Chromatic and opto-mechanical dispersion of some characteristic parameters of optical fiber undergoing macrobending

Bending of optical fiber leads to an induced-anisotropy in the index profile that influences many important guiding fiber parameters. An analytical method is described for the measurement of refractive-index-wavelength dispersion in bent optical fibers. Multiple-beam Fizeau fringes technique at transmission is used to analyze the opto-mechanical properties and induced-index anisotropy in a standard single-mode fiber undergoes pure mechanical macrobending. The shift in Fizeau fringes is employed to evaluate the dispersion of the cladding material of the bent fiber. The radial variations in Cauchy’s coefficients and the associated variations of some fiber parameters due to macrobending are carried out. The radial profiles of some material parameters such as oscillation energy, dispersion energy, lattice energy and material dispersion are measured as well. The presented method is capable to achieve quantitative and qualitative measurements, which is not available with other methods. The method has a good index resolution in the order of 10⁻⁴ and spatial resolution of 1.3 μm.     

Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactions with Thiazolonylhydrazones: A New Route for the Synthesis of Several New Thienyl- and Furyl-Thiazolonylpyrrolopyrazole Derivatives of Expected Biological Activities

Several new pyrrolopyrazoles were synthesized via the reactions of each of 2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde thiazolonylhydrazone or 2-furaldehyde thiazolonylhydrazone with N -substituted maleimides followed by partial dehydogenation using bromobenzene and complete aromatization using nitrobenzene. Structures were established on the basis of elemental analyses and spectroscopic data studies.     

Investigation of the vibrational modes of ZnO grown by MOCVD on different orientation planes

Wurtzite ZnO thin films were prepared on sapphire substrate by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Raman scattering studies on different crystallographic textures were performed in the backscattering geometry, and polarization effect is investigated in different configurations and . ZnO Raman modes are investigated in each texture. In the case of ZnO thin film deposed on r‐() sapphire plane and using backscattering geometry, new Raman line was observed at 390 cm⁻¹ because this mode has not been noticed in this geometry. It is shown that the frequencies of the quasi‐phonon modes of the examined thin film are in good agreement with the theoretical values calculated within the framework of Loudon model. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Deciphering the Role of Filamin B Calponin-Homology Domain in Causing the Larsen Syndrome,Boomerang Dysplasia,and Atelosteogenesis Type I Spectrum Disorders via a Computational Approach

Filamins (FLN) are a family of actin-binding proteins involved in regulating the cytoskeleton and signaling phenomenon by developing a network with F-actin and FLN-binding partners. The FLN family comprises three conserved isoforms in mammals: FLNA, FLNB, and FLNC. FLNB is a multidomain monomer protein with domains containing an actin-binding N-terminal domain (ABD 1–242), encompassing two calponin-homology domains (assigned CH1 and CH2). Primary variants in FLNB mostly occur in the domain (CH2) and surrounding the hinge-1 region. The four autosomal dominant disorders that are associated with FLNB variants are Larsen syndrome, atelosteogenesis type I (AOI), atelosteogenesis type III (AOIII), and boomerang dysplasia (BD). Despite the intense clustering of FLNB variants contributing to the LS-AO-BD disorders, the genotype-phenotype correlation is still enigmatic. In silico prediction tools and molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) approaches have offered the potential for variant classification and pathogenicity predictions. We retrieved 285 FLNB missense variants from the UniProt, ClinVar, and HGMD databases in the current study. Of these, five and 39 variants were located in the CH1 and CH2 domains, respectively. These variants were subjected to various pathogenicity and stability prediction tools, evolutionary and conservation analyses, and biophysical and physicochemical properties analyses. Molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) was performed on the three candidate variants in the CH2 domain (W148R, F161C, and L171R) that were predicted to be the most pathogenic. The MDS analysis results showed that these three variants are highly compact compared to the native protein, suggesting that they could affect the protein on the structural and functional levels. The computational approach demonstrates the differences between the FLNB mutants and the wild type in a structural and functional context. Our findings expand our knowledge on the genotype-phenotype correlation in FLNB-related LS-AO-BD disorders on the molecular level, which may pave the way for optimizing drug therapy by integrating precision medicine.     

2-Hydroxyestradiol Overcomes Mesenchymal Stem Cells-Mediated Platinum Chemoresistance in Ovarian Cancer Cells in an ERK-Independent Fashion

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the second most common type of gynecological malignancy. Platinum (Pt)-based chemotherapy is the standard of care for OC, but toxicity and acquired chemoresistance has proven challenging. Recently, we reported that sensitivity to platinum was significantly reduced in a co-culture of OC cells with MSC. To discover compounds capable of restoring platinum sensitivity, we screened a number of candidates and monitored ability to induce PARP cleavage. Moreover, we monitored platinum uptake and expression of ABC transporters in OC cells. Our results showed that 2-hydroxyestradiol (2HE2), a metabolite of estradiol, and dasatinib, an Abl/Src kinase inhibitor, were significantly effective in overcoming MSC-mediated platinum drug resistance. Dasatinib activity was dependent on ERK1/2 activation, whereas 2HE2 was independent of the activation of ERK1/2. MSC-mediated platinum drug resistance was accompanied by reduced intracellular platinum concentrations in OC cells. Moreover, MSC co-cultured with OC cells resulted in downregulation of the expression of cellular transporters required for platinum uptake and efflux. Exposure to 2HE2 and other modulators resulted in an increase in intracellular platinum concentrations. Thus, 2HE2 and dasatinib might act as sensitizers to restore platinum drug sensitivity to OC cells and thus to limit TME-mediated chemoresistance in OC.     

