Novel addition-fragmentation agent in cationic photopolymerization

The aim of present study is to examine the photo-initiation efficiency of N,N-dimethylacrylamide-based allylic ammonium salt as one component addition-fragmentation agent (cationic photoinitiator cum radical source) in free radical accelerated cationic polymerization. Novel addition-fragmentation agent (AFA), 2-(N,N-dimethylcarboxy-3-propenyl)(phenylcarbonyl-4-phenylene) dimethyl ammonium hexafluoroantimonate (DMPDA) was synthesized as cationic photoinitiator and its initiation efficiency was examined in polymerization of cyclohexene oxide (CHO), isobutyl vinyl ether (IBVE), and n-butyl vinyl ether (n-BVE) in CH₂Cl₂ solvent at wavelength λ > 290 nm. The rate of polymerization increases with the increase in initiator concentration and reaction time. The results demonstrate that DMPDA acts as an efficient photoinitiator (AFA) without use of radical source in free radical accelerated cationic polymerization.     

A potential antitumor drug (arginine deiminase) reengineered for efficient operation under physiological conditions

Arginine deiminase (ADI, EC 3.5.3.6) is a potential antitumor drug for the treatment of arginine‐auxotrophic tumors such as hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and melanomas, and studies on human lymphatic leukemia cell lines have confirmed that ADI has antiangiogenic activity. Recent studies showed that a combination of taxane and ADI‐PEG20, which induces caspase‐independent apoptosis, is more effective than taxane monotherapy for prostate cancer. The main limitation of ADI from Pseudomonas plecoglossicida (PpADI) and of many other ADI enzymes lies in their pH‐dependent activity profile. PpADI has a pH optimum at 6.5 and a pH shift from 6.5 to 7.5 results in an ～80 % activity drop (the pH of human plasma is 7.35 to 7.45). In 2010, we reported a proof of concept for ADI engineering by directed evolution that resulted in variant M2 (K5T/D44E/H404R). M2 has a pH optimum of pH 7.0, a fourfold higher k_cat value than the wild‐type PpADI (pH 7.4, 0.5 M phosphate buffer), and an increased K_m value for substrate arginine. In our latest work, variants M5 (K5T/D38H/D44E/A128T/H404R) and M6 (K5T/D38H/D44E/A128T/E296K/H404R) were generated by directed evolution by employing PBS buffer (pH 7.4), which mimics physiological conditions. The S_0.5 value of parent M3 (K5T/D44E/A128T/H404R) decreased from 2.01 to 1.48 mM (M5) and 0.81 mM (M6). The S_0.5 value of M6 (0.81 mM ) is lower than that of wild‐type PpADI (1.30 mM ); the k_cat values improved from 0.18 s^?1 (wild‐type PpADI) to 17.56 s^?1 (M5, 97.6‐fold) and 11.64 s^?1 (M6, 64.7‐fold).     

Evaluation of bioequivalence of two formulations containing 100 milligrams of aceclofenac

The bioequivalence of two oral formulations containing aceclofenac 100 mg was determined in 24 healthy Indian male volunteers. The study was designed as a single dose, fasting, two-period two-sequence crossover study with a washout period of 1 week. The content of aceclofenac in plasma was determined by a validated HPLC method with UV detection. The preparations were compared using the parameters area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC_0-t), area under the plasma concentration-time curve from zero to infinity (AUC_0-∞), peak plasma concentration (C_max), and time to reach peak plasma concentration (t_max). No statistically significant difference was observed between the logarithmic transformed AUC_0-∞ and C_max values of the two preparations. The 90% confidence interval for the ratio of the logarithmic transformed AUC_0-t, AUC_0-∞, and C_max were within the bioequivalence limit of 0.80-1.25.     

Mobile phone radiation inhibits Vigna radiata (mung bean) root growth by inducing oxidative stress

During the last couple of decades, there has been a tremendous increase in the use of cell phones. It has significantly added to the rapidly increasing EMF smog, an unprecedented type of pollution consisting of radiation in the environment, thereby prompting the scientists to study the effects on humans. However, not many studies have been conducted to explore the effects of cell phone EMFr on growth and biochemical changes in plants. We investigated whether EMFr from cell phones inhibit growth of Vigna radiata (mung bean) through induction of conventional stress responses. Effects of cell phone EMFr (power density: 8.55 µW cm^− 2; 900 MHz band width; for ½, 1, 2, and 4 h) were determined by measuring the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in terms of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content, root oxidizability and changes in levels of antioxidant enzymes. Our results showed that cell phone EMFr significantly inhibited the germination (at ≥2 h), and radicle and plumule growths (≥1 h) in mung bean in a time-dependent manner. Further, cell phone EMFr enhanced MDA content (indicating lipid peroxidation), and increased H₂O₂ accumulation and root oxidizability in mung bean roots, thereby inducing oxidative stress and cellular damage. In response to EMFr, there was a significant upregulation in the activities of scavenging enzymes, such as superoxide dismutases, ascorbate peroxidases, guaiacol peroxidases, catalases and glutathione reductases, in mung bean roots. The study concluded that cell phone EMFr inhibit root growth of mung bean by inducing ROS-generated oxidative stress despite increased activities of antioxidant enzymes.     

