Two dimensional electrophoretic analysis of human tears: collection method in dry eye syndrome

Tear proteomics, by 2-DE, can give a fingerprint of the protein profile, which is well suited in clinical proteomics for biomarker identification and in diagnostics. The mode of tear collection can influence the representation of the proteins in the tear and therefore it is important to use the appropriate method. In this study, capillary and Schirmer mode of tear collection was done in the healthy controls and the Schirmer method was validated in dry eye syndrome conditions. 2-D PAGE of normal and dry eye tear was performed using pH 3-10 linear IPG strips followed by 13% SDS-PAGE. The spot intensity was analyzed by the PD quest software. The two methods were compared using Bland-Altman statistical tool. The 2-D map of capillary and Schirmer tear showed 147 ± 8 spots and 145 ± 7 spots respectively. Both the collection methods were in agreement with each other and were comparable. Dry eye tear protein showed differential expression of proteins as observed in 25-35 kDa region. One of the significantly reduced protein was identified as proline-rich 4 protein. Schirmer method of tear collection is reliable in patients with dry eye, which can display the differential protein expression and help in biomarker identification.     

Transition metal complexes of amidinourea and related ligands part III. Infrared spectra and thermal decomposition studies on metal complexes of O-alkyl-1-amidinoureas

Summary The i.r. spectral data on O-methyl-l-amidinourea hydrochloride,O-ethyl-1-amid inourea hydrochloride and the metal complexes [M = copper(H), nickel(II), palladium(II), zinc(II) and oxovanadium(IV)] ofO-methyl-l-amid inourea andO-ethyl-l-amidinourea are reported. The spectral results suggest that secondary amine nitrogens are the donor atoms inO-alkyl-1-amid inourea. The free ligands and the complexes exhibit a characteristic band at ca. 1100 cm^–1 due to the C-OR group. The i.r. and electronic spectral data on the hydrated and anhydrous uncharged metal complexes indicate that the hydrated uncharged metal complexes ofO-alkyl-l-amidinourea may be represented as [M(AAU)_n]] · xH₂0 and not as [M(AAUII)_n](OH)_n · xH₂O [where AAU = H₂NC(=NH)NC(=NH)OR and AAUH = H₂NC(=NH)NHC(=NH)OR, R = Me, Et]. The use of the term anhydrobase is confusing and suitable names for various metal complexes ofO-alkyl-l-amid inourea are suggested. The main decomposition stage in metal complexes ofO-ethyl-l-amidinourea occurs at lower temperatures than for the corresponding biguanide complexes indicating that the former are less stable than the latter.     

On the evidence of crosslinking in methyl pendent PBZT fiber

In order to influence the compressive strength of the rigid rod polymeric fibers, methyl pendent poly(p-phenylene benzobisthiazole) fibers have been heat treated in the 400 to 550°C temperature range in air and in nitrogen for varying times to achieve intermolecular crosslinking. These fibers have been examined using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ¹³C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) swelling behavior, and scanning electron microscopy. ¹³C NMR has also been carried out on solutions of as-spun fibers. Fibers heat-treated at 400°C, both in nitrogen and in air, up to heat-treatment times of 60 min are insoluble in 99% chlorosulfonic acid, however no direct evidence of crosslinking has been obtained for these fibers using spectroscopic techniques, suggesting that in these fibers the degree of crosslinking must be very low. Evidence that methyl groups are precursors to certain crosslinks was first seen via a weak methylene resonance in ¹³C solid-state NMR, corresponding to about 2% of the original methyl intensity, in a sample heat-treated at 450°C in air. Fibers heat-treated in nitrogen at 550°C for 10 minutes do not exhibit any swelling in chlorosulfonic acid, are brittle, have lost most methyl groups; however, some CH₂ groups form. In this fiber, the carbon intensity for the CH₂ group in the ¹³C solid-state NMR is 18% of the intensity for the CH₃ group in the as-spun fiber. The fibers heat-treated at 400 and 450°C show a fibrillar morphology, while the fibrillar morphology is not observed in the fibers heat-treated at 550°C in nitrogen for 10 min. Based on this work, it is our judgment that if heat treatment of this material is to improve compressive strength, the heat treatment protocol of time and temperature will probably be critical and the highest temperatures of exposure will probably lie in the 450 to 550°C range. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Influence of CuO catalyst in the nanoscale range on SnO2 surface for H2S gas sensing applications

