Influence of Different Additives on the Interaction of Quinolone Antibiotic Drug with Surfactant: Conductivity and Cloud Point Measurement Study

Conductometric and cloud point (CP) measurement studies have been performed to investigate the interaction of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) and Triton® X-100 (TX-100) with ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CFH) in different solvents over the temperature range of 295.15–315.15 K. CFH is used for the treatment of various bacterial infections. The observed critical micelle concentration (CMC) values of TTAB were found to be reduced in the presence of electrolytes (Na₂SO₄/Na₃PO₄), and this reduction proceeds with the elevation of salt concentration. The order of the CMC of TTAB follows the trend: > >. The observed CMC values of TTAB were found to increase with increasing temperature and decrease with increasing concentration of CFH in aqueous medium. The values of Gibbs free energy of micellization () for the TTAB/TTAB + CFH mixture were found to be negative, implying spontaneous micellization. The estimated CP of TX-100 decreases with increasing concentration of TX-100 in aqueous medium. The CP values first decrease with increasing concentration of CFH and then increase at higher concentration of CFH almost in all cases investigated. The values of free energy of clouding were found to be positive in all cases studied implying that phase separation of TX-100 was nonspontaneous. The other thermodynamic parameters associated with the micellization of TTAB and the phase separation of TX-100 were estimated and explained.     

Electrical oscillation generation with current-induced resistivity switching in VO2 micro-channel devices

We report large amplitude modulation waveforms as large as ~ 10 V using vanadium dioxide micro-channel devices operating under current-controlled conditions. The self-sustained electrical oscillations were generated by controlling the applied current in the negative differential resistance region of the investigated devices. An appropriate value of internal capacitance was achieved as parasitic capacitance in the device structure to stabilize the electrical oscillations. This eliminates the need of an external pulsed source or any external passive component connected to the micro-channel devices. Amplitude and frequency of the oscillation were tuned by illuminating the device micro-channel with an external laser. An equivalent circuit model was developed to simulate the waveforms. A good agreement between experiment and simulation was verified.     

Effects of water vapor and temperature upon combustion stability of CeZrO2-modified Pd-Pt/Al2O3 catalyst

Two bimetallic Pd-Pt catalysts were prepared by wash-coating the composites of Pd-Pt/CeZrO₂-Al₂O₃ onto cordierite monolith and they were evaluated in a tubular reactor for stability in combustion of SOFC stack flue gas at GHSV 29,280 h^?1 and 1 atm. The Pd-rich catalyst showed better stability than the Pt-rich catalyst for combustion of the wet feed. Water vapor in the stack flue gas affected the catalyst activity adversely via the formation of inactive Pd(OH)₂ species at the reaction temperatures of 723 and 823 K, but this effect was eliminated by raising the temperature to 923 K or above. Catalyst properties such as specific surface area, pore size and metal dispersion did not deteriorate significantly after combustion of the wet feed in the temperature range of 723-1,023 K. The presence of CeZrO₂ in Al₂O₃ material was considered to affect the support properties favorably, leading to a kind of metal-support interaction beneficial for the combustion of the wet feed. This interaction helped to enable the Pd-Pt catalysts to maintain good stability for combusting the wet SOFC stack flue gas with the stoichiometric air-to-fuel ratio at 923 K or above.     

Concurrent engineering: A compromising approach to develop a feasible and customer-pleasing product

To develop a customer-pleasing and economically and technically feasible product, it is necessary to utilize the best possible knowledge of the market, the customers, the core product technology, and the cost implications of design alternatives. It requires the concurrent involvement of team members from merchandizing, product development, and purchasing and production-engineering departments of the enterprise. The merchandizing department identifies customer needs however, considering only customers’ requirements, without technical information it is not possible to develop a feasible product. Conversely, the function-oriented designers in the product development department determine the subsystems’ weight, which are technically feasible but may ignore the qualitative issues desired by the customers. To identify the economic feasibility of the product, the purchasing and production-engineering departments calculate the estimated cost by evaluating the cost implications of the design alternatives. Therefore, to produce an economically and technically feasible product with customer pleasing quality, a trade-off among these three sets of weights is essential. Here, we propose an optimization model that assimilates three sets of weights of the subsystems to a final one. The resultant set of weights will represent the effects of concurrent cooperation among merchandizing, product development, purchasing and production-engineering departments of the enterprise.     

Multiple Linear Regression Model Approach for Aerosol Dispersion in Ventilated Spaces Using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Dimensional Analysis

Aerosol dispersion in living spaces especially bioaerosols, due to accidents or deliberate acts, is of significant current interest. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) provides an accurate and detailed platform to study the influence of different parameters on aerosol distribution in indoor spaces. The simulations however are time consuming and site-specific. The work here introduces an approach toward addressing this challenge. During emergencies, an accurate, quicker, and more general model is required to give rapid answers to first responders. Significant parameters influencing aerosol behavior in an office room were identified and through dimensional analysis, nine dimensionless groups were developed. Fractional factorial design was used to build sixteen scenarios to explore the design space. These scenarios were then simulated using a comprehensive CFD model. Large eddy simulation with the Smagorinsky subgrid scale model was applied to compute the airflow. Aerosols were modeled as a dispersed solid phase using the Lagrangian treatment. The influence of the dimensionless groups on the temporal variation of the number of aerosols in the room and the spatial distribution of the particles in the room was analyzed. The results showed that all the identified dimensionless groups were significant. Multiple linear regression models were developed for the prediction of the number of aerosols in the room and their spatial distribution as a function of the significant parameters influencing aerosol transport. The linear models accurately predicted the data on which they were based but did not predict the results of the independent tests as well. The limited predictive ability of the model showed that the relationships between the dimensionless groups are nonlinear and a higher level of experimental design will have to be applied to better explore the design space.     

