Novel and efficient protocol for the syntheses of N-1 substituted thiohydantoin and a bicyclothiohydantoin under solvent-free conditions

A novel approach for the synthesis of N-1 substituted thiohydantoin has been developed to give quantitative yields of the desired products. The efficient synthesis of bis-thiohydantoin derivative and bicyclothiohydantoin has extended scope and applicability of present method. Solvent-free conditions and very easy work-up procedure make the reaction convenient and eco-friendly. All the products were characterized by spectroscopic techniques and elemental analysis, and finally the structure of representative ;compound was also confirmed by X-ray crystallography. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Renyi entropies of free bosons on the torus and holography

We analytically evaluate the Renyi entropies for the two dimensional free boson CFT. The CFT is considered to be compactified on a circle and at finite temperature. The Renyi entropies S-n are evaluated for a single interval using the two point function of bosonic twist fields on a torus. For the case of the compact boson, the sum over the classical saddle points results in the Riemann-Siegel theta function associated with the A(n-1) lattice. We then study the Renyi entropies in the decompactification regime. We show that in the limit when the size of the interval becomes the size of the spatial circle, the entanglement entropy reduces to the thermal entropy of free bosons on a circle. We then set up a systematic high temperature expansion of the Renyi entropies and evaluate the finite size corrections for free bosons. Finally we compare these finite size corrections both for the free boson CFT and the free fermion CFT with the one-loop corrections obtained from bulk three dimensional handlebody spacetimes which have higher genus Riemann surfaces as its boundary. One-loop corrections in these geometries are entirely determined by quantum numbers of the excitations present in the bulk. This implies that the leading finite size corrections contributions from one-loop determinants of the Chern-Simons gauge field and the Dirac field in the dual geometry should reproduce that of the free boson and the free fermion CFT respectively. By evaluating these corrections both in the bulk and in the CFT explicitly we show that this expectation is indeed true.

Comparison Of Shear Banding In Bmgs Due To Thermal-Softening And Free Volume Creation

This paper reports a comparative study of shear banding in BMGs resulting from thermal softening and free volume creation. Firstly, the effects of thermal softening and free volume creation on shear instability are discussed. It is known that thermal softening governs thermal shear banding, hence it is essentially energy related. However, compound free volume creation is the key factor to the other instability, though void-induced softening seems to be the counterpart of thermal softening. So, the driving force for shear instability owing to free volume creation is very different from the thermally assisted one. In particular, long wave perturbations are always unstable owing to compound free volume creation. Therefore, the shear instability resulting from coupled compound free volume creation and thermal softening may start more like that due to free volume creation. Also, the compound free volume creation implies a specific and intrinsic characteristic growth time of shear instability. Finally, the mature shear band width is governed by the corresponding diffusions (thermal or void diffusion) within the band. As a rough guide, the dimensionless numbers: Thermal softening related number B, Deborah number (denoting the relation of instability growth rate owing to compound free volume and loading time) and Lewis number (denoting the competition of different diffusions) show us their relative importance of thermal softening and free volume creation in shear banding. All these results are of particular significance in understanding the mechanism of shear banding in bulk metallic glasses (BMGs).

Quality practices and problems in free software projects

Free software and open source projects are often perceived to be of high quality. It has been suggested that the high level of quality found in some free software projects is related to the open development model which promotes peer review. While the quality of some free software projects is comparable to, if not better than, that of closed source software, not all free software projects are successful and of high quality. Even mature and successful projects face quality problems; some of these are related to the unique characteristics of free software and open source as a distributed development model led primarily by volunteers. In exploratory interviews performed with free software and open source developers, several common quality practices as well as actual quality problems have been identified. The results of these interviews are presented in this paper in order to take stock of the current status of quality in free software projects and to act as a starting point for the implementation of quality process improvement strategies.

Cereal products for specific dietary requirements. Evaluation and improvement of technological and nutritional properties of gluten free raw materials and end products

