Regioselective synthesis of new 5-methyl-5H-pyrimido[4′,5′:4,5][1,3]thiazino [3,2-a]perimidines

A convenient and efficient regioselective synthesis of new pyrimido[4′,5′:4,5] [1,3]thiazino[3,2-a]perimidines is described through intermolecular heterocyclization of 2,4-dichloro-5-(chloromethyl)-6-methylpyrimidine and 1H-perimidine-2(3H)-thione in short reaction times under mild conditions.     

Dietary flax oil reduces renal injury,oxidized LDL content,and tissue n-6/n-3 FA ratio in experimental polycystic kidney disease

As whole flaxseed is beneficial in the treatment of experimental renal disease, we undertook a study to determine whether previously documented benefits of whole flaxseed could be reproduced with dietary low-lignan flax oil (FO), a rich source of α-linolenic acid, in experimental polycystic kidney disease. Male offspring of Han:SPRD-cy heterozygous rats were fed a synthetic diet containing FO or corn oil (CO) for 8 wk from the time of weaning. Renal inflammation, fibrosis, proliferation, cystic change, and oxidized-LDL were assessed morphometrically. Hepatic and renal lipid composition was assessed using GC. FO feeding produced hepatic and renal enrichment of n−3 PUFA and an increase in C18∶>C18 PUFA ratios (18-carbon PUFA compared to longer-chain PUFA), with a reduction in proportion of hepatic long-chain PUFA. The FO-based diet was associated with lower mean cystic change by 29.7% (P=0.018), fibrosis by 21.7% (P=0.017), macrophage infiltration by 31.5% (P< 0.0001), epithelial proliferation by 18.7% (P=0.0035), and ox-LDL detection by 31.4% (P<0.0001) in Han:SPRD-cy heterozygotes. Serum creatinine was significantly lower in FO-fed diseased animals. A small hypocholesterolemic effect was noted in all animals fed FO. FO feeding moderates renal injury, modifies the profile of substrates available for elongation to eicosanoid precursors, and inhibits the elongation of C₁₈ PUFA in this model. The consumption of FO-based products may prove a more practical way of obtaining health benefit than attempts to increase dietary content of unrefined seed.     

Thermal and electrical stability of TaN x diffusion barriers for Cu metallization

Amorphous TaN _x thin films (14 and 62 nm) were deposited by reactive sputtering on Si substrates. Crystallization and the metallurgical failure mechanism for Si/TaN _x /Cu metallization stacks were investigated by resistivity measurements, X-ray diffraction analysis, detailed electron microscopy and elemental depth profiling on samples annealed in 5 %H₂/95 %N₂ gas for 30 min at various temperatures ranging from 300 to 900 °C. Amorphous TaN _x thin films crystallized at 600 °C to hexagonal Ta₂N by a polymorphous transformation. Depending on film thickness, polycrystalline Ta₂N diffusion barriers were effective up to 700–800 °C. Failure occurred by diffusion of Cu to the Si/TaN _x interface to form Cu₃Si particles followed by outdiffusion of Si and formation of Cu₃Si and TaSi₂ precipitates on the outer surface. The TaN _x barriers were integrated in metal–oxide–semiconductor devices (Cu/10 nm TaN _x /26 nm SiO₂/Si) to evaluate their electrical failure after bias-temperature-stress (BTS) testing using capacitance–voltage and current–voltage measurements. The shift in flat-band voltage and the leakage current were monitored before and after BTS. The electrical test results were compared with compositional and morphological information obtained from elemental depth profiling and electron microscopy. No evidence of Cu diffusion to SiO₂ was found for capacitors with large leakage currents.     

Experimental Verification to Obtain Intrinsic Thermal Diffusivity by Laser-Flash Method

There is a need to obtain highly reliable values of thermophysical properties. The thermal conductivity of solids is often calculated from the thermal diffusivity, specific heat, and density, respectively, measured by the laser-flash method, differential scanning calorimetry, and Archimedes’ method. The laser-flash method is one of the most well-known methods for measuring the thermal diffusivity of solids above room temperature. This method is very convenient to measure the thermal diffusivity without contact in a short time. On the other hand, it is considered as an absolute reference measurement method, in particular, because only measurements of basic quantities such as time, temperature, length, and electrical quantities are required, and because the uncertainty of measurement can be analytically evaluated. However, it could be difficult in some cases to obtain reliable thermal-diffusivity values. The measurement results can indeed depend on experimental conditions; in particular, the pulse heating energy. A procedure to obtain the intrinsic thermal-diffusivity value was proposed by National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ). Here, “intrinsic” means unique for the material, independent of measurement conditions. In this method, apparent thermal-diffusivity values are first measured by changing the pulse heating energy at the same test temperature. Then, the intrinsic thermal diffusivity is determined by extrapolating these apparent thermal diffusivities to a zero energy pulse. In order to verify and examine the applicability of the procedure for intrinsic thermal-diffusivity measurements, we have measured the thermal diffusivity of some materials (metals, ceramics) using the laser-flash method with this extrapolation procedure. NMIJ and Laboratoire National de Metrologie et d’essais (LNE) have laser-flash thermal-diffusivity measurement systems that are traceable to SI units. The thermal diffusivity measured by NMIJ and LNE on four materials shows good agreement, although they used different measurement systems and different analysis methods of the temperature-rise curve. Experimental verification on the procedure was carried out using the measured results. Some problems and considered solutions for laser-flash thermal-diffusivity measurements are discussed.     

