Synthesis and third order optical nonlinearity studies of the donor–acceptor conjugated polymer,poly(2-[3,4-didodecyloxy-5-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)thiophen-2-yl]-5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole) and a polymer/TiO2 nanocomposite

A donor–acceptor conjugated polymer (PDOThPOD) containing 3,4-didodecyloxythiophene and (1,3,4-oxadiazolyl)benzene units is synthesized by using precursor polyhydrazide route. Cyclic voltammetry studies reveal that the polymer possesses a low-lying LUMO energy level (?3.57 eV). A nanocomposite of polymer PDOThPOD and nano TiO₂ is also prepared. The linear optical properties of PDOThPOD and the nanocomposite are studied using UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence emission spectroscopy. z-scan technique is used to study the third order nonlinear optical properties of the polymer and nanocomposite films. Both polymer and nanocomposite films show a strong optical limiting behavior. The value of nonlinear absorption coefficient (β) is found to be of the order of 10^?7 m/W, indicating that these materials are potentially suited for fabricating optical limiters.     

Performance of EDLCs using Nafion and Nafion composites as electrolyte

We present the electrochemical performance of solid-state EDLCs constructed using composites of perfluorosulfonic acid polymer (Nafion) with micro porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane and with cellulose acetate (CA), as electrolyte with carbon as electrodes (surface area: 260 m² g⁻¹). The performance is compared with EDLCs constructed with perfluorosulfonic acid polymer as electrolyte. Scanning electron microscopy is used to study the morphology of the composite electrolyte while micro-Raman and IR measurements determine the integrity of the composite. The performance of the EDLC with perfluorosulfonic acid and PTFE composite electrolyte is good and comparable with the performance of the EDLC with pure perfluorosulfonic acid polymer electrolyte. A specific capacitance of 16 F g⁻¹ is obtained for this EDLC with a maximum working potential of 2.0 V. There is an increase in the equivalent series resistance value from 0.08 Ω for the Nafion EDLC to 4.1 Ω for the Nafion/PTFE composite EDLC. However, the performance of the EDLC with the composite of Nafion/CA is poor due to substantial increase in ESR. The probable reasons are discussed.     

Modified spider monkey optimization algorithm based feature selection and probabilistic neural network classifier in face recognition

This paper proposes a novel and robust predictive method using modified spider monkey optimization (MSMO) and probabilistic neural network (PNN) for face recognition. The limitation of the traditional spider monkey optimization (SMO) approach to obtaining an optimal solution for classification problems is overcome by enhancing the performance of SMO by modifying the perturbation rate with a non-linear function, thereby improving the convergence of SMO. The framework comprises image preprocessing, feature extraction using dual tree complex wavelet transform (DT-CWT), feature selection using the modified spider monkey optimization algorithm (MSMO), and classification using PNN. The proposed method is tested on the Yale and AR Face datasets. Experimental outcomes reveal that the proposed framework attain an accuracy of 99.4% with appreciable sensitivity, specificity, and G-mean. To examine the efficacy of MSMO, parametric studies are conducted, which showed that MSMO converges faster with high fitness when compared to similar evolutionary algorithms like Genetic Algorithm (GA), Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm (GWO), Particle Swarm Algorithm (PSO), and Cuckoo Search (CS) in selecting the optimal feature set. The MSMO-PNN method outperforms similar state-of-the-art methods, which reveals that the method proposed is competitive. The proposed model is robust to Gaussian and salt–pepper noise, obtaining the highest accuracy of 97.89% for varied noise density and variance.     

Targeted Theranostic Nano Vehicle Endorsed with Self‐Destruction and Immunostimulatory Features to Circumvent Drug Resistance and Wipe‐Out Tumor Reinitiating Cancer Stem Cells

The downsides of conventional cancer monotherapies are profound and enormously consequential, as drug‐resistant cancer cells and cancer stem cells (CSC) are typically not eliminated. Here, a targeted theranostic nano vehicle (TTNV) is designed using manganese‐doped mesoporous silica nanoparticle with an ideal surface area and pore volume for co‐loading an optimized ratio of antineoplastic doxorubicin and a drug efflux inhibitor tariquidar. This strategically framed TTNV is chemically conjugated with folic acid and hyaluronic acid as a dual‐targeting entity to promote folate receptor (FR) mediated cancer cells and CD44 mediated CSC uptake, respectively. Interestingly, surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy is exploited to evaluate the molecular changes associated with therapeutic progression. Tumor microenvironment selective biodegradation and immunostimulatory potential of the MSN‐Mn core are safeguarded with a chitosan coating which modulates the premature cargo release and accords biocompatibility. The superior antitumor response in FR‐positive syngeneic and CSC‐rich human xenograft murine models is associated with a tumor‐targeted biodistribution, favorable pharmacokinetics, and an appealing bioelimination pattern of the TTNV with no palpable signs of toxicity. This dual drug‐loaded nano vehicle offers a feasible approach for efficient cancer therapy by on demand cargo release in order to execute complete wipe‐out of tumor reinitiating cancer stem cells.     