Li<Superscript>+</Superscript> ion conductivity and transport properties of LiYP<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> compound

A lithium yttrium diphosphate LiYP₂O₇ was prepared by a solid-state reaction method. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction pattern suggests the formation of the single phase desired compound with monoclinic structure at room temperature. The infrared and Raman spectrum of this compound was interpreted on the basis of P₂O₇ ^4? vibrations. The AC conductivity was measured in the frequency range from 100 to 10⁶ Hz and temperatures between 473 and 673 K using impedance spectroscopy technique. The obtained results were analyzed by fitting the experimental data to the equivalent circuit model. The Cole–Cole diagram determined complex impedance for different temperatures. The angular frequency dependence of the AC conductivity is found to obey Jonscher’s relation. The temperature dependence of σ _AC could be described in terms of Arrhenius relation with two activation energies, 0.87 eV in region I and 1.36 eV in region II. The study of temperature variation of the exponent(s) reveals two conduction models: the AC conduction dependence upon temperature is governed by the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model in region I (T < 540 K) and non-overlapping small polaron tunneling (NSPT) model in region II (T > 540 K). The near value of activation energies obtained from the equivalent circuit and DC conductivity confirms that the transport is through ion hopping mechanism dominated by the motion of the Li⁺ ion in the structure of the investigated material.     

Attraction behaviour of Anagrus nilaparvatae to remote lemongrass (Cymbopogon distans) oil and its volatile compounds

Utilisation of Anagrus nilaparvatae is a promising and effective method for planthoppers manipulation. Twenty-seven components of remote lemongrass (Cymbopogon distans) oil were identified by GC/MS and nine volatiles were selected for behavioural experiments. In this study, we noted that the remote lemongrass oil was attractive to female A. nilaparvatae at concentrations of 0.1 and 1 mg/L. α-Pinene, β-pinene, eucalyptol, carveol and D-carvone attracted female wasps in the dose-dependent bioassays. Blend 1 (a mixture of eucalyptol, D-carvone, carveol, α-pinene, and β-pinene with ratios of remote lemongrass oil volatiles of 625:80:11:5:3) attracted female wasps at 10 mg/L, while blend 2 (a mixture of the same five volatiles at the same loading ratio) attracted them at 0.1 and 1 mg/L. These results suggested that plant essential oils could be attractants for natural enemies to control pests. The ratios of volatiles in the mixtures affect the attractiveness of the synthetic mixtures.     

Disappearing Polymorphs in Metal–Organic Framework Chemistry: Unexpected Stabilization of a Layered Polymorph over an Interpenetrated Three-Dimensional Structure in Mercury Imidazolate

The “disappearing polymorph” phenomenon is well established in organic solids, and has had a profound effect in pharmaceutical materials science. The first example of this effect in metal-containing systems in general, and in coordination-network solids in particular, is here reported. Specifically, attempts to mechanochemically synthesize a known interpenetrated diamondoid (dia) mercury(II) imidazolate metal–organic framework (MOF) yielded a novel, more stable polymorph based on square-grid (sql) layers. Simultaneously, the dia-form was found to be highly elusive, observed only as a short-lived intermediate in monitoring solvent-free synthesis and not at all from solution. The destabilization of a dense dia-framework relative to a lower dimensionality one is in contrast to the behavior of other imidazolate MOFs, with periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations showing that it arises from weak interactions, including structure-stabilizing agostic C−H⋅⋅⋅Hg contacts. While providing a new link between MOFs and crystal engineering of organic solids, these findings highlight a possible role for agostic interactions in directing topology and stability of MOF polymorphs.     

Improvement of photoluminescence and electrical properties of porous silicon layer treated with lanthanum

The influence of surface treatment of porous silicon (PS) in lanthanum (La) containing solution during different times on its photoluminescence and electrical properties has been investigated. For this purpose, chemical composition, structural, vibrational, photoluminescence and electrical characteristics of the porous silicon layer with and without lanthanum were examined using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, Fourier transmission infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and current–voltage (I–V) measurements. The results indicate that porous silicon layers treated with lanthanum exhibit an enhancement of photoluminescence intensity and show an improvement current intensity compared to untreated porous silicon layer.