to solve these problems to global optimality.     

On generalized balanced optimization problems

In the generalized balanced optimization problem (GBaOP) the objective value \({\max_{e \in S}{|c(e)-k\max(S)|}}\) is minimized over all feasible subsets S of E = {1, . . . , m}. We show that the algorithm proposed in Punnen and Aneja (Oper Res Lett 32:27–30, 2004) can be modified to ensure that the resulting solution is indeed optimal. This modification is attained at the expense of increased worst-case complexity, but still maintains polynomial solvability of various special cases that are of general interest. In particular, we show that GBaOP can be solved in polynomial time if an associated bottleneck problem can be solved in polynomial time. For the solution of this bottleneck problem, we propose two alternative approaches.     

Scalable synthesis of cladosporin

Cladosporin, a secondary metabolite isolated from fungal sources like Cladosporium cladosporioides and Aspergillus flavus was found to exhibit selective nano-molar activity against malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum by inhibiting parasitic protein biosynthesis. In addition, this natural product has a broad range of bioactivities including, antiparasitic, antifungal, antibacterial as well as plant growth inhibition. However, it has limited availability from the natural sources for further development. Herein, we report a modified and improved synthetic route which led us to produce this potent natural product in a gram scale. Conversion of the undesired diastereomer to desired one via Mitsunobu inversion of secondary alcohol and carbon monoxide insertion reaction towards the construction of isocoumarin unit are the key features of the present synthesis.     

Drug and surfactant transport in Cyclosporine A and Brij 98 laden p-HEMA hydrogels

Surfactants are commonly incorporated into hydrogels to increase solute loading and attenuate the release rates. In this paper we focus on understanding and modeling the mechanisms of both surfactant and drug transport in hydrogels. Specifically, we focus on Brij 98 as the surfactant, Cyclosporine A (CyA) as the hydrophobic drug, and poly-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate (p-HEMA) as the polymer. The models developed here are validated by experiments conducted with gels of different thicknesses and surfactant loadings. Also the model is compared with prior experimental studies in literature. The model predicts that the percentage surfactant as well as drug release scales as 1/(surfactant loading)(0.5), and thus a four fold increase in surfactant loading leads to a two fold reduction in percentage release for both drug and surfactant at a given time. The models for the surfactant and drug release are fitted to the experimental data to obtain values of 1.44 x 10(-14) m(2)/s for CyA diffusivity and 414.4 for the partition coefficient between drug concentration inside the micelle and that in the gel. These models can be very helpful in tuning the drug release rates from hydrogels by controlling the surfactant concentration. The results also show that Brij 98 loaded p-HEMA exhibit an extended release of CyA and so contact lenses made with this material can be used for extended ocular delivery of CyA, which is an immunosuppressant drug commonly used for treatment of various ocular ailments.     

A review on iron chelators as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases

Iron plays a vital role in several cellular functions due to its unique physiochemical properties. Iron concentration increases in the brain with age due to multiple factors. Excessive amount of iron can lead to formation of reactive oxygen species. Neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by iron supplemented increase in oxidative stress and cellular damage. There is an urgent need of novel therapies which should not only provide symptomatic relief but also be able to modulate iron accumulation in the brain. Therefore, the development of novel iron chelators as neuroprotective agents for the treatment of neurodegeneration is an emerging trend. Several iron chelators including 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives, dopaminergic agonists and natural products are under preclinical and clinical investigations for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

     

The absolute configurations of (+)-thalictrifoline and (+)-corydalic acid methyl ester. Total synthesis of (+)-thalictrifoline.

(+)-Thalictrifoline ($\text{3}$) has been synthesized from an optically resolved (+)-8-oxo-13-carboxytetrahydroprotoberberine ($\text{13}$) whose absolute configuration was established by correlation with (+)-$\text{18}$. This determines the absolute configurations of (+)-thalictrifoline ($\text{3}$) as 13R, 14R aria (+)-corydalic acid methyl ester ($\text{9}$) as 3R, 4R.     

Metallatriazadiphosphorines of zinc(II), cadmium(II) and mercury(II)

Metallatriazadiphosphorine complexes corresponding to [{N(PPh₂NR)₂}M(OAc)] and [{N(PPh₂NR)₂}₂M], (R = Ph or SiMe₃; M = Zn, Cd or Hg) have been synthesized under strictly anhydrous and inert conditions by the reaction of the acyclic bis-silylated phosphazene ligand, [HN(PPh₂NSiMe₃)₂], or the bis-phenylated phosphazene ligand, [HN(PPh₂NPh)₂], with Zn, Cd and Hg acetate in 1:1 and 2:1 molar ratios. These complexes are highly soluble in common organic solvents, but unstable hydrolytically as well as thermally, even under reduced pressure. Molecular weight determinations in benzene indicated the monomeric nature of these complexes. Further, they have been characterized on the basis of elemental analysis and spectral studies: i.r. and n.m.r. (¹H, ¹³C and ³¹P) that plausibly reveal a trigonal planar and tetrahedral geometry around the metal atom in the complexes.