Phase diagram study of CaBr2–LiBr system using DTA

The phase diagram of binary LiBr–CaBr₂ system was investigated using differential thermal analysis (DTA) between room temperature and 800 °C. From the DTA results obtained over the entire range of composition from pure LiBr to pure CaBr₂ in steps of ~5 mol%, the phase diagram was constructed and is reported here. The results indicated the possible existence of a compound at 50 mol% LiBr, namely, LiCaBr₃. The compound undergoes peritectic decomposition at 552 °C. The system shows a eutectic reaction at 532 °C between this compound and LiBr phase, and the eutectic composition is close to 80 mol% LiBr. The compound LiCaBr₃ decomposes into CaBr₂ and LiBr phases below 272 °C. Co-existing phases in different phase fields are characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis.     

pH-responsive non-surface-active/surface-active transition of weakly ionic amphiphilic diblock copolymers

The weakly ionic amphiphilic diblock copolymer polystyrene-b-poly(acrylic acid) was synthesized by nitroxy radical-mediated living radical polymerization with precise control of block length, block ratio, and polydispersity. Systematical surface tension experiments and foam formation observations revealed that this polymer was non-surface active under neutral and alkaline (pH 10) conditions, while it was surface active under an acidic condition (pH 3). This result supports our proposed origin of non-surface activity; the image charge repulsion at the air/water interface is essential in addition to very stable micelle formation in the bulk solution. At a higher pH (pH 12), the polymer showed slight surface activity since the added NaOH played a role as an added salt. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) was estimated by static light scattering. Cmc increased with increasing added salt (NaCl) concentration as was observed for other strongly ionic non-surface-active polymers. Hence, this trend is characteristic for non-surface-active polymers. The pH dependence of cmc was minimum at pH 8–10. Since the acrylic acid block is fully ionized under this condition, the strong image charge repulsion at this condition accelerated micelle formation at a low polymer concentration, which consequently decreased cmc. Micelles in bulk solution were confirmed by dynamic light scattering, and the salt concentration and pH dependencies of the hydrodynamic radius of the micelles were also estimated. The pH-responsive non-surface-active/surface-active transition observed in this study strongly supports the fact that the image charge repulsion is an essential factor for non-surface activity in addition to stable micelle formation in solution.     

A review on sources,toxicity and remediation technologies for removing arsenic from drinking water

Arsenic is a natural element found in the environment in organic and inorganic forms. The inorganic form is much more toxic and is found in ground water, surface water and many foods. This form is responsible for many adverse health effects like cancer (skin, lung, liver, kidney and bladder mainly), and cardiovascular and neurological effects. The estimated number of people in Bangladesh in 1998 exposed to arsenic concentrations above 0.05 mg/l is 28–35 million, and the number of those exposed to more than 0.01 mg/l is 46–57 million. The estimated number of people in West Bengal, India (the border province to Bangladesh), in 1997 actually using arsenic-rich water is more than 1 million for concentrations above 0.05 mg/l and is 1.3 million for concentrations above 0.01 mg/l. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has estimated that 13 million of the US population are exposed to arsenic in drinking water at 0.01 mg/l. The situation has prevailed for more than 10 years and is more severe now. The USEPA lowered the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for drinking water arsenic from 50 to 10 μg/l in 2001 based on international data analysis and research. This recommendation is now on hold. The level of 10 ppb become standard in the European Union (EU) in 2001. Arsenic may be found in water flowing through arsenic-rich rocks. The source is diverse. These include the earth's crust, introduced into water through the dissociation of minerals and ores, industrial effluents to water, combustion of fossil fuels and seafoods. Arsenic-removal methods are coagulation (ferric sulfate, ferrous sulfate, ferric chloride, aluminum sulfate, copper sulfate, and calcium hydroxide as coagulants), adsorption (activated carbon, activated alumina, activated bauxite) ion exchange, bio-sorption, etc.     

Protein Allostery at Atomic Resolution

Protein allostery is a phenomenon involving the long range coupling between two distal sites in a protein. In order to elucidate allostery at atomic resoluion on the ligand-binding WW domain of the enzyme Pin1, multistate structures were calculated from exact nuclear Overhauser effect (eNOE). In its free form, the protein undergoes a microsecond exchange between two states, one of which is predisposed to interact with its parent catalytic domain. In presence of the positive allosteric ligand, the equilibrium between the two states is shifted towards domain–domain interaction, suggesting a population shift model. In contrast, the allostery-suppressing ligand decouples the side-chain arrangement at the inter-domain interface thereby reducing the inter-domain interaction. As such, this mechanism is an example of dynamic allostery. The presented distinct modes of action highlight the power of the interplay between dynamics and function in the biological activity of proteins.     

Synthesis,characterization, and antiplasmodial efficacy of sulfonamide-appended [1,2,3]-triazoles

A series of benzenesulfonamide-appended [1,2,3]-triazole hybrids was synthesized by using [3 + 2] cycloaddition of primary, secondary, and tertiary sulfonamide azides with various phenoxymethylacetylenes under click reaction conditions. After structural characterization, the compounds were subjected to in-silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) screening to evaluate their drug-likeness and other pharmacokinetic parameters. Furthermore, their in vitro antiplasmodial potential was assessed against Plasmodium falciparum (3D7) strain, and some of the synthesized compounds displayed promising antimalarial potency. On cytotoxicity evaluation using MTT cell viability assay, the most active candidate N-(4,6-dimethylpyridin-2-yl)-4-(4-(4-nitrophenoxy)methyl)-1H-[1,2,3]-triazol-1-yl)benzenesulfonamide ( 14 ; IC₅₀ 6.2 μg/mL) demonstrated CC₅₀ 7.5 μg/mL against human hepatocarcinoma (HUH-7) cells.     

Study of COVID-19 epidemiological evolution in India with a multi-wave SIR model

Nonlinear Dynamics - The global pandemic due to the outbreak of COVID-19 ravages the whole world for more than two years in which all the countries are suffering a lot since December 2019. In this...     

Temporal Instability of Acoustic Wave in a Semiconductor Plasma Medium under Momentum Mismatched Condition

Physics of the Solid State - Temporal instability of acoustic wave is investigated in an infinite semiconductor plasma using classical hydrodynamic approach. We consider a homogeneous semiconductor...     

Unusual Surface Latent Heat Flux Variations and Their Critical Dynamics Revealed before Strong Earthquakes

We focus on the possible thermal channel of the well-known Lithosphere–Atmosphere–Ionosphere Coupling (LAIC) mechanism to identify the behavior of thermal anomalies during and prior to strong seismic events. For this, we investigate the variation of Surface Latent Heat Flux (SLHF) as resulting from satellite observables. We demonstrate a spatio-temporal variation in the SLHF before and after a set of strong seismic events occurred in Kathmandu, Nepal, and Kumamoto, Japan, having magnitudes of 7.8, 7.3, and 7.0, respectively. Before the studied earthquake cases, significant enhancements in the SLHF were identified near the epicenters. Additionally, in order to check whether critical dynamics, as the signature of a complex phenomenon such as earthquake preparation, are reflected in the SLHF data, we performed a criticality analysis using the natural time analysis method. The approach to criticality was detected within one week before each mainshock.