Plasmonic nanoloop array antenna

In this Letter, we create an optical nanoantenna array composed of parasitic plasmonic loops that can enhance radiation characteristics and direct the optical energy successfully. Three metallic loops inspired by the concept of the Yagi-Uda antenna are optimized around the region where they feature high scattering performance to control the radiation beam. The loop geometry, when compared to the dipole configuration, has the benefit of using the available aperture in an effective way to provide higher directivity. The angular emission of the nanoloop array antenna is highly directive, and a directivity of 8.2 dB for upward radiation is established.     

On the construction of normal wildly ramified extensions over Q p , (p ≠ 2)

Let p be an odd prime number, and let Q _p be the field of rational p-adic numbers.The aim of this work is the determination of the standard form of an Eisenstein polynomial defining a normal wildly ramified extension of Q _p . We prove first the equivalence between normality and cyclicity, give some essential normality conditions for the general case (degree p ⁿ ), then we solve the problem completely for the case (degree p ²) also, we obtain that the normality depends on seven congruences modulo p ^m between the coefficients of the considered polynomial with just m = 2 or 3. Note that the case (degree p) was solved by Öystein Ore (see Math. Annalen 102 (1930), 283–304). Also examples are given.     

Convergence of Fourier spectral method for resonant long-short nonlinear wave interaction

In this paper, the evolution equations with nonlinear term describing the resonance interaction between the long wave and the short wave are studied. The semi-discrete and fully discrete Crank-Nicholson Fourier spectral schemes are given. An energy estimation method is used to obtain error estimates for the approximate solutions. The numerical results obtained are compared with exact solution and found to be in good agreement.     

Template tailoring: Accurate determination of heterozygous alleles using peptide nucleic acid and dideoxyNTP

Measurement of the length of DNA fragments plays a pivotal role in genetic mapping, disease diagnostics, human identification and forensic applications. PCR followed by electrophoresis is used for DNA length measurement of STRs, a process that requires labeled primers and allelic ladders as standards to avoid machine error. Sequencing‐based approaches can be used for STR analysis to eliminate the requirement of labeled primers and allelic ladder. However, the limiting factor with this approach is unsynchronized polymerization in heterozygous sample analysis, in which alleles with different lengths can lead to imbalanced heterozygote peak height ratios. We have developed a rapid DNA length measurement method using peptide nucleic acid and dideoxy dNTPs to “tailor” DNA templates for accurate sequencing to overcome this hurdle. We also devised an accelerated “dyad” pyrosequencing strategy, such that the combined approach can be used as a faster, more accurate alternative to de novo sequencing. Dyad sequencing interrogates two bases at a time by allowing the polymerase to incorporate two nucleotides to DNA template, cutting the analysis time in half. In addition, for the first time, we show the effect of peptide nucleic acid as a blocking probe to stop polymerization, which is essential to analyze the heterozygous samples by sequencing. This approach provides a new platform for rapid and cost‐effective DNA length measurement for STRs and resequencing of small DNA fragments.     

Indirect spectrophotometric determination of gentamicin and vancomycin antibiotics based on their oxidation by potassium permanganate

Four simple, accurate, sensitive and economical procedures (A–D) for the estimation of gentamicin sulphate and vancomycin hydrochloride, both in pure form and in pharmaceutical formulations have been developed. The methods are based on the oxidation of the studied drugs by a known excess of potassium permanganate in sulphuric acid medium and subsequent determination of unreacted oxidant by reacting it with amaranth dye (method A), acid orange II (method B), indigocarmine (method C) and methylene blue (method D), in the same acid medium at a suitable λ_max=521, 485, 610 and 664 nm, respectively. The reacted oxidant corresponds to the drug content. Regression analysis of Beer-Lambert plots showed good correlations in the concentration ranges 4–8, 3–8, 4–9 and 5–9 μg ml⁻¹ with gentamicin and 4–8, 1.5–4, 1.5–4 and 3.5–5.5 μg ml⁻¹ with vancomycin for methods A, B, C, and D, respectively. The molar absorptivity, sandell sensitivity, detection and quantification limits were calculated. The stoichiometric ratios for the cited drugs were studied. The optimum reaction conditions and other analytical parameters were evaluated. The influence of the substance commonly employed as excipients with these drugs were studied. The proposed methods were applied to the determination of these drugs in pharmaceutical formulations. The results have demonstrated that the methods are equally accurate and reproducible as the official methods.     

