Raman spectroscopic investigation on the microenvironment of the liver tissues of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) due to titanium dioxide exposure

Nano titanium dioxide (nTiO₂), generally considered to be toxicologically inert, is manufactured in large quantities and extensively applied in consumer products. The small size and large surface area endow them with an active group or intrinsic toxicity. Advances in instrumentation are making Raman spectroscopy the tool of choice for an increasing number of (bio) chemical applications. One of the great advantages of this technique is its ability to provide information on the concentration, structure and interaction of biochemical molecules in their microenvironments within intact cells and tissues, non-destructively. Zebrafish (Danio rerio), one of the most important vertebrate model organisms used in developmental biology, are increasingly used in biomedical research, particularly as a model of human disease. In the present work, an attempt is made to study the effect of titanium dioxide, both nano and bulk, on the microenvironment of the liver tissues of Zebrafish using FT-Raman spectroscopy. The results of the present study suggest that TiO₂ exposure demonstrate a marked influence on the microenvironments of the liver tissues of Zebrafish. A shift to a higher wavenumber and an increase in the intensity of the band at ∼1087 cm⁻¹ in the TiO₂ exposed tissues suggest that some of the conformational changes resulting from the alkali recovery process takes place due to TiO₂ exposure. The decreased intensity ratio (I₃₂₂₀/I₃₄₀₀) observed in the titanium-exposed tissues suggests a decreased water domain size, which could be interpreted in terms of weaker hydrogen-bonded molecular species of water in the TiO₂ exposed tissues. The observed shift of COO⁻ bands to higher frequencies shows the disruption of salt bridges as a result of a change in the oppositely charged partners and due to the enhanced random coil conformation. The variation in the intensity ratio of the tyrosyl doublet (I₈₅₈/I₈₂₅) indicates variation in the hydrogen bonding of the phenolic hydroxyl group due to TiO₂ exposure. The results further suggest that the microenvironments are greatly altered due to titanium nano exposure when compared to titanium bulk. In conclusion, the results indicate that FT-Raman spectroscopy might be a useful tool for rapid assessment of nano particle biological interactions.     

Os(VIII)-catalysed oxidation of sulfides by sodium salt of N-chlorobenzenesulfonamide

Catalytic activity of Os(VIII) in the oxidation of some twenty organic sulfides with sodium salt of N-chlorobenzenesulfonamide (CAB) has been investigated in alkaline (pH8.7) t-butanol–water (1:1 v/v) medium. Significant retarding influence of [OH⁻] on the reactivity is exhibited. The catalysed reaction is strongly accelerated in the presence of Hg(II). Imperfections are observed in the linear Hammett relationship in the case of –NO₂ substituents.     

Zur Differentiation des bestimmten Integrales nach einem Parameter

Ohne ZusammenfassungAuszug aus einem Schreiben an Herrn O. Stolz.     

Product type bounds on the approximation of values ofE andG functions

This paper obtains effective lower bounds on the absolute values of linear forms, over the integers, in power products of values of certain SiegelE-functions or SiegelG-functions. The bounds obtained are in terms of the product of the absolute values of the coefficients. ForE-functions the bound obtained is a best possible result, up to an arbitrarily small positive epsilon. ForG-functions the result is asymptotically best in the following sense: for each epsilon larger than zero there exists an integerN such that ifz, the point of evaluation, equalsM ^–1 whereM is an integer with absolute value larger thanN, then the bound obtained is within epsilon of a best possible bound. (From the proof it is clear thatz need not be the inverse of an integer. What is necessary that the absolute value of its numerator must be much smaller than the absolute value of its denominator.)Results obtained recently by D. V. andG. V. Chudnovsky bounding the absolute values of similar forms give bounds in terms of the maximum of the absolute values of the coefficients; such lower bounds can be much smaller.Dedicated to Professor E. Hlawka on the occasion of his seventieth birthday     

The study of the changes in the thermal properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Labeo rohita</Emphasis> bones due to arsenic exposure

The paper presents the changes in the thermal properties of control, arsenic exposed and DMSA treated Labeo rohita bones by using thermo analytical techniques. The result shows that the mass loss due to the thermal decomposition occurs in three distinct steps due to loss of water, organic and inorganic materials. The arsenic exposed bones present a different thermal behaviour compared to the control bones. The residue masses are increased due to arsenic exposure, while the DMSA treatment reduces the residue mass level. These thermal characteristics can be used as a qualitative method to check the metal accumulation in samples.     

Nearly perfect systems and effective generalizations of Shidlovski's Theorem

An effective proof of Shidlovski's Theorem is presented. The proof utilizes partial differential operators. A number of generalizations of Shidlovski's Theorem are proven, including results about approximation at more than one point. Additionally, partial differential equations are considered. The new methods give a particularly direct proof of Shidlovski's Theorem.     

Monte carlo methods and lattice discontinuities

The choice of the Monte Carlo method for the theoretical study of lattice discontinuities, such as surfaces, grain boundaries and dislocations is justified. A brief, non-rigorous discussion of the basic statistical mechanics required to develop the Monte Carlo method is given. Current work in the theoretical study of interfacial systems in solids is reviewed and problems to which the Monte Carlo method might be applied are suggested.     

Characteristics of copper HyBrID-type lasers which use HCl reactive gas

We have investigated the output behaviour of a low temperature HyBrID-type copper laser operating with a flowing Ne–HCl reactive gas mixture. 15.5 W of average power was observed from a 19 mm bore device at 23 kHz PRF corresponding to a specific output power of 78 mW/cm3. The output power was 20–30% lower than that of the same device operating with an Ne–HBr mixture; however, it markedly exceeds the output of similar sized elemental copper vapour lasers (with or without hydrogen additive). This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Surface-catalyzed photochemical reactions of physisorbed molecules

The rate of laser photochemical reactions on surfaces can be enhanced over their gas-phase values by the interplay of a number of surface phenomena. These effects include simple increases in molecular density due to physisorption, spectral shifts in the adsorbed phase, and enhancement in the optical electric field due to surface contouring.     

The simultaneous diophantine approximation of values of functions satisfying certain n variable q-difference equations

In a previous paper lower bounds were obtained on the simultaneous diophantine approximation of values of certain functions which satisfy linear q-difference equations. In the present paper these results are generalized from n = 1 to n > 1 variables. In order to better see what some of these solutions “look like” the algebraic properties of certain classes of functions are investigated, particularly with regard to a type of multiplication which is analogous to the convolution product. At the end of the paper such algebraic results are also obtained for the case n = 1.