Electrochemical Biosensor Design with Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube to Display DNA-Schiff Base Interaction

This paper demonstrates a Schiff base i. e. 5-(diethylamino)-2-((2,6-diethylphenylimino)methyl)phenol (5-DDMP) that was sensed by DNA biosensor. dsDNA was immobilized onto GCE modified with functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes to prepare a biosensor. The efficiency of dsDNA biosensor was determined and binding of 5-DDMP with dsDNA was searched by UV-vis spectrophotometry and differential pulse voltammetry. Molecular docking simulations between 5-DDMP and dsDNA were explored and as a result, a hydrogen bond and a π-π contact were observed between 5-DDMP and deoxyguanosine base (dG22) of the strand B, deoxyadenosine base (dA5) of the strand A, respectively. These studies could be useful for new anticancer drug design and development.     

Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Titanium Metal Matrix Composites Prepared by Powder Metallurgy—A Review

Titanium-based metal composites (TMCs) are showing great potential to replace existing traditional materials in aerospace, automotive, and other high temperature engineering applications. This is due to their excellent mechanical, thermal, and physical properties and improved strength to weight ratio. Weight savings in the aerospace industry results in higher efficiency. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), because of their low density and high Young's modulus, are considered to be an excellent reinforcement for metal matrix composites (MMCs). In the last 20 years extensive research has been carried out to investigate the combination of carbon nanotubes with aluminum, nickel, copper, magnesium, and other metal matrices. The production techniques such as mechanical alloying through powder metallurgy routes and their effects on the mechanical properties of CNT reinforced TMCs are reviewed in this article. The role of the volume fraction of carbon nanotubes and their dispersion into the metal matrix are highlighted. Governing equations to predict the mechanical and tribological properties of CNT reinforced titanium matrix composites are deduced. With the help of this initial prediction of properties, the optimal processing parameters can be optimized. Successful development of CNT reinforced TMCs would result in better wear and mechanical behavior and enhance their ability to withstand high temperature and structural loading environments.     

Study of the interfacial charge transfer in bismuth vanadate/reduce graphene oxide (BiVO4/rGO) composite and evaluation of its photocatalytic activity

Research on Chemical Intermediates - We prepared unique BiVO4/reduce graphene oxide (BiVO4/rGO) nanocomposite with enhanced photocatalytic ability by hydrothermal method applying...     

Redox behavior of juglone in buffered aq.: Ethanol media

The present work reports the redox mechanism of 5-hydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione (HND), commonly known as juglone, in buffered aqueous media having 50% of ethanol. HND followed different mechanistic routes depending upon the pH of the media and more than one pK_a were evaluated from the changes in the slope of the E_p vs. pH plot. The change of pH from acidic to neutral conditions was found to switch the mechanism from CEC to EE mechanism. Pulse techniques were utilized to determine the number of electrons involved in the oxidation and/or the reduction step and to ensure the nature of the redox process. Based upon the obtained results, an electrode reaction mechanism was proposed. Computational studies of HND supported the experimental results. UV-Visible spectroscopy was also employed for the detailed characterization of the compound in a wide range of pH and for the determination of its pK_a.     

Optical Kerr effect in supercooled water

We present molecular dynamics simulations of the optical Kerr effect in liquid and supercooled water and compare with recent time-resolved Kerr spectroscopy measurements [R. Torre, Nature (London) 428, 296 (2004)]. The short time features of the Kerr response, characterized by peaks near 15, 60, and 160 fs, are weakly temperature dependent. The long-time decay is well described by a stretched exponential with a nearly constant stretch parameter and relaxation times that follow a power law approximately (T-T(S))(-gamma), with T(S)=198.3 K and gamma=2.35. Our findings are discussed in the light of the spectroscopy data and previous simulation analyzes of the structural relaxation in supercooled water.     

Acoustic Analysis Findings in Objective Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Patients

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the effects of objective laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) on the acoustic parameters of patients by comparing their voice samples with that of control subjects. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study in two tertiary reference hospitals. METHODS: 48 consecutive patients with symptoms related to LPR and 64 control subjects were included in the study. Suspected LPR patients underwent a 24-hour ambulatory pH monitoring, and 25 (52%) of them were shown to have objective LPR. Acoustical evaluation results of objective LPR patients were compared with that of symptomatic LPR patients and control subjects. RESULTS: All frequency perturbation values obtained from objective and symptomatic LPR patients were higher than the control subjects (P<0.01). Mean fundamental frequency, amplitude perturbation measures, and noise-to-harmonics ratio were not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSION: LPR patients have significantly different frequency perturbation values than control subjects.     