Label-free sugar detection using phenylboronic acid-functionalized piezoresistive microcantilevers

By appropriate surface functionalization using a thiolated phenylboronic acid derivative, gold-coated piezoresistive microcantilevers responsive to analytes having vicinal cis-diols were fashioned. A reference, uncoated cantilever permitted reliable subtraction of background signal (i.e., differential measurement). Experiments carried out in static mode under flow conditions, using the monosaccharide D-(-)-fructose as a test analyte in aqueous buffer, showed that the measured stationary-state surface stress was linear in analyte concentration over the 0-25 mM range, allowing this sugar to be readily detected at physiologically meaningful concentrations and at neutral pH. This approach offers a simple, reagentless, and flexible format for polyol screening that does not require aqueous alkaline solutions, suggesting potential applications in biomass process monitoring and glucose assay.     

Fabrication and characterization of electrospun titania nanofibers

Titania (TiO₂) nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning three representative spin dopes made of titanium (IV) n-butoxide (TNBT) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) with the TNBT/PVP mass ratio being 1/2 in three solvent systems including N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), isopropanol, and DMF/isopropanol (1/1 mass ratio) mixture, followed by pyrolysis at 500 °C. The detailed morphological and structural properties of both the as-electrospun precursor nanofibers and the resulting final TiO₂ nanofibers were characterized by SEM, TEM, and XRD. The results indicated that the precursor nanofibers and the final TiO₂ nanofibers made from the spin dopes containing DMF alone or DMF/isopropanol mixture as the solvent had the common cylindrical morphology with diameters ranging from tens to hundreds of nanometers, while those made from the spin dope containing isopropanol alone as the solvent had an abnormal concave morphology with sizes/widths ranging from sub-microns to microns. Despite the morphological discrepancies, all precursor nanofibers were structurally amorphous without distinguishable phase separation, while all final TiO₂ nanofibers consisted of anatase-phased TiO₂ single-crystalline grains with sizes of approximately 10 nm. The electrospun TiO₂ nanofiber mat is expected to significantly outperform other forms (such as powder and film) of TiO₂ for the solar cell (particularly dye-sensitized solar cell) and photo-catalysis applications.     

Evaluation of the Central Effects of Systemic Lentiviral-Mediated Leptin Delivery in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterized by hyperphagia, hyperglycemia and activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. We have reported previously that daily leptin injections help to alleviate these symptoms. Therefore, we hypothesized that leptin gene therapy could help to normalize the neuroendocrine dysfunction seen in T1D. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were injected i.v. with a lentiviral vector containing the leptin gene or green fluorescent protein. Ten days later, they were injected with the vehicle or streptozotocin (STZ). HPA function was assessed by measuring norepinephrine (NE) levels in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and serum corticosterone (CS). Treatment with the leptin lentiviral vector (Lepvv) increased leptin and insulin levels in non-diabetic rats, but not in diabetic animals. There was a significant reduction in blood glucose levels in diabetic rats due to Lepvv treatment. Both NE levels in the PVN and serum CS were reduced in diabetic rats treated with Lepvv. Results from this study provide evidence that leptin gene therapy in STZ-induced diabetic rats was able to partially normalize some of the neuroendocrine abnormalities, but studies with higher doses of the Lepvv are needed to develop this into a viable option for treating T1D.     

Laser Raman microscopic studies of passive films formed on type 316LN stainless steels during pitting in chloride solution

The surface films formed on type 316LN stainless steels (SS) with different nitrogen contents, during potentiodynamic polarization in acidified 1 M NaCl solution, were characterized by Laser Raman Spectroscopy (LRS). LRS confirmed the presence of oxides and oxychlorides of iron and chromium, hydrated chlorides and nitrates in the film. Raman mapping showed increasing nitrate content in the film with increasing nitrogen content. The film on the uncorroded material showed the presence of chromium and molybdenum oxides. The improvement in pitting corrosion resistance of type 316LN SS with increasing nitrogen content was attributed to increased amount of nitrates in the passive film.     

Squirrel Search Algorithm Based Support Vector Machine for Congestion Control in WSN-IoT

Wireless Personal Communications - As the Wireless sensor network (WSN) has huge part in Internet of Things (IoT), it is used in different applications, for example, detecting climate and sending...