Interaction of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide with drug in aqueous/ electrolyte solution: A combined conductometric and molecular dynamics method study

Interaction between beta-lactum antibiotic drug ciprofloxacin hydrochloride(CFH)and cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB)was performed conductometrically in aqueous as well as in the occurrence of different salts(NaCl,KCl as well as NH_4Cl)over the temperature range of 298.15–323.15 K at the regular interval of 5 K.CFH drug has been suggested for the treatment of bacterial infections such as urinary tract infections and acute sinusitis.A clear critical micelle concentration(CMC)was obtained for pure CTAB as well as(CFH+CTAB)mixed systems.The decrease in CMC values of CTAB caused by the addition of CFH reveals the existence of the interaction between the components and therefore it is the indication of micelle formation at lower concentration of CTAB and their CMC values further decrease in attendance of salts.A nonlinear behavior in the CMC versus T plot was observed in all the cases.The ΔG_m~0 values are found to be negative in present study systems demonstrated the stability of the solution.The values of ΔH_m~0 and ΔS_m~0 reveal the existence of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions between CFH and CTAB.The thermodynamic properties of transfer for the micellization were also evaluated and discussed in detail.Molecular dynamic simulation disclosed that environment of water and salts have impact on the hydrophobic interaction between CFH and CTAB.In water and salts,CTAB adopts spherical micelle in which charged hydrophilic groups are interacted with waters whereas hydrophobic tails form the core of the micelle.This hydrophobic core region is highly conserved and protected.In addition,micelle formation is more favorable in aqueous Na Cl solution than other solutions.     

Protective effect of amiloride against reperfusion damage as evidenced by inhibition of accumulation of free fatty acids in working rat hearts

To examine whether amiloride protects against ischemia-induced or reperfusion-induced damage to the heart, mechanical and metabolic studies were performed in the isolated, working rat heart. Ischemia decreased both mechanical function and the tissue levels of high-energy phosphates and increased the tissue levels of free fatty acids (FFAs). Reperfusion restored the levels of high-energy phosphates but further increased FFA accumulation. For this reason, accumulation of FFAs was used as an indicator of both ischemia-induced and reperfusion-induced damage. Drugs were added to the perfusion solution 5 min before ischemia until the end of ischemia (pre) or until 10 min after reperfusion (pre + post). Diltiazem (1 or 5 mumol/L pre) decreased the mechanical function of the non-ischemic heart and attenuated both ischemia-induced and reperfusion-induced accumulation of FFAs. Amiloride (50 mumol/L pre) did not affect the mechanical function of the non-ischemic heart or attenuate ischemia-induced or reperfusion-induced FFA accumulation effectively. However, amiloride (50 mumol/L pre + post) did markedly attenuate the reperfusion-induced accumulation of FFAs. In conclusion, diltiazem attenuates both ischemia-induced and reperfusion-induced myocardial damage, probably through its energy-sparing effect as a result of a decrease in mechanical function before ischemia. In contrast, amiloride attenuates only the reperfusion-induced myocardial damage through mechanisms other than the energy-sparing effect.     

Dielectric Relaxation and Conductivity of Ba(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O3and Ba(Zn1/3Ta2/3)O3

The frequency dependent dielectric properties of barium magnesium tantalate(BMT),Ba(Mg_(1/3)Ta(2/3))O_3 and barium zinc tantalate(BZT),Ba(Zn_(1/3)Ta_(2/3))O_3 synthesized by solid state reaction technique have been investigated at various temperatures by impedance spectroscopy.BMT and BZT possess cubic structure with lattice parameter a = 0.708 and 0.451 nm,respectively.The resonance peaks due to dielectric relaxation processes are observed in the loss tangent of these oxides.The relaxation in the samples is polydispersive in nature.The temperature dependence of dc conductivity,the most probable relaxation frequency(ω_m) obtained from tanδ vs logw plots and ω_m obtained from imaginary parts of the complex electrical modulus vs logw plots follow the Arrhenius behavior.According to these Arrhenius plots the activation energies of BMT and BZT are about 0.54 and 0.40 eV,respectively.Thus the results indicate that samples are semiconducting in nature.The frequency-dependent electrical data are analyzed in the framework of conductivity and electric modulus formalisms.Both these formalisms show qualitative similarities in relaxation time.Our study points that for complex perovskite oxides with general formula A(B'B")O_3,the dielectric properties significantly depend on the atomic radii of both A and B type cations.BMT and BZT exhibit enhancement in dielectric property compared to their niobate counterparts.They may find several technological applications such as in capacitors,resonators and filters owing to their high dielectric constant and low loss tangent.