A novel bi-level hierarchy towards available-to-promise in mixed-model assembly line sequencing problems

This article addresses advanced available-to-promise (AATP) in mixed-model assembly line sequencing problems. In the developed framework, customers are prioritized with respect to 11 defined criteria using the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method, and order quantities are calculated using a nonlinear mathematical program. Next, a mixed binary nonlinear mathematical program is developed to determine the optimum sequence of the optimized order quantities to minimize the total lateness. Since the proposed models are intractable, a hybrid genetic algorithm–simulated annealing method is also developed. Finally, an industrial case study is reported, the results of which validate the developed AATP framework.     

Synthesis of Lead(II) Minoxidil Coordination Polymer: A New Precursor for Lead(II) Oxide and Lead(II) Hydroxyl Bromide

A new lead(II) coordination polymer, [PbBr₂(C₉H₁₅N₅O)]_n (1), where C₉H₁₅N₅O is (2,4-diamino-6-piperidine-1-yl) pyrimidine N-oxide (minoxidil) is synthesized and characterized. Polymer 1 is synthesized in methanol by sonochemical and hydrothermal methods from lead(II) acetate, KBr and the minoxidil ligand. The crystal structure of [PbBr₂(C₉H₁₅N₅O)]_n indicates a syndiotactic coordination polymer. The Pb(II) atom lies on a mirror plane; the mirror plane is perpendicular to the pyrimidine ring bisecting the piperidine ring. N–H···O intramolecular and C–H···Br, N–H···N strong intermolecular interactions were observed. Micro-rods of PbO and nano-plates of PbOHBr were prepared by thermal decomposition of the nano-structured [PbBr₂(C₉H₁₅N₅O)]_n as a precursor. Characterization of the products was carried out using X-ray crystallography, elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and thermal analysis. The sonochemical method resulted in a significant reduction of reaction time, reaction temperature and particle sizes of the products.     

Application of Hyperspectral Technique for Color Classification Avocados Subjected to Different Treatments

In this study, the applicability of hyperspectral technique, a fast and non-destructive, novel method was investigated for the color discrimination of avocados subjected to different treatments. Fruits like avocados are coated with edible films to extend their shelf life. Using different formulations of coating with varying pectin, beeswax, and sorbitol contents, nine different coating preparations with potential to influence the ripening behavior of avocados were developed. Avocados were coated with these formulations, air-dried, and stored at room temperature. Concurrently, the reflectance responses of the avocado fruits were measured in 2,151 wavebands (350 to 2500 nm) with a field spectroradiometer. To tackle the co-linearity that exists between the spectral observations, aggregated 10- and 20-nm data sets were used. Using a stepwise procedure, the most effective wavebands capable of discriminating treatment effects were selected. By applying a discrimination procedure with a well-chosen subset of the selected wavebands, treatments were correctly classified with more than 92% accuracy.     

Cloud service selection using cloud service brokers: approaches and challenges

Cloud computing users are faced with a wide variety of services to choose from. Consequently, a number of cloud service brokers (CSBs) have emerged to help users in their service selection process. This paper reviews the recent approaches that have been introduced and used for cloud service brokerage and discusses their challenges accordingly. We propose a set of attributes for a CSB to be considered effective. DifFerent CSBs' approaches are classified as either single service or multiple service models. The CSBs are then assessed, analyzed, and compared with respect to the proposed set of attributes. Based on our studies, CSBs with multiple service models that support more of the proposed effective CSB attributes have wider application in cloud computing environments.     

Phenolic composition and comparison of antioxidant activity of alcoholic extracts of Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) has long been regarded as a food and medicinal plant. At the present work, the antioxidant activity of the methanol, ethanol and methanol/ethanol (1:1) extracts of leaf fraction through various in vitro models was investigated in Iranian peppermints for the first time. Total phenol, flavonoid and anthocyanin contents were also determined. Our results showed the alcoholic extracts had different responses with different antioxidant methods. The methanol extract had maximum phenol content (3.57 ± 0.26 g Gallic acid/100 g Peppermint powder) and showed best superoxide radical (47.05 ± 0.85 %) and hydrogen peroxide (91.05 ± 1.50 %) scavenging activities. The methanol/ethanol (1:1) extract had maximum flavonoid (3.33 ± 0.12 g quercetin/100 g Peppermint powder) and anthocyanin contents (1.74 ± 0.21 g/100 g Peppermint powder) and showed best DPPH radical scavenging activity (82.82 ± 2.57 %, IC₅₀ = 10.02 ± 0.63 mg/mL) as well as ferric reducing power (184.22 ± 14.10 μmol/100 g Peppermint powder). The ethanol extract only showed the highest nitric oxide radical scavenging activity (80.13 ± 7.12 %). Chlorogenic acid, rutin, and caffeic acid were found by HPLC analysis of the main phenolic components. These results show, Peppermint alcoholic extracts can be used as a natural antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress in human beings and as a possible food supplement or in pharmaceutical applications.