RADIATION EFFECT ON FREE CONVECTION LAMINAR FLOW FROM AN ISOTHERMAL SPHERE

Natural convection laminar flow from an isothermal sphere immersed in a viscous incompressible optically dense fluid in the presence of radiation effects has been investigated. The governing boundary layer equations are transformed into a non dimensional form and the resulting nonlinear systems of partial differential equations are reduced to local non-similarity boundary layer equations, which are solved numerically by two distinct, efficient methods, namely, (i) implicit finite difference method together with the Keller box scheme and (ii) local non-similarity method. Numerical results of the velocity and temperature profiles of the fluid are presented. The results of the shearing stress and the heat transfer rate in terms of skin-friction coefficient and Nusselt number respectively are also presented for a wide range of the radiation-conduction parameter or Planck number R _d (=0.0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0), the surface heating parameter θ _w (=1.1, 1.2, 1.4), and Prandtl number Pr (=7.0, 10.0, 15.0, 20.0).     

Preconcentration and Determination of Pb (II) in Aqueous Samples using Functionalized Dowex 1X8

Synthetic resin Dowex 1X8 was functionalized with α-Nitroso β-Naphthol (Dowex-αNβN) and with 8-Hydroxy Quinoline (Dowex-8HQ) to form chelating resin. The resultant chelating resins were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The efficiency of these resins for the removal/preconcentration of Pb (II) from aqueous samples was evaluated. Optimum conditions of pH, time of equilibrium, and sample volume were investigated for maximum retention of Pb (II) from aqueous solutions. At optimum conditions, 100% adsorption was observed for the functionalized resins. Both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms were applied to the adsorption data and it was observed that data fits well to Langmuir isotherm. Various parameters such as shaking time, type, and concentration of eluents were investigated for the recovery of Pb (II) from the chelating resins. For Dowex-αNβN and Dowex-8HQ, 100% recovery with a preconcentration factor of 100 was achieved with 0.5 and 2 M HCl, respectively. The selectivity and specificity of the functionalized resins was also evaluated by studying the effect of various foreign ions and the results have been compared with the unmodified Dowex.     

Gold nanoparticle-based simple colorimetric and ultrasensitive dynamic light scattering assay for the selective detection of Pb(II) from paints, plastics, and water samples

Pb (II) is a common water pollutant with high toxicity. According to the CDC, about 310,000 U.S. children of ages 1-5 have high levels of lead in their blood that it is due to the exposure to lead from plastic toys and other products. As a result, the development of ultrasensitive assays for the real-time detection of Pb(II) from plastic toys and paints is very important for water controlling, clinical toxicology and industrial processes. Driven by the need to detect trace amounts of Pb(II) from water samples, we report a label-free, highly selective and ultra sensitive glutathione modified gold nanoparticle based dynamic light scattering (DLS) probe for Pb(II) recognition in 100 ppt level from aqueous solution with excellent discrimination against other heavy metals. The sensitivity of our assay to detect Pb(II) level in water is almost 2 orders of magnitude higher than the EPA standard limit. We have also demonstrated that our DLS assay is capable of measuring the amount of Pb(II) in paint, plastic toys, and water from MS river. A possible mechanism and operating principles of our DLS assay have been discussed. Ultimately, this nanotechnology driven assay could have enormous potential applications in rapid, on-site monitoring of Pb(II) from day-to-day sample.     

TOF-SIMS with argon gas cluster ion beams: a comparison with C60+

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) is an established technique for the characterization of solid sample surfaces. The introduction of polyatomic ion beams, such as C(60), has provided the associated ability to perform molecular depth-profiling and 3D molecular imaging. However, not all samples perform equally under C(60) bombardment, and it is probably nai?ve to think that there will be an ion beam that will be applicable in all situations. It is therefore important to explore the potential of other candidates. A systematic study of the suitability of argon gas cluster ion beams (Ar-GCIBs) of general composition Ar(n)(+), where n = 60-3000, as primary particles in TOF-SIMS analysis has been performed. We have assessed the potential of the Ar-GCIBs for molecular depth-profiling in terms of damage accumulation and sputter rate and also as analysis beams where spectral quality and secondary ion yields are considered. We present results with direct comparison with C(60) ions on the same sample in the same instrument on polymer, polymer additive, and biomolecular samples, including lipids and small peptides. Large argon clusters show reduced damage accumulation compared with C(60) with an approximately constant sputter rate as a function of Ar cluster size. Further, on some samples, large argon clusters produce changes in the mass spectra indicative of a more gentle ejection mechanism. However, there also appears to be a reduction in the ionization of secondary species as the size of the Ar cluster increases.     

Formation of furan in baby food products: Identification and technical challenges

Furan is generally produced during thermal processing of various foods including baked, fried, and roasted food items such as cereal products, coffee, canned, and jarred prepared foods as well as in baby foods. Furan is a toxic and carcinogenic compound to humans and may be a vital hazard to infants and babies. Furan could be formed in foods through thermal degradation of carbohydrates, dissociation of amino acids, and oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The detection of furan in food products is difficult due to its high volatility and low molecular weight. Headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) is generally used for analysis of furan in food samples. The risk assessment of furan can be characterized using margin of exposure approach (MOE). Conventional strategies including cooking in open vessels, reheating of commercially processed foods with stirring, and physical removal using vacuum treatment have remained unsuccessful for the removal of furan due to the complex production mechanisms and possible precursors of furan. The innovative food-processing technologies such as high-pressure processing (HPP), high-pressure thermal sterilization (HPTS), and Ohmic heating have been adapted for the reduction of furan levels in baby foods. But in recent years, only HPP has gained interest due to successful reduction of furan because of its nonthermal mechanism. HPP-treated baby food products are commercially available from different food companies. This review summarizes the mechanism involved in the formation of furan in foods, its toxicity, and identification in infant foods and presents a solution for limiting its formation, occurrence, and retention using novel strategies.