Adiabatic couplers: design rules and optimization

Explicit analytic design rules are derived for both 3 dB and full adiabatic couplers. The design rules are in excellent agreement with numerical calculations using the beam propagation method (BPM). It is shown that the length scaling for 3 dB couplers compared to full couplers makes the former more difficult to design. The design for each case is optimized to obtain the upper limit of performance and a comparison is carried out between two different design geometries for both 3 dB and full adiabatic couplers     

Multi-indicator Active Queue Management Method

A considerable number of applications are running over IP networks. This increased the contention on the network resource, which ultimately results in congestion. Active queue management (AQM) aims to reduce the serious consequences of network congestion in the router buffer and its negative effects on network performance. AQM methods implement different techniques in accordance with congestion indicators, such as queue length and average queue length. The performance of the network is evaluated using delay, loss, and throughput. The gap between congestion indicators and network performance measurements leads to the decline in network performance. In this study, delay and loss predictions are used as congestion indicators in a novel stochastic approach for AQM. The proposed method estimates the congestion in the router buffer and then uses the indicators to calculate the dropping probability, which is responsible for managing the router buffer. The experimental results, based on two sets of experiments, have shown that the proposed method outperformed the existing benchmark algorithms including RED, ERED and BLUE algorithms. For instance, in the first experiment, the proposed method resides in the third-place in terms of delay when compared to the benchmark algorithms. In addition, the proposed method outperformed the benchmark algorithms in terms of packet loss, packet dropping, and packet retransmission. Overall, the proposed method outperformed the benchmark algorithms because it preserves packet loss while maintaining reasonable queuing delay.     

Customized trapping of magnetic particles

This paper presents an efficient technique for trapping of magnetic particles in confined spatial locations using customized designs of micro-coils (MCs). Large magnetic field gradients of up to 20 T/mm and large magnetic forces in the range of 10⁻⁸ Newton on magnetic particles with diameter of 1 μm have been achieved using MCs with several planar geometrical configurations. A large magnetic field gradient is generated and enhanced by two structural parameters: the small width and high aspect ratio of each single conductor and the ferromagnetic pillars positioned at high-flux density locations. This arrangement creates very steep magnetic potential wells, in particular at the vicinity of the pillars. The system allowed capturing of suspended magnetic particles as far as 1,000 μm from the center of the device. Magnetic particles/cells have been trapped and confined in single and in arrays of deep magnetic potential wells corresponding to the MCs configuration.     

Lipid classes,fatty acids and bioactive lipids of genetically modified potato Spunta with Cry V gene

The objective of this study was to evaluate the lipid bioactive compounds distribution of genetically modified potato (GMP) Spunta compared to that of non-genetically modified potato (NGMP) Spunta. In two lines of GMP Spunta (G2 and G3) as well as in control cultivar the levels and composition of the lipids extracted from the mature tubers were characterised in terms of its fatty acid, sterol, tocopherol distribution as well as lipid classes and unsaponifiables levels. Column chromatography (CC), gas chromatography (GC), thin layer chromatography (TLC) and liquid chromatography (LC) techniques were performed to analyse lipids. NGMP and GMP lines (G2 and G3) were found to contain 0.59%, 0.75% and 0.72% of total lipids (TL), respectively. Amongst TL present in NGMP, the level of phospholipids was the highest (53% of TL), followed by neutral lipids (24% of TL) and glycolipids (23% of TL), respectively. Significant decrease in phospholipids levels was measured in GMP G2 and G3 (from 53% of TL in NGMP to 40% of TL in GMP). Neutral lipids were measured in higher amounts in GMP G2 and G3 (400 and 390 g/kg TL, respectively). Glycolipids were measured in the highest amounts in NGMP (230 g/kg TL) followed be GMP G3 (200 g/kg) and GMP G2, respectively. The predominant phospholipid subclasses in NGMP and GMP Spunta were phosphatidylcholine (43–46%) followed by phosphatidylethanolamine (31–33%). The content of oleic and linoleic acids, which were the main fatty acids of potato tubers, came to 64.5% of all acids. TL from NGMP additionally contained higher amounts of palmitic and stearic, while polyunsaturated fatty acids were found in higher amounts in GMP (31.9% of total FAME). GMP G3 contained the highest amounts of total sterols (29 g/kg oil), followed be GMP G2 (26 g/kg oil) and NGMP, respectively. β-Sitosterol was the ST marker and comprised 43.1–43.7% of total sterols, wherein the next major components were campesterol and △5-avenasterol. α-Tocopherol was the main identified compound (77.5–80% of total tocopherols) in GMP and NGMP Spunta followed by β-tocopherol. Detailed knowledge on the composition of lipids in potato Spunta, in consideration of potential utilisation, is of major importance.     

Labeling of EGFR inhibitor to prepare a potential SPECT agent for molecular imaging of breast cancer via iodine-bromine exchange

A simple method was developed for labeling N-{4-[(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)amino]quinazolin-6-yl}-3-bromopropionamide, an EGFR inhibitor, with radioactive iodine via nucleophilic iododebromination. The factors affecting the radiochemical yield of ¹²⁵I-EGFR such as reaction medium, substrate concentration, CuCl concentration, and temperature were examined. Reducing agents such as ascorbic acid, SnCl₂, and Na₂S₂O₅ were used to prevent disproportionation. The radiochemical yield and purity of the labeled product were determined by TLC and HPLC.