The dispersal of CuO catalyst on the surface of the semiconducting SnO₂ film is found to be of vital importance for improving the sensitivity and the response speed of a SnO₂ gas sensor for H₂S gas detection. Ultra-thin CuO islands (8 nm thin and 0.6 mm diameter) prepared by evaporating Cu through a mesh and subsequent oxidation yield a fast response speed and recovery. Ultimately nanoparticles of Cu (average size = 15 nm) prepared by a chemical technique using a reverse micelle method involving the reduction of Cu(NO₃)₂ by NaBH₄ exhibited significant improvement in the gas sensing characteristics of SnO₂ films. A fast response speed of ∼14 s and a recovery time of ∼60 s for trace level ∼20 ppm H₂S gas detection have been recorded. The sensor operating temperature (130° C) is low and the sensitivity (S = 2.06 × 10³) is high. It is found that the spreading over of CuO catalyst in the nanoscale range on the surface of SnO₂ allows effective removal of excess adsorbed oxygen from the uncovered SnO₂ surface due to spill over of hydrogen dissociated from the H₂S-CuO interaction.     

Growth of zinc oxide nanostructures

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowhiskers have been prepared using a multilayer ZnO(50 nm)/Zn(20 nm)/ZnO(2μm) structure on a polished stainless steel (SS) substrate by high rate magnetron sputtering. The formation of uniformly distributed ZnO nanowhiskers with about 20 nm dia. and 2 to 5 μm length was observed after a postdeposition annealing of the prepared structure at 300–400° C. An array of highlyc-axis oriented ZnO columns (70–300 nm in dia. and up to 10 μm long) were grown on Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at a high pressure (1 Torr), and Raman studies showed the activation of surface phonon modes. The nanosized powder (15–20 nm) and nanoparticle ZnO films on glass substrate were also prepared by a chemical route. Nanowhiskers showed enhanced UV light detection characteristics, and the chemically prepared ZnO nanoparticle films exhibited good sensing properties for alcohol     

Amplitude-dependency of response of SI cortex to flutter stimulation

Background  

It is established that increasing the amplitude of a flutter stimulus increases its perceived intensity. Although many studies have examined this phenomenon with regard to the responding afferent population, the way in which the intensity of a stimulus is coded in primary somatosensory cortex (SI) remains unclear.     

Synthesis and characterization of two new bulky tris(mercaptoimidazolyl)borate ligands and their zinc and cadmium complexes

The sodium salts of the tris(2-mercapto-1-benzylimidazolyl)borate [Tm^Bz]⁻ and tris(2-mercapto-1-p-tolylimidazolyl)borate [Tm^p-Tol]⁻ anions have been readily prepared in very good yield from NaBH₄ and 2-mercapto-1-benzylimidazole or 2-mercapto-1-p-tolylimidazole, respectively. These new monoanionic tripodal sulfur-donor ligands have been used to prepare the Group 12 derivatives (Tm^R)MBr (M=Zn, Cd; R=Bz, p-Tol), all of which have been characterized by a combination of analytical and spectroscopic techniques, including electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) and, in the case of both benzyl-substituted derivatives, single-crystal X-ray diffraction.     

An Algorithm for Simulating Equilibrium Adsorption Characteristics of Branched Copolymer Chains at Solid‐Liquid Interface

An algorithm is developed for simulating adsorption of tree type block‐branched copolymer chains, of arbitrary architecture, from dilute solutions to solid surfaces. A continuum form of the self‐consistent field (SCF) theory is used. The chain architecture is first represented by a convergent tree‐graph, which is then converted into a special type of the connectivity matrix. This matrix is used for computing the configurational statistics of the chains in the adsorbed layer. The crucial step in the algorithm is to compute the junction (branch point) probability weights. A stepwise procedure for computing these probability weights is described. The capability of the algorithm has been demonstrated using illustrative examples.

     

Ac conduction in Al/Sb2Pb1Se7/Al devices

Metal-glass-metal (MGM) thin film devices are prepared using vacuum deposition of Sb₂Pb₁Se₇ compound. The variation of ac conductance as a function of thickness of films, temperature and frequency is studied. The observed characteristics are explained on the basis of Co-related Barrier Hopping (CBH) of bipolaron. It is shown that the theoretical curve generated using the first order approximation gives excellent fitting with the experimental curve.