Reverse micellar synthesis and properties of nanocrystalline GMR materials (LaMnO3, La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 and La0.67Ca0.33MnO3): Ramifications of size considerations

Nanoparticles of complex manganites (viz. LaMnO₃, La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ and La_0.67Ca{0.33}MnO₃) have been synthesized using the reverse micellar route. These manganites are prepared at 800‡C and the monophasic nature of all the oxides has been established by powder X-ray diffraction studies. TEM studies show an average grain size of 68, 80 and 50 nm for LaMnO₃, La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ and La_0.67Ca{0.33}MnO₃respectively. Ferromagnetic ordering is observed at around 250 K for LaMnO₃, 350 K for La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ and 200 K for La_0.67Ca{0.33}MnO₃. These Curie temperatures correspond well with those reported for bulk materials with similar composition.     

Semiquantitative determination of aromatic andα,β-unsaturated aldehydes by circular thin-layer chromatography

Summary A method for semiquantitative determination of aromatic and,-unsaturated aldehydes such as salicylaldehyde, anisaldehyde, vanillin, veratraldehyde, piperonal, cinnamaldehyde, furfural andp-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde by making circular spots of their isonicotinoyl hydrazones on chromatoplates with circular thin-layer Chromatographic apparatus and their comparison with sensitivity standards has been described. The accuracy is ± 5% and the method is rapid, simple and economical.

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Zusammenfassung Ein Verfahren zur semiquantitativen Bestimmung aromatischer und,-ungesättigter Aldehyde wie Salioylaldehyd, Anisaldehyd, Vanillin, Veratrumaldehyd, Piperonal, Zimtaldehyd, Furfural und p-Dimethylaminobenzaldehyd durch Dünnschicht-Ringchromatographie ihrer Isonikotinsäurehydrazone und Vergleich mit Standardchromatogrammen wurde beschrieben. Die Genauigkeit beträgt ±5%.

     

Aromatic polyether, -ketone, -sulfones as laminating resins. XII. Derivatives of 2,2′-diphenylethynyldiphenyl which cure by an intramolecular cyclization

Polymers made from 2,2′-diiododiphenyl-4,4′-dicarbonyl dichloride, diphenyl ether, and isophthaloyl chloride have been made and converted to the 2,2′-diphenylethynyl derivatives. Introduction of units of isophthaloyl chloride reduced the melting point of these polymers to about 200°C, and they could then be cured by heating. A good glass laminate was prepared and cured from one of the polymers.     

Semiquantitative determination of thiourea,thiocyanate, and sulfide by circular thin layer chromatography

Summary A method for semiquantitative determination of thiourea, thiocyanate, and sulfide is described. It involves making circular spots or rings on chromatoplates using the circular thin layer Chromatographic apparatus. The method is based on sensitivity and specificity of spot reactions and comparison of the color intensity of a circular spot with that of sensitivity standards. The accuracy of the method is ± 5% and the procedure is rapid, simple and economical.

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Zusammenfassung Ein Verfahren zur halbquantitativen Bestimmung von Thioharnstoff, Thiocyanat und Sulfid wurde beschrieben. Es beruht auf der chromatographischen Herstellung kreisförmiger Flecken oder Ringe auf Dünnschichtplatten. Mit empfindlichen und spezifischen Tüpfelreaktionen wurden die Flecken gefärbt und die Farbintensität mit Standardproben verglichen. Die Genauigkeit beträgt ± 5%.

     

Stable gaseous aziridinium ions

Gaseous protonated aziridine ions are produced at the threshold from β-phenoxyethylamine molecular ions. The evidence for this is collisional activation spectra, using various precursors (including labelled analogues) under electron impact and field ionization conditions. Partial conversion to the acyclic \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ {\rm CH}_{\rm 3} {\rm CH = }\mathop {\rm N}\limits^ + {\rm H}_{\rm 2} $\end{document} isomer occurs at higher electron energies and is rationalized by means of a potential energy surface constructed from energetic data.     

Circular thin-layer chromatography of aromatic andα,β-unsaturated aldehydes

Summary A simple method based on circular thin-layer chromatography is described for the separation of aromatic and,-unsaturated aldehydes as their isonicotinoyl hydrazones. The development of the chromatoplate is complete within 2 minutes.

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Zusammenfassung Aromatische und,-ungesättigte Aldehyde lassen sich durch ringförmige Dünnschichtchromatographie ihrer Isonikotinoylhydrazone trennen. Die Entwicklung der Dünnschichtplatten ist innerhalb 2 Minuten zu bewerkstelligen.

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Résumé On décrit une méthode simple fondée sur la chromatographie circulaire en couche mince pour séparer les aldéhydes aromatiques et, non saturés, sous forme de leurs hydrazones isonicotinoyles. Le développement de la chromatoplaque est complet en deux minutes.

