Numerical analysis on flow and performance characteristics of a small-scale solar updraft tower (SUT) with horizontal absorber plate and collector glass

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - A numerical analysis has been performed to examine and assess the flow and performance characteristics of the solar updraft tower (SUT) power plant. A...     

Topologically-Interlocked Minicircles as Probes of DNA Topology and DNA-Protein Interactions

DNA minicircles exist in biological contexts, such as kinetoplast DNA, and are promising components for creating functional nanodevices. They have been used to mimic the topological features of nucleosomal DNA and to probe DNA-protein interactions such as HIV-1 and PFV integrases, and DNA gyrase. Here, we synthesized the topologically-interlocked minicircle rotaxane and catenane inside a frame-shaped DNA origami. These minicircles are 183 bp in length, constitute six individual single-stranded DNAs that are ligated to realize duplex interlocking, and adopt temporary base pairing of single strands for interlocking. To probe the DNA-protein interactions, restriction reactions were carried out on DNAs with different topologies such as free linear duplex or duplex constrained inside origami and free or topologically-interlocked minicircles. Except the free linear duplex, all tested structures were resistant to restriction digestion, indicating that the topological features of DNA, such as flexibility, curvature, and groove orientation, play a major role in DNA-protein interactions.     

Numerical solution of nonlocal hydrodynamic Drude model for arbitrary shaped nano-plasmonic structures using Nédélec finite elements

Nonlocal material response distinctively changes the optical properties of nano-plasmonic scatterers and waveguides. It is described by the nonlocal hydrodynamic Drude model, which – in frequency domain – is given by a coupled system of equations for the electric field and an additional polarization current of the electron gas modeled analogous to a hydrodynamic flow. Recent attempt to simulate such nonlocal model using the finite difference time domain method encountered difficulties in dealing with the grad–div operator appearing in the governing equation of the hydrodynamic current. Therefore, in these studies the model has been simplified with the curl-free hydrodynamic current approximation; but this causes spurious resonances. In this paper we present a rigorous weak formulation in the Sobolev spaces H(curl) for the electric field and H(div) for the hydrodynamic current, which directly leads to a consistent discretization based on Nédélec’s finite element spaces. Comparisons with the Mie theory results agree well. We also demonstrate the capability of the method to handle any arbitrary shaped scatterer.     

Chemical Fingerprinting and Quantification of Biomarker Wedelolactone in Different Sources of “Bhringaraja” by High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography and Method Validation

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - Two different botanical sources, Eclipta alba and Wedelia calen-dulacea are used as “Bhringaraja” in the Ayurvedic...     

A review on photodegradation of organic pollutants using spinel oxide

Spinel oxide has produced rapid improvement in various applications such as catalysis, sensors, batteries, degradation of dyes, drug delivery, and so on. In the current age, most of the researches are engrossed on spinel oxides for their photocatalytic activity because proficient exclusion of organic contaminants from wastewater has become a hot research topic by considering the environment. Photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants is advantageous over conventional wastewater treatment technique like desalination, adsorption, and reverse osmosis. The current review demonstrates the photocatalytic activity of aluminate, ferrite spinel oxides, and modified spinel oxide for the removal of organic pollutants. This article comprises the structure, process of synthesis of spinel oxide, properties, photocatalytic activity, and reaction mechanism of degradation. In the end, future research needed to enhance the photocatalytic activity is discussed.     

Peristaltic activity in blood flow of Casson nanoliquid with irreversibility aspects in vertical non-uniform channel

Due to the illuminating function of nanoliquids in several technological and medicinal domains, particularly in liquid transport processes known as peristalsis, inquisitive researchers have investigated the flow of peristaltic nanofluids. Consequently, the current study investigates the entropy production and magnetic influence on the peristaltic transport of heat and mass transport of Casson nanofluid in a non-uniform channel under convective circumstances. Utilizing the perturbation approach, fields of concentration, temperature, and velocity are derived from non-linear coupled partial differential equations (PDE). Entropy generation studies have been done. In addition, the influence of associated factors via specific physical terms, including the Sherwood number, the skin-friction coefficient, and the Nusselt number, for both Casson and Newtonian liquids, as well as the trapping phenomena, is visually examined.     

Microwave Assisted Synthesis of Flavonoid Based 1,2,3-Triazole and Isoxazole Derivatives,Their Antibacterial,Antioxidant, and Anticancer Activities

Russian Journal of General Chemistry - New flavonoid based 1,2,3-triazole and isoxazole derivatives have been synthesized under microwave irradiation and conventional heating methods. Structures of...     

Sphere‐to‐Rod Transitions in Cationic Micelles: Quaternary Ammonium Halides+Phenol+Water Systems

Viscosity measurements on aqueous micellar solutions of cationic surfactants containing phenol with and without sodium bromide were made to study the sphere‐to‐rod transitions. Effect of surfactant structure (nonpolar tail, polar head group sizes and counterion), temperature, and phenol and sodium bromide concentration on the viscosity behavior of the surfactant solution is discussed. The sphere‐to‐rod transition is usually indicated by a marked increase in viscosity. While low temperature, high surfactant concentration, presence of salt, and hydrophobic nature of surfactant all favor the formation of rod‐like micelles, the presence of phenol showed peculiar behavior. Initial additions of phenol (up to about 2.5 wt%) showed a marked increase in viscosity, independent of the nature and concentration of surfactant and temperature; lower viscosities were observed at higher phenol concentration. Conductance and sound velocity results support the viscosity results.     

Indole-3-Acetic Acid Biosynthesis in Fusarium delphinoides Strain GPK, a Causal Agent of Wilt in Chickpea

Fusarium delphinoides (Ascomycota; Nectriaceae) is an indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) producing plant pathogen and a causal agent of wilt in chickpea. The IAA biosynthetic pathway in F. delphinoides strain GPK (FDG) was examined by analyzing metabolic intermediates and by feeding experiments. Gas chromatograph (GC) analysis of FDG culture filtrates showed the presence of metabolic intermediates of indole-3-pyruvic acid (IPyA), indole-3-acetamide (IAM), and tryptamine (TRA) pathways. The different IAA biosynthetic pathways were further confirmed by identifying the presence of different enzymes of these pathways. Substrate specificity study of aromatic amino acid aminotransferase revealed that the enzyme is highly specific for tryptophan (Trp) and α-ketoglutarate (α-kg) as amino group donor and acceptor, respectively. Furthermore, the concentration-dependent effect of exogenous IAA on fungal growth was established. Low concentration of exogenous IAA increases the fungal growth and at high concentration it decreases the growth of FDG.