Surface‐enhanced Raman measurements and DFT calculations for l‐tryptophan of varying pH in silver sol

The interaction of l ‐tryptophan (Trp) with silver colloids was investigated at between pH values of 6.11 and 10.6 of the sol. The measurements of surface‐enhanced Raman bands of Trp in the colloidal solution indicate the evolution of interaction between the metal particles and the molecules with increasing pH values for the sol. The experimental observations were explained using the estimated atomic charge distribution in the zwitterionic and anionic forms of the residue, obtained by density functional theory calculations. The variation in the ratio of the spectral intensities of the Fermi resonance bands with the pH reflects the effect of the colloidal environment on Trp. The results obtained can be used as a marker for describing the nature of the interaction of silver colloids with the specific terminus of the residue, at varying pH environments. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An alternate mode of binding of the polyphenol quercetin with serum albumins when complexed with Cu(II)

Polyphenols find wide use as antioxidants, cancer chemopreventive agents and metal chelators. The latter activity has proved interesting in many aspects. We have probed the binding characteristics of the polyphenol quercetin–Cu(II) complex with human serum albumin (HSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Fluorescence studies reveal that the quercetin–Cu(II) complex can quench the fluorescence of the serum albumins. The binding constant (K_b) values are of the order of 10⁵ M^?1 which increased with rise in temperature in case of HSA and BSA interacting with the quercetin–Cu(II) complex. Displacement studies reveal that both the ligands bind to site 1 (subdomain IIA) of the serum albumins. However, thermodynamic parameters calculated from temperature dependent studies indicated that the mode of interaction of the complexes with the proteins differs. Both ΔH° and ΔS° were positive for the interaction of the quercetin–Cu(II) complex with both proteins but the value of ΔH° was negative in case of the interaction of quercetin with the proteins. This implies that after chelation with metal ions, the polyphenol alters its mode of interaction which could have varying implications on its other physicochemical activities.     

Universality of the plastic instability in strained amorphous solids

By comparing the response to external strains in metallic glasses and in Lennard-Jones glasses we find a quantitative universality of the fundamental plastic instabilities in the athermal, quasistatic limit. Microscopically these two types of glasses are as different as one can imagine, the latter being determined by binary interactions, whereas the former is determined by multiple interactions due to the effect of the electron gas that cannot be disregarded. In spite of this enormous difference the plastic instability is the same saddle-node bifurcation. As a result, the statistics of stress and energy drops in the elastoplastic steady state are universal, sharing the same system-size exponents.     

Microfluidic sorting with blinking optical traps

It is shown that by appropriately choosing the periodicity of a blinking optical trap only larger sized colloidal spheres can be selectively trapped out of a mixed population. This happens because smaller sized, more agile, spheres escape out of the trap volume during the off period of the trap beam. Therefore, by scanning an array of blinking traps over a mixed sample, bigger spheres can be forced to move with the traps and eventually could be taken to the output side. Experimental demonstration of sorting between 1 μm and 2 μm diameter silica spheres is presented.     

Projectile Impact on a Thin. Flexible Structure: A Singular Dynamic Contact Phenomenon

ABSTRACT

In this paper we demonstrate an unexpected type of dynamic contact phenomenon which arises when a large object impacts a thin flexible structure. It is shown that the contact pressure distribution is singular at the edges of the contact region when the region is expanding with a speed which is higher than the wave speed in the structure. This type of phenomenon will occur in a number of structural collision problems in which one of the objects such as a cable or a thin plate is much more flexible than the other. Head injury problems represent a typical example

The solution for a very simple model of such a system, namely that of a rigid cylindrical impaclor striking an infinitely long string, is given in detail to illustrate the phenomenon.     

Quark dynamics, thermal QCD, and the gravity dual

We perform a holographic renormalization of the supergravity action and compute the stress tensor of the dual gauge theory incorporating the logarithmic running of the gauge coupling. From the stress tensor we obtain the shear viscosity and the entropy of the medium at temperature T, and investigate the ratio η/s.     