Coeliac disease is one of the most common food intolerances worldwide and at present the gluten free diet remains the only suitable treatment. A market overview conducted as part of this thesis on nutritional and sensory quality of commercially available gluten free breads and pasta showed that improvements are necessary. Many products show strong off-flavors, poor mouthfeel and reduced shelf-life. Since the life-long avoidance of the cereal protein gluten means a major change to the diet, it is important to also consider the nutritional value of products intending to replace staple foods such as bread or pasta. This thesis addresses this issue by characterising available gluten free cereal and pseudocereal flours to facilitate a better raw material choice. It was observed that especially quinoa, buckwheat and teff are high in essential nutrients, such as protein, minerals and folate. In addition the potential of functional ingredients such as inulin, β-glucan, HPMC and xanthan to improve loaf quality were evaluated. Results show that these ingredients can increase loaf volume and reduce crumb hardness as well as rate of staling but that the effect diverges strongly depending on the bread formulation used. Furthermore, fresh egg pasta formulations based on teff and oat flour were developed. The resulting products were characterised regarding sensory and textural properties as well as in vitro digestibility. Scanning electron and confocal laser scanning microscopy was used throughout the thesis to visualise structural changes occurring during baking and pasta making

The effect of pressure on leucine and thymidine incorporation by free-living bacteria and by bacteria attached to sinking oceanic particles

The effect of pressure on upper ocean free-living bacteria and bacteria attached to rapidly sinking particles was investigated through studying their ability to synthesize DNA and protein by measuring their rate of 3H-thymidine and 3H-leucine incorporation. Studies were carried out on samples from the NE Atlantic under the range of pressures (1–430 atm) encountered by sinking aggregates during their journey to the deep-sea bed. Thymidine and leucine incorporation rates per bacterium attached to sinking particles from 200 m were about six and ten times higher, respectively, than the free-living bacterial assemblage. The ratio of leucine incorporation rate per cell to thymidine incorporation rate per cell was significantly different between the larger attached (18.9:1) and smaller free-living (10.4:1) assemblages. The rates of leucine and thymidine incorporation decreased exponentially with increasing pressure for the free-living and linearly for attached bacteria, while there was no significant influence of pressure on cell numbers. At 100 atm leucine and thymidine incorporation rate per free-living bacterium was reduced to 73 and 20%, respectively, relative to that measured at 1 atm. Pressure of 100 atm reduced leucine and thymidine incorporation per attached bacterium to 94 and 70%, and at 200 atm these rates were reduced to 34 and 51%, respectively, relative to those measured at 1 atm. There was no significant uncoupling of thymidine and leucine incorporation for either the free-living or attached bacterial assemblages with increasing pressure, indicating that the processess of DNA and protein synthesis may be equally affected by increasing pressure. It is therefore unlikely that bacteria, originating from surface waters, attached to rapidly sinking particles play a role in particle remineralization below approximately 1000–2000 m. These results may help to explain the occurrence of relatively fresh aggregates on the deep-sea bed that still contain sufficient organic carbon to fuel the rapid growth of benthic micro-organisms; they also indicate that the effect of pressure on microbial processes may be important in oceanic biogeochemical cycles.

Robustness in scale-free networks: Comparing directed and undirected networks

In this paper, scale-free networks and their functional robustness with respect to structural perturbations of the network are studied. Two types of perturbations are distinguished: random perturbations and attacks. The robustness of directed and undirected scale-free networks is studied numerically for two different measures and the obtained results are compared. For random perturbations, the results indicate that the strength of the perturbation plays a crucial role. In general, directed scale-free networks are more robust than undirected scale-free networks.

TIME-RESOLVED RESONANCE RAMAN-SPECTROSCOPY OF TRIPLET-STATE METALATED AND FREE-BASE TETRAARYLPORPHYRINS

Resonance Raman spectra of the T-1 excited states of Zn and free-base tetra-4-sulfonatophenylporphyrin (TPPS) have been recorded at room temperature in aqueous solution using two-colour time-resolved methods. The spectra of both sulfonated molecules are very similar to their tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) analogues, which have been recorded in THF solution using the same pump-probe conditions, but they have higher signal-to-noise ratios because interference from strong solvent bands is reduced. Although two different T-1 spectra of Zn(TPP) have been reported these spectra differ slightly from each other and from the spectrum reported here, which has band positions very close (+/-6 cm(-1)) to those of Zn(TPPS). The high S/N ratios obtainable for the water-soluble porphyrins have allowed reliable polarization data to be recorded for their S-0 and T-1 states. This data set allows a realistic comparison of the changes in bonding associated with excitation of both free-base and Zn tetraarylporphyrins to the T-1 state.

Trio Performance with 'Faint' at "Sounds New Contemporary Music Festival":Graphic Scores and Free improvisation: Canterbury, Kent

The programme contained a performance by the trio FAINT (Pedro Rebelo - Piano and instru- mental parasites, Franziska Schroeder - Saxophone and Steve Davis - Drums). The performance includes short electroacoustic works based on the trio's free improvisation and a performance of Rebelo's Cipher Series graphic scores.

