The effect of amino acids on the surface and thermodynamic properties of poly[oxyethylene(10)] lauryl ether in aqueous solution

The interfacial and thermodynamic properties of a non-ionic surfactant, poly[oxyethylene(10)] lauryl ether, [C₁₂H₂₅(OCH₂CH₂)₁₀OH], in aqueous solution in the presence of amino acids have been investigated. Critical micelle concentrations (cmcs) were determined by surface tension measurements at different additive concentrations and temperatures using a du Nouy tensiometer. From the surface tension data, the surface excess concentration (F), the minimum area per molecule (A_min), and the surface pressure at the cmc(?_cmc) were evaluated. Thermodynamic parameters of adsorption and micellization were evaluated and discussed. The other solution properties of this surfactant like the cloud point viscosity, and foaming have been determined in the presence of different concentrations of alanine and glycine.     

Magnetic field dependence ofT c and temperature dependence ofH c2 in layered superconductors with open normal state Fermi surface

A theoretical framework for treating the effects of magnetic fieldH on the pairing theory of superconductivity is considered, where the field is taken in an arbitrary direction with respect to crystal axes. This is applicable to closed, as well as open normal state Fermi surface (FS), including simple layered metals. The orbital effects of the magnetic field are treated semiclassically while retaining the full anisotropic paramagnetic contribution. Explicit calculations are presented in the limits |H| → |H _c2(T)|,T ∼ 0 andT →T _c(|H|), |H| ∼ 0. Effects of weak nonmagnetic impurity scattering, without vertex corrections, have also been taken into account in a phenomenological way. The final results for the case of open FS and layered materials are found to differ considerably from those of the closed FS. For example, an important parameter,h(T=0)=|H_c2(0)|/[-Tδ|H _c2 T|δT]_T{s0} for the case of a FS open ink _z-direction with thek _z-bandwidth, 4t ₃, very small compared to the Fermi energy,E _F, is close to 0.5906, compared to 0.7273 for the closed FS, in the clean limit. Analytical results are given for the magnetic field dependence ofT _c and the temperature dependence of H _c2 for a model of layered superconductors with widely open FS. For a set of band structure parameters for YBa₂Cu₃O₇ used elsewhere, we find reasonable values for the upper critical fieldH _c2(0), the slope (dH _c2/dT)_{T c0}, anisotropic coherence lengths ζ_i(T=0),i=x, y, z, and (dT _c/d|H|)_{|H| → 0}.     

Phonon dispersion in aluminium arsenide and antimonide

The phonon dispersion curves for aluminium arsenide and antimonide have been investigated by using a deformation bond approximation model. The results obtained from this model are compared with the experimental values wherever it is available. Since there is no complete experimental phonon dispersion curves for AlAs, we could not compare our calculated results, but the results of AlSb have been compared with the inelastic neutron scattering measurements at 15 K. However, we compare the phonon frequencies of AlAs and AlSb at critical points of the Brillouin zone obtained by our calculations and Raman spectroscopy measurements. This model predicts the phonon modes satisfactorily in all the symmetry directions of the Brillouin zone (BZ). The spectrum has similar features as observed in other III–V compound semiconductors.     

Transient natural convection through vertical porous stratum

An analytical study is made to examine the flow behaviour of a fully developed transient free-convective flow of an incompressible viscous fluid between two heated vertical walls in a porous system. A Laplace transform technique has been employed to obtain the expression for velocity, temperature and skin-friction. The influence of the various parameters, entering into the problem, on the velocity field and skin-friction is discussed in detail. Received on 11 March 1997     

Lattice vibrational properties of uranium pnictides

Lattice vibrational properties of uranium pnictides have been studied using breathing shell model (BSM) which includes breathing motion of electrons of the U-atoms due tof−d hybridization. The phonon dispersion curves of U-pnicitides calculated from the present model agree reasonably well with the measured data. A comparison has been made between BSM and our results reported earlier obtained from three-body force rigid ion model to reveal the importance of the short-range electron-phonon interactions in these compounds. We also report, for the first time, the two phonon density of states and specific heat for these compounds.     