A multifunctional dual membrane electrodialytic eluent generator for capillary ion chromatography

A multifunctional electrodialytic generator (EDG) for capillary ion chromatography (CIC) is described. The same device can generate acidic, basic or saline eluents. Two oppositely charged ion exchange beads are used to fabricate the EDG; the dual ion exchanger configuration ensures the production of gas-free eluent, obviating the need of a gas removal device used with single ion exchanger EDG's. The ability of the same EDG to produce different eluents is governed solely by the choice of the respective feed solutions; this is presently demonstrated by generation of diverse eluents such as Na₂CO₃/NaHCO₃, CH₃SO₃H, and KNO₃. The EDG is implemented simply in a commercial cross fitting and has been tested up pressures to 2000 psi. Under typical operating conditions, the zero current concentration (open circuit penetration, OCP) is negligible. The generated eluent concentration linearly increases with applied current with a slope that is essentially Faradaic. The device permits both isocratic and gradient operation with good reproducibility, as demonstrated by the analysis of anions using HCO₃⁻/CO₃²⁻ EDG.     

Eco-friendly processing oils: A new tool to achieve the improved mileage in tyre tread

People are shifting from use of fossil fuel based processing oils to naturally occurring oils, and restriction on PCA rich extender oils by December 2009 leads to search for naturally occurring oils. According to the KEMI report, products with polycyclic aromatic compounds, PCAs, levels exceeding 3% by weight must be labeled. The report pointed out that worn tyre tread material was being spread on the roadsides, introducing high amounts of PCA into the environment. PCA is having toxic effects on aquatic organisms. In the present work, two naturally occurring oils, neem oil and kurunj oil, were characterised in a 100% Natural Rubber based formulation, a NR/BR blend based Bias Truck and Rib Type Tyre Tread Cap compound and a SSBR/NR/BR blend based Radial Passenger Tyre Tread compound. Compounds made with naturally occurring oils showed better abrasion properties. These oils were found to be suitable also on the basis of low PCA content.     

Crystal field effect and geometric frustration in Er2Ti2O7 —an XY antiferromagnetic pyrochlore

Magnetic susceptibility of powder Er₂Ti₂O₇ (ErT) is measured between 300 K and 80 K. shows a Curie-Weiss (CW) type behaviour with   ErTiO_3.5 and . A crystal field (CF) analysis of our experimental data, g-values (g_∥=0.27 and g_⊥=7.8) and the positions of two CF levels (reported earlier from an inelastic neutron scattering study) provide CF parameters and CF levels of the ground ⁴I_15/2 and excited multiplets of ErT. The theoretical follows a CW-type behaviour, with . Single-ion magnetic anisotropy (χ_⊥−χ_∥) is 9500×10⁻⁶ emu/mol ErTiO_3.5 at 300 K, which increases by ∼54 times at 10 K and ErT resembles an XY planar system. It can be inferred from CF analysis that the earlier observed change of from −13 K to −22 K below 50 K is not due to the CF effect. Nuclear hyperfine (HF) levels of ¹⁶⁷ErT and ¹⁶⁶ErT are calculated and the theoretical curve of vs. T (K) for T<T_N matches the observed results. Mössbauer lines expected for ¹⁶⁶ErT are also predicted.     

Combined effects of blockage and yield stress on drag and heat transfer from an in-line array of three spheres

This work reports results on the drag and heat transfer from an in-line array of three isothermal spheres falling in a cylindrical confinement filled with Bingham plastic fluids. The effects of dimensionless parameters, such as the Reynolds number (1 ≤ Re?≤?100), Prandtl number (1 ≤ Pr?≤?100), Bingham number (0 ≤ Bn?≤?100), blockage ratio (2 ≤ β?≤?4) and sphere-to-sphere distance (1.5 ≤ t?≤?6) have been elucidated. The flow and heat transfer characteristics were analysed in terms of yielded/unyielded regions, streamline and isotherm contours, drag coefficient, pressure coefficient, and local and average Nusselt number. Broadly, the drag coefficient shows a positive dependence on Bn and sphere-to-sphere distance (t) while it exhibits an inverse dependence on Re and β. On the other hand, the Nusselt number shows a positive dependence on Re, Pr, Bn and β; and a complex dependence on t for each sphere. Simple predictive expressions for the average Nusselt number for each sphere are formulated, thereby enabling its prediction in a new application.