Autonomous bioremediation of a microbial protein (bioremediase) in Pozzolana cementitious composite

The self-bioremediation in cementitious composite material is one of the most interesting avenues relating to damage management and self-life of constructions, which needs to be cogitated. The self-bioremediation of a microbial protein-impregnated cementitious material has been explored in this work. The bioremediase protein was isolated from a hot spring bacterium (BKH1) and incorporated at three different concentrations into commercial Pozzolana cements that are widely used for mortar sample preparation. Artificial cracks were generated within the mortar samples by applying partial breaking load (50 %) and the samples were cured under water for different days. Image analysis by Crackscope and microstructure analysis by field emission scanning electron microscope ascertained the formation of irregular crystalline healing material within the cracks of the test samples. X-ray diffractometer and energy dispersive spectra analyses confirmed that the irregular crystalline structures were due to the deposition of new silicate phase (Gehlenite) within the cracks. Increase of ultrasonic pulse velocity and compressive strength, augmentation of sulphate resistance, decrease of chloride permeability and water absorption capacity revealed that there were overall improvement of mechanical properties and durability of the protein-incorporated mortar samples compared to the control (without protein incorporation) mortar samples. This cost effective and eco-friendly self-bioremediation phenomenon observed in mortar is evolved due to the biosilicification activity of bioremediase protein when amended in mortar samples. The exceptional potential of the microbial bioremediase protein for self-bioremediation attribute may add a new dimension in self-healing construction technology in near future.     

Differentiation of prostate cancer cells using flexible fluorescent polymers

Using water-soluble, fluorescent, flexible polymers, we have devised a novel methodology for identification and differentiation of prostate cancer cells. Using a stepwise linear discriminant analysis, we demonstrate that the differential modulations of the polymer emission intensities in the presence of conditioned cell culture media can be used to distinguish between prostate cancer subtypes and between cancerous and noncancer cells. The differences in the compositions of the conditioned cell culture media are likely contributing to different fluorescence spectral patterns of the polymers. This in vitro approach may provide a novel platform for the development of an alternative prostate cancer diagnostic and subtyping technique.     

Assessing arsenic leachability from pulverized cement concrete produced from arsenic-laden solid CalSiCo-sludge

Synthetically prepared arsenic-laden CalSiCo-sludge was converted to pulverized cement concrete (PCC) using solidification/stabilization technology with cement. Batch leaching experiments were conducted to estimate the leaching of As(III) and As(V) from the CalSiCo-sludge as well as from the PCC. The leaching of As(III) and As(V) was found to be the function of time, pH and concentration of anions such as Cl(-), NO(3)(-), and SO(4)(2-) present in the extraction fluid. It is observed that from the CalSiCo-sludge the leaching of As(III) is >0.05mg/l (which is above the permissible limit for arsenic in drinking water) at any pH. But in case of As(V) the leaching is >0.05mg/l only at pH>8 and at pH<4. It is noted that maximum leaching occurs when the extraction liquid contains Cl(-). In contrary, NO(3)(-) and SO(4)(2-) have negligible effect on arsenic leaching from the CalSiCo-sludge. Extraction tests were carried out to determine the maximum leachable concentration under the chosen conditions of leaching medium and leaching time. Leaching of As(III) and As(V) from exhausted arsenic-laden CalSiCo-sludge and from PCC was carried out in both tap water and rain water. It was noticed that tap water has no effect in leaching of arsenic from CalSiCo-sludge but rain water causes significant amount of leaching, which is mostly due to pH effect. However, in all cases the leaching of As(III) was more than that of As(V). When compared with CalSiCo-sludge PCC showed negligible leaching of arsenic. It was noticed further that the variation of 28 days compressive strength was within 15% of the original strength after replacing 35% cement with exhausted CalSiCo-sludge.     

Robust control of HIV infection by antiretroviral therapy: a super‐twisting sliding mode control approach

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome is an epidemic infectious disease which is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and that has proliferated across worldwide. It has been a matter of concern for the scientific community to develop an antiretroviral therapy, which will prompt a rapid decline in viral abundance. With this motivation, this study proposes the design of a robust super twisting sliding mode controller based on output information for an uncertain HIV infection model. The control objective is to decrease the concentration of infected CD4+ T cells to a specified level by drug administration using only the output information of the uncertain HIV infection model which is total CD4+ T cell concentration. The robust output‐feedback controller has been developed in combination with a robust exact differentiator, functioning as an observer. The reported analysis demonstrates that the approach proposed here is capable of ensuring robust performance under several operating conditions, measurement and modelling error, parametric uncertainties and external disturbances and the simulation results prove the proficiency of the controller proposed.Inspec keywords: control system synthesis, observers, robust control, drugs, medical control systems, diseases, uncertain systems, variable structure systems, patient treatment, feedback, cellular biophysics, microorganismsOther keywords: robust control, antiretroviral therapy, sliding mode control approach, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, epidemic infectious disease, human immunodeficiency virus, scientific community, robust super, mode controller, output information, uncertain HIV infection model, control objective, infected CD4, total CD4, T cell concentration, robust output‐feedback controller, robust exact differentiator, robust performance     

