Eye tissue structure and refraction alterations upon nondestructive laser action

A new approach to alterations in eye refraction upon nondestructive laser action on the sclera and cornea is studied. It is demonstrated in in vivo experiments on rabbit eyes that sequential laser irradiation of the sclera and cornea yields a significant alteration in the eye refraction. The collagen structure of the sclera and cornea is studied after the nondestructive laser action with noninvasive polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography. It is demonstrated that collagen fibers that provide for the cornea tension and applanation partially survive in the zone of the local denaturation of sclera. An irradiation mode that corresponds to an increase in the cornea’s plasticity and does not cause visible structural changes is chosen. The simplest theoretical model for alterations in the eye refraction upon the nonablative laser action on sclera is analyzed. The alteration in the cornea curvature upon stretching resulting from the local sclera coagulation and the corresponding decrease in its volume is calculated. The model makes it possible to approximately estimate the laser irradiation modes that provide the desired alterations in eye refraction.     

Loss in a rectangular optical waveguide induced by the crossover of a second waveguide

We calculate the loss induced in a single-mode rectangular optical waveguide by the presence of a second waveguide, perpendicular to the first, which crosses over the first waveguide at a variable distance d. Our calculation is applied to the analysis of several doped silica waveguides of practical importance for optical circuit design.     

Bounds for non‐periodic mixtures of infinitely many materials

We prove bounds on the homogenized coefficients for general non‐periodic mixtures of an arbitrary number of isotropic materials, in the heat conduction framework. The component materials and their proportions are given through the Young measure associated to the sequence of coefficient functions. Upper and lower bounds inequalities are deduced in terms of algebraic relations between this Young measure and the eigenvalues of the H‐limit matrix. The proofs employ arguments of compensated compactness and fine properties of Young measures. When restricted to the periodic case, we recover known bounds. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural features of glasses in the GaF3-SnF2 system

The structure of 65SnF₂-35GaF₃, 75SnF₂-25GaF₃, and 85SnF₂-15GaF₃ glasses is studied using Raman and IR spectroscopy. The glass structure in the SnF₂-GaF₃ system is formed by a mixed network of fluorogallate and fluorostannate groups. A boson peak is observed in the low-frequency region (～29 cm^?1) of the Raman spectra of the glasses. The shape of the boson peak signifies that the glass does not separate into components on the nanometer scale.     

Comparison between radioimmunoanalysis and Mancini methods for a case of ascorbic acid radioprotection on rats contaminated with tritiated water

The recovery of humoral immune response has been comparatively studied by a radioimmunoanalysis (RIA) method and by Mancini single immunoradial diffusion method in an experiment consisting in chronic contamination with low doses of tritiated water (HTO) and oral administration of high doses of ascorbic acid on rats as radioprotector. The radioprotective effect of ascorbic acid was found to be dependent both on the radiation dose and the amount of ascorbic acid administered.     

Cell-permeable GPNA with appropriate backbone stereochemistry and spacing binds sequence-specifically to RNA

Guanidine-based peptide nucleic acid (GPNA) with a d-backbone configuration and alternate spacing binds sequence-specifically to RNA and is readily taken up by both human somatic and embryonic stem (ES) cells.     

The intramolecular asymmetric Pauson-Khand cyclization as a novel and general stereoselective route to benzindene prostacyclins: synthesis of UT-15 (treprostinil)

A general and novel solution to the synthesis of biologically important stable analogues of prostacyclin PGI(2), namely benzindene prostacyclins, has been achieved via the stereoselective intramolecular Pauson-Khand cyclization (PKC). This work illustrates for the first time the synthetic utility and reliability of the asymmetric PKC route for synthesis and subsequent manufacture of a complex drug substance on a multikilogram scale. The synthetic route surmounts issues of individual step stereoselectivity and scalability. The key step in the synthesis involves efficient stereoselection effected in the PKC of a benzoenyne under the agency of the benzylic OTBDMS group, which serves as a temporary stereodirecting group that is conveniently removed via benzylic hydrogenolysis concomitantly with the catalytic hydrogenation of the enone PKC product. Thus the benzylic chiral center dictates the subsequent stereochemistry of the stereogenic centers at three carbon atoms (C(3a), C(9a), and C(1)).     

Internal approximation of quasi-variational inequalities

Summary In this paper the internal approximation of a quasi-variational inequality is considered. An algorithm of Bensoussan-Lions type is proposed for which the convergence is proved. These results are applied to Signorini problem with friction for which two error estimates and numerical examples are also given.     

Mannich Synthesis of Acetylenic Amino Alcohols in Aqueous Ionic Liquids

Terminal alkynols react with formaldehyde and secondary amines in aqueous ionic liquid [emim]HSO^–₄ in the presence of Cu(OAc) to afford the corresponding 1-(a-hydroxyalkyl)- or 1-(b-hydroxyalkyl)-2-(aminomethyl)acetylenes in better yields in comparison with the reaction in conventional organic solvents. The catalytic system can be easily recovered and recycled.     

Spectral-luminescent properties of silver molecular clusters and nanoparticles formed by ion exchange in antimony-doped photo-thermo-refractive glasses

Optics and Spectroscopy - The formation of silver molecular clusters and nanoparticles in photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glasses with different antimony contents has been investigated using ion...