Multiplex identification of bacteria in bacterial mixtures with surface‐enhanced Raman scattering

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a technique capable of identifying each component in a mixture because of its intrinsically narrow spectral bands. In a clinical setting, the identification of bacteria from its initial culture by collecting the colonies on the culture plate significantly decreases the analysis time and the cost. The identification of bacteria from their mixtures is attempted using SERS. A simple mixing procedure of bacterial samples and concentrated colloidal suspension is proven to be mostly satisfactory for the generation of the reproducible SERS spectra that can be used for bacterial identification. The mixture of three different but related bacterial species Shigella sonnei, Proteus vulgaris, and Erwinia amylovara and three Escherichia coli strains (BFK13, BHK7, DH5 α) are used as model systems to test the feasibility of the approach. The results indicate that it is possible to identify the composition of a bacterial mixture. This approach can easily be utilized for the bacteria originating from the same source with similar growth profiles. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Normal Subgroups of Hecke Groups <Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">λ</Emphasis>)

Let λ ≥ 2 and let H(λ) be the Hecke group associated to λ. Also let H(λ)\U be the Riemann surface associated to the Hecke group H(λ). In this article, we study the even subgroup H _e (λ) and the power subgroups H ^m (λ) of the Hecke groups H(λ). We also study some genus 0 normal subgroups of finite index of H(λ). Finally, we discuss free normal subgroups of H(λ).     

Modeling of Thermal Conductivity of Concrete with Vermiculite by Using Artificial Neural Networks Approaches

In this article, the thermal conductivity of concrete with vermiculite is determined and also predicted by using artificial neural networks approaches, namely the radial basis neural network and multi-layer perceptron. In these models, 20 datasets were used. For the training set, 12 datasets (60%) were randomly selected, and the residual datasets (8 datasets, 40%) were selected as the test set. The root mean square error, the mean absolute error, and determination coefficient statistics are used as evaluation criteria of the models, and the experimental results are compared with these models. It is found that the radial basis neural network model is superior to the other models.     

Improved optical performance of CdO films prepared with CTAB as surfactant

The influence of surfactant cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) on structural, morphological and optical properties of CdO films has been investigated. Five series of CdO films were successfully prepared by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method with the assistance of CTAB. These CdO films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV–vis spectroscopy. The CTAB caused in a decrease in crystallite size but an increase in the optical band gap of CdO films. From the optical investigations, it was observed that the transmittance of the pure film was about 2% and it increased dramatically to 37% for 2?M% CTAB added CdO films at the wavelength of 1100?nm. The results show that the amount of CTAB played an important role in determining the physical properties of the CdO nanostructures.     

Dendrimer Templated Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube Supported PdAu Catalyst and its Application as Hydrogen Peroxide Sensor

At present, CNT supported catalysts were prepared by two different methods as NaBH₄ reduction and dendrimer templated NaBH₄ reduction method to observe the effect of preparation method on the sensitivity and activity of H₂O₂ reduction. Then, CNT supported Pd_xAu_y bimetallic nanocatalysts having various atomic ratio were synthesized via novel dendrimer templated NaBH₄ reduction method. The resulting materials were characterized employing XRD and TEM. Crystallite size of 10 %Pd_0.7Au_0.3/CNT_dendrimer was obtained from XRD 17.1 nm and mean particle size obtained from TEM is about 15 nm. Moreover, the electrochemical behavior of these catalysts was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) techniques. Pd_xAu_y bimetallic nanocatalysts have excellent electrocatalytic properties and great potential for applications in electrochemical detection. The sensitivity and the limit of detection values for the prepared sensor with monometallic 10 % Pd/CNT_dendrimer catalysts are 219.78 μA mM^?1cm^?2 and 2.6 μM, respectively. However, the sensor constructed with 10 %Pd_0.7Au_0.3/CNT_dendrimer modified electrode has a very high sensitivity of 316.89 μA mM^?1 cm^?2 with a quick response time of 2 s and a wide linear range of 0.001–19.0 mM. In addition, the interference experiment indicated that the 10 % Pd_0.7Au_0.3/CNT_dendrimer nanoparticles have good selectivity toward H₂O₂.     

