Detection of acetone in the human breath as diabetes biomarker based on PPy/WO3 nanocomposite sensor by FFT continuous cyclic voltammetry method

This research represents a novel detection method of acetone level in the exhaled breath samples (RH=88 %) based on polypyrrole/tungsten oxide (PPy/WO₃) nanocomposite sensor. The PPy/WO₃ sensor was fabricated by the deposition of nanocomposite on/between interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) through electrospray coating and was then characterized by FE-SEM imaging. In this detection method, the coulometric signal of the sensor was calculated using Fast Fourier Continuous Cyclic Voltammetry (FFTCCV), where cyclic voltammetry (CV) was applied to the sensor in the defined potential rang and then charge changes of the sensor was obtained by integration of the current in all scanned potential ranges. FFTCCV method enhances the sensitivity of the sensor when exposed to the gas mixtures containing acetone. In addition to its fast coulometric response time (≤5 s) in the two linear ranges of 0.7–2.8 ppm and 2.8–28.2 ppm (R²=0.99), FFTCCV method provides the low detection limit of 70 ppb, and high sensitivity toward acetone at the optimum values of the parameters. The fabricated sensor showed great selectivity toward acetone when exposed to humid air and some exhaled gas like carbon dioxide, ammonia, methanol, ethanol and alkyl amines. The results were very satisfying as the sensor was capable to detect different acetone levels in human exhaled breath as non-invasive diagnosis of diabetes with a good correlation (R²≃0.9) to the routine blood sugar test taken by different commercial glucometers results.     

Structure–Activity Studies of Cysteine‐Rich α‐Conotoxins that Inhibit High‐Voltage‐Activated Calcium Channels via GABAB Receptor Activation Reveal a Minimal Functional Motif

α‐Conotoxins are disulfide‐rich peptides that target nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Recently we identified several α‐conotoxins that also modulate voltage‐gated calcium channels by acting as G protein‐coupled GABA_B receptor (GABA_BR) agonists. These α‐conotoxins are promising drug leads for the treatment of chronic pain. To elucidate the diversity of α‐conotoxins that act through this mechanism, we synthesized and characterized a set of peptides with homology to α‐conotoxins known to inhibit high voltage‐activated calcium channels via GABA_BR activation. Remarkably, all disulfide isomers of the active α‐conotoxins Pu1.2 and Pn1.2, and the previously studied Vc1.1 showed similar levels of biological activity. Structure determination by NMR spectroscopy helped us identify a simplified biologically active eight residue peptide motif containing a single disulfide bond that is an excellent lead molecule for developing a new generation of analgesic peptide drugs.     

Simulations of Co‐GISAXS during kinetic roughening of growth surfaces

The recent development of surface growth studies using X‐ray photon correlation spectroscopy in a grazing‐incidence small‐angle X‐ray scattering (Co‐GISAXS) geometry enables the investigation of dynamical processes during kinetic roughening in greater detail than was previously possible. In order to investigate the Co‐GISAXS behavior expected from existing growth models, calculations and (2+1)‐dimension simulations of linear Kuramoto–Sivashinsky and non‐linear Kardar–Parisi–Zhang surface growth equations are presented which analyze the temporal correlation functions of the height–height structure factor. Calculations of the GISAXS intensity auto‐correlation functions are also performed within the Born/distorted‐wave Born approximation for comparison with the scaling behavior of the height–height structure factor and its correlation functions.     

The study of an infinite class of dendrimer nanostars by topological index approaches

A topological index for a molecular graph G is a numeric quantity invariant under automorphisms of G. A dendrimer is an artificially manufactured or synthesized molecule built up from branched units called monomers. In this article an infinite class of dendrimer nanostars is investigated under three topological indices containing PI, Szeged and edge Szeged.     

T-shaped channel drop filter based on photonic crystal ring resonator

Photonic crystal ring resonators are promising candidates for realizing all optical filters with acceptable transmission efficiency and quality factor values. In this paper, by putting a12-fold quasi crystal at the middle of on 7 × 7 square cavity we created a ring resonator structure and designed a T-shaped channel drop filter. The drop wavelength of our filter is at 1551 nm, with transmission efficiency and quality factor equal to 90% and 387. Our structure is composed of dielectric rods immersed in air. Because in this kind of structures the dominant band gap is in TM mode, all of our simulations have been done in TM mode. The total footprint of our filter is 242.4 μm², which makes it suitable for all optical integrated circuits.     

Breakdown voltage improvement of LDMOSs by charge balancing: An inserted P-layer in trench oxide (IPT-LDMOS)

For the first time, the novel inserted P-layer in trench oxide of LDMOS structure (IPT-LDMOS) is proposed in which a trench oxide with inserted P-layer is considered in the drift region to improve the breakdown voltage. Our simulation with two dimensional ALTAS simulator shows that by determining the optimum doping concentration of the P-layer, the charges of the N-drift and P-layer regions would be balanced. Therefore, complete depletion at the breakdown voltage in the drift region happens. Also, electric field in the IPT-LDMOS is modified by producing additional peaks which decrease the common peaks near the drain and source junctions.     

Essential normality for certain finite linear combinations of linear-fractional composition operators on the Hardy space H 2

In 1999 Nina Zorboska and in 2003 P. S.Bourdon, D. Levi, S.K.Narayan and J.H. Shapiro investigated the essentially normal composition operator ${C_\varphi }$ , when φ is a linear-fractional self-map of D. In this paper first, we investigate the essential normality problem for the operator T _w ${C_\varphi }$ on the Hardy space H ², where w is a bounded measurable function on ?D which is continuous at each point of F(φ), φ ∈ S(2), and T _w is the Toeplitz operator with symbol w. Then we use these results and characterize the essentially normal finite linear combinations of certain linear-fractional composition operators on H ².     

An efficient one‐pot synthesis of a new heterocyclic system with high‐fluorescent properties

Nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen in nitro derivative of imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridine has been used as a key step in the one‐pot synthesis of a new highly fluorescent heterocyclic system pyrido [1″,2″:1′,2′]imidazo[4′,5′:5,6]pyrido[2,3‐b]indole. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2012).