On the basis of the Diels-Alder reaction of graphite and tetracyanoethylene, graphite has been mechanically exfoliated into graphene adducts in a yield up to 38%. The graphene adduct can restore its conjugated structure via retro-Diels-Alder reaction under mild conditions, exhibiting a high conductivity of 1035 S m(-1).

SpnF is the first monofunctional Diels-Alder/[6+4]-ase that catalyzes a reaction leading to both Diels-Alder and [6+4] adducts through a single transition state. The environment-perturbed transition-state sampling method has been developed to calculate free energies, kinetic isotope effects, and quasi-classical reaction trajectories of enzyme-catalyzed reactions and the uncatalyzed reaction in ...

One hundred years after the birth of Kurt Alder and seventy-five years after the discovery of his famous reaction, one of the most important and fascinating transformations in chemistry, research on that process continues to surprise, excite, delight, and inform the chemical community. This article is based on presentations given first at the University of Cologne, Germany (Kurt Alder lecture, ...

The enzyme SpnF, involved in the biosynthesis of spinosyn A, catalyzes a formal [4+2] cycloaddition of a 22-membered macrolactone, which may proceed as a concerted [4+2] Diels-Alder reaction or a stepwise [6+4] cycloaddition followed by a Cope rearrangement. Quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations combined with free energy simulations show that the Diels-Alder pathway is favo...

In this paper, the meshless local Petrov-Galerkin (MLPG) method is applied for solving a generalized Black-Scholes equation in financial problems. This equation is a PDE governing the price evolution of a European call or a European put under the Black-Scholes model. The θ-weighted method and MLPG are used for discretizing the governing equation in time variable and option pricing, respectively...

This paper will derive the Black-Scholes pricing model of a European option by calculating the expected value of the option. We will assume that the stock price is log-normally distributed and that the universe is riskneutral. Then, using Ito’s Lemma, we will justify the use of the risk-neutral rate in these initial calculations. Finally, we will prove put-call parity in order to price European...

OBJECTIVE Black cohosh [Actaea racemosa L., formerly Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt.] is a botanical used mainly for the management of menopausal symptoms. Recently, regulatory agencies in Australia, Canada, and the European Union have released statements regarding the "potential association" between black cohosh and hepatotoxicity. In response, the Dietary Supplement Information Expert Committe...

Species information is a key component of any forest inventory. However, when performing forest inventory from aerial scanning Lidar data, species classification can be very difficult. We investigated changes in classification accuracy while identifying five individual tree species (Douglas-fir, western redcedar, bigleaf maple, red alder, and black cottonwood) in the Pacific Northwest United St...

Riparian wetlands are dynamic components of landscapes. Located between uplands and aquatic environments, riparian habitats intercept sediments and nutrients before they enter aquatic environments. They are a source of organic matter and nutrients to aquatic systems, and they provide important habitat for animals, often serving as corridors for the movement of animals between habitats in fragme...

This study was aimed to determine combustion characteristics and decay resistance of Spruce [Picea orientalis (L.)], Fir (Abies nordmanniana), Alder [Alnus glutinosa (L.)], and Iroko (Milicia excelsa) woods impregnated with ammonium tetrafluoro borate (1 to 3%) and the mixture of cement and borax (6% to 9%). The combustion test method was performed in three stages: flame stage, without flame st...