Solid Silica-based Sulphonic Acid as an Efficient Green Catalyst for the Selective Oxidation of Sulphides to Sulphoxides using NaCIO in Aqueous Media

A range of sulphides can be selectively oxidized to the corresponding sulphoxides in good yields using NaClO/silica sulphonic acid as an efficient and recyclable solid acid catalyst, in both water and 50/50 water/EtOH as solvents. The new method compares favourably with previous methods in the literature.Keywords: Silica sulphonic acid, heterogeneous catalyst, oxidation, sulphides, sulphoxide

Poly(ethylene)glycol/AlCl3 as a Green and Reusable System in the Synthesis of α,α’-bis(substituted-benzylidene) Cycloalkanones

Aluminum chloride has been found to be a highly efficient catalyst for the aldol condensation of aldehydes and cycloketones in poly(ethylene)glycol 400 at room temperature. The reaction is very fast, clean and environmentally benign for the synthesis of a variety of α,α’-bis(substituted-benzylidene) cycloalkanones.Keywords: Aluminum Chloride, Poly(ethylene)glycol, α,α’-bis(substituted-benzylidene) cycloalkanones, Aldol Condensatio

Investigation of implementing a synchronization protocol under multiprocessors hierarchical scheduling

In the multi-core and multiprocessor domain, there has been considerable work done on scheduling techniques assuming that real-time tasks are independent. In practice a typical real-time system usually share logical resources among tasks. However, synchronization in the multiprocessor area has not received enough attention. In this paper we investigate the possibilities of extending multiprocessor hierarchical scheduling to support an existing synchronization protocol (FMLP) in multiprocessor systems. We discuss problems regarding implementation of the synchronization protocol under the multiprocessor hierarchical scheduling

Effects of Mentha pulegium water extract dipping on quality and shelf life of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) during superchilled storage

The effects of Mentha pulegium water extract dipping on quality and shelf life of silver carp during superchilled storage were investigated. Fish samples were treated with water extract of 1 and 3% M. pulegium, and then stored at -3 οC for 30 days. The control and the treated fish samples were analyzed periodically for chemical (pH, PV, TBA, TVB-N), and sensory characteristics. The results indicated that the effect of M. pulegium extract dipping on fish samples was to retain their good quality characteristics and extend the shelf life during superchilled storage, which was supported by the results of chemical and sensory evaluation analyses. In this respect, the sample supplemented with 3% water extract was more potent compared with the 1% one in extending the shelf life of fish fillets

Search for color-suppressed B hadronic decay processes at the Υ(4S) resonance

Using 3.1fb^(-1) of data accumulated at the Υ(4S) by the CLEO-II detector, corresponding to 3.3×10^6 BB̅ pairs, we have searched for the color-suppressed B hadronic decay processes B^(0) → D^(0)(D^(*0))X^0, where X^0 is a light neutral meson π^0, ρ^0, η, η′ or ω. The D^(*0) mesons are reconstructed in D^(*0) → D^(0)π^(0) and the D^0 mesons in D^(0) → K^(-)π^(+), K^(-)π^(+)π^(0) and K^(-)π^(+)π^(+)π^(-) decay modes. No obvious signal is observed. We set 90% C.L. upper limits on these modes, varying from 1.2×10^(-4) for B^(0) → D^(0)π^(0) to 1.9×10^(-3) for B^(0) → D^(*0)η′

A detector interferometric calibration experiment for high precision astrometry

Context: Exoplanet science has made staggering progress in the last two decades, due to the relentless exploration of new detection methods and refinement of existing ones. Yet astrometry offers a unique and untapped potential of discovery of habitable-zone low-mass planets around all the solar-like stars of the solar neighborhood. To fulfill this goal, astrometry must be paired with high precision calibration of the detector. Aims: We present a way to calibrate a detector for high accuracy astrometry. An experimental testbed combining an astrometric simulator and an interferometric calibration system is used to validate both the hardware needed for the calibration and the signal processing methods. The objective is an accuracy of 5e-6 pixel on the location of a Nyquist sampled polychromatic point spread function. Methods: The interferometric calibration system produced modulated Young fringes on the detector. The Young fringes were parametrized as products of time and space dependent functions, based on various pixel parameters. The minimization of func- tion parameters was done iteratively, until convergence was obtained, revealing the pixel information needed for the calibration of astrometric measurements. Results: The calibration system yielded the pixel positions to an accuracy estimated at 4e-4 pixel. After including the pixel position information, an astrometric accuracy of 6e-5 pixel was obtained, for a PSF motion over more than five pixels. In the static mode (small jitter motion of less than 1e-3 pixel), a photon noise limited precision of 3e-5 pixel was reached

Dietary intake of benzo(a)pyrene and risk of esophageal cancer in north of Iran

One etiologic factor for high incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Golestan (Northeastern Iran) might be exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. We examined whether food and water are major sources of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) exposure in this population. We used a dietary questionnaire to assess the daily intake of staple food (rice and bread) and water in 3 groups: 40 ESCC Golestan cases, 40 healthy subjects from the same area, and 40 healthy subjects from a low-risk area in Southern Iran. We measured, by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with fluorescence detection, the BaP concentration of bread, rice, and water in samples obtained from these 3 groups and calculated the daily intake of BaP. Mean BaP concentration of staple foods and water was similar and within standard levels in both areas, but the daily intake of BaP was higher in controls from the high-risk area than in controls from the low-risk area (91.4 vs. 70.6 ng/day, P < 0.01). In the multivariate regression analysis, having ESCC had no independent effect on BaP, whereas residence in the low-risk area was associated with a significant decrease in total BaP intake. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons might, along with other risk factors, contribute to the high risk of ESCC in Golestan. Copyright © 2008, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Cancellation of Sudakov Logarithms in Radiative Decays of Quarkonia

We study infrared QCD effects in radiative quarkonia decays. We examine the endpoint region z -> 1 of the photon spectrum. We point out a cancellation mechanism for the corrections in $\alpha_s^n \ln^{m} (1-z)$, $m \leq 2 n$, in the short-distance coefficient for the color-singlet Fock state in the quarkonium. The cancellation is due to the coherence of the color radiation, and applies even though logarithmic contributions are present in the jet distributions associated with the decay. We comment on the implications of our results for the modeling of hadronization in the endpoint region and for the role of color-octet states in the quarkonium.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figur