Studies of protein binding to nonpolar solutes by using zonal elution and high-performance affinity chromatography: interactions of cis- and trans-clomiphene with human serum albumin in the presence of beta-cyclodextrin

High-performance affinity chromatography and zonal elution studies were used to examine the binding that takes place between the drug clomiphene and the protein human serum albumin (HSA). Equations were derived to describe the behavior of zonal elution experiments in which a solubilizing agent is present in the mobile phase to aid in the dissolution of a competing agent or injected analyte. These equations were then used to determine the association equilibrium constants for the clomiphene/HSA system, with beta-cyclodextrin being used as a complexation agent to improve the water solubility of cis- and trans-clomiphene without affecting the nature of their binding to HSA. It was found in these studies that both cis- and trans-clomiphene have 1:1 interactions at a common binding region on HSA (association constants at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C: cis, 7.5 x 10(6) M-1; trans, 1.3 x 10(6) M-1). Further competition experiments between cis- or trans-clomiphene and various site-selective probes indicated that the clomiphene-binding region is the same as the proposed tamoxifen site of HSA. The approach and equations used within this report are general ones that can be applied to zonal elution studies of other solute-ligand systems in which one or more of the test components have limited solubility in the desired mobile phase.     

A new method to test system diagnosability

A new necessary and sufficient condition for t-diagnosability of a system is proposed. It is shown that the new scheme is computationally more efficient than the existing one for checking the diagnosability of a system.     

Finite element analysis of 3-ply laminated conical shell for flutter

The results of the finite element analysis of 3-ply laminated conical shells with light core for linear panel flutter are presented and certain advantages of such shells discussed.     

Microstructure and properties of quenched-and-aged plates produced from a copper-bearing HSLA steel

For the first time in India, quenched-and-tempered (Q&T) plates of a copper-bearing high-strength lowalloy (HSLA) steel have been commercially developed for naval structural applications. A 50 ton production heat was made through electric arc furnace (EAF)-vacuum arc degassing (VAD) route and continuously cast into 170 mm thick slabs. These slabs were conditioned, reheated in walking-beam furnace and hot rolled in plate mill into plates of 10 to 16 mm thickness. The as-rolled plates were hardened through oil quenching and subsequently tempered (aged) at 630 ‡C to achieve the combination of highstrength and good low-temperature impact toughness. The microstructures of heat treated plates showed fine acicular ferrite with grain sizes ranging between ASTM No. 9 and 10. From the standpoint of tensile properties, Q&T plates of all thicknesses exhibited significantly higher yield strengths than the minimum stipulated value of 552 MPa for HY-80/HSLA-80 steels. The elongation (22.20 to 26.00%) and reduction in area (62.12 to 67.62%) values achieved also exceeded the respective minimum requirements of 20 and 50% stipulated for such steels. The trend in variation of Charpy V-notch (CVN) impact energies at room temperature, -18, and -62 ‡C not only showed significantly higher values than that stipulated for HY-80 and HSLA-100 steels at -18 ‡C, but also indicated that the CVN impact energies achieved (105.15 to 144.25 J) at -62 ‡C were higher than the estimated value of 90 J for HSLA-80/HSLA-100 steels at this temperature.     

A weightage formula to rerank periodicals in the field of microbiology

Ranking lists of periodicals in different scientific disciplines are generally based on the total number of citations derived from a group of source journals with equal weightage given to all citations irrespective of chronology. As a result, in all these ranking lists, the position occupied by the post-war journals, may not be an accurate index of their demand or usefulness to research workers in the concerned field. This may happen because the quantum of published literature in the new journals is limited by the period for which they have been in existence, which is in many cases less than 20 years. Moreover, many of the post-war journals appearing in all these recent ranking lists have started publication even after 1960s, and their enumerated citations cover in fact a variable period of less than 20 years unlike in the case of pre-war journals. To avoid such discriminating against new journals which necessarily have fewer citation credits Sengupta suggested earlier an off-setting weightage formula which has been applied in this paper to rerank microbiology periodicals. A revised ranking list in the field of microbiology has been recommended in preference to the earlier one compiled by Sengupta. Results and findings, after application of the weightage formula, have been presented and discussed in this paper.     