Heat transfer modelling on windows and glazing under the exposure of solar radiation

Due to the effect of solar radiation on windows and glazing system the evaluation of heat flow is of primary importance in modeling the thermal performance within building interiors to account thermal comfort and overall energy consumption of a building. In this context the optical properties of window glazing are measured to determine the percentage absorption of incident solar radiation. An experimental study was performed in a room to measure the glazing surface temperature due to the global radiation on it. The corresponding window plane global radiation and horizontal global radiation were measured outside for simulation. Mathematical models have been developed to simulate the window plane solar radiation and corresponding glazing surface temperature aiming at validating the measured values. The thermal model is concerned with laminar heat transfer for natural and forced convection process according to the ambient conditions. The estimated errors between experimental and simulated values of window plane radiation and glazing temperature are shown to be within ±5%. Using the developed thermal model the heat flow inside the room through windows is determined. Thus overall heat transfer coefficient of glazing (U-factor) and the Solar Heat Gain (SHG) of building interior have been predicted from the simulation.     

Rapid photokilling of gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria by platinum dispersed titania nanocomposite films

Superior antimicrobial activity of 2 wt.% Pt-dispersed TiO₂ thin film was observed in photokilling Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria within 5 min irradiation (640 μW cm⁻², λ > 340 nm) from UV torch than bare TiO₂ film. Severe disruption of cell membrane has occurred over illuminated Pt-TiO₂ catalysts films coated with 100–300 μg powders per 5 cm² areas over sterilized glass slides. The Pt dispersion onto TiO₂ by impregnation–hydrogen reduction always exhibited better photokilling effect than Pt photodeposition, irrespective of Pt–TiO₂ dose and light exposure time. Similar trend in photoactivity difference between two Pt–TiO₂ catalysts is also observed in aqueous slurry because of the unlike surface structure of TiO₂ due to different annealing temperatures, size and nature of Pt particles dispersion onto TiO₂ photocatalysts.     

Spectroscopic and structural investigations of Er doped zinc bismuth borate glasses

Erbium doped glasses having composition 20ZnO·xBi₂O₃·(79.5 − x)B₂O₃ (15 ≤ x ≤ 35, x in mol%) were prepared by melt-quench technique. The spectroscopic properties were investigated using optical absorption and fluorescence spectra. The Judd–Ofelt intensity parameters, Ω_λ (λ = 2, 4, 6) were determined from the spectral intensities of absorption bands in order to calculate the radiative transition probability (A_R), radiative life time (τ_R), branching ratio (β_R) for various excited luminescent states. Using the emission spectra, full width at half maximum (FWHM), stimulated emission cross-section (σ_e) and figure of merit (FOM) were evaluated. The high values of Judd–Ofelt parameters indicate a substantial mixing of other electronic configuration into the 4f^N configuration by the random crystal field in the glasses. All the intensity parameters (Ω_λ) decrease with increase in Bi₂O₃ content and the effect is found to be most pronounced for Ω₂ values. The structural investigations of the glasses were carried out by recording the IR transmission spectra. A correlation between the network forming units with the multi-phonon relaxation rate and hence with the possibility of radiative quantum efficiency has been made. In addition, various physical and optical parameters have been determined from the measured density and refractive index values.     

Effect of surface plasmons on spectral switching of polychromatic light with Au-double-slit

It is shown that the generation of surface plasmons on a metal-dielectric interface, i.e., a Au-double-slit and air interface, appreciably affects the intensity of the diffracted light. With a specific example of Au-double-slit and electro-optic devices before the slits, the spectral switching in the diffracted field with the polychromatic light is shown for the first time, to our knowledge. It is found that at the observation point due to the surface plasmon effect the intensity of the diffracted light periodically increases and decreases with the separation of the double-slit.     

Hydromagnetic convective diffusion of species in Darcy–Forchheimer porous medium with non-uniform heat source/sink and variable viscosity

In this paper we have analyzed the combined effects of magnetic field and convective diffusion of species through a non-Darcy porous medium over a vertical stretching sheet with temperature dependent viscosity and non-uniform heat source/sink. The boundary layer equations are transformed into ordinary differential equations using self-similarity transformation which are then solved numerically using fifth-order Runge–Kutta Fehlberg method with shooting technique for various values of the governing parameters. The effects of electric field parameter, non-uniform heat source/sink parameters and Schmidt number on concentration profiles are analyzed and discussed graphically. Favorable comparisons with previously published work on various special cases of the problem are obtained.     

Ultrafast excited state deactivation of doped porous anodic alumina membranes

Free-standing, bi-directionally permeable and ultra-thin anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes establish attractive templates (host) for the synthesis of nano-dots and rods of various materials (guest). This is due to their chemical and structural integrity and high periodicity on length scales of 5-150 nm which are often used to host photoactive nano-materials for various device applications including dye-sensitized solar cells. In the present study, AAO membranes are synthesized by using electrochemical methods and a detailed structural characterization using FEG-SEM, XRD and TGA confirms the porosity and purity of the material. Defect-mediated photoluminescence quenching of the porous AAO membrane in the presence of an electron accepting guest organic molecule (benzoquinone) is studied by means of steady-state and picosecond/femtosecond-resolved luminescence measurements. Using time-resolved luminescence transients, we have also revealed light harvesting of complexes of porous alumina impregnated with inorganic quantum dots (Maple Red) or gold nanowires. Both the F?rster resonance energy transfer and the nano-surface energy transfer techniques are employed to examine the observed quenching behavior as a function of the characteristic donor-acceptor distances. The experimental results will find their relevance in light harvesting devices based on AAOs combined with other materials involving a decisive energy/charge transfer dynamics.