Diffusion-weighted imaging features of brain in obesity

PURPOSE: Obesity is characterized by an altered distribution of body fluid. However, distribution of fluid (extracellular/intracellular) in brain tissues has not been studied in obese subjects yet. The purpose of this study was to detect possible brain diffusion changes especially in satiety and hunger related centers in obese subjects by diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). METHODS: Conventional MRI and DWI of the brain was obtained from 81 obese patients (obese=68, morbid obese=13) and 29 age-matched, nonobese. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were calculated in hypothalamus; amygdala; hippocampal gyrus; thalamus; insula; cingulate gyrus; orbitofrontal, dorsomedial and dorsolateral frontal, middle temporal and occipital cortex; cerebellum; midbrain and corpus striatum. RESULTS: The ADC values of hypothalamus, hippocampal gyrus, amygdala, insula, cerebellum and midbrain were significantly increased in patients (n:81) when compared to nonobese subjects. The ADC values of thalamus, hippocampal gyrus, amygdala, orbitofrontal, occipital, dorsolateral and middle temporal cortex, insula and midbrain were significantly increased in morbid obese when compared to nonobese subjects. The ADC values of orbitofrontal and occipital cortex were significantly higher in morbid obese than the values in the obese. The body mass index positively correlated with ADC values of amygdala, insula, orbitofrontal and middle temporal cortex. CONCLUSION: We observed increased ADC values of distinct locations related to satiety and hunger that suggest altered fluid distribution and/or vasogenic edema in obese subjects. Awareness of this abnormalities in brain tissue composition/function in obesity may contribute to better understanding of the underlying mechanisms.     

Interactions of Imidazolium Based Ionic Liquids with Water Studied by Density and Speed of Sound Measurements: Effect of the Chain Length of an Alkyl Substituent on the Imidazolium Ion

Densities and speeds of sound of three ionic liquids (ILs), 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazoliumtetrafluoroborate (C₂mimBF₄), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazoliumtetrafluoroborate (C₄mimBF₄) and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazoliumtetrafluoroborate (C₆mimBF₄) were measured in aqueous solutions at (288.15, 293.15, 298.15, 303.15 and 308.15) K. These data were used to calculate the volumetric properties apparent molar volume and apparent molar isentropic compression as a function of molality. Infinite dilution values for these properties were evaluated by an extrapolation procedure based on Redlich–Meyer type equations. Apparent molar isobaric expansions at infinite dilution were also obtained from the slopes of the apparent molar volume at infinite dilution versus temperature. All these properties are interpreted in terms of IL–water interactions. The hydrolysis of the \( {\text{BF}}_{4}^{ - } \) anion of the ILs and its effects on the results is discussed.     

Crystallization kinetics of the borax decahydrate

The growth and dissolution rates of borax decahydrate have been measured as a function of supersaturation for various particle sizes at different temperature ranges of 13 and 50 °C in a laboratory-scale fluidized bed crystallizer. The values of mass transfer coefficient, K, reaction rate constant, k_r and reaction rate order, r were determined. The relative importances of diffusion and integration resistance were described by new terms named integration and diffusion concentration fraction. It was found that the overall growth rate of borax decahydrate is mainly controlled by integration (reaction) steps. It was also estimated that the dissolution region of borax decahydrate, apart from other materials, is controlled by diffusion and surface reaction. Increasing the temperature and particle size cause an increase in the values of kinetic parameters (K_g, k_r and K). The activation energies of overall, reaction and mass transfer steps were determined as 18.07, 18.79 and 8.26 kJmol⁻¹, respectively.     

Spectroscopic, thermal and voltammetric studies of crystalline complex trans-N,N'-bis(salicylidene)-1',2'-cyclohexanediamine with Cu(II)

The dimeric complex, [C20H20CuN2O2]2, has been prepared and characterized by thermal analysis, IR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The Cu atom in the binuclear complex exists in a distorted square-pyramidal configuration, defined by three O atoms and two N atoms. The crystal structure is stabilized by intermolecular C-H...O hydrogen bonding interaction. The electrochemical property of the complex was investigated in CH2Cl2 by cyclic voltammetry at 100 mV s(-1) scan rate.