Supramolecular structure and incipient cracks in three-dimensional stitched amorphous polymers

The electron-microscopic method was used to study the structure of unsaturated polyester films. The initial submicrocracks developing in the loaded films were studies by the low-angle x-ray diffraction method. It is shown that for these polymers a typical feature is the globular structure with a globule diameter of 10³–3·10³ Å, and the transverse dimension of the submicrocracks developing under the action of a load practically coincides with the globule diameter.     

On the Analytical Derivation of Quantum Fisher Information and Skew Information for two Qubit X States

The quantum Fisher information defined via the symmetric logarithmic derivative and the skew information are two different aspects describing the information contents of quantum mechanical density operators. They are considered as natural generalizations of the classical Fisher information and constitute key ingredients in the emerging field of quantum metrology. In this paper, we give the analytical expression of quantum Fisher information and skew information for two-qubit system prepared in a two-qubit state of X type.

     

Electrochemical polymerization of N-substituted pyrrols for the development of novel lactate biosensor

Lactate oxidase from the species Pediococcus is immobilized in a conducting polymer film on the surface of planar electrodes modified with Prussian blue. Polypyrrole ammonium is electropolymerized to obtain the conducting polymer. The analytical characteristics of the resulting biosensor are as follows: a sensitivity of 190 ± 14 mA M⁻¹ cm⁻², a linear dynamic range of 5 × 10⁻⁷ to 5 × l0⁻⁴ M, and high operational stability. The applicability of a lactate biosensor for food quality control (for example, quality control of kvass) is shown. Effective and inexpensive biosensors for lactate analysis may be applied in clinical diagnostics, sports medicine, quality control of food and farm products, as well as for biotechnology processes.     

Influence of strain/stress on the nonlinear-optical properties of sprayed deposited ZnO:Al thin films

Nanocrystalline ZnO:Al thin films were deposited by reactive chemical pulverization spray pyrolysis technique on heated glass substrates at 450 °C to study their crystalline structure, composition, strain, stress, roughness characteristics and nonlinear optical susceptibility as a function of Al concentration (0, 2, 3, 5 at.%). The films were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), EDAX 9100 analyser, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and third harmonic generation (THG). The Al (3 at.%) doped ZnO thin films exhibited the lower strain/stress than undoped films. The nonlinear properties of the ZnO:Al thin films have been found to be influenced by the films strain/stress.     

Exogenous Sodium Nitroprusside Mitigates Salt Stress in Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) by Affecting the Growth,Yield, and Biochemical Properties

Soil salinity disrupts the physiological and biochemical processes of crop plants and ultimately leads to compromising future food security. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a contributor to nitric oxide (NO), holds the potential to alleviate abiotic stress effects and boost tolerance in plants, whereas less information is available on its role in salt-stressed lentils. We examined the effect of exogenously applied SNP on salt-stressed lentil plants by monitoring plant growth and yield-related attributes, biochemistry of enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD)) amassing of leaf malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Salinity stress was induced by NaCl application at concentrations of 50 mM (moderate salinity) and 100 mM (severe salinity), while it was alleviated by SNP application at concentrations of 50 µM and 100 µM. Salinity stress severely inhibited the length of roots and shoots, the relative water content, and the chlorophyll content of the leaves, the number of branches, pods, seeds, seed yield, and biomass per plant. In addition, MDA, H₂O₂ as well as SOD, CAT, and POD activities were increased with increasing salinity levels. Plants supplemented with SNP (100 µM) showed a significant improvement in the growth- and yield-contributing parameters, especially in plants grown under moderate salinity (50 mM NaCl). Essentially, the application of 100 µM SNP remained effective to rescue lentil plants under moderate salinity by regulating plant growth and biochemical pathways. Thus, the exogenous application of SNP could be developed as a useful strategy for improving the performance of lentil plants in salinity-prone environments.     

Photolysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">para</Emphasis>-azidobenzoic acid in solutions and in the crystalline state

Photolysis of para-azidobenzoic acid (p-ABA) in the crystalline state, organic solvents, and water at different pH values was studied by means of IR spectroscopy, electronic absorption spectroscopy, and TLC. The nature of L-ABA photolysis products is determined by the character of solvation or hydration of the acid in solutions and the relative arrangement of azide molecules in the crystalline state or highly concentrated solutions.     

Direct Bioelectrocatalysis by NADP‐Reducing Hydrogenase from Pyrococcus furiosus

The direct bioelectrocatalysis by an NAD(P)‐reducing hydrogenase is reported for the first time. In contrast to previous attempts to involve similar enzymes in bioelectrocatalysis [1–4], which were in fact unsuccessful, in our report an effective electrocatalysis by Pyrococcus furiosus hydrogenase is convincingly shown by (i) achievement of the hydrogen equilibrium potential and (ii) a high current of hydrogen oxidation (0.3 mA cm^?2 at 100 mV overpotential and at 75 °C). The latter is just a few times lower compared to enzyme electrodes based on NAD(P)‐independent hydrogenases.     

slow release rubber formulations containing ZnSO4

Styrene butadiene (SBR) and natural rubber (NR) can be used as binding matrices to control the release of zinc (Zn) which is a micro-nutrient for plants. The leaching rate of zinc in an aqueous medium depends on the concentration of zinc sulphate loaded in the two types of rubber used, the temperature of the surrounding environment and the pH of the aqueous medium. Water uptake was increased with increasing concentration of ZnSO₄. The sustained release of zinc ions from the investigated formulations was prolonged for over five months. The mechanical properties of the vulcanizates were affected as the concentration of zinc sulphate changed.     

Density functional theory study of hydrogen storage on Ni-doped C59X (X = B,N) heterofullerene

ABSTRACT

Hydrogen storage reactions on Ni ? C₅₉X(X = B, N) heterofullerene are investigated by using the state-of-the-art density functional theory calculations. The Ni atom prefers to bind at the bridge site between two hexagonal rings, and can bind up to five hydrogen molecules with average adsorption energies of (?0.94, ?0.48, ?0.33, ?0.25 and ?0.20 eV) per hydrogen molecule for Ni ? C₅₉B, while (?1.20, ?0.60, ?0.41, ?0.28 and ?0.23 eV) per hydrogen molecule for Ni ? C₅₉N. With no metal clustering, the system gravimetric capacities are expected to be as large as 10.87 and 10.85 wt % for 5H₂NiC₅₉B?and 5H₂NiC₅₉N, respectively. While the desorption activation barriers of the complexes 1H₂ + C₅₉X?(X = B, N)?are outside the Department of Energy domain (?0.2 to ?0.6 eV), the desorption activation barriers of the complexes nH₂ + C₅₉X(X = B, N)(n = 2 ? 5) are inside this domain. The hydrogen storage of the irreversible 1H₂ + NiC₅₉X?(X = B, N) and reversible 2H₂ + NiC₅₉X?(X = B, N) interactions is characterised in terms of density of states and projected densities of states, pairwise and non-pairwise additivity, infrared, Raman, electrophilicity and molecular electrostatic potentials.