A comparative study of the microstructures observed in statically cast and continuously cast Bi-In-Sn ternary eutectic alloy

A ternary eutectic alloy with a composition of 57.2 pct Bi, 24.8 pct In, and 18 pct Sn was continuously cast into wire of 2 mm diameter with casting speeds of 14 and 79 mm min⁻¹ using the Ohno Continuous Casting (OCC) process. The microstructures obtained were compared with those of statically cast specimens. Extensive segregation of massive Bi blocks, Bi complex structures, and tinrich dendrites was found in specimens that were statically cast. Decomposition of γSn by a eutectoid reaction was confirmed based on microstructural evidence. Ternary eutectic alloy with a cooling rate of approximately 1 °C min⁻¹ formed a double binary eutectic. The double binary eutectic consisted of regions of BiIn and decomposed γSn in the form of a dendrite cell structure and regions of Bi and decomposed γSn in the form of a complex-regular cell. The Bi complex-regular cells, which are a ternary eutectic constituent, existed either along the boundaries of the BiIn-decomposed γSn dendrite cells or at the front of elongated dendrite cell structures. In the continuously cast wires, primary Sn dendrites coupled with a small Bi phase were uniformly distributed within the Bi-In alloy matrix. Neither massive Bi phase, Bi complex-regular cells, nor BiIn eutectic dendrite cells were observed, resulting in a more uniform microstructure in contrast to the heavily segregated structures of the statically cast specimens.     

Properties of YIG-based magnetic glass-ceramics with different nucleating agents

The effect of bismuth, silver oxide and palladium on the crystallization of yttrium iron garnet in Na₂O-SiO₂-Y₂O₃-Fe₂O₃ glass-ceramics has been investigated by X-ray diffraction thermal analysis, magnetic measurements and optical microscopy. It is found that the magnetic properties of these glass-ceramics can be altered significantly by a change in the nucleating agents and the heat treatment schedule. This behaviour is explained on the basis of the microstructure and the volume fraction of the different magnetic phases crystallized within the glasses.     

Development of pitch-based carbon–copper composites

Carbon–copper composites with varying copper to carbon ratio of 0.66–1.5 (by weight) were developed from coal-tar-pitch-derived green coke (as such or modified with natural graphite) as carbon source and electrolytic grade copper powder at different heat treatment temperatures (HTTs) of 1000–1400 °C. The physical, mechanical, and electrical properties differ depending upon the HTT and also on copper to carbon ratio (Cu/C). The composites prepared at HTT of 1100 °C having Cu/C ratio of 0.66 and 0.9 exhibited a high bending strength of 150 and 140 MPa, bulk density of 2.63 and 2.81 gm/cm³, electrical resistivity of 1.6 and 0.96 m Ω cm and shore hardness of 88 and 84, respectively, in spite of well-known inadequate wettability between copper and carbon. Increasing the temperature from 1100 °C for processing of the composites deteriorated the properties mainly due to the loss of copper through melting above 1100 °C as revealed by X-ray, scanning electron microscopy, thermal analysis and EDAX studies.     

Case reviews on the effect of microstructure on the corrosion behavior of austenitic alloys for processing and storage of nuclear waste

This article describes the corrosion behavior of special austenitic alloys for waste management applications. The special stainless steels have controlled levels of alloying and impurity elements and inclusion levels. It is shown that “active” inclusions and segregation of chromium along flow lines accelerated IGC of nonsensitized stainless steels. Concentration of Cr⁺⁶ ions in the grooves of dissolved inclusions increased the potential to the transpassive region of the material, leading to accelerated attack. It is shown that a combination of cold working and controlled solution annealing resulted in a microstructure that resisted corrosion even after a sensitization heat treatment. This imparted extra resistance to corrosion by increasing the fraction of “random” grain boundaries above a threshold value. Randomization of grain boundaries made the stainless steels resistant to sensitization, IGC, and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) in even hot chloride environments. The increased corrosion resistance has been attributed to connectivity of random grain boundaries. The reaction mechanism between the molten glass and the material for process pot, alloy 690, during the vitrification process has been shown to result in depletion of chromium from the reacting surfaces. A comparison is drawn between the electrochemical behavior of alloys 33 and 22 in 1 M HCl at 65 °C. It is shown that a secondary phase formed during welding of alloy 33 impaired corrosion properties in the HCl environment. This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium “Effect of Processing on Materials Properties for Nuclear Waste Disposition,” November 10–11, 2003, at the TMS Fall meeting in Chicago, Illinois, under the joint auspices of the TMS Corrosion and Environmental Effects and Nuclear Materials Committees.