Solid-state synthesis, structural variants and transformation of three-dimensional sulfides, AGaSnS4 (A=Na, K, Rb, Cs, Tl) and Na1.263Ga1.263Sn0.737S4

New cubic-AGaSnS₄ (A=Na, K, Rb, Cs, Tl) and orthorhombic-NaGaSnS₄ compounds were synthesized by solid-state reactions and characterized by X-ray diffraction and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Single crystals of orthorhombic-Na_1.263Ga_1.263Sn_0.737S₄ were obtained in the crystal growth attempts of sodium compound. All six new compounds have orthorhombic AgGaGeS₄ and cubic BaGa₂S₄ structures, as determined from single crystal X-ray structures of Na_1.263Ga_1.263Sn_0.737S₄ and cubic-AGaSnS₄ (A=Na, K, Rb). Orthorhombic-NaGaSnS₄ and known layered-KGaSnS₄ undergo structural transformation to thermodynamically stable cubic form.     

Inhibition of Quorum Sensing,Motility and Biofilm Formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Copper Oxide Nanostructures

Quorum sensing (QS) is the communication between bacterial cells governed by their population density and regulated by the genes controlling virulence factors and biofilm formation. Multiple mechanisms of biofilms are resistive to antimicrobial chemotherapy; therefore novel strategies are required to overcome its limitations. Here, we report the effect of various copper oxide nanostructures (CuO-NSs) on quorum sensing inhibition. The two-dimensional CuO-NSs such as interlaced nanodiscs, nanodiscs and leaf-shaped nanosheets are prepared via a simple chemical method. The Quorum sensing inhibition (QSI) activity of all the CuO-NS are examined using reporter strain Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 and Escherichia coli pSB1142. We found that the CuO-interlaced nanodisc structures exhibit better QSI activity than nanodiscs and leaf-shaped sheets. The interlaced nanodisc structures are inhibited various long-chain N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) mediated QS individually and confirmed by other QS-associated phenomena for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including biofilm inhibition, inhibition of virulence factors such as pyocyanin, protease production and swarming motility. Thus QSI activity of CuO-NSs is solely dependent on specific shape offering large surface area and more active sites. The CuO-NS is effective quorum sensing inhibitors, which has potential clinical applications in the management of P. aeruginosa associated infections.

     

Novel Fast Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometric Quantitative Approach for the Determination of Plant-Extracted Phytosterols and Tocopherols

Phytosterols and tocopherols are commonly used in food and pharmaceutical industries for their health benefits. Current analysis methods rely on conventional liquid chromatography, using an analytical column, which can be tedious and time consuming. However, simple, and fast analytical methods can facilitate their qualitative and quantitative analysis. In this study, a fast chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (FC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the quantitative analysis of phytosterols and tocopherols. Omitting chromatography by employing flow injection analysis—mass spectrometry (FIA-MS) failed in the quantification of target analytes due to analyte-to-analyte interferences from phytosterols. These interferences arise from their ambiguous MS fingerprints that would lead to false identification and inaccurate quantification. Therefore, a C18 guard column with a 1.9 µm particle size was employed for FC-MS/MS under isocratic elution using acetonitrile/methanol (99:1 v/v) at a flow rate of 600 µL/min. Analyte-to-analyte interferences were identified and eliminated. The false peaks could then be easily identified due to chromatographic separation. In addition, two internal standards were evaluated, namely cholestanol and deuterated cholesterol. Both internal standards contributed to the observed analyte-to-analyte interferences; however, adequate shift in the retention time for deuterated cholesterol eliminated its interferences and allowed for an accurate quantification. The method is fast (1.3 min) compared to published methods and can distinguish false peaks observed in FIA-MS. Seven analytes were quantified simultaneously, namely brassicasterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, α-tocopherol, δ-tocopherol, and γ-tocopherol. The method was successfully applied in the quantitative analysis of phytosterols and tocopherols present in the unsaponifiable matter of canola oil deodorizer distillate (CODD). β-sitosterol and γ-tocopherol were the most abundant phytosterols and tocopherols, respectively.     

