Photopatterning in poly-L-lysine thin films using UV-enhanced hydrophilicity

Deep UV lithography on poly-L-lysine thin films was used to generate microarrays with enhanced hydrophilicity. This was manifested as adsorption of ambient humidity from air by areas exposed to UV fluence around 5 J/cm2 and was made visible by phase-contrast microscopy. Kinetics of adsorption was investigated by a novel technique involving fabrication of submicrometer hydrophilicity grating by two-beam UV interferometry. In an aqueous colloidal medium, gold and polystyrene microspheres preferentially attach to areas that are relatively less hydrophilic, i.e., those areas not exposed to UV light. This observation provides a method for fabricating micro- and nanoporous arrays with controlled porosity. The technique is demonstrated with microspheres of sizes between 250 nm and 10 microm.     

Sensitization of cancer cells to DNA damaging agents by imidazolines

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a cellular mechanism used to regulate cell number and eliminate damaged or mutated cells. Concomitant with the initiation of the apoptotic cell signal, chemotherapeutic agents also induce anti-apoptotic factors, such as NF-kappaB, which compromise the overall efficacy of chemotherapeutic anticancer treatment. Here we describe an adjuvant therapy in which a small molecule is used to sensitize cancer cells toward apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutics. Our results indicate that the imidazoline 1d modulates the pro-survival NF-kappaB pathway and selectively sensitizes cancer cells toward DNA damaging agents, thus enhancing the overall efficacy of the treatment. Pretreatment of cancer cells with the noncytotoxic imidazoline 1d (10 nM) resulted in a significant increase in apoptosis and anticancer efficacy of the clinically significant DNA damaging agents camptothecin and cisplatin. Noncancerous cells remained unaffected during this regimen.     

Synthesis of novel bis‐condensed heterocyclic ring assembly systems

The novel bis‐condensed heterocyclic systems with ring assemblies based on peripheral barbituric acid rings and central pyran, pyridine and thiine rings have been generated by the reaction of terephthalaldehyde and isophthalaldehyde with barbituric acid for comparison with the analogous systems generated with said dialdehydes and 1,3‐cyclohexanedione.     

An intriguing empirical rule for computing the first normal stress difference from steady shear viscosity data for concentrated polymer solutions and melts

The Cox–Merz rule and Laun’s rule are two empirical relations that allow the estimation of steady shear viscosity and first normal stress difference, respectively, using small amplitude oscillatory shear measurements. The validity of the Cox–Merz rule and Laun’s rule imply an agreement between the linear viscoelastic response measured in small amplitude oscillatory shear and the nonlinear response measured in steady shear flow measurements. We show that by using a lesser-known relationship also proposed by Cox and Merz, in conjunction with Laun’s rule, a relationship between the rate-dependent steady shear viscosity and the first normal stress difference can be deduced. The new empirical relation enables a priori estimation of the first normal stress difference using only the steady flow curve (i.e., viscosity vs shear rate data). Comparison of the estimated first normal stress difference with the measured values for six different polymer solutions and melts show that the empirical rule provides values that are in reasonable agreement with measurements over a wide range of shear rates, thus deepening the intriguing connection between linear and nonlinear viscoelastic response of entangled polymeric materials.     

Effect of variation of different nanofillers on structural,electrical, dielectric,and transport properties of blend polymer nanocomposites

In the present work, the effect of various nanofillers with different particle sizes and dielectric constants (BaTiO₃, CeO₂, Er₂O₃, or TiO₂) on blend solid polymer electrolyte comprising PEO and PVC complexed with bulky LiPF₆ has been explored. The XRD analysis confirms the polymer nanocomposite formation. FTIR provides evidence of interaction among the functional groups of the polymer with the ions and the nanofiller in terms of shifting and change of the peak profile. The highest ionic conductivity is ~?2.3?×?10^?5 S cm^?1 with a wide electrochemical stability window of ~?3.5 V for 10 wt% Er₂O₃. The real and imaginary parts of dielectric permittivity follow the identical trend of the decreasing value of dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss with increase in the frequency. The particle size and the dielectric constant show an abnormal trend with different nanofillers. The AC conductivity follows the universal Jonscher power law, and an effective mechanism has been proposed to understand the nanofiller interaction with cation coordinated polymer.     

Synthesis and study of mesomorphic properties in rod-like chalconyl compounds

In order to investigate the influence of the central linking group and effect on flexibility on mesophase behavior of liquid crystal we have synthesized newly homologous series viz. 3-(4-Octyloxyphenyl)-1-(4′-n-alkoxy phenyl) prop-2-en-1-one (Series-l) consists of thirteen homologues (C₁ to C₈, C₁₀, C₁₂, C₁₄, C₁₆, C₁₈). Textures of a nematic phases are threaded or Schlieren type. The textures of smectic and nematic phase are directly judged from the heating and cooling condition. Group efficiency order for mesophases is derived on the basis of thermal stabilities from the comparative study of thermometric data determined from structurally analogous series. A transition curve as depicted in a phase diagram behaves in normal manner. Structural and conformational characterization of these new compounds had achieved by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, IR, and elemental analysis.     

Dynamics of Entanglement in Qubit-Qutrit with x-Component of DM Interaction

In this present paper,we study the entanglement dynamics in qubit A-qutrit B pair under x component of Dzyaloshinshkii-Moriya interaction(D_x)by taking an auxiliary qubit C.Here,we consider an entangled qubit-qutrit pair initially prepared in two parameter qubit-qutrit states and one auxiliary qubit prepared in pure state interacts with the qutrit of the pair through DM interaction.We trace away the auxiliary qubit and calculate the reduced dynamics in qubit A-qutrit B pair to study the influence of the state of auxiliary qubit C and D_x on entanglement.We find that the state(probability amplitude)of auxiliary qubit does not influence the entanglement,only D_x influences the same.The phenomenon of entanglement sudden death(ESD)induced by D_x has also been observed.We also present the affected and unaffected two parameter qubit-qutrit states by D_x.     

Bianchi Type-II Dark Energy Model in Scale Covariant Theory of Gravitation

Spatially Homogeneous and anisotropic Bianchi type-II space time with variable equation of state (EoS) parameter and constant deceleration parameter has been investigated in scale covariant theory of gravitation formulated by Canuto et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 39:429, 1977). With the help of special law of variation for Hubble’s parameter proposed by Bermann (Nuovo Cimento 74B:182, 1983) a dark energy cosmological model is obtained in this theory. We use the power law relation between scalar field ? and scale factor R to find the solutions. Some physical and kinematical properties of the model are also discussed.