A Convenient Synthesis of Some Coumarin Derivatives Using SnCl2 · 2H2O as Catalyst

Some substituted coumarins have been synthesized by von-Pechmann condensation using SnCl₂ · 2H₂O (10 mol %) as catalyst in ethanolic medium. The reactions are simple, easy in handling and environmentally benign.     

Lean philosophy: implementation in a forging company

This research addresses the implementation of lean philosophy in a forging company with a focus on radial forging production flow lines. Here, the prime motive is to evolve and test several strategies to eliminate waste on the shop floor. In this research, a systematic approach is suggested for the implementation of lean principles. This paper describes an application of value stream mapping (VSM). Consequently, the present and future states of value stream maps are constructed to improve the production process by identifying waste and its sources. Furthermore, Taguchi’s method of design of experiments is pursued here to minimize the forging defects produced due to imperfect operating conditions. A noticeable reduction in set-up time and work-in-process (WIP) inventory level is substantiated. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of managerial implications and the future scope of research.     

Using Web resources to construct multilingual medical thesaurus for cross-language medical information retrieval

Due to the language barrier, non-English users are unable to retrieve the most updated medical information from the U.S. authoritative medical websites, such as PubMed and MedlinePlus. However, currently, there is no any cross-language medical information retrieval (CLMIR) system that can help Chinese-speaking consumers cross the language barrier in finding useful English medical information. A few CLMIR systems utilize MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) to help overcome the language barrier. Unfortunately, the traditional Chinese version of MeSH is currently unavailable.In this paper, we employ a semi-automatic term translation method to construct a Chinese–English MeSH by exploiting abundant multilingual Web resources, including Web anchor texts and search–result pages. Through this method, we have developed a Chinese–English Mesh Compilation System to assist knowledge engineers in compiling a Chinese–English medical thesaurus with more than 19,000 entries. Furthermore, this thesaurus has been used to develop a prototypical system for cross-language medical information retrieval, MMODE, which can help consumers retrieve top-quality English medical information using Chinese terms.     

Antihyperglycemic activity of phenolics from Pterocarpus marsupium

Glucose levels in rats with hyperglycemia induced by streptozotocin were determined after i.p. administration of marsupsin (1), pterosupin (2), and pterostilbene (3), three important phenolic constituents of the heartwood of Pterocarpus marsupium. Marsupsin and pterostilbene significantly lowered the blood glucose level of hyperglycemic rats, and the effect was comparable to that of 1,1-dimethylbiguanide (metformin).     

The electrochemical behaviour of nitrogen-containing austenitic stainless steel in methanolic solution

The corrosion behaviour of nitrogen-containing austenitic stainless steel in methanol containing different concentrations of H₂SO₄, HCl, LiCl and H₂SO₄ + HCl has been investigated using a potentiostatic polarization method. The cathodic reaction in the H₂SO₄, HCl and H₂SO₄ + HCl solutions was proton reduction whereas in the neutral LiCl solution, oxygen reduction was the predominant cathodic reaction. Active, passive and transpassive behaviours were observed only for higher concentrations of H₂SO₄ (0.01–2.0 M) due to the inherent water content. A cathodic loop, characterized by measured negative current in the anodic region, was also observed in solutions, in which the concentration of H₂SO₄ was 1.0 M or higher. The relative stability of the passive films decreased as the H₂SO₄ concentration increased, and thus the steel suffered from mild pitting corrosion. In the chloride environment, the rate of corrosion increased as the Cl⁻ ion concentration increased. The presence of acid along with Cl⁻ ions enhanced corrosion, and the corrosion rate increased significantly. The steel suffered from mild intergranular corrosion in acidic chloride solutions of methanol. In the H₂SO₄ + HCl solutions, passive films were only formed when the H₂SO₄ to HCl concentration ratio was greater than ∼10:1.     

Characterization of tempered martensite embrittlement using hardness measurement

A series of experiments were carried out on three commercial steels to explore the possibility for characterizing tempered martensite embrittlement (TME) by Rockwell, macro-, and micro-Vickers hardness tests. The results indicate distinct hardness peaks in two steels and an inflection in the other around the TME temperature. A new analytical approach for examining the slope of hardness-tempering temperature plots appears to reveal the TME phenomenon more sensitively. Dilatometric examinations substantiate that the temperature of hardness peak/inflection occurs beyond the second stage of tempering.