Free-convection flow through an annular porous medium

This study addresses the Brinkman-extended Darcy model (Brinkman flow) of a laminar free-convective flow in an annular porous region. Closed form expressions for Velocity field, Temperature field, Skin-friction and Mass flow rate are given, under a thermal boundary condition of mixed kind at the outer surface of the inner cylinder while the inner surface of the outer cylinder is isothermal. The governing independent parameters are identified to be Darcy number (Da) and ratio of outer to inner radii (R). It is hoped that the study of such flows gives limiting conditions for developing flows and provides an analytical check on numerical solutions for more complex problems dealing with non-Darcian free-convection flow in an annular region.     

Facile synthesis of substituted pyrrole-fused isocoumarins from ninhydrin

A simple and efficient procedure has been developed for the synthesis of substituted pyrrole-fused isocoumarins from easily available ninhydrin. The cyclic hemiaminal dihydroxy-indenopyrroles, the adducts of ninhydrin with enamines of acetylacetone, give pyrrole-fused isocoumarins upon heating in acidic medium. The process constitutes an interesting acid-catalyzed rearrangement to eight-membered lactams followed by intramolecular cyclization involving the amino and keto groups.     

Baseline assessment of doses and risk due to natural radionuclides in edible biota of Domiasiat,Meghalaya, India

Radiation dose-risk assessment was carried out for cereal species Brassica compestris var. dichotoma, Oryza sativa var. Shalum1, Zea mays, Lactuca indica, Cumunis sativum, and Clocasia esculanta due to naturally available radionuclides ⁴⁰K, ²³⁸U and ²³²Th in Domiasiat area. The activity in biota and corresponding soil was measured by precipitation method using NaI(TI) detector. Transfer factor (TF) was for Oryza spp. (1.00E−01-⁴⁰K, 8.76E−05-²³²Th, and 9.11E−05-²³⁸U), for Brassica spp. (5.39E−01-⁴⁰K, 8.17E−04-²³²Th and 2.96E−04-²³⁸U) and for Zea spp. (3.41E−01-⁴⁰K, 5.84E−05-²³²Th, 8.87E−05-²³⁸U) etc., respectively. A detailed physio-morphological study of the biota and extensive investigation of ecosystem was carried out for assessment. The data was modeled using FASSET for dose estimation and obtained total dose was 1.58E−04  \upmu Gy h^-1 \upmu \hbox{Gy}\,h^{-1} in Oryza spp., 2.87E−04  \upmu Gy h^-1 \upmu \hbox{Gy}\,h^{-1} Brassica spp. and 6.90E−03  \upmu Gy h^-1 \upmu \hbox{Gy}\,h^{-1} in Zea spp. etc. The dose was compared with the UNSCEAR dataset for screening level dose for biota. Zea spp. was more susceptible for the chronic radiation exposure.     

Photoexcitation of aqueous suspensions of titanium dioxide nanoparticles: an electron spin resonance spin trapping study of potentially oxidative reactions

It is well‐established that exposure of aqueous suspensions of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles to ultraviolet A (UVA) light produces reactive oxygen species which leads to biological damage. However, there is disagreement in the literature as to the exact nature of these species and how they are formed. Using a number of different spin traps (i.e. PBN, POBN, DMPO, DEPMPO), we have shown that the primary damaging species produced on irradiation of an aqueous suspension of TiO₂ is the hydroxyl radical, which is formed at the valence band hole under both aerobic and hypoxic conditions. Hydroxyl radical production is enhanced by the presence of oxygen which probably reacts with the conduction band electrons or resultant Ti³⁺, inhibiting hole‐electron recombination, although we find no evidence of reaction of oxygen to form free superoxide radical anions or of the formation of any other radical at that site. The present results suggest that the resulting O₂ ^?? species may not be as labile as previously thought and may possibly undergo further reduction to the O ₂ ^2? dianion. Hydroxyl radicals formed at the surface of the TiO ₂ readily react with substrates containing an abstractable hydrogen to produce secondary radicals that, in biological systems, could lead to cell damage.