Silver monoliths and their applications in catalytic reduction of 4-NP to 4-AP and sensing against As3+

Journal of Porous Materials - Silver monoliths using non-ionic surfactant Triton X-102 as reducing agent with and without additives such as Dextran and Ludox (SiNPs) were synthesized by modified...     

Fabrication of silver monoliths using Brij 52 surfactant and TiO2 nanoparticles and their applications to reduce Fast Sulphon Black F dye and sensor against Pb2+

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - Silver monoliths were prepared using Brij 52 as surfactant with and without dextran and reinforcing agents TiO2NPs by modified sol–gel...     

Multi-mode hydrogen storage in nanocontainers

Hydrogen can be stored in containers or in materials (in molecular or atomic forms). The atomic form can further exist as multiple phases. Molecular hydrogen can be adsorbed on the surface or can be present inside the material. By invoking multiple modes of hydrogen storage, we establish a paradigm shift in the philosophy of hydrogen storage. Using a novel strategy of storage of molecular hydrogen in metal (Pd) nanocontainers, we observe that 18% hydrogen is in molecular form. Interestingly, this is achieved at 25 °C and 1 atm pressure; which is in contrast to storage in MOFs and carbonaceous materials like nanotubes. Enhancement in storage capacity as compared to Pd nanocrystals of the same mass is observed (36% increase at 1 atm & 25 °C), along with fast kinetics (0.5 wt% hydrogen absorption in 5 s). A new mechanism for hydrogen storage involving the dual catalytic role of Pd is established.     

Eco-Friendly Transparent Silk Fibroin Radiative Cooling Film for Thermal Management of Optoelectronics

Although transparent radiative cooling is a passive cooling strategy with practical applications and aesthetic appeal, complex manufacturing processes and the use of environmentally unfriendly thermal emitters remain latent problems. Herein, eco-friendly transparent silk radiative cooling (TSRC) films are developed, regenerated from natural silkworm cocoons, for zero-energy-consumption thermal management of optoelectronic devices. These TSRC films can dissipate heat radiatively through molecular vibrations of the protein backbone and side chains, while retaining the function and appearance of the associated devices, due to their high visible transparency. Theoretical and experimental investigations revealed that the thermal emission increases rapidly upon increasing the film thickness, but slowly thereafter achieves saturation; nevertheless, the intrinsic solar absorption of silk in the ultraviolet and near-infrared regions also grows linearly, unavoidably weakening the cooling effect. After spectroscopic optimization, the maximum cooling power during the daytime and nighttime is improved to 77.6 and 101.7 W m⁻², respectively. Gratifyingly, the films have a remarkable effect on the cooling performance of electronic devices under sunlight. For example, the TSRC film provides a temperature drop of 5.1 °C for a smartphone during multitasking and charging, and 14 °C for a silicon solar panel with an improvement in the photoelectronic conversion efficiency (≈7%).     

Marker reconstitution mutagenesis: a simple and efficient reverse genetic approach

A novel reverse genetic approach termed 'marker reconstitution mutagenesis' was designed to generate mutational allelic series in genes of interest. This approach consists of two simple steps which utilize two selective markers. First, using one selective marker, a partial fragment of another selective marker gene is inserted adjacently to a gene of interest by homologous recombination. Second, random mutations are introduced precisely into the gene of interest, together with the reconstitution of the latter selective marker by homologous recombination. This approach was successfully tested for several genes in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. It circumvents the problems encountered with other methods and should be adaptable to any organism that incorporates exogenous DNA by homologous recombination.     