An understanding and implications of the coverage of surface free sites in heterogeneous catalysis

The crucial roles of the coverage of surface free sites in determining catalytic activity trend are quantitatively addressed with the help of density functional theory and microkinetics. First, by analyzing activity trends of NO oxidation catalyzed by Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, and Pt surfaces with full kinetic considerations, we identify that the activity trend is in general determined by the competition between the reaction barrier and the coverage of surface free sites. Second, since the dissociation of many important molecules, such as the dissociation of N(2), O(2), and CO, follows the same Bronsted-Evans-Polanyi relationship, the coverage of surface free sites is usually a decisive term that affects the overall activity. Third, an equation is derived for the coverage of surface free sites and it is found that the coverage of surface free sites contains not only all the key thermodynamic parameters but also all the kinetic properties in the catalytic system. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3140202]

Labour and the free churches 1918-1939: radicalism, righteousness and religion

It is a commonplace that the labour movement was somehow nurtured within the witness for liberty of the Free Churches. Exploring this at a range of levels - including organisation, rhetoric, policies, electoral politics and people - this book demonstrates the extent to which this remained a reality into the inter-war years. The distinctive religious setting in which it emerged indeed helps to explain the differences between Labour and more Marxist counterparts on the Continent. It is shown here that this setting continued to influence Labour approaches towards welfare, nationalisation and industrial relations between the wars. In the process Labour also adopted some of the righteousness of tone of the Free Churches. This setting was, however, changing. Dropping their traditional suspicion of the State, Nonconformists instead increasingly invested it with religious values, turning it through its growing welfare functions into the provider of practical Christianity. This nationalisation of religion continues to shape British attitudes to the welfare state as well as imposing narrowly utilitarian and material tests of relevance upon the churches and other social institutions. The elevation of the State was not, however, intended as an end in itself. What mattered were the social and individual outcomes. Socialism, for those Free Churchmen and women who helped to shape Labour in the early twentieth century, was about improving society as much as systems.

"Man of science, man of faith" : Lost, consumer agency and the fate/free will binary in the post-9/11 context

In 2004, Lost debuted on ABC and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Its postmodem take on the classic Robinson Crusoe desert island scenario gestures to a variety of different issues circulating within the post-9II1 cultural consciousness, such as terrorism, leadership, anxieties involving air travel, torture, and globalization. Lost's complex interwoven flashback and flash-forward narrative structure encourages spectators to creatively hypothesize solutions to the central mysteries of the narrative, while also thematically addressing archetypal questions of freedom of choice versus fate. Through an examination of the narrative structure, the significance of technological shifts in television, and fan cultures in Lost, this thesis discusses the tenuous notion of consumer agency within the current cultural context. Furthermore, I also explore these issues in relation to the wider historical post-9/II context.

Planning And Operation Problems Of Indian Major Ports With Special Emphasis On Cochin Port

Rapid changes in the technological environment of marine logistics and the increasing integration of waterborne, air and land transport systems have fostered a revolution in the design and operations of transport vehicles, cargo handling technology, and terminal facilities. This in turn has caused major changes in the functions of and uses of ports. From literature, it was found that these changes were very slow in case of Indian ports and the performances of port operations were poor when compared with similar ports in the same region. It was also found that a very few studies were conducted to identify the reasons for slow improvements in the performances of Indian major ports. In this thesis, an attempt is made to find out the operational problems of Indian major ports and to analyze the reasons for it. Some solutions have also been found out using management tools

Provenance, Isolation and Characterisation of Organic Matter in the Cochin Estuarine Sediment-“a Diagenetic Amino Acid Marker Scenario

