Simultaneous occurrence of energy transfer and photoinduced electron transfer in interactions of hen egg white lysozyme with 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide

The carcinogenic drug 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) has been found to bind with the protein hen egg white lysozyme as evident from fluorescence quenching experiments. The binding constant and stoichiometry have been determined. The values of the thermodynamic parameters indicate that the interaction is an enthalpy-driven spontaneous phenomenon. The experimental value of change in free energy is similar to that obtained from the docking study. The far UV circular dichroism spectra show some changes in the secondary structure of protein. The high value of bimolecular quenching constant leads to the possibility of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Along with FRET, the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from tryptophan residue of protein to 4NQO has also been evident from the transient absorption spectra obtained in laser flash photolysis experiments. The simultaneous occurrence of FRET and PET is the key factor for quenching of intrinsic fluorescence of the protein as it binds with the drug.     

An improved algorithm for detecting point of impact in anisotropic inhomogeneous plates

Conventional triangulation techniques fail to correctly predict the acoustic source location in anisotropic plates due to the direction dependent nature of the elastic wave speeds. To overcome this problem, Kundu et al. [1] proposed an alternative method for acoustic source prediction based on optimizing an objective function. They defined an objective function that uses the time of flight information of the acoustic waves to the passive transducers attached to the plate and the wave propagation direction (θ) from the source point to the receiving sensors. Some weaknesses of the original algorithm proposed in Ref. [1] were later overcome by developing a modified objective function [2]. A new objective function is introduced here to further simplify the optimization procedure and improve the computational efficiency. A new algorithm for source location is also introduced here to increase the source location accuracy. The performance of the objective function and source location algorithm were experimentally verified on a homogeneous anisotropic plate and a non-homogeneous anisotropic plate with a doubler patch. Results from these experiments indicate that the new objective function and source location algorithm have improved performance when compared with those discussed in Refs. [1] and [2].     

Phase separation transition in a driven diffusive system with anti-ferromagnetic interaction

One-dimensional non-equilibrium systems with short-range interaction can undergo phase transitions from homogeneous states to phase separated states as interaction (?) among particles is increased. One of the model systems where such a transition has been observed is the extended Katz-Lebowitz-Spohn (KLS) model with ferromagnetically interacting particles at ?=4/5. Here, the system remains homogeneous for small interaction strength (?<4/5), and for anti-ferromagnetic interactions (?<0). We show that the phase separation transitions can also occur in anti-ferromagnetic systems if interaction among particles depends explicitly on the size of the block (n) they belong to. We study this transition in detail for a specific case ?=δ/n, where phase separation occurs for δ<−1.     

Electro-osmotic flow of a viscoelastic fluid in a channel : Applications to physiological fluid mechanics

The paper presents a comprehensive theoretical study on the electro-osmotic flow of a viscoelastic fluid past a channel having stretching walls. An attempt has been made to investigate the effect of rheological and electro-osmotic parameters on the kinematics of the fluid. Results presented here pertain to the case where the channel height is much greater than the thickness of electrical double layer comprising the Stern and diffuse layers. The study reveals that an increase in electro-osmotic parameter leads to an increase in the axial velocity throughout the channel for a fluid having viscoelastic coefficient equal to that of blood. This aspect provides a source of novel insight into the process of designing bio-sensing and micro-fluidic devices.     

Luminescence characteristics and X‐ray crystal structure of [Cd(bipy)3][PF6]2 (bipy = 2,2′‐bipyridine)

The photoluminescence characteristics of the [Cd(bipy)₃][PF₆]₂ complex are reported. A moderately large quantum yield (φ) of 1.07 × 10^?2 is exhibited in acetonitrile solution at 298 K. Crystallography shows the dication to have a distorted octahedral geometry and the crystal structure to be stabilized by C? H···π and C? H···F interactions. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Anomalous temperature dependence of elastic constants in the nematic phase of binary mixtures made of rodlike and bent-core molecules

We report on two anomalous trends in the temperature dependences of the splay (K11) and bend (K33) elastic constants in the nematic (N) phase of mixtures of compounds with rodlike (R) and bent-core (BC) molecules: As the sample is cooled from the isotropic to N transition point, (i) K33 increases, attains a maximum value and then decreases, and (ii) close to the N to smectic A (SmA) transition point, K11 decreases sharply. At higher temperatures the bow axes of BC molecules are aligned along the director n, strongly favoring a bend distortion of n as the orientational order parameter is increased. Close to the N-SmA transition point the smecticlike short-range order builds up, and the arrow axes of BC molecules are aligned along n, facilitating a splay distortion of n. A simple model calculation brings out the anomalous trend in K33.     

DPSM technique for ultrasonic field modelling near fluid-solid interface

Distributed point source method (DPSM) is gradually gaining popularity in the field of non-destructive evaluation (NDE). DPSM is a semi-analytical technique that can be used to calculate the ultrasonic fields produced by transducers of finite dimension placed in homogeneous or non-homogeneous media. This technique has been already used to model ultrasonic fields in homogeneous and multi-layered fluid structures. In this paper the method is extended to model the ultrasonic fields generated in both fluid and solid media near a fluid-solid interface when the transducer is placed in the fluid half-space near the interface. Most results in this paper are generated by the newly developed DPSM technique that requires matrix inversion. This technique is identified as the matrix inversion based DPSM technique. Some of these results are compared with the results produced by the Rayleigh-Sommerfield integral based DPSM technique. Theory behind both matrix inversion based and Rayleigh-Sommerfield integral based DPSM techniques is presented in this paper. The matrix inversion based DPSM technique is found to be very efficient for computing the ultrasonic field in non-homogeneous materials. One objective of this study is to model ultrasonic fields in both solids and fluids generated by the leaky Rayleigh wave when finite size transducers are inclined at Rayleigh critical angles. This phenomenon has been correctly modelled by the technique. It should be mentioned here that techniques based on paraxial assumptions fail to model the critical reflection phenomenon. Other advantages of the DPSM technique compared to the currently available techniques for transducer radiation modelling are discussed in the paper under Introduction.     

Lanthanide‐Doped Nanocrystals: Strategies for Improving the Efficiency of Upconversion Emission and Their Physical Understanding

The fundamental understanding of lanthanide‐doped upconverted nanocrystals remains a frontier area of research because of potential applications in photonics and biophotonics. Recent studies have revealed that upconversion luminescence dynamics depend on host crystal structure, size of the nanocrystals, dopant concentration, and core–shell structures, which influence site symmetry and the distribution and energy migration of the dopant ions. In this review, we bring to light the influences of doping/co‐doping concentration, crystal phase, crystal size of the host, and core–shell structure on the efficiency of upconversion emission. Furthermore, the lattice strain, due to a change in the crystal phase and by the core–shell structure, strongly influences the upconversion emission intensity. Analysis suggests that the local environment of the ion plays the most significant role in modification of radiative and nonradiative relaxation mechanisms of overall upconversion emission properties. Finally, an outlook on the prospects of this research field is given.