Immobilization of cholesterol oxidase and potassium ferricyanide on dodecylbenzene sulfonate ion‐doped polypyrrole film

Dodecylbenzene sulfonate (DBS)‐doped polypyrrole (PPY) conducting polymer films were electrochemically deposited onto the indium‐tin‐oxide (ITO)‐coated glass plates in aqueous medium. The enzyme cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) was immobilized on these DBS–PPY films by a physical adsorption technique. These ChOx‐immobilized DBS–PPY films were characterized by ultraviolet–visible and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The enzyme activity studies indicate that ～40% of ChOx leaches out from the ChOx/DBS–PPY film. The ChOx activity in the ChOx/DBS–PPY film was assayed as a function of cholesterol concentration. The results of amperometric measurements conducted on ChOx/DBS–PPY/ITO film show linearity over the range 2–8 mM of cholesterol solution. The ChOx/DBS–PPY/ITO electrodes exhibit a response time of 30 s and are stable for ～3 months at 4 °C. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 3486–3491, 2001     

Failure analysis of left barrel of an aircraft engine

This investigation analyses the failure of left barrel used in engine of an aircraft. The barrel was subjected to detailed examination using standard non-destructive and destructive testing methods in order to identify the cause of failure of left barrel. The experimental results include fractography, chemical analysis, coating analysis and optical microstructure. The investigation concludes that failure is caused by the formation of corrosion pits which act as stress raiser and fatigue has assisted in propagation of the crack.     

Investigations on the thermal effects in non-circular journal bearings

A comparative study based on the thermal performance of elliptical and offset-halves journal bearings has been carried out by solving energy equation while assuming Parabolic Temperature Profile Approximation across the fluid film for faster computation of temperatures. Investigation for the rise in oil film temperatures, thermal pressures, load capacity, and power loss for three commercially available grade oils have been carried out for bearing configurations under study. It has been found that the offset-halves journal bearing runs cooler when compared with elliptical journal bearing profile with minimum power loss and good load capacity using Oil 2 as lubricant for which minimum thermal degradation has been observed.     

Biomimetic synthesis and patterning of silver nanoparticles

The creation of nanoscale materials for advanced structures has led to a growing interest in the area of biomineralization. Numerous microorganisms are capable of synthesizing inorganic-based structures. For example, diatoms use amorphous silica as a structural material, bacteria synthesize magnetite (Fe3O4) particles and form silver nanoparticles, and yeast cells synthesize cadmium sulphide nanoparticles. The process of biomineralization and assembly of nanostructured inorganic components into hierarchical structures has led to the development of a variety of approaches that mimic the recognition and nucleation capabilities found in biomolecules for inorganic material synthesis. In this report, we describe the in vitro biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using silver-binding peptides identified from a combinatorial phage display peptide library.     

Techniques based on genetic algorithms for large deflection analysis of beams

A couple of non-convex search strategies, based on the genetic algorithm, are suggested and numerically explored in the context of large-deflection analysis of planar, elastic beams. The first of these strategies is based on the stationarity of the energy functional in the equilibrium state and may therefore be considered weak. The second approach, on the other hand, attempts to directly solve the governing differential equation within an optimisation framework and such a solution may be thought of as strong. Several numerical illustrations and verifications with ‘exact’ solutions, if available, are provided For communication     

Analog CMOS circuit design and characterization for optical coherence tomography signal processing

We have developed a custom analog CMOS circuit to perform the signal processing for an optical coherence tomography imaging system. The circuit is realized in a 1.5 /spl mu/m low-noise analog CMOS technology. The circuitry extracts the Doppler frequency from the signal and electrically mixes this with the original signal to provide a filtered A-scan. The circuitry was used to produce a two-dimensional image of an onion.     

Optimal Design of Level 1 Redundant Water Distribution Networks Considering Nodal Storage

A water distribution network (WDN) is designed to meet time-varying demands with sufficient pressure, taking into consideration an appropriate demand during peak hours. Therefore, a network has inherent redundancy in the sense that under abnormal conditions such as those arising due to pipe breaks or pump failures, deficiency in supply during peak hours can be met through additional supply during off-peak periods. However, this necessitates a storage facility at the consumer end of the network, which is normally available in the form of a sump or an overhead tank in developing countries. Such a storage enables the consumer to store water during the off-peak period and then use it during the peak period. Reliability of a WDN is assessed herein considering nodal storage, and an iterative method is proposed for the optimal design of Level 1 redundant WDNs, i.e., networks that can sustain a single pipe failure without affecting consumer services either in part or in full. The method is illustrated through an example and the designs of a network with and without storage are compared. Provision of a nodal storage is found to reduce the total cost of the network.     

Photocatalytic degradation of dyes and organic contaminants in water using nanocrystalline anatase and rutile TiO2

Nanocrystalline TiO₂ was synthesized by controlled hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide. The anatase phase was converted to rutile phase by thermal treatment at 1023 K for 11 h. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Fourier-transform infrared absorption spectrophotometry (FT-IR) and N₂ adsorption (BET) at 77 K. This study compare the photocatalytic activity of the anatase and rutile phases of nanocrystalline TiO₂ for the degradation of acetophenone, nitrobenzene, methylene blue and malachite green present in aqueous solutions. The initial rate of degradation was calculated to compare the photocatalytic activity of anatase and rutile nanocrystalline TiO₂ for the degradation of different substances under ultraviolet light irradiation. The higher photocatalytic activity was obtained in anatase phase TiO₂ for the degradation of all substances as compared with rutile phase. It is concluded that the higher photocatalytic activity in anatase TiO₂ is due to parameters like band-gap, number of hydroxyl groups, surface area and porosity of the catalyst.