Adsorption Capacities of Iron Hydroxide for Arsenate and Arsenite Removal from Water by Chemical Coagulation: Kinetics,Thermodynamics and Equilibrium Studies

Arsenic (As)-laden wastewater may pose a threat to biodiversity when released into soil and water bodies without treatment. The current study investigated the sorption properties of both As(III, V) oxyanions onto iron hydroxide (FHO) by chemical coagulation. The potential mechanisms were identified using the adsorption models, ζ-potential, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FT-IR) analysis. The results indicate that the sorption kinetics of pentavalent and trivalent As species closely followed the pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption rates of both toxicants were remarkably governed by pH as well as the quantity of FHO in suspension. Notably, the FHO formation was directly related to the amount of ferric chloride (FC) coagulant added in the solution. The sorption isotherm results show a better maximum sorption capacity for pentavalent As ions than trivalent species, with the same amount of FHO in the suspensions. The thermodynamic study suggests that the sorption process was spontaneously exothermic with increased randomness. The ζ-potential, FT-IR and XRD analyses confirm that a strong Fe-O bond with As(V) and the closeness of the surface potential of the bonded complex to the point of zero charge (pH_zpc) resulted in the higher adsorption affinity of pentavalent As species than trivalent ions in most aquatic conditions. Moreover, the presence of sulfates, phosphates, and humic and salicylic acid significantly affected the As(III, V) sorption performance by altering the surface properties of Fe precipitates. The combined effect of charge neutralization, complexation, oxidation and multilayer chemisorption was identified as a major removal mechanism. These findings may provide some understanding regarding the fate, transport and adsorption properties onto FHO of As oxyanions in a complex water environment.     

Micellar effects on the rates of the condensation reaction between copper(II)‐histidine complex and ninhydrin

The kinetics of formation of N‐diketohydrindylidenehistidinatocopper(II) complex has been investigated in the presence of cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant in aqueous medium (pH = 5.0). Similarly in aqueous solution, the reaction followed irreversible first‐order kinetics with respect to [Ninhydrin]. Although the reaction mechanism remained unaltered by micelles, a typical k_ψ‐[CTAB] profile was observed, that is, with a progressive increase in [CTAB], the reaction rate increased, reached a maximum value, and then decreased. The results are treated quantitatively in terms of the kinetic pseudo‐phase model. Activation parameters were also evaluated and a large decrease in ΔS^# shows the formation of a well‐structured activated complex. It was found that anionic sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and non‐ionic Triton X‐100 (TX‐100) surfactants have no effect on the reaction. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 31: 729–736, 1999     

Kinetics of interaction of Histidine and Histidine Methyl Ester with Ninhydrin in micellar media

Kinetics of the interaction of histidine and histidine methyl ester with ninhydrin under varying concentrations of reactants, anionic (sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS), cationic (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) and non‐ionic (Triton X‐100, TX‐100) micelles have been carried out. Rate of the reaction was found to be independent of the initial concentration of histidine (and histidine methyl ester) but was dependent on [Ninhydrin]. The SDS micelles had no effect on the rate of the reaction. In the presence of the CTAB micelles a small enhancement in the rate was observed. The rate − [CTAB] profile showed that the increase in [CTAB] increased the rate up to a maximum value and a further increase had a decreasing effect on the rate. The rate was enhanced by TX‐100 also but, unlike CTAB micelles, TX‐100 possessed a curve without peak for the rate − [TX‐100] profile. The following rate equation was obeyed by the reaction in CTAB and TX‐100 micelles: Values of k_w, k_m, and K_S were evaluated and are reported herein. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 31: 103–111, 1999     

p-Frames and Shift Invariant Subspaces of Lp

In this article we investigate the frame properties and closedness for the shift invariant space V_p(F) = { ?_i=1^r ?_{j ? \Zd} d_i(j) f_i (·-j):  ( d_i(j) )_{j ? \Zd} ? l^p }, \q 1 ￡ p ￡ ￥ . \displaystyle V_p(\Phi) = \left\{ \sum_{i=1}^r \sum_{j\in \Zd} d_i(j) \phi_i (\cdot-j): \ \left( d_i(j) \right)_{j\in \Zd}\in \ell^p \right\}, \q 1\le p \le \infty~. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions for an indexed family {f_i(·-j): 1 ￡ i ￡ r, j ? \Zd}\{\phi_i(\cdot-j):\ 1\le i\le r, j\in \Zd\} to constitute a pp-frame for V_p(F)V_p(\Phi), and to generate a closed shift invariant subspace of L^pL^p. A function in the L^pL^p-closure of V_p(F)V_p(\Phi) is not necessarily generated by l^p\ell^p coefficients. Hence we often hope that V_p(F)V_p(\Phi) itself is closed, i.e., a Banach space. For p 1 2p\ne 2, this issue is complicated, but we show that under the appropriate conditions on the frame vectors, there is an equivalence between the concept of pp-frames, Banach frames, and the closedness of the space they generate. The relation between a function f ? V_p(F)f \in V_p(\Phi) and the coefficients of its representations is neither obvious, nor unique, in general. For the case of pp-frames, we are in the context of normed linear spaces, but we are still able to give a characterization of pp-frames in terms of the equivalence between the norm of ff and an l^p\ell^p-norm related to its representations. A Banach frame does not have a dual Banach frame in general, however, for the shift invariant spaces V_p(F)V_p(\Phi), dual Banach frames exist and can be constructed.