     

Exogenous Application of Green Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) to Improve the Germination,Physiochemical, and Yield Parameters of Wheat Plants under Salinity Stress

Agriculture is the backbone of every developing country. Among various crops, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) belongs to the family Poaceae and is the most important staple food crop of various countries. Different biotic (viruses, bacteria and fungi) and abiotic stresses (water logging, drought and salinity) adversely affect the qualitative and quantitative attributes of wheat. Among these stresses, salinity stress is a very important limiting factor affecting the morphological, physiological, biochemical attributes and grain yield of wheat. This research work was carried out to evaluate the influence of phytosynthesized TiO₂ NPs on the germination, physiochemical, and yield attributes of wheat varieties in response to salinity. TiO₂ NPs were synthesized using TiO₂ salt and a Buddleja asiatica plant extract as a reducing and capping agent. Various concentrations of TiO₂ nanoparticles (20, 40, 60 and 80 mg/L) and salt solutions (NaCl) (100 and 150 mM) were used. A total of 20 mg/L and 40 mg/L improve germination attributes, osmotic and water potential, carotenoid, total phenolic, and flavonoid content, soluble sugar and proteins, proline and amino acid content, superoxide dismutase activity, and reduce malondialdhehyde (MDA) content at both levels of salinity. These two concentrations also improved the yield attributes of wheat varieties at both salinity levels. The best results were observed at 40 mg/L of TiO₂ NPs at both salinity levels. However, the highest concentrations (60 and 80 mg/L) of TiO₂ NPs showed negative effects on germination, physiochemical and yield characteristics and causes stress in both wheat varieties under control irrigation conditions and salinity stress. Therefore, in conclusion, the findings of this research are that the foliar application of TiO₂ NPs can help to improve tolerance against salinity stress in plants.     

Theragnostic Applications of Mammal and Plant-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: Latest Findings,Current Technologies,and Prospects

The way cells communicate is not fully understood. However, it is well-known that extracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved. Researchers initially thought that EVs were used by cells to remove cellular waste. It is now clear that EVs function as signaling molecules released by cells to communicate with one another, carrying a cargo representing the mother cell. Furthermore, these EVs can be found in all biological fluids, making them the perfect non-invasive diagnostic tool, as their cargo causes functional changes in the cells upon receiving, unlike synthetic drug carriers. EVs last longer in circulation and instigate minor immune responses, making them the perfect drug carrier. This review sheds light on the latest development in EVs isolation, characterization and, application as therapeutic cargo, novel drug loading techniques, and diagnostic tools. We also address the advancement in plant-derived EVs, their characteristics, and applications; since plant-derived EVs only recently gained focus, we listed the latest findings. Although there is much more to learn about, EV is a wide field of research; what scientists have discovered so far is fascinating. This paper is suitable for those new to the field seeking to understand EVs and those already familiar with it but wanting to review the latest findings.     

Isotope shift of182Hg and an update of nuclear moments and charge radii in the isotope range181Hg-206Hg

The technique of collinear fast-beam laser spectroscopy has been used to measure the isotope shifts of the even-even isotopes of Hg (Z=80) in the mass range 182≤A≤198 at the on-line mass separator ISOLDE at CERN. The atomic transition studied (6s 6p ³ P ₂- 6s7s ³ S ₁,λ=546.1 nm) starts from a metastable state, which is populated in a quasi resonant charge transfer process. The resulting changes in nuclear mean square charge radii show clearly that¹⁸²Hg follows the trend of the heavier, even, weakly oblate isotopes. Correspondingly the huge odd-even shape staggering in the light Hg isotopes continues and the nuclear shape staggering and shape coexistence persists down to the last isotope investigated,¹⁸¹Hg. An update of isotope shift and hyperfine structure data for^181–206Hg is given, with a revised evaluation of the differences in nuclear mean square charge radii and of spectroscopic quadrupole moments.     

Piezoelectricity of ordered (ScxGa1-xN) alloys from first principles

First-principles calculations are performed to compute the e₃₃ piezoelectric coefficients of GaN, ScN and (Sc_xGa_1-xN) alloys exhibiting an alternation of hexagonal GaN, with hexagonal ScN along the c-axis. For Sc compositions larger than 50%, each atom has nearly five nearest neighbors (i.e., the ground state exhibits a phase that is five-fold coordinated). On the other hand, Sc-deficient (Sc, Ga) N alloys adopt a ground-state that is four-fold coordinated). The magnitude of e₃₃ in the Sc-deficient ideally ordered (Sc_0.25Ga_0.75N) is found to be larger than the magnitude of the corresponding e₃₃ coefficients resulting from the compositional weighted average over the hexagonal (h-ScN) and the wurtzite (w-GaN) parent compounds. On the other hand, the e₃₃ coefficients of the Sc-rich ordered (Sc_0.75Ga_0.25N) is found to be negligibly small. In addition, e₃₃ piezoelectric coefficients in ordered (Sc_0.5Ga_0.5N) exhibit quite large magnitudes, due to the nonpolar to polar transition occurs at Sc composition x = 0.5, and thus can bridge the corresponding coefficients of (Ga, In) N and ferroelectric alloys. The microscopic origins for this huge enhancement in the piezoelectric behavior in Sc-low and Sc-intermediate alloys and the role of each atom are revealed and discussed.