Detecting the Origin of Cancer‐Mobile Quantum Probe for Single Cancer Stem Cell Detection

Cancer stem cells (CSC) are believed to be the driving force of cancer metastases and are a rare population of self‐renewing cells that contribute majorly to the poor outcomes of cancer therapy. The detection of CSC is of utmost importance to shed light on the indestructible nature of certain solid tumors and their metastatic ability. However, tumors tend to harbor CSCs in a specialized niche, making the detection process difficult. Currently, there is no method available to detect CSCs. The significance of this work is twofold. First, to the best of the knowledge, it is the first time that the detection of CSC is demonstrated. This approach simultaneously detects both the phenotypic and the metabolic state of the cell, thus enabling universal detection of CSC with high accuracy. Second, to the best of the knowledge, for the first time, light is shed on cell chemistry of CSC in their dedicated niche to facilitate a better understanding of the key players involved in the metabolic rewiring of CSC. This work will enable a better understanding of the fundamentals of CSCs, which are critical for the early diagnosis of cancer and the development of therapies for the cure of cancer.     

Involution codes: with application to DNA coded languages

For an involution θ : Σ^* → Σ^* over a finite alphabet Σ we consider involution codes: θ-infix, θ-comma-free, θ-k -codes and θ-subword-k-codes. These codes arise from questions on DNA strand design. We investigate conditions under which both X and X⁺ are same type of involution codes. General methods for generating such involution codes are given. The information capacity of these codes show to be optimized in most cases. A specific set of these codes was chosen for experimental testing and the results of these experiments are presented.     

Electroinitiated polymerization coatings through packed and fluidized bed electrodes

Our previous studies on electroinitiated polymerization for formation of coatings on metal surfaces have all been in stationary cell systems. The feasibility of using either a packed bed or a fluidized bed cell in electroinitiated polymerization is now demonstrated, the objective being to form polymeric coatings on metallic and metal-coated nonmetallic particles. The metallic particles that have been used are aluminum and stainless steel and the monomer-electrolyte system used is DAA-sulfuric acid. A comparison of current densities under various cathode potentials for the packed and fluidized bed systems is presented. The coatings obtained are analyzed through IR to establish the polymer functional groups. Additionally, both elemental analyses and thermal neutron activation analyses have been carried out to establish the compositions of the polymer coatings.     

SMA polymer thin film electrodeposition on carbon particles

Electrodeposition of styrene-co-maleic anhydride (SMA) polymer, as thin films on carbon particle substrates, was carried out in a fluidized electrode bed reactor (FEBR). Feeder current, time of deposition, flow rate of anolyte (i.e., bed expansion or bed porosity), concentration of SMA in the anolyte, and pH of the anolyte were the key parameters investigated. The film characteristics were evaluated through SEM and FTIR analyses, the amounts determined by weighing. The effect of these parameters on the electrodeposition process is discussed and optimum conditions for deposition are proposed. Also, a possible mechanism for electrodeposition, particularly for the SMA–carbon system, is discussed. Furthermore, where relevant, the parameters and mechanism are compared with those for our parallel work on the ethylene-co-acrylic acid (EAA)–carbon system.     

Electroreduction of lauronitrile and stearonitrile

Higher aliphatic amines are extensively used as wetting agents, corrosion inhibitors and as anti-dusting agents. An electrochemical method for preparing laurylamine and stearylamine from their corresponding nitriles using nickel black cathode has been standardised in our laboratories. Both these nitriles underwent smooth reduction in ethanolic sulphuric acid medium to give a yield of around 80% amine for a current efficiency of 40–50%. Galvanostatic polarisation measurements indicated that the reduction is smooth only at lower current densities.     

Enhancing web browser security against malware extensions

In this paper we examine security issues of functionality extension mechanisms supported by web browsers. Extensions (or “plug-ins”) in modern web browsers enjoy unrestrained access at all times and thus are attractive vectors for malware. To solidify the claim, we take on the role of malware writers looking to assume control of a user’s browser space. We have taken advantage of the lack of security mechanisms for browser extensions and implemented a malware application for the popular Firefox web browser, which we call browserSpy, that requires no special privileges to be installed. browserSpy takes complete control of the user’s browser space, can observe all activity performed through the browser and is undetectable. We then adopt the role of defenders to discuss defense strategies against such malware. Our primary contribution is a mechanism that uses code integrity checking techniques to control the extension installation and loading process. We describe two implementations of this mechanism: a drop-in solution that employs JavaScript and a faster, in-browser solution that makes uses of the browser’s native cryptography implementation. We also discuss techniques for runtime monitoring of extension behavior to provide a foundation for defending threats posed by installed extensions.     

LIMITATION OF BOUNDARY LAYER ANALYSES FOR BUOYANT CONVECTION IN STABLY STRATIFIED FLUIDS

Vertical buoyant convection in stably stratified fluids is revisited. The limitation of boundary layer analyses for such flows is quantified. This is accomplished by comparing the results of the present boundary layer numerical study with the published experimental measurements, and full numerical simulations. It is shown that boundary layer analysis underpredicts the heat transfer rates. This is explained with reference to the flow and thermal fields. The boundary layer results are shown to be inadequate for such characteristics as flow reversal and temperature defects. The underlying physical mechanisms are discussed.     

3-D aluminum nanostructure with microhole array synthesized by femtosecond laser radiation for enhanced light extinction

This article presents 3-D aluminum micro-nanostructures for enhanced light absorption. Periodic microhole arrays were created by firing a train of femtosecond laser pulses at megahertz pulse frequency onto the surface of an aluminum target at ambient conditions. The laser trains ablated the target surface and created microholes leading to the generation of deposited nanostructures inside and around the microholes. These micro-nanostructures showed enhanced light absorption, which is attributed to surface plasmonics induced by the generation of both nano- and microstructures. These micro-nanostructures may be promising for solar cell applications.     

Study of nanostructure growth with nanoscale apex induced by femtosecond laser irradiation at megahertz repetition rate

Leaf-like nanostructures with nanoscale apex are induced on dielectric target surfaces by high-repetition-rate femtosecond laser irradiation in ambient conditions. We have recently developed this unique technique to grow leaf-like nanostructures with such interesting geometry without the use of any catalyst. It was found to be possible only in the presence of background nitrogen gas flow. In this synthesis method, the target serves as the source for building material as well as the substrate upon which these nanostructures can grow. In our investigation, it was found that there are three possible kinds of nanotips that can grow on target surfaces. In this report, we have presented the study of the growth mechanisms of such leaf-like nanostructures under various conditions such as different laser pulse widths, pulse repetition rates, dwell times, and laser polarizations. We observed a clear transformation in the kind of nanotips that grew for the given laser conditions.