Synthesis, Characterization, and Antibacterial Activity of Complexes of (1S,2S)-N,N-1,2-Diphenylethylene- bis -(5-imino-1-phenyl-1,3-hexanedione)

 The synthesis and characterization of homobimetallic complexes of VO(IV), Cr(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) with the chiral Schiff base (1S,2S)-N,N-1,2-Diphenylethylene-bis-(5-imino-1-phenyl-1,3-hexa-nedione) is reported. The metal ions occupy both compartments of the ligand; water molecules fill the coordination spheres to provide an octahedral environment around the central atoms. The antibacterial activity of both mono- and bimetallic complexes against a number of Gram-positive as well as Gram-negative bacteria has been tested and is discussed.     

The kinetics and thermodynamics of a novel efficient mixed water–1,4-dioxan solvent for the effective complexation of a neutral ruthenium complex with carbon monoxide at atmospheric pressure

Kinetic and thermodynamic investigations were performed for a mixed aqueous-organic, 1:1 (v/v) water–1,4-dioxane medium, which was found to be an efficient solvent for the interaction of a neutral dichlorotris(triphenylphosphine) ruthenium(II), RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃ complex with carbon monoxide at atmospheric pressure. During the interaction, RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃ dissociates to a neutral complex dichlorobis(triphenylphosphine) ruthenium(II), RuCl₂(PPh₃)₂, by losing a coordinated PPh₃ ligand and RuCl₂(PPh₃)₂ coordinates with CO to form an in situ carbonyl complex RuCl₂(CO)(PPh₃)₂. The in situ formed carbonyl complex RuCl₂(CO)(PPh₃)₂ was thoroughly characterized by equilibrium, spectrophotometric, IR, and electrochemical techniques. Under equilibrium conditions, the rate and dissociation constants for the dissociation of PPh₃ from RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃ were found to be favorable for the formation of the carbonyl complex RuCl₂(CO)(PPh₃)₂. The rates of complexation for the formation of RuCl₂(CO)(PPh₃)₂ were found to follow an overall second-order kinetics being first order in terms of the concentrations of both carbon monoxide and RuCl₂(PPh₃)₂. The determined activation parameters corresponding to the rate constant (ΔH^# = 35.9 ± 2.5 kJ mol⁻¹ and ΔS^# = −122 ± 6 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹) and thermodynamic parameters corresponding to the formation constant (ΔH° = −33.5 ± 4.5 kJ mol⁻¹, ΔS° = −25 ± 8 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹, and ΔG° = −25.7 ± 2.0 kJ mol⁻¹) were found to be highly favorable for the formation of the complex RuCl2(CO)(PPh3)2. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 40: 359–369, 2008     

Experimental evaluation of the pressure and temperature dependence of ion-induced nucleation

An experimental system for the study of ion-induced nucleation in a SO(2)/H(2)O/N(2) gas mixture was developed, employing a soft x-ray at different pressure and temperature levels. The difficulties associated with these experiments included the changes in physical properties of the gas mixture when temperature and pressure were varied. Changes in the relative humidity (RH) as a function of pressure and temperature also had a significant effect on the different behaviors of the mobility distributions of particles. In order to accomplish reliable measurement and minimize uncertainties, an integrated on-line control system was utilized. As the pressure decreased in a range of 500-980 hPa, the peak concentration of both ions and nanometer-sized particles decreased, which suggests that higher pressure tended to enhance the growth of particles nucleated by ion-induced nucleation. Moreover, the modal diameters of the measured particle size distributions showed a systematic shift to larger sizes with increasing pressure. However, in the temperature range of 5-20 °C, temperature increases had no significant effects on the mobility distribution of particles. The effects of residence time, RH (7%-70%), and SO(2) concentration (0.08-6.7 ppm) on ion-induced nucleation were also systematically investigated. The results show that the nucleation and growth were significantly dependent on the residence time, RH, and SO(2) concentration, which is in agreement with both a previous model and previous observations. This research will be inevitable for a better understanding of the role of ions in an atmospheric nucleation mechanism.