Electrochemical characterization of MnO2 as electrocatalytic energy material for fuel cell electrode

 Development of inexpensive non Pt based high electrocatalytic energy materials is the need of the hour for fuel cell electrode to produce clean alternative green energy from synthesized bio alcohol using biomass. MnO₂, electro synthesized at different current density is found to be well performed electrocatalytic material, comparable to Pt, with higher current density, very low overvoltage for the electrochemical oxidation of methanol. From EIS study, the polarization resistance of the coated MnO₂ is found to be much low and electrical double layer capacitance is high, the effect increases with increase in current density of electro deposition. XRD, EDX and AAS analysis confirm the MnO₂ deposition. The morphology of SEM images exhibits an enhanced 3D effective substrate area, for electro oxidation of the fuel. A few nano structured grains of the deposited MnO₂ is also observed at higher current density. The fact supports that a high energetic inexpensive electro catalytic material has been found for fuel cell electrode to synthesis renewable energy from methanol fuel.     

A numerical experiment in DLCQ: microcausality, continuum limit and all that

Issues related with microcausality violation and continuum limit in the context of (1+1) dimensional scalar field theory in discretized light-cone quantization (DLCQ) are addressed in parallel with discretized equal time quantization (DETQ) and the fact that Lorentz invariance and microcausality are restored if one can take the continuum limit properly is emphasized. In the free case, it is shown with numerical evidence that the continuum results can be reproduced from DLCQ results for the Pauli–Jordan function and the real part of Feynman propagator. The contributions coming from k⁺ near zero region in these cases are found to be very small. In the interacting case, aspects related to the continuum limit of DLCQ results in perturbation theory in momentum space are discussed.     

Studies on electrodeposited As2S3 thin films by double exposure holographic interferometry technique

Arsenic trisulphide (As₂S₃) thin films have been deposited onto stainless steel and fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates by electrodeposition technique using arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) and sodium thiosulphate (Na₂S₂O₃) as precursors and ethylene diamine tetracetic acid (EDTA) as a complexing agent. Double exposure holographic interferometry (DEHI) technique was used to determine the thickness and stress of As₂S₃ thin films. It was observed that the thickness of the thin film increases whereas film stress to the substrate decreases with an increase in the deposition time. X-ray diffraction and water contact angle measurements showed polycrystalline and hydrophilic surface respectively. The bandgap energy increases from 1.82 to 2.45 eV with decrease in the film thickness from 2.2148 to 0.9492 μm.     

Working group report: Quantum chromodynamics sub-group

This is the report of the QCD working sub-group at the Tenth Workshop on High Energy Physics Phenomenology (WHEPP-X).      

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brevibacillus sp</Emphasis>: A Novel Thermophilic Source for the Production of Bile Salt Hydrolase

A thermophilic microorganism growing within the temperature range of 40–65 °C (optimum at 55 °C) was isolated from hot water springs near Konkan, Maharashtra, India. Based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis, it was concluded that the isolate belongs to the genus Brevibacillus. The present paper reports the isolation, identification, and standardization of fermentation conditions for the production of enzyme, bile salt hydrolase (EC 3.5.1.24) which is produced intracellularly at high temperatures. This is the first report regarding the production of bile salt hydrolase from a thermophilic source. Optimization of fermentation conditions resulted in a 2.9-fold enhancement in enzyme production.     

Generalized parton distributions of the photon

We present a first calculation of the generalized parton distributions of the photon (both polarized and unpolarized) using overlaps of light-front wave functions at leading order in α and zeroth order in αs; for non-zero transverse momentum transfer and zero skewness. We present the novel parton content of the photon in transverse position space.     

Immobilization of penicillin acylase in porous beads of polyacrylamide gel

A procedure is described for the immobilization of benzylpenicillin acylase from Escherichia coli within uniformly spherical, porous polyacrylamide gel beads. Aqueous solutions of the enzyme and sodium alginate and of acrylamide monomer, N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide, N,N,N,N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED) and sodium alginate are cooled separately, mixed, and dropped immediately into ice-cold, buffered calcium formate solution, pH 8.5, to give calcium alginate-coated beads. The beads are left for 30-60 min in the cold calcium formate solution for polyacrylamide gel formation. The beads are then treated with a solution of glutaraldehyde and the calcium alginate subsequently leached out with a solution of potassium phosphate. Modification of the native enzyme with glutaraldehyde results in a slight enhancement in the rate of hydrolysis of benzylpenicillin at pH 7.8 and 0.05M substrate concentration. The enzyme entrapped in porous polyacrylamide gel beads shows no measurable diffusional limitation in stirred reactors, catalyzing the hydrolysis of the substrate at a rate comparable to that of the glutaraldehyde-modified native enzyme. The immobilized enzyme preparation has been used in batch mode over 90 cycles without any apparent loss in hydrolytic activity.