Efficient Controlled Quantum Secure Direct Communication Protocols

We study controlled quantum secure direct communication (CQSDC), a cryptographic scheme where a sender can send a secret bit-string to an intended recipient, without any secure classical channel, who can obtain the complete bit-string only with the permission of a controller. We report an efficient protocol to realize CQSDC using Cluster state and then go on to construct a (2-3)-CQSDC using Brown state, where a coalition of any two of the three controllers is required to retrieve the complete message. We argue both protocols to be unconditionally secure and analyze the efficiency of the protocols to show it to outperform the existing schemes while maintaining the same security specifications.     

Virtual screening of 4-anilinoquinazoline analogues as EGFR kinase inhibitors: importance of hydrogen bonds in the evaluation of poses and scoring functions

Virtual Screening (VS) is a computational technique that allows selection and ranking of possible hits from a library of compounds. We have carried out VS on 128 selected EGFR kinase inhibitors with GOLD and LigandFit. From the experimental crystal structure of the erlotinib-EGFR complex, three key hydrogen bonds were identified as responsible for anchoring the ligand in the active site. These are of the N-H...N, O(w)-H...N, and C-H...O types. Failure to include the hydrogen-bonded water molecule that forms the O(w)-H...N bond leads to incorrect results. Of the three interactions, the C-H...O formed by an activated C-H group is the best conserved. On the basis of the efficacy of these hydrogen bonds, the poses were classified into one of three categories: close, shifted, and misoriented. In the VS context, all three interactions need to be modeled correctly so that correct poses and affinities are obtained, and this happens in ligands of the close variety. Cross scoring wherein the poses from one software are input into another for scoring and consensus scoring wherein the scores from various software packages are weighted are also helpful in obtaining better agreements.     

Fundamental understanding and modeling of spin coating process: A review

A mathematical model is derived to elucidate the dominant mechanism governing film formation. It leads to a relation between film thickness and film radius spreading with time. Inclusion of evaporation and shear stress was made with extension to non-Newtonian fluid. The advantages and disadvantages of this process with applications are reviewed.      

On oscillatory and asymptotic behavior of fourth order nonlinear neutral delay dynamic equations with positive and negative coefficients

In this paper, oscillatory and asymptotic properties of solutions of nonlinear fourth order neutral dynamic equations of the form $(r(t)(y(t) + p(t)y(\alpha _1 (t)))^{\Delta ^2 } )^{\Delta ^2 } + q(t)G(y(\alpha _2 (t))) - h(t)H(y(\alpha _3 (t))) = 0(H)$ and $(r(t)(y(t) + p(t)y(\alpha _1 (t)))^{\Delta ^2 } )^{\Delta ^2 } + q(t)G(y(\alpha _2 (t))) - h(t)H(y(\alpha _3 (t))) = f(t),(NH)$ are studied on a time scale $\mathbb{T}$ under the assumption that $\int\limits_{t_0 }^\infty {\tfrac{t} {{r(t)}}\Delta t = \infty } $ and for various ranges of p(t). In addition, sufficient conditions are obtained for the existence of bounded positive solutions of the equation (NH) by using Krasnosel’skii’s fixed point theorem.     

Self-assembly of silver nanoparticles: synthesis, stabilization, optical properties, and application in surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Silver nanoparticle aggregates were synthesized in large scale using resorcinol under alkaline condition to obtain an assembly of silver clusters. Stable dispersion of the cluster in aqueous medium has been examined out of resorcinol-capped silver nanoparticle assemblies. The UV-vis spectroscopy during the particle evolution has been studied in detail. From the high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) image and XRD pattern it was confirmed that the particles are made of pure silver only. The capping action of resorcinol has been authenticated from the FTIR spectra. UV-vis spectroscopy and TEM images reveal that the temperature, effect of vibrational energy, heat shock, and time-dependent particle evolution have unique bearing on the stability and surface properties of the clusters. The concentrations of silver nitrate, resorcinol, and NaOH have important influence on the particle evolution and its size. TEM images incite us to examine the aggregates to capitulate surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to the single molecular level using crystal violet (CV) and cresyl fast violet (CFV) as molecular probes. The SERS intensity of CV increases with increasing the size of the silver aggregate.     

Reduction of methylene blue by thiocyanate: kinetic and thermodynamic aspects

This article reports the reduction of methylene blue (MB) by thiocyanate ions (SCN(-)) in aqueous and micellar solutions. Thiocyanate ions are found to be an effective reducing agent for the decolorization of methylene blue under ambient condition. Effects of salting-in and salting-out agents have been investigated for real-time application in the reduction process. The salting-in agent urea has been found to uniquely enhance the rate of the reduction of MB by thiocyanate ion in the presence of micelles. Again, the catalytic activity of nanoparticles in the reduction of MB has also been studied. Detailed kinetic and thermodynamic aspects have been considered to realize the interaction between methylene blue and thiocyanate. Kinetic studies revealed that the reaction is reversible and follows first-order reaction kinetics.     

Rietveld analysis of single phase Ba0.99Dy0.01TiO3 ceramic

Microstructure characterization of ball-milled powder mixtures was done by analyzing the X-ray powder diffraction data. Formation of single phase dysprosium-modified BaTiO₃ and structural and microstructural changes in terms of lattice imperfections have been estimated from the analysis of X-ray powder diffraction data of ball-milled powder mixtures by Rietveld’s powder structure refinement method. For the first time this type of analysis is reported for this material to the best of knowledge. The generated structure of Ba_0.99Dy_0.01TiO₃ ceramic in terms of bond lengths, bond angles and generated positions has been discussed.