The effect of arsenic exposure on the biochemical and mineral contents of Labeo rohita bones: An FT-IR study

Arsenic compounds are ubiquitous and widespread in the environment as a result of natural or anthropogenic occurrence. Fish are the major source of protein for human consumption. They are also a source of contamination, because of the amounts of heavy elements they can contain, some of which are highly toxic. Fish bones are high in calcium, which is an essential mineral for normal body function. It consists of water, organic material, and mineral matter. Chelating agents have been used clinically as antidotes for acute and chronic metal intoxications. In the present study, an attempt is made to investigate the bio-accumulation of arsenic and its effect on the biochemical and mineral contents of Labeo rohita bones using, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The results of the present study indicate that arsenic exposure induces significant reduction on the biochemical and mineral contents of the L. rohita bones. Further, the DMSA treatment significantly improves these levels. This shows that DMSA is an effective chelator for arsenic toxicity. Quantitative curve-fitting analyses of amide I band have proved useful in studying the nature and the extent of protein conformational changes. A decrease in α-helical and random coil structures and an increase in β-sheet structures have been observed due to arsenic exposure. In conclusion, the present study shows that the FT-IR spectroscopy coupled with second derivative and curve-fitting analysis gives useful information about the biochemical and mineral contents of the L. rohita bones.     

FTIR study of zinc-induced biochemical changes in the liver of Indian carp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Labeo rohita</Emphasis>

Zinc is an essential metal for different physiological functions and becomes toxic when elevated concentrations are introduced into the environment. In the present study, an attempt is made to analyze zinc-induced biochemical changes in the liver tissues of freshwater fingerlings of Labeo rohita using Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy. Several important features have been observed in the FTIR spectra of zinc-intoxicated liver tissues, namely, altered membrane lipid, altered protein profile, and increased glycogen content, indicating an alteration in the lipid and protein profiles leading to modification in membrane composition. Further, it is observed that acute exposure to zinc causes some alteration in protein profile with a decrease in α-helix and an increase in random coil structure. Treatment with the chelating agent D-penicillamine reduces the biochemical contents in the liver tissues. This shows that D-penicillamine is a good antidote for zinc toxicity. Published in Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 75, No. 5, pp. 746–752, September–October, 2008.     

An efficient synthesis of base-substituted analogues of S-adenosyl-dl-homocysteine

An efficient method for the preparation of base-substituted S-adenosyl-dl-homocysteine analogues as well as of 2-chloro-N⁶-alkylated S-adenosyl-dl-homocysteine analogues is described. The method uses a convergent strategy that employs a common intermediate late in the overall synthesis and allows small libraries of SAH analogues to be prepared in a relatively short period of time.     

Linear stability analysis of coupled parallel flexible plates in an axial flow

We study here the linear stability of N identical flexible plates with clamped–free boundary conditions forced by a uniform parallel flow. Flow viscosity and elastic damping are neglected, and the flow around the plates is assumed potential. The shedding of vorticity from the plates’ trailing edges is accounted for by introducing a force-free wake behind each plate. A Galerkin method is used to compute the eigenmodes of the system. We are interested in the effects of the number of plates and their relative distance on the stability property of the state of rest, as well as in the nature and structure of the coupled states. Detailed results are presented for the cases N=2, N=3 and N1.     

SASKTRAN: A spherical geometry radiative transfer code for efficient estimation of limb scattered sunlight

The inversion of satellite-based observations of limb scattered sunlight for the retrieval of constituent species requires an efficient and accurate modelling of the measurement. We present the development of the SASKTRAN radiative transfer model for the prediction of limb scatter measurements at optical wavelengths by method of successive orders along rays traced in a spherical atmosphere. The component of the signal due to the first two scattering events of the solar beam is accounted for directly along rays traced in the three-dimensional geometry. Simplifying assumptions in successive scattering orders provide computational optimizations without severely compromising the accuracy of the solution. SASKTRAN is designed for the analysis of measurements from the OSIRIS instrument and the implementation of the algorithm is efficient such that the code is suitable for the inversion of OSIRIS profiles on desktop computers. SASKTRAN total limb radiance profiles generally compare better with Monte-Carlo reference models over a large range of solar conditions than the approximate spherical and plane-parallel models typically used for inversions.     

The formation and rupture of molten metal bridges in electrical contacts

The bridge of molten metal which is formed between the electrodes of an electrical contact is of considerable interest from a fundamental physical point of view. It is also of practical importance as the cause of erosion and failure of such contacts, which is due to the transfer of metals from one electrode to the other after repeated operations of the contact. The theory of the formation, development and rupture of contact bridges is discussed, and an experimental study of the properties of bridges between slowly opening contacts is described. Observations have been made on bridges in the ordinary atmosphere andin vacuo. The method of producing bridges for visual examination in air andin vacuo has been applied to an investigation of bridges of the noble metals, and of the readily oxidizable base metals. The temperature in a bridge can reach very high values, approaching the boiling point of the metal, with a potential difference of only one to two volts between the electrodes. Theoretical predictions of the shape of molten metal bridges as controlled by the temperature distribution and by surface tension and electrodynamic forces are compared with the shapes actually observed. Photographs of bridges showing the agreement between theory and experiment are given. The potential difference between the electrodes when the rupture of the bridge takes place, — the rupture voltage, has been measured for a number of metals: Pt, Pd, Ag, Au, Cu, Fe, Ni, W, Mo and Sn. The results are discussed in relation to theories of the cause and the mode of rupture and to the electrical and thermal properties of metals at high temperatures.     

Anomalous adsorption behavior observed during the characterization of a polystyrene film prepared on a mesoporous material

Discrepancies in the results obtained during the adsorption of nitrogen, argon, and water on two mesoporous samples are compared and contrasted. A silica-based mesoporous oxide and the same sample coated with a film of polystyrene were chosen with respect to their different surface chemistries. The nitrogen BET surface is overestimated on the pure silica sample and underestimated for the polymer-coated sample. These differences can be related to the specific interaction (strong or weak) of nitrogen with these surfaces. Water has difficulty in wetting either surface. Moreover, in the case of the polymer-coated material, water is unable to fill the mesopores via capillary condensation.