Mesoporous Silica Thin Membranes with Large Vertical Mesochannels for Nanosize‐Based Separation

Membrane separation technologies are of great interest in industrial processes such as water purification, gas separation, and materials synthesis. However, commercial filtration membranes have broad pore size distributions, leading to poor size cutoff properties. In this work, mesoporous silica thin membranes with uniform and large vertical mesochannels are synthesized via a simple biphase stratification growth method, which possess an intact structure over centimeter size, ultrathin thickness (≤50 nm), high surface areas (up to 1420 m² g^?1), and tunable pore sizes from ≈2.8 to 11.8 nm by adjusting the micelle parameters. The nanofilter devices based on the free‐standing mesoporous silica thin membranes show excellent performances in separating differently sized gold nanoparticles (>91.8%) and proteins (>93.1%) due to the uniform pore channels. This work paves a promising way to develop new membranes with well‐defined pore diameters for highly efficient nanosize‐based separation at the macroscale.     

Thermally-stimulated spontaneous currents from metal-iodine doped polyvinyl pyrrolidone-metal system

A study of the spontaneous response currents from the metal-iodine doped polyvinyl pyrrolidone-metal (MPM) systems, on thermal stimulation at a constant rate, has been made with similar (Al-Al, Ag-Ag and Au-Au) and dissimilar (Al-Cu/Ag/Ni/PbZn) electrode systems. Thermograms of spontaneous current emission of iodine-doped PVP films exhibit two maxima around 90 ± 10°C and 130–160°C in the first heating run, whereas with the second heating run a single peak is found around 140–170°C. The magnitude and direction of current depend on the choice and combination of electrode materials. The position of the current peak in the thermal spectrum shifts with different heating run. A temperature dependence of open-circuit voltage (OCV) is also reported and it was found that OCV varied linearly with the difference in electrode work functions. The active centres of PVP are the carbonyl group of double-bond tertiary nitrogen atom (> N-C=O), and thus the charge transfer complexes are formed with iodine in PVP. The spontaneously-generated current is discussed in terms of weak complex formation with the water molecules and the liberation of different types of charges.     

Microscopic Theory of Organic Superconductors

A microscopic theory of organic superconductors based on the concept of partial electron dielectrization is developed from first principles. Self-consistent equations for the superconducting order parameter () and insulating order parameter (D) are derived using a Green's function technique and equation of motion method. The theory is applied to explain the experimental results in the two-dimensional organic superconductor k-(BEDT-TTF)₂ Cu(NCS)₂. The present model explains coexistence of spin density wave (SDW) state and superconductivity state in the system. The behavior of superconducting order parameter (), insulating order parameter (D), specific heat, density of state, free energy, and critical field is also studied for the system k-(BEDT-TTF)₂ Cu(NCS)₂.     

Thermally stimulated current and electrical conduction in metal (1)-ethyl cellulose-metal (1)/(2) systems

Depolarization current characteristics of solution grown pure ethyl cellulose (EC) films of about 20μm thickness have been studied as a function of electrode materials at constant poling field (5 × 10⁴ V/cm) and poling temperature 40°C. Thermally stimulated current (TSC) thermograms of EC consists of two well resolved peaks (located at 60°C and 140°C) for Al-Al system, which are attributed to the deorientation of strongly attached ethoxy groups of glycosidal units and diffusion of space charges either at electrodes or due to their thermal release at higher temperatures from the defect levels. For dissimilar electrode combinations (Al-Ag/Cu/Au/Sn/Pb), an indication of peak of lower magnitude at around (50–70°C) alongwith a higher temperature peak (140–155°C), have been observed. TSC parameters are found to change with the choice of electrode material. The dependence of dark current at 40°C in metal-ethyl cellulose-metal systems on applied voltage in the range (2·0–5·0) × 10⁴V/cm has also been studied. The results of current-voltage measurement on EC have been interpreted to show that the Schottky-Richardson mechanism is the controlling transport mechanism. Zero field current density extrapolated fromI-E ^1/2 plots are found to vary with metal work function.     

Electrical conduction mechanism in solution grown doped polyvinyl pyrrolidone films

A detailed study of electrical conduction mechanism in bimetallized ferrocene-doped polyvinyl pyrrolidone films was carried out. The measurements were carried out on films of about 20 &#x03BC;m thick, in the field range of (2.0–8.0) x 10⁴ V/cm at temperatures ranging from 363 to 423 K. An investigation of the effect of impurity such as ferrocene in the polymer matrix was undertaken. Lowering of activation energy and increase in current due to doping were observed. The results showed that the charge carriers were generated by field-assisted lowering of coulombic barriers at the traps and were conducted through the bulk of the material by a hopping process between the localized states by a Jonscher-Ansari modified Poole-Frenkel mechanism. The dependence of current and activation energy on the ferrocene concentration is explained on the basis of charge transfer type of interaction between dopant and polymeric material.