Cochin estuarine system is among the most productive aquatic environment along the Southwest coast of India, exhibits unique ecological features and possess greater socioeconomic relevance. Serious investigations carried out during the past decades on the hydro biogeochemical variables pointed out variations in the health and ecological functioning of this ecosystem. Characterisation of organic matter in the estuary has been attempted in many investigations. But detailed studies covering the degradation state of organic matter using molecular level approach is not attempted. The thesis entitled Provenance, Isolation and Characterisation of Organic Matter in the Cochin Estuarine Sediment-“ A Diagenetic Amino Acid Marker Scenario” is an integrated approach to evaluate the source, quantity, quality, and degradation state of the organic matter in the surface sediments of Cochin estuarine system with the combined application of bulk and molecular level tools. Sediment and water samples from nine stations situated at Cochin estuary were collected in five seasonal sampling campaigns, for the biogeochemical assessment and their distribution pattern of sedimentary organic matter. The sampling seasons were described and abbreviated as follows: April- 2009 (pre monsoon: PRM09), August-2009 (monsoon: MON09), January-2010 (post monsoon: POM09), April-2010 (pre monsoon: PRM10) and September- 2012 (monsoon: MON12). In order to evaluate the general environmental conditions of the estuary, water samples were analysed for water quality parameters, chlorophyll pigments and nutrients by standard methods. Investigations suggested the fact that hydrographical variables and nutrients in Cochin estuary supports diverse species of flora and fauna. Moreover the sedimentary variables such as pH, Eh, texture, TOC, fractions of nitrogen and phosphorous were determined to assess the general geochemical setting as well as redox status. The periodically fluctuating oxic/ anoxic conditions and texture serve as the most significant variables controlling other variables of the aquatic environment. The organic matter in estuary comprise of a complex mixture of autochthonous as well as allochthonous materials. Autochthonous input is limited or enhanced by the nutrient elements like N and P (in their various fractions), used as a tool to evaluate their bioavailability. Bulk parameter approach like biochemical composition, stoichiometric elemental ratios and stable carbon isotope ratio was also employed to assess the quality and quantity of sedimentary organic matter in the study area. Molecular level charactersation of free sugars and amino acids were carried out by liquid chromatographic techniques. Carbohydrates are the products of primary production and their occurrence in sediments as free sugars can provide information on the estuarine productivity. Amino acid biogeochemistry provided implications on the system productivity, nature of organic matter as well as degradation status of the sedimentary organic matter in the study area. The predominance of carbohydrates over protein indicated faster mineralisation of proteinaceous organic matter in sediments and the estuary behaves as a detrital trap for the accumulation of aged organic matter. The higher lipid content and LPD/CHO ratio pointed towards the better food quality that supports benthic fauna and better accumulation of lipid compounds in the sedimentary environment. Allochthonous addition of carbohydrates via terrestrial run off was responsible for the lower PRT/CHO ratio estimated in thesediments and the lower ratios also denoted a detrital heterotrophic environment. Biopolymeric carbon and the algal contribution to BPC provided important information on the better understanding the trophic state of the estuarine system and the higher values of chlorophyll-a to phaeophytin ratio indicated deposition of phytoplankton to sediment at a rapid rate. The estimated TOC/TN ratios implied the combined input of both terrestrial and autochthonous organic matter to sedimentsAmong the free sugars, depleted levels of glucose in sediments in most of the stations and abundance of mannose at station S5 was observed during the present investigation. Among aldohexoses, concentration of galactose was found to be higher in most of the stationsRelative abundance of AAs in the estuarine sediments based on seasons followed the trend: PRM09-Leucine > Phenylalanine > Argine > Lysine, MON09-Lysine > Aspartic acid > Histidine > Tyrosine > Phenylalanine, POM09-Lysine > Histadine > Phenyalanine > Leucine > Methionine > Serine > Proline > Aspartic acid, PRM10-Valine > Aspartic acid > Histidine > Phenylalanine > Serine > Proline, MON12-Lysine > Phenylalanine > Aspartic acid > Histidine > Valine > Tyrsine > MethionineThe classification of study area into three zones based on salinity was employed in the present study for the sake of simplicity and generalized interpretations. The distribution of AAs in the three zones followed the trend: Fresh water zone (S1, S2):- Phenylalanine > Lysine > Aspartic acid > Methionine > Valine ῀ Leucine > Proline > Histidine > Glycine > Serine > Glutamic acid > Tyrosine > Arginine > Alanine > Threonine > Cysteine > Isoleucine. Estuarine zone (S3, S4, S5, S6):- Lysine > Aspartic acid > Phenylalanine > Leucine > Valine > Histidine > Methionine > Tyrosine > Serine > Glutamic acid > Proline > Glycine > Arginine > Alanine > Isoleucine > Cysteine > Threonine. Riverine /Industrial zone (S7, S8, S9):- Phenylalanine > Lysine > Aspartic acid > Histidine > Serine > Arginine > Tyrosine > Leucine > Methionine > Glutamic acid > Alanine > Glycine > Cysteine > Proline > Isoleucine > Threonine > Valine. The abundance of AAs like glutamic acid, aspartic acid, isoleucine, valine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine in sediments of the study area indicated freshly derived organic matter.