Light sheet based imaging flow cytometry on a microfluidic platform

We propose a light sheet based imaging flow cytometry technique for simultaneous counting and imaging of cells on a microfluidic platform. Light sheet covers the entire microfluidic channel and thus omits the necessity of flow focusing and point scanning based technology. Another advantage lies in the orthogonal detection geometry that totally cuts‐off the incident light, thereby substantially reducing the background in the detection. Compared to the existing state‐of‐art techniques the proposed technique shows marked improvement. Using fluorescently‐coated Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells we have recorded cell counting with throughput as high as 2,090 cells/min in the low flow rate regime and were able to image the individual cells on‐the‐go. Overall, the proposed system is cost‐effective and simple in channel geometry with the advantage of efficient counting in operational regime of low laminar flow. This technique may advance the emerging field of microfluidic based cytometry for applications in nanomedicine and point of care diagnostics. Microsc. Res. Tech. 76:1101–1107, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

MRT letter: Experimental verification of vectorial theory to determine field at the geometrical focus of a cylindrical lens

We provide experimental evidence supporting the vectorial theory for determining electric field at and near the geometrical focus of a cylindrical lens. This theory provides precise distribution of field and its polarization effects. Experimental results show a close match (≈ 95% using χ²‐test) with the simulation results (obtained using vectorial theory). Light‐sheet generated both at low and high NA cylindrical lens shows the importance of vectorial theory for further development of light‐sheet techniques. Potential applications are in planar imaging systems (such as, SPIM, IML‐SPIM, imaging cytometry) and spectroscopy. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:105–109, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Gamma irradiation effect on structural,optical and electrical properties of organometallic potassium hydrogen oxalate oxalic acid dihydrate single crystal

Potassium oxalate oxalic acid dihydrate (KHO) single crystals were grown from solvent evaporation technique at room temperature. Crystals were optically characterized using UV–Vis and photoluminescence analysis. The gamma irradiation effects on KHO crystals were also studied optically and the results were analyzed to compare the effect of irradiation on the crystal lattice for different dosage. Structural variations were studied using powder XRD, FTIR and the results were examined to study the defect states created inside the lattice due to irradiation and the effect on the functional vibrations of the host crystal. Surface morphology of the crystal was studied using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Photo conductivity of the synthesized crystals were studied and analyzed to compare the photo response as well as the conductivity of the materials when subjected to irradiation.     

Antagonistic pleiotropy at the human IL6 promoter confers genetic resilience to the pro-inflammatory effects of adverse social conditions in adolescence.

The authors tested the evolutionary genetic hypothesis that the functional form of an asymmetrically risky Gene × Environment interaction will differ as a function of age-related antagonistic pleiotropy (i.e., show opposite effects in young vs. old individuals). Previous studies have identified a polymorphism in the human IL6 promoter (rs1800795; IL6 ?174 G/C) that interacts with adverse socioenvironmental conditions to promote chronic inflammation in older adults (elevated C-reactive protein). This study identifies a protective effect of the same polymorphism in 17- to 19-year-old adolescents confronting socioeconomic adversity. Over 60% of the environmental risk contribution to the IL6 × Socioeconomic Status interaction could be accounted for by interpersonal stress and adult role burden. Thus, the IL6 ?174G allele does not represent an undifferentiated risk factor but instead sensitizes inflammatory biology to socioenvironmental conditions, conferring either genetic vulnerability or resilience depending on the developmental “somatic environment” that interacts with social conditions to influence gene expression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anti-viral inhibitor binding to influenza neuraminidase by MALDI mass spectrometry

A matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry-based approach is applied to identify active site domains within influenza neuraminidase that bind the antiviral inhibitors zanamivir (ZANA) and 2-deoxy-2,3-didehydro-N-acetylneuraminic acid (DANA). Combined data from the tryptic and Glu-C endoproteinase digests of neuraminidase-inhibitor complexes have identified binding peptides that contain the active site residues Arg118, Glu119, Arg156, Glu276, and Tyr406. The binding of these residues was confirmed from the analysis of available X-ray crystal structures. The ability to identify peptides within the active sites of proteins and likely binding residues provides both a rapid and relatively high throughput approach with which to screen protein-drug interactions